French photographer and director Romain Laurent started making portrait-based GIFs as a way to produce work outside his commercial jobs, a spontaneous project that would encourage him to produce consistently for himself rather than clients.

Vegetables, wood and charcoal are loaded onto the roof of a battered Peugeot on November 7, 2018 in Matadi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. From the port of Matadi to the capital Kinshasa, a 350 km road crosses the south-west of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo by Junior D. Kannah/AFP Photo)

Guests attend the Haute Couture Spring-Summer 2024 collection show for Giorgio Armani Prive by designer Giorgio Armani in Paris, France, on January 23, 2024. (Photo by Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

A fan watches the group A World Cup match between Mexico and Brazil via a live broadcast at the FIFA Fan Fest in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Tuesday, June 17, 2014. Forget the French manicure. It’s Brazil during World Cup, and women here want to flaunt their love of the national team with wacky nail designs. (Photo by Dario Lopez-Mills/AP Photo)

American social media personality Addison Rae is seen on January 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

President Donald Trump is reflected in a mirror as he and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walk along the White House Colonnade on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. The crown prince was welcomed to the White House with all the trappings of a state visit, including a black-tie dinner in the East Room. (Photo by Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)

Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh practicing his bicycle polo technique, Windsor Great Park, Berkshire, 1964. (Photo by Norman Potter/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)