Discover Belmond’s Photobooks
Inspired by Belmond’s one-of-a-kind hotels and destinations, ‘As Seen By’ is an collection of collectible photobooks with Parisian publisher RVB.
Photography has always been a mainstay of Belmond’s cultural passions, allowing us to work closely with talented imagemakers from around the world to bring our properties, destinations and communities to life.
We invited some of the most talented and distinctive photographers to travel to Belmond destinations around the world as part of our Belmond Legends advertising campaign – from Brazil to South Africa to the Caribbean. These commissions created a unique body of photographic work that form a bold partnership with renowned Parisian publisher RVB.
This collection of ‘As Seen By’ photobooks expand on the photographers’ original take on their chosen destination, giving a more in-depth and intimate experience of each place. Printed in Venice and bound with a cloth cover that graphically interprets each destination, the books are the start of an ongoing collectible series. These six books have been created in collaboration with photographers Colin Dodgson, Coco Capitán, Rosie Marks, Letizia Le Fur, Thomas Rousset and Stefanie Moshammer – discover more below.
Andean Explorer
As Seen By Colin Dodgson
A journey on the Andean Explorer is one of elevation, an ascent to a higher state, where the earth’s pulse aligns with your own. It was from this sun-kissed vantage point that acclaimed photographer Colin Dodgson embarked on a mission to capture the evolving majesty of Peru. His work, typified by a sense of serenity, often explores the delicate balance between past and future, stillness and motion. Through his lens, Dodgson captures the essence of the legendary train; the profound sense of transformation that guests experience and connection to place that this extraordinary voyage inspires.
Eastern & Oriental Express
As Seen By Stefanie Moshammer
Stefanie Moshammer captured the beauty of the unique Eastern & Oriental Express as it wound through breathtaking Malaysian landscapes. Her work explores stereotypes and cultural myths, offering nuanced and personal perspectives on different places and subjects. Combining fictional and subjective narratives with a research-led approach, her projects reveal themes of social dynamics and human relationships, each time reflecting a fresh, personal approach that is original and unexpected. She combines a variety of visual elements such as stills from short films shot with an iPhone and screenshots of found images that are then cropped, blurred or pixelated to create a dreamlike quality and a sense of timelessness.
Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons
As Seen By Thomas Rousset
Credit: Thomas Rousset for Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons
Thomas Rousset’s irreverent approach made him the perfect choice to showcase the extraordinary stories that lie behind Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, our country manor in Oxfordshire. Firstly, he drew on his own imagination of the luxurious lifestyle of the English aristocracy. Secondly, he was influenced “by the unreal, fantastical aspect” of the countryside lifestyle as depicted in old British films. By placing ordinary objects and figures in bizarre, dreamlike contexts, he disrupts the viewers’ sense of reality, prompting them to reflect on what they are seeing.
Venice Simplon-Orient-Express
As Seen By Coco Capitán
Credit: Coco Capitán, 'The minute you have a minute you run under the rain,' 2022. Courtesy of Coco Capitán Studio
Known for her playful eye and hand-scrawled musings, Capitán tapped into a life-long love of trains for her project aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express . Having been obsessed with the golden age of travel since childhood – harking back to a time when people roamed the world by sea and rail rather than jet engine – Capitán set about showing these hallowed 1920s carriages in a new light. Inviting a group of close friends on the journey with her, as well as embracing the staff and stewards of the train itself, the result is a riotous melee that blurs the boundaries between fact and fiction.
Mount Nelson
As Seen By Rosie Marks
Credit: Rosie Marks, 'Nellie', 2023. Courtesy of Rose Marks
Marks’ signature style of bold colours and even bolder characters was a perfect fit for ‘The Nellie’, as Mount Nelson is affectionately known by Cape Town locals. Immediately honing in on the hotel staff as her heroes and heroines, Marks joined them in their daily rituals – from morning prayer circles to evening turn downs – resulting in a body of work that celebrates the people who make Mount Nelson tick. The backdrop to this human story is the blush pink of The Nellie herself, all framed by the towering majesty of cloud-caped Table Mountain.
Caruso
As Seen By Letizia Le Fur
Credit: Letizia Le Fur, 'Caruso 038,' 2024. Courtesy of Letizia Le Fur
LeFur’s colour palette of hyper-saturated hues and densely collaged vistas brought out a side of the Amalfi Coast rarely seen in print. Her work seems to hover somewhere between Renaissance painting and futuristic hologram, managing to effortless bridge the timeless and modern in a single composition. This is only appropriate for Caruso – a millennia old palace perched improbably between sky and sea on the clifftops of Ravello.
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