old woman

New York is one of those places, that even after almost 14 years, you can be constantly reminded of the gifts it throws at you. Today was one of those days when on a whim I strolled over to the BAM in hopes of finding a ticket to a sold out show of Bob Wilson's The Old Woman starring Misha (Baryshnikov) and William Dafoe. And with some patience and luck, for less than $40, I got an orchestra ticket 10 rows from the front.

To watch a Wilson play, one really needs to surrender to his absurd dreamscape. His mastery of light and abstract design, sound and movement is always perfection. It was not until after that I read it was based on a Daniil Kharms book by the same name during the post WW1 Russian surrealism. You can read more about it here. But really the main reason I went to see the piece was to catch a glimpse, in person, of my childhood idol, Baryshnikov. "I'm a performer. I go on stage and make a fool of myself" he once said and tonight was no exception, not only for him, but also Dafoe. They played off each other as a madcap couple, where one was graceful, the other comic, tireless in their mature age. Inspiring to see how two artists carry their art throughout their lives.

beautiful new concert by Yann Tiersen

As I'm going through my work, I realized there are a few stories from my last months at Martha Stewart Weddings that haven't made it yet to my site. This floral story is perhaps one of my favorites which I had the opportunity to collaborate on. Photographed by the international artist Laura Letinsky, styling by Kate Berry and floral arrangements by Livia Cetti, a team of incredible women, on what I remember to be two serenely peaceful days. Laura cloaked under her large format camera, no digital in sight, Katie tenderly cherishing the aroma of fresh concord grapes ("like Ambrosia" she called them) and Livia delightfully unpacking boxes of live air plants shipped from far off exotic places.

The following story was a very moving one for me personally. As our middle class economy struggles into the depth of poverty, more and more families are finding themselves on the edges, to the point of homelessness. The Scales are one of these families and we had the humble privilege of accompanying them, even for just a couple days on their challenging journey. Brooke Lea Foster reported on their story and the very gifted Gail Albert Halaban spent the day photographing this exceptionally kind and warm family. May all my deepest gratitude go to them. With the help of the Northern Virginia Family Services, I'm happy to announce that they have found a secure home for the next year as they rebuild their lives. 

A few of my favorite out-takes which didn't make it into the story:

All photos copyrighted to Gail Albert Halaban and Scholastic, Inc. 

happy easter

FRESH EGGS
photos by Aaron Dyer
crafts & styling Amanda Kingloff

Arnaud Boutin

Wonderfully cool and playful Arnaud Boutin (who works by day for Michel Gondry) created this 4 page story for us. Design by Amanda Kirk.

Fall Fashion 2013

ROCK THEIR STYLE
photos by Terry Doyle
photo editor Lauren Epstein
fashion styling Karen Kozlowski