France Leclerc – The Art of Becoming Invisible

France Leclerc is a former professor turned full-time photographer based in Chicago, originally from Montreal. Her work centers on what she calls “life photography,” capturing authentic moments during her extensive travels across Asia, Africa, and beyond. Featured in the December issue of Street Photography Magazine, France brings a unique perspective shaped by years of teaching and a deep commitment to cultural understanding.

The Secret of Patience

For France, travel and photography are inseparable. What began as a way to share experiences from distant places has evolved into a practice of storytelling through images. But her real mastery lies not in the destinations she visits—it’s in her ability to become part of the scenery, earning trust and capturing genuine moments that most photographers never see.

France’s approach to photographing strangers in public spaces is refreshingly simple: she waits. “I try to stay there for as long as I can,” she explains. “They either accept you or not. But I stay, and I stay, and I stay. So then they get fed up. They stop seeing me or they stop behaving as what they think I’m there for, and they just go back to their life. And that’s when my work starts.” This patience allows her to move past the performative smiles and staged moments. By remaining present until people forget about her camera, France captures something rare—the natural rhythms of daily life. “I wait for them to be doing their natural thing,” she says. “I become part of the background.”

Lessons for Street Photographers

First, abandon the quick shot mentality. France’s willingness to invest time in a single location yields photographs with genuine emotion and unguarded expressions. Second, approach your subjects with humility. As she notes in her essay “Devotion in Motion,” blending in requires setting aside ego and truly respecting the communities you photograph. Third, trust your emotional response when editing. France selects images based on what makes her heart go “boom”—a reminder that technical perfection matters less than authentic connection.

France’s work seeks to reveal our common humanity. As she puts it, “We’re all the same. We all want a decent life for our family and our community, and that’s what we should be focusing on.”

Links from the show

France’s Website

Instagram

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