Lionel & Claire
Lionel and Claire first met in 2006. Neither of them suspected at the time that the meeting would eventually lead to a life together in a French château, though in retrospect it fits rather well with their shared tendency to take slightly unconventional turns.
By then Lionel had already lived what could politely be described as a glamorous professional life. For more than twenty years he worked as a Buckingham Palace accredited freelance photographer covering the British Royal Family, travelling across the world to document state visits, tours and the strange theatre that surrounds monarchy. Much of that time was spent photographing the Prince and Princess of Wales — Charles and Diana — during what he still refers to, with a wry smile, as “the years that mattered.”
His photographs were published in virtually every major magazine around the world — from Paris Match and Life to countless international titles — and have appeared in numerous books chronicling that extraordinary period of royal history. His work was twice recognised with the Martini Royal Photographic Award, at the time one of the most respected honours within his profession.
Claire arrived in Lionel’s life from a very different direction. Originally from Plymouth in England, she trained as a photographer at Falmouth College of Arts in Cornwall and developed a particular sensitivity for portraiture and landscape. Her eye tends towards atmosphere and story rather than spectacle, something that has served her well throughout her career.
Together they went on to build Nousha Photography in London, a celebrated children’s portrait studio known for its elegant black-and-white imagery and its rather patient approach to photographing small humans who had not necessarily planned on sitting still. For eleven years they worked side by side as creative directors and lead photographers, quietly photographing thousands of families while refining a shared aesthetic that balanced classic craftsmanship with a touch of irreverence.
Life eventually steered them towards an entirely different adventure: Château de La Vergne in rural France. There they now document the ongoing restoration of their rather opinionated home through their YouTube series Our Château Life, combining renovation, storytelling and the occasional moment of mild chaos.
Away from cameras and crumbling plasterwork, their tastes remain reassuringly simple. Claire’s favourite colour is a decidedly optimistic pinky-purple, while Lionel remains loyal to navy blue. Claire believes that cake is not merely a food group but a philosophy of life. Lionel, on the other hand, maintains a lifelong devotion to Hungarian winter salami. Claire cannot function without English breakfast tea, preferably in alarming quantities.
These days they rarely frequent Michelin-starred restaurants. Instead, they spend their time searching for something they consider far more satisfying: authentic, honest food — par excellence.