Tom Liu

Quarantine mustache.

I’ve been very inspired recently with classic looks. When Juliana & I discussed this we loved the idea of forgoing the dramatic eye and focusing only on a strong lip. She now looks fresh and chic in that classic red lipstick.

Newsboy cap & sweater.

Grey, White & Havana

Discovering the most classical of (non) colors...

Modeled by Kayla Satzgar 

A look behind the scene.

They stare at each other,
Across a barren no man’s land,
Waiting silently for orders to advance...

Here again after 14 months (See my first visit here.) , it's already been a silvery world. 

Snowflakes are dancing in the air. The powdery snow glares like broken glass, touching everything as if all of the trees and lawns were made of light, as if there were no such thing as darkness.

The gentle and magic snowy land and the pure water are weaving together, making this sacred lake a more sacred place. 

Photographs taken at Crater Lake National Park.

By Diahann

Have you ever counted the grains of sand,
That swiftly flows through the hour glass stand?
A grain of salt for every moment we toil,
A grain of sand for each tear that nurtures the soil

From today into tomorrow the sand will fill
And for no one, does that sand, stay still
Through the crack it slips, notice you not …
The sands of a time, that will soon be forgot.

But as was once foretold …
History will repeatedly unfold,
And tomorrow will once again be today,
And once again the sands of time will come your way.

Let it slip again, you must not,
For a second chance very few have got
So turn the hour glass stand …
And start to count all your grains of sand.

Perhaps it's the most overlooked sight. It holds the floating cloud, filled with the shinning stars. So vast and pure, it's the window to the universe. Sky, the loveliest scenery. 

Modeled, styled and makeup by Kaja Sikora.

She's got spring in her step...

All clothing & accessories by Banana Republic.

It is always a sunrise.

Image taken at Yosemite National Park.

Always a swimmer...

Photo taken at 2014 Nationwide U.S. Masters Swimming Spring National Championship

Never mind the fit, the details or the heirloom status. Sometimes, it's all about being yourself in a world where everything is mass-produced.

Arrived today...

A few weeks ago when I decided to do this, I know it's not going to be easy. I can't remember how many hours I've spent in front of the screen. I can't remember how many forms I've filled out. I can't remember how many "submit" buttons I've clicked and I can't remember how many rejections I've received. There's nothing else I can do but keep trying.

I did. And it worked.

Happy Holidays around the world, a very Merry Christmas to you & yours and Happy New Year…

Waiting, thinking, never give up...

By Bret Harte

(Santa Cruz 1869)

Sauntering hither on listless wings,
Careless vagabond of the sea,
Little thou heedest the surf that sings,
The bar that thunders, the shale that rings,--
Give me to keep thy company.

Little thou hast, old friend, that's new;
Storms and wrecks are old things to thee;
Sick am I of these changes, too;
Little to care for, little to rue,--
I on the shore, and thou on the sea.

All of thy wanderings, far and near,
Bring thee at last to shore and me;
All of my journeyings end them here:
This our tether must be our cheer,--
I on the shore, and thou on the sea.

Lazily rocking on ocean's breast,
Something in common, old friend, have we:
Thou on the shingle seek'st thy nest,
I to the waters look for rest,--
I on the shore, and thou on the sea.

A good portrait contains many elements - the dress, the make-up, the lighting, the composition, the theme and the subject - the model him/herself. Among all those things there is one ultimate factor that makes the shot stunning - the spirit within.

Starring Juliana, Shot at TomLiuPhoto.com Studio

in Calvin Klein.

Among the recent collections, there are a few dry plates. They are nothing more than a pile of glass until you hold them up under the sun... I was enchanted with the image appeared.

I start to imagine who those people are, how their lives were like, where the pictures were taken and the stories behind the photographs... 

Why do people hike? Is it simply a holdover from our wanderings when we were hunting and gathering? After all, humans and prehumans didn’t exactly have mass transit. Walking was a necessity. If a tribe wanted to relocate to greener pastures, there was only one way to do it.

Even if part of our desire to walk the Earth is hardwired, there’s also the obvious — the beauty of Mother Nature. There’s a simplicity in putting everything needed to live on the back and walking into the woods to commune with the surroundings. 

Image shot on Minolta SRT101 with Kodak 100 TMax  black & white film

When I touch the steering wheel, I'm immediately obsessed with the vehicle. I stay in the seat, listen to the engine, start dreaming a travel back in time... 

"Ever since the Beetle reached American roads in 1949, this curious, delightful car has made over 30 million friends. In the process, it’s become a cultural icon."

I remember my first fountain pen was a gift from dad when I was 12. It was a Hero. (I've used it for a long time till the shell broke.) Since then I started my relationship with the choreographed writing tool. 

My collections in use. From left to right: Waterman Expert Black, Parker 51, Waterman Phileas Green Marble, Parker Vector Stainless Steel. 

As I got into my car to leave, I was planning how to come back.

It has been two weeks and I still can't forget the moment I dip my finger into that crystal clear water in the crater lake. 

 I try to go back to this place in my memory when I lay in bed awake early in the morning. I try to remember the colors of the sky, the limpid of the water, the sounds of nature and vastness of view. I try to remember that all that is good is all that ever was.

The photographs are all that remain of my fading memories now.

Crater Lake National Park is one the national parks located in Oregon.  It protects the deepest lake in the United States.

An eternal classic.

You will never forget the clap from a T-storm formed only a couple miles away. My entire body filled with adrenaline, fear, anxiety, total alertness. It is a sound that cuts straight to the center of your chest, an emotional reaction that feels today the same way it must have felt to humans thousands of years ago.

Along the endless drive, there are countless times I will have to pull over to enjoy an extra moment with the surroundings. The coast, the woods, the mist, the light... everything is blended together in perfect harmony. 

It will be my first vacation in 3 years since I came to the US. I plan to explore. 

Not sure what exactly my destination is going to be, but two things are certain: I will be heading north and I will take Highway 1.

I'm taking off on Monday the 19th, can't wait to feel the Oregon sunshine, smell the Washington air and touch the Pacific water...

"State Route 1 (SR 1) is a major north-south state highway that runs along most of the Pacific coastline of the U.S. state of California. Highway 1 has several portions designated as either Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), Cabrillo Highway, Shoreline Highway, or Coast Highway. Its southern terminus is at Interstate 5 (I-5) near Dana Point in Orange County and its northern terminus is at U.S. Highway 101 (US 101) near Leggett in Mendocino County. Highway 1 also at times runs concurrently with US 101, most notably through a 54-mile (87 km) stretch in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The highway is famous for running along some of the most beautiful coastlines in the USA, leading to its designation as an All-American Road. In addition to providing a scenic route to numerous attractions along the coast, the route also serves as a major thoroughfare in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the San Francisco Bay Area, and several other coastal urban areas. "

I can't remember how many times I have been here. And still I'm able to find something undiscovered. The light, the wind and the color make the familiar scenery unfamiliar. 

Image shot on Kodak Signet 35 with Kodak 100 TMax  black & white film

The curtain in the living room breathes in the wind as if it was alive.

Charlie and I in a photo session. 

A 1933 model, a piece of living history.

Simply beautiful. 

When the sun rises every day, shadow falls on the wall in my bedroom. It is so quiet in the mornings, so peaceful. And the light, THE LIGHT, is the most beautiful light in the world.

My bedside lamp. 

Seems the side parting is officially back – but did it ever go away?

The one I wear and enjoy.

"Escape by Calvin Klein is a Aromatic Green fragrance for men. Escape was launched in 1993. The nose behind this fragrance is Steve Demercado. Top notes are eucalyptus, melon, juniper, grapefruit, mango and bergamot; middle notes are rosemary, cypress, fir, sage, birch and sea notes; base notes are sandalwood, amber, patchouli, oakmoss and vetiver."