inspirational shots

Sometimes you just feel like looking at pretty pictures. And sometimes those pictures are more than just pretty...they're inspiring. They draw you in, through emotion or sheer beauty, make you want to live in the world of the photo instead of the real one. Also, English majors like them because you can write pretentious stuff!

Anyway, there's a reason that so many blogs spend time posting inspiration photos, and I thought it was high time I posted some. Actually, I was merrily making my way through tumblr and was struck by a photo. I see pictures I like a lot of the time, ones that make me smile or sigh or go "ooh," but this was the first picture in a long time that gave me that shivery feeling of wanting to live inside it.


American model Suzy Parker (1932-2003), photographed by Richard Avedon (1923-2004), 1956. Found on Historiful

I just love this. Obviously I have a huge affinity for vintage, especially anything from the 50s, but there isn't anything I can see in this picture that doesn't make me want. Love the dress, the little gloves, the heels. The discrepancy of this glamorous woman playing pinball, with those dapper gents hanging about. I love that chandelier, the flipped up chairs, the circles on the side of the machine. There's such a story here, so evocative, to me at least. An image that can do that is really special.