Pearl

Today we visited the five houses of Muharraq, a journey of Bahraini culture told through architecture and design. I particularly love Bahrain's economic history with the pearl and the way it became a powerful symbol of prosperity for the country. Its influence on design is ever present, as evidenced by the light above. 

Minarets

As we approached the souk, the call to prayer bellowed from the minarets, a beautiful addition to the golden evening sunset.  

Pleasure

In Provence  the attitude to life is calm and all about pleasure,(especially if pleasure can be ingested). The fruit bursts with flavour and the wine leaves a constant smile on your face..don't even get me started on the bread or we'll be here all day. My favourite moments were spent at this table in the sunshine, drinking rosé, eating melon and conversing in broken French.

Nydala

Nydala is the name of a lake in the city of Umeå in Sweden. Before I moved there I looked at the map and pinpointed the apartment building closest to it. Funnily enough, my friends  did the same and thus it was Nydala that brought us all together. Barbeques, sunsets, northern light displays, skinny dipping, sunrises, and long walks ensued.. 

Sculpting

It's always really cool to see someone in the process of creating art. This man was sculpting what appears to be a giant eye or perhaps even something beyond conventional categorization. Either way, it looks fantastic. 

June

  
If you are or ever were a student, you'll recognize that blissful atmosphere in June when your final exams are over for the summer. 

Inquisitive

 I find it so refreshing to be surrounded by inquisitive minds, it inspires you to think more about the world yourself. 

Street talk

Isn't it sweet when a street expresses its feelings?

Hollow

Above the great walls of Antibes sits the Nomade sculpture, a hollow figure looking out to sea. As I walked towards it I noticed a group of friends unknowingly mimicking its position.

Heavenly

 I recently discovered Charentais, the sweetest melons in the world. Native to the south-west of France, they are a heavenly compliment to parma ham and fresh bread. I'm having withdrawal symptoms already. 

Wild

 I love visiting places with a high altitude. The higher the better, even though I feel a prickle of fear every time I look down. It's thrilling to see the world below, believing that you have transcended it somehow. While on an expedition to Mons, I found these wild roses swaying in the wind and thought they were a beautiful contrast to the valleys beneath. 

Family Portrait

I'm lucky to have a best friend that seems to always be surrounded by dogs. When I was growing up we didn't have pets (unless you count short-lived fish and a borrowed hamster) so I'm always more than delighted to hang out with them now. His beautiful dog Jamie recently had a litter of pups and very kindly posed for a family portrait.

Other worldly

Since I started University I find I read less and less for pleasure and more and more for work. I often forget that it's the most simple pastime, the perfect way to lose yourself in another world. On days like today when there's a blizzard raging outside and I can't feel my toes, I think back to those summer days when the boys and I cycled down to the lake and read for hours. 

Sublime

No, don't worry I haven't converted to food blogging, there are enough great ones out there! I do however, have the urge to show everyone the pizza we had in San Remo this summer. That's one thing I love about Italy, on every street-corner..or even in the middle of the street, whether you pay a fortune or a tuppence, the pizza is guaranteed to be sublime. Funny how it originated as 'the dish of the poor people' in Napoli and grew to become a global favourite. 

Exploring

One Saturday in October we hiked through Skuleskogen, a national park on the high coast. Eventually we decided to set up camp at this beautiful beach overlooking a large lake. We spent the afternoon exploring the surroundings, the evening chatting by the campfire, and the night whispering in the woods. 

Effortless

Sometimes you're lucky enough to capture a natural moment of beauty in someone. They often have no idea how they look, or perhaps are under the impression that they only look beautiful when they try. I think theres beauty in everyone, and it doesn't require much effort. 

Silver Lining

On the way home from St.Tropez we were singing and chatting and trying to get the sand out of our shoes when I spotted this gorgeous cloud in the distance. It had a silver lining, the classic symbol of hope and optimism even when times are tough. Every cloud has one after all. 

Wrinkles

 I love street animals. You know the ones, cool as a breeze, laying unattended on any given pavement. This is Wrinkles, isn't he fabulous? 

Gustavianum

 I love the Gustavianum building in Uppsala - it has this magnificent dome at the top which lights up a bright shade of violet, green and cobalt blue when the sun goes down. Even if it adds an extra five minutes to my journey, I try and walk past it on my way home. Who wouldn't?

Nomads Welcome

When I arrived in Hollywood I naively expected old-world glamour and sophistication, an image built up from film and music. What I was confronted with was something slightly more garish and modern, a plastic world of people doing anything they can to keep living. On closer inspection, I found that the buildings had retained their vintage charm, serving as a backdrop to the chaos beneath. Hollywood still is and always will be a place for nomads, dreamers and hopefuls. 

Anthropocentric

I particularly love photographing animals, mainly because they act like I'm a piece of furniture. The animal mind intrigues me and I'm always hoping to figure out what kind of emotions they feel. To me this dog has a look of longing, as if there is something he wants more than anything, but can't have it.(We all know that look) Perhaps in his world, it's actually a look of elation or anger, yet we codify it in the same way. 

Transition

 Today was the first official snowfall and this one was simply too beautiful not to share. Before the world turns completely white, its nice to capture the contrast, the transition between dark and light. 

Art lesson

I love when people spread a message through street art,  more often than not its poetic, succinct and true.  Found this gem on Wellington Quay and I couldn't agree more. We could all do with being a bit less judgemental. 

Shadows

Sweden is a pretty fantastic place to live.. not just because of paternity leave, the welfare system and other forms of common sense, but also because of all the little things they do for you in winter. Lets face it, when you have very little daylight and it feels like the wind and snow are attacking you, it can lead to despair/emigration. In order to avoid this, they put up lights! The concept is simple but in practice it can be realised into something quite elaborate. Fairy lights are strung from trees, lanterns are hung from street signs, statues are adorned with torches and they even provide rainbow coloured walkways such as this one. I feel happier already. 

Winter Wonderland

I love a snow covered pine tree. In fact give me a whole forest of snow covered pine trees in the middle of nowhere and i'll be delighted. We went on a hike to Tavelsjö one day and ended up walking through this dreamlike scenery which was blissfully deserted. I adore hiking trips.. its such an amazing chance to leave modern life behind and go explore those untouched places that really make you feel human again. Is it just me or does this remind you of The Snowman? Perfect place for the party! 

Magnified

I'm not normally a big insect fan, but you have to admit their composition is pretty amazing. All those fine details that you almost need a magnifying glass to see. This little guy was flying around the place begging for a close-up. Beautiful isn't he? 

Substance and style

Gotta keep those ears warm. 

Character

A spontaneous weekend drive accross the border into Italy brought us to the enchanting hilltop village of Bussana Vecchia. We were originally just going for pizza but we ended up taking in some history and art too. The village was destroyed by an earthquake at the end of the nineteenth century, driving all of its inhabitants to nearby San Remo and leaving it a ghost town. The story goes that in the 70's a bunch of artists arrived and renewed its character, filling it with funny sculptures, frescoes and tons of plants. We arrived on the hottest of Saturdays, where lazy cats sprawled themselves on patios and windows were wide open, begging the wind for some relief. The more I explored, the more I fell in love with it.

Love

                                  















One day I was brought to a party full of interesting people, each one more creative than the next. Everyone was either a painter, a sculptor, a dancer, a singer, or at the very least a storyteller. The youngest one there, I sat and observed and of course photographed them in all their glory, hoping I too would be just as fascinating in my later years. 
There was a beautiful moment when the host, a charming Norwegian, sang to his son and induced a heart-warming atmosphere that brought everyone together in appreciation of the love in our lives. 

On a mission

Just my local superheroes doing a supermarket dash. Handsome aren't they? 

For Brendan

This is one of my favourite places on earth, the peaceful Dun Laoghaire pier in South Dublin. It's always been the perfect spot to go for a run, a talk between friends or a first date. In the summer the creamiest ice-cream is sold at either end which serves as motivation for those not physically inclined. 
For hundreds of years people have walked, ran, rollerbladed and laughed their way up and down it and it's somewhere you always return to when in the area. My uncle Brendan was one of those people, he adored the pier and would regularly spend his time there. 
This photo was taken two years ago on the day of his funeral when I walked it with my parents. Whenever I am there I always picture him walking briskly with his hands clasped behind his back, an aura of serenity and optimism about him.

The sea

Whenever I spend time near the sea, I try to comprehend the sheer volume of water but it always evades me. The best I can do is lie on my belly and watch its ascent onto land and imagine all the secrets that lie beneath. I love the way it makes me feel so insignificant, small and trivial. By the same logic so are all my problems, and so I'm never worried when I'm near the sea. 

The climb

In the heat of the summer Vincent took me to this incredible river. Its rural location meant we had to hike to get there, but it was worth the wait. A well-kept secret amongst locals, with intimate little corners and giant rock formations, it was a pleasant surprise. Embracing my inner fish, I spent most of my time diving under the icy-cold water and watching him climb. I'm not sure which part I enjoyed more.

Pink fizz

This is the view from my old apartment on one of those perfect summer evenings last July. Dublin was buzzing with excitement, the weather uncharacteristically warm.(If you are familiar with Ireland, you'll know that you don't come for the weather.) The sun took forever to go down while people made their way into the city in search of fun. It made me feel like a teenager again.  

Powerless

I met this tiger at the zoo on my birthday. He was really strikingly beautiful,with a healthy coat and distinct markings. He walked right up to the glass and turned his head away, almost as if he couldn't bear to look at me and all the other visitors. Perhaps I'm being a bit romantic but he seemed to have an acute awareness of his own situation, a sense of his own powerlessness.  

Children around me banged their fists on the glass and wailed at his lack of attention. Amused parents egged them on and objectified him with their words while he continued to look away. I love zoos for their educational purpose but the older I get, the more I feel sorry for the animals. They simply weren't meant for captivity,(especially in an Irish climate in a small enclosure) and beneath all the packaging and smiles, in some cases it can be really sad. 

Trees ablaze

One September day in Umeå,I was pushing my bike up a ridiculously large hill when I noticed the sunlight catching these trees in the most perfect way. It almost looked like they had burst into flames, warming the dull grey sky. The air had a certain electricity in it and I think I speak for everyone passing by when I say that it filled us all with a little bit of joy. 

The world seen through my funny little camera