![LA DOUCEUR DE VIVRE (La Dolce Vita) - Pierluigi - Anita Ekberg [scène de la fontaine de Trevi], dans le film de Federico Fellini, 1960 - Collection Michel Giniès - Courtesy Millon](https://cdn.loeildelaphotographie.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/124a-x540q80.jpg)
The photos were sent to us too late to announce the sale at Millon last December. They come from the Michel Giniès Collection. We cannot resist the pleasure of publishing them.
Photography, a true common thread in Michel Giniès’ professional and personal life.
A passion for images, combined with that of the 7th art, which naturally transformed into a dedicated collection started in 2000.
Originally from Aix-en-Provence, Michel Giniès grew up in Paris. As a child in the 1960s, he discovered photography during a vacation with his grandfather and a visit to the Henry Ely studio in Aix-en-Provence.
The magic of the darkroom begins as soon as the image appears in the developer tank. Once the first surprise has passed, between intuition and love at first sight, Michel becomes certain: he will be a photographer!
And that same summer, his aunt gives him his first camera, an Asahi Pentax.
His first job naturally led him to a laboratory where he learned the art of silver halide printing for professional photographers.
Until the day the young amateur photographer was introduced to the Sipa Press Agency. He quickly got into the game of a few “freelance jobs” to finance his own equipment.
In the early 70s, he says that it was still easy to get in touch with celebrities. All you had to do was call their hotel and the reception would relay the call to their room. In the event that it didn’t work and you didn’t have the required accreditation… Well, a good dose of patience in front of the Palaces or other places frequented by the “stars” ensured a series of images to bring back to the agency. Having become a de facto paparazzi for a few years, his photos were widely distributed in the pages of Life, Paris Match, Time, Stern, Figaro magazine…
