La Contessa – Portrait Shoot Paris

Carla Coulson La Contessa

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Now you may be wondering why this glamorous woman is feeding chickens in the middle of the Jardin du Tuileries? There is a reason..

Carla Coulson La Contessa Portrait Shoot Paris

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

The beautiful Elizabeth Kirkpatrick (aka La Contessa) has been the proud owner of the Vintage Hen House in the San Francisco area up until recently and has been the mother of chickens for as long as she can remember.
Carla Coulson La Contessa Portrait Shoot

 La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

La Contessa is my dream client in every sense, she loves fashion, she once lived in Florence, she is as kooky as I am and loves the theatrical – we are a match made in photographer’s heaven.

La Contessa had a dream (you can read about it here) to bring her beautiful boys to Paris and have a shoot with them as she has done for the past 20 something years as a gift for their father’s birthday.

La Contessa Carla Coulson portrait shoot Paris

 La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Well, Carla woke at 3am one night with a photo in her dreams. It was one of her favourite Bruce Weber pics of all time. The Duchess of  Devonshire feeding her chickens in front of her beautiful home.

Contessa Carla Coulson

Gorgeous sons Nicholas and Kristopher Copyright Carla Coulson

So Carla called in the chickens, contacted La Contessa and we had photo bingo! La Contessa had had Mr. Weber’s picture stuck to her fridge for about the past 20 years. Much excitement down the phone from San Fran to Paris!

Contessa Carla Coulson

 La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Now when you come all the way to Paris with an opera coat it seems a shame not to take one walk through the French sculpture section of the Louvre? Non?

Contessa Carla Coulson

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

La Contessa being her glamorous self studying French sculpture.

Carla Coulson Contessa

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Ahhh…

Contessa Carla Coulson

 

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Now La Contessa and her boys have been doing a shoot every year for their Florentine father’s birthday so I thought what could be better than these gorgeous guys shooting their beautiful mum. What troopers!

Contessa Nicholas Christopher0077

 La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Brownie points for the rest of their lives!

Contessa Nicholas Christopher0080

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

Before the drama of the chickens and the Louvre we whipped into a cafe for a pit stop and a couple of pics.

Contessa Nicholas Christopher0104

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

How lucky to be staying in Rue du Chateau? The planets were aligning for La Contessa and I in ways we never imagined!!

Carla Coulson la contessa portrait shoot paris

La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

And you can imagine what the locals thought of this glamourpuss buying the bread..

Contessa Nicholas Christopher0110

 La Contessa Copyright Carla Coulson

On the steps of her adorable apartment..See where she stayed..

So La Contessa had a dream and so did Carla and in one glorious day both our dreams came true. A huge round of applause, numerous ‘encore, encore’ to La Contessa, Nicholas and Kristopher for their patience, beauty and creativity.

“One of the most beautiful qualities of true friendship is to understand and to be understood.” Lucius Annaeus Seneca

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Jane
10 years ago

What a spectacular shoot Carla. Well done to all!

Felicity Menadue
Felicity Menadue
10 years ago

Amazing shots!!! Love them! xxx

Jeanne @ Collage of Life

ADORE! ADORE! ADORE! My Vietnamese hat goes off to you both..Carla and Elizabeth, you worked magic together. If ever a photographer knew her subject it is here and her subject is tres chic and very glamorous with her sons by her side. Just love it! xx

Carolyn
Carolyn
10 years ago

Love each and every one of your photo shoots, but this one has to be the most spectacular of all so far – it is simply superb. C xx

Ali
Ali
10 years ago

How did you manage the chickens? Was it a huge ordeal to catch them after the shoot? Lovely photos btw x

Debbie
Debbie
10 years ago

Beautiful photos, Carla.
A small admission on my part(I probably shouldn’t admit to it …)When I read that La Contessa had dreamt about taking her ‘beautiful boys’ to Paris, I thought you were referring to the chickens until I read/looked further down the post and saw the photos of her two sons. Look before you leap -good advice indeed. xx

Catherine
10 years ago

Fabulous subjects and sublime work! I bet La Contessa’s Florentine husband will be thrilled! Thank you for sharing X

jann
10 years ago

Absolutely stunning photos!! I love this post. La Contessa in the red dress with those red rooster combs around her–really incredible! Better than Vogue. Yes, tell us more about how you got those chickens, and then permission to put them all in the Tuileries. Love the shots with the baguettes, and on the stairs. Everything. (Also the apartment–wow.)

Jennifer
10 years ago

spellbound….saw these on PInterest….had to read the story behind these beautiful photographs. Debo has nothing on La Contessa. Beyond beautiful

Georgianna
10 years ago

Hands down my favorite shoot of yours ever!! Brilliant!!! Congratulations, Carla! xo

La Contessa
10 years ago

Contessa, here!
Tears popping up!!!OH, what a day!
Carla, I canNOT thank ~ you enough for your vision and kindness and your knack with the camera!!!!!
You are amazing and I ADORED meeting YOU!
I need to take another look!!!!!!!!!
THANK ~ YOU SO VERY MUCH!
XOXOXOXOXOOXO

Carolyn
Carolyn
10 years ago
Reply to  La Contessa

You, Carla and the chooks – what an incredible combination (not to mention your sons! – and what a breathtaking result!!

French Basketeer
10 years ago

Carla, positively adore this photo shoot! And that settles it, one of these days I’m going to have a photo shoot with you at the Louvre, my home away from home. That’s an absolute dream for me. One day, one day soon. Also loving your instagram shots, which brought me here today.

Jennifer Rankin
Jennifer Rankin
10 years ago

All wonderful, all magical, all fun. Fantastic job of capturing perfectly the Contessa I know and love. The ones with the chickens — over the top. Like a dream.

Peggy Braswell
10 years ago

Carla, love these photo’s + you are the best! + have been seeing La Contessa’s name + just signed up to receive her blog. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

liz the Rose Queen
10 years ago

What MAGNIFICENT photos!!! I just love every single one of them. Please let me know if you ever come to South Africa…..
the model, the sons, the story, the colours
Thank you so much for the inspiration
xxxxx

The Baroness
The Baroness
10 years ago

Carla, having personally known and worked for La Contessa for the past few years, I am blown away by your most recent work. You have managed to truly capture the essence of Elizabeth. You were able to capture her twinkle, her spark, her regal individualism that is PURE Contessa! Your settings and the gowns and those chickens~ALL HER! She does the same thing in her garden with her own chickens and dress up clothes-it is wonderful! She is wonderful! You have captured her spirit and her style on film! This is only the result of an amazing photographer and an amazing subject. Thank you for all your efforts. Brava!

Kristopher
Kristopher
10 years ago

Well done Carla, the pictures look amazing!
-Kristopher

Penelope Bianchi
10 years ago

NEVER IN MY LIFE HAVE I SEEN SUCH A THING!

GORGEOUS BEYOND!! AND TO THINK; I KNOW AND LOVE ELIZABETH!!!

SHE HAS SURPASSED HER ‘AUNTIE MAME’!!!

(who lived right near me, and I knew and loved her , too!!)

denise
denise
10 years ago

My goodness Carla! you really have got it! with these photos of the “conteesa” maybe it was the turiliers gardens being a familiar site, whatever they are just beautiful shots.
Denise

Paola
Paola
10 years ago

A great atmosphere, fun and glamour in a beautiful, perfect frame.
I love Paris!
Carla, through your lens, we can meet two unique women and their souls.

Melissa Gaggiano
10 years ago

Wow! I have a soft spot for chickens. The photos remind me of the imaginary chickens I fed when I was a wee lil thing.

Mary Westerman
Mary Westerman
10 years ago

What a lovely tribute to Elizabeth,her boys and the hens on the world! Well done and admirable work on all of your parts. La Contessa has raved about you and your work and now seeing the results I see why. Brava!

Sarah
Sarah
10 years ago

These photos are just gorgeous Carla! What a great dream and the results are simply spectacular!!!! Particularly love the sense of fun about them too. Brava to your subjects and your vision. The Contessa could not be happier! Looking forward to meeting you in Melbourne soon.

domenica
domenica
10 years ago

I just can’t tell you how impressed I am, Carla!
And I ‘ve worked with Horst and Frank Horvat and Patrick De Marchilier and Bruce Weber. What an amazing duo you and the Contessa are!
xxooo

Kate
Kate
10 years ago

what a dreamy shoot! Magical photo’s Carla! xo

Mimi Thorisson
10 years ago

Oh I am speechless! Elizabeth is truly a beautiful person inside and out – I can just imagine how much fun it was shooting her and her handsome boys! Bravo Carla and La Contessa! Mimi x

Francesca
Francesca
10 years ago

These pictures combined glamour with irresistible freshness. I am astonished!

Jane Audrey
Jane Audrey
10 years ago

She is truly the Contessa Divino, being lucky enough to know the Contessa well I can agree whole heartedly that This Glamorous woman is in her element feeding the chooks (as we would say in Australia) in the Jardin de Tuilieries looking striking in her red opera coat .The boys too just gorgeous.
Xo

Jan
Jan
10 years ago

FANTASTIC!! I have had the pleasure of a long friendship with La Contessa Elizabeth over 25 years. I believe Carla you have made her dreams come true with this amazing photo shoot. I am also god mother to one of her georgous sons. BRAVO! to all.

Anya Jensen
10 years ago

Wow Carla what an amazing woman & her sons and chickens, and you for knowing her so well you knew she’d own it. Major L.O.V.E.
BRAVA xxx
Axx

Gallivanta
10 years ago

Completely gorgeous.

Judith A. Ross
10 years ago

What a beautiful and clever shoot! And I who rarely wear nail polish am thinking that color might work on me.

But mostly, I am jealous. At 27 and 30, my sons are much older than La Contessa’s, and I know how difficult it is to get everyone in the same place at the same time.

I would love to have a mother/son day of photography, but with one a musician in Brooklyn, and the other a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, it will be a while before that happens.

Congratulations Carla and Contessa on such a lovely, memorable shoot. What a beautiful family!

Claudia Lane
10 years ago

Carla these are amazing, you are a true artist. Love, Claudia

Suzana Rose Borlovan
Suzana Rose Borlovan
10 years ago

Carla you have worked your magic with the Contessa, or has she worked her own magic with you! Not sure which way but the photos and the Contessa are truly beautiful.x

Veronica
10 years ago

HOW ABSOLUTELY EXQUISITE!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE !!!!!!

Marsha @ Splenderosa
10 years ago

Carla Carla Carla, what a stunning presentation of life you’ve given to us with this work. These images are filled with delight, they look totally alive as taken from your prospective and view of your subjects. I love this woman, we could be sisters, maybe cosmic sisters. And, I even like the dreads. with much admiration…

Debbie
Debbie
10 years ago

Extraordinary! The Contessa, the sons, the city – I have to keep going back to look again!! Bravo!!!!!

Jody Brettkelly
10 years ago

You’ve captured the fabulous Contessa perfectly, cannot believe how wonderful these photos, natural yet dramatic!

Nadia Tarr
10 years ago

Contessa,
What wonderful photographs! You look stunning in your Nadia Tarr Cross-Over Gown! I am also in LOVE with that Gorgeous Coat!
Who is the coat by?
Thank you featuring our product so beautifully! I can tell you felt absolutely smashing in it which makes me so happy to see!
xoxonadia
https://www.nadiatarr.com/shop/red-cross-over-gown-371.html?return=%2Fshop.html%3Fcat%3D37%26cc%3D1%26p%3D2

Lisa, The Sequinist
7 years ago

I am in awe! Now I need some chickens in Paris, and an opera coat!!!! xxx