I photographed Kate a couple of time in the past. She wanted some new photos for her modeling book! How could I resist, it is hard to say no really. The next day we were improvising a photo shoot with my favorite hair and make up artist, some clothes from friends and Voila! Thanks to everyone.
Elisa and Morgan married in Megève a couple of weeks back! The region was under red alert due to the first fall of heavy snow. By the time we arrived in Megève the landscape had changed to the winter season finally. We had a great time over a couple of days. Megève rocks and their wedding was a real blast. “HOURA” to the newly weds and a lot of happiness in their new life together.
Robert and Sasha eloped to Paris a few weeks back. They married at the American church overlooking the river seine. WeddingLight Events planned their day in Paris and I had the great pleasure to be their photographer for the day. I met up with them at the Georges V for the getting ready. Rob saw his beautiful wife for the first time in their suite wearing a magnificent custom made dress made in Russia. I love the Georges V hotel in Paris. We did not make it to the roof top this time; clear sky and a freezing cold! It was a wonderful moment I spent with this couple. Great memories as always and a lot of fun being a wedding photographer in Paris!
Dominique and Maria married in Singapore and flew to Paris for their honeymoon. They had contacted me a little while back to organize their wedding photo shoot with beautiful Paris in the background. We had a wonderful time walking around town regardless of the cold!
I wish them both lots of love and happiness in their life together and a great time in Switzerland where they went skying for a week.
What best to celebrate the passage of a New Year with a few photographs that commemorate love, life and quintessential Paris. Robert Doisneau has been a great source of inspiration over the years. I had the great pleasure to meet him in 2000. I won a street photography award curated by Ilford and he was a member of the jury. Years later I got into the habit of photographing couples in love in Paris over a private portrait session for their pre-wedding or engagement, even during their honeymoon while they are enjoying the city of light. I have always looked at Doisneau for inspiration. He is best known for his street photography, his most famous example being ‘Kiss of the hotel de ville’ (1950). But he took thousands of romantic photographs of couple in Paris, striving to capture the romance of Parisian life. Like his contemporary Brassaï, Doisneau liked nothing better than to walk the streets in search of the perfect fleeting moment.
Doisneau’s work has been enormously influential on many photographers and film directors.His talent lay in his ability to capture a moment of poignancy, absurdity or just plain strangeness. Whether it was a sailor staring up at his pinups, ‘Pinups’ (1952), a dog with wheels replacing his hind legs, ‘Dog on Wheels’ (1977) or a portrait of Pablo Picasso with loaves of bread for hands, ‘Picasso and the loaves’ (1952), Doisneau’s work shine with a distinctive sense of humour and a strong empathy for his subjects.
I hope to capture many private portraits of couples in Paris this year again keeping in mind Doisneau exemple of tender, romantic and happy moment that two lovers may share under the Eiffel tower or sitting down at the terrace of a cafe in Paris.
Happy New Year to friends, family, past and hopefully many future clients, in love in Paris!
Olivier
