Life's a beach...

While browsing through the December / January 2011 issue of Elle DECOR a little while back, I spotted (as I am sure many of you did) the Manhattan home of Australian Kiane von Mueffling, particularly the image from her dining room.... Who is the photographer behind that huge beach photograph? It looked vaguely familiar....

Well, his name is Christian Chaize, a Frenchman who has fallen in love with a small beach in Portugal! He lives and work in Lyon, France, each year Christian travels to the southern coast of Portugal, to a small beach called Praia Piquinia....

Christian Chaize is a self taught photographer who has won several awards for his photography. His commitment to this small stretch of sand has not only resulted in exhibitions, but also a series of work; Same beach, different years, different times.
The series is available here, and has been chosen for its cohesiveness as a group.

It's hard to pick a favorite from this collection , but I like the images chosen for this post (there are MANY more). However... the Yellow Beach Umbrella image wins out... I think... And I will tell you why; check out this link, from Jen Bekmans Gallery (via Flickr), you can really see the vibrant colors!

And how about this for a nice surprise? Totally different, and very dramatic!

Christian Chaize explains on his website that while nature photography is typically done horizontally, his series is done vertically, creating real depth in his images.

If you would like to see more, Christian Chaize has a website. He is represented by Jen Bekman Gallery in The States, and his prints are also available via The Jen Bekman Project 20x200, where art is made more affordable for "the rest of us" :)

See you at the beach!!

Natasha

Image # 1 via Elle DECOR, Image # 2 - 5 Christian Chaize