Back on the road again in 2016, Lago di Orta was one of the destinations on a gruelling schedule for a photo shoot for a large international travel company. Who knew the "staff catering" would be this good?
I have always really enjoyed working with photographer Rob Streeter. So, when the opportunity came in the early summer of 2016 to once again produce and art direct a shoot with him in northern Italy for an international travel operator, I jumped at the chance.
The atmosphere on that trip was particularly good, made all the easier by my knowing most of the talent we were working with. That said, just like every other destination shoot schedule that I've worked on with Rob, this was no leisurely jolly and the calls and destinations were numerous and not exactly next door to each other.
We arrived in Orta San Giulio after a pretty long drive from Turin, having already crammed in an earlier morning session. So, the pressure was on to scout the right locations and make sure the shots worked in a limited time. Perhaps it was the sheer beauty of the surrounds, but it was one of those days when every frame fell effortlessly into place.
Lago di Orta is the smallest of northern Italy's glacial lakes in Piedmont and Lombardy. Less famous than the massive Lago Maggiore (yeah, the name's a clue, right?), less developed than Lago di Garda and less star-studded than Lago di Como that conveniently straddles the border with Switzerland for all those Hollywood A-listers in need of a tax haven, Lago di Orta is often referred to as La Cenerentola, the Cinderella of Italy's "finger" lakes. It's pretty apt: this overlooked baby sister is a true beauty that outshines the others.
I think all of us were a little taken aback at the sheer beauty of the place: the shimmering lake with its island, home to a medieval monastery; the crumbling Baroque buildings of Orta San Giulio; the understated grandeur of the green-clad cliffs hugging the shoreline; and the faded elegance of what had once been a renowned lake resort in a time before cheap jet travel.
All of this is probably a reason that none of us noticed how we were crunching through the shots almost effortlessly. Perhaps more importantly, none of the talent had noticed just how boozy the aperitivi supplied by a local establishment actually were. So, by the time we wrapped, some were a little tipsy, not to mention that it was by now edging into the later afternoon and no one had eaten since a rapidly consumed breakfast on the way out of the hotel in Turin to an early call.
It's a good thing that we all agreed to treat ourselves to a proper late lunch at Ai Due Santi, the terrace of which we had commandeered for our shoot and they had clearly already proven themselves capable of mixing a wicked cocktail.
I cannot claim to remember everything ordered by the party of seven for this two-course, in some cases three-course, meal. But, fish, seafood, pasta and tempting puddings, all using traditional regional cooking styles and the best quality ingredients, were all involved in one way or another. Every one of us waddled out of there a happy little diner for the schlep back to Turin.
There's no science behind this, obviously, but observationally I've noticed that you're more likely to experience a lot of chatter on the trip back to base if things haven't gone that well on a shoot. But during those forty or so minutes back to Turin, the people carrier was completely silent save for the occasional giggle or muttered wisecrack in Dutch from the peanut gallery, no doubt lubricated by the very good regional plonk and aperitivi. It was a good day.
All photos (apart from the crappy food snaps) are by Rob Streeter.
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