all the best: photography

Thursday, May 22

Luss Photo Tour

One of my favorite stops on the way to the Highlands is the picturesque village of Luss on the west bank of Loch Lomond. It is one of the obligatory stops when we play tour guide to our out of town guests.

Through the heart of the village runs a narrow street flanked by lovely cottages. The village was once known as Clachan Dubh (the dark village) because of its mountain setting which steals two hours of sunlight in the evenings, particularly in the winter time.

Many of the cottages that distinguish Luss were originally erected to house workers in the cotton mill and slate quarries of the 18th and 19th centuries. The homes have been fully restored and Luss has been designated a "Conservation Village". Oh, how I would love to own one some day. A perfect little holiday cottage!

The streets of the village are laid out in a linear pattern with the main street running down to the shore of Loch Lomond and Luss Pier. The views from the pier and shore are stunning.

A visit to Luss is not complete with out stopping by the Coach House Coffee Shop for tea and scones. Normally when we visit it is either cold or rainy (imagine!) so we crowd around the fire and sit at one of the tables made from salvage packing crates. This time however it was warm and sunny, so we sat on the patio.

Just last week we had the pleasure of meeting the lovely owner Rowena Ferguson and her adorable Schnauzer named Parsley. Parsley and our wee Schnauzer Izzie got on fabulously.

I know our son has been fully immersed in the Scottish culture when he proudly breaks into song and serenades everyone in the car as we drive into the village…
By yon bonnie banks and by yon bonnie braes,
Where the sun shines bright on Loch Lomond…

Wednesday, March 19

Mark Shaw

Original Limited Edition Mark Shaw fashion photograph. This is from a never published series taken by Shaw for LIFE magazine. Pictured here is a model in the 17th century house where Manon Lescaut once lived, then owned by Suzanne Luling, directrice of Dior in Paris, 1960.

Mark Shaw is best known for his photographs of Jacqueline and John F. Kennedy, which he shot originally for LIFE magazine and later as the Kennedys' "unofficial" family photographer. He developed a strong friendship with JFK and Jackie and regularly visited the White House during their time there. After JFK's death, a selection of Mark Shaw’s photographs was published as a best selling book, The John F. Kennedy's: A Family Album. The book was re-published in 2000 by Rizzoli with new additions, including never before seen color images.

Mark Shaw began working for LIFE in 1952. In his 16 years with the magazine, he shot 27 covers, more than 100 stories which included the magazine's European fashion collections. As a leading fashion photographer, he also worked for Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle and a host of other publications. He was one of the first photographers to use color when shooting the runways and "backstage" at the couture shows. Mark Shaw worked as a top print advertising photographer until his untimely death in 1969 at the age of 47. After his death, most of his work was hastily put into storage. All but a small number of photographs remained unseen for almost 30 years. In 1999, his only child, David Shaw, and David's wife, Juliet Cuming, moved the collection to Vermont, where they now maintain the archive of Mark's extensive body of work.

In 2004, some of these photographs were featured in an exhibit at the Andrew Wilder Gallery at Svenska Mobler in Chicago. The show sold out in less than two weeks. Andrew Wilder, an old friend of David Shaw and Juliet Cuming’s, was the first gallery owner to recognize the enormous potential of Mark Shaw’s fashion images. The Andrew Wilder Gallery at Svenska Mobler is now exclusively offering a growing selection of Mark Shaw's unique giclee fashion prints.