Andrew Niesen

I've always been fascinated by how luxury brands communicate their identity in a highly-competitive marketplace. In particular, I enjoy watching how fashion designer Miuccia Prada continually distinguishes her company's brand identity by selling an experience rather than merely peddling products.

The only thing Miuccia Prada resists more than conformity is mass marketing. She famously told a London Times reporter that she despises advertising because it “requires mass banality.” So, when she decided to embark on her first televised ad campaign, she chose to create a singular film rather than a commonplace commercial.

Enlisting the talents of Blade Runner director, Sir Ridley Scott, and his daughter, Jordan, Prada created Thunder Perfect Mind, a cinematic ad that blurs the line between art and commerce.

The film features a young woman meandering through Berlin in cadence with an ancient poem set to a freeform jazz score. At key points in the film, coinciding with the poem, the young woman encounters herself in other female figures: the virgin, the mistress, the mother, the daughter.

The brand name, Prada, does not appear until the final seconds of the film. Even then, it is subtle, resting in the street like an afterthought.

Rather than resign herself to accepted advertising formulas, Prada invented something entirely new. The result is mesmerizing and memorable. This is not an advertisement, it is an experience. By drawing viewers into an evocative narrative that transcends the typical product-driven ad, Prada stands out in a saturated marketplace.



“In Prada we always like to have a different way with everything. We look to the trend and then ask how we could do it another way. That is the way to add value, so long as you do it intelligently.”

Mark and I just returned from my hometown of Charleston, S.C., where we met with florists and caterers. On top of planning our own wedding—coming up in August—we are beginning to make connections there to expand our referral network for LaCour. We simply love beautiful places, and Charleston's wedding locations are gorgeous. We are shooting a wedding there in November, and hope to do many more. Mark shot this photo at the mansion-lined waterfront known as The Battery, a Civil War battle site.

We are hoping to get most of our wedding planning finished by April, when the spring weddings get under way. LaCour is nearly booked solid this year, with a nice 3-week break in August for our wedding and honeymoon. It has been strange, and interesting, and fun being on the other side! Now we know exactly what all of our brides go through.

I recently read an excerpt from a book entitled, A Year in the World, that reminded me of the magic of travelling. Ever since I was young, I've felt an insatiable Wanderlust—a need to not only see other parts of the world, but to experience them on a level that is "close to the ground"—to experience life as a native. I often wonder about the lens through which others view the world, and how their experience shapes their perceptions of me as an American traveller.

I believe that it is this same curiosity that calls me to travel that also attracted me to photography. When interaction with others is impeded by a language barrier, it causes one to slow down, to watch, to observe. My perception of the new is intensified by only being able to observe and react by photographing. My purpose in photographing is similar: to create photographs that enable experiences rather than a mere visual replica of what I've seen around me.



"Travel pushes my boundaries. When you travel, you become invisible, if you want. I do want. I like to be the observer. What makes people who they are? Could I feel at home here? No one expects you to have the stack of papers back by Tuesday, or to check messages, or to fertilize geraniums. When traveling, you have the delectable possibility of not understanding a word of what is said to you. Language becomes simply a musical background for watching bicycles zoom alongside a canal, calling for nothing from you. Travel releases spontaniety. You become a godlike creature full of choice, free to visit the stately pleasure domes, make love in the morning, sketch a bell tower. You open, as in childhood, and—for a time—receive this world. There's the visceral aspect, too—the huntress who is free. Free to go, free to return home bringing memories to lay on the hearth."

We have just returned to Atlanta after a week of business strategy at our annual corporate planning retreat in the N.C. mountains. We started our days over coffee at a local coffee shop, and finished the days huddled around the fireplace back at the house, in a sea of scattered papers, album samples and business literature. One night the power went out for about 5 hours. Rachel cooked the four of us an amazing dinner of salmon, green beans and polenta, all on an outdoor grill. Afterward, we lit a bunch of candles in the den and continued our discussions by candlelight. It was an interesting experience! Although we talked business 12 hours a day, we did take a little time out to go hiking up to a couple of waterfalls.

Our holiday social for photographers at LaCour's studio on December 1 was a big success. Nearly 30 photographers attended, and the evening provided a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet many new ones!

Many photographers brought work to share in the form of albums and digital slideshows, which were projected onto the LaCour studio big screen. We were all inspired by the wonderful work!

LaCour plans on hosting similar gatherings in the future. We look forward to having you attend! Please sign up for our mailing list on this website for further updates.