Rediscovering my bookshelf

There is something magical about opening an old bookshelf and seeing stories waiting to be rediscovered. Recently I took the time to go through my shelves and found myself falling back in love with my photography books. They are more than just collections of images. Each one is a portal into a place and a time.

One of the first treasures I pulled down was Basil Pao’s A Portrait of Aman Resorts. The book is filled with breathtaking photography that captures the essence of the Aman world. The quiet architecture, the balance between nature and human design, the sense of timeless calm all of it makes me pause. Looking t hrough its pages is like traveling without leaving home. It reminds me of how photography can carry not just images but atmosphere and emotion.

Another book I revisited was The Hudson River and the Highlands. This collection captures the beauty of New York’s river valley with its wide water views and the rugged majesty of the Highlands. The photographs bring me back to the crisp light of autumn and the deep greens of summer along the Hudson. The images hold both history and immediacy. They remind me of the connection between land, river, and people who have lived along its banks for centuries.

As I turned the pages of these books I realized how much photography has shaped the way I see the world. It teaches patience, observation, and reverence for detail. These books are not just objects on a shelf. They are living reminders of why I first fell in love with images and why I continue to collect them.

Rediscovering my bookshelf is not just about dusting off old volumes. It is about revisiting passions and remembering how art and photography can still inspire new ways of seeing