{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | name = Eliane Laffont | occupation = Editor and creative director | credits = | employer = | organization = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | boards = | spouse = Jean-Pierre Laffont <br />(1966–present) | children = 1 daughter | awards = Life Achievement Award from the Griffin Museum & the Golden Career award from Fotofusion }}
'''Eliane Laffont''' is a New York-based editor, creative director, image consultant and entrepreneur. She notably opened the U.S. office of Gamma Press Images with her husband Jean-Pierre Laffont in 1968 and in 1973 co-founded the breakaway Sygma Photo News Agency, the largest photography agency in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Zhang|first1=Michael|title=Millions of Photos from the Sygma Archive May Soon be Destroyed|url=http://petapixel.com/2011/02/25/millions-of-photos-from-the-sygma-archive-may-soon-be-destroyed/|website=petapixel.com|publisher=Peta Pixel|accessdate=June 26, 2014}}</ref> Laffont currently serves as a senior consultant for Visa pour l'Image.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visapourlimage.com/index.do;jsessionid=HOmJjQ9-flwbduccGJE6h8Mp |title=Visa pour l'Image Perpignan 2014 |website=www.visapourlimage.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719104613/http://www.visapourlimage.com/index.do;jsessionid=HOmJjQ9-flwbduccGJE6h8Mp |archive-date=2014-07-19}}</ref>
== Early life == Laffont was born in Burgundy, France, and raised in North Africa, where she attended school in Casablanca, Morocco. She completed her studies in Paris, where she received dual philosophy and political science degrees. In 1965, Laffont, along with close friends Michèle Ray, Martine Libersart and Betty Gérard, completed a 30,000 mile endurance race from Tierra del Fuego to Alaska for Renault.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Renault 4 Takes Over Track|url=http://fr.renaultclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Renault-4-T2.pdf|website=fr.renaultclassic.com|publisher=Renault|accessdate=June 9, 2014}}</ref> They travelled from Ushuaia, through to Central America, from Las Vegas and Canada to Anchorage, where the journey ended.<ref>{{cite news|title=Rugged Drive French Girls Drove Just For Adventure|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/26298619/|accessdate=June 9, 2014|publisher=The Modesto Bee and News-Herald|date=December 24, 1965}}</ref> In 1966, Eliane moved to the United States and married photojournalist Jean-Pierre Laffont.
== Career == === Gamma Press Images === In 1968 Eliane and Jean-Pierre Laffont opened the first U.S office of Gamma Press Images. Originally a French photo agency, Gamma rose to prominence in May 1968 because of the documentation of the uprising in Paris and the Vietnam War.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Bretton|first1=Laure|title=France's Gamma photo agency on brink of collapse|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-gamma-idUSTRE56R2TE20090728|website=reuters.com|publisher=Reuters|accessdate=June 9, 2014|date=July 28, 2009}}</ref> The first client that Laffont had was with John Durniak, the director of photography from ''Time'',<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rosen|first1=Sara|title=Eliane Laffont: Only In America|url=http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america|website=glitteratiincorporated.com|publisher=Glitterati|accessdate=June 9, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601103926/http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america|archive-date=June 1, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> who once said in ''Popular Photography'' magazine that "Eliane Laffont was the pioneer of 'the French Connection' of the new wave of photo agencies".
=== Sygma Photo News Agency === {{Main|Sygma (agency)}} Eliane and Jean-Pierre Laffont left Gamma and, in 1973, co-founded the breakaway agency Sygma Photo News Agency. Laffont initially served as general manager, and then as president of North America for three decades. Before Sygma was acquired in 1999, the agency had grown into the largest photo agency in the world.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Lewell|first1=John|title=Corbis Acquires Top News Photo Agency|url=http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/print.php/138141|website=internetnews.com|publisher=Internet News|accessdate=June 9, 2014}}</ref> In 1998, ''Photographer's Forum'' magazine announced that "Sygma is now the largest and most successful photo news agency (in America) and Eliane Laffont has become one of the ... most respected businesswomen in the photography community."
In June 1999, it was announced that Bill Gates' Corbis Images had attained Sygma, resulting in Corbis Sygma.<ref>{{cite news|title=Corbis to Acquire A Photo Agency|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/15/business/corbis-to-acquire-a-photo-agency.html|website=The New York Times|accessdate=June 9, 2014|date=June 15, 1999}}</ref> Laffont continued to oversee operations within Corbis Sygma's U.S. operations, and was appointed director of Corbis Sygma/ New York.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Walker|first1=David|title=Laffont Bids Adieu To Sygma|url=http://business.highbeam.com/2025/article-1G1-69392497/laffont-bids-adieu-sygma|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140721165259/http://business.highbeam.com/2025/article-1G1-69392497/laffont-bids-adieu-sygma|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 21, 2014|website=business.highbeam.com|publisher=Photo News District|accessdate=June 9, 2014}}</ref> Later, she was promoted to vice-president of editorial content.
In 2001, Laffont left Corbis Sygma.
=== Hachette Filipacchi Media === In 2000 Laffont joined Hachette Filipacchi Media, the New York subsidiary of Hachette Filipacchi Médias, one of the world's largest magazine publishers.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Rover|first1=Carla|title=5Qs: Hachette Filipacchi's Steve Goldner on Social ROI as KPI|url=http://digiday.com/platforms/5qs-hachette-filipacchis-steve-goldner-on-social-roi-as-kpi/|website=digiday.com|date=May 17, 2011|publisher=Digiday|accessdate=June 9, 2014}}</ref> Laffont became editorial director, supervising the photographic production in the U.S, and developing the photo division into three sections: photojournalism, photo illustration and photo reportage.
=== 2000s === Laffont actively contributes to the photography community, and still serves as a Senior Consultant for Visa pour l'Image, the largest international festival of photojournalism, in Perpignan, France. Arnold Drapkin, the director at Palm Beach Photo describes Laffont as "a towering figure in photojournalism and documentary photography, she is responsible for discovering and nurturing more photographers, helping to keep their dreams alive (and pay the rent), and inspiring them with her brand of tough love, to do their best creative work."
Currently, Laffont and her husband reside in New York City. They have one daughter, Stephanie, and two granddaughters, Sparrow and Silvie.
== Career overview == * 1968: Founded Gamma Press Images * 1973: Founded Sygma Photo Agency * 1978-1979: Director of photography for ''Look'' magazine<ref>{{cite web|title=Eliane Laffont: Only in America|url=http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america|publisher=Glitterati Incorporated|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601103926/http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america|archive-date=June 1, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 1979: Jury member, National Press Photographer's Association, Pictures of the Year Competition, University of Missouri * 1987: Board of directors, Eddie Adams Workshop<ref>{{cite web|title=Board of Directors|url=http://www.eddieadamsworkshop.com/board-of-directors/|publisher=Eddie Adams Workshop|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-date=April 29, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429133246/http://www.eddieadamsworkshop.com/board-of-directors/|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 1999: Appointed director of Corbis/Sygma * 2000: Editorial director for Hachette Filipacchi Media * 2001-2008: Contributing editor for ''American Photo''<ref>{{cite web|title=American Photo May/June 2009 |url=http://ken-gilbert.com/nsop/photomags/americanPHOTO/American_PHOTO_2009-06_www.fantamag.com.pdf |publisher=Fanta Mag |accessdate=April 7, 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140720093941/http://ken-gilbert.com/nsop/photomags/americanPHOTO/American_PHOTO_2009-06_www.fantamag.com.pdf |archivedate=July 20, 2014 }}</ref> * 2003: On the board of directors for the Alexia Foundation<ref>{{cite web|title=Alexia Foundation: About|url=http://www.alexiafoundation.org/about|publisher=Alexia Foundation|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-date=May 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512223048/http://www.alexiafoundation.org/about|url-status=dead}}</ref> * 2003 - 2004: U.S. judge for French Association for Women Photojournalists<ref>{{cite web|title=Kristen Ashburn wins Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2004|url=http://www.photographyblog.com/news/kristen_ashburn_wins_canon_female_photojournalist_award_2004|publisher=Photography Blog|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> * 2005: On the board of directors at MediaStorm Multimedia,<ref>{{cite web|title=Eliane Laffont: Advisory Board|url=http://mediastorm.com/contributor/eliane-laffont/76|publisher=MediaStorm|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> curator of the "Eddie Adams Show" at "Visa pour l'Image", Perpignan, France *2006: Jury member of World Press Photo Foundation,<ref>{{cite web|title=Judges|url=http://www.poyi.org/63/judges.html|publisher=Picture of the Year International|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> jury member of Getty Images grants program<ref>{{cite web|title=Grant Judges|url=http://imagery.gettyimages.com/getty_images_grants/recipients.aspx?date=9-2006&grant=editorial&who=Judges|publisher=Getty Images|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723102518/http://imagery.gettyimages.com/getty_images_grants/recipients.aspx?date=9-2006&grant=editorial&who=Judges|archive-date=July 23, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> & jury member for the National Press Photographer's Association's ''Pictures of the Year International''. *2008: Jury member for CHIPP (China International Photo Contest)<ref>{{cite web|title=Jury Members of the 4th CHIPP|url=http://www.chipp.cn/content/2008-12/30/content_1917.htm|publisher=CHIPP|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-date=June 25, 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140625011801/http://www.chipp.cn/content/2008-12/30/content_1917.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Awards == * The Leica Medal of Excellence was awarded for the 1992 picture book 'In the Eye of Desert Storm', featuring 24 photographers from Sygma agency. * In 2008 the Spotlight Award was given to the Visa pour l'Image consultants at the Lucie Awards. * In 2009 Laffont was awarded the Life Achievement Award from the Griffin Museum<ref>{{cite web|title=4th Annual Focus Awards|url=http://www.griffinmuseum.org/focus_awards-4th.htm|publisher=Griffin Museum of Photography|accessdate=April 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141012181741/http://www.griffinmuseum.org/focus_awards-4th.htm|archive-date=October 12, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>
== Notable positions == * International Advisory Committee and jury member, W. Eugene Smith Award<ref>{{cite web|title=Fund Organization|url=http://smithfund.org/fund-organization|publisher=W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> * In 1985, 2008 and 2010, Laffont served as jury member for the Overseas Press Club<ref>{{cite web|title=Award Sponsors and Judges|date=April 22, 2010|url=https://www.opcofamerica.org/news/award-sponsors-and-judges|publisher=Overseas Press Club of America|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> * Photo editor, "Day in the Life" book series<ref>{{cite web|title=Photos from Home|url=https://www.popphoto.com/how-to/2008/12/photos-home?page=full|publisher=PopPhoto.com|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> * Director of Photography for "''A Day in the Life of Africa''", published in 2002<ref>{{cite web|title=Indepth Art News: A Day in the Life of Africa|url=http://www.absolutearts.com/artsnews/2002/10/21/30397.html|publisher=Absolutearts.com|accessdate=April 7, 2014}}</ref> * Curator of "In the Eye of Desert Storm", published by Nikon House in 1991<ref>{{cite book|title=In the Eye of Desert Storm|date=1991|publisher=Harry N Abrams|isbn=0810924900|pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780810934603/page/186 186]|url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_9780810934603/page/186}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20140601103926/http://glitteratiincorporated.com/blogs/the-click/12923145-eliane-laffont-only-in-america Eliane Laffont: Only In America] at The Click by Glitterati Incorporated
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Laffont, Eliane}} Category:American magazine editors Category:American women magazine editors Category:American photojournalists Category:20th-century American women journalists Category:21st-century American women journalists Category:21st-century American journalists Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)