PERPIGNAN DIARY: My last day, The Photographer’s Luncheon.
by Doug Menuez
Traditions are hard to find these days, and as someone raised during an era of smashed traditions in the US I am greatly attracted to them. An enduring and valuable tradition at VIsa Pour L’Image is the private luncheon held to honor the photographers and which is hosted by Visa director Jean François Leroy, his incredible team (of which Sylvie Grumbach and Delphine Lelu I saw with us) and sponsors such as Canon and Central Dupon Images lab. It is quite special and intimate as we found out. Tereza and I boarded the bus with the other photographers whose work is featured here at this year’s festival and immediately we were making new friends with photographers we have admired for years. (This was the first time a photographer was allowed to share photographs from the lunch with the public, and so your diarist will share some of them here)
First we met the veteran shooter Nik Wheeler- whose byline I loved seeing as I was young and breaking into magazines- and actress Pamela Bellwood, then Mathias Braschler and Monika Fisher, and their baby Elias, who never cries. Hopefully we’ll meet them again in NYC now that we know we are just a bridge away. Then I got to formally meet Stanley Greene, who reminded me that we both started out at the same dusty, small town paper. I was stunned to remember this. What a small world of course. Soon we were off the bus, drinks in hand and all sat down to an incredible spread of local lamb, wine and deserts at Le Mas Chabry.
For readers a bit older, they may recall the “Day in the Life” book series, where every year a 100 photojournalists would be invited to photograph for 24 hours for a book shot every year in a different country. This luncheon reminded me of those extraordinary gatherings. Here JFL has assembled in one group such a wide range of veteran and new photographers, with their complex personalities, ideas, plans, hopes and dreams for photographs yet to be made, making for a rich stew of conversation that started the minute we boarded the bus and didn’t stop until we were dropped back off at the Palais. Whew! Incredibly fun.
Normally, photographers are quite competitive. Here this was not the case. We are all aware how hard it is to survive these days and I think that’s leading to the shared realization that we have to help each other as much as possible. All of us could feel quite a bit of pride about being included in this gathering and I’m sure everyone was thinking of the work behind them that led to this moment, as well as the challenges ahead. But at least a little comfort was to be found in our own company. And sadly, as Jean François reminded me, this lunch is one of a kind. Without an exhibition next year at Perpignan, I’m afraid we’ll all be back at the cafe drinking vin rouge while the next honored group is enjoying this tribute. Which is all as it should be, the cycle continues… and now we head to the evening adventures and back to our real life. Until next year- see you here!
