Photography

It's Electric

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It's Electric. Capri, Italy. June 2015. 

It's Electric. Capri, Italy. June 2015. 

I made the escape to Capri my first weekend free from Expo. I had not been in 12 years and it was refreshing to go back, enjoy a sail around the island, and the boat ride into the Grotta Azzurra. While the singing of "Volare" reverberating off the cave walls is boisterous and fun, the boat ride is slightly disappointing in that it only lasts for a few minutes. It's worth the trip, but you have to move fast to get a good shot and enjoy the electric blue water. Every time I look back at this photo, I hear "Nel blu dipinto di blu, felice di stare lassù..." on repeat. 

Walking with a Purpose

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Walking with a Purpose. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. February 2017.

Walking with a Purpose. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. February 2017.

Twice a year, the Library of Congress welcomes the public to it's famous Main Reading Room for an open house.  One of the open house dates lands on President's Day every year and I visited during my staycation this year.  

The Reading Room in the Thomas Jefferson Building is truly breathtaking, however the most unique moment I saw was this group of sisters exiting the Library together. Running into sisters traveling together in public was a common sight in Italy, however it's not something I see every day here. I noticed their bright blue habits as I approached the Library and was happy I snapped them before they disappeared out of frame. 

The Novacento View

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The Novacento View. Milan, Italy. November 2015.

The Novacento View. Milan, Italy. November 2015.

This room in the Museo del Novacento is my favorite view overlooking Piazza del Duomo. Museo del Novacento has a fantastic collection of 20th century Italian art, however I would often visit just for this view (and the bar that also overlooks the piazza). Pictured here is my friend Kata, a statuesque beauty that I worked with at Expo. When we visited Novacento together, we had just wrapped up a phenomenal Expo experience and were candidly a bit nostalgic and aimless. We had a large void to fill now that Expo had run its course and we were both plagued with the nagging "what next?" question. Kata and I decided to take a few hours to get out of our heads and enjoy our newly acquired free time by going to Novacento to take in this view. We had been so busy working that we hardly ever saw the Duomo or piazza during the day. This was a healthy change of pace and the best part of it was that we were able to go during off-peak hours and have the whole view to ourselves. 

Beam Me Up

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Beam Me Up. Milan, Italy. April 2016.

Beam Me Up. Milan, Italy. April 2016.

Similiar to my prior post about the Citizen Watch Fuori Salone installation, Sou Fujimoto's design for COS during Salone del Mobile was a favorite of mine well. Fujimoto designed a "Forest of Light" for the brand using spotlights and mirrors. The space they used for the collaboration was an old theatre, so it was very fitting that we were surrounded in darkness and spotlights were  the only light sources. Fujimoto's lights formed cone beams that pierced through the darkness and they turned on and off in response to the movements of visitors, a very new age forest. I particularly enjoyed this installation because Fujimoto's minimalist approach of only using light also reflected the clean lines and simplicity of COS itself. 

Like Diamonds in the Sky

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Like Diamonds in the Sky. Milan, Italy. April 2016.

Like Diamonds in the Sky. Milan, Italy. April 2016.

My favorite time of the year in Milan is during Milan Design Week commonly referred to as "Salone del Mobile." It is the largest international design/furniture fair and draws and an incredible amount of attention and talent to the city. It happens every April, perfectly timed for when the weather finally turns. While there is plenty to see at the actual fairground where Salone del Mobile is held, the best part is that exhibitions permeate throughout the entire city. Designers and brands show outside of the fairground and those installations are known as Fuorisalone (outside Salone).

For Fuori Salone 2016, Citizen created this amazing installation, "time is TIME," in Superstudio Più. Under the creative direction of Tsuyoshi Tane, Citizen created a galaxy where the silver stars are 120,000 main plates suspended in the air with wire. It was 800 square feet of breathtaking bling. The idea behind this design was that visitors would witness time standing still where. This was one of my favorite installations, it was inspired and beautiful both when inspected closely or taken in in its entirety. The experience stuck with me long after we visited and obviously still does.

Authentically Agnès

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Authentically Agnès. Bologna, Italy. August 2015. 

Authentically Agnès. Bologna, Italy. August 2015. 

I made some good friends living in Milan and Agnès is one of them. A talented linguist and writer, Agnès and I were colleagues at the USA Pavilion during Expo. She studied in Bologna and wanted to show me the city she once called home. We went on ferragosto so it was quiet as most people vacate cities for the seaside during this time. This moment highlights just how quiet the city was. These streets would typically be bustling with students and residents, however since it was a slow day in August, I was able to spot Agnès resting yards away and get a quick candid of her. 

Little House on the Ocean

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Little House on the Ocean. February 2015. San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

Little House on the Ocean. February 2015. San Diego, CA, U.S.A.

I am back home in San Diego for the holidays and one stop I like to make is at the historic Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach. These Cape Cod style cottages sit on the pier for visitors to rent for a stay above the Pacific. Crystal Pier was built in the 1920s, followed by these cottages in the 1930s. They are particularly unique because these accomodations are the only one of its kind along the California coast line. 

Lovely Lyon

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Lovely Lyon. Lyon, France. December 2016. 

Lovely Lyon. Lyon, France. December 2016. 

This is my first time in Lyon and I have fallen in amour....Granted it is love at first sight so we are still in the honeymoon phase.

Lyon is a lovely city known for its vibrant culinary culture. It has been regularly pegged as the gastronomic capital of the world and home to the "Pope of French Cuisine" Paul Bocuse, Daniel Boulud and many many others. Lyon has (at a minimum) 1,500 restaurants with 13 of them awarded Michelin Stars. I read that Lyon has the highest number of restaurants per inhabitant in France, which is truly incredible. The spectrum of restaurants is impressive as well, ranging from century old brasseries and bouchons to more experimental nouvelle cuisine.

Lyon is the third largest city in France, but you don't feel rushed or lost in a sea of people when you are here. There is space to breathe, walk, eat, and take in UNESCO sites sprinkled throughout the city. Architectural powerhouses Calatrava and Renzo Piano have created buildings in/near Lyon, however my favorite in this context is still the beaux arts style found in the old town; this particular façade is in Place Saint Jean.