Marcel Hartmann was born in Cologne (Germany) in 1965, in a family of artists: his father and brother are painters. When asked if he became a photographer because he was too bad a painter, he laughs - and then reveals a sincere admiration for his parents' works.
He arrives in Paris in 1988 and works as an assistant at the Pin-Up Studio, where great masters such as Richard Avedon, Irving Penn and Peter Lindbergh allow him to develop his abilities... for making coffee. But as far as photography is concerned, he will have to wait for Dominique Issermann's support. After taking him as an assistant for two years, she encourages him to fly with his own wings.
Freelance photographer since 1992, Marcel publishes his works in Vogue Homme, W, Première, Télérama, CQ, Jalouse, or Officiel Homme (todays Optimum) - which offers him his first cover. He also works on advertising campaigns for France Telecom, Rolex, IBM...
His career reaches a turning point in 1996, when he focuses more particularly on photographing movie, music, and sports personalities. He meets Bruno Bardes, General Manager of the Public Système Cinéma, and becomes the official photographer for the Deauville (since 1999) and Marrakech (since 2004) Film Festivals. Considering himself a "child of cinema", he absolutely loves the stimulating ambience of this type of events and the rapidity with which he must work, not to mention the opportunity for genuine exchanges with the subjects he photographs.
"To this day, my two greatest memories as a photographer are my encounters with Kirk Douglas and Gregory Peck. I had the chance to meet these dinosaurs (I say this affectionately) and I hope that I was able to convey my admiration through the photos I took of them. To leave a small legacy, be honest with myself, do what I like, that is what matters to me. Let's be clear: the best photos have already been taken. What I want, very humbly, is to leave a trace of the passage of these personalities in history."
This passion for cinema also takes him to several movie sets for different magazines. The adventure culminates in 2002, when Emir Kusturica invites him on the shoot of Life is a miracle and opens his doors to him for over a year. More than a just a gesture, a story of friendship.
Since then, Marcel's career has been quite eventful, going from advertising campaigns to magazine covers. To mention the latest examples: the Chevignon campaign; Daniel Day Lewis for Numero; the 2005 Cannes Film Festival's portfolio for Première (for the second time); a fine cover of Will Smith, also for Première.
Trilingual (German, French, English), Marcel intends to pursue his international career, as diversified as possible, where his curiosity and enthusiasm lead him (notably in sports, his other great passion)... |
