Interview / tutorial by Editor Michel Romaggi  in collaboration of the author Thierry Dufour
Published the 14th of July 2021

Thierry Dufour's photos reveal a fascinating world filled with amazing creatures that seem to belong to another world moving in an unreal space and made of strange shapes and colours.
Let's ask him how he creates this sublime small world.

'Dew at dawn'

How did you get into macro photography, Thierry? 
Where does your interest in insects comes from?
I have always loved insects.  It is such a small world that fascinates me, hence the interest in macro photography that I discovered in specialized magazines. I learned everything by myself.  Digital photography's biggest advantage is to be able to take as many pictures as you want so that you can progress with a lot of patience.

 
The vegetation has a capital importance in your photos.  Their shapes and movements are giving your images a very artistic touch. Tell us a little about the places and circumstances in which you take these pictures.
I take almost all my pictures in my garden, I try to find plants of various shapes to effectively give an artistic effect to my images.

'In the blue sky, the stars...'

What equipment do you use?
What are the settings to obtain that great bokeh and remarkable sharpness of the insect?
I use an OLYMPUS OM-D E-M5 MARK II with a M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm f2.8 Macro lens which is really great.

'Symphony unfinished'

The colours in your photos are wonderful and also contribute to the artistic quality. Do you use lights, reflectors, or do you choose particular moments of natural light?
I only work with natural light, preferably in the morning, and I sometimes process my images with software.

'Life is nice in the rainbow...'

What techniques or software do you use to obtain the sublime effects (dominant colour or bubbles) that we find in most of your work?
For the post processing,  I use 'Corel Paint Shop Pro' and sometimes 'Adobe Photoshop'.

'In a world of bubbles...'

Finally, could you tell us a little about yourself, what photography means in your life and how you came to it?
I am fortunate to be retired which allows me to have a lot of time for photography. I love to go to the quiet countryside to make macros, it's really very relaxing. I came to photography thanks to my wife and daughter who helped me a lot in this difficult exercise.

Thank you so much for revealing something more about your wonderful macro world, Thierry!