The Colours of Marrakesh

I am loving wondering around the shops in the medina, getting lost in the little alley ways, the sounds, the sights , the smells.
No big camera with me here. They do not want to be photographed.
I slip my little Sony Cyber Shot from my pocket and snap at the objects along the way. No body seems to mind.
I see a wall of postcards and yearn to photograph the eyes staring at me.
I am haunted by am image that I saw at a museum of a woman taken many years ago.
Now she is looking at my camera, caught on a wall, as she watches the tourists walk by.

Blair and Pete get married

Finally the magazine is out and i can post more of the photos from this wedding. I was so excited to hear that Blair and Pete were going to get married in Bermuda. It was a perfect choice for this hard working, jet setting couple. Blair, who is the Director of Media Relations at Cartier certainly knows a few thing about organizing events and with the help of the wonderful staff at Tucker's Point Hotel, she managed all of the details her self. The beautiful invitations and the jewelry came from Cartier. She chose to have 3 wedding bands circled with diamonds in white, yellow and pink gold and her husband a traditional single band. The engraving in the rings was so beautiful. After the wedding on the croquet lawn the guests were transported to the beach club where dinner was served under a full moon. Later cake and dancing were enjoyed by the pool.To see the slide show go to http://www.julieskarratt.com/blairandpetewedding/ or click on the link to the right.

St Barths

Don't we all wish we were in St Barths right now. I just got the new issue of Town & Country and was so happy to see Ana and AJ's wedding. It reminded me just how wonderful that tiny little island is.

July Town & Country

I love getting the new issues of Town & Country Magazine but this month was really special for me.
I had 3 party pages at the front and then a portrait of Sheryl WuDunn that I shot at my home a few months ago. Sheryl is one of the world's foremost voices demanding better treatment for women. If you get a chance read her book Half the Sky. I could not put it down.
Then there was the portrait of Lauren Bush and her business partner Jacqueline Ytuarta that I photographed in Lauren's Apartment-design studio. I have to thank Mary Shanahan who is the creative Director at Town & Country. She found the time to make it to both shoots and her support and input were invaluable.
Then last but not least I turned to the wedding pages and there were Arjun and Tamara who's wedding I shot at the Essex House in January with the help of organiser extrodinaire James Abel.
So I hope you pick up a copy at the news stand and help keep magazines alive while enjoying flipping through the pages.

Roger Waters performs

The lucky crowd at the Waldorf ballroom who had gathered for the Rita Hayworth Gala to benefit Alzheimer's research was treated to a phenomenal performance by Roger Waters. After he sang he donated his guitar for the silent auction.
I had to smile when I found myself beside him and Brooke Shields after he came off stage. He waged his finger at her and asked how she had grown so tall. Her reply was 6 inch heels! At that they turned and asked me to snap a photo. First Roger bent his knees to show how tall Brooke was and then stood on tip toes. They were both all giggles.
To see more photos you can click here Julie Skarratt Photography and click on View Your Event

Rita Hayworth Gala

This years Rita Hayworth Gala was a festive event. With Princess Yasmin Aga Khan leading the way the guests bid on a silent auction and then had dinner in the Ballroom of the Warldorf. To see more photos you can click here Julie Skarratt Photography and click on View Your Event

Life is a walk in the park

This morning on my way to work I walked across Central Park to go and make my yearly pilgrimage to see the tulip magnolia trees in front of the Frick in full bloom. To be honest I have visited them every day for the last week waiting until they were perfect

On the way I visited a few other of my favorite trees and smiled at the squirrels. I thought about when I used to spend hours climbing in the big old camphor laurel tree that stood in front of the house I grew up in in. We don't have squirrels in Australia but at night the old tree became the playground for all the local possums.

The Cat on a Hat, An Easter Day Parade

It was freezing on Sunday morning but luckily the sky was blue. With an extra warm scarf and gloves I headed out to 5th Ave to see if there would be any early birds at the parade. The first person had a cat on his head (to keep him warm I am sure)
There were babes, bunnies, divas and dogs and lots of tourists. I think the whole of Montreal had come to visit our beautiful City. Of course Bill Cuningham was there quietly snapping away. I always know I am in the right place at the right time when I see him and his camera.

Who ate the Easter Bunny?

Today I went to buy my rabbit a sister but they were all gone

Mostly Modern

Where do you take a chef out to celebrate on her night off? Last year just after she set up her new catering company, Miss Reingold Catering, my friend Rachel Mulcahy helped me close on my new apartment. Now she works double time as a lawyer by day and a chef by night. I wanted the night to be delicious and fun and so we went to my most favorite restaurant in NYC, The Modern. Her husband Brian works close by and although they had been to the bar after visiting MOMA they had never eaten in the main dinning room.

You have to love Rachel and her flair for things. She arrived in the perfect Diane von Furstenberg dress that must have been inspired by a Mondrian Painting.


The food was delicious from the cucumber panna cotta to the white asparagus with morrels, There were escargot wrapped in crispy potato, wild salmon with celeriac puree, chorizo crusted sea bass and for desert a pineapple plate, a lemon napoleon and a chocolate tart. We all happily argued over who's meal was the best.



And don't think that is the end because as we were leaving we were all handed a little gift bag. This morning the memories lingered on as I cut into the lemon cake.


Did you ever eat in a Danny Meyer establishment that you didn't love? Not me!

The Adventurous Rabbit

I woke up yesterday with out a plan and nothing to do. This was a very dangerous situation and could have meant a day in bed doing nothing. I knew it was going to be warm and beautiful so I had to come up with an idea. With just one week until Easter, I thought I would go and find myself and Easter Bunny and take him on a tour of NYC.
I went down the street to the nearest store and there was my rabbit waiting for me. I nearly got arrested when the shop assistant caught me photographing the beginnings of what was going to be a fabulous day. The following photos are not really in order but see how many places you can recognise! I took over 800 photos and we didn't get home till after 9pm.








Thanks for looking!

Match making Grannies Unite

This morning on their way to the gym newly engaged Hannah and Lee popped in to see my wedding pictures. The 2 met when their grandmothers got together and decided to do a little match making. I guess you could say it is an arranged marriage! They told me how Lee is afraid of being photographed. I love to hear that. I know it is worse than getting teeth pulled. My solution was to pull out my camera. They didn't have time to think. If they were nervous it didn't show. No hair and makeup or worrying about what to wear, they just look great together. Go Grannies go!

Showers and Flowers

They say April showers bring the flowers so this morning I headed out into the rain to visit the Shakespeare Garden below Belvedere Castle in Central Park. Apart for a dog walker and a jogger or two the only other people I saw were a young couple visiting from San Diego.



I love the tulip magnolia trees. There are a few near the Boat House but my favorite are the ones in front of the Frick Museum on 5th Ave.

Henry Street is our Street

Last night just as I was leaving the studio to go shoot the Henry Street Settlement Gala at the Plaza it started to pour. With no umbrella I stood on the corner of 18th and 9th willing a taxi to come by and rescue me. Luckily before I was completely drenched a knight in shining yellow armor arrived to save me.



One of the first couples to arrive was Harry and Laura Slatkin who I found making certain their table was perfect. It was Laura who organized the first Henry Street Benefit over 15 years ago and in the process she met and married Harry.



The Mayor came to make a speech and to commend everyone on their hard work helping to raise money for such an important organization in the city.



This years honoree was Tatiana von Furstenberg the actress/writer/director/musician/renaissance woman who is herself a resident of the Lower East Side. After the dinner she was the first one up to dance.



A special thanks to Jill Fairchild who somehow convinced the food captain to find a meal for me and Joe

For more images please go to www.julieskarratt.com and click on View your event.

Who's That Girl?

Last week was a little crazy. Before I went to the Museum of Natural History I made a quick stop at Cartier to photograph a party for the launch of their new Luxury Eye Wear. I could not resist photographing the model with the latest and greatest Cartier bag. I could fit my entire life into it.
Did I mention the glasses? They were cool too!

The Museum of Natural History Ball goes Green

This year The Museum of Natural History went eco friendly. Large cardboard light shades lit the room as soy candles added a sparkle to the tables. Maggie Betts was the birthday Girl and wore a party hat to prove it. As I was dashing across the floor to photograph Maggie, I did the unthinkable. Suddenly my feet were flying in the air and I fell plop on the ground. Somehow my camera survived and so did I. The moral to the story is no heels for Julie!



After dinner, the party moved down stairs to Cullman Hall where Harley Viera Newton spun dance tunes and I ate two too many of the little desserts on the dessert table. One of the things about running from party to party is there is no time to eat.
Milla Jovich looked amazing in dark red velvet and wore Jewels by Cartier, Byrdie Bell was dressed in Temperly London with the highest sexiest black boots above her knees, Veronica Webb was all smiles, and only Anne Vyalitsyna could get away with wearing a jumpsuit. Opps did I say Jumpsuit! What does one call an all in one garment that stars with pants at the bottom and ends with a one shouldered top???? Please let me know!

Inspiration

Last month I made my first trip to Peru and went up to Machu Picchu to explore the ruins. At the bottom of the hill tucked into the mountain is the Inkatera Machu Picchu Hotel. This eco friendly hotel was divine from the beautiful room to the fabulous food. The greatest treasure however was the orchid garden. Armed with a magnifier and the hotel guide I spent 2 hours discovering the beauty of these tiny flowers many of which were no larger than a quarter

THE METROPOLITAN OPERA TURNS 125

Last night was the most exceptional evening at the Met. The stars were as many on stage as in the audience but the brightest of all had to be Mercedes Bass, the Gala Chiarman.
Placido sang 4 times in recreations of classic productions from the company's history signaling his 4 decades with the Met. The evening also included the amazing voices of Renee Flemming, Juan Diego Florez, Deborah Voight and Natalie Dessay just to name a few.
I was kept busy as guests arrived in waves. Claire Danes was gracefully elegant in a blue silk gown, Parker Posey wore purple, Brooke Shields wore black, Ginnifer Goodwin wore a colored chiffon number, Amber Rose was bright in white, Becki Newton wore a green sequin dress while the men looked charming in their tuxes.
After the performance the guests went to the tent where David Stark had worked his magic. Banner's that were inspired from the original programs hung from the ceiling and also covered the masses of candles on every table. Red roses accented the room in small posies scattered between the candles.
In keeping with the times Mrs Bass chose a simple yet delicious meal for the evening. The guests started with salad followed by meat loaf and then instead of dessert, trays of petit fours were passed. It was after midnight as the guests were leaving, Mrs Bass and Renee Fleming found a quiet corner for a private moment to chat about their passion for the Met.
Tent by David Stark

The Museum Of the City of New York Spring Gala

There is nothing better than rushing home after a day in the office and changing into my shiny blue suit, brushing my hair and putting on a dab of lipstick if time permits. Last night was no exception. I had somewhere other than in front of my TV to be.

My camera was ready by the time the taxi arrived at the Museum of the City of New York for their Spring Ball.



This year's dazzling sponsors were Leviev and Versace and with the help of 610 guests the Gala raised over $470,000. It is hard to believe we are in a recession when in the company of such well clad folks although this day the dow was up over 300 points. Maybe that is why the hem lines are on the rise.

Thanks to Mark Gilbertson who was the Mighty Might of the night, Susan Henshaw Jones, the Museum's President and Director and Jerry Gallagher who made everyone's vision a reality along with the entire staff of the museum.

The Event was catered by the Abigail Kirsch and a big thanks to Karl, who found me a delicious plate of food in the temporary kitchen. Please no body tell Mark I actually sat down for 10 minutes! As I was leaving he caught me and ran me round making sure no one was missed.

To view all the photos please go to my website www.julieskarratt.com and click View Your Event

School of American Ballet Winter Gala 3/09/09

Last night was the School of American Ballet Winter Gala. I arrived at 6.45pm only to discover I was late. So much for the 7pm call time. It seems the people at the School of American Ballet like to be early. The guests arrived in droves and happily sipped on cocktails. When it was time to go up stairs I made a wild dash to beat the crowd so that I could take a photo of the space. Glorious Food served the dinner that started with Salmon Napoleon, followed by Lamb Stew and ended with a heavenly Chocolate Cake. Thanks to the School staff who found me a seat. After dinner we were graced with a performance by students. It was so beautiful to see all the children on stage. Sarah Jessica Parker lead the list of stars that attended and I am happy to report that they raised over $700,000. That makes it their most successful Gala to date.