--- description: TIME contract photographer Marco Grob on his cover shoot with French President François Hollande. title: Meeting François Hollande: Behind TIME's Cover with Marco Grob image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc309143f3e8cde0e/6987e5bc428a9e942fcca4c5/hollandecvr02171.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [LightBox](/tag/time-section-lightbox/) ## LightBox Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Meeting François Hollande: Behind the Cover with Marco Grob by [Marco Grob](/author/marco-grob/) ## Marco Grob Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 6, 2014 9:00 AM CUT  The cover of TIME International. The cover of TIME International.Marco Grob for TIME by [Marco Grob](/author/marco-grob/) ## Marco Grob Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Feb 6, 2014 9:00 AM CUT On Friday, January 31, we arrived at the Élysée Palace in Paristo photograph the French President François Hollande for TIME’s cover. We prepared four different set ups: A black background, a white background and two locations within the palace that would make for strong environmental shots. The key on a shoot like this is to be really well prepared. My crew moves like a ballet, so the portrait session kind of has this flow. When the president walked in, he was pressed for time. After initial introductions, I normally don’t interact much, so the relationship is between the subject and the camera. This gives me a much more authentic picture. We only had seven minutes to make the two different studio portraits, one of those ended up on the cover of TIME International. I was also able to sneak in the two environmental pictures, which both ran in the magazine. There are different ways to get a good portrait. There are a lot of photographers who have a much different approach. But my subjects often don’t have time to get used to the fact that they’re being photographed. Which probably adds some immediacy. --- **_Marco Grob_** _is a contract photographer for TIME. He previously photographed major figures from the civil rights movement for_ [_One Dream_](http://content.time.com/time/onedream/ "undefined")_,_ _TIME’s_ _multimedia commemoration of the 1963 March on Washington and the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech._ _View more of his work for TIME_ [_here_](http://lightbox.time.com/tag/marco-grob/ "undefined") _or on_ [_his website_](http://marcogrob.com/ "undefined") _This piece is presented as told to_ **_Richard Conway,_** _Reporter/Producer for TIME LightBox. Follow him on twitter_ [_@RichardJConway_](https://twitter.com/RichardJConway "undefined") ---  The cover of TIME International. Marco Grob for TIME  January 2014\. Two portraits of France’s President François Hollande at the presidential Élysée Palace in Paris. Marco Grob for TIME  January 2014\. President François Hollande in la Salle des Fêtes at the presidential Élysée Palace in Paris. Marco Grob for TIME  January 2014\. President François Hollande in his office at the presidential Élysée Palace in Paris. 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