They can take me out of Paris, but they can’t take Paris out of me is all I have to say about a late trend in my color shifts. It’s a delicate pink’o yellow that feels hushed and elegant. Yes, I’ve been shooting.
I’ve been shooting ad hoc, from the hip as some have called it, and keep postponing every concept shoot since December. I TRUST that this is precisely the way things are supposed to be, and that’s that. There are people wiser than me who would agree. I don’t like myself in transitions.
What I have shot are a number of events for Unite Eurotherapy. March will mark a calendar year since our relationship began as a consequence of my love affair and fascination with the work of Michael Haase. I’ve enjoyed every minute of behind the scene candids of this brilliant man at work during fashion shows. Recently, Unite has invited me to cover their creative simulations for stylists from around the country and I continue to be inspired by the talent behind this team. The best part in all of this is that Unite lets me have all the fun in the world in terms of retouching and I spend hours creating an atmosphere around the narratives. It’s the digital age equivalent of sitting in the darkroom for hours. Of course it comes short of the real thing, but for now perfectly fills that little irrational need for muddling developers, fixers, and chemical agents without toxic side-effects.
When working on the latest set from Sunday I googl’ed “60s color theme” and my heart stopped. I ran across a set of photos on flickr from Tom Palumbo, a New York based photographer and director who shot for Vogue and Harper’s back in the 60s. He passed away in 2008, but it seems that someone is making an effort to bring an archive collection of some of his unpublished or lesser known images to the public. I am ever so thankful.
The set that has me absolutely captivated is from a week he spent in Paris about the time that Yves St. Laurent’s runway show vaulted Dior to new heights in 1962. His take on Les Halles, the street life as it no longer exists, the nightlife, the coffee shops is absolutely exquisite. They capture the era so perfectly that you can almost taste the wine and Camembert. I am especially fond of candid photography and spend a lot of time doing the same thing in the streets of downtown LA and our bohemian neighborhoods. Palumbo is a man of my own heart and seeing these images reinforced my quiet suspicion that there is a good reason for capturing an imprint of my era. What if in 50 years it gives someone else the same quiet moment with timeless gestures of love, friendship, and passion for life? (the entire album is worth your click)
Another reason the set feels so familiar is the similarity in hues and tone to my own retouching cocktails. Oh, if I could have more time for real film….alas…the time will come soon enough..
