Elegant sensuality in the works of fashion photographer Zhanloop Siff

Jeanloup Sieff (1933-2000) was a French fashion photographer. He was born in Paris in a family of Polish immigrants. His interest in photography first manifested itself when he was presented with a plastic Photax camera for his fourteenth birthday.

The photographer is known for his photographs of politicians, celebrities, landscapes, as well as nude photos. In his work, he preferred to use a wide-angle lens (Leica 21 mm). Basically, Zhanloop Siff worked with black-and-white photography and took pictures for fashion magazines. (Careful! Nude)

Jeanloup Siff was born on November 30, 1933 in Paris. His parents were Poles. The engineer's son knew from childhood that he would choose another path for himself — art. His parents supported him. Zhanloop intended to become an artist. However, when he received a camera as a gift on his 14th birthday, he changed his intentions and has not let it out of his hands since. At first, he slept with a precious gift under his pillow. Being interested in the work of photographers who had already taken place at that time, the young Zhanlup did not try to copy someone. He sought to develop his own style, which later brought him worldwide recognition.

The young man was not very interested in studying. He preferred attending photo and film clubs, which were located in Clichy (a suburb of Paris), to classes in high school. He also completed 7 months of training at the Swiss school of photography Vevey. In parallel with mastering the theory, Zhanlup practiced a lot, photographing everything that attracted his attention.

He published his first picture at the age of 17, and at the age of 22 he was invited to work by the management of the publication Elle. The young man accepted the invitation and entered the world of fashion photography. Although, as Siff himself later noted, he had not previously planned to shoot for fashion magazines.

In 1954, Zhanloop tried to get a job in the film industry. His attempts ended in failure, but he knew for sure that there would be a second chance. Among the famous works of the fashion photographer are portraits of Alfred Hitchcock, Rudolf Nureyev and Catherine Deneuve.

In 1956, Siff was accepted into the Elle edition. He tries to work with partially clothed models. The pictures interested the public, and photos of women who seductively demonstrate a bare leg or arm began to appear on the magazine's spreads more and more often. In addition to working in the nude style, the fashion photographer periodically went out for street photo shoots. The camera lens caught jazz clubs, cafes, bookstores. Later, many of his works, which reflected the spirit of the times, were used in advertising.

In 1958, Siff got a job as a photojournalist at the Magnum agency, which at that time was the most famous in the world. The cooperation lasted only a year. During this time, Zhanloop managed to cover the strike in Belgium and the death of Pope Pius XII. In 1960, Zhanloop moved to New York. Here, Harper's, Vogue and Esquire publications began to cooperate with the photographer already known at that time.

In 1966 , Siff returned to Paris, where he opened his own studio. In 1967, the fashion photographer holds the first show in London. In 1972, Siff's books "Sad Landscapes" and "Lazy Nudes" were published. After 3 years, the collection "Twenty years, oh, Nikephoros!" appeared.

The author's pictures are diverse and filled with emotions. In his work, he often used wide-angle lenses, constantly experimented with technical equipment, looking for the "right light". There were a lot of celebrities in front of his camera lens, including Yves Saint Laurent and Charlotte Rampling. They agreed to a nude photo shoot.

Siff had his own view of the photograph. He saw it as a desire to stop time. He himself said that a snapshot is a freezing of a moment, perpetuating emotions and a moment of life from the past. Photography, according to Zhanlup, helps a person to rediscover feelings in accordance with his mood.

The photographer's soul was filled with contradictions, which was reflected in his works. Some of the pictures point to a rather boring reality (the image of the dashboard of a car against the background of a deserted landscape or an empty table against the background of an almost equally deserted street, for example).

The brilliant photographer died on September 20, 2000 after a long illness. Pictures of Zhanlupp Siff can be seen today in major museums in European countries (Germany, France, Switzerland) and the USA. In all these places he exhibited during his lifetime. The photographer was popular in Tokyo, where the public especially liked his works in the nude style.

Zhanlup has published more than 10 collections. The best photographs of the photographer are collected in the books "Ballet" (1962), "The Best Nudes" (1980), "Bottom" (1994). Siff preferred to work with black and white photography. He considered such pictures as a play of light and shadow, allowing to reveal the essence of things as much as possible.

In parallel with his work in the fashion industry, he did reports and did landscape photography. For his works, Jeanloup Siff received the Niepce Prize (1981), the Chevalier of Arts and Lyres Award (1981), the French Grand Prix (1992).