Édouard Boubat

French, 1923–1999

Père avec son enfant, 1956

Nazaré, Portugal

"We use wonderful words in photography: 'aperture', for example. The diaphragm is a mechanical thing, but is also our 'aperture', something that opens us to the world. This picture of a man by the sea was taken on my first trip to Portugal, I think it was in 1956. It was wonderful to travel in those days; there were very few tourists. After two or three days on the road, we arrived at the hotel by the sea. Sophie was rather tired and I said to her, 'I'm going to see the beach'. I took the little Leica I had at the time, and this man was there. I had only been there for half an hour: he was waiting for me with his kid, and I took my first picture of Portugal; a photo that would last. I'd come a long way: I'd dreamed of this Portugal, so I was waiting too; there was waiting on both sides. A photograph is rather like a stolen kiss. A kiss is always stolen, even if the woman is consenting. The photo is stolen, but generally with consent"

Èdouard Boubat, 1986