San Francisco Portrait Photographer - Mother's Slimy Secret
A Portrait in Auvergne
Before there was a portrait of his father's hands, there was his mother's face - and a snail.
This photograph was made during a visit to Auvergne, the region in central France where Marc Olivier Le Blanc grew up. His mother, it turns out, has a beauty routine that involves applying snail secretion to her skin - a practice that has been adopted in various forms by the cosmetic industry, though considerably more elegantly than the source material would suggest.
The portrait is documentary and affectionate in equal measure. His mother is photographed in her element: at home in Auvergne, participating in a routine that seems entirely normal to her. The humor in the image comes from the subject's complete composure - she is utterly unbothered by the snail on her face, which is exactly the right reaction.
As a San Francisco portrait photographer who works primarily with executives, editorial subjects, and brands, Marc Olivier Le Blanc brings the same quality of attention to family portraits made in Auvergne that he brings to a cover shoot for a national magazine. The technical discipline doesn't change. The light still matters. The moment still has to be earned.
Personal Photography and the Professional Eye
Personal photography - images made for no client, no deadline, and no usage rights - is where a professional photographer's instincts are most clearly on display. There is no brief to hide behind. The image is either good or it isn't.
This portrait is, by his own account, one of Marc's favorite personal images. It is funny, specific, and completely true to the subject. Those are the same qualities he looks for in every portrait session, regardless of whether the client is a startup founder in San Francisco or a retired schoolteacher in the French countryside.
Portrait Photographer Based in San Francisco
Marc Olivier Le Blanc is a portrait photographer and professional photographer based in San Francisco, available for portrait sessions, editorial commissions, and commercial photography throughout the Bay Area. For portrait photography in San Francisco, contact Marc through the website.
