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.

Wolfgang (L), member of World War One historical association “Darstellungsgruppe Suddeutsches Militar 1870-1918” (DSM 18), from Munich, Germany, and Florent, member of French association “Le Poilu de la Marne”, dressed in vintage army uniforms, visit the Bezonvaux bunker in the national forest of Verdun, eastern France, March 29, 2014. Members of French and German historical associations, who gather annually, together visited the battlefield of Verdun in France, the site of a bloody World War One battle that dragged on for around 10 months in 1916, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives and destroying many villages. (Photo by Charles Platiau/Reuters)

French fashion designer Julien Fournie (R) poses with his Czech model Michaela Tomanova during the shooting of a film designed in place of the fashion show on June 30, 2020 as France eases lockdown measures taken to curb the spread of the COVID-19 disease caused by the novel coronavirus. (Photo by Franck Fife/AFP Photo)

Emily Ratajkowski filming DKNY commercial on January 20, 2017 in New York City, USA. The 25-year-old model braved the freezing New York temperatures as she wore just a black lace bra and matching French knickers, with a pair of clumpy biker boots. (Photo by Startraks Photo/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Paris authorities began draining the Canal Saint-Martin, a popular waterway that attracts tourists and revelers in the French capital's trendy northeastern 10th arrondissement, for the first time in 14 years, Paris, January 5, 2016. (Photo by Christophe Geyres/SIPA Press/Newscom)

A man looks at a mural painted on the walls of houses in Zaraeeb, created by French-Tunisian artist El Seed, in the shanty area known also as Zabaleen or “Garbage City” on the Mokattam Hills in eastern Cairo, Egypt, April 4, 2016. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

A Mexican wearing a period costume re-enacts the battle of Puebla, in the Penon de los Banos neighbourhood of Mexico City, Mexico May 5, 2016. The battle marked the defeat of French forces by Mexican troops and local Indians in the central state of Puebla in 1862. During the re-enactment, participants fired homemade shotguns loaded with gunpowder and hundreds of men dressed as Indian peasants fought mock battles against others dressed as French invaders. (Photo by Henry Romero/Reuters)

A man lying on the ground is assisted by French policemen during clashes bewteen English and Russian supporters in the Old Port of Marseille, France, Saturday, June 12, 2016, before the UEFA EURO 2016 group B match between England and Russia. (Photo by Daniel Dal Zennaro/ANSA via AP Photo)