achille castiglione/sneak peek

I just arrived in Milan late last night (really late...) and of course could not fall asleep. I was completely gripped by the idea that I don't have a good exterior shot of Achille Castiglione's Studio for his chapter. So after four hours of sleep I had to check. So that means you get a Castiglione sneak peek today!
Who knows if it is fatigue or what...I ended up feeling pretty good about what the chapter will be, but I am going to go and shoot some more exteriors if I can figure out a time to squish it in. My time in Milan is shooting everyday all day until I fly away on Monday. I'm sure I can find an extra hour, though...
Anyhow, I really love Castiglione's studio. It is jam packed to the ceiling with archives and collections. You can tell the people that worked here loved what they did. In the second image all those brown folders on the shelf actually hold glass negatives! Wish I could have looked through every single one!

alvar aalto studio/helsinki

Two more from Alvar Aalto's studio today. I held them back because I started seeing a theme - ebony and ivory. And yes, I started humming the song Ebony and Ivory too. Ha! ; )
Tomorrow is a travel day. Heading to Copenhagen! Thursday and Friday I will be shooting Finn Juhl's home. I'll be tweeting again as I shoot (internet connection willing). @lwillphoto is my twitter handle. Isn't this fun!?!?!

alvar aalto studio/helsinki

Believe it or not this was my lunch break yesterday. I am in Helsinki shooting the Alvar Aalto house for my book and at lunch I ran over to check out Aalto's studio a couple blocks away. Needless to say an amazing space. The house is equally so. I tweeted as I shot yesterday and plan to do the same today if you want to follow along you can follow me @lwillphoto.

roman and williams/

One last image from the offices of Roman and Williams. I love me a good bookshelf...this one in Stephen Alesch's office.

roman and williams/

The first time I visited the Roman and Williams offices, this is what I remembered most (and obsessed over...even had a dream about them once). These little blocks of the different kinds of woods in Robin's office, each labeled with it's type. Sometimes I have to laugh at myself for the things I fixate on, but I like to think that Robin gets it. It is obvious to me that she has a bit of a crush on these wood blocks too.

roman and williams/

I guess most people would be posting some Halloween type image, but of course I have none. I did see a funny dog yesterday dressed up like a chicken taco (no I am not kidding...it was specified...a chicken taco), but of course, in my mind that does not warrant a photograph. Roman and Williams conference room, however...that is a different story. Happy Halloween everyone!

roman and williams/

OK...I know...so many images from Roman and Williams!

But this is my tight edit. There are just so many good ones...so more today!

The second shot of Stephen's books is close to my heart. It is a simple shot, but my curiosity about what is in those books is kind of killing me...what do you think?

roman and williams/

These are my two favorite shots from Stephen's office at Roman and Williams and I have actually labored over the idea of posting them together. You know why? Because they are both kind of odd in a way. I have been sitting here analyzing why I like them so much and I think it comes down to the negative space in them. Beyond that, I have no idea...I just really like 'em!

roman and williams/

A couple of images from Stephen's office at Roman and Williams. Love the crows...

roman and williams/

A few more details of the Roman and Williams offices. I just kind of marvel at the fantastic mix of objects that so harmoniously sit together.

Thanks to Zan for the wonderful comments on yesterday's post. I agree with Dorthea Lange that every image a photographer takes is a self portrait and even every subject choice expresses something of the photographer. It is all a beautiful web isn't it?

roman and williams/

Let's face it everyone...this is the money shot at the offices of Roman and Williams. This is Robin Standefer's office and it is such a beautiful and well photographed space. So much so that I knew I would be taking this very shot before I walked in. But I have to admit, that made me feel strange...it has been done, I thought. I tend to want to make things somehow my own...if it has been shot I want to make sure I do something (anything!) differently. But my god...it is just sitting here like this, who am I to ignore this?!? It is a bit like walking into Wharton Esherick's house...it is just perfect! Don't touch anything...just shoot it and be glad it exists. So here is my version of this well documented shot...I didn't move anything except one piece of pottery (from the table on the lower right so I could see the coral).

More Roman and Williams this week. Stay tuned!

roman and williams/

More prettiness from the offices of Roman and Williams - a couple from Robin's office today. I do love the painting of the mama bear and cub in the upper right. There is joy in that image! And I marvel at this hand. It must be from a mannequin but it is the most graceful hand I have ever seen! I wonder what era it is from... The beauty in the arrangement and choice in her objects goes without saying...

Have a great weekend everyone, I'll be back on Tuesday. I'm gonna try and run away this weekend!

; )

roman and williams/

During my recent trip to NY, I had the pleasure of shooting the offices of Roman & Williams for a new project. I was there on a Saturday and the offices were empty except for a few associates working in the back. I have to say, sometimes I just love shooting places when they are empty. It is almost like being in a church.

As you can see, their offices are just so beautiful and filled with the most beautiful objects and furniture. I  continually found myself wondering, though, where the heck do they find all these beautiful things?!?! I want to go to a flea market with Robin and Stephen some time, that's all I have to say...

These are two of my favorites images so far, but then I have just started editing. More tomorrow.

paul loebach/west elm

Another of my images from Paul Loebach's studio in Brooklyn today because his collaboration with West Elm is now available and it looks so great!  I noticed this grey chair in his studio, but wasn't sure what the story was behind it...a prototype maybe? I tend to be an intense observer when I am shooting, really involved in the seeing, but not always wanting to ask about things. And sometimes the answers just reveal themselves to me - like this chair - which is from the WE collection.

I love it when things just appear to you unexpectedly. It is life telling me I am doing the right thing, shooting the right places, following the right path. Everything in my life is like this more and more...I really love it! It tells me to keep going!

ps - I just noticed Paul's new website is up! Check it out and begin to covet his work as I do. http://paulloebach.com/

lindsey adelman/studio visit

Imagine walking into a studio and seeing this...an elaborate satellite of lights being built in front of you. This is what I saw when I walked into Lindsey Adelman's studio in NY a couple of weeks ago. It is funny, but until then, I just never really thought about how they figured out the configurations. I just loved her work. But this is like a huge intricate puzzle. Just fascinating to see!

Her studio is a bit like a mad scientists laboratoire (in the best way) and the mood she has created there feels wonderfully collaborative and open. I like her work more because of it (if that is possible). And that huge new piece they are working on? Well, hell...it is just so damn gorgeous. I would love to see it installed and just lie on the floor underneath it for a long time. Maybe doze off and then wake up and see it with sleepy eyes, a little blurry... More images from her studio follow and one from the Sight Unseen Pop Up from last may.

See more of her work on her website and at Roll & Hill. Pretty, pretty stuff...

lindsey adelman/studio visit

During my trip to NY a couple of weeks ago, I finally made it by Lindsey Adelman's studio. Lindsey designs some of the most delicious lighting. I'll show you more of the studio tomorrow, so you'll see her gorgeous lights then (or if you are impatient like me, click on her name and go to her website). Today, I just chose my three favorite shots from my visit. I love seeing people working and then looking at what they were working on. And it feels like a gift from the color gods when the colors are working like this...her chair color completely working with the colors in the design she was working on? You can't plan that, but I do love when it happens!