Palm Beach

Veranda Magazine - Quarantine Life at the Colony by Nicholas Mele

Think pink. A better way of life.
— Eloise
Maggie Wetenhall channeling Eloise at the Plaza

Maggie Wetenhall channeling Eloise at the Plaza

While the Wetenhall family is stuck quarantining at home like everyone else, their home just so happens to be a historic Palm Beach hotel. When the pandemic hit earlier this year, the Colony Hotel shuttered its doors in compliance with the nationwide shelter in place order and found themselves living by themselves in an empty 87 room luxury hotel. They asked me to come and bring a little bit of my A Social Life flavor to their family and the unprecedented situation they found themselves in. It was a fun experiment to try this style of photography on a family other than my own and it only worked because the Wetenhalls have a great sense of humor. Hopefully the series can bring a little bit of distraction to people during a very strange time. Check out the full story and all of the images on the Veranda Magazine website here

Bicycle races through the hotel lobby

Bicycle races through the hotel lobby

Andrew Wetenhall playing valet to his children

Andrew Wetenhall playing valet to his children

Hide and seek in the ballroom

Hide and seek in the ballroom

Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall enjoying their morning coffee

Andrew and Sarah Wetenhall enjoying their morning coffee

Sam Edelman Spring/Summer 2020 by Nicholas Mele

One shoe can change your life
— Cinderella
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I got bring Sam Edelman back to my stomping grounds of Palm Beach for the Spring/Summer campaign and this time they decided to make things interesting for me by adding a second model. It always becomes a little bit harder with each extra person you add to a shoot because you’re not only worried about how they are each interacting with their environment but also with each other. But on the other side, it allows you to move faster because you can shoot one girl individually while the other gets ready. I found on big campaigns like this, it helps to construct a story in you head, much like an actor preparing for a role.

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Avenue Magazine - Palm Beach Melee by Nicholas Mele

If they made films in Palm Beach, actors and actresses would be much better dressed
— Kenneth Jay Lane

Avenue Magazine was recently relaunched under the leadership of new owner Charles Cohen. The 44 year old magazine took nearly a year hiatus as it underwent a full overhaul, including a brand new Editor-in-Chief. Having photographed several articles for Avenue in its previous incarnation, I was beyond flattered when the new EIC, Kristen Stewart Ward, asked if she could run a feature on me and my family and our instagram photo project, A.Social.Life, in her debut issue. Hopefully you’re already following our adventures online, but if not, then this is a good jumping on point to see the tortures I put my family through in the name of art and social media fame. You can find the full article online here

Kips Bay Decorators Show House by Nicholas Mele

Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.
— Brian Reed
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This year’s Kips Bay Decorator Show House was amazing! Each year, celebrated interior designers transform a magnificent estate into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art and technology. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club. This was its second year in Palm Beach (its been going on in New York since 1973) and once again one of the decorators chose to use some of my work to adorn his walls. Billy Ceglia chose a whopping 48 images from my @a.social.life series and framed them up and down the hallways he was tasked with designing. In addition, I was given free reign to explore the house and take pictures of the designers and shoot more photos for my @a.social.life. Many of the designers hired me to shoot the rooms and my photos were featured by Veranda and Architectural Digest.

Bodhi and Johnny at the Dog Bar from @a.social.life on the walls of Billy Ceglia’s hallway at Kips Bay

Bodhi and Johnny at the Dog Bar from @a.social.life on the walls of Billy Ceglia’s hallway at Kips Bay

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Danielle Rollins in her room at Kips Bay

Danielle Rollins in her room at Kips Bay

Meg Braff in her room at Kips Bay

Meg Braff in her room at Kips Bay

My son Johnny for @a.social.life in Krista + Home’s bathroom at Kips Bay

My son Johnny for @a.social.life in Krista + Home’s bathroom at Kips Bay

Veranda Magazine, Slim Aarons by Nicholas Mele

...the cognoscenti are calling him a modern day Slim Aarons
— Veranda Magazine
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I often get compared to Slim Aarons (what a compliment!), but when a publication as esteemed as Veranda starts throwing it around I can’t help but be flattered…and honored…and grateful. Hopefully I can live up to the compliment. Check it out below.

Pg. 24 Veranda Feb 2019

World Armarium by Nicholas Mele

I don’t try to be original; I just always want to do something that excites me.
— Jeurgen Teller
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I often tell young photographers that, as they try and develop their own style, they should actively try and shoot like some of the great photographers that they admire. In the process, they may find something about that photographers style that they like and want to pull into their everyday work. In this case, I did my best Jeurgen Teller impression for a fashion shoot with World Armarium at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach. I tried to stay true to Juergen, while also adding my own flair. How’d I do?

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Kips Bay Decorators Show House Palm Beach by Nicholas Mele

Bad design is smoke, while good design is a mirror
— Juan-Carlos Fernandez

It was an amazing experience to both have my work on display at the Inaugural Kips Bay Decorators Show House in Palm Beach and shoot some of it for Architectural Digest and House Beautiful. Each year, celebrated interior designers transform a magnificent estate into an elegant exhibition of fine furnishings, art and technology. This year marks the first time it is being done in Palm Beach. All proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Clubs of Kips Bay and Palm Beach County.

Designer Philip Gorrivan used several of my pieces in his living room design. Above, my Lifeguard photo framed 30x40

Designer Philip Gorrivan used several of my pieces in his living room design. Above, my Lifeguard photo framed 30x40

More of my art on display in Phillip Gorrivan’s room.

More of my art on display in Phillip Gorrivan’s room.

Its always a pleasure when I get to photograph for one of my favorite designers, Caroline Rafferty

Its always a pleasure when I get to photograph for one of my favorite designers, Caroline Rafferty

Palm Beach Photo Exhibit by Nicholas Mele

As my artist’s statement explains, my work is utterly incomprehensible and is therefore full of deep significance
— Calvin and Hobbs
The family came to support....and climb on the art

The family came to support....and climb on the art

My mother and I had a photo show in Palm Beach.  Did I mention she's a bad ass photographer in her own right?  Victoria Mele, go check here out.  She does large scale prints of flowers close up.  Anyway, we had a show at EMKO in Palm Beach.  Remember them?  I did a fashion shoot there awhile back.  Man, I keep going of on these side tangents.... One more time from the beginning.  My mom and I had a photography show and it went awesome.  Lots of people showed up, we sold a ton of work and both the Palm Beach Daily News and The Palm Beach Post wrote stories on it!  Cool, right?  

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Town & Country, Diana Damrau by Nicholas Mele

Of all the noises known to man, opera is the most expensive.
— Moliere

I did a photo shoot with famed Opera star Diana Damrau for the the clothing store Escada and Town & Country online.  It was a lot fun and I thought I'd share.  Check out the full story here:

http://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/news/a5075/a-week-in-the-life-of-opera-star-diana-damrau/

Muses & Visionaries, #14 by Nicholas Mele

I have a private plane. But I fly commercial when I go to environmental conferences
— Arnold Schwarzenegger

BTS shot of me on set. Yay!  I'm on a plane

We're back with another fashion spread for M&V magazine.  I'm a few months behind in posting this, but I figured better late than never.  This time we were at the private airfield in Boca Raton where the awesome Vida Jets let us shoot on some of their planes.  Check out the full story here:

https://issuu.com/mvmagazine/docs/m_v_issue_14/90

Model: Martina Slavcheva               HMU: Chell Love                            Stylist: Zlata Kotmina

Body Frock UK by Nicholas Mele

You can get anything you want, if you’re dressed for it.
— Edith Head

Body Frock Home Page

BTS at the shoot on the north end of Palm Beach

In December, I did a shoot for UK based clothing company Body Frock.  They came to Palm Beach and we focused on the company's new line of wedding and bridesmaid dresses.  They wanted a real natural, somewhat moody feel to the photos and I tried to give the whole shoot a bit of a 35mm film look (even though I shot on digital).  Check out more of the shots here: Body Frock Website

Muses & Visionaries, Lucky Issue 13 by Nicholas Mele

Photographing attractive people who were doing attractive things in attractive places.
— Slim Aarons
Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 82-83

Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 82-83

I'm back for another fashion spread in Palm Beach with Muses & Visionaries magazine.  This time the shoot was loosely inspired by Slim Aarons, one of my all time favorite photographers.  Go check out his book, Poolside.    So we tried to go for a 70's era Palm Beach look in the clothes and aesthetic and I tried my best to blend Slim's use of wide shots and overheads with the need to show off the clothes and style.  It is a fashion shoot after all.  These are the results.  Find the magazine near you: http://magazinemv.com/about/where-to-purchase  

Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 84-85

Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 84-85

Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 88-89

Muses and Visionaries, Issue 13, pg. 88-89

See the whole story here: https://issuu.com/mvmagazine/docs/m_v_issue_13/82?e=0

Model: Mikaela Schipani            HMU: Chell Love          Fashion/Art Director: Molly Greene

Muses & Visionaries by Nicholas Mele

Fashion should be a form of escapism, and not a form of imprisonment
— Alexander McQueen
M&V Magazine Issue 9 pg. 102-103

M&V Magazine Issue 9 pg. 102-103

Check out this month's issue of Muses and Visionaries Magazine for my retro inspired, art-deco fashion spread.  I've been wanting to do more fashion and this was the perfect opportunity.  And if you're in West Palm Beach, FL, go check out EmKo.  Its a pretty cool place.  Find the magazine near you: http://magazinemv.com/about/where-to-purchase or read online here: http://issuu.com/mvmagazine 

M&V Magazine Issue 9 pg. 108-109

M&V Magazine Issue 9 pg. 108-109

Model: Christy Giles      Hair and Make-up: John Barrett Salon     Stylist: Courtney Dudek