The Iconic Nicaise

“First there was the dream, now there is reality.
Here, in the untainted cradle of the heavens, will be created a new super race, a race of perfect physical specimens.
You have been selected as its progenitors; like Gods, your offspring will return to Earth and shape it in their image.
You have all served in public capacities in my terrestrial empire.
Your seed, like yourselves, will pay deference to the ultimate dynasty which I alone have created.
From their first day on Earth they will be able to look up and know that there is law and order in the heavens.”
(Hugo Drax / Michael Lonsdale in Moonraker ,1979)

This is a portrait of my friend Nicaise.
Nicaise Jean-Louis is a French actress and model, known for being a Bond girl in the movie “Moonraker” and for being Yo Macumba in the iconic French movie “Le gendarme et les gendarmettes”.
During the 70’s she became one of the first top models with dark skin complexion to work for High Fashion companies.
It was after Madame Carven met her in Guadeloupe, the French Caribbean island, and gave her a chance to come to Paris.
Since that time Nicaise never stopped working for the most prestigious fashion companies, she also played is several iconic movies and performed on stage.
Nicaise was the first model I worked with, it was at Carven during the 80’s, I was a young designer and beginner then.
Ever since I asked her to model for all collections I did in each companies I was, I even made her strut down the catwalk with her daughter for Burberry’s…
For the anecdote my Indian friends will be happy to know that Nicaise has Indian ancestors as her grandmother was from Pondicherry.

Last week-end the industry celebrated the 35th anniversary of “Moonraker” and Nicaise is going on a long world tour to meet her fans.
It was an opportunity to make this portrait and to ask her to pose for Red Halo.

You may join Nicaise’s page at www.facebook.com/nicaise.lemoine

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The Ultimate Hustle

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“If you want something from an audience, you give blood to their fantasies.
It’s the ultimate hustle.”
(Marlon Brando – American actor, 1924-2004)

This is a portrait of Bollywood actor, anchor and dancer, Hussain Kuwajerwala shot in his green room after a performance on stage.

Hussain is a popular TV star who is acting the leading role of the first-ever Bollywood musical, “Zangoora, The Gypsy Prince” at Kingdom of Dreams since 2010.

Recently we have been working together and it was amazing to see how much Hussain is giving to the audience.
His performance requires an incredible physical effort and concentration which he carries with a high professionalism.
In many ways his work reminds of Marlon Brando’s early movies.

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The Dream Girl

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“To be a star is to own the world and all the people in it.
After a taste of stardom, everything else is poverty.”
(Hedy Lamarr – Hollywood actress, 1913-2000)

This is a portrait of Bollywood actress Gauhar Khan shot in her green room after a performance on stage.

Gauhar is known for her prominent role in “Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year” (2009) and for the item song “Parda Parda” in “Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai” (2010).
In 2009 she participated in a popular celebrity dance show, ” Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” where she ended up as the runner up.
Since 2010, she joined the cast of the Bollywood musical, “Zangoora, The Gypsy Prince” at Kingdom of Dreams.
She is also featuring with her sister Nigaar in the popular TV show “The Khan Sisters” which started in 2011.
Recently we have been working together and I was surprised by the absolute professionalism and the positive attitude and energy she carries with herself.

Gauahar in “Parda Parda” from “Once Upon a time in Mumbai”, 

Gauahar in “Jhalla Wallah” from the new movie “Ishaqzaade”, 

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The King Bows Out

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This picture belongs to a series of portraits of Jagjit Singh, the Ghazal King, shot four months ago.
That evening the legendary star gave an amazing performance as usual and I couldn’t think that he would leave so fast…
The singer with a soul-stirring and velevet voice died this morning over a fortnight from a brain haemorrhage, he was 70 year old.

The words below come from BBC News.
“Renowned Indian singer Jagjit Singh has died in Mumbai (Bombay), aged 70.
Mr Singh, who was famed for his semi-classical ghazal songs, suffered from a stroke last month and had been in a coma in hospital ever since.
Popularly known as the “Ghazal King”, Singh sang in a number of languages.
He is survived by his wife, Chitra Singh, who is also a leading ghazal singer.
They had commercial success with songs recorded together in the 1970s and 1980s.
Singh’s admirers say he revolutionised ghazal music and made it accessible to the wider public.
He also sang tracks for a number of popular movies, including Sarfarosh.
He was the first prominent ghazal singer from India in a genre dominated by Pakistani singers.
“He was the first real ghazal singer from India. Before him there were clones. The poetry in his music was beautiful,” actor Anupam Kher said in a tribute.
“His music was gentle, soothing and went to your heart.”
Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas said that Singh had made ghazal so accessible that his audiences “could sing along with him”.
Jagjit Singh recorded more than 50 albums, many of them major commercial successes.”

This is a link to another shot, https://designldg.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/the-ghazal-king/

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Smelling as Sweet as a Rose

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“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”.
(William Shakespeare – Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II)

This portrait was shot at the flower market in the chawk which is in Varanasi (Benaras).
The sweet smell of roses that this young woman was selling was sweet, deep and heavy.
I always enjoy to spend some time there during summers and feel the freshness coming from the moisture from the fragrance gathering all kind of flowers.
In this courtyard the light is amazing and provides a backlighting which reminds the Italian renaissance chiaroscuro providing a combination of brightness and “ping” (brilliance and resonance) with warmth and depth.

The Celestial Dancer

 

“I’m not interested in how people move; I’m interested in what makes them move.”   

(Pina Bausch – German deancer and choregrapher, 1940-2009)

 

Maria Kiran is a young dancer who was born in Allahabad before  coming to France at the age of three.

She started studying Bharata-Natyam which is one of the oldest dance forms of India when she was six years old and later she also practiced Western classical Ballet for a few years.

Ever since she had an amazing career performing in many festivals and on some of the most important stages of Europe and India.

 

Last night it was Diwali, as Maria was dancing in front of me I took a few pictures trying to capture that glimpse of the manifestation of the soul that she was carrying out throught her choregraphy of codified gestures.

 

 

 

 

Shubh Deepavali

 

Shubh Deepavali, happy Dewali to everyone.
I wish all of you that the lights of Diwali illuminate the year ahead.
Thank you for being there and for your kind comments which are always an amazing support to my work.

Instead of the traditional picture with deepa or deeya (earthen lamp) I selected this unsual and simple image which was shot last year at night during the Dewali festivities on a boat along the Ganges in Varanasi (Benaras).
We were lighting many candles that we were dropping on the holy waters while making wishes.
I like this blur picture which stands for the symbol of the begining of love between two of my closest friends…a deep moment of happiness.

Radiance

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All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.

This is a portrait of Karma Topchen, a Tibetan monk staying at the Tibetan temple which is located in Sarnath where I like to come often.
It is nearby Varanasi (Benaras) next to a deer park (Sarnath in Sanskrit) and it is where the Buddha set in motion the Wheel of Dharma by delivering his first sermon to the group of five companions with whom he had previously sought enlightenment.
I was leaving the temple when he came on a bicycle, it was before sunset and the light was perfect enhancing the colour saffron of his garment.
His smile was a peaceful demonstration of happiness and serinity, I took several pictures which I have been mailing him.
He answered me that he liked them.
I believe that it is a blessing to be able to meet people carrying such a radiant energy as it is capable of being transmitted to those who accept to receive it…

“Om Mani Padme Hum”.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG_lNuNUVd4

Serving in The Armada

 

This is Officer Almaguer who is serving in the Mexican Navy (Armada de México).
We met with two of his fellows in the courtyard of Le Louvre museum where they were happy to enjoy Paris.
It was last year when I came back from India for a few days and I was training my new camera.
Their boat was staying in the french arbor of Rouen and they came to visit the city on their spare time.
Their sailboat was the Cuauhtemoc (“the falling eagle” in Nahuatl) and was named after the last Aztec emperor (1497 – Izancarnac, 1525).
Their were coming from Acapulco.

The Mexican Navy consists of about 56,000 men and women, over 189 ships, and about 130 aircraft. 
Given Mexico’s large mass of water (49,510 km2) and extensive coastline (9,330 km), the navy’s duties are of great importance. 
Perhaps its most important current on-going missions are the war on drugs and protecting PEMEX’s oil wells in Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico. 
Another important task of the Mexican Navy is to help people in hurricane relief operations and other natural disasters.

In the Navy

 

This gentleman is in the Mexican Navy.
I met him as he was with two of his fellows in the courtyard of Le Louvre museum.
They were happy to be there and to enjoy Paris.
It was last year a few hours after I got my new camera and this portrait was one of my first pictures done with it.
We spoke in Spanish for a while, he told me that his boat had a problem and needed to be fixed and this is how they had some free time to come and visit the city.
Apparently everyone knew about it but I was coming back from India for a few days and I didn’t know this.