Assignment #4: Villa la Pietra

Photographing Villa la Pietra was strange for me. When walking around for the assignment, I felt uninspired. The interior design itself was strange. It was tacky yet beautiful, perfectly staged yet crowded and overwhelming. I couldn’t figure out how to frame anything because, to me, it seemed as though it had already been framed for me. I did manage to take one photo that I liked that day, though I wish I had waited a moment longer for Sia to leave the frame.

I felt similarly about the gardens. Perhaps it was just not a day for artistic inspiration for me. I am not sure. I plan on returning alone and trying again, and I will update this post once I do.

I returned to the gardens on November 11 at around 3 p.m. with a friend who was visiting from London. Back in Shanghai, he and I would often go on adventures together so I could take photos. Something about being there with him and the way the afternoon sun illuminated the building and its surrounding greenery finally sparked inspiration. This time, walking through the gardens, I noticed more about it. I was able to see the small pockets of warmth that I tend to look for when taking photographs.