Beneath the glittering facade of cinema's stars

Gwyneth Paltrow photographed by Brigitte Lacombe [Photo provided to China Daily]

He wrote: "There is art, and there is show business. In a young century overdosing on glossy and voyeuristic celebrity exploitation masquerading as photojournalism, it's essential to keep the boundary distinct."

"That is the key to appreciating the photography of Brigitte Lacombe, whose work often takes her into the realm of show business but whose pictures strip the commerce away from the artists until we are face-to-face with what some of the seminal figures of our time are trying to say to their audience."

One of her most well-loved images is the one of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai and actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai during the filming of In the Mood for Love.

In the picture which seems to masterfully fuse elements of peace, theatricality and energy, Wong is seen hiding his gaze behind his signature dark glasses, Cheung is captured with a slight tilt of her head while Leung is wearing an restrained smile and looking straight at the camera.

Lacombe juxtaposes portrait photography with shooting on film sets, saying that the former is a more intimate genre that requires trust. She explains that it takes not one, but two people to produce a good portrait－the subject will need to be comfortable enough to let his or her guard down in front of the photographer. In contrast, film stars are hidden behind a shield of theatrical mystery with their makeup and costumes.

"As a photographer, it is important to win the trust of your subject and convince them that you are doing something good together, and not something they will regret. It is only then will the subject be able to give you something you can capture," says Lacombe.

Even famous actors such as Meryl Streep can be very shy when they're in front of the camera in a studio, said Lacombe, who admittedly doesn't like to be photographed as well.