Léna Maruitte · photographer in Marseille I know what it's like to be looked at. And I learned to look.

Former model, former TV journalist, photographer today. A perfectionist about every image, very chatty during the session, and with Thomas, always up to some mischief. Lovely to meet you.

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Léna and Thomas face to face in an iris field at sunset, bathed in golden light and sharing a knowing look

Léna and Thomas cheek to cheek, in black and white

On the professional side

My journey, in three chapters.

The United States

Three years that changed the way I see.

I started there as a model, and discovered a soft, editorial kind of photography, obsessed with natural light. That's where my style comes from.

Model, then journalist

Being looked at, then telling other people's stories.

Five years in front of the camera taught me how it feels to be photographed. I chose TV journalism for the people: listening, understanding, telling true stories. It taught me to fade into the background and to see what others don't.

Today

Both, in service of your memories.

I guide you like someone who has been on the other side, and I tell your story with a journalist's rigor. I want every image to be perfect. Truly.

On the personal side

What you won't read on a résumé.

Before you trust me with your memories, you have the right to know who you're dealing with.

Léna

Sunny, chatty, perfectionist (in that order).

My favorite word“Wow.” I say it every two minutes. Thomas has stopped counting. And every single time, I really mean it.

At homeFive cats. One of them is epileptic and takes medication at a set time: when a wedding is far away, she comes with us to the Airbnb. She's seen more wedding venues than some photographers.

My recordNearly 100 cats taken in over five years as a foster family. Thomas survived them all.

My other lifeI passed my first year of vet school prep. And then a camera came along.

My weaknessGadgets. Robot vacuum, self-cleaning litter box, window-cleaning robot… and the latest lens, obviously. If it plugs in, I want it.

My bubbleMy garden. Hands in the soil, I recharge my batteries between sessions.

My fuelMatcha lattes. If you want to make me happy on the big day, you know what to do.

My signature line“Just one more!” Spoiler: it's never the last one.

My secret weaponA bottle of bubbles at the bottom of my bag, and ten years of babysitting behind me. Kids who don’t want photos? My favorites.

Thomas

Compact size, XXL arms, teddy bear heart.

His buildAs wide as he is tall, and all muscle. Handy for carrying the gear, and for acting as a shield when your uncle backs up without looking behind him.

His secretHis arms impress people who don’t know him. Those who do know: he’s a teddy bear.

His humorThe funniest person I know. At the cocktail hour, your guests will want to adopt her.

The king of currency exchangeHe babysits with me, and the kids ask for him before me. Diapers, bottles, naps: unbeatable speed. It hurts my pride a little.

Her passionMotorcycles. If he's not behind his camera, he's on two wheels.

A scoopHe once had shoulder-length hair. The photos exist. They will never leave this room.

His dietZero sugar, ever. His one and only drink: sugar-free, caffeine-free Coke. Yes, that exists. No, I don't get it either.

His superpowerHe doesn't say much, but he sees everything: a shirt button, a stray lock of hair, a shift in the light.

Just the two of us

A duo, and a few little secrets.

EngagedWe work together, we live together, and soon we’re saying yes too. The stress of wedding planning? We’ll be going through it as well, so we’ll understand you from the inside.

Models, us tooWe pose for other photographers. And sometimes we come away with a new pose idea up our sleeve. We call it research.

The elevator ritualBefore almost every session, same ritual: a selfie in the elevator mirror, loaded up like pack mules. It goes straight onto our social media.

The proofThomas appears in all my photos. Can’t see him? An Instagram video shows you where he’s hiding.

Léna and Thomas in the elevator mirror, loaded with gear

The ritual, “off to a wedding” edition

Léna's engagement ring, in black and white

Engaged, and soon on the other side

Behind the scenes of a marriage proposal: getting the bouquet ready on a clifftop above the sea

Behind the scenes at a wedding: Thomas films the newlyweds kissing on a path lined with pine trees

Behind the scenes in black and white: a videographer films a young woman in a cowboy hat and boots

Behind the scenes of a couple session: they laugh while painting together, camera at work in the foreground

Behind the scenes: we prepare the bouquet for a proposal, we get down on our knees, in the grass or in the water, for the right shot.

My way of being

Very gentle with you. Full of energy during the session.

I talk, I reassure, I make you laugh

I'm not a silent photographer standing ten meters away. We chat like friends, and the photos come on their own.

I disappear

When something real is happening, I know how to fade into the background and let the moment unfold.

I pay attention to everything

A strand of hair, a background, a hand, the scene that's about to happen in two seconds. A perfectionist, I told you.

Book

Let's get to know each other.

Write to me like you would to a friend: your project, your wishes, your doubts. I'll reply to you personally.

I choose my session Tell you about my project