LIVING
LIFE IS LIVED IN TECHNICOLOUR FOR CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER BEN WATTS AND HIS FAMILY WORDS ALEXANDRA CARLTON PHOTOGRAPHY RAEGAN GLAZNER
P A SN PY! P A H “Montauk’s a surfer town, so you get a lot of people in the arts living around here,” says photographer Ben Watts of the two-storey Cape Codstyle holiday home that he shares with partner Jeanann Williams and daughter Ruby.
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STRAP Ben, Jeanann and baby Ruby take an opportunity to relax at their holiday home.
“Every time we have a friend over it turns into 20,” says Jeanann.
“I love bright, loud colour, colourful walls, colourful language and colourful people,” grins photographer Ben Watts, 42, referring particularly to his colour-punched, beachside summer house in Montauk, in upper New York State’s Hamptons. It’s hardly surprising, given the British-born brother of actress Naomi Watts makes a living capturing the world’s most vibrant characters in saturated rainbow hues. The former Australian resident (he grew up in Sydney) has peered through the lens at everyone from Lou Reed and Rachel Weisz to the cast of Twilight and fills his life with energetic and eccentric people away from the studio too. “We love having parties – our Fourth of July party each year is the best one. Last year we had it in a beach club bar and had about 800 people – a mishmash of who’s who and who’s not. There’s always a mixture of celebrities, plenty of beautiful women and young stars peacocking!” he laughs. One beautiful woman you can guarantee will always be present is Watts’ partner of three years, Jeanann Williams, a publicist for fashion brands Victoria’s Secret and Banana Republic. The two met at a party for Gap clothing some years ago when Watts saw her from across the room and “just had to talk to her”. Now they’re the doting parents of nine-month-old Ruby, who Watts describes affectionately as “a little angel and little horror all in one person”. They live the bulk of their lives in NYC’s Meatpacking District but escape to their five-bedroom beach retreat whenever possible. For 28year-old Williams, who grew up in the open spaces of small-town Illinois, the Montauk house is a chance to flee the city crowds. “We love spending Christmas here because Ben’s sister [Naomi] has a house here and his mum comes and we spend it together, which is really nice,” she says. ➔
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LIVING
On the drive from Manhattan to Montauk, the family always stop at roadside stalls to pick up bunches of sunflowers.
“Life is colourful!” says Ben of his taste for punchy sunshine palettes.
Ben found the chaise in Brooklyn and had it re-upholstered with the flag of his birthplace, the Union Jack. 0233
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The print behind the bed is one of Ben’s own.
IN THE FRAME
“She’s the apple of our eye,” says Ben of daughter, Ruby.
TIPS ON HOW TO PRESERVE YOUR PICTURES, BY LYNN PEARCE FROM THAT FRAMING PLACE IN BALMAIN, SYDNEY, 02 9555 1392, thatframingplace.com.au. 1 The key to longevity with framed photos is to keep the glass off the surface of the print. With Australia’s humidity, photos are often vulnerable to sticking to the glass which then results in a permanent adhesion that can’t be removed without damaging the image. 2 To frame ticket stubs, place them in a 3-D box frame, perhaps with some photos of the sporting match or show. 3 When grouping small items, hang them at eye level or below as you’ll need to get up close to have a good look. 4 Using ready-made frames is fine, but if the item is precious it’s better to let an expert do the actual framing. madison
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CUSHION,, $110 (cover) and $10 (insert) at My Island Home, 02 9362 8760, myislandhome.com.au.
SURFBOARD, from $1095, by McTavish, 02 6685 6736, mctavish.com.au.
LIGHT, “Inside Pendant”, $99.95, by Beacon Lighting, 1300 232 266, beaconlighting.com.au.
GET THE LOOK play
Ben bought the table football game to beat his mates – until he discovered they were all better at it than him! The treasures in the den have been collected from photo shoots and boxing and football matches from around the world and combine as a freakishly attractive collage. m
RADIO, $49.95, by SunnyLIFE, 03 9421 6325, sunnylife. com.au.
Colour Inject Mineral Lip Gloss in Disco, $11.95, by Australis, 1300 650 981.
STILL-LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALANA LANDSBERRY.
Body Butter, $70, by True Solutions, Solutions 1800 808 993. BOOK, Lickshot: A Photo Scrapbook, by Ben Watts ($73.95, Princeton Architectural Press).
SHOES, $229, by Mimco, 1800 994 340.
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