Today we’d like to introduce you to Olivier de Vaulx.
Olivier, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Born in South of France, I became a full-time journalist and photographer, writing about motocross, enduro, and MTB in many French magazines. During vacations in the USA in 2012, the whole family felt in love with the American life style. California being the heart of action sports, we decided to move to Huntington Beach in 2014.
Living in South California for more than 3 years now, I’m the official US correspondent for French magazines Moto Verte and MX Mag, and I work with many other publications such as Motocross IT (Italy), Built (UK), Racer X (US), Upshift Online (US). As a pro photographer and journalist, I interview the most famous riders, team managers and CEOs of the sport. My stories are written in French and English and are published worldwide. My pictures are also used by US companies like Kawasaki Pro Circuit, D’Cor and 100% in catalogs and adds.
I also love bringing my cameras and flashes in local shops like Heroes Motorcycles in La Brea or Mule Motorcycles in Poway to feature restoration of classic bikes and cars. In these garages, some artists spend hours to bring to life old engines and frames, creating real pieces of art. Featuring this hard work in pictures is a tribute to their dedication to preserve history. I also shoot graduation photos or life style photos around Surf City Huntington Beach, and do website design and maintenance for small businesses.
Last, but not least, I like going outdoor with my wife and kids to photography the beautiful landscapes of America and will even offer a motorcycle tour across USA next summer for some European riders. Each opportunity to share our love for America is a good one to take!
Has it been a smooth road?
At first, you need to settle, find a place to live, understand how everything works in this new country. Luckily, people here are amazing and you quickly make American friends to help you figure things out. When everything is setup, you start working with all these companies out there in your field of business. It’s time consuming but not that difficult as people are very nice. It’s up to you to start building a relationship based on your ability to deliver stories, photos and websites that fit perfectly the needs of the customers.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
The company I’m running is dealing with a lot of different people. From chief editor of magazines to team managers, including riders, busy CEOs, private customers, we’re proud to see that we have a strong connection with all these people, no matter what their background is. The key word is to actually care about their needs and to deliver the project they were dreaming about. Coming from another country, we’re always eager to learn and we take pride in our ability to listen and to adapt. When you have American people featuring your work, either in a US magazine or on the walls of a restaurant, you can be proud because you were chosen among so many talented photographers/storytellers/web designers that it obviously means something about the quality of your work. Last, but not least, being French might give an edge about creativity because we’re used to see things with a different eye. Even if we love the American culture, we can bring a subtle “je ne sais quoi” touch to our projects.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Los Angeles area, Orange County and in a more general term South California are great places to run a business. First, you’ll find here a great weather with a beautiful light for outdoor photography. You’ll also feel the energy coming from everywhere. People are really moving forward in the area, following their dream of success and often making it a reality. Every day you’ll meet people eager to start new projects and it gives you hopes in the future.
Pricing:
- Photoshoot from $800 to $1600/day depending of location
- Website starts $1250 and up to $5500
Contact Info:
- Address: Huntington Beach, CA 92648
- Website: http://devaulxphotography.com
- Phone: (714) 698-3646
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/olivierdevaulx/
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