Advertisement

The Big Picture – Portofino's hotels have reopened for summer

The Belmond Hotel Splendido has now reopened for summer - Stuart Cantor
The Belmond Hotel Splendido has now reopened for summer - Stuart Cantor

The Belmond Hotel Splendido is once again welcoming guests

There’s an old-world glamour to Stuart Cantor’s photographs that has prompted comparisons with Slim Aarons. His pictures capture not just the light but the romance of the Mediterranean’s most vividly beautiful coasts, the great and the graceful lounging poolside in its most chic seaside hideaways – Capri, Ibiza, the Amalfi Coast and, here, the Italian Riviera.

It’s a comparison he shrugs off modestly. “I’m not trying to replicate Slim Aarons. That aesthetic was very much of its time, but everyone sees things differently.” His images have a similarly timeless, filmic quality, but in fact, the Melbourne-based photographer, who shoots on digital, has only been taking pictures professionally for the last few years, previously working in property development and seeking a lifestyle that allowed him the freedom to travel.

His new series is Portofino Paradiso, featuring this shot (pictured) of the Belmond Hotel Splendido (belmond.com), which has reopened for summer 2020.

“The Splendido is one of those places where film stars and royalty have been going for generations, since it was converted from a monastery into a hotel at the start of the 20th century,” says Cantor. “This is the view from the hotel which will trigger memories for anyone who has stayed there – looking out over its terraces like the Hanging Gardens of Babylon built into the rock, down to the sea, and across Portofino Harbour to Castello Brown.

“I’m drawn to classic, iconic locations. Portofino and that stretch of the Italian Riviera is this perfect version of Italy – it’s like a movie set. I loved exploring the area on a Vespa, and I was blown away by it all – the pastel-coloured villas and the extraordinary views over the harbour, which was dotted with tall sailing boats and superyachts. As soon as I can travel again I want to return to Italy – to the lakes, and the Alps, all the way down to the south.”

Stuart Cantor’s Portofino Paradiso series is available to buy in large-format prints at stuartcantorphotography.com