A woman with braided hair wearing an orange lace dress sitting at a desk with a black cat lying on a drawing table. The room has plants, artwork, and a lamp.

A woman with dark hair sitting on a leather chair in the foreground, looking at the camera with a thoughtful expression, while a man with gray hair and a beard lounges on a couch in the background in a dimly lit room with brick walls.

Magazine cover featuring a young woman with short dark hair, wearing red and multicolored floral traditional attire, and earrings. The cover lists articles titled 'From Hashtag to High Fashion' and 'Ghosts in the Ghost Ship.'

Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, looking to the right, with soft lighting highlighting her face.

A man with a gray beard, glasses, and a black cap sitting at a table outdoors near a body of water with hills in the background. The table has a large map, a shell, and a small object. String lights are hanging overhead.

A woman with tattoos leaning on a cafe counter with an assortment of baked goods, coffee cups, and a green diamond-patterned wall behind her.

Black and white photo of a woman standing against a plain textured wall, wearing a lacy, cut-out dress with a side slit and a high neckline with detailed lace.

Woman sitting at a wooden table in a cozy, art-filled room, holding a glass of red wine, with an open book and a bottle of wine in front of her, surrounded by books and artwork.

An elderly man in a suit stands with hands in pockets in front of copper brewing equipment in a brewery, with another worker in a white apron operating a large copper brewing vessel in the background.

Two men lie on a bed of marijuana plants, one wearing a dark shirt with tattoos, the other in a stained apron and t-shirt, both smiling and looking at each other.

Two blacksmiths working in a forge, one pouring molten metal while the other hammers hot metal on an anvil.

Man welding with sparks flying in a workshop or industrial setting.

A man sitting in a shower area with wooden walls, rain water coming from the showerhead, near a small sink and a mirror, outdoors with trees visible outside.

A woman in a red dress is taking a photo of another woman lying on a blanket in a wooded area during sunset.

A man with dark curly hair and a beard sitting at a desk in a bright industrial-style room, working on a design with a pen. The desk has a lamp, a tablet, and several design sketches. Large windows and green plants are in the background.

A young girl with curly hair jumping joyfully with arms and legs spread wide, wearing a t-shirt with the word 'Extrovert' on it, and jeans, against a plain background.

Two people, a man and a woman, walking through tall grass during a rainstorm with three dogs in a moody, cloudy outdoor landscape.

Young woman with tattoos sitting in a red leather armchair, smoking a cigarette, with a hookah hose in hand, in a rustic room with wooden walls and shelves, behind her a window with sunlight streaming in.

A man sitting in a field of green leafy plants, looking off into the distance, with hills in the background.

Man working on woodworking project in a workshop illuminated by a desk lamp, surrounded by tools and wood carvings.

Black and white portrait of a young woman with long hair, looking to the side with a serious expression, illuminated by a soft light from the right side.

A man and a woman in a woodworking shop, standing in front of a boat under construction, surrounded by woodworking tools and materials.

An older man with glasses and a short white beard seated outdoors at a table decorated with candles, bottles, and glasses, looking at the camera with a relaxed expression.

Magazine cover featuring a man in military jumpsuit and sunglasses, crossing his arms in front of vintage machinery, draped in a yellow and red flag, with the title 'Minnesota ALUMNI' at the top.

Black and white portrait of a woman with long hair, looking over her shoulder at the camera, wearing a sheer black top with torn details.

A blonde woman in a red and black lace dress posing at a cafe counter, with a coffee machine and cups behind her, and people in the background.

A woman in a polka dot dress and a scarf around her neck, sitting in a classic convertible car with her arm resting on the door.

Three young women sitting together against a dark green background, wearing casual white tops and denim shorts.

A woman with glasses and dark hair working on a sculpture of a hand in an art studio.

A young woman with curly red hair and a young man with short dark hair sitting against a dark textured wall. The woman is wearing a white T-shirt and jeans, while the man is dressed in a black T-shirt and dark pants.

A man with a beard and short hair cleaning a car part in a garage, with classic cars parked in the background.

A nude man sitting on a wooden block, with a wooden ladder nearby, in front of a dark blue wall, illuminated by a large soft light.

A man in a white chef's coat and apron crosses his arms and looks directly at the camera, standing against a rustic wooden background.

A woman with blonde hair sitting at a coffee shop table, holding a cup, with a laptop in front of her, and a background of staff working behind the counter.

Ophthalmologist sitting at her desk in an eye clinic, with examination equipment and a bright ring light behind her, looking thoughtfully to her right.

A man adjusting his denim jacket while sitting on a motorcycle in an urban setting with a cloudy sky.

Portrait of a man with dark hair and a beard, wearing a gray jacket over a black shirt, looking to the side with a slight smile, standing in front of a wooden wall.

San Francisco Portrait & Commercial Photographer

Marc Olivier Le Blanc is a San Francisco portrait, editorial, and commercial photographer and videographer working with brands, agencies, and publications across the Bay Area and California.

Known for an authentic, offbeat, and elegant visual style, he brings the same storytelling instinct to a corporate executive portrait as to a full advertising campaign.

His clients include Levi's, Google, Airbnb, Chase, and leading publications including National Geographic, GQ, TIME, Forbes, and the Wall Street Journal. Based in the Mission District with studio access and available for on-location shoots throughout San Francisco, the Bay Area, and beyond.

A man walking on a dirt path with a small dog in a lush green countryside under a partly cloudy sky.

A man and a boy sitting in a vineyard with rows of grapevines and rolling hills in the background during sunset.

CLIENTS + PEOPLE

Collection of various company and organization logos, including Visa, Starbucks, Chase, Google Nest, The North Face, Roche, Walmart, Sephora, JanSport, Logitech, Safeway, Gap, Levi's, Mountain Hard Wear, RH, Yahoo!, GQ, Cisco, H&M, Genentech, Airbnb, National Geographic Channel, Time, and Los Angeles Times.

Wineries Hall Wines | Jordan Vineyard & Winery | Copper Cane Winery | Stubbs Winery

From Silicon Valley's most influential founders to artists, chefs, athletes, and cultural figures across the Bay Area.

Close-up of an abstract, stylized illustration of a face with one eye, hair, and a nose, using black, white, and brown colors with textured brush strokes.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more.

Phone
(415)987-2551

Email
marc@marcolivierleblanc.com

Follow our journey.

New portraits for @berkeleyhaas magazine shot on location in Berkeley for their Fall 2025 issue.

Backpacking Grand Canyon last weekend was pure magic. Thanks to a great team of friends @ju.svgeon @marsupifanny @gaetanpennecot #agnes #nico @marcolivierleblanc

#portraits shot on location in LA with @jessiqap @blakehreed and producer @fboulaire #martiniracing

The Lost Coast #tbt to last weekend while backpacking with friends.

Happy Friday! Dream VS realty #stuckintraffic

Visit Us

375 Alabama Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

Hours
Monday–Friday
9am–5pm

Phone
(415) 987-2551

Email
marc@marcolivierleblanc.com

Featured In

Art Basel — portrait of Wendi Norris, San Francisco gallerist who rewrote the history of Surrealism.

ARTnews — portrait of Wendi Norris, gallerist championing Leonora Carrington and female Surrealists.

Whitewall Magazine — portrait of Wendi Norris, San Francisco gallerist and art world insider.

Stanford Magazine — portraits of Jack Conte and Sam Yam, Patreon co-founders, at their SF headquarters.

Marc Olivier Le Blanc — UC Berkeley Haas Magazine, portraits for a feature on mentorship and human connection

Harvard Business Review — portrait of Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn co-founder, on high-growth entrepreneurship

Wall Street Journal — portrait of Eric Ries, Long-Term Stock Exchange founder, on responsible investing

Forbes — portrait of Joe Lonsdale, billionaire 8VC partner and Palantir co-founder, San Francisco.

Our Story

Marc Olivier Le Blanc is a commercial photographer in San Francisco with a studio in the vibrant Mission District, where creativity, culture, and craft intersect. Passionate about visual storytelling, he strives to transform both the ordinary and the unexpected into imagery that feels refined, authentic, and meaningful. His work spans portrait, editorial, lifestyle, and advertising photography, blending elegance with a subtle offbeat sensibility that resonates with modern brands and audiences.

Marc began his professional career as a journalist in France, drawn early on to photo-reportage and long-form visual narratives. His path led him through Eastern Europe and several years living and working in Africa before returning briefly to Paris to work behind a desk at Agence France-Presse. While formative, that experience reaffirmed his need to explore. After losing nearly all his possessions in Bolivia, the realization that he missed his camera above all else solidified his commitment to the craft. With little else left, he chose to fully invest his time and energy into creating strong, honest imagery.

Today, Marc Olivier Le Blanc is a San Francisco–based commercial, portrait, and editorial photographer, working with brands, agencies, and individuals who value storytelling and visual integrity. His clients include companies such as Chase, Levi’s and Google, and his work extends beyond photography into commercial videography. Available for studio and on-location shoots throughout San Francisco, the Bay Area and California,Marc collaborates closely with his clients to create expressive, contemporary visuals tailored to editorial, lifestyle, and advertising stories.

In The Press

Wall Street Journal — Portrait of Eric Ries, founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and author of The Lean Startup, photographed at my Mission District studio in San Francisco for a feature on socially responsible investing.

Harvard Business Review — Portrait of Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and partner at Greylock, photographed at Greylock Partners in Palo Alto for a feature on high-growth entrepreneurship.

Business Insider — Portrait of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI and co-founder of Worldcoin, & Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, published in a profile on Altman's instinct for identifying the right collaborators — shot at a pivotal moment just before ChatGPT reshaped the world's understanding of AI.

TechCrunch— Portrait of Alex Blania, CEO of Tools for Humanity, photographed for Worldcoin ahead of their public launch announcement on the proof-of-personhood network.

Forbes — Portrait of Joe Lonsdale, billionaire co-founder of Palantir and managing partner at 8VC, photographed at 8VC headquarters at Pier 5 in San Francisco.

Forbes Travel Guide — Portrait of winemaker Alberto Bianchi photographed at Newton Vineyard in Sonoma County for Forbes' luxury travel editorial on Napa's most secretive LVMH estate.

Art Basel — Portrait of San Francisco gallerist Wendi Norris photographed at Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco, for a feature on rewriting the history of Surrealism and her debut at Art Basel Miami Beach 2024.

Grammy.com — Portrait of Eun Sun Kim, Music Director of the San Francisco Opera, published in coverage of her appointment as the company's first female music director. Also published by Good Morning America and Ultraschall Berlin, the contemporary music festival co-produced by Deutschlandfunk Kultur and rbb Kultur.

ARTnews — Portrait of Wendi Norris photographed at Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco, for a feature on the Bay Area dealer who championed Leonora Carrington before the world caught up.

Whitewall Magazine — Portrait of gallerist Wendi Norris photographed at Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco, sharing her favorite spots in the city from the Marin Headlands to Hayes Valley.

Stanford Magazine — Portraits of Jack Conte and Sam Yam, Stanford alumni and co-founders of Patreon, photographed at the Patreon office in SoMa, San Francisco for a feature on the creator economy.

UC Berkeley Haas Magazine — Multiple portraits photographed for "The Personal Touch," a feature on mentorship in the age of AI, in the Fall 2025 issue of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business Magazine.

Emerce (Netherlands) — Portrait of Ben Silbermann, CEO and co-founder of Pinterest, photographed at Pinterest headquarters in San Francisco for a feature on visual search and global growth.

Nieuwe Instituut (Netherlands) — Portrait of architect Jeanne Gang, MacArthur Fellow and Harvard GSD professor, photographed at Studio Gang's San Francisco office for an evening talk at the Dutch national museum for architecture and design in Rotterdam.

Mercury News — SF Opera leadership photographed at the San Francisco Opera House as the company returns to live performance with Tosca after the pandemic.

SFCV — San Francisco Classical Voice — SF Opera leadership photographed at the San Francisco Opera House for a landmark feature as the company prepares to celebrate its centennial season. And a portrait of Eun Sun Kim, Music Director of the SF Opera.

Gallery Wendi Norris — Four portraits of incoming gallery staff, photographed at Gallery Wendi Norris in San Francisco to mark a major expansion of one of the city's leading contemporary art galleries.

American Craft Council — Portrait of JoAnn Edwards, Award of Distinction recipient, photographed at her home in Sonoma County — the Council's highest honor recognizing a lifetime of contribution to the field of craft.

SF Business Times — Portrait of chef Michael Mina and his kitchen team, photographed at his San Francisco restaurant for a feature on the city's growing chef shortage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of photography and video does Marc Olivier Le Blanc offer?

1

Marc offers portrait, editorial, lifestyle, and commercial advertising photography, as well as commercial videography including brand films, social reels, and documentary-style production. Whether you need a single executive portrait, a full advertising campaign, or a combined photo and video production, the studio handles it all from the same creative vision.

What is Marc Olivier Le Blanc's photographic style?

2

Marc is best known for environmental portraiture — photographing people in the spaces that define them, whether that's a CEO at their desk, an artist in their studio, or a winemaker in the cellar. His style is authentic, offbeat, and elegant, bringing the same storytelling instinct to a corporate portrait as to a full advertising campaign. His work has been published in National Geographic, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, GQ, Harvard Business Review, and Art Basel, and he has photographed subjects including Sam Altman, Reid Hoffman, Brian Chesky, and Ben Silbermann.

How much does a photography or video shoot cost?

3

Pricing varies depending on the scope of the project — a single portrait session has a very different structure from a multi-day advertising campaign with full crew. The best way to get an accurate quote is to reach out directly through the contact form with a brief description of your project, intended use, and timeline. Marc responds promptly and will walk you through the options.

Is Marc Olivier Le Blanc available for my project?

4

Availability varies by date and project scope. The fastest way to check is to reach out through the contact form at marcolivierleblanc.com with your preferred dates and a brief description of the project. Marc is based in San Francisco's Mission District and available for shoots throughout the Bay Area, California, and nationally — international assignments are also welcome.

Do you work with individuals as well as brands and agencies?

5

Yes — the client mix spans global brands like Levi's, Google, and Airbnb, advertising and creative agencies, editorial publications, and individual portrait clients. Whether you're a brand manager briefing a campaign, an art director at an agency, a magazine editor commissioning a portrait, or an individual looking for a professional portrait session, the approach is the same: clear communication, strong creative execution, and images that hold up.

Can you handle a project from start to finish — big or small?

6

Yes. The Mission District studio is fully equipped for photography and video productions of any scale, and Marc works with a trusted network of San Francisco-based producers who can coordinate the full production stack — casting, talent, wardrobe and prop stylists, hair and makeup, location scouting, permits, and catering. Editing, color grading, and final delivery are handled in-house, keeping the creative vision consistent from brief to delivery. From a single-subject portrait to a multi-day advertising campaign with complete crew, the studio can take it from A to Z.

What should I prepare before reaching out?

7

The more specific your brief, the faster your first conversation moves. It helps to have a sense of the type of shoot, intended use (editorial, advertising, web, social), desired deliverables, rough timeline, and budget range. If you're combining photography and video, note that too — it changes how the production day is structured and often reduces overall cost.