Philippe Ayral

Philippe was born in Toulouse, south of France, in 1949. He moved from there and after some years travelling in Middle East, he now lives in Haute Savoie, France. Philippe is a self-taught photographer. Philippe works with both a 5x7" and a 8x10" cameras. He started using large formats cameras for personal work about 10 years ago giving up all photographic commissioned work. He was taught the techniques through Fred Picker Newsletters and Ansel Adams books. He began Palladium prints with the Palladio paper when it was still available. Most of his alternative prints are on Arches Platine paper."The most important thing for me is light and adequation between poetry and feeling of the print.Platinum and Palladium contact print is the way I can perform the score and bring negative to life using different paper, different solution to get the right color and the right contrast, so the right feeling.A photographic image is not only a way to show someting to the viewer, it's also a craft where paper is so important and the way the metal particules are embedded in it. The print gives the whole range of greys and a velvet black so close to the photogravure.I don't know a better way to make light look alive and black so sensual."

1997 "Ecoute voir si tu vois ce que j'entends"Centre de la photographie - GenveExposition collective "Autoportraits"Chteau de NyonExposition collective"NoirBlanc" Photographies 1992-1997Espace 13x13Exposition personnelle1998"Sries blanches & chambre noire"Galerie Focale - NyonExposition personnelle1999 "Papa - maman"Chteau de NyonExposition collective2002"Histoires de pierre"Espace 13x13Exposition personnelle"Histoires de pierre"Galerie Focale - NyonExposition personnelle"sries blanches"Centre PasquArt - BienneExposition collective"Le Monde selon FOCALE"Villa Dutoit - GenveExposition collective2004 "de la contemplation"Ecole des Beaux-Arts - NmesExposition collective"de la contemplation"Luxun Academy of Fine ArtsShenyang - ChineExposition collective2005 "la contemplation"maison VisinandCentre culturel - MontreuxExposition collective3e Rencontres Photographiquesdu GenevoisExposition collective2006 "Focale Suisse"Galerie PhotoMontpellierExposition collectiveRencontres Photographiques25 regardsmaison VisinandCentre culturel - MontreuxExposition collective,