Valentin Durand Leclercq | Underwater Photographer & Videographer | France
Born and raised in Paris, nature was not easily accessible for Valentin. Through his travels, he started to witness the beauty of it and he fell in love with the ocean after living in Australia for two years. From that moment, he truly wanted to protect it.
Valentin’s focus is to showcase the beauty of the natural world in order to protect it. Through nature, landscapes, wildlife, and especially the oceans, he brings people along on his adventures by composing shots as he explores the underwater world through diving and freediving.
When did you first start your storytelling journey?
Back in 2015 when I went as an exchange student in South Africa. My dad bought me a GoPro and I started to love the process of capturing moments. This trip changed my life.
What are the fondest memories from your upbringing that you feel impacted your life choices and lifestyle today?
Basketball played a huge part for me while growing up. As I played at the national level in U16 and U20 I learned to give 100% of myself in what I was doing. And I always knew that I wanted to have an impact on anything that I did.
What path did you choose after leaving school?
After high school, I went to an engineering school. Then I chose to get specialised in renewable energies because I wanted to impact things in a good way. After 6 months of working, I went to Australia where I stayed for 2 years. That's where I fell in love with creating visuals and the ocean.
Who/what currently inspires you?
Other photographers are always a great source of inspiration. I also like to watch movies for the colour grading, and the way scenes are shot. They usually use light to make the viewer feel something, and this is something that I try to add to my photos and videos as it gives a more ‘cinematic look’.
What current projects/stories are you working on?
I am working on a 5-10 minute video to showcase the beauty of our oceans with a voiceover to explain how important the oceans are to our planet.
The goal is to give a voice to these amazing animals who don't have one and to make people realise we have to protect them.
My goal is to make people fall in love with the ocean, once they love something they will start acting to protect it.
What would you most like to change in the world/environment today?
Probably education. If you bring facts, people would be either in shock or they will look away. Most of them are looking away, so if you could have changed the way everyone is behaving in the first place, they would care more about nature in general. Because people in the cities don't see the impact they have every day on nature, education is key to improving the environment.
Are there any books/documentaries that have guided your thinking, and that you'd like to recommend to other ocean lovers?
Seaspiracy
My Octopus Teacher
An Inconvenient Truth
I also read science articles and a few books. I like Andrew Stevenson's book Whale Song about humpback whales in the Bermudes. In the book, he explains his first encounters and how he interacts with them. You also have amazing photos in the book, so it's a nice way to learn more about these animals.
What legacy do you hope to leave?
That I gave it all to protect our ocean and that I don't have any regret. As a creator loving nature and particularly the ocean, I guess you always want to inspire people to care more and more about it and to document it. In the long run, it may change people’s perspective about their impact on this planet in a good way.
What advice would you give to anyone looking to follow their dreams as an Ocean Storyteller?
Well, I am still following this dream of mine, but I would say to just go out there and shoot as much as you can. Try to reach out to other photographers or biologists in your area.
Be comfortable diving or freediving, and then experiment. Learn more about the animals you could encounter, and about their behaviours. But be careful, it is addictive!
WEBSITE: https://www.valdurlec.com
INSTAGRAM: @valdurlec
