My name is Yves Lacroix (the cross in english), but I am not a believer. I was born in the Paris region in 1972, and I now live in Nice, France.
I am a photographer and a dreamer of cinema.
An introvert by nature, I see photography as a means of expression—a personal language through which I question the world and convey emotion. Influenced by a childhood often spent alone in front of the television, I developed a strong sensitivity to visual storytelling, blending fiction and reality in an aesthetic marked by solitude, ambiguity, and duality.
After studying law, I turned to photography, beginning as a studio assistant, then working as a freelance photographer. I started my career shooting fashion, portraits, and reportage, later moving into still life photography, particularly in the luxury and e-commerce sectors.
However, I found little meaning in this commercial work, which led me, in 2008, to begin a personal artistic project titled *The Villains*—a series ongoing for over 17 years that explores societal violence through a narrative and cinematic lens.
My work took a major turn in 2023 with the war in Ukraine. I have since undertaken several photographic projects centered on this conflict.
In 2025, I plan to dedicate a new project to the ecological consequences of the war in Ukraine.
I enjoy playing with contrasts: beauty and horror, good and evil, irony and symbolism.
My photographs—often staged, in color, and large in format—draw inspiration from cinema and still life.
I adapt my technique to each subject: modern lenses to emphasize violence, vintage ones to soften emotion; image formats carefully chosen to reinforce the message (4:3 for *The Villains*, square for Ukrainian refugees). I also use complex editing techniques, such as image stacking, to create scenes with infinite sharpness.
Light, color, clothing, and scenery all play an essential role in conveying emotion, giving my work a distinctive visual and narrative power.
