“A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”
― Johann Wolfgang von Goeth
Thereˋs something relaxing about looking at nice photos and nice things in general. They donˋt always need to be expensive or luxurious too-- most of the time I find myself enjoying images of well-composed vignettes of ordinary stuff, mostly pottery and interior design because it is mentally refreshing and therapeutic.
Same.energy is a rabbit hole of really calming images that you can search according to aesthetic style and sometimes I find myself staring at photo after photo of handmade dishes, ceramic spoons and incense holders, all done in the same earthy or neutral tones. All the while sipping coffee.
“Then came the healing time, hearts started to shine,
soul felt so fine, oh what a freeing time it was.”
― Aberjhani, Songs from the Black Skylark
portraits, lifestyle photography
H is a good fiend of mine and often gets caught in front of my camera because we spend a lot of time together. Strong-willed and definitely opinionated on the outside but a huge softy on the inside, she was the first one to sign up for the Spring Portrait for Paws sessions. Not a big surprise since she also loves dogs, although she has a love-hate relationship with our crazy pooch Tomas.
We spent a short afternoon in the beginning of Spring as February was ending, just walking around her neighborhood which reminded me so much of the residential neighborhoods of Suzhou, with their meandering canals and bamboo groves. We ended the shoot with coffee at a newly opened Ble Patisserie which was just around the corner from their neighborhood.
A few photos from that afternoon.
“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.”
― Virginia Woolf
Brunch places are popping up left and right in the leafy neighborhoods of CQ. And I think I prefer them over the cafes because they serve serious food: Western-style breakfasts of French toasts, sausages or bacon and scrambled eggs, or hearty burgers paired with fries and shakes. You didnˋt have this kind of food this accessible a few years ago, when it was a choice between IKEA or Pizza Hut if you wanted anything that resembled Western food.
Sadly, I didnË‹t get a photo of the burger the husband ordered but the coffee was good and IË‹m looking forward to trying out their menu on the second visit. The interiors are definitely Western too, which is a surprise since our local friend told us that this is actually a part of a Taiwanese food chain. So go figure. And the husband likes it so much that he asked me to take a photo of him like he owns the place. ☺
But regardless of origins, the food looks decent and the area is one that is really conducive for walking after a good dinner, so this place is definitely on my list of Go-Tos when we have the time.
“The real challenge is not what stands before us.
Rather, it’s in believing what resides within us.”
― Craig D. Lounsbrough
Shot these portraits of Jessie for her professional headshots and as part of the PortraitsforPaws sessions. Her former boss is a good friend of mine and he wanted her to have fresh headshots to use for professional networking so it was a perfect example of things falling into place for the animals and for their company as well.
We took the portraits at MK Space, a co-working space behind Xingfu Square that had a really great view of the park and was just right beside the subway station.
J is fresh out of college, a little shy but definitely a doer in a quiet, determined kind of way. I totally enjoyed the short time I spent with her, even as we snapped away trying to get the most out of the sunset. She recently took over the directorship of Startup Grind Chongqing, definitely a significant achievement for someone so young!
portraits, lifestyle photography, portraits, portraits, portraits
A few shots from that afternoon.
