Lisa & Tyrus | Passion in Nice, France
When Lisa contacted me via my web site to inquire about booking a couples photo session in Nice, France, I wrote her right back and tried to answer her questions. But she indicated that as she’d never been to the south of France, she felt a bit wary of giving a stranger her money. No worries, we arranged a Zoom call. We chatted, and what I saw was a beautiful, vibrant, friendly lady on the other side of the screen. Lisa and her husband of 17 years, Tyrus, were taking a cruise along the French Riviera and I was so excited for them. Unfortunately, a little too excited, as I talked non-stop. Lisa, politely smiled, and then booked me.
I got off the phone, embarrassed. Okay, yes, I’m enthusiastic, but sometimes I let my passion get the best of me. I do talk a lot sometimes, and people are often surprised to hear me call myself an introvert. I’m actually extremely introverted, but when sharing my passion for photography and France with others, I turn into a big extrovert.
The morning of our meeting in Nice was sunny and a bit humid. Lisa and Tyrus were already waiting for me, and it was so nice to see them in person. Lisa’s outfit was fire, a hot pink halter jump suit that looked so good on her. She is such a beautiful lady! Tyrus was casual cool and incredibly friendly. When I asked them what they’d enjoyed about their trip so far, Lisa said that she really liked the town of Eze, and oh, they saw Beyoncé and Jay Z in Eze during their trip. Talk about a star sighting! Beyoncé was on tour in Europe, and had recently played to a sold-out audience in Marseille. She had performed during a thunderstorm there, and it rained so hard they had to squeegie the stage to get the water off.
Eze is a beautiful, touristic town in the mountains outside of Nice. It’s a really popular place, so not the best place for Beyoncé and Jay Z to have their anonymity, but Lisa and Tyrus told me they were really classy. This isn’t the reason Lisa liked Eze, but added to the fun factor.
Our first stop was in Old Town Nice. I have certain spots that are filled with color that I adore. This couple, married 17 years, had a passion like no other. You could see it in their eyes and in their interactions together. It was so beautiful to see. They had met when they were both serving in the Army. I could tell Tyrus was still head-over-heels for his wife.
They were so natural together, and Lisa’s gorgeous smile lit up the skies of Nice. Speaking of nice, Tyrus was so friendly that he frequently said “Bonjour” to people we passed. He is definitely someone you’d love to have as your neighbor!
Our next stop was the Colline du Chateau, which we also call Castle Hill. The castle has long since been gone, but this hill, which is also a park, has outstanding viewpoints of the city and marina. The trouble is, the elevator, which whisks you up the steep hill, has been out of service for a very long time. This means, you have to climb at least five sets of steps to get to the top. In hot or humid weather, this can be draining, and I think it got to all three of us, but once on top, wow! I took them to my favorite spot in Nice with the best light. My clients simply look like angels from this spot, and while it’s a bit of work to get up there, I think it’s worth it. Just bring water and take your time!
We were ready to wind down our morning together and discussed a couple of options. Lisa indicated that she really wanted some photos on the beach, so we went beachside. By this time of the morning, the beach was super packed, but we found a little spot and I used a closer angle lens to focus just on Lisa and Tyrus. The beaches in Nice aren’t what you think of when you think of a traditional beach. Instead, the beach is made of large stones called galets. Sitting on the stones isn’t the most comfortable, but you also don’t have sand all over when you get up. Win/win!
It was time to say goodbye, and I was sad. Such a beautiful, friendly, likeable couple, full of love and passion for each other. I am so incredibly thankful to have had the opportunity to photograph this gorgeous couple, and to share in their 17 years of happiness!
Wishing them many more years of love and wonderful times together!
