Introducing pedrosilmon.com
The Blog is an extension of my brand new website, Pedro Silmon Garden Photography. Those of you who know me, or know of me, will be aware of my former career. If my name is new, by way of introduction, here is the blurb from the website About page:
Reportage, fashion, beauty, portraiture and still life – as art director of The Sunday Times Magazine and German Elle and creative director at Tatler, Pedro Silmon commissioned photography in many forms. His own photographs of gardens in England, the South of France and the Bay of Naples have been published in Condé Nast Traveller, German Vanity Fair and Architektur & Wohnen. On location in Mauritius, Pedro Silmon combined jewellery with exotic plants to create a series of images for Tatler. He also photographed luxury watches for this Condé Nast title. Pedro now devotes himself full-time to garden photography and has a substantial archive. Based in the UK, he is available for editorial, advertising and private assignments.
I wrote a few features for some of the magazines I was involved with, mostly about gardening mixed with travel. To date, I have edited and produced a large format, pictorial book about the history of the bikini; a pocket-sized book on cocktails and two, so far unpublished, novels – a third is in development.
As well as, providing regular updates on my garden photography, The Blog will feature items about whatever I currently find interesting and think you might, too: for instance, aspects of design, architecture, exhibitions and publishing.
I took the image above, last July, at the BUGA (Federal Horticultural Show) 2009, in former East German city, Schwerin. Despite, by my reckoning, covering about three times the area of The Chelsea Flower Show, this roving, biennial event – in 2011 it will be in Koblenz – open from April to October, appears to get almost no press coverage in the UK. Entry to the BUGA was via this monumental series of 36 minimal arches.
My budget for the site and blog was very limited. Most of it went on the site, which was designed from scratch, while the blog was produced, by reworking (aka, skinning) an existing design. For his creativity, expertise and patience throughout the complex production processes involved, as well as for sharing his posh chocolate biscuits, I am indebted to Paul Finn, whose company, Fitzroy & Finn, designed both the Blog and the website, in conjunction with the tremendously talented developers at Position Absolute. Caroline Metcalfe and Suzy Koo generously allowed me to use them as sounding boards regarding the usability of the site from a picture editor’s perspective. Without Rod Wynne-Powell’s technical advice the images on the site may never have seen the light of day. Natalie, my elder daughter provided additional technical help. Lesley, my wife and business partner, assisted on many of the shoots from which the small selection of images on the site are gleaned; took on the arduous task of compiling the contact e-mailing list and provided sustenance and moral support throughout the long hours of editing and preparation of the picture material.
