Maud Chalard

"I have always had a lot of love for the naked body, especially women," begins French photographer and Canon Ambassador Maud Chalard. "There is nothing more beautiful than the body of a woman."

Maud's love of the human form is only surpassed by her other passion in life: adventure. Although based in one of the world's most enchanting cities, the editorial and lifestyle photographer loves nothing more than to flee the Parisian cityscape and head out onto the open road. Maud finds and channels her inspiration during these trips, taking intimately tender and atmospherically charged portrayals of women.

"The thing I really like about lifestyle photography is the freedom that the genre allows," Maud says. "I can take pictures everywhere, capturing magical moments that I share with friends or the people I meet."

"Probably because I'm a very sensitive person with a lack of confidence, a lot of people tell me that my photos in turn are very sensitive." Maud continues. "I imagine this is one of the things that appears the most in my photos. Nowadays, I think of it as a strength."

Born in Charente in western France, Maud has always been inspired by her father's love of photography. Equipped with the camera he gave her, she taught herself how to shoot. "I started by taking pictures of my sister, my first muse," Maud explains. "I had the feeling that I could convey everything I wanted with one photo: the aesthetic, her emotions and, ultimately, a story. I realised that taking pictures made me happy."

As Maud entered the world of work, the revelations continued. After taking a degree in Visual Communications, she realised a career in advertising wasn't for her after all. "It was a very complicated period because I studied in the best schools, fighting to pass all the competitions, then I got the job I thought was my dream only to realise I wasn't happy," Maud says. "I planned photo sessions at the weekends that allowed me to 'escape' from the world of the office and to express myself. I started to evolve, to be recognised, and I was contacted by advertising agencies to take pictures for commercial projects. Unfortunately, I couldn't fulfil these orders because I was already working 35 hours a week. So I resigned and devoted myself to photography."

After handing in her notice, Maud jetted off to the United States for three months, where she travelled over 20,000km. "I took thousands of photos and, when I came back, I published them as a book and started doing exhibitions. That was it: my career was launched."

Do you approach your work for editorial and advertising clients differently?

"Absolutely. For the editorial part, I like to think about an idea, work on it, plan it and set up a team to create what I have in my mind and express myself exactly the way I want. I choose everything from the start to the end. For commercial work, I have to deal with the needs of the client and my artistic vision. I tend to be chosen for my aesthetic and often have freedom when it comes to art direction, choice of models, locations and so on. It is a balance between expressing myself freely with constraints."



What advice would you give someone hoping to break into this field?

"I think the most important thing is to work on the style that makes you feel alive – vibrate almost – and to really go for it. It's crucial that you listen to yourself and your instincts. Also, take a lot of pictures!"



As someone who suffers with confidence issues, how important is self-belief as a photographer?

"There are a lot of photographers today, many of whom do not suffer with a lack of confidence. If you shy away from an opportunity, one of those photographers will take it from you. So you must grab your courage with both hands and go for it. If you don't have confidence in yourself, then build confidence in your work. Ultimately, if you want to make a living from your work, then you have no choice but to show it and share it."



Where do you hope your photography will take you next?

"I can't wait to hit the road again and go on my next adventure, wherever that may be. I plan to set off for several months to meet people, share moments with them and immortalise them in photos."

Maud Chalard

Instagram: @maudchalard

Website: http://maudchalard.com/