Robert Doisneau

In this FotoTV film on location in Paris, Clementine Deroudille, granddaughter of legendary French photographer, Robert Doisneau (1912-1994), gives an intimate account of the motivation behind his most noted pieces of work.

Doisneau is undoubtedly the most noted French photographer known for his whimsical images documenting life on the streets of Paris. What many admirers of his work do not know, as his Deroudille shares with us during a retrospective of Doisneau’s work, is that many of his most famous photographs were staged. Including the most adored "Kiss in front of the Palace of City Hall", a candid symbol of young love—perfect, since Paris is the city associated with love.

Perhaps Doisneau was best known for putting his trust in his intuition and emotions, capturing and recapturing fleeting moments of happiness in his photographs that have been appreciated by millions of people worldwide. But his talent definitely lay in his ability to capture a moment of passion, silliness or the unfamiliar. Most of all Doisneau will be remembered for always waiting for just the right moment, before he photographed ordinary people in ordinary and extraordinary situations.