Those that know René Staud is likely to be stunned to listen to it, however the well-known photographer now not lives 24/7 for his enterprise. He has handed over the reins of the legendary Staud Studios to his sons Pascal and Patrick. Does this imply retirement? Quite the opposite – it means freedom! Staud may by no means be referred to as retired: he’s a person of impartial means.
We meet him within the enormous shoe field that’s his picture studio in Leonberg, a spot the place he truly spends little or no time today. And but roughly residing on this field was as soon as his skilled life. Staud is wearing black, as he presumably is each day, or at the least each day he spends in public. He has not simply made his type of images a model – he’s the model: when it comes to his type, and when it comes to his look. Black trousers, black jacket, a plain white shirt beneath.
It’s objects that carry color to his life. Right now, a 1978 Porsche 935 is offering the backdrop for our maestro. It’s not directly – however optimally – illuminated by one in every of Staud’s personal innovations. The Magic Flash replaces the sky. The softly glowing gentle field the dimensions of an articulated lorry is suspended above the orange racer. The automobile: a category winner at Le Mans. The photographer: grasp of all lessons.
Probably the most influential photographers of his time
Staud was definitely one of the crucial influential photographers of his time, and stays so as we speak. Mercedes-Benz was the primary to place a automobile in his studio. Then in 1983, Porsche referred to as. Staud’s task was to {photograph} the marketing campaign for the launch of the brand new, Porsche 959 tremendous sports activities automobile. He staged the automobile as an epochal Porsche second. The commercial that includes his pictures gained the Finest Marketing campaign of the 12 months award in 1987. “For me, to at the present time, it’s crucial venture I’ve executed,” says Staud, as he places his hand on the roof above the door of the 935, and stands nonetheless for some time.
It was in 1972 that Staud stood behind the digital camera for his first photoshoot involving a automobile. On Fuerteventura, he had a buggy fly over the dunes for what was truly a life-style shoot for an funding firm that wished to promote vacation properties on the island to German clients. His job was to make Fuerteventura look irresistible, and leaping dune buggies had been a fairly good match, being all the fad on the time. Similar to windsurfing, which was unknown in Europe. It was solely in 1977 that ‘Surf’ journal made what is named board crusing extra acquainted to the nation, which got here to like it.
A parade of vehicles because the stuff of goals
Staud grew up in Stuttgart. Dwelling not removed from the crimson gentle district of the Swabian metropolis, each night the younger man can be fascinated by the sports activities vehicles and different fancy autos rolling slowly via the slim streets or parked in entrance of the bars and golf equipment. That is the place the son of a wooden sculptor of very modest means would see actual Ferraris, the odd Maserati, Iso Rivolta or Mercedes SL, and – at times – a Porsche 356. A parade of vehicles that had been the stuff of goals for a younger child.
Later, they might all find yourself in entrance of his digital camera. And he obtained to know the collections of the dazzlingly wealthy and well-known as he put their treasured vehicles within the gentle of the Magic Flash, as he nonetheless does as we speak. Born in 1951, Staud has additionally gathered his personal extra modest assortment over the many years. He retains his personal objects of need beneath the massive studio, which additionally supplies area for an enormous truck. Staud has owned round 40 Porsche fashions, 25 of which had been 911s. And he has all the time pushed them every day. In the long run, his 959 had 60,000 kilometres on theclock when the photographer determined that Zuffenhausen’s technological celebrity was just too good to be pushed within the stop-start site visitors between the studio and his house.
Staud is a passionate racer
Although he did have a number of enjoyable with it, being a passionate racer. From 1996 to 1998, Staud himself was a topic for images, oozing type in his cool white F-Mannequin with crimson stripes alongside the roof and bonnet.
16 vehicles, possibly just a few extra, are parked underneath Staud’s office in Leonberg as we speak. On the way in which downstairs, you cross illuminated show instances with awards for his artwork in addition to previous cameras, together with the primary one he ever owned, an Edixa Mat Reflex. Treasured mannequin vehicles, enormous stopwatches – devotional objects of a profitable, fulfilling life. There are little tales about lots of them, with some simply being pleasant or amusing.
The storage of René Staud
This man is rarely ostentatious and all the time has a smile on his face, flattering his visitor and making him likeable and straightforward on the attention in each picture. But when he doesn’t know the way it’s executed, who does? René Staud takes us into his storage.
The Man in Black owns a complete of 11 Porsche fashions: six historic ones, and 5 new. His first is now not amongst them. It was a 914/4, black, in fact, with yellow wheels. He purchased it from the press division when it was left standing within the yard in entrance of the crimson brick constructing in Werk 1. Within the hippie decade of the Seventies, black vehicles had been out and a discount could possibly be had.
Staud’s favorite Porsche
“Porsche has all the time meant lots to me,” says the grand seigneur of automotive images, and naturally: “I’ve all the time wished one, ever since I used to be a little bit boy.” We’ve all heard this earlier than, however once you see how his eyes gentle up and his hand pulls on the deal with of the crimson Targa, you consider each phrase. This can be a 2.7 from 1974. It’s Staud’s favorite Porsche. He skilfully manoeuvres the automobile out of the underground storage in a sleek arc, and steers the crimson Targa within the route of Weissach. The highway there has quite a lot of elegant bends and some fairly sharp ones – preferrred terrain for the 911 and its driver.
“He matches in completely one way or the other.” That is what you suppose once you see Staud within the photographs – the whole lot is precisely appropriately: the enjoyment on his face, the dynamic automobile on the asphalt. The person of impartial means and the Porsche, each having made it. Two out of the field.
Porsche 911 2.7 Targa
12 months of building: 1974
Engine: Six-cylinder boxer
Displacement: 2,653 cm3
Acceleration 0-100 km/h: 6,3 s
Most energy: 210 PS (154 kW)
Empty weight: 1,075 kg
High velocity: 245 km/h
Information
Textual content first revealed within the journal Porsche Klassik 24.
Writer: Edwin Baaske
Photographie: Felix Aliberti
Copyright: All pictures, movies and audio recordsdata revealed on this article are topic to copyright. Copy in complete or partially just isn’t permitted with out the written consent of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Please contact newsroom@porsche.com for additional data.
