Patrick Demarchelier, the personal portraitist of Diana, Princess of Wales, dies at 78

On March 31, 2022, the outstanding French photographer Patrick Demarchelier passed away. He was 78 years old, place where he died and the cause of death are not known.

Patrick was known for his work for ELLE, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Rolling Stone, Marie Clair and others. Twice (2005 and 2008) he was commissioned to create the Pirelli calendar. In 2007, the photographer received the Eleanor Lambert Award as the best image maker in the field of design and became an Officer of the Order of Literature and Art. The last award in France gives to the most prominent cultural figures.

 As a teenager, Demarchelier became interested in photography and literally "photographed with his eyes." Later, he received an old Kodak as a gift from his stepfather, which became his first working tool. In his work, Patrick adhered to the “random shot” method and tried to do everything possible so that the camera between him and the model literally disappeared. This is how one of the most famous shots of Princess Diana was obtained in 1992:

“We talked, laughed, then “Snap”, but the camera seemed to be gone. It shouldn't be there."