Textures and Surfaces of Avignon and Les Baux

Last September I visited southern France for the first time, part of a super family bonding trip with my mom, uncle and aunt. One of my favorite things to photograph is surfaces, in particular those that are worn by the elements and marked by time. I am drawn to walls, windows, doors, pavements, and natural elements like roots and soil. Here are some of the textures that caught my eye in Provence:

Azulejos in Portugal

I am obsessed with decorative tiles, so being in Portugal was visual paradise. There are azulejos everywhere: on building façades, covering churches, in public parks, in kitchens. Many of the tiles have geometric patterns, evidence of the Moorish influence in the Iberian Peninsula; others are narrative, often showing religious scenes, historical events, or scenes from daily life.

I photographed hundreds of tiles while on our trip, and not once was there a repeated motif, which is pretty incredible. Here are a few of my favorites: