A Garden Party at Brécy Castle Patrimony Day in France happens once a year and enables curious visitors to see and experience treasures of French patrimony that are not typically open to the public. This year, I had the pleasure of experiencing several special places dressed for the occasion under beautiful blue sky of mid-September all in one weekend. The first and foremost is Brécy Castle Gardens, which I had already photographed in 2012 with a large format film camera. This year, a private invitation was launched to commemorate the fifth year of the passing of Barbara Wirth. Gardener extraordinaire, she and her husband Didier orchestrated the restoration of the gardens of Brécy from their purchase of the château in 1992. We learn, in reading the marvelous and freshly published Florilegium of Brécy Garden by Béatrice Saalburg and Catherine Watters, that the key to the elegance of this garden is a striking harmony of “just enough” in Barbara’s selection of plants. To complement graphically dominant yew, hornbeam and boxwood topiary, of which an intricate parterre de broderie on the ground level sets the stage for the terraces, Barbara added a savvy selection of roses, clematis, hellebore, lily and iris. She … Read More
Wedding Reception at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée
Georgina and Amal’s Wedding Reception at the Cercle de l’Union Interalliée The mother of the bride called me to ask if I could photograph her daughter’s wedding reception at a beautiful venue in Paris, France – Le Cercle de l’Union Interalliée, and naturally I accepted. What a thrill to penetrate the halls of such a venerable institution as this and for a perfect reason; to photograph a young couple about to engage in the vows of marriage. Indeed the real wedding will take place in India, so this Parisian event was the only moment that friends and family unable to travel to India could celebrate the bride and groom to be. A little history. The Union Interalliée was founded in 1917 at the point when the United States entered into the war. The founders conceived of a place where officers and personalities of the Allied nations could rejoin and give each other moral support and share resources. Receiving support from many, they were able to acquire the hotel Henri de Rothschild in 1920 and thereby encourage diplomatic relations between the allied nations. The building is situated on rue Faubourg Saint Honoré, just down the street from the Elysée Palace and … Read More
Cruising with the Rough Riders
Theodore Roosevelt Association Fundraising Dinner and Cruise on the USS Theodore Roosevelt The Theodore Roosevelt Association published this 30-page spread in their Winter-Spring-Summer 2017 Journal. This exceptional professional opportunity was handed to me by Tweed Roosevelt, the great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt, when he hired me to photograph the annual Theodore Roosevelt Association fundraising dinner in San Diego followed by a day-cruise in the Pacific aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. The TR Association visits the nuclear aircraft carrier every 8 or 9 years, so this event was clearly not to be missed. The fundraising dinner took place in Mission Valley and officers of the USS Theodore Roosevelt were invited. Thus, before even boarding the vessel, members of the Theodore Roosevelt Association got a glimpse of the U.S. Navy in full splendor. From the Commanding Officer to the sailors, the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt was open, warm, friendly, and totally human. Meeting with this team off-duty was a real treat for guests who were curious to learn more about their job and experience in the Navy. Highly qualified specialists in many fields, this crew seamlessly communicated with everyone including a small group of youngsters eager to figure out if they … Read More
Open House at DLP Paris
Open house event photo shoot at DLP Paris DLP Paris, a production/animation company in Paris, asked me to photograph their open house cocktail party. They could not decide between a standard photo shoot and formal studio portraits of their clients to be offered as gifts, so they chose both. I set up a Mad Men-style studio on site, using office furniture as a backdrop; a couple of stylish leather and chrome armchairs and a decorative Fresnel-ish lamp. While encouraging guests to step into the ‘boudoir’ for a studio shoot, I worked the event with an on-camera flash (Mark III for the reportage and Hasselblad digital back for the studio portraits). The art director was very pleased with the results! www.dlpparis.com
Parisian Prom Portraits
Parisian Prom Portraits I was asked to photograph a Parisian school prom and the theme was The Roaring 20’s. Two outdoor studio setups, a 4×5 film camera, a Hasselblad digital back and a tennis club. It was a challenging technical adventure and a wonderful portrait opportunity! Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose Gertrude Stein