Behind the Scenes in Paris With Pia.

I've recently been conversing (via email) with the lovely and talented photo stylist Pia Jane Bijkerk. Pia and I have struck up a lovely Internet friendship and she's been sharing with me a little bit of the behind the scenes stories that went into photographing and creating her wonderful new book, Paris: Made By Hand. Can you even imagine how much fun working on a book like this one could have been? Shooting all over magical Paris? I am green with envy, but excited to share a little bit more of Pia's Paris with you.


Pia is an Australian stylist who lives in Amsterdam and Paris, and has worked internationally with renowned photographers and contributes to some of the world's most prominent magazines and advertising agencies. She has a distinctive eye for forecasting lifestyle trends and her taste is just impeccable! Her new book, Paris: Made By Hand features some of Pia's favorite shopping haunts throughout Paris and includes her favorite atelier/boutiques. One of which is a La Galerie Végétal, (Pia tells me this is one her favorite spaces ever to wander through), a ceramicists called le Petit Atelier de Paris, another gorgeous one is a clothing boutique called Marie Louise De Monterey that restores gorgeous Parisian vintage dresses (Pia also once featured it on her blog here), and there's also the very stunning Atelier 154, that sells restored industrial style furniture, and which also has a blog you can follow called l'Atelier(s). There's really too many wonderful shops to list, so Paris: Made By Hand is a wonderful addition to any collection.





I am always fascinated by the outtakes during a shoot - what goes on behind the cameras, and Pia has graciously shared some of her images with us here. Pia spent about two weeks shooting Paris: Made By Hand and took plenty of these lovely personal shots in between each photo shoot. Some of her favorite shots were captured during moments of respite with her partner, who accompanied her for the whole shooting and interviewing process. While shooting boutiques in Montmartre, the two sat by this incredibly beautiful carousel and watched the kids play, and in addition to taking these lovely shots, Pia made a soundscape of it which you can listen to here. Ah, it's like being in Paris in the Springtime!


Another day, they had an afternoon drink in one of the many Parisian bars while in between appointments, and Pia made a soundscape of that too, which you can listen to and transported to lively Paris cafe life here.


Pia has a huge collection of outtake photos of Paris on her beautiful blog, which she took while walking the streets from shop to shop, and these are just but a glimpse behind the scenes of shooting her book Paris: Made By Hand, so visit her blog to see much more of her personal memories of Paris. Thank you so much, or rather mercí, Pia, for sharing your private Parisian world - it's been a wonderful trip!