Passion is a gift. And when study is applied to this gift, creativity is unleashed. Bilal Aouffen exemplifies this process. At just 24 years old, his perspectives have already learned to go beyond mere sports performance by researching and capturing sports emotions. Sport is an art form, reveals this young self-taught artist with a visual work that has already crossed paths with some of the most relevant global sporting events, such as the recent Olympics and Paralympics.

We listened to his testimony, trying to uncover the background and vision behind a new face of sports photography, while reliving, in the twilight of 2024, the emotions and colors of the wonderful Parisian summer.

Could you tell us about the origins of your photographic journey and your connection to sports imagery?

“I was born in Canada, I have a Canadian passport, but I grew up in France. I didn’t learn photography through academic paths, I didn’t have a traditional education. In the beginning I did like everyone else, I used my cell phone. People couldn’t see me, it was easy to take pictures. Then, I bought a camera and followed the influences of the great American photographers, as well as contemporary photographers I was able to connect with. I am self-taught, but my knowledge did not come from YouTube tutorials, it was inspired by photographers I met along the way, such as Cortney White. In France I also fell in love with sports, I tried them all, and I was – and still am – particularly passionate about athletics. I’m not a pro athlete, but over time I got to study a lot of different disciplines and understand that my photographic approach to the sports needed to be artistic. I didn’t want to be a press photographer.”

What are the cornerstones of your photographic philosophy?

“From the very beginning, I thought that I had to do something different, I had to look for new perspectives, new details in sports scenarios. I wanted to create compositions that could only be mine. I first practiced my visual production with my athletic teammates, at that time I started to sit next to coaches, or families. I realized that their emotions were directed toward those elements. And that the same process was happening with the top international athletes. Even during the athletic act I always try to focus on portraits and look for unusual forms. I didn’t want to become a finish line photographer, I wanted to be as close as possible to the feelings of each athlete. Now, I try to put myself in the shoes of those I capture; I study their rituals and celebrations. And I am always driven by my love for sports. During the Athletics World Championships in Budapest, I even went so far as to take pictures of my computer. I had not received the accreditation for the event, but I still wanted to try to shoot it. In general, before every event I buy photo books that can inspire me, or I do a lot of research on my phone, and I imagine what results I want to achieve.”

Your lens has captured many great sporting events, which ones have inspired you the most?

“In the last three years I have photographed the Diamond League, the French National Championships, the European cross-country Championships in Turin, and many other events. I was definitely fascinated by portraying the F1 Alpine team pits; I had access everywhere except the track. This gave me the opportunity to focus on the connections between engineers, mechanics, drivers, etc. They were intimate spaces that I was privileged to discover with my lens. The most important event, to date, was the Paris Olympics. Originally, I only had to shoot the Paralympics, but during the Olympics I decided to join the public spaces. It was a challenge that I accepted. I prepared myself, studying the various locations. Outdoor events like cycling particularly inspire me, because I can always play with the environment. In Paris, I had a unique experience during the race. My boss sent me a photo from the Montmartre climb, I reached it and entered a house on the first floor. There was a five-star view from the window. I had the crowds, the cyclists and the Parisian architecture right there, in front of my eyes. Again, I played with perspective and the result was fantastic.”

Despite your young age, you have already explored a big part of the sports aesthetic, now what are your goals?

“I’m 24 years old and I’ve already been lucky enough to photograph an Olympics in a unique setting like Paris, so it’s hard to imagine more important events than that. Definitely my goal, or rather, my dream is to live thanks to photography. I love traveling, visiting new countries, spaces and cultures. I want to continue to portray the moments that no one sees. In the next future I would like to test myself with a sport like sailing, maybe capturing SailGP events.”