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Caption: _______________
_______________ With Nichole Robertson,
Author + Photographer F I V E Q U E S T I O N S
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Caption: ichole Robertson is an
author, photographer,
and founder of Obvious State
(www.obviousstate.com),
a multi-disciplinary creative
studio based in New York and
Paris. Her best-selling books
"Paris in Color" and "The Paris
Journal" are captivating,
offering unique details and
fresh perspectives on the
City of Light. She is currently
working on two follow-up
books to be released
later this year. When she
isn’t writing or taking pictures,
Nichole enjoys spending time with her husband, Evan, and their two sons (and
also eating a lot of French butter).
N
Caption: How were you able to come
up with new concepts for your books on Paris, a city that has probably been photographed and written about more than any other? ____
____ O N E
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Caption: NICHOLE : My husband, two young sons
and I moved to Paris in January 2009. The weather was cold and the skies were gray, but neither kept me from exploring our
new neighborhood.
Video
Caption: One of the first things I noticed was how color - any color - popped against the neutral gray palette created by the wintry sky and white Haussmann buildings. I believe red was the first color that inspired me to
pull out my camera.
I noticed an awning,
a chair and a bike
in a similar shade
of red within a block
of each other and
retraced my steps to
take photos.
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Caption: It didn't take long
for me to become
obsessed, and the
Paris Color Project
was born. I spent
three years
photographing
Paris this way and
learned that focusing
on a color or object
allows you to discover
things you may have
otherwise overlooked.
It's easy to zone out
when you're walking from point A to
point B or to put your camera away as
you walk between monuments and
tourist destinations. But I think the good
stuff is what catches your eye and makes
you happy on the side streets and narrow alleys, whether that's peeling paint, an old door or a stack of fruit crates.
Caption: Why does butter taste
better in Paris? ____
____ T W O
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Caption: NICHOLE : I’m not sure, but when I run
out of my stash, I book my next flight
back to Paris. Perhaps it’s the quality of
the dairy, the percentage of fat or a closely guarded secret process, but French butter with big crunchy salt crystals brings me to
my knees. I savor it, I hoard it and I’ve stashed more than I care to admit in my suitcases over the years. A hot baguette
with a scandalous amount of Bordier
butter on it would be my last meal.
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Caption: Could you tell us about any
upcoming books or projects? ______
______ T H R E E
Caption: NICHOLE :
My studio just released book one
of a new series, "The Paris Journal."
It combines a fictional narrative in the
form of seventeen journal entries with photography. The aim of the project was
to create an intimate, first-hand
experience of Paris through the eyes of
an anonymous traveler. Each book
focuses on one neighborhood over the course of one day. "The Paris Journal,
Book Two" releases on November 18. Additionally, my second book with
Chronicle Books, "Paris in Love," releases
on December 2. It’s a companion to my
first book, "Paris in Color," and is an exploration of how color can be used to
tell the story of falling in love with
a place.
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Caption: What are your favorite things
to do in Paris? _____
_____ F O U R
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Caption: NICHOLE : I am a big fan of
walking around with no
destination in mind. I don’t
like to shop, so most of what
I do takes place outdoors.
I may start the day with a
cup of coffee and a good
view, wander around a
neighborhood for a bit and
then end up in a park
(usually Luxembourg or
Place des Vosges). The
best days are unplanned
days, and I usually end
them with a late night
walk along the Seine.
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Caption: What are some of your
favorite Steller stories? ____
____ F I V E
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Caption: NICHOLE :
Somewhere Inside My Mind
by Katie Rodgers,
Beautiful Children in Uganda
by Bruno Feder,
Yawns With Leroy
by Leroy Milo Brown,
The Knock Knock Chronicles
by Brandon Monk Munoz,
& Fresh Fruit Tarts
by Jenna Park
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Caption: Follow Nichole @obviousstate on Steller.
On the discover page, search :
"obviousstate"