Patrick Demarchelier is a French fashion photographer known for advertising campaigns. The document examines six of his images promoting luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, L'Oreal, Dior, Cartier, and Harry Winston. Demarchelier effectively uses composition, lighting, colors, and models' poses/expressions to draw attention to the products and create an aura of wealth and glamour associated with each brand. Through manipulating depth of field and other technical techniques, he keeps the products sharp while blurring backgrounds to emphasize what is being sold.

1. Unit 57: Photography and
Photographic Practice
Research of other photographers
work (P1, M1, D1)
Photographer: Patrick Demarchelier
Louis Vuitton 2010
L'Oreal 2008

2. Dior 2011
Cartier 2009

3. Harry Winston 2010
Louis Vuitton 2010
Theme or focus of images
Patrick Demarchelier is a French fashion photographer who has shot a number of

4. advertising campaigns throughout his career. The purpose of photography for
advertising is to promote and sell a particular product, which I feel Patrick
Demarchelier does effectively.
Image One - Louis Vuitton 2010
This image is a long shot with the main focus being the model and the products being
promoted such as the bags and models shoes, this is emphasized due to the fact that
the model and her luggage is sharp and clear, in contrast to the rest of the image
which is slightly blurred. All elements within this image including the location in which
this photograph was taken, the models sophisticated clothes, her pose and her large
amount of luggage emphasize the wealthy target audience for this particular
advertisement who will live busy lifestyles, as well as anchor the fact that the product
being promoted is an expensive luxury brand. The blue sky suggests that this
photograph was taken during the day in summer, also the shadows in the image
suggest that natural lighting was used.
Image Two - L'Oreal 2008
This image is advertising L'Oreal hair dye, the foreground consists predominately of
the model and like the previous photo the main focus of this image is the model,
specifically her hair. However the model is looking away from the camera so that we
get a clear view of the models hair due to the fact that it is advertising hair dye. Also
like the previous image, the model is in focus whereas the background is blurred, also
the models hair is sharp and in detail, again emphasizing the fact that it is promoting
hair dye. Against the white background the model automatically catches the
audiences eye, the use of white also has the connotation of goodness and purity and
is often considered to be the colour of perfection, therefore creating the ideology
that this product and brand is perfect. The fact that the model is looking out the
window suggests that this image was taken outside and therefore implies that
professional lighting equipment would have been used.
Image Three - Dior 2011
This image is advertising Dior Perfume, and features two images layered on top of
each other during the editing process. The first image features a model, this image is
taken indoors and Patrick chose to use direct mode of address by having the model
looking directly into the camera, therefore automatically creating a personal feel for
the audience. The models seductive facial expression, gold elegant clothing and the
chosen location to shoot this particular image are all typical conventions of a
perfume advertisement which promote perfumes by emphasize glamorous lifestyles.
The large amount of gold present within the image has connotations of wealth
therefore again anchoring the glamorous lifestyle, along with the bright lighting
present behind the model which creates a sense of importance and fame, all of
which encourages the viewer to buy the product by creating the idea that they too
could live this lifestyle. The second image layered on top is of the perfume bottle itself
which is sharp and clear.
Image Four - Cartier 2009
This image is advertising Cartier Jewellery, the image features jewellery layered over
red boxes and a baby leopard against a red background. The clear image of the
baby leopard automatically catches the audiences eye and evokes an emotion due

5. to the fact we think it is cute, the use of the leopard also symbolises wealth, therefore
anchoring the expensive jewellery being promoted. The red within the image creates
a warm feeling and connotates passion, creating the idea that we will love the
jewellery being promoted
Image Five - Harry Winston 2010
This image is promoting Harry Winston Jewellery, the foreground consists of a mid shot
of a model. Binary opposition has been used by having a model in a black dress
against a white background, this automatically makes the model stand out. Direct
mode of address has been used by having the model look directly into the camera
therefore creating a personal feeling for the audience. Patrick has specifically chosen
to have the model holding her arms up to her face so that the main focus is the
models jewellery, and to have her facial expression happy to create the idea that if
you own this jewellery you to can be this happy.
Image Six - Louis Vuitton 2010
This image is advertising Louis Vuitton. The most noticeable thing about this image is
the clear vibrant colours, the choice of having the model wear a vibrant yellow
against the vibrant blues within the background not only automatically attracts our
attention to the model who is holding the products being promoted in the
photograph but also this choice of colours evokes a happy and up beat feeling. The
image is taken outside and the fact that the model is stood in front of a pool against
a stunning background anchors the expensive and luxury brand being promoted.
Composition
In terms of composition the photographer, due to the fact that all of these images
feature a model, Patrick had the benefit of moving and manipulating the subjects,
which I feel he has done effectively and as a result produced a number of images
which look pleasing to the eye.
In "Image One - Louis Vuitton 2010"and "Image Six - Louis Vuitton" Patrick chose to
take the photo from a low angle, this effectively gives the model within the
photograph a sense of power and therefore encourages the viewers to buy the
product due to the fact it creates the idea that if you buy products from the brand
"Louis Vuitton" you too can be powerful.
In the "Image Two - L'Oreal - 2008" image Patrick has chosen to crop the photo so
that it only shows the top half of the model, this is due to the fact that his intentions
was to focus on and promote the models hair.
Techniques used
A number of Patricks images such as "Image One - Louis Vuitton", "Image Three - Dior
2011" and "Image Two - L'Oreal 2008" features a shallow depth of field where the
model and the product is sharp and in focus in contrast to the background which is
blurred, this is because the product needs to be in focus in order to be promoted,
unlike the background which isn't important, therefore Patrick would have used a fast

6. shutter speed along with a small aperture setting.
Strengths & Weaknesses
I really like Patricks work in the sense that he moves and manipulates his subjects in
order to anchor the product being promoted and also due to the fact that he
chooses his colours wisely depending on the products that are being sold. I also like
the fact that all of his images create a sense of an expensive and luxury lifestyle.

7. shutter speed along with a small aperture setting.
Strengths & Weaknesses
I really like Patricks work in the sense that he moves and manipulates his subjects in
order to anchor the product being promoted and also due to the fact that he
chooses his colours wisely depending on the products that are being sold. I also like
the fact that all of his images create a sense of an expensive and luxury lifestyle.