Portofino

Over two millennia, Portofino has transitioned from a strategic Roman natural harbour into a secluded fishing village before evolving into a playground for the world’s elite and the ultimate symbol of La Dolce Vita.

The village’s over exposure presents challenges to artists reluctant to do what has been done before; there is no marketplace for pretty pictures of Portofino because its aesthetic splendour is a known known. There are locations in town so trampled by camera-wielding photographers from all nations that the stone underneath looks unusually worn.

I knew Portofino from many years ago – a time before “influencers” were invented and when the famous Splendido Hotel would set you back $500 a night, not $5000. It was always clear to me that the best time to photograph in town was at first light as no one was around and the sunlight would creep into the harbour in a way that could facilitate the storyteller. There has always been a rather magical 20-minute period in Portofino and in the summer, it happens when most people are asleep.

The local police permitted us to bring ​the famous 1955 Ferrari 121LM into what is normally a car-free destination. This is a rock star car in the history of motor racing and a record holder in the Mille Miglia. For an artist looking to be fresh, this is an Olympic gold of a prop.

As always, I needed to build a story, so we brought in a 1955 clad driver and the American supermodel and TV star, Brooks Nadar, who is always both theatrical and uninhibited. Meanwhile, we always commandeered a local fisherman to give a nod to the community’s timeless charm.

My goal was always for my frame to include the hilltop villas of Portofino as well as the celebrated harbour town houses as it is the amphitheatre that makes the town so special. I knew the car’s position would require me working from a boat, otherwise I just could not pull the intended composition together. But I took heart from that as I think we broke some fresh ground that day and I think we were wrapped before 6.30 am. The early bird catches the worm.