Interview with William Albert Allard

William Albert Allard is a charming man. Jetlagged, but generous, he shared his passion for photography and told the story of some of his pictures to the big audience present at his conference in Palais des Congrès. Then, he answered my questions, in the shade of a tree, in the park. A lesson from a big name in photojournalism.

William Albert Allard is one of those photojournalists who write with pictures. In fact, he wanted to become a writer and studied at the Minneapolis School of Fine Arts and the University of Minnesota. He enrolled in the journalism program and graduated with a double major in journalism and photography. “As a child, I was good at drawing. I loved writing. Photojournalism put those two things together.” He had a full time position at National Geographic, but resigned to be able to cover issues the way he wanted. He continued to do assignments as a freelance photographer for the magazine. He photographed people everywhere, in the US, Peru, Spain, Italy, France. “I love Paris. It’s my favorite city in the world.” He finally took up his second full time position at the magazine.

During his years at National Geographic, Allard has contributed to some 30 articles. His stories for the magazine have included "Rodeos: Behind the Chutes," "Untouchable," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Welcome to Bollywood," "Thailand's Urban Giants," and "Hutterite Sojourn." “As a photographer, time is precious. And National Geographic gives time to work on projects. That’s very important”.

Allard is a photographer of people. He enters people’s homes and hearts to capture stunning off-guard moments, revealing the depth of human nature. His entire body of work is in color. “Photography is about light. I fell in love with color. I can feel color”.

His exhibition, Five Decades: A Retrospective, shows photos of “what is happening at the edges”, with beauty, intrigue, and stunning reality. Words are as important as pictures. “I photograph what I see, the way I see it”. He compares photography to hunting: “I’m a hunter. I wander through a country, without looking for anything in particular. And all of a sudden, everything comes together for a good picture: the moment, the light, the subject. There’s a part of subconscious.”

Looking back at his career, he is grateful to have spent his life doing what he loves. “When I’m asked to speak to students, I wish for them the joy of finding something with which to earn their living that they truly love to do. Not a lot of people can say that. I can. I loved doing my job of photojournalist, and I still do. I’m blessed”.
The child hidden inside William Albert Allard has never truly grown up. He’s still excited and amazed when he tries to capture a moment in a camera. That’s probably the secret for a memorable photograph.

Marion Mozzi