Final Night in Paris...

That night we went out for all-you-can-eat sushi to celebrate the launching of Ashlynn’s modeling career. She hates this photo, but I think it’s cute since her friends all call her Ash.

After dinner, we finally managed to get a family photo with the twinkling Eiffel Tower making a nice background.

We finished the night with a long walk along the Champs-Elysees to do some window shopping. The next morning, Jimmy and Ashlynn got up early to take a long run around Paris. We had a surprisingly good lunch (considering the location) in the Jardin de Tuileries before making a mad dash to the train station to head home.

Capturing Ashlynn’s Beauty...

Alessandro’s photos were amazing! He did such a great job capturing Ashlynn’s natural beauty. Only remnants were left from the make-up from the morning and her hair was wavy from the braids. She’s wearing her own shirt in the top photo, but the rest were designer clothes that he provided. Of the three shoots, this one was her favorite.

Another Test Shoot in Paris...

After the morning shoot, we took the metro back into the center of Paris and found a sidewalk café for lunch and visited some vintage shops. Veronica headed back, but Jimmy came along to meet the photographer for the final test shoot. We were super impressed with the studio of Alessandro Capoccia, originally from Milan. Ashlynn felt comfortable enough for us to leave; Jimmy went to the hotel and I went to an art museum for a few hours.

I got back in time to see that Ashlynn and Alessandro had moved outside for a few shots--how cool to be shooting alongside a Parisian street.

Unfortunately, never got to see how his outdoor shots turned out.

Parc Floral de Paris...

Across the street from the Chateau de Vincennes was the Parc Floral de Paris. There was no entrance fee, so we wandered around.

There was a cool animal band made out of metal.

We searched for the trombone in honor of my dad, then realized we’d walked right past the cod without realizing it.

We happened upon an international dahlia competition where we saw some really unusual and lovely flowers.

Chateau Vincennes...

While Veronica was taking photos at her sister’s photo shoot, Jimmy and I visited Chateau de Vincennes, built in 1410.

The stained glass and mosaic floor in the cathedral was lovely.

Wisconsin?

Very strange seeing Ashlynn in a Wisconsin sweatshirt, especially since none of us have ever even been there.

A bit scary how angry Ashlynn can look when she tries.

Plaits and Conkers...

After the first few shots, Celia braided Ashlynn’s hair.

Here is one of Veronica’s behind-the-scene shots.

This is definitely the look of a moody teenager.

Another behind-the-scene shot as Ashlynn throws some conkers (horse chestnuts).

Sweet young thing!

A Test Shoot in Eastern Paris...

The following day we headed out early for a 10 a.m. appointment for another test shoot.

We met the 22-year-old French photographer Iseut Vertie and make-up artist Celia on the grounds of Chateau Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris. Ashlynn had never had her make-up done before, so this was a special treat. I was relieved that IMG had requested that the make-up be very natural and I thought Celia did a great job.

Veronica had asked permission to tag along and watch the shoot, while Jimmy and I did some sightseeing. 

I love this shot, although it wasn’t chosen to be in her portfolio.

Apparently Iseut loved it too as she chose it for her homepage of her website. 

Once again, we brought clothes along, but Iseut had brought clothes borrowed from a vintage shop.

More Test Shoot Photos...

At one point, Alexandre and Ashlynn walked over to a park in the neighborhood to grab a couple of more casual shots. Forgot to ask him if he knew in advance that she was American or if the flag was just a coincidence.

Ashlynn’s First Test Shoot...

Ashlynn’s first test shoot was with Alexandre Hertoghe, a Belgian raised in Paris. The three-hour shoot was in his apartment, so I stayed and read a magazine while Ashlynn changed clothes and locations around the room. I also took a few behind-the-scenes shots.

We had brought clothes and make-up with us, but Alexandre preferred Ashlynn to wear that he provided without any make-up. It’s amazing to see how different she looks in the shots.

She wasn’t too keen on these boyish shots, but IMG chose this one for the first picture in her portfolio.

I took this one to show just how many Vogue magazines were stacked for the shot below.

Visiting IMG Paris...

Ashlynn was all smiles when we arrived at IMG Models in Paris on September 4. It was hard to believe that she was actually on her way to becoming an IMG Girl. While it would take another three weeks to iron out the details of the contract via email, it was a productive meeting with Jeni Rose and Ashlynn’s manager Franziska Rudolph.

Although this isn’t the most flattering image, here is Ashlynn in the metro on her way to her first ever test shoot. A new-model test shoot is a fashion shoot in order for a model to acquire images for her portfolio. In some cases, the photographer will volunteer his or her services in order to build their own portfolio; in other cases, the photographer will charge the model (or in our case, charge IMG thus creating a debt for Ashlynn to work off).

Back in Paris...

I was a bit startled when I saw that the hotel I’d chosen in Paris had not one, but had two sex shops directly across the street. Luckily, the rest of the neighborhood was not at all seedy with lots of great shops and restaurants. It really was an ideal location, which had a big influence on how much more I enjoyed this visit over previous ones.

The Hotel du Triangle d’Or was a really cool boutique hotel with a music theme. The closets were especially creative as they were made to look like equipment cases for bands.

Ashlynn liked sitting in the windowsill.

While Jimmy and Veronica had been in Paris in December 2013, Ashlynn and I hadn’t visited since December 2008. Our summer plans hadn’t originally included Paris, but after IMG showed interest in Ashlynn, it made sense to make a detour.

We spent our first afternoon exploring from our hotel, which included walking around Montmartre, seeing just a hint of Sacre Coeur.

Sisters in Converse in Paris