Mar 21, 2013

New work / Refinery29

I recently had great fun shooting a few features for Refinery29. The first was a look at Jennifer Collins's space and style (see the post here). It was hard to choose just a few to blog — so much eye-candy from that shoot.







And below is a look at the Nifty Thrifty offices in Williamsburg. Check out the full post here for more pics!






Mar 18, 2013

Paris from above

Seeing Paris from the Arc de Triomphe was one of the highlights of the trip for me. Sometimes you just gotta do the touristy thing. We managed to just barely squeeze it in on our last day, so I couldn't get up there at golden hour like I would have liked to. But even still, it was all sorts of stunning. I am terribly afraid of heights so basically my heart dropped and knees shook with every shot I took. J is even worse than I am, and he stayed as far away from the ledges as he could, hah.




This really makes me want to get up to the top of the Rockefeller Center — it will have to be a goal for this spring!

Mar 15, 2013

Paris in February

Finally, I'm sharing a few scenes from our walks around Paris. I'm not sure what it is about being in other cities that makes me notice the light so much more than I do in NYC. Perhaps I take it for granted and overlook it here. I guess it is just easier to be inspired in unfamiliar places.

I didn't take as many photos on this trip (partly because we spent most our daylight hours inside restaurants — can't really complain about that...), but I can see how my photography has changed a bit since our last trip to Paris. It was definitely softer and a bit dreamier (examples here and here). Nowadays I'm drawn to stronger lines, shapes, and shadows. While I still love the photos taken at the Tuileries from last year, the light was just not the same on this trip.









Mar 12, 2013

Kaffismiðja íslands

How could I not devote a post to coffee in Iceland? An misty afternoon to ourselves in Reykjavik had me itching to check out Kaffismiðja íslands, a cafe recommended to me by Nicolas of Télescope in Paris. Four of us cozied up in a corner with the butteriest brioche, cappuccinos and lattes. It was a real treat to meet Rosa and Rich, the brains behind the beautiful Cereal Magazine. The talented Marte Marie Forsberg was also on this trip, and we bonded over love for ceramics and squealed and gasped over the landscapes and light changes through the trip. (See her post on this cafe here.) And for the coffee? It certainly passed my spoiled palate's judgment. :)

Mar 7, 2013

Ten Belles

Let's backtrack a bit. As I've been wading through my Iceland photos, I nearly forgot I still had Paris photos to edit and share. On that Sunday we were in Paris, we met up with Nico Alary, quite the multi-talented fellow, for a leisurely coffee break at Ten Belles. I can't remember when or how Nico and I first connected (a hunch tells me it was over something coffee-related), but I love how a few quick twitter exchanges allowed us to meet.

In short, Ten Belles is a charming, cozy cafe with excellent pastries and great coffee. Grab a table on the upper level and get a fun peek at the action from above.



For more coffee in Paris, see my extensive post from last June.

Mar 4, 2013

Mind-blowing

In Iceland, I saw some of the most beautiful sights I have ever seen. It's a bit difficult to even process how much beauty (or I'd even call it magic) I saw in those five days in Iceland. I am so grateful to everyone that made this trip possible and for the people I met along the way. One of the most amazing parts was how quickly the weather and consequently, the scenery, changed before our eyes. If I went back now to the exact spots I shot, I know it may look completely different.

On our third night, the sky cleared up a wee bit, and we got a glimpse of the Northern Lights, something that has been on my life bucket list for quite some time. We were down in the south east part of the country in a fishing town called Höfn. The winds whipped stronger than ever that night. A few of us hunkered down outside with our tripods as the lights danced for us; mine could barely stand against the winds. I felt like I was in a dream — this couldn't be real. (Though I'll let you in on a little secret. The lights were more like glowing clouds the night we saw them; the camera brought out the green and purples, but to the naked eye, it was mostly colorless.)


I first came across this quote in the first issue of Wayfare magazine and I couldn't help but use it here. I left Iceland feeling inspired, overwhelmed and humbled. Nature make me feel small in a way the city doesn't. A sky full of stars is something I'll never get here. While I am a city girl at heart, I realized I need more healthy doses of nature in my life.


My words nor my photos do this experience justice. I can't recommend visiting Iceland enough to see it for yourself. I am, for sure, returning as soon as I can.