Jamie Beck: An American in Provence

A Chat with Jamie Beck

Have you ever dreamt of packing up your life to move to the sea of lavender fields of Provence? This story of an American photographer finding home in the French countryside is one we just had to share!

After a successful career in New York City, with her own commercial photography studio shooting for the biggest names such as Chanel, Cartier and Harper’s Bazaar, Jamie Beck reinvented her art in the countryside of Provence. Along the way, she’s shared precious moments of daily life, from moving to France to giving birth to her daughter Eloise, on her mesmerizing instagram @jamiebeck.co. Think still-life floral photography, walks in the marché (market) and little Eloise’s adventures!

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A New Book!

Her very first book An American in Provence is due for release on November 8, 2022 and we’re excited to be offering it at Les Fleurs! Filled with essays of her experience living in Provence, delicious French recipes and stunning photography, the book promises to take readers on a visual trip through the South of France. See details below to pre-order a signed copy of the book.

In the meantime, Jamie has given us a treat, answering our questions about her journey!

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Walk us through the early days of your photography career; Who was the New York City Jamie Beck, and how did she find herself in Provence? Did you ever see yourself living in France or another country?

When I was a New Yorker, I was completely committed to the New York way of life: fast paced, completely work focused. I ran a commercial photography studio downtown and after a long day of photo shoots or photo-editing, I would spend the evenings out at brand dinners or networking events. It was a wonderful time in my life of growth and professional lessons in an era where I had the energy and drive to discover all that I could in a city with endless possibilities. I'm thankful for my time in New York but looking back now after living in France for six years, I see how unsustainable my lifestyle was there and the imbalances that ultimately led me to leave New York for France.

I didn't know it at the time and did not have plans to move to France, but it was on a turbulent flight I was fearful would crash that I heard a voice inside my head say "Great, now I'll never know what it's like to live in France." When I heard myself think that, I realized there is more to life than New York that I desired to know, experience and understand. I didn't question my gut in that moment, I just thought to myself, “wow, if that's my dying thought, I should probably go and do that then.” And one month later I had packed up my New York City apartment into storage, sold all my studio equipment, and had a new French visa and one-way ticket into the life I have yet to stop living.

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Of course, we must ask: what are your favorite things about Provence?

Everything! It is absolutely an enchanting place, one that I often refer to as The Garden of Eden! The seasonality might perhaps be the thing that I love the most. Seasonality touches every aspect of your life here and a lot of that has to do with living a slower pace of life and choosing to live within the seasons, from what you serve on the terrace in summer to building fires to keep warm in the winter. I live in a village in which most days I walk through town, through the seasons, to do my daily errands. On Saturday and Tuesday, the markets come which brings familiar friendly faces and delightful table spreads of harvested flowers, fruits and vegetables from nearby farms at the peak of season. It's a simpler way of life which allows one to ease into being present, a presence in observation of four perfect seasons and what that harmony brings to the circle of life.

Since moving to France, you’ve welcomed little Eloise into the world! What has been the most enjoyable part of watching her grow up in France?

Eloise's French accent might be one of the greatest joys to raising a child in a foreign country. It's incredible to listen to her speak perfect American English and then switch effortlessly into perfect French with the local accent! I'm actually quite jealous of her language skills! She'll never know the struggle that my husband Kevin and I have, trying to pronounce words like a French person.

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Congratulations on your new book! You’ve previously shared your artwork and passion for France in many different ways: gallery expositions, social media, prints and products with your artwork. How was this project different?

Creating a book was on one hand the hardest thing I have ever done and yet, on the other, the most rewarding. I learned a lot of lessons: from the business of publications and all that happens behind the scenes in order to create books, to lessons in personal growth and understanding what I'm capable of.

There were times when the book was so overwhelming, I thought it to be impossible! I had to stop thinking about everything I needed to do to finish it; Instead, I would visualize a mountain and think to myself, “ok, I'm just going to try to walk up this much today,” knowing eventually I would look up and find myself at the top. I have to say it's so different from anything else I've ever done because it's not immediate. There are also no social aspects where I feel a sense of community support around what I'm creating, which is the case with my daily social media-based art projects and exhibitions.

I felt very alone in a void of silence the year I spent writing this book, which carries within its pages, six years of photographic works from Provence.

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The cover is stunning! All of your work evokes special moments in time. What is the story behind this picture?

The day I took this photograph I knew in my heart it would one day be the cover of my book, a book I hadn't even conceived yet! To create this self-portrait, before I had a car in Provence, I rode my bike by this poppy field for three days waiting for just the right light and clouds. When this day in May arrived, everything was perfect. I first photographed the entire landscape without me in it, setting my camera to a tripod in order to stitch together the final image. The flick of my skirt is actually a separate photograph from my body pose! I call this part of my process, creating plates. The photographic plates are then cut out and combined into one master composition. What makes this image especially meaningful to me, and why it is the cover of my book An American in Provence is that it is true visual storytelling of the title of the book in photographic form. I am an American tiptoeing into the Provencal landscape. The three main colors of the photograph are red, white and blue, the colors of both the French and American flags, a blending of the two cultures. What nobody knows is that I was also pregnant with Eloise in this photograph, which is evidence of both the impact moving to Provence had on my life and the roots I planted for the future in this magical terroir.

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Photos by Jamie Beck

Thank you to Jamie Beck for taking the time to share her story. If you’re intrigued and would love to learn more, you can order a signed copy of her book below.

xoxo,
The Fleurettes