Smorgasburg

Betsy and I explored Smorgasburg Brooklyn in search of her favorite maple dipped bacon skewers. Quite delicious. What is vexing for non-pork lovers is that their lamb burgers also contains pork. Mint lemonade with pork?

Ryan Surfs

My nephew got out on a surfboard for the first time this morning at Huntington Beach and was a great success.

Va-va-voom

 

Visiting sister and kids are in Anaheim for nephew Ryan's basketball tournament.  After the game today, we went to Seal Beach to do a little kayaking and paddle boarding.  Niece Taylor channeled her inner Jayne Mansfield and wowed all in her pink bikini. The canals will never be the same.

Villa Lunch

 

Lunchtime during our shoot day at the Sorrento villa. Tristan went exploring.  I caught up with JC on a private patio for a laugh and a rest.

The Girl

The reason to be in Sorrento was to photographed this beautiful model interacting with the product. We unfortunately had to use some very bright lights on her and inbetween takes she shielded herself with an umbrella.

Poolside Product

We did a product shot in the Parco's pool.  Different reflector boards and mirrors made the bottle sparkle and an Italian grip was able to spend some time in the shallow end.

The Grounds

The grounds of the Parco Dei Principi were quite nice.  Some meandering paths with a lot of flowers, statues and bric a brac...... and the pool with a Ponti diving platform.

Vesuvius

As with all things Napolese, Mount Vesuvius is always lurking on the horizon. unparalleled in history and almost certainly promising the threat of some future violence.

Aperol Spritz

I thought I was going to be bringing home the secret of the Mediterranean...... instead, when I was walking in Soho yesterday, I saw posters for the very Aperol  cocktail I was going to wow everyone here with. Alas, the world is global.

Watch the Italian commercials here and here

The Villa's Gardens

Built on and into a cliff overlooking the Bay of Naples, this $42 million Sorrento villa became our set for the first day's shooting. We used the gardens as our backdrop.  Roman and Etruscan artifacts scattered amongst the palms and secret walks made for a very magical feel.

Parco Dei Principi

Anyone student of Italian architect Gio Ponti will rate his Parco Dei Principi hotel design as one of his most successful.  The fact that you can stay there and interact within his design is equally fantastic.  So when I got booked for a commercial in Sorrento Italy, I was to make it my mission to go and explore the Parco.  To my amazement, it was were production put us up.  The ability to lounge on his furniture, feel his walls, walk on his tiles and see the totality of his design excited me. And although the rooms are a bit more pedestrian these days, they have restored pieces on view in the various lounges to see and touch.

There are more pictures here

Video is here