Home » Member Page

Jean M. Laffitau

About Me

I was born in 1965 and raised in Paris, France. I did not only have the luck to grow up in one of the greatest cities in the world, I am also the descendant of some very well known painters. My great-grandfather was Louis Vatat (1869-1952), who influenced the past art scene, and my grandmother Marie-Lucie Nessi-Valtat (1910-1992). I did not have the opportunity to know my great-grandfather, but did I spend most of my free time with my grandmother in her studio, observing her painting, her artwork or accompanying her to the large, and very popular, vernissages.

These past years not only influenced my glance for colors, shapes and the fineness of accents, but also for people and for life itself. The perfect presupposition for my present day occupation is photography. Early on as a little boy, I became familiar and enjoyed handling the camera, and when I reached 15 years old, I discovered my love for photography. At the age of 16, I completed my school-leaving examination and at 20, I finished my university studies with excellent marks. The following year, I traveled around Europe, mostly through England, Switzerland and Italy, expanding my knowledge about the art of photography. After this frolicsome and wild year, I returned to my hometown, Paris. Then something very surprising happened to me, I was more often finding myself in front of the camera, instead of behind, receiving offers of employment as a photo model. But as life would have it, these next years lead me in a completely different direction, I became a soldier and after serving five successful years, a terrible accident became a life changing event again. I relocated to Germany, and at first, it was difficult due to not having a grasp on the German language. After a short time, I found my direction both professionally and privately, I remembered my old love, photography. Soon the first orders came in, most of them from the USA, especially from major locations like Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles and many more, and thus, I found myself commuting between Germany and the USA.

Currently, I make my home here in Germany, in the great city of Saarbruecken.