Parisian interiors: design and architecture

Photograph of the designer interior of Le Georges restaurant, Paris, France.  This image is included in the Architecture Portfolio of Elise Prudhomme Photographer

Paris, seen from the inside For the past several years, I have been photographing Parisian interiors for home owners and rental agencies.  Using ambient light and tripod, working with long exposures and a low ISO, I render these spaces without artifice.  I am beginning to amass quite a collection of images showing the Parisian lifestyle at it’s most intimate: “chez soi” (seen from the inside).  The above chapter on Residential Interiors from my Architecture Portfolio includes some of this work.

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

Entre Côtes | Photography Exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B

Entre Côtes | Photography Exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B Opening on Tuesday, December 11 at 6pm at Studio Galerie B&BExhibition from 9 to 21 December 2014 From December 9, a sea wind will blow on Studio Gallery B&B at the occasion of the exhibition of two photographers, Entre Côtes. Elise Prudhomme presents a new series of large format pinhole photographs entitled Sands of Time, extract of an ongoing project on the evolution of the cultural landscape and the emergence of a new picturesque in the Cotentin. From the Atlantic coast to the inland, Philippe Bachelier walked his cameras through the Basque country on both sides of the Pyrénées. His black and white landscapes, printed silver-gelatin paper, recount the changing lights of the ocean and the perennial energy of nature. A partir du 9 décembre, un vent iodé soufflera sur le Studio Galerie B&B à l’occasion de l’exposition de ses deux photographes Entre Côtes. Elise Prudhomme expose une série de sténopés grand format intitulé Sands of Time, extraite d’un projet en cours sur l’évolution du paysage culturel et l’émergence d’un nouveau pittoresque dans le Cotentin. De la côte atlantique à l’intérieur des terres, Philippe Bachelier a promené ses appareils photo dans … Read More

Parisian Prom Portraits

Large format film portrait taken during Prom night at the Lawn Tennis Club in Saint Mande, France 2014 by Elise Prudhomme.

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

My Conquest of Space: a selection of photographs

View of the back of Le Bourget Air and Space Museum as seen from a Boeing 747, France, 2012 by Elise Prudhomme

My conquest of space To close the 2013 season primarily dedicated to my photographic work Yours, mine, Le Nôtre’s, I propose a medley of my hobbies and my world, bonified by time like a Christmas Pudding. If a theme were necessary, it would be around landscapes whether rural or urban, and our modest or massive footprint on this earth. This is also an opportunity for me to revisit places that have built my relationship to the world (the United States, Italy and France) and evoke ongoing projects: You’ve Got Mail, The Glorious 30’s. Finally, I present a selection of findings from daily work that fill me with joy as a photographer. Ma conquête des espaces Pour clore la saison 2013 principalement dédiée à mon travail photographique Le tien, le mien, Le Nôtre, je propose un pot-pourri de mes marottes et de mon univers, bonifiés par le temps tel un Christmas Pudding.  S’il fallait un thème, il serait autour des paysages qu’ils soient champêtres ou urbains et de notre modeste ou imposante empreinte sur cette terre. C’est aussi l’occasion pour moi de revisiter des lieux qui ont construits mon rapport avec le monde (les États-Unis, l’Italie et la France) et d’évoquer … Read More

Christmas Pudding, a photography exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B

Christmas Pudding, a photography exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B Studio Galerie B&B associates, Elise Prudhomme and Philippe Bachelier, present Christmas Pudding: thirty-four color and black and white limited edition photographs (silver gelatin prints and c-prints) – choice photographic morsels to savor without moderation! The selection of work by Elise Prudhomme revolves around the theme of space conquest –  landscapes whether rural or urban and our modest or massive footprint on this earth. Opening on Thursday, December 12 at 6pm10 to 22 December 2013 at Studio Galerie B&B, 6 bis rue des Récollets, 75010 Paris, France.

Yours Mine Le Nôtre’s | Exhibition in Passage de la Geôle, Versailles

Exhibition poster for Artistes dans la rue in Versailles 2013

Yours Mine Le Nôtre’s exhibited in Passage de la Geôle, Versailles The Association of Antique and Gallery dealers of Versailles has invited me to exhibit my series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s during the Versailles Autumn Festival 2013. Twenty-seven color and black and white photographs (silver gelatin prints and c-prints) are exhibited. Quartier des Antiquaires – Passage de la Geôle, 78000 Versailles from 10 October – 3 November, 2013. Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:30 am to 19:00 pm.

Exhibition for Artists in the Street, Versailles 2013

Celeste, Versailles Chateau Garden, France, 2012 (part of the series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre's) by Elise Prudhomme

Exhibition for Artists in the Street, Versailles 2013 The Alumnae Association of the Ecole des Beaux-Arts of Versailles has invited me to exhibit twenty-five color and black and white photographs from the series entitled Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s during the Journée du Patrimoine in Versailles (Artistes dans la Rue), Place du Marché Notre Dame, France on September 14, 2013. Photographs will also be exhibited at the Carré à la Farine, Versailles, France from 10 – 14 September 2013.

France Revisited publishes my article and photographs about the Garden of Versailles

Broderie, Versailles Chateau Garden, France, 2012 (part of the series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre's) by Elise Prudhomme.

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s: An American Photographer Examines the Garden of Versailles As France celebrates the 400th anniversary of the birth of André Le Nôtre, the father of French gardens, France Revisited explores some of this 17th-century landscape gardener’s most famous gardens and parks. Here, in text and images, American photographer Elise Prudhomme, a longtime Paris resident whose work has been exhibited in the Tuileries Garden and will soon appear in an exhibition in Versailles, guides us along the garden paths of Versailles.by Gary Lee Kraut* * * Photographs and text by Elise Prudhomme André Le Nôtre designed the Garden of Versailles to display, reflect and serve as the backdrop for the pomp and glory and power of the reign of Louis XIV. As such the garden functioned as a direct extension of the palace itself. Piqued by Nicolas Fouquet’s audacious success with the Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte which he visited in 1661, Louis XIV enlisted the three men who had contributed to that success—the architect Louis Le Vau, the painter-decorator Charles Le Brun and the landscape gardener André Le Nôtre—to create the palace of all palaces: Versailles. read full article…

France Revisited publishes my article and photographs about the Tuileries Garden

Liberté or Liberty, Tuileries Garden, Paris, France, 2011 (part of the series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre's) by Elise Prudhomme.

Celebrating Le Nôtre: An American Photographer Explores the Tuileries Garden France Revisited joins France’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the birth of André Le Nôtre, the father of French gardens, with seven stunning photos of Paris’s most historical garden, the Tuileries Garden, by American photographer Elise Prudhomme. Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s Photographs and text by Elise Prudhomme A walk through the Tuileries Garden is a return to the origin of French gardens. Considering its long heritage of transformations by queens, kings, landscape architects and gardeners, the Tuileries cannot be fully attributed to André Le Nôtre (1613-1700). It can nevertheless be viewed as the matrix of André Le Nôtre’s career. By matrix I mean that the Tuileries was his testing grounds and the precursor of his future projects, the womb or mold from which his future work originated and developed.  Without the Tuileries there would be no Versailles. read full article…

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s exhibited at Jardins Jardin 2013

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s exhibited at Jardins Jardin 2013 In celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Jardins Jardin garden festival and the 400th anniversary of the birth of André Le Nôtre, thirty color and black and white photographs from my body of work entitled Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s will be exhibited in the Tuileries Garden, Terrasse au Bord de l’Eau in the tent of the Louvre, Paris, France from 30 May – 2 June 2013.

Photographic walks in a contemporary wasteland

Conference: Photographic walks in a contemporary wasteland I am thrilled that my work on André Le Nôtre’s gardens entitled Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s will be included in the presentation “Photographic walks in a contemporary wasteland” by Céline Omer at Ecole Normale Supérieure (Paris, France) on April 9, 2013.

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s, exhibition texts about this photography series

Green, Tuileries Garden, Paris, France, 2011 (part of the series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre's) by Elise Prudhomme.

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s, exhibition texts about this photography series On the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of André Le Nôtre (1613 – 1700), I have taken another look at his master work. Working with mineral and plant architecture, Le Nôtre created multifaceted gardens that are both majestic and playful. He surprises us with follies and fountains set in contrast to strictly symmetrical wooded masses; he plays on light and shadow in his whimsical and symmetrical groves, dotting parterres and main walkways with statues and yew cut in the most amazing ways. The Tuileries Garden, with its crowds of pressed tourists drawn by the dramatic perspective from the Louvre up the Champs-Elysées, leaves strollers the opportunity to discover smaller gardens within the garden. Sceaux Park, where André Le Nôtre played with the landscape using a double perspective : the first extending from the axis of the château, the second set on a perpendicular axis from the château, revealing a large waterfall extending through to the Basin of the Octagon. Versailles, the result of matured reflection in garden architecture, is a masterpiece in the art of topiary. Vaux-le-Vicomte Garden and Saint-Cloud Park are also included. Photographing these … Read More

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s, exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B

Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s, exhibition at Studio Galerie B&B A recent body of photographic work entitled Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre’s is presented at Studio Galerie B&B, 6 bis rue des Récollets, 75010 Paris, France from 4 March – 17 March 2013. The exhibition includes photographs of the Tuileries Garden and Sceaux Park.

Exhibition Self-consciousness during Mois de la Photo Off | Studio Galerie B&B

Exhibition Self-consciousness during Mois de la Photo Off | Studio Galerie B&B With the patronage of le Mois de la Photo Off, the series Self-consciousness is on exhibit at Studio Galerie B&B, 6bis rue des Récollets, 75010 Paris, France from 12 November – 30 November 2012. First prize winner of the 2012 Grand Prix Riedisheim Réponses Photo Epson, Self-consciousness is making its debut in Paris.

Exhibition texts | Photography series Self-consciousness

Differentiation #2, Massachusetts, USA, 1992 (series Self-consciousness) by Elise Prudhomme.

Exhibition texts | Series Self-consciousness Self-consciousness To the question « who am I » we are tempted to provide an answer that refers to the body. The body is what may be shown, what is seen by others, what can represent itself. It is not so much a question of knowing who we are essentially that matters here, but rather how and by what means we gain recognition from others. Through this work with self-portrait, I recount a young woman’s search for self-awareness. Positioned as witness, the camera plays an important role in the stages leading there; inciting both self-discovery and self-revelation through the construction of her own image. Auto-conscience A la question « qui suis-je » nous sommes tentés de donner une réponse qui nous ramène vers le corps. Le corps est ce qui peut-être exhibé, ce qui est vu par les autres, ce qui peut se représenter. Ce n’est pas la question de savoir qui nous sommes essentiellement qui importe ici, mais ce par quoi nous trouvons une re-connaissance. Par ce travail d’autoportrait, je raconte la recherche de la conscience de soi d’une jeune femme. Placé comme témoin, l’appareil photographique joue un rôle important dans les étapes qui … Read More

Photograph of Malik Ghat Flower Market exhibited at Espace Pierre Cardin

Aerial view from Howrah Bridge of people working at the Mallick Ghat Flower Market, Calcutta, India, 2009 by Elise Prudhomme.

Photograph of Malik Ghat, India exhibited at Espace Pierre Cardin My photograph of Malik Ghat, India will be exhibited at Espace Pierre Cardin, 3 avenue Gabriel, 75008 Paris during the second week in October.  Part of a series entitled “Enterprising India“, this image of the famous Malik Ghat Flower Market was shot from the Howrah Bridge in Calcutta on a bright winters day.

My series Self-consciousness exhibited at the 25th Salon Photo Riedisheim

My series Self-consciousness exhibited at the 25th Salon Photo Riedisheim My photo series, Self-consciousness, was exhibited at the 25th photo festival in Riedisheim (a French town in the Upper Rhine) during the month of March. Jane Evelyn Atwood’s photographs were printed on waterproof tarpaulin and exhibited outdoors with stunning results. This year, Jane Evelyn Atwood is the patron of the festival and jury member of the Grand Prix Epson RP contest on the theme “feminine”.

Photograph from Tuileries Garden series receives Juror Award of Merit

Pause, Tuileries Garden, Paris, France, 2012 (part of the series Yours, Mine, Le Nôtre's) by Elise Prudhomme.

Photograph from Tuileries Garden series receives Juror Award of Merit My photograph entitled Pause, Tuileries Garden, Paris, France, 2011 (from the series Yours Mine Le Nôtre’s), has received Juror Award of Merit in the International Fine Art Photography Competition: Grand Prix de la Découverte. Taken from the Orangerie Museum, overlooking the Octagonal Basin, this image depicts a solitary sleeper in the late morning sun on a reclining green garden chair. Ten pigeons, siting in a row along the balustrade just behind him, are also taking in the sun.  This moment is suspended in time, hence the title “Pause”.