ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Diane Epstein, M.A. is a fine art and travel photographer specializing in images of Italy and France, and has lived in Italy for almost fifteen years.

Epstein's photographs are exhibited in private collections and prominent venues in Italy and othr parts of the world. Her impressionistic images are transformed into works of art by her original technique of layering multiple photographs — including ancient monuments and crumbling walls. Her black and white and sepia photographs taken in cities such as Rome, Venice, Vienna and Paris have also been displayed worldwide.

Rome architect Fabrizio Magnaghi has chosen Epstein’s large-scale photographs to decorate the lobby and suites of Rome’s newest luxury hotel, Babuino 181, between Piazza del Popolo and Piazza di Spagna, which will open in autumn 2009. Her framed impressionistic, sepia, and color images will be over five feet tall. She will also have a special one-person exhibtion at the American Embassy in Rome in October, 2009.

To view Epstein's fine art photography including the Impressionistic and Roman, Paris, Venice and Vienna Mood galleries visit: www.EpsteinPhotography.com

Epstein's work has previously been exhibited in Rome at the American Academy, John Cabot University, the Residence of the Belgian Ambassador, and the gallery-restaurant adjacent to the Italian Parliament Al Vicario 31; and in Umbria at Il Chiostro Boccarini. Epstein also recently did a photo shoot for the Venice Biennale. Her numerous corporate and private clients have acquired and exhibited her photographs worldwide.

Diane Epstein herself is widely traveled. Born in New York, she moved with her family to California at an early age and then London and Santa Fe, where the light and colors of New Mexico inspired her to become a photographer. Epstein participated in the family business of collecting art and antiques, while photographing the art and culture of Europe and Asia. She moved to Rome in 1995 with her husband and two sons.

Epstein holds a Master of Arts degree in counseling from John F. Kennedy University in northern California. Her in depth experience of counseling and creative coaching has led her to merge that with her passion for photography. Today she accompanies people on photographic journeys in which they explore their own artistic dimension. Participants can take advantage of Epstein’s knowledge of both photography, the creative process, and the hidden treasures of Italy. She also leads workshops and retreats outside of Rome in the Italian countryside.

A NOTE FROM THE PHOTOGRAPHER

"With my camera in tow I often leave my home without a destination. I wander over the stone bridges, through the narrow, crooked streets of Rome until I find myself in a magnificent piazza. While observing everything around me it is as though I have a sixth sense, a new perspective. I become aware of the flush in the woman's face as she hangs her laundry in the window sill above, the golden crack in the fresco wall, the shadow that reflects through the archway in the ancient courtyard, the light that illuminates the fabric on a street artist quietly entertaining people, or the bountiful fruit in the rickety, wooden stands that beg you to partake of its sweet, juicy pleasure. I never thought I could live in a big, bustling city until I came to live in Rome. Perhaps it is the water that keeps me here. It continually flows over the weathered, naked stone, and reaches a part of me that at other times is inaccessible. The arching fountains suddenly appear out of nowhere, appeasing my thirst and filling my spirit. It is always the light and colors -- the burnt apricot, tangerine, corals, and saffrons against the azure sky -- that warm me, that keep me awake and satisfied."