It was a true pleasure for me to photograph Niki’s and Massimiliano’s American celebration. They originally met each other in 2006 and every milestone in their journey together was obviously so important that Niki recorded the very date they decided to move to NY as well as even the precise date they signed their joint lease. (I, on the other hand, have trouble remembering how many years I have been married ;) )
Niki and Max were actually married in Italy, and naturally wished to continue their celebration with their friends and loved ones here. Max is originally from Italy and his parents both flew to to attend their celebration.
There is something very special about celebrating in a museum atmosphere. Whether it was the magnificence of the Metropolitan Museum , where we took the couple portraits, or later in the more intimate Neue Galerie, which hosted the celebration, the air is permeated by a sense of timelessness, admiration, and beauty. The art and objects were acquired and displayed with great effort and connoisseurship and their architectural settings are equally captivating. It reminds me that in a relationship we need not put eachother on a pedestal, like an Egyptian limestone or a Viennese bronze, but a strong commitment is something, like a fine piece of art, to be kept and treasured.
We had planned the shoot at the Met beforehand and had all spent some time to tour the various rooms. Niki and Max both have a great love of art history and it was easy to get inspired. Massimiliano is, in fact, a very talented photographer himself, so he has a great deal of artistic sensibility. It was fun to get to know them before the actual day, and we ended up having a lovely coffee together at the Cafe Sabarsky at Neue Gallery.
In photography, and especially in NYC with its myriad restrictions on shooting, nothing seems to go completely according to plan. Despite receiving prior permission to shoot at the Met, on the actual day itself, a guard stopped and told us we were not in fact allowed to shoot.
Luckily, we persisted with the conviction that nothing was going to interfere with our shoot on a splendid and important day, and eventually we overcame his objections. Perseverance and love do go hand in hand.
by admin