A Palace That Works

WHEN I WAS YOUNG, I had a Kodak Instamatic point-and-shoot camera but with only 12 to 24 photos in a film cartridge, you had

to be very careful not to waste a single shot. It was not until 2009 when I was starting a new business that I got back into photography. An Antibes-based business coach, Nicole Petcheck, suggested I find a balance for my mind so I gave myself a goal to spend an hour a day doing something other than work. And so, every afternoon, when the light was not too bright, I would set out to photograph various objects, like suitcases, shoes, fruit…and I did this for three years. My friends would see my photos and encourage me to do a show but as I had no professional training, I did not know if the shots were good or not. Then one day, I think it was 2012, I had the chance to exhibit in Geneva with four other photographers. I tapped into my business marketing background and wrote a story for every photo, printed labels and even had purchase orders ready with my corporate logo. I went prepared with my red “sold” dots but I was, naturally, nervous that I would not sell anything. During the exhibition I engaged with the public, talking about each photograph and I sold 30 images that week. The others each sold one. Later I was invited by a friend to do a show at Audi Personal Bank in Monaco in 2013 and I sold another 30 photos, mostly landscapes of Monaco views, the sea and animals. At this point, a friend in Geneva asked me if I had a full-framed camera with a sensor. I replied with “What does that mean?” I had a little Instamatic and I quickly learned that you could buy a car for the price of an expensive full-frame camera. Yet, as my friend pointed out, I had to look at the full frame like an investment. “Your photos will be better quality, you can sell them for more money and your clients will be happier.” As a result I bought a Leica that was 100% manual. Fortunately, a fashion photographer friend uses a Leica and in exchange for lunch he gave me a lesson once a month. I came to like the manual better—when I know what I want to achieve I tell the camera what to do whereas the automatic does what it wants. I could really see the difference in terms of sharpness of the image, depth of field, quality of the colors and the tone. I have continued to do about four exhibitions a year—in Monaco, Geneva, Luxembourg and Italy—and was invited twice by the photography association of Korea as a guest exhibitor in Seoul, which was amazing. The Koreans are very precise and look at things  differently than we do. They were very artistic and subtle.

My photos were more “in your face” you could say. Has my photography evolved? I’m not sure but people tell me my photos are nicer than before. They are organized, linear, clean and there is always perspective. I know there is sadness all around but I prefer not to show that. I like to show what I think is pretty, with open space. They are photos that make you think a bit, dream a bit. This led to my latest project, a book I hope to publish. Back on December 14, 2018, I met with Prince Albert about the possibility of taking photos of the Palace to put together a book of “a Palace that works.” Few people know that there are around 100 staff who proudly work every day at the Palais Princier. Many are local, some second generation, and their families are equally proud they work there. In addition to the chefs and receptionists, these craftspeople specialize in a range of roles: metal workers, electricians, gardeners, upholsterers, gilders, silver cleaners, garage mechanics, plumbers, librarians, butlers, florists, tapestry artists and the Lady in Waiting for Princess Grace who takes care of her clothes that are displayed around the world.

In total, I shot from January 2019 to June 2022, with Covid coming in the middle, and ended up with about 2,000 images of real people. They were all fascinating and the amount of work they do surprised me. To see such a tightly-run organization, I wasn’t expecting that. Everyone was so open and dignified,and it may sound a bit selfi sh but I really try to capture emotions, it’s almost as if it is not me taking the photo but the emotion that takes over and makes the photo happen. It is independent of my being there. At the same time, I want to share the emotion with anyone who looks at my photos to see what I see.

By H.R.H. Prince Michel of Yugoslavia

Senior Contributor