Our story
Regard d’auteur was born out of love for French photography, with a clear objective: to label professional wedding and portrait photographers so that clients can choose the one that suits them with their eyes closed!
In the footsteps of Nicéphore Nièpce, Robert Doisneau, Willy Ronnis, Henri Cartier Bresson and more recently Lucien Clergue, Sarah Moon or Jean Loup Sieff, the history of our French photographic heritage is written. And after all, isn’t the invention of photography French?
Regard d’auteur: a quality brand for professional photographers
In 2015, 6 years after the creation of the auto-entrepreneur status by the Sarkozy government in France, the question of quality versus quantity was raised: the number of declared professional photographers had increased in 15 years from 5000 to more than 20 000. However, in front of the easy access to our beautiful profession of photographer, which does not require a diploma at the entrance, I noticed like many experienced photographers a global decrease of the level of the proposed services. This resulted in a great disparity in the quality of the photos and services offered by these « professionals » and too often by customers who were finally dissatisfied with their wedding photo report.
Faced with this observation, we were considering the creation of a quality charter, which would guarantee to all customers that their photographer meets the conditions expected when booking a professional service for a wedding photo report: the photographer works in a declared manner, he is insured in case of unforeseen events, he has replacement equipment in case of failure, etc.
The evaluation and training of photographers would also help ensure the quality of their work and broaden their field of expertise by offering them a creative vision, thanks to international trainers.
William Lambelet, Pierre Delaunay, Jonathan Udot and the renowned wedding planner Stéphanie Fayolle formed the first Regard d’auteur jury. The wedding photographers’ platform was then launched.
Regard d’auteur, a collaborative project
We had to create the charter, but also the quality brand, the address book and above all, succeed in making it known to the general public. Nearly 100 experienced wedding photographers met to decide together on the obligations that today constitute our quality charter: the guarantee for each client to be able to choose their photographer from our address book with their eyes closed.
For the artisan photographers, it was also a moral battle: that of perpetuating a French tradition of quality, not only technically for the photos taken, but also for the quality of the image supports kept (albums, prints, etc.). Without forgetting the creative dimension that allows the artist to put his signature on his image.
Regard d'auteur ,thought by and for the profession of photographer
In April 2017, the Regard d’auteur brand was officially created, under the impetus of William Lambelet in particular, crowned best wedding photojournalist in the world the following year by the WPJ. Other renowned photographers of the French wedding sphere have strongly contributed in the beginning and still contribute, such as Thibault Chappe, Jacques Matéos, Lea Torrieri or the duo Gardères & Dohmen.
Very quickly, other references of the wedding photography in France are present on the address book: Benjamin Brette, Greg Finck or Béatrice de Guigné.
The opening of Regard d’auteur to portrait photographers
In June 2019, with more than 500 French wedding photographers united around the brand, Regard d’auteur opens up to portraitists. The idea is in turn supported by big names such as Sophie Bourgeix, Lisa Tichané, Sybil Rondeau and Milena Perdriel.
Our goal? To bring the same guarantees to future parents, parents and entrepreneurs looking for a photographer for a pregnancy, a birth, for a family portrait or a professional portrait.
Expert photographers in their field trust Regard d’auteur, such as Nath Sakura (studio), Mélanie Cassandre (pregnancy, birth, baby), or Luis Garvan (studio portrait).
Regard d’auteur, from project to incubated start-up
The year 2019 is also the time of important changes for the company: the beginning of the accompaniment by the renowned coach Amine Chelly (co-writer of the book « Business plan for dummies »), which brings Regard d’auteur to be accompanied by the incubator Ionis 361 in Montpellier.
Regard d’auteur, international community of portrait & wedding photographers
Since 2020, Regard d’auteur has built a marketing team by going from 3 to 6 and then 7 people working daily for professional photographers. Their role is to increase Regard d’auteur’s visibility with the end customer (future brides, grooms and parents), and to set up new training courses to help photographers develop their skills and creativity.
In 2021, Regard d’auteur opens to the international scene with the translation of the website, available in 5 languages (French, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Italian). Some of the most famous photographers at the international level join the community, such as Isabelle Hattink, Ken Pak, Esteban Gil, Donatella Barbera or Alexander Lupascu in wedding photography. Portraiture is also well represented with many references, such as Palome Schell, Marta Ponsko, Sara Hunt, Daniela Ursache or Franu Rey.
You too can be part of the best: join the Regard d’auteur’s community now!
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