An (almost) American in Paris
Today is an exciting day in our house, as My European beau will officially become American!!
My handsome assistant/leprechaun
The last time I attended a naturalization ceremony it was my own in the early 1980’s! I came here from Brasil as a baby and obviously have no recollection of being anything but American. So it’s been exciting watching the process from another perspective…and I can barely wait for the ceremony!!! Make sure to wish Martin good luck in the comment section on Facebook!
Of course, it’s so ironic that Martin has worked so hard to become American when I basically feel I should have been European!!! And speaking of Europe…
A dream dress
Months ago I was certain I had all the wardrobe needed for Paris. To be honest, I felt I had too much. But one night I couldn’t sleep and started browsing the internet, when I stumbled upon a gorgeous ball gown. I felt a bit conflicted about it…I wasn’t sure how Maggie would feel about the floral design…but I decided to take a chance and go with my intuition.
Before
I’m gay
I’m so glad that I did because when I pulled it out of the package, I full on gay gasped. And before MAggie came to my office to see it, I took some time…well, a lot of time…and applied Swarovski crystals all over the bodice.
Maggie is a very quiet and reserved person. But I think her voice sped up and raised an octave when she saw this dress.
“ooh, yes…I…I really like this one.”
IT made my heart smile to see MAggie so excited…and the moment I had the thought, “maybe this should be the Eiffel Tower dress”, I felt a chill rush up my spine.
Magic at sunrise
Although I loved the way Maggie’s natural hair looked with the ball gown, I wanted to do something a bit more vintage-inspired and dramatic. I commissioned Carl Brown to make a blonde wig that would add some magic to our first portrait session in Paris. And oh my bread…did he create some magic!!!
Carl said that when people come to him for styled wigs, they often want to look just like Dita Von Teese and that while he loves that look (and creates it very beautifully), his bigger passion was actually in creating something even more artistic and unique. And it’s true…upon seeing the finished product I said that I’d never seen such an intricate style on a wig before!! It also felt amazing to let another artist have the freedom to create from their heart. I’ve quickly learned in business to only photograph what I want to photograph, in the style that makes me happy. I’m no use to the world, otherwise. Too many photographers try to photograph every genre and be everything for everyone, when at the end of the day they feel empty inside.
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
I will never forget how exhilarating it was to be at the Trocadero at sunrise, when I had dreamed of being there for so long. It’s a very popular spot for photography at any hour, even first thing in the morning. I had so much anxiety about getting my dream shot for Maggie, wondering if we would be fighting off a herd of photogs who had the same idea. But somehow, we did it!
Getting that perfect shot!
I worked a long time to get these images done, as there was a lot more post-processing required in comparison to many of the other portrait sessions. And while I know that these have been some of the most anticipated portraits from our time in Paris, I have saved my absolute favorites for last. Please stay tuned…the Jardin du Luxembourg is next.
