Photographer

Video: Thomas Genon and JB Liautard create stunning photographs in ‘The Art of MTB 2’

By Denis D. Vaillancourt


There’s no smoke without fire
There is no stuff without a trial
There is no perfect shot without preparation
There is no result without collaboration

Following the first part of The Art of MTB # 1, JB Liautard and Thomas genon are back with another collection of incredible photographs that marry the beauty of photography with that of mountain biking. And this time, we take a behind-the-scenes look at a fascinating film that reveals the depth of detail required to make that money.

From satellite images to hand drawn diagrams. From the texture of the rock to the cultural heritage of the jumps. From the exact light of a sunset to a flash taped to a drone. At Jb Liautard and Thomas Genon, there is no art without science, and no madness without method.

Their patience, their perseverance and their very particular attention to detail produce something magical. Jb builds the idea and Thomas agrees. When their vision and skills meet, that snapshot in time is perfection.

Mountain biking photography is something specific because it’s a very fast-paced sport with a lot of codes and culture, I think you have to really understand the sport to make it work. Most of the time, my photos are the result of a collaboration with an athlete where I try to mix action sport and art. We discuss the idea, we give each other advice, we fail, we come back, and sometimes we make it work after a lot of trying. It’s definitely a case of teamwork; perfectionism on both sides is essential for me.–Jb Liautard
quotation marks I really enjoy working on the small details and Jb has that mindset too. When we know that most of the time his pictures are little edited, we wonder how he does it. The goal behind this episode is to show all of the work behind the footage. After the first episode, we got a few ideas and versions that we didn’t use. We also wanted to explore them. It was quite spontaneous.–Thomas genon

quotation marks I’ve been taking pictures for seven years now and the behind-the-scenes videos are something I really enjoy doing and watching. In a world where social media and Photoshop are taking over the internet, I think it’s essential to get back to basics and show something a little more real. I like to do things the do-it-yourself way and have as many things done in the field as possible. As mountain biking is an outdoor sport, weather conditions are also a key consideration. If there are clouds on the horizon, you don’t get the sunset, if the wind is going the wrong way, the smoke doesn’t fill the frame. Sometimes it takes such a large team to take a single photo. We had a lot of people helping us with this video: videographers, diggers, helpers and friends, and it was amazing to have so much support.–Jb Liautard

Rider: Thomas genon
Photography: Jb Liautard
Video: Abel Nury & Jb Liautard
Additional shooting: Jules Langeard / Anna-Margret Noorhani / Romain Lafite
Produced by: Shimano



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Denis D. Vaillancourt
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