Michel Comte was born 1954 in Zurich, Switzerland. The professionally trained art restorer approached photography as an autodidact. In 1979, Comte received his first advertising assignment from Karl Lagerfeld and moved to Paris. Work for American Vogue lead him in 1981 to New York and later on he took residence in Los Angeles. Within a few years, Michel Comte became one of the most sought-after fashion photographers in the world. For Vanity Fair and Vogue, he portrayed celebrities such as Iggy Pop, Jeff Koons, Gary Oldman, Sophia Loren, Catherine Deneuve, Miles Davis, Vanessa Mae, Pamela Anderson, Uma Thurman, Geraldine Chaplin, Boy George, Sharon Stone, Jeremy Irons, Demi Moore and many others.