Tag Archives: Fashion Photography

French Photographer & Director Chris Roman Brings Beauty into Focus

November 28, 2024 P. L. McGroarty Leave a comment

In a world saturated with fleeting visuals and fast-paced media, the pursuit of true beauty feels more essential than ever. For some, beauty is merely surface level, but for director and photographer Chris Roman, it’s a way to communicate something deeper. Whether photographing fashion week or directing high-end campaigns for luxury brands like Dior, Chanel, Givenchy, Longchamp and Lancôme, Chris’s mission remains clear: to make the world more beautiful, one frame at a time.

“I like the elegance, the refinement and premium aspects of the luxury fields. Luxury brands tell stories, because they have a strong DNA and enriched history. I have much respect for them, I call them ‘Houses’ and not brands,” admits French photographer and director Chris Roman. “Their universe can vary but I’m always fascinated by their vision and I feel very lucky to be a bit part of it, to translate visually their vision and DNA.”

For Chris, beauty isn’t just a job — it’s a calling. As a photographer and director, hehas built a reputation in the world of fashion and luxury for his signature style that blends energy, emotion, and elegance.

His approach is deeply personal. “I call myself a beauty maker,” he says. “I do think we need more beauty in our world. Even if it’s through commercial work to sell beauty and luxury products, I tend to bring some beauty into people’s lives.”

From high-profile luxury campaigns and collaborations with Netflix and Vogue Paris to intimate behind-the-scenes moments at fashion weeks, Chris’s lens doesn’t just capture beauty — it creates it. His goal? To ensure everyone in front of the camera lives a memorable experience, capturing their truest selves with grace and style.

“I’ve been working with Chris since 2017 on many projects ranging from events video capture with filming high profile celebrities, creation of digital branded content campaigns and editing work,” explains Fanny Level, Chanel’s Head of Special Projects.

“He has an eye and sense of luxury aesthetic that few film directors possess…As a creative mind he’s dedicated to producing beautiful content in line with his client’s business brief… He’s extremely talented hence sought after by many luxury brands.”

Over the years, Chris has shot for some of the most iconic names in fashion, luxury, and entertainment where his reverence for each brand’s legacy shines through. “Every brand has its own DNA,” Chris explains. “My job is to respect that history while bringing my own creative perspective to the table.”

His work with Dior stands as a testament to this philosophy. Tasked with interpreting the brand’s timeless elegance, Chris fused traditional luxury with modern sensibility. In 2020 Chris directed a series of stunning videos titled “Dior Beauty Lessons” for Dior’s Capture Totale age-defying skin cream.

Chris directed five separate videos for territories ranging from France to Japan, which featured icons such as famous international chef Mimi Thorisson, Japanese model and actress Mayumi Sada, South Korean actress Lee Hanee, former model Rose Ferguson and actress Nina Dobrev.

“We proposed to create some beauty lessons in a very intimate environment to really feel the sincerity. Very organic and true,” explains Chris about the campaign.

With soft lighting and fluid movements there is a beautiful intimacy within each of the videos that makes us feel close to the subject, trusting that there is honesty within their words and a natural essence to their beauty– no doubt, Chris nailed the mark. His Beauty Lessons campaign for Dior exudes a quiet sophistication, with each shot capturing the essence of the brand’s heritage while introducing subtle contemporary flourishes.

Chris shares, “It’s about honoring the classic while leaving space for something fresh.”

His work for Lancôme follows a similar principle, bringing out the emotional allure of the brand’s identity. Whether showcasing their signature fragrances or beauty products, Chris’s visuals seamlessly blend energy and emotion into each frame.

For Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Wear concealer, Chris directed a commercial campaign that was all about empowerment and unity within diversity, while maintaining the class of the brand.

“The client wanted an experienced director, who is used to shooting international celebrities with a high expertise in luxury and beauty,” recalls Chris. “The vision was to showcase all 15 women’s single personality while being able to bring them all together as one and empower them. Diversity was really important.”

Shooting in Barcelona, Spain with the set designer creating a little universe unique to each woman, Chris brilliantly brought them all together with Lancôme’s Teint Idole Ultra Wear concealer as the unifying force. Chris says his favorite part was “meeting all these incredible women from all over the world — women ranging in age from 20 to 65. Beauty has no age; my job is to enhance each one of them.”

With over 15 years of experience as a photographer and director in the fashion and luxury industries, Chris Roman has become known for a signature style that is defined by a unique blend of energy, emotion, and elegance. His ability to capture the essence of his subjects — whether it’s the unguarded emotion of a model backstage, the delicate balance of luxury and spontaneity or even the playful personalities of actors from a hit television series — has set him apart in the fashion and beauty world.

“Emotion is key. I’m here to help the talents to express themselves in a very organic and simple way. Never try too much,” admits Chris. “I always say, I feel like a conductor… I focus on making the talents comfortable while creating a bubble in between us to have them at ease and focused on the acting, like playing the right music which fits to the mood of the film.”

A prime example of Chris’s signature style can be seen in his collaboration with Netflix and Vogue Paris for the hit six-time Primetime Emmy nominated series “Emily in Paris” starring Lily Collins (“Tolkien”), Ashley Park (“Mean Girls”) and Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu (“The Crown”).

In both his commercial projects and personal endeavors, Chris creates art that resonates and elevates the brands he captures.

“Chris is a top-level advertising director. His creativity and professionalism make agencies and clients trust him with their projects to take them to the next level. He helps grow their stories to sell their products,” explains executive producer Carolina Legovich, who’s worked with Chris on a number of beauty campaigns in Spain.

With a passion for capturing moments that felt both authentic and artful, Chris Roman got his start in the industry after studying photography in Montpellier and Toulouse, France. He moved to London soon after where he managed a photo studio, prepping shoots and assisting photographers. This role allowed him to work with talented professionals from around the world, solidifying his technical skills and expanding his understanding of the fashion industry.

“After one year in London, I moved back to France and more specifically to Paris. I needed to be in the Fashion capital,” recalls Chris.

His big break came when he returned to Paris and started working as a production assistant for renowned photographers Garance Doré and The Sartorialist (Scott Schuman) during fashion weeks. It was during this time that Chris began experimenting with video. Bored with simply managing the technical aspects of shoots, he picked up a small video camera and filmed behind-the-scenes content. After editing the footage himself, Chris presented it to Garance, who was so impressed that she posted it online the next day. This spontaneous project marked the beginning of Chris’s career as a director.

Shortly after, he was called to New York by The Sartorialist to shoot behind-the-scenes videos for Vogue Italia. His talent for capturing the energy of fashion shows on film soon led to more opportunities, including a one-year stint traveling the world with Doré and Schuman, filming campaigns and fashion weeks for major brands. By 2011, Chris had made history by directing the very first fashion video content for Vogue Paris.

“I was shooting luxury events in Paris while I was working with Mario Testino. I first shot a GQ event, then a Vogue Paris event,” recalls Chris about what led him to shoot the first ever BTS videos for Vogue Paris.

“They just got their new website and they had never shot any content during fashion week, so I proposed that I go to NY and start to shoot some content during the shows, in the city and backstage.”

Featuring iconic brands and designers such as Tommy Hilfiger himself in NY to Mickael Kors, Burberry, Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith in London, as well as Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi in Milan, Karl Legerfield and many more, Chris’s behind-the-scenes videos provided an exclusive, documentary-style glimpse into the world of high fashion, offering viewers access to moments previously unseen by the public.

Today, Chris Roman continues to create beauty through his lens, no matter the medium. Whether directing high-profile campaigns for luxury brands like Dior, Chanel and Lancôme or capturing the energy of famous actors for series like “Emily in Paris,” Chris’s work resonates on a deeper level with audiences around the world.

As he looks to the future, Chris is focused on expanding both his photographic and directorial portfolios as he continually pushes the boundaries of what it means to capture beauty. His unique approach — one that blends technical precision with raw emotion — has left an indelible mark on the fashion industry. For Chris, the key to success lies in his ability to create genuine connections with his subjects and collaborators, a skill that continues to drive his creative vision.

In an industry where visuals are constantly changing, Chris Roman’s work stands out for its timelessness. His images are more than just beautiful; they are imbued with emotion and energy that make them feel alive, ensuring his legacy will endure in the ever-evolving world of beauty, fashion and more global luxury.

Cinematographers, Photographers, Reviews, Interviews & Features!

From Still Shots To Moving Images, Irem Harnak is a Visual Genius

February 22, 2017 lgreenbaulm Leave a comment

The world is full of people who take pretty pictures, so what is it about the work of certain photographers that sets them apart from the pack? What quality do they contain that others lack? The answer lies is their ability to make the observer feel something, to capture an emotion or a moment in time.

Irem Harnak, a photographer whose name is internationally recognized throughout the world of fashion and commercial photography, is one of those rare visionaries whose portraits flawlessly capture the personality and emotion of her subject in a way that transports viewers and makes them feel as if they know the person in the photograph.

Over the years Harnak has amassed an astonishingly impressive portfolio of work that places her among the upper echelon of today’s photographers. Marie Claire (China) featured her shots of designer Erin Kleinberg, who dresses Golden Globe winner Lena Dunham(“Girls), and her long list of fashion stories and editorials have been featured in other well-known print and online magazines such as The Ones 2 Watch, The Fashionisto, Fantastics, Bon Bon, the Uk’s Kenton, Boys by Girls and Pause, Germany’s Superior Magazine, and more.

Audiences will also recognize Harnak’s work from the plethora of lookbooks and campaigns she’s shot for recognizable fashion brands over the years, such as leading activewear brand Titika, women’s golf apparel company Birdy & Grace, swimwear company Zubaida Zang, top Canadian designer Joeffer Caoc and others.

Harnak was also hired by Baker Vandertuin Inc., an ad agency known for its creation of successful campaigns for major clients such as the Heart & Stroke Foundation, Canadian Touring Car Championship and Durabond Racing, to shoot famous jazz singer June Garber.

“She is an amazing jazz singer, great performer with so much charisma, elegance and energy. I find it hard to get that kind of energy from the 16 year old models I shoot,” admitted Harnak about shooting Garber.

With such a wide variety of subjects, the through line that connects all of Irem Harnak’s work is the eye-catching creativity she brings to the table and the way she manages to bring out the unique personality of each of her subjects in every shot.

Although she has spent the last decade in Canada, Harnak was raised in Istanbul, Turkey, a thriving city that she described in an interview with Yes Supply Collective as: a crazy, beautiful city with layers upon layers of civilization and history. It’s a place where everything has a voice, everything talks, day and night. The waves of the sea, the ferries going east and west, the seagulls, the breeze, the cars honking, people rushing from one street to another simultaneously talking to each other, telling each other stories day and night.

Anyone who’s had the chance to check out some of Harnak’s breathtaking and emotive photography will immediately see how her early beginnings in a visual inspiring place such as Istanbul has impacted her work.

While Harnak’s shots of famous models such as Carly Moore, Jenna Earle, Emma Génier and Robbie Beeser have put her work in the spotlight and made her a sought after fashion photographer, she’s also managed to successfully translate her skills as a photographer into the film world.

Harnak says, “I have always been inspired by cinema, that was one of the things that pushed me to become a photographer. Being a photographer one understands the lighting, the framing, how to execute a visual language in one or more frames. When you are a cinematographer, you need to do everything a photographer is doing to create a unique shot, but bear in mind that whatever you are framing is a continuous action not a moment frozen in time.”

As the cinematographer of the films “Personal Space,” “Living with Strangers” and “I Am You,” Harnak has proven her ability to move from shooting beautiful stills to creating moving imagery that effectively tells a narrative story.

The feature film “Personal Space” follows Sid, played by James McDougall (“The ABCs of Death 2”), a down in the dumps twenty-something guy trying to move past his recent breakup with Karri, played by Amelia Macisaac from the 2015 comedy “The Spirit of 39B.”

A self-proclaimed anti-love story, “Personal Space” is one of the few films out there that truthfully depicts what it’s like when the passion fades from a relationship, the uncomfortable phase that follows when two lovers have no choice other than to separate and the unglamourous depressive period that follows a break up. The way Harnak chose to capture the shots throughout the film create an authentic portrayal of real life, without all of the escapist fairytales that most films rely on.

About shooting “Personal Space,” Harnak explains, “I was working in really tight spaces, I was literally in the actors’ personal spaces, I had to light the space with little lights and rely on bounces, and reflectors. It depicted the feeling of loneliness and being lost that we were trying to get across.”

Just like real life, “Personal Space” is often awkward to watch, for example, the many times Sid tells Karri he wants to talk but has nothing to say. Overall the film gives viewers an accurate slice of live view into a real breakup, and Harnak’s cinematography nails the mark the whole way through.

While Harnak received praise for her cinematic work on “Personal Space” and “Living with Strangers,” her work on “I Am You” is what has really brought her unparalleled talent as a cinematographer into the spotlight.

“I Am You,” which debuted at Toronto’s Kaleidoscope interactive art crawl, is more than a movie, it’s an innovative step in using virtual reality technology to create a film. The film follows a young couple who discover a new VR app, which allows them to swap bodies and experience life as the other; and, as the viewers watch the film from the characters’ perspectives, it’s as if they too have been transported into the film.

About her work on “I Am You,” Harnak explains, “I shot the traditional part of the film. With the framing I set up, I was trying to describe the alienation, disconnectedness the couple was feeling towards each other. I placed the camera at a considerable distance and used a bit of an unconventional frame cropping to make the viewer feel unease.”

Produced by Cinehackers, “I Am You” has garnered an overwhelmingly positive response with Vice writing: Cinehackers had created a way to let virtual reality users feel like they were in a first-person perspective movie, kind of like Being John Malkovich… And Toronto Film Scene writing: ‘I Am You’ is an amazing piece of work in VR filmmaking. An intimacy enveloped me that I had never felt before while watching a film.

Although photographer Irem Harnak has clearly cut out an indelible mark for herself as a fashion photographer, her work as a cinematographer is definitely worth taking note off; and frankly, we can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!