A revolutionary of fashion photography, he was born on December 2, 1928, in Paris. His mother abandoned Guy when he was barely a year old. Many psychologists say that this played a major role in the photographer's attitude to women, both at work and in his personal life. He was often lonely, and found solace only in reading and drawing.

Guy Bourdin took his first photographs during his service in Dakar — at the time, however, he mainly shot military objects from the air. When he returned to Paris in 1949 (he was 21), he started selling photographic equipment, at the same time working as a dishwasher in a restaurant in order to earn money for professional equipment.

Guy Bourdin took his first photographs during his service in Dakar — at the time, however, he mainly shot military objects from the air. When he returned to Paris in 1949 (he was 21), he started selling photographic equipment, at the same time working as a dishwasher in a restaurant in order to earn money for professional equipment.

He chose a slaughterhouse as the location: graceful models against the background of animal carcasses. The February 1955 issue of Vogue Paris came out with black and white shots of Bourdin. The public was shocked, and Guy gained fame for his signature style of photography. Hyper-realistic colors and women, wearing Chanel, Chloé and Versace outfits in his shots appeared on the pages of Vogue magazine for almost 40 years.

Despite the fact that the images in the pictures were far from what the magazine was interested in, their quality impressed the assistant editor-in-chief. The editors decided to give the photographer an assignment: to take a shot promoting headwear.

In the mid-50s, young Guy decides to submit his work to French Vogue. Despite the fact that the images in the pictures were far from what the magazine was interested in, their quality impressed the assistant editor-in-chief. The editors decided to give the photographer an assignment: to take a shot promoting headwear.

resulted in the photographer's long-term collaboration with the Charles Jourdan brand. The series "Walking Legs" was shot in 1979 Great Britain.

The photographer's assistant made a hole in the ground or a paving stone and used pins to fasten shoe mannequins to the advertised shoes, creating the illusion of movement in the frame. No retouching.

In the mid-60s, Bourdin met Roland Jourdan. The meeting resulted in the photographer's long-term collaboration with the Charles Jourdan brand. The series "Walking Legs" was shot in 1979 Great Britain. The photographer's assistant made a hole in the ground or a paving stone and used pins to fasten shoe mannequins to the advertised shoes, creating the illusion of movement in the frame. No retouching.

Guy's work was not just stop-motion photographs from beautiful shoots; it was a whole story with a beginning, a storyline, and an ending. And everyone could interpret it in their own way.

His photographs challenged the curiosity and imagination of the viewer, moreover, they still entertain and intrigue the public today. He showed that commercial photography can be conceptual, sensual and stirring.

The photographer achieved results in his own way: for example, he refused studio umbrellas, he could make an assistant dance around the composition he created with a fire, which was usually mounted on tripods.

The psychological trauma caused by the fact that Guy Bourdin's mother abandoned him immediately after his birth had a strong effect on his personality, and not for best. Sometimes he was striking with his authoritarianism. Colleagues said that on the set, he enjoyed his power, forced the models to take the most difficult poses, and often brought them to tears.

It was the same principle that Bourdain worked with parts of women's bodies and inanimate objects on which his photographs were based. There may be no sense in a woman's lonely feet on a platform or a pier, but we still can't take our eyes off them.

Besides Man Ray, Alfred Hitchcock had a strong influence on the photographer. In his films, the director often resorted to a technique commonly called «macguffin» in the West. This term describes an object that the plot wants all the characters to possess, but in itself it carries no essence. As Hitchcock said, «a macguffin is nothing»

but Bourdain refused to do so. "First they took my couch and then my record player as a tax levy," Guy Bourdain's son Samuel recalls. A year later, Guy was jailed for not paying his taxes, but publishers Daniel Filipacchi and Vogue paid the authorities to free him.

In the late '70s, photographers were first required to pay value-added taxes, but Bourdain refused to do so. "First they took my couch and then my record player as a tax levy," Guy Bourdain's son Samuel recalls. A year later, Guy was jailed for not paying his taxes, but publishers Daniel Filipacchi and Vogue paid the authorities to free him.