Born in France in 1952, Simon Chaput developed a passion for photography as a child. Though initially deterred by setbacks, including military service, he rekindled his interest after moving to New York in 1983. There, he became involved with artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, working on their large-scale projects while documenting the process.
Chaput's personal work took him across the globe, from Tibet and India to the American Southwest and Australia, focusing on documentary and landscape photography. In 1996, he began his "New York" series, abstracting architecture through geometric compositions, with his striking World Trade Center images becoming particularly iconic.
Over the years, his work expanded to projects such as the "Jantar Mantar" series in India, the "Nudes" series, and "Waterfalls," a long-term study of natural forms. His photography has been exhibited worldwide, including at the Brooklyn Museum, Ira Stehmann Fine Art, Howard Greenberg Gallery, and Fifty One Fine Art Gallery.
Chaput has also worked in documentary film and environmental photography, receiving a grant to document the Kogi tribe in Colombia. His images have appeared in numerous books, including collaborations with Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh.
In 2023, Miami’s Wolfsonian Museum showcased his Art Deco photographs in conjunction with the World Art Deco Congress. Chaput continues to shoot on film, developing and printing his work in his darkroom, balancing fine art and documentary photography.