Michael Grecco's Summer Vacation

9/2/2014

Intro by Skip Cohen

I've talked a lot about the diversity of Panasonic's LUMIX Luminaries in every guest post here in Luminary Corner. It's an amazing group of talented artists.

Well, meet Michael Grecco, who's work many of you already know. As an award-winning commercial photographer and film director, Michael's work has been featured just about everywhere and that's not an exaggeration. His client list is a virtual who's who with Esquire, Time, Pfizer, GE, HBO, ABC, NBC/Universal and ESPN, just to name a few.

What I love about today's post, which is very different from what's normally shared, is a quick look at the personal side of Michael's life as he spends a little time with his daughter, LUMIX camera and his cell phone in hand. Seriously, how many of you did something special this summer? Yet, without that old assignment from when you were a kid, "What I did last summer..." to write, the memories are close to being forgotten.

You're going to be hearing a lot more with Michael and we'll be sharing more of his images, but best of all is his philosophy...

"I go out every day with the intention of breaking visual rules,
to create an evocative cinematic image that inspires."

What better way to demonstrate that philosophy than with Panasonic's LUMIX line of cameras! To see more of Michael's work visit his website and also his blog!

Captured with the GH4

by Michael Grecco

One of my favorite things to do in the world is to take my daughter, Sophia, on vacation with me. It's our ‘father-daughter’ thing to do and every year we go to Europe on a food excursion. You see, I taught Sophia to cook, as our ‘father-daughter’ activity when she was 9.

Captured with the GH4

...and in France, captured with the GH4

I showed her how to use a knife properly, explained about spices and how they change at different points in the cooking process, reductions, etc. I taught her everything I know about food types, which was Chinese, Thai, Japanese, French and much Italian cooking. She is now 17 and a fabulous chef. She has well surpassed my skills as a cook; the basics taught to me by my Italian mother and grandmother.

So when Sophia asked me a few years ago to come with her to France, to explore the food of the country, I was thrilled. We have made this our annual excursion - usually adding a week to my trip to the Arles Photo festival - eating with my big girl around France.

This year she wanted to go somewhere different. Being half Italian and enjoying cooking in her family heritage (and boy, is she good), she naturally wanted to try Italy. So we ate and shopped our way around Italy and France, with the help of my friend Gill. We had a particularly good time. The Arles festival was not the best this year, but the time we all had could not be beat!