Back to Our Roots: A Conversation with John Russo
From photographing Luca in Montecito to furnishing his own La Quinta home with his favorite collections, Russo shares how California light, architecture, and outdoor living continue to shape his perspective.
Introduction
At his home in La Quinta, celebrity photographer John Russo sits down with Brown Jordan President Ben Collins to reflect on that shared California influence. Surrounded by desert light and the collections Russo selected for his own outdoor space, the conversation moves between heritage, photography, and the evolution of outdoor living.
Renowned celebrity photographer John Russo has spent his career capturing some of the world’s most recognizable names and places. In recent years, his lens has turned toward Brown Jordan, photographing our outdoor collections in environments defined by atmosphere, architecture, and authenticity.
That creative partnership led somewhere personal. At his new home in La Quinta, Russo didn’t simply photograph Brown Jordan, he chose to live with it. The outdoor environment he created features his favorite collections, thoughtfully layered to reflect the same sensibility he brings to his work.
Capturing the Landscape
For Russo, outdoor design starts with place. In the desert, color behaves differently. Sunlight sharpens contrast. Shadows create depth. The landscape sets the tone.
At La Quinta, blue becomes a neutral. Yellow introduces warmth. Patterns echo the surrounding tones of sand and sky. The result is an outdoor space that feels composed yet natural, elevated but entirely livable.
The Art of Arrangement
Each piece was selected with care, balancing proportion, color, and durability. Working closely with Brown Jordan’s team and Design Services, Russo approached the space as both photographer and homeowner.
"We wanted it to be colorful, fresh and mimic the environment, so we went with the blue and white stripe and the yellow. Thankfully, your team helped in identifying our needs of what we wanted and executing a plan worked out really well. As you can see from the collections like they all tie in to each other and its really beautiful."
From Still to Oscar to Trentino and Luca, every collection holds its own presence while contributing to a harmonious whole. The space feels curated, not styled, designed to endure beyond the moment.
The Luca Influence
As Russo and Collins reflect on past projects, the conversation naturally returns to Luca, a collection rooted in polo and the movement of the sport. Russo’s earlier work photographing Luca in Montecito became an important chapter in the collection’s story. Set against stables and open polo fields on the Nesbitt property, Luca was captured in an environment defined by tradition and motion. The lines felt sculptural. The proportions balanced. The connection between sport and design felt clear.
Photographing Luca in that setting deepened Russo’s appreciation for the collection. He was not simply documenting its heritage. He was helping to define how it would be seen. That perspective now carries into his own home, where Brown Jordan is part of his daily outdoor life.
A California Throughline
From our Pasadena beginnings to desert homes and coastal polo fields, California continues to shape how Brown Jordan lives outdoors. It shows up in the light, the architecture, and the way our collections settle naturally into their surroundings.
In conversation with Collins, Russo reflects on how photographing Brown Jordan strengthened his appreciation for the brand’s roots and craftsmanship. How form responds to light. How furniture supports real outdoor living. From Montecito to La Quinta, what began behind the camera now lives in his own space.