Formula One champ Mikka Häkkinen may no longer be racing, and his ex-wife Erja doesn’t present TV any more, but international press are still interested in the pair’s lives in Monaco. Fashion magazine Gloria sent me on assignment to Monte Carlo recently to take day-in-the-life photos of Erja. The article was about the luxury and glamour of the French Riviera and photographer, writer, make-up artist, stylist, assistants & several subjects (inc. a toy dog) made quite a crowd for this portrait and lifestyle photoshoot. Continue reading…
Archives: Monaco
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Shop ’til you drop, Monaco-style
Forget queues, sales and stress: Monaco knows how to shop. Champagne while you browse? The sultry beats of a live, in-store DJ? London’s Monocle magazine recently sent me to shoot a brand new fashion concept store in Monaco. While my original assignment as editorial photographer was complicated by the fact that Monaco Marine’s ‘Merci La Mer’ wasn’t actually finished, I returned later as commercial photographer to shoot the completed interiors, and again, as event photographer, for the launch party of a new collection. The life of the store unfolded before my eyes. Continue reading…
Double Sport Star Portrait
Taking a double portrait is a rather different affair to taking a single portrait for an editorial photographer. This magazine assignment; a double portrait of a famous Formula One driver and ice hockey player in Monaco who didn’t know each other, got off to a shaky start. Blue sky was ordered but not provided, and an incident between photographer and one of the subjects made bystanding PR people and writers hold their breath. However, while unusual South of France summer weather had disrupted the original portrait plan, a red couch and a helmet saved the day. Continue reading…
Rich List Portrait
You’d think that most people would be happy for an internationally-respected newspaper like the Sunday Times Magazine to write a feature about their life’s successes, and for a professional photographer to be assigned to take their portrait to boot. However, many billionaires on the Sunday Times Magazine’s Rich List are somewhat above the need for PR or press coverage. The Monaco portrait that I took of easyJet founder Stelios, 48th on the Rich List, involved persuasion and some hard negotiation, both before and during the photo shoot. Continue reading…
Monaco: ‘world’s biggest bribe scandal’
I regularly carry out editorial portrait assignments, in the South of France and beyond, and have the privilege of photographing all sorts of people. Although, each one has a reason to be of interest to the international press, I tend to think it is important, as photographer, to avoid forming too many preconceptions about portrait subjects before meeting them. A commission for the New York Times newspaper in Monaco challenged my resolve. Press rumours had it that this portrait subject in Monte Carlo was a very bad man indeed. Continue reading…
cover girl power
For its tiny size, Monaco is home to a disproportionate number of professional athletes. As a photographer based nearby in the South of France, I am often commissioned to make portraits of sportspeople for press clients. But I had never, until recently, photographed a female cyclist. Guardian Weekend magazine sent me to Monaco on assignment to make a cover portrait of road racing champion Lizzie Deignan. It was International Women’s Day. Continue reading…
