DIARY 11: JULY

This month’s diary will look a little different. I’ve been living in Paris since the end of June, and unlike previous trips where I packed in as many shoots and creative projects as possible, this time I’ve intentionally slowed things down. With travel, there’s always a bit of chaos—those first few days of jet lag, adjusting to a new rhythm, feeling a little out of sorts. I had quite a few deliverables I had to finish up my first week here.

Then a week in, I spent six days in London visiting one of my best friends, Katie, which was so fun—great food, a countryside escape, a little music festival—but it also meant I returned to Paris pretty wiped out. Once I got my footing again, I did one small shoot for a new client based in LA, Block Shop, in which I photographed a couple of their scarves. We kept it simple: digital only (which always feels easier and less stressful), and I worked with a model I’ve shot with before and now consider a friend. It drizzled a bit during the shoot, but we were going for a fall vibe anyway, so it worked out. The client was happy, which always feels like a win.

I also had the chance to join a lovely dinner hosted by photographer Gladys Tan, who I met in 2022 at a retreat. She now has her own course and occasionally brings together photographers from her course for gatherings like this—it was really nice to connect with some new faces and catch up with old ones.

The rest of the month was more social than professional. A few friends passed through town, including Katie who came to celebrate my 30th birthday. (Yes—I turned 30!)

This summer feels less like a hustle and more like a soft test: could I see myself living here long term? How does it feel when Paris isn’t a one-month escape but a place to settle into and work? A lot has come up, as you can imagine. Turning 30 is one of those milestones that brings a lot into focus…mainly around what I want the next decade of my life to look like. What do I even want the next year to look like? What do I want to do when I get back to LA? What are my biggest priorities right now?

I’ve realized that I tend to feel more inspired here in the fall. There’s something about the rainy, moody weather that just meshes better with the architecture in my opinion. In contrast, summer has me craving different landscapes—like beaches, the Italian coast, places that feel more quintessentially summery. So I haven’t felt that same creative spark here in Paris this time around.

That said, I do have some ideas brewing for when I return to LA. Sometimes it honestly feels easier to do personal projects there—my network is stronger, I can borrow gear for free, I have access to a super cheap darkroom, and of course, I have a car. The infrastructure is just there in a way that makes executing ideas feel more seamless.

Here in Paris, I haven’t really felt the need to push myself too hard. I did do one personal shoot with Thea, a model I shoot with almost every time I’m here. She’s always a bit hard to nail down scheduling wise, but she’s so stunning and easy to work with that I knew we’d get something good even if I didn’t have a ton of prep time. While searching for inspiration, I landed on a kind of '70s boho, slightly Chloé mood, and was lucky enough to pull some pieces from a vintage store the day before our shoot. I shot both film and digital, but am more excited about the film which I will be shipping off to Spain before I leave.

This month has been an interesting experiment in what to do when you’re not feeling particularly inspired. Do you push through it? Or do you let yourself rest? If you’ve read my last diary entry, you know I worked harder in June than I ever have before—so it makes sense that I’m feeling a bit worn down now. Add in travel, being in a new city, adjusting to a new rhythm… and yeah, I’m still running on a bit of empty. I also often loose the habit of taking my vitamins, and then I wonder why my hormones and mood is off. Classic.

That said, I’ve been leaning into slower pleasures: going to the cinema often, making the most of the projector in my apartment, and cooking lots of delicious meals with all the fresh produce here.

A few weeks ago, I visited the Maison Européenne de la Photographie and ended up spending nearly four hours in their downstairs library, flipping through photobooks. It was definitely one of the most creatively nourishing things I’ve done this month.

I’ve been also working remotely for two US-based clients on some ongoing graphic design projects, which definitely eats up a few hours throughout the week. I truly can’t believe it’s already August - this month has seriously flown by. I have two campaign shoots sloted for next week—one for a previous LA client and another for a new client based in Singapore. They’ll be my first full-day shoots in Paris this summer, complete with assistants and all. I’ll definitely share more about how those go in the August journal.

For now, that’s my little July update. Thanks so much for reading, and I hope you’re having a restful, inspiring summer—wherever you are in the world.