Photography: Benoit Fournier documents the beach-lovers of Brazil from out in the ocean

Not to be confused with the magician of the same name, Benoit Fournier is a French photographer living and working in Brazil. Having taken up photography at the relatively ripe old age of 20, he’s been developing his skills in Mexico and Spain, before settling in Rio de Janeiro. While there he’s been at work compiling numerous series’ of photographs that document life on the city’s streets and beaches, particularly focussing on the population’s relationship with water.

His images combine traditional reportage with elements of surf photography, mixing the two in a manner we’ve never seen before. But his subjects aren’t ocean-loving athletes, they’re regular folks like you and me, and seeing them photographed from way out in the ocean offers us a uniquely voyeuristic perspective on their day-to-day lives.