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Maindru about


Dakar 1988
@ Yann Arthus Bertrand

MAINDRU Photo has been the undisputed leader in personalized sports photographs since 1974.

His creator, Michel Maindru, wanted to make sports photographs accessible to amateurs.
Michel MAINDRU is a Fine Arts School graduate and a true professional sports photographer who has first hand experience of competition (he has competed himself at a high level : enduro expert in the 80’s, French veteran vice champion in the 90’s, and he still plays squash, water-skis and races enduro regularly today).
Each year, Maindru Photo agency takes photos of more than 300 000 competitors during major mass sporting events in France.
For the last 30 years, we have taken some 15 millions photos.
Only Maindru Photo can deal with races of 40 000 competitors, take 160 000 photos in one day and provide top-quality photos and service.

 

NUMBER ONE AGENCY IN FRANCE, LEADER IN SIX MAJOR SPORTS

 


For the last 30 years, through a remarkable partnership, we have held the exclusive photographic rights for the major mass sporting events for all competitors.

 

. Long distance rally

-  25 Dakar (since 1979)
- 20 Tunisia rally (since 1987)
- 15 Atlas rally (since 1982)
- 10 UAE Dubaï (since 1994)
-   5 Shamrock AMV (since 2001)

 

. Trail bike - 29 Touquet enduro (since 1977)
- 20 Trèfle Lozérien (since 1986)
 
. Show Jumping - 15 French Open (since 1992)
 
.VTT - 10 La Forestière (since 1997)
- 15 Roc d'Azur (since 1992)
 
. Cycling - 10 L'Ardéchoise (since 1997)
- 10 Etape du Tour (since 1997)
 
. Road racing - 15 Paris Semi Marathon (since 1992)
- 20 Marseille-Cassis (since 1987)
- 27 Paris-Versailles (since 1980)
- 13 Médoc Marathon (since 1994)
- 20 Paris Marathon (since 1987)

 

 



 

 


Paris-Versailles 1996


 


OUR EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCE


Our exceptional experience (more than 10 000 days of shooting) increased as the races evolved throughout the years and www.maindruphoto.com became famous to both competitors and organizers. Our profession is and will remain the photography.

We do check very carefully every stages of the printing process.

The shots are taken by a team of 20 professional photographers, trained by Michel Maindru. They use the well-known digital CANON PRO EOS 1 D camera.

Jean-Yves DUPRE has been the Lab Manager for 20 years. He is in charge of the image processing on our Frontier Fuji 350 Minilab, and he is also responsible for all the administrative work together with Marie-Caroline.

At the end of 2002, we inaugurated a complete digital photographic production system. It is the only one in the world as far as the handling of floods of images is concerned.

This new system allows us to maintain our prices, to offer exceptional service, to react very quickly and to improve photo quality at the same time.
The use of this leading edge technology also enhances the image of each prestigious event.

It also enables us to post 50 000 photos on line per day on www.maindruphoto.com. The internet orders are processed within 48 hours.

In 2005, more than 1/2 million internet users visited our website and more than 25 millions pages were read.

Proofs are sent out by post within 72 hours after the event.

 

IT IS A REAL KNOW-HOW

 


AN UNIQUE QUALITY: YOUR PICTURES « ARE BEAUTIFUL »


That is what our clients keep telling us. Competitors are used to the quality of pictures they see in the media and do not accept the poorer quality of the pictures they tend to be offered elsewhere.

 

WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT?
A REALLY FRIENDLY RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RACER FOR MORE EMOTION.


Each picture is the result of careful research: the angle of shot, the background... Both competitors and organizers of the most important competitions also agree that the quality of our prints is exceptional.<br /> MAINDRU PHOTO's most beautiful prints are published by VANDYSTADT agency.

 

MAINDRU PHOTO is truly a part of these famous events 


 


Dakar 2003


 


WE OFFER THE MAINDRU QUALITY AND THE FOLLOWING SERVICES TO EVENT ORGANIZERS AND TO THEIR ATHLETES


- We take photos of every participant, individually, several times during the race.
- The images are posted on line within 24 hours (search for photos by name or by race number) on our website www.maindruphoto.com.
- Automatic and free of charge despatching of proof photos to all the competitors on the Tuesday following the event.

- Printing of the photos in our own laboratory.
- Order despatch within 48 hours over the internet and within 10 days by post.
- New products: photos on cd-rom, photos via e-mail, privilege pack “all your photos”, t-shirts…
- Possibility of Maindru Photo’s financial contribution in exchange for the exclusive photographic rights and the sale of the photos to the competitors.
- Possibility of the supply of a photographic coverage according to your schedule of conditions, free of charge, with transfer of all rights, for your media partners and sponsors.

- Possibility to offer to your main sponsors a personalized cd rom, copyright free, for their communication on the event.
- Link between www.maindruphoto.com website with your organization’s website. Possibility to create a direct link between your competitors’ results and their personalized photos.

- Your event will be listed in "Our reports” section.
- All our partners have already demonstrated their confidence by giving us their commitment in 3-year contracts.

 

To determine the best partnership we can offer you, please contact:
Charles MAINDRU, phone: +33 2 41 88 05 85


Dakar 2002