travel day/ milano > vienna

Just arrived in Vienna and I thought I would take this opportunity to respond to a couple questions from the feedback post a few days ago. But first the images! When I was in Milan, I fell in love with the Milan subway. I love the primary colors and the simplicity of it compared to so many other cities I have traveled to. Three lines - red, yellow, green. Simple. The design is pretty nice too as you can see. As it was designed by Franco Albini/Studio Albini, that makes sense.

So what I haven't talked too much about is the realities of traveling like this but I'm happy to share. Maureen wanted to know how I stay comfy during a long flight. My secret to that is a cashmere scarf that doubles as a blanket/pillow/whatever I need. I am blessed that I can sleep on a plane, so that is what I do. Todays flight I only woke up on the rather hard landing. As for where I have been eating, restaurant recommendations, I have to be honest, I have no idea. I usually just tag along with friends and never note the name of the place. There were two fantastic meals in Milan during the Salone and I have no idea where they were! But great food and lovely people and I forget the rest... What I have found most interesting about this trip is that I have lost track of how long I have been gone. It turns out I have been gone one month as of yesterday. It doesn't seem like it at all and that is startling to me. I have always been such a nester. During the first book, three weeks was the outside of how long I could be away. But clearly I have changed quite a bit since then. I feel pretty comfortable any where I go. I do have a bumpy entry day, so that was today in Vienna. I was speaking to everyone in Italian and the internet wouldn't work. Just those little frustrations of traveling to a new place. But tomorrow I am researching a wonderful workshop for the Craftsman Project. And that passion and excitement makes all the little annoyances go away. Tomorrow is going to be good!

note from milano/look up

Today was one of those days where life felt sublime. I shot Achille Castiglione's Studio for the new book. On the cab ride over this morning I was so excited I was spontaneously giggling in the back of the taxi. (The driver was not so amused.) I wish I could show you everything (I tweeted a couple, so sign up for that and see @lwillphoto ), but I definitely wanted to share these with you all. I spent a lot of time looking up because there were glorious things going on with the light on the ceiling. Isn't it just beautiful?!?! These reflections kept dancing around all day.

In the back room I couldn't help myself, I just had to lay down on the floor under the Taraxacum light. I had wanted to do this since I went on the studio tour during the Salone a couple of weeks ago. Of course the tour was packed so I resisted, knowing I would get my chance. I just layed there and looked around. It is amazing how you see things differently when you lay down on the floor in a room. I noticed all the beautiful old hardware underneath the desks and marveled at just how much they have stored to the ceiling. I also got a splinter in my jeans from the floor, but no one said there were no hazards to this kind of behaviour. Soooo worth it! 

Tomorrow I head for Vienna!

note from milano/salone del mobile 2012

At this point in my travels (it will be one month tomorrow), I am feeling like I have a mountain of editing to do. If not Everest, a modest Mt. Kilimanjaro. I finally edited through all my favorites from the Salone a couple of weeks ago. So here it goes...
The first three are from the Studio Nendo show I loved so much at Palazzo Visconti. As you can see it was soooo well done.
And the next couple were from up/market. That first of the door I was just in love with the door knob...how good is that? And the second is work by Simone Berti, and Italian artist and sculptor. And the last two by a couple of favorite designers of mine - Lindsey Adelman's candlesticks and chandelier at the Wallpaper show and Paul Loebach's vertical chandelier at the Carwan Gallery.

cinco de mayo/happy birthday grandma

These two things have always been linked in my head. Cinco de Mayo and my Grandmother's birthday. So today, as I sit here in my apartment in Milan and crave a burrito and some California sun, I find myself thinking of her. She passed away almost 6 years ago but it is beautiful how the most important people never leave you. I love that I photographed her so much. I look at this image I know she is kissing me.
Today is rainy, with thunder and lightening here in Milan. I was hoping I would get to see the huge full moon we are supposed to have, but that may not come to pass. So I have taken this day just to be still. I didn't realize how much I needed that. In the midst of all this travel it is important to find a space to be idle - to just be.
This next week is one I am so excited about. I am shooting two studios that I have wanted to shoot for SO LONG. By Tuesday I will be in Vienna!

note from milano/chairs

Someone needs to do a chair intervention on me. I've been looking through my images and these are just my favorites from the past two days. The first is my favorite place to sit in the apartment I am renting - a heavenly little perch. Then a couple from my trip to the Museo del Novecento to visit the Giorgio Morandi paintings.
But I don't see chairs so much. I see people, personalities, moods. Chairs never fail to fascinate me with what they can convey given their setting, design and light. They say so much.
Have a lovely weekend friends. more soon.

feedback?/

Hey everyone!
Just thought I'd write you all a little note and check in with you. Obviously I am traveling and shooting the new book. There is only so much I can share of that, as you can imagine. But I was wondering, what do you want to see? What do you want to know about my travels? I love sharing things I've seen and places I love with you, but I am sure some of you are wishing I would talk about x or show pictures of y. What are x and y for you? Let me know what you are interested in hearing about. There is so much going on that sometimes I don't know where to start. I haven't even shared my images of the Salone de Mobile yet.
Anyhow, just a check in. Would love to hear from you!
More soon!
xx
L-

note from milano/piero portoluppi

Last Friday, I was lazing by the pool at the Villa Necchi again. I was supposed to shoot it with my proper camera, but just sat in the sun by the pool instead (guess I needed a breather). Anyhow, I was looking through my pictures on my phone and ran across a picture I took  of a bike tour of Piero Portoluppi's work around Milan that was in the newspaper. Portoluppi is the architect of Villa Necchi. I happened to notice that his office was still there so I jumped on the Metro and I was there! It was in the aftermath of the Salone (read: half cleared for a party) as most interesting venues were (and still are) right now, but wow...I have a new crush. Here are just a couple of images. The first is of the elevator, with brass and marble walls. No idea about that fine statue, but it is working for me. And take special note of the floor - patchwork marble and it gradates from pink to grey! yes!