Stéphane Pia (@stepianet on Instagram) started his journey in photography back in 1984. He has a PhD in Mathematics and in photographic field he is mostly self-taught.

For 15 years, he has also been a Zen practitioner and more recently a Japanese painting (Sumi-e) practitioner where the gesture and the way to breath are key for the success of the painting. Those aspects of his life deeply influence his approach to photography. He treats his photo walks as a form of meditation. During these walks, attention is focused on his surroundings, on his breathing and on his posture to react quickly. This meditative state lets his subconscious take the lead, helping him decide the moment to capture a scene.

Stéphane lives by the philosophy that every day in his photography journey is an opportunity to learn something new with the idea of avoiding repeating himself or following trends, continuous practice is key like when we learn to play music.