Henri Buffetaut

“I am very lucky because I grew up in a family in which art was essential. Since I was child I was taught about literature, music, culture and art history.”

Intercru: Where are you from, Where do you live and work now?

Henri: I am French and I have been living in Versailles, the royal town near Paris, for 15 years.

My shootings are mainly done in France, but we have also done some campaigns abroad in Italy, Spain, and Portugal.

How did you get started in photography?

Wow, a long time ago. I remember my first pictures when I was in high school. At this period I mainly took landscape or storm photos. In 2007 I started studying architecture in Versailles and at the same time I became a storm chaser.

Since that time I’ve traveled across Europe with some friends every summer in order to take storms and lightning pictures. We can say that it was the storms that led me in the world of photography.

As I went along I discovered the photography universe and I started taking pictures with models in 2012. It was a revelation and I knew that it would be my job.

What was your first camera?

I started with a film camera, a Nikon F60 with two lenses. Now I’m working with a Canon R5.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

I am very lucky because I grew up in a family in which art was essential. Since I was child I was taught about literature, music, culture and art history. I especially learned a lot about painting and classical music.

I studied architecture for seven years and I remember all my art story lessons. For example, I love Caravaggio’s lights, I love Klimt’s sweetness and sensuality. For me, photography is a way to express the world as I would like it to be. In photography I am very inspired by Remi Rebillard and Jean Philippe Lebée. Their works are very sensual but always chic.

I also like graphic composition with well-structured pictures (I think it’s a consequence of my job as an architect). I also need some contemplative parentheses in wild nature for finding resources and inspirations (especially during storm chasing).

How would you describe your work?

The most important thing to me is elegance. We need elegance and sweetness. We need art. Times are difficult and I think we need to project our spirits in a universe that offers beautiful things. We need to travel through art in general, and through photography in particular.

For you, what makes the perfect photo?

The perfect moment. I think it is the combination between light, style, and the artistic complicity between the model and the photographer. It is a very intense sensation, very powerful.

What would your dream photoshoot be like?

I dream about a Venetian shooting. I am “pazzo d’Italia” (crazy about Italy). I love the Italian way of life, the architecture, the landscapes, the food, the women’s elegance. I also do Italian shootings but I dream about a photoshoot in old palazzi in Venezia with very elegant models. I would love to work with Myrtille Revemont or Lucie Domenach for example.