I was lucky enough to cross paths with Nicolas two years ago, and one of the first things that struck me, apart from his insatiable curiosity and his thirst to share, is his almost ecstatic approach to photography.

His friend and photographer Martial Lenoir says: “Nicolas is an instinctive photographer, he lives his session as a moment apart, almost like a trance. It is the present moment that is most important, and it is surely because he is only too aware of the ephemeral nature of things that he is so keen to capture them and freeze them for eternity…to capture that moment when the model delivers herself and he will be able to capture the very essence of what she is.

A true jack-of-all-trades, there is nothing he cannot sublimate, and it is through his favorite quote, “Look into my eyes, you will find yourself sublime”, that we begin to detect the workings of his art. Nicolas says it very well: “My primary desire is to share with the people who pass in front of my lens the vision I have of them, and through my aesthetic approach to give them confidence”.

Confidence is the magic word. It’s true that no one knew better than him how to make me bare, literally and figuratively. If for him the camera is an extension of his body, it is above all a means of expression, communication, and sharing. “Confidence gives you wings, its what makes people let go. For a moment, when the model stops doubting, it offers me the most magnificent thing.”

This is my greatest similarity with Nicolas: our approach to life and its beauty. What is magnificent is above all this truth, this fragility and this strength that emanate from each of us, that builds us as singular beings, and that throws embers on our inner fire.

Today, he feels it: after all these years of research and doubt, it is the real Nicolas who expresses himself. Truer, more transgressive, more daring, full of projects in mind, and with the will to make as many people as possible feel the whirlwinds that animate him. “When the model lets go and show me his confidence, I feel valued in turn. It gives a sense of meaningto my life and pushes me to share my work more and more, like here, in the form of a portfolio or soon in the book I am working on.”

As for me, who is also better at talking about others than about myself, I now leave the floor to, Nicolas, through his favorite medium, photography, who does me the honor of being his muse on the following pages and with whom I hope to continue to create for a long time to come.

Thank you Nicolas for your talent. Thank you for making me feel beautiful.

Laure Surlerivage