Set in the court of Marie Antoinette, the series was shot in the summer of 2015 and was shot using a 50 year old 8 by 10 camera as well as various Hasselblad cameras. After their marriage, Louis XVI entrusted Marie with the task of entertaining the court. Decadence is set in Tuileries Palace in 1667 and The Palace of Versailles 1672. Shields wanted to give his version of an inside look into what he imagined it would be like if you were able to take a photograph of The Court of The Palace of Versailles and Tuileries Palace.

Shields’ vision for this series stems from many people’s fascination with the royal family living in Versailles during this time. Whether it is the decadent dresses, wigs, the cakes or champagne - life was about abundance, indulgence, and excess.