Inside the Cannes Festival: A Lens on Glamour, Authenticity, and the Unexpected
Every year in May, the Croisette transforms. Cannes becomes not just a celebration of cinema, but a magnet for beauty, branding, and bold moments both polished and raw.
This year I covered the festival from the opening day through the closing ceremony. Days flowed from morning market screenings to late night premieres. The Martinez Hotel pulsed as a hub where one minute you'd spot a major director slipping out quietly, the next an influencer entourage staging elaborate photo ops on the stairs.
What struck me most? The contrasts:
Film lovers in vintage tuxedos grabbing burgers at McDonald’s between screenings.
Young content creators sneaking behind the scenes shots with the Martinez chefs.
A stylist from Elie Saab, off-duty, glowing in the sunset after a week dressing A listers.
Conversations with true cinephiles people who still come here for the films, eyes lit up after a 9 AM screening in Salle Debussy.
Cannes is both spectacle and substance. Yes, there’s curated glamour but underneath, there’s still passion for storytelling. The camera sees both.
For brands, artists, and creators navigating this world: the opportunity is in embracing both layers the beautiful surface and the authentic narrative behind it. That’s where lasting images live.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What inspired you to shoot behind the scenes at Cannes?
A: I wanted to photograph the moments no one notices the quiet between flashes, the human energy behind curated glamour. It’s where truth hides.
Q: What makes this coverage different from typical event photography?
A: I wasn’t assigned. I embedded myself. I moved like a ghost in a world of spectacle and that gave me access to something more honest than staged red carpets.
Q: How does AI factor into your creative process?
A: The camera captures what I see. AI helps me put what I see into words. It lets me shape the story faster without losing what makes it personal.
Years before Cannes, I found myself alone in Venice at 3AM with a camera and no plan. This is what I captured.