I assisted a lifestyle photoshoot today, and the aesthetic is minimalism. It makes me wonder what it is about empty spaces that's so appealing. What is it about the absence of things that screams wealth? It almost seems like an oxymoron -- the more you have in your bank account, the less you have in your possession. Having just spent 8 hours in a 2 million dollar condo garnished with furniture, rugs, bowls all imported from Scandinavia, I felt like the dissonance in my brain was screaming, 'I don't get it!' What I did get was how pleasing it all looked -- in person and in photos, and it reeked of luxury... or the lack thereof, which ridiculously high lighted just how luxurious it all was. How does anyone feasibly live a minimalist catalog life? First, throw out 90% of your things. Only keep stuff that adhere to a strict 12 shade beige palette. Sparsely sprinkle your wardrobe with a maximum of 3 clothes. Have books, but only if they're Phaidon and the covers have no color. Do not keep things that indicate you have human hygiene needs. -- toothbrushes, toilet paper, shampoo, laundry detergent, throw those out. But fear not, you are allowed to keep lotion as long as they come in scents like leather, fir, or nightfall. Have only one pair of shoes, but miraculously show up to events and work with an array of soles that you throw out as soon as you get home. You...

There are hardly ever days when I wake up and think to myself, Oh happiness and joy to this wonderful world! Today I woke up to gorgeous orange gold light peeping through my window, illuminating the hard geometric patterns of the building being birthed next door, pooling my apartment in a quiet dream like, romantic state. And I still didn't think to myself, Oh happiness and joy and wonders of the universe! Instead, if I hadn't sneezed myself awake, I would have gone back to sleep immediately, ruing the 8am awakening on a day I didn't have to work. But alas, being a sucker for light, I rolled off the couch and grabbed the camera that was closest to me -- my Canon Rebel XTi, circa 2007 and still kicking. This is the kind of light that inspires me to wax poetic. Some days it's pretty cool to wake up early. Taken with: Canon Rebel XTi, 50mm f1.8...