Eliane Laffont Explained

Eliane Laffont
Occupation:Editor and creative director
Spouse:Jean-Pierre Laffont
(1966 - present)
Children:1 daughter
Awards:Life Achievement Award from the Griffin Museum & the Golden Career award from Fotofusion

Eliane Laffont is a New York-based editor, creative director, image consultant and entrepreneur. She notably opened the U.S. office of Gamma Press Images with her husband Jean-Pierre Laffont in 1968 and in 1973 co-founded the breakaway Sygma Photo News Agency, the largest photography agency in the world.[1] Laffont currently serves as a senior consultant for Visa pour l'Image.[2]

Early life

Laffont was born in Burgundy, France, and raised in North Africa, where she attended school in Casablanca, Morocco. She completed her studies in Paris, where she received dual philosophy and political science degrees. In 1965, Laffont, along with close friends Michèle Ray, Martine Libersart and Betty Gérard, completed a 30,000 mile endurance race from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska for Renault.[3] They travelled from Ushuaia, through to Central America, from Las Vegas and Canada to Anchorage, where the journey ended.[4] In 1966, Eliane moved to the United States and married photojournalist Jean-Pierre Laffont.

Career

Gamma Press Images

In 1968 Eliane and Jean-Pierre Laffont opened the first U.S office of Gamma Press Images. Originally a French photo agency, Gamma rose to prominence in May 1968 because of the documentation of the uprising in Paris and the Vietnam War.[5] The first client that Laffont had was with John Durniak, the director of photography from Time,[6] who once said in Popular Photography magazine that "Eliane Laffont was the pioneer of 'the French Connection' of the new wave of photo agencies".

Sygma Photo News Agency

See main article: Sygma (agency). Eliane and Jean-Pierre Laffont left Gamma and, in 1973, co-founded the breakaway agency Sygma Photo News Agency. Laffont initially served as general manager, and then as president of North America for three decades. Before Sygma was acquired in 1999, the agency had grown into the largest photo agency in the world.[7] In 1998, Photographer's Forum magazine announced that "Sygma is now the largest and most successful photo news agency (in America) and Eliane Laffont has become one of the ... most respected businesswomen in the photography community."

In June 1999, it was announced that Bill Gates' Corbis Images had attained Sygma, resulting in Corbis Sygma.[8] Laffont continued to oversee operations within Corbis Sygma's U.S. operations, and was appointed director of Corbis Sygma/ New York.[9] Later, she was promoted to vice-president of editorial content.

In 2001, Laffont left Corbis Sygma.

Hachette Filipacchi Media

In 2000 Laffont joined Hachette Filipacchi Media, the New York subsidiary of Hachette Filipacchi Médias, one of the world's largest magazine publishers.[10] Laffont became editorial director, supervising the photographic production in the U.S, and developing the photo division into three sections: photojournalism, photo illustration and photo reportage.

2000s

Laffont actively contributes to the photography community, and still serves as a Senior Consultant for Visa pour l'Image, the largest international festival of photojournalism, in Perpignan, France. Arnold Drapkin, the director at Palm Beach Photo describes Laffont as "a towering figure in photojournalism and documentary photography, she is responsible for discovering and nurturing more photographers, helping to keep their dreams alive (and pay the rent), and inspiring them with her brand of tough love, to do their best creative work."

Currently, Laffont and her husband reside in New York City. They have one daughter, Stephanie, and two granddaughters, Sparrow and Silvie.

Career overview

Awards

Notable positions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Zhang. Michael. Millions of Photos from the Sygma Archive May Soon be Destroyed. petapixel.com. Peta Pixel. June 26, 2014.
  2. Web site: Visa pour l'Image Perpignan 2014 . www.visapourlimage.com . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140719104613/http://www.visapourlimage.com/index.do;jsessionid=HOmJjQ9-flwbduccGJE6h8Mp . 2014-07-19.
  3. Web site: The Renault 4 Takes Over Track. fr.renaultclassic.com. Renault. June 9, 2014.
  4. News: Rugged Drive French Girls Drove Just For Adventure. June 9, 2014. The Modesto Bee and News-Herald. December 24, 1965.
  5. News: Bretton. Laure. France's Gamma photo agency on brink of collapse. reuters.com. Reuters. June 9, 2014. July 28, 2009.
  6. Web site: Rosen. Sara. Eliane Laffont: Only In America. glitteratiincorporated.com. Glitterati. June 9, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140601103926/http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america. June 1, 2014. dead.
  7. Web site: Lewell. John. Corbis Acquires Top News Photo Agency. internetnews.com. Internet News. June 9, 2014.
  8. News: Corbis to Acquire A Photo Agency. The New York Times. June 9, 2014. June 15, 1999.
  9. Web site: Walker. David. Laffont Bids Adieu To Sygma. https://web.archive.org/web/20140721165259/http://business.highbeam.com/2025/article-1G1-69392497/laffont-bids-adieu-sygma. dead. July 21, 2014. business.highbeam.com. Photo News District. June 9, 2014.
  10. Web site: Rover. Carla. 5Qs: Hachette Filipacchi's Steve Goldner on Social ROI as KPI. digiday.com. May 17, 2011. Digiday. June 9, 2014.
  11. Web site: Eliane Laffont: Only in America. Glitterati Incorporated. April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140601103926/http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america. June 1, 2014. dead.
  12. Web site: Board of Directors. Eddie Adams Workshop. April 7, 2014. April 29, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140429133246/http://www.eddieadamsworkshop.com/board-of-directors/. dead.
  13. Web site: American Photo May/June 2009 . Fanta Mag . April 7, 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140720093941/http://ken-gilbert.com/nsop/photomags/americanPHOTO/American_PHOTO_2009-06_www.fantamag.com.pdf . July 20, 2014 .
  14. Web site: Alexia Foundation: About. Alexia Foundation. April 7, 2014. May 12, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150512223048/http://www.alexiafoundation.org/about. dead.
  15. Web site: Kristen Ashburn wins Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2004. Photography Blog. April 7, 2014.
  16. Web site: Eliane Laffont: Advisory Board. MediaStorm. April 7, 2014.
  17. Web site: Judges. Picture of the Year International. April 7, 2014.
  18. Web site: Grant Judges. Getty Images. April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140723102518/http://imagery.gettyimages.com/getty_images_grants/recipients.aspx?date=9-2006&grant=editorial&who=Judges. July 23, 2014. dead.
  19. Web site: Jury Members of the 4th CHIPP. CHIPP. April 7, 2014.
  20. Web site: 4th Annual Focus Awards. Griffin Museum of Photography. April 7, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141012181741/http://www.griffinmuseum.org/focus_awards-4th.htm. October 12, 2014. dead.
  21. Web site: Fund Organization. W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund. April 7, 2014.
  22. Web site: Award Sponsors and Judges. April 22, 2010. Overseas Press Club of America. April 7, 2014.
  23. Web site: Photos from Home. PopPhoto.com. April 7, 2014.
  24. Web site: Indepth Art News: A Day in the Life of Africa. Absolutearts.com. April 7, 2014.
  25. Book: In the Eye of Desert Storm. 1991. Harry N Abrams. 0810924900. 186.

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