Röstis with Salmon & Crème Fraîche
Here is another food post from my last session with AnneSO from Fashion Cooking. She had prepared those amazing röstis in individual platters and covered them with a layer of crème fraîche and a slice of salmon. A true delight, both for the palate and the eyes!
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Clifton Nurseries
Hidden in the heart of Maida Vale, down a small cobblestone alley, the Clifton Nurseries are a true gem for flower and garden lovers. Boasting a very wide panel of plants and flowers, as well as garden furniture and landscape design services, this place offers a haven of peace for weekend strollers. One of its glass verandas hosts a lovely little café – complete with lemon trees and many gorgeous plants – making it the perfect brunch spot, if you manage to get a table! Personally, each time I happen to be in the neighbourhood, I never miss the chance to visit the Nurseries. They are so full of charm, it’s a pleasure to stop by, even if only for five minutes.
Canalway Cavalcade – Maida Vale
Last week, Little Venice hosted its annual Canalway Cavalcade, England’s largest gathering of canal boats, which lasted over three days. Held at the junction of the Regent’s and Grand Union Canals in Maida Vale, the event was attended by hundreds of boats, some of which had travelled from all over the UK. They were all beautifully dressed by their proud owners with flowers, flags, ribbons and all sorts of lucky charms. Fortunately the sun was there too which made for a really great day out.
Brother & Sister
Recently I decided to concentrate on portrait and try to capture different kinds of special relationships. Family obviously is the most important one, and immediately my friend Anne-Laure and her brother Antoine sprung to my mind. They’re both very attractive – and what’s more – they look so much alike it was almost too easy. But the best thing of all was definitely their deep knowing of each other and the amazing complicity they have been building since childhood. To me, this was the greatest evidence of their bond, even more so than shared family features. And according to them, being photographed together was a lovely experience; they chatted, laughed, and simply enjoyed themselves, which took out any self-conscious feeling of facing the camera. This was a really wonderful photo session, and I look forward to doing more of these!
Meringue & Raspberries Sky-High Cake
This amazing sky-high cake was one of the highlights of my last photo session with the lovely AnneSO from Fashion Cooking. Made of three meringue discs layered one on top of each other and separated by a delicious cream, it is topped by plenty of raspberries and a raspberry coulis. This culinary marvel is probably one of the most beautiful cakes I’ve ever seen! Now, cake anyone…?
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Nut & basil chicken with rice
Here is a second dish from last week’s photo session with AnneSO: a very tasty version of a diced chicken with rice. For the recipe you will need to check out Fashion Cooking’s website, but I can say that it was very quick and easy to prepare! In two words, a perfect meal option if you’re running out of ideas to prepare chicken. 
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Blueberry Muffins
Here’s a new food photo session I did last week with my friend AnneSO from Fashion Cooking. This time we started with some traditional oat blueberry muffins – which I tried after the shooting with a cup of tea, a real treat! The other shots included an amazing meringue-layered and berries cake, a shortbread crumble, a dish of chicken and rice, and finally some röstis with salmon and creme fraiche – all to be posted very soon. Quite a full-on afternoon in the end, but it’s great to see that we work at a pretty fast pace now.
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking www.fashioncooking.fr
Photographer: Astrid Templier – www.astridtemplierphotography.com
Antonio Berardi – Autumn/Winter 2013
Antonio Berardi’s show for A/W 2013 was probably my favourite out of all London Fashion Week shows. This actually makes sense as Berardi is one of my favourite designers, but I particularly enjoyed his collection this season. The clean-cut garments, the rich fabrics and the beautiful colour palette of dark greens and blues were truly amazing. There was a high sense of sophistication combined with edginess and cool. The beauty fitted this spirit perfectly: long sleek manes pulled to the back, pristine complexions and deep red glossy lips completed wardrobe, giving the show a very polished look.
New Photography Website
Dear All,
I am delighted to introduce my brand-new professional photography website: Astrid Templier Photography. You may also find it in the menu of this blog.
After several years of being passionate – if not obsessed – about photography, I have finally decided to silence any doubts and branch out on this new adventure to become a full time professional photographer.
Creating beautiful photographs, capturing the great moments, the people and all the wonderful things that make life worth living is what drives me. And this is what I am striving to achieve in every single photograph I take: trying to encapsulate the beauty of each instant and make it last forever.
The highlight of my new website is wedding photography. I have always loved to photograph weddings, as this special day really is always so unique for every couple. They are so happy and in love, they quite literally glow. I always feel very fortunate to witness and capture those one-of-a-kind moments. Another great way to get amazing couples pictures in a more relaxed environment is the “engagement” sessions. Before or after the wedding, they are usually set in a location that is meaningful to the couple and allow them to really enjoy the moment. Photographing people is one of my favourite things, so I guess it comes as no surprise that I also shoot all kinds of portraits: friends, family and maternity pictures, as well as corporate.
Despite being French, I am based in London and am always happy to travel in the UK and abroad for photography commissions. If you require more information, please don’t hesitate to give me a call on +44 7500 598 213 or email me on astridtemplier@hotmail.com. I hope to hear from you soon!
Peter Pilotto – Autumn/Winter 2013
Peter Pilotto’s A/W 2013 show was held at the Tanks at Tate Modern – a truly great venue, with the appropriate edge and a certain roughness that suited well the collection in my sense. With a strong and almost fierce sense of style, the Pilotto woman was unapologetically beautiful this season. The wardrobe featured plenty of the designers’ signature geometrical prints, as well as bold shapes and laser-precise cuts. On the beauty side, the highlight were glossy eyelids matched by a gleaming face, while hair was pulled back in a wet-look ponytail.
PPQ – Autumn/Winter 2013
The PPQ collection for Autumn-Winter 2013 was very pretty and feminine with a playful twist. On the beauty side, hair was put up in beehive-like buns adorned by big black satin bows. Make-up involved natural mat skin and defined black eye-liner, keeping the tone simple yet sophisticated. The wardrobe featured many bright ‘vitamined’ pieces ranging from yellow, orange, green and pink to colourful prints.
Felder Felder – Autumn/Winter 2013
In February I had the amazing opportunity to assist fashion photographer James Cochrane backstage at London Fashion Week, for a few Autumn-Winter 2013 shows. The first one we went to on Friday was Felder Felder. Hair and make-up was kept simple, with long tousled manes and bright red lips, a lovely combination. The collection itself was very feminine and sophisticated – yet perfectly wearable – with a few colourful items and a special mention for the coats and dresses – utterly beautiful.
L’Atelier de Camille – 3rd Collection
Here it is: the third collection from l’Atelier de Camille! Launched just a year ago, this lovely womenswear label unveils its Spring Summer collection with plenty of amazing new designs. Dresses, blouses, skirts and jackets are already selling out – do have a look on the Atelier’s online boutique before it’s too late…
The French Wedding Show – First edition
Last weekend on Sunday, my lovely friend Anne-Laure, founder of Et Voilà! Weddings, organised the very first French Wedding Show in London. Aimed at couples who wish to tie the knot in France, the show featured a great host of suppliers who came from the other side of the Channel to meet with potential new clients: venues listings, furniture hire, photographers, videographers, hairstylists and make-up artists were amongst the vendors in attendance. Hosted in Notting Hill’s 20th Century Theatre, a true gem, the French Wedding Show enjoyed a great attendance and was a huge success. Well-done to Anne-Laure!
Winter
With quite a lot of delay, I wanted to post a few pictures that I took during my Christmas break. Nothing too fancy, just two very relaxing weeks at my country house in France, doing almost nothing. Well, it was raining most of the time which sort of limits your options. But after a brave – and rare – walk outside I must say it felt really nice to just sit by the fireplace, have a cup of tea and some cake while watching a DVD… Definitely the laziest vacation I’ve ever had!
Winter Wonderland
A couple of weeks ago, I decided to venture to Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. I had never been before and didn’t really know what to expect – and I can say I was truly impressed: the fair was of a much bigger scale than I thought. The carousels, Ferris wheels and roller coasters were everywhere. And so were the food stalls, candy and souvenir shops. The Swiss, Bavarian and German theme was very much represented as well, with chalets, songs and mulled wine at every corner. Obviously, there was the must-have ice-rink which was so successful I decided to pass on that occasion – until next time!
To be fair, the full-on Christmas vibe was a little bit over the top, but at the same time feeling like a child again was thoroughly enjoyable.
Winter Treats
With winter drawing in, cold weather and shorter days, I find that nothing feels more appealing than indulging in sugary treats. Especially when they are prepared by Fashion Cooking‘s lovely Anne-Sophie. Pancakes with maple syrup, chocolate cake with mirror-like glaze and multi-layered carrot cake are among my favourites.
Luckily, some of these recipes will soon be available in a book gathering Fashion Cooking‘s best hits. I was fortunate enough to contribute by shooting all portraits of Anne-Sophie and most of the food photos – I am really looking forward to see the end result! The book will come out in France early 2013, so there is not much longer to wait now. Keep your eyes peeled for the release!
Stylist: Anne-Sophie Rischard – Fashion Cooking http://www.fashioncooking.fr/
Photographer: Astrid Templier – Lovely Jubbly Photography
Seen in Marrakech
Early October I was invited to a friends’ wedding in Marrakech, which was the perfect chance to discover the city for the first time. Obviously, I didn’t have that much liberty to explore the city in real depth, but I feel that if you use your time wisely you can actually get quite a lot out of your visit.
What probably charmed me the most was the Majorelle Garden surrounding Yves Saint Laurent’s house, now turned into a museum. The amount and variety of plants, cactus and flowers, along with the fountains and the famous deep blue used throughout the park made for an amazing garden of Eden. Obviously, the Medina was full of the charms and wonders typical of Morocco. Shops, craftsmen, narrow streets, mosques and such a crowd!! I am also glad I came across the medersa Ben Youssef whose architecture is a true splendor. All in all, a short and sweet city break.
Moroccan Back Country
As part of my trip to Fez, I also took a few days to discover the back country around this great city. Meknès, one of the four “imperial cities” of Morocco, is definitely worth a visit. Surrounded by three belts of walls, these fortifications are the longest in the kingdom. Their great protective stance is only broken through by a handful of beautifully adorned doors, opening a majestical way towards the inner city.
A few miles away, the region also boasts an impressive archeological site of Roman ruins called Volubilis. The exceptional state of the excavated walls, house foundations, arches and mosaics is utterly stunning. Perhaps even more impressive are the claims by archeologists that about 60% of the ruins still remain to be found and restored.
About an hour and a half away from Meknès stand the Middle Atlas mountains. Hidden in the forest is a lovely village named Ifrane, which serves as a ski station in the winter. A really great halt for those seeking peace and freshness, Ifrane is set close to an amazing natural reserve with many hiking paths. At the end of my trip, I visited an eco-friendly farm down in the valley, whose owners produce excellent goat cheese, as well as olive oil and honey. A truly great place to stop by and enjoy a nice meal of cheese, bread and other local products!
Moroccan Art de Vivre
Morocco is an amazing country with no less amazing art de vivre: the richness of the architecture, the skillful craftsmanship of the many indoors and outdoors ornaments, the refinement of the interiors, decoration and objects are the mark of a highly sophisticated culture and civilisation. The mauresque and Andalusian influences repeatedly show through monuments, such as the University of Al Karaouine, or palaces-turned-hotels for instance, making for a sense of majesty and simplicity at the same time.
The Medina of Fez
As part of my September trip to Fez, I got to wander a lot in the city’s Medina. According to many, and to the Moroccans themselves, Fez is considered as the most authentic city of the kingdom: this doesn’t mean that there are no tourists – because they are present as anywhere else worth visiting – but it seems that Fez, unlike many other cities, is not trying too hard to flaunt its beauties. Its treasures are well hidden, and one will have to search behing closed doors to discover them. This may be achieved by looking into a few riads, those lovely small palaces built around indoors fountains and gardens, or by casting an eye in one of the small yet richly adorned mosques of the Medina. The colourful markets scattered across the crooked streets and paths are another jewel themselves. Fez definitely is a great place for anyone looking for an exotic change of scenery, and it makes for a very picturesque destination.
Craftsmanship in Fez
At the end of September I travelled to Morocco and spent a couple of days in Fez. Its millenary Medina is filled with treasures and surprises, and wandering through the maze of its small streets definitely is the best way to get a good sense of the heart of the city.
Tanneries, potteries, weavers, carpenters, painters, etc. there are plenty of crafts still being practiced and taught. All those traditions and this know-how were quite incredible to witness, at a time when we’re used to manufactured goods produced in factories. There, people are working with their hands, their skills and what they’ve learned, generation through generation. And it was beautiful to see.
Fashion Cooking’s Anne-SO
The other day, my friend Anne-Sophie, the lovely cook behind the very successful Fashion Cooking blog, asked me if we could do a portrait session for her upcoming book. I naturally accepted and we had a really great time putting together a few moods. It was quite easy as cooking does provide a lot of props and accessories which are perfect for these kinds of shots. Anyway, here are some of my favourite pictures. I hope you find them to your taste!
Honfleur in the summer
Last month I discovered Honfleur, a lovely little village hidden in Normandy, not far from Deauville and Trouville. Only two hours away from Paris, it was the perfect romantic get-away week-end, especially thanks to the charming hotel we found over there: the Auberge de la Source is a true gem, tucked at the end of a quiet and leafy path. The hydrangeas and the fishery pond only added to its spell.
Honfleur is especially famous for its colourful harbour, and indeed the sight didn’t disappoint. For a meal, you might want to stay away from the seaside restaurants – somewhat a bit too touristy – and explore Honfleur just a little further down its paved streets. There are a few good tables especially if you’re in the mood for some seashells.
