As contemporary American writer Matthew Crawford put it, “Craftsmanship means dwelling on a task for a long time and going deeply into it, because you want to get it right.” This pretty much sums up what architectural photographer Laurent Benoît is after in his photography. “I’m a dedicated craftsman, not an artist”, he insists. Whether in his killer interior design photography or in the way he frames environments, Benoît knows what an eye-catching atmosphere is about: he’ll capture it if it’s there. He’ll create it if he has to. From Nice, in the South of France, he inherited a knack for bright colors and dramatic staging. But to him, no matter what your talents are, collaboration is key.
“If you want to create gorgeous real estate photography, one thing is crucial: get to know your client.”
To provide exceptional service, Laurent Benoît needs to understand his clients’ aesthetic vision.
A resident of St. Barts for almost a quarter century, Benoît comes from the underwater world. In a former life, he was a diving instructor, touring the meccas of the genre: The Maldives, the Red Sea, Corsica, Cape Verde, Malaysia. Then the Caribbean. For the young man and his wife, St. Barts is an instant crush. In retrospect, with the quick ownership of what was to become the main diving club of the island and the way things unfolded perfectly, it seems fitting to say that it was meant to be.
But for the novelty-seeker, however beautiful the underwater mysteries, new emotional experiences are to be explored. Benoît becomes an instructor trainer, then shifts to skipping a catamaran. The ocean is never far. All these years, he had been shooting the submarine world, and despite his constant need for change, this passion was still steady and growing. Soon, he took to land photography, and with this immersive and precise approach, he gradually moved to full-time photographer. The takeaway from these years underwater might be his keen understanding of volumes, which brands his real-estate content. And beyond the quiet beauty of exclusive villas and hotels, adrenaline still fuels his attraction to magic places through cave diving in secret spots around the world.
© Laurent Benoit