Clubhouse Art Series: Q & A With Adrien de Bontin

Starting tonight through July 1, The Clubhouse will host North American photographer Adrien de Bontin’s exhibition, “At the Red Willow,” a collection of photos capturing de Bontin’s special connection with New Mexico. Born in Paris, raised in Vienna, and educated in the United States, Adrien has had the good fortune of traveling between continents since an early age. This openness to different cultures and societal backgrounds has allowed him to capture on film a wide variety of locations and peoples. Currently residing in Buenos Aires, Adrien has been a contributor to international outlets such as Blackbook, Travel & Leisure, Time Out and Elle.

We know that he finds inspiration from music, film, and daily life, but what are his thoughts on Instagram? His favorite restaurant in Buenos Aires? Or his favorite South America travel destination? Read on to learn more about the man behind the lens. You can also check out his blog here or follow him Twitter here.

Oasis Blog: Fisheye or Wide Angle?

Adrien de Bontin: Although fisheye lenses definitely have a certain fun-factor associated with them, I much prefer wide-angle lenses for their versatility. A good WA lens can be great for anything from travel to food to portrait photography. I typically carry one WA lens and one telephoto lens with me as my basic kit.

OB: As a professional photographer, what are your thoughts on Instagram?

AdB: Love it! Its a great app that has gotten people more interested in photography in general, and its quite fun to use. I dont think its at all threatening to professional photographers as it would be difficult for anyone to use Instagram in a professional manner. In terms of the effects that it provides, I would much rather use actual film rather than try to retouch a digital image to make it look like an analog photo. If you want to take those types of photos with anything aside from your phone, buy film. (You can follow Adrien on Instagram here.)

OB: Do you have any tips for traveling with a camera through South America?

AdB: Be aware of your surroundings; both in terms of safety and in terms of content! Most places you dont need to worry about safety with your camera, nevertheless its always good to keep an eye out. There are so many fantastic places and things to shoot in SA, I find it difficult NOT to find things to shoot. I love travel photography and South America is loaded with amazing content.

OB: What is your favorite place in South America?

AdB: Oof. That totally depends on what Im in the mood for…There are a few places that I love which I would be happy to return to any day: Carilo in Argentina, Torres del Paine in Chile, and Ouro Preto in Brasil are way up on my list.

OB: What is one of your favorite photos ever taken?

AdB: One of my favorite photos is one that I took of my friend Ben, in the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan in the US. One of our best friends had just gotten married in Wisconsin so we took the opportunity to do a road trip from Wisconsin to NYC through Canada. We decided to avoid the major highways and hotels, and use the backroads to see more of the country. We stopped at a large department store and bought cheap camping equipment and decided to stop at campgrounds to spend the night. We arrived at one just before sundown and decided to explore around to find the best spot to enjoy the sunset. This photo was taken on that trek to find the perfect location.

OB: What’s your favorite restaurant in Buenos Aires?

AdB: Enfundá la Mandolina. It has great food, substantive menu, original decor, few tourists, and is well-priced. Plus, it’s very close to my apartment!

OB: What is your go-to cocktail?

AdB: Pastis. But only Ricard.

OB: If I pressed play on your iPod right now what would I hear?

AdB: Gossip – Perfect World (RAC remix)

OB: Any upcoming travel plans?

AdB: I am in the beginning stages of a trip throughout Argentina, I want to go to the North (Salta, Jujuy, and Catamarca) hopefully taking a train in Bolivia to check out the salt flats as well. Otherwise I would love to go back to Patagonia where I had spent 8 months on the Chilean side. I would like to see more of the Argentine side and definitely hit up Ushuaia which I only was able to when I was on a boat to Puerto Williams. And I still have Peru, Columbia, and Bolivia on my list, theres just too many awesome places to go!