Celebrity snapper Darren Tieste gathers his A-list

W
Paris
Hilton.
Miranda
Kerr.
hen Sydney
photographer Darren Tieste’s lifelong friend
Natalie Sattler passed away from brain
cancer in September 2008, the realisation
he had to do something in her memory
struck him on the plane ride back to LA.
“I started to think about how I could
give back and use my work contacts to do
something positive in memory of Natalie’s
life and promote awareness for brain
cancer,” he says. So he conceived The
Beauty Book, a hardcover coffee-table
book of celebrity images to raise awareness
for a disease that touches the lives of
hundreds of Australians every year (all
profits will go to the charity that helped
Natalie, the Sydney Neurology Oncology
Group). Here, we talk to Tieste about the
book and the stellar list of celebrities who
have volunteered to support the cause.
What was the reaction from
celebs when you approached
them about the project? A lot of
them thanked me. I always replied, “Thank
you for donating time to be photographed
for this important cause.” Everyone was
interested to hear of Natalie and her ordeal.
So far I’ve shot Hugh Jackman,
Will.i.am, Leighton Meester, Lindsay Lohan,
Selma Blair, Paris Hilton, Anna Paquin,
A beautiful life


Celebrity snapper Darren Tieste gathers his A-list
friends together to honour the memory of Natalie Sattler
COSMOPOLITAN.com.au 59
Miranda Kerr looks stunning!
What was she like to work
with? Miranda was wonderful. Very
sweet, easygoing, and a true professional.
We had fellow Aussie guys Glenn Nutley
and David Keough doing makeup and hair,
so the day was really good fun.
Can you tell us any touching
stories from on the set? Carmen
Electra was so divine. Her mum had brain
cancer and it was rewarding to see her and
Natalie’s husband, Leonardo Esposito, have
a bonding moment.
Tell us about Natalie’s
diagnosis… She was diagnosed in
2004 with brain cancer. Inoperable at first
due to the tumour’s size and location, it was
treated with radiotherapy which reduced
the bulk of the tumour by almost half, and
then followed chemotherapy for several
months. Sadly, after what we thought was
a time of “semi-remission” the tumour
came back – more aggressive this time.
She was 35 when she died. At her
funeral her family asked that instead of
flowers, donations be made to SNOG, the
Sydney Neurology Oncology Group.
Natalie was very compassionate in her
ways and believed in the benefits that
SNOG provided in the form of counselling
and new drug trials, which would have
been virtually impossible to be a part of
without SNOG’s support. SNOG is part
Tieste with
Natalie (left), and
(right) Natalie
and her husband
Leonardo on their
wedding day.
of the Kolling Institute, which is a leader
in brain cancer research.
What was Natalie like? Natalie
was the sweetest, most divine friend you
could have, always happy and smiling. She
never judged anyone, everyone was equal
to her, which was a quality I adored.
We went through high school
together, took a trip to Hong Kong at 18
and often had Friday-night dinner at an
Italian restaurant where I worked at 19.
At this time Natalie was introduced to
the owner’s son, Leonardo, whom she
ended up marrying years later.
How does her husband feel
about this book? I knew the book
was all good when I rang Leonardo a few
months after the funeral. When I told him
what I was doing he replied, “This is the
first time I’ve smiled since Natalie passed.”
What do you hope this book
achieves? Greater awareness – brain
cancer isn’t really talked about and it’s
important for me to make the symptoms
public. Natalie had ongoing headaches,
blocked ears and, three months prior to her
diagnosis, visual disturbances. After having
a brain scan it was apparent that Natalie’s
tumour had been there for many years.
Finally, how do you think
Natalie would feel about this
project? The Beauty Book would
definitely be making her feel proud. I can
see her gorgeous smile right now.
Leighton
Meester.
Justin
Chambers.
MIRANDA KERR: PHOTOGRAPHED IN LA EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE BEAUTY BOOK BY DARREN TIESTE. STYLED BY TAYLOR BASS. MAKEUP BY GLENN NUTLEY. HAIR BY DAVID KEOUGH. MANICURE BY JENNA HIPP. PARIS HILTON: STYLED BY DOUGLAS VANLANINGHAM. MAKEUP BY GEORGIE EISDELL. HAIR BY
DAVID KEOUGH. LEIGHTON MEESTER: STYLED BY LOGAN HORNE. MAKEUP BY STEPHEN SOLLITTO. HAIR BY RICK GRADONE. MANICURE BY JENNA HIPP. JUSTIN CHAMBERS: STYLED BY DOUGLAS VANLANINGHAM. MAKEUP BY GEORGIE EISDELL. HAIR BY GEORGE PAPANIKOLAS
Carmen Electra, Denise Richards, Ryan
Seacrest, Miranda Kerr, Jesse Spencer, Alex
O’Loughlin, Melissa George, Holly Valance
and Sophie Monk … just to name a few.
Tieste says
Lindsay
Lohan was
amazing in
front of the
camera.
T
he Beauty Book
will be released
mid-2010. You
can go online to
thebeautybook.
org and register.
Once the book
is released you
will receive an
email about how
to purchase
it online, or
details of retail
outlets stocking
the book.
COSMOPOLITAN.com.au 61