Aubane Després: Chasing the Cinematic Image

Aubane Després is a French fashion and beauty photographer whose work blends bold visual aesthetics with cinematic storytelling.

Raised on street photography and inspired by filmmakers and photographers like David LaChapelle and Gregory Crewdson, Aubane Després believes a photograph should do more than look beautiful. It should stay with you. For Després, photography belongs in the streets as much as in galleries – a medium that can reach anyone. In this conversation, she talks about curiosity, collaboration, cinema, and the images she hopes will outlast the moment.

IRK: Do you remember the exact moment you decided to pursue what you do right now as a career?

Aubane Després: I don’t recall an exact moment, as I’ve been magnetically drawn to photography for as long as I can remember. As a child, I was already staging narratives with my Barbie dolls using a Fisher-Price film camera. By twelve, I fell in love with street photography during family travels, capturing the suspended moments of strangers. It was later, during my time at the Beaux-Arts (ENSAD Nancy) where I experimented with sculpture, video and of course photography that everything crystallized, leading me to focus exclusively on fashion and beauty.

IRK: Do you have a personal “bible” or a quote – a rule, principle, or reference you return to when the working on your projects?

Aubane Després: A mantra I hold close is: “A smile is the best way to show your teeth to destiny.” This philosophy guides my life and my work, reminding me to remain fiercely positive and open. In fashion photography, this translates into a deeply collaborative rule: I don’t see myself as a solitary creator, but as the conductor of a collective masterpiece where every talent brings their own universe to enrich the final frame.

IRK: What is your favorite medium to work in or consume – commercials, movies, still photography, fashion photography – and why?

Aubane Després: Every medium offers exciting creative rewards, but if I had to choose, I’d choose cinema. It is the ultimate art form: blending light, color theory, movement, and sound design into one immersive experience. Directing a thriller-style short film is a major long-term goal of mine. I believe there is still so much territory left to explore when it comes to merging narrative depth with aesthetics

IRK: When you’re creating, do you focus more on narrative, emotion, or visual impact, or something else entirely?

Aubane Després: Visual impact is the essential gateway: it’s what grabs the viewer’s attention in a fraction of a second. However, an image cannot live on aesthetic perfection alone, it needs the soul of an emotion and the spine of a narrative, elements too often neglected in modern commercial work. I strive to use that initial aesthetic shock to invite a deeper, lingering reflection.

IRK: Do you feel photography makes the world around us easier for you to understand, or does it only become more mysterious?

Aubane Després: Photography acts as a condensed mirror of our society, helping us decipher reality in an image-saturated world. I specifically chose advertising photography for its democratic power. While gallery art can feel elitist, advertising lives in the streets and reaches everyone. I am deeply inspired by the cultural weight of campaigns like Oliviero Toscani’s work for Benetton. My goal is to create visually striking imagery that carries a meaningful message and leaves a lasting imprint on collective memory.

IRK: What’s the most overhyped idea right now in the creative industry?

Aubane Després: Without a doubt, the current anxiety and obsession surrounding Artificial Intelligence. Personally, I believe this hyper-fixation is a passing wave. We urgently need strict legislation regarding copyright and artists’ consent. Ultimately, I foresee an AI fatigue where both brands and consumers lean back toward a raw, tactile relationship with reality. We need to trust what we see, and true human connection cannot be replicated by an algorithm.

IRK: If you could choose one idol of yours to have a cup of coffee with, who would it be?

Aubane Després: I would love to sit down with David LaChapelle or Gregory Crewdson. I am fascinated by their ability to construct a photograph like a meticulously directed cinematic scene or a classical painting. My creative aspiration is to operate at the intersection of their universes—blending the bold, hyper-saturated color palettes of LaChapelle with the haunting, enigmatic mystery of Crewdson.

IRK: If you had a time machine and could travel anywhere in the past, where would you go first?

Aubane Després: I would set the dial straight to the 1970s. An intoxicating wave of freedom reigned over that decade, and color photography was at its absolute zenith across music, fashion, and art. Today’s visual style often feels a bit muted and uniform. I think bringing back that vibrant 70s boldness would do wonders for our morale.

IRK: What’s your advice for the young photographers finding their way in the industry?

Aubane Després: My advice is to experiment relentlessly, remain deeply curious about trends, and assist established photographers to master technical precision on set. Most importantly: have unwavering confidence in your eye, take risks, and dare to create.

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Credits:
Photographer: @aubanedespres
Stylist: @julesdevaux
Model: @ployridaa (@Titaniummanagement)
Makeup & Hair Artist: @mathildegasparini
Thanks to: @klervialph & Vedette @ecuriesvaldebray

Learn more about Aubane Desperés and her work here.