Do you adore flowers? Have a passion for all things romantic, beautiful, and French? Raise your hand with me if you do.
I am beyond excited today to partner with Georgianna Lane and share her newest book PARIS IN BLOOM with you. I was honored and thrilled to bits to receive an advance copy of PARIS IN BLOOM from Georgianna a few weeks ago.
{I urge you to order it now, my fellow Francophiles, because this book will make your heart happy.}
More about that later...first, I'd love to introduce Georgianna to those of you who may not know her. She is a treasure!
Georgianna was kind enough to answer a few of my questions {I know you all want to KNOW these things, being as nosy interested in getting to know creative entrepreneurial women as I am.}
Her latest book, PARIS IN BLOOM, is romantic, it's floral poetry, a love letter to the French capital. With images so delicious that they make you gasp in delight, PARIS IN BLOOM is a celebration of the romance of flowers, Paris, and life in general. Each page features sumptuous images, capturing the flowers, parks and architecture of Paris in a comprehensive, wildly beautiful guide both magical and practical.
So let's get to know Georgianna!
ABOUT YOU:
1. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I am a photographer and author, fortunate enough to spend a part of each year in Paris. I have adored Paris since my first visit to the city as a teenager. Picnics in flower-filled parks along the Seine, up-close viewings of Impressionist paintings, observation of the Parisian art of presentation and wonder at the magnificence of the architecture, these all had a profound effect on my artistic journey. My husband, and fellow photographer, David C. Phillips and I live on a romantic wooded property north of Seattle, it is a certified wildlife habitat. I love organic gardening, and grow many of the beautiful flowers and plants featured in my photography.
2. How did your passion for photography begin?
My grandmother and parents were all avid photographers so we grew up with cameras around the house and were encouraged to experiment. I began documenting my activities from around age 7 or 8 so it was pretty much always a passion.
3. There are so many great cameras out there these days. What kind of camera and lens do you most often find yourself using?
I have used Nikon equipment throughout my career. Currently I use a Nikon D810 and a variety of lenses, including macro lenses for close ups and specialty lenses for special effects.
4. Your photographs have an ethereal quality that is hard to achieve. I am sure that you have spent a long time honing your photography skills to the amazing level it is now. For the rest of us, or those just beginning to take photos, what is your one best tip for taking beautiful photographs?
I do believe one must become technically proficient in whatever creative field they wish to enter but I also believe that in photography it is vital to understand and explore one's personal connection to the subject. What about it speaks to you, what aspect of it do you want to communicate to others? Perhaps it’s a quality of light, or the curve of a flower petal or the feeling a vast landscape gives you. Really understanding your reaction to a subject and why you care about it is what will set your image apart from someone else’s.
5. When you are not working on your books and prints, as well as other commercial projects, I'm sure you are looking for inspiration everywhere. What Inspires you?
My main inspirations are nature, art and architecture, and craftsmanship of all kinds. I was introduced to the paintings of the Impressionists at a very young age and that made a lasting impact on me. Planting my own garden has also influenced my work. Wherever I travel, I always visit a gallery or museum. I particularly love the decorative arts museums in Paris.
6. If your photographs had a message, what would you like them to say?
Take a deep breath, and experience a few moments of serenity.
7. Your new book Paris in Bloom is filled with the most beautiful flowers. What are your favorite flowers?
Thank you! I’m asked that quite often and my top favorites are roses, narcissus (daffodils) and peonies. These are all highly fragrant flowers and that is a must for me. I also love hellebores, dahlias, ranunculus although they don’t have significant fragrance. Lilacs are another fragrant favorite but they are technically a shrub. When my Lily of the Valley are in bloom in early May, they become my favorite for a few weeks.
8. I think all of us have a few things we think we can't live without. What is the one thing you can't live without?
Well, that would have to be my equipment so that I can work but on a less practical note, I would say travel. I’ve traveled worldwide since I was very young and it’s in my blood. And of course, fresh flowers.
As an antiques enthusiast, I have to ask this question, what is your favorite FrenchGardenHouse antique? And what is it that you love about it?
Oh, that’s pretty tough! But I’m very fond of the antique linens. I love the weight and luxurious feeling of old linen and the monograms hint at untold stories and memories.
ABOUT PARIS
1. All of Paris is like a bejeweled candy box, her wonders are legendary. What is your favorite place in Paris?
Paris is definitely a treasure chest of endless delights. My very favorite location is the Palais Royal. The peacefulness, beautiful flower beds and soothing symmetry make it the first place I go to as soon as I arrive in the city.
2. What season do you think is the most beautiful in Paris?
Spring is always marvelous and I’m very familiar with the charms of Paris during this season. But autumn is exceptionally photogenic and the weather is usually lovely. Winter has its own stark but peaceful beauty. Summer, although crowded and often too warm, is very photogenic.
3. What should we be sure not to miss when visiting Paris and it's neighboring cities?
The parks and gardens! The French are master gardeners and there is nothing more enchanting than to stroll through a centuries-old garden filled with sculpture and orderly plantings where everything is just so. The outlying towns, such as Versailles and Sceaux, provide fabulous open spaces for the public to enjoy throughout the year.
4. What is one thing you always look forward to when you visit Paris?
Walking! I love that I don’t have to drive and that every day I can explore a new area. Paris isn’t huge so it’s never daunting to just set off in a direction and see what you can find. Even on well-trod routes, I always find something different – a new cafe, a door that’s been painted an eye-catching color or a charming shop that I hadn’t noticed before. Years and years of walking 5 or 10 miles a day and it’s always a thrill.
5. Paris has exquisite public parks and gardens, filled with floral delights. What is the best park or garden to visit in Paris?
My favorites are Palais Royal, Jardin du Luxembourg and The Tuileries, as well as a number of smaller gardens that I refer to in my book, Paris in Bloom.
6. Where should we all stay when visiting Paris to experience real French city life?
Since I was a teenager, I’ve stayed in just about every arrondissement from 1 through 8 and I have to say that I’ve fallen in love with the 7th. So many things make this a special area, including the opportunity to see the Eiffel Tower around every corner. But in addition, this neighborhood is primarily residential. It is quiet and elegant and I love watching the residents go about their daily routines and being part of the community myself.
ABOUT PARIS IN BLOOM:
1. Paris is filled with elegant floral shops, local flower markets and even the super markets sell lovely bouquets. Of all the places in the City of Light that have exceptional flowers, do you have a favorite place to buy flowers where you can always count on getting something unusual?
I have a list in my book of my favorite florists and flower markets but for certain, I can always find unusual flowers at Rungis, the wholesale market outside Paris. I go with a friend who is a professional florist and knows all the vendors. But anyone can visit with a special pass and advance booking.
2. Do you remember that "aha" moment when you thought of creating Paris in Bloom from your love of flowers and desire to share that beauty with the world?
A great question! I would say it was more a gradually developed concept that I’d been working on for about 5 or 6 years. I had outlined the book and had a number of the images chosen as well as potential titles. Paris in Bloom was one of them and when I was speaking to my agent one day, we both said "how about Paris in Bloom" at about the same time and that was it! It progressed straight ahead from there.
3. Paris in Bloom is such a beautiful book, filled with the beauty of flowers, but it is also a love story for the city of Paris. What is it about Paris, City of Love, that inspires in you such enthusiasm and the desire to introduce the rest of us to her breathtaking splendors?
Thank you so much, Lidy! Paris has a quality that many artists and creative people well before me have been inspired by – it’s a catalyst that can help one discover their best artistic and creative self. Besides being breathtakingly beautiful, it seems that centuries of thinking men, writers, artists and craftsman have left their collective spirits behind to continually nurture and inspire successive generations. I love many cities around the world but none make me feel like I do when I’m in Paris.
PARIS IN BLOOM is a book to keep on your nightstand, to dream of your next {or first ever!} trip to this glorious city. Georgianna's book is one to cherish, it is filled with beauty, and grace, and hope, and dreams. It is filled with hundreds of photographs taken over the last several years. But best of all? {okay, equally as great!} Georgianna shares her personal recommendations for the best flower markets and floral boutiques, parks and gardens in Paris.
Along with a guide to locating the prettiest spring blossoms in the city, a field guide for identifying the most common flowers and blooming trees, you’ll find a step-by-step lesson to create your own Parisian-style floral arrangement for your home!
Visit Georgianna's Website HERE...she has a gorgeous shop filled with prints of her exceptional photographs.
PARIS IN BLOOM is a fantastic book to order for yourself, but also for gifts! Where else can you gift a friend-of-the-heart something so timeless, so beautiful, and so amazing?
The Give Away is Closed. WE HAVE A WINNER!! Judy, you were selected by random generator to receive Georgianna's book.
WHAT DO YOU {OR THINK YOU WOULD} LOVE MOST ABOUT PARIS?
32 comments
What a wonderful interview. If you cannot travel, this book sounds like it is the perfect trip to Paris!
This looks incredibly beautiful! The colors and quality of the images is definitely ethereal. I love that look.