Gustave Le Gray

Gustave Le Gray (1820-1884) was a nineteenth century french photographer. Most notably he was the first ever official photographer for a French head of state , Louis Napoléon Bonaparte, before becoming the official photographer for the entire Emperial family.

An inventor and an artist, he distinguished himself through his mastering of photographic techniques , in terms of both composition and lighting. He also introduced such technologies as wed collodion to the french photography scene, which allowed for advancements and shorter sitting times.