Frederic Neema Photography

Today marks the 25th anniversary of the death of French president Francois Mitterrand. He was very sick and dying from cancer but wanted to have one last private trip to Aswan in Egypt. I was with the photo agency Sygma at that time and they sent me there to cover his visit. It was in December 1995, Christmas time. I booked a room at the Old Cataract hotel, the same one he was staying at with his His daughter, Mazarine Pingeot, and his entourage and security. ... Other journalists who came to cover the event were also staying at the same hotel. We were all waiting for a photo opportunity but he was not coming out of his suite. After a few days of waiting, I wrote the president a note, explaining that I was a French photojournalist stuck in the hotel and could not go back to my family for Christmas until I had taken pictures of him. I added that I saw his daughter with her boyfriend in a boat on the Nile River by the hotel but I did not take any picture because I was a not a paparazzi. I asked if he would give me a few minutes of his time to photograph him. I gave the note to one member of his secret service who was guarding the stairs leading to his suite. I was pretty sure that it was not going to work but I had to try. That same afternoon, someone came down the stairs and called my name. He said that the president received my note and was open to the idea. How long do you need? I answered, as long or as short as he wants. As I was speaking to the officer, I saw Mitterrand coming down the stairs and approaching us. He was so pale and looked so sick. He was wearing make-up to give some colors to his face . What do you want to do? the president asked me. I answered that it would be great to have him pose by the Nile River. He turned to his aide and asked if this was possible. The answer was yes, so we all climbed into a motorcade that took us to the river bank which was very close. Once there, he was very cooperative but could not do much as he was very weak. He just stood there, arms hanging and trying to smile. I asked him to look at me then away at the river and that was it. My time was up but I already knew that was the maximum he could physically give. We went back to the hotel and I rushed to the airport to send my films back to my agency in Paris. He died a short while later. #Mitterrand #photojournalists #Egypt #Aswan

Italian-born French fashion designer Pierre Cardin died at the age of 98. He pioneered the designer licensing business by putting his name on a large variety of products including perfumes, watches, cigarettes and even frying pans. The last time I photographed him was in front of the Sphinx in Egypt in 1992 for the promotion of a new perfume, Enigme. He was accompanied by a group of French models and we all ended up at the restaurant for a memorable meal. I was sitting next ...to him and still remember the conversation we had. He was the first European designer to see the potential of the Chinese market and some of his actions, like the opening of the high end Maxim's restaurant in Beijing and operating it at a loss, were done primarly to establish his brand. Years, later, the results proved him right. #pierrecardin #fashion #marketing #branding #business #luxury #brands

French baker and pastry chef Gontran Cherrier, a well-known cookbook author and TV host of La Meilleure Boulangerie de France, poses inside the Marais Bakery in San Francisco. Cherrier, a fourth generation baker, worked with Michelin-star restaurants. He has stores in France and Asia that offer French classics created with local ingredients. San Francisco is his first store in the US.

The East Brother Light Station is a Bed & Breakfast Inn in a restored Californian Victorian Lighthouse located on a tiny island in the strait separating San Francisco and San Pablo Bays. It has been closed for months because ot the COVID-19 pandemic. Their website is at https://www.ebls.org East Brother Light Station

I recently passed the test to become a COVID-19 Certified Compliance Officer. My goal was to understand and learn the protocols and guidelines to ensure maximum safety in my studio or on location to protect clients, crew, talents and myself .Health and safety are very important issues during this very challenging time but we will all prevail if we just follow strict and simple rules.

A recent photo shoot with Art Historian Elodie Vidal Masson in San Francisco.