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"Letting someone take your picture involves a degree of trust and confidence that I don't have," the late portrait photography professional Kate Barry said. You may not know her name, but even though she is no longer with us, Barry is still adored in the worlds of fashion, music, and film. The British-born artist photographed popular celebrities for Vogue, Elle, Paris Match, Le Figaro Madame, and other well-established publishers, and her distinct black and white photo style made her portraits look sexy and real.

Kate Barry grew up in a family surrounded by mystique and fame. They belonged to the bourgeois–bohème socialite crowd of Paris's modern-day aristocracy, but she - unlike those around her - placed herself behind the camera rather than in front of it. "It was something miraculous for me, the image appeared almost immediately. For a long time, I didn't realize that photography was a profession, it was always just a game."

The artist claimed that photography art is all about capturing what others don't see. "One of my <..> photography friends always talks about 'making' a photo not 'taking' one – more applicable to him as he uses film and a darkroom, but still – it is about taking what's there and creating a stunning picture from it."

Depression and addiction were common in her circles. "For a long time, my camera was a defense against the melancholy I felt." Unfortunately, these demons eventually got to her. Kate Barry jumped from the balcony of her Parisian apartment in 2013. Scroll down to see the world through Kate's lens and appreciate her legacy, the beautiful photos of famous people that she took.

#4

Vanessa Paradis

Vanessa Paradis

Kate Barry Report

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Pickle
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of me, comfortably clinging to my prison bunk, thigh gap whistling in the breeze....

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Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait

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Maureen Zappellini
Community Member
6 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We all got hooked young...I was in art school in the eighties and we even smoked in class ( until the dean quit and banned smoking except in the main atrium...then outside...) I thankfully was able to quit, (from a pack a day ) seventeen years smoke free!

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Self-Portrait

Self-Portrait

Kate Barry Report

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#12

Laeticia Casta

Laeticia Casta

Kate Barry Report

#14

Isabelle Huppert And Emmanuelle Béart

Isabelle Huppert And Emmanuelle Béart

Kate Barry Report

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#16

Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci

Kate Barry Report

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#17

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola

Kate Barry Report

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#18

Sophie Marceau

Sophie Marceau

Kate Barry Report

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Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger

Kate Barry Report

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#20

Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci

Kate Barry Report

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#22

Sophie Marceau

Sophie Marceau

Kate Barry Report

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#23

Vanessa Paradis

Vanessa Paradis

Kate Barry Report

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#24

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve

Kate Barry Report

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#26

Vanessa Paradis

Vanessa Paradis

Kate Barry Report

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#27

Valeria Golino

Valeria Golino

Kate Barry Report

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#29

Chiara Mastroiani

Chiara Mastroiani

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#32

Béatrice Dalle

Béatrice Dalle

Kate Barry Report

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#33

Chiara Mastroianni

Chiara Mastroianni

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#35

Jane Birkin And Lou Doillon

Jane Birkin And Lou Doillon

Kate Barry Report

#36

Catherine Deneuve

Catherine Deneuve

Kate Barry Report

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#37

Ludivine Sagnier

Ludivine Sagnier

Kate Barry Report

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#38

France Gall

France Gall

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