French Gay photographer Hervé Lassïnce visited Seattle for the first time to kick off the second showcase of his work at Galerie Orsay Paris-Seattle on Capitol Hill. 

From Oct. 17 to Dec. 19, visitors can see Lassïnce’s photography, depicting the intimate lives of people from Tunisia, Benin, India, the US, and beyond.

On Oct. 17, Lassïnce was at the gallery for a signing of his photography book Nous, published in December 2025 and featuring portraits, landscapes, and intimate scenes from his work from 2011 to 2024. 

“The book is about my close ones,” Lassïnce said. “Most of them are my lovers, my very close friends, and my family; my own brother appears a lot in the book. It’s like a family. There are a lot of Queer people in the book. I felt like these people are the minority, but in my book, all of a sudden, they become the majority.”

Throughout the day, people from all walks of life entered the gallery, either because they had heard about the new exhibit or were passing through. They moved through the different displays, maybe finding themselves in the photos or appreciating their beauty. Many stopped at Lassïnce’s table, struck up conversations, flipped through his book, and bought it.

Lassïnce gave everyone his undivided attention, sometimes even ending conversations with plans to take portraits of them in their homes.

Lassïnce has always emphasized the need for Queer people in his work, showing that they can exist as themselves. Growing up, he never saw positive LGBTQIA+ representation in media, so he created these intimate portraits to provide the images he never got.

One of his most personally impactful photos at the gallery is titled “This Must Be Love,” depicting a man rubbing his lover’s feet, with only his back visible. Lassïnce said he took this photo in the moment after making love, when his lover decided to rub his feet. It was a small, brief moment, but a very intimate and caring one.

“I like to take [photos] of intimate moments,” Lassïnce said.