[ Houston ]
Viewing one’s place of origin with a fresh eye is always a challenge.
During my current US visit, I had dinner with an old friend—Houston’s longstanding interior design sensation, Kelly Gale Amen. I met Kelly over twenty years ago at the local dog park, and we have remained friends ever since (actually, what happened is that his Dalmatian, Fire, met my two Great Danes, Katje and Matthew, and we were carried along for the ride: a familiar sequence of events to dog owners at dog parks all over the world).
Two decades later, we still get together over a meal or two whenever I return to town—catching up and exchanging the latest developments in our very different lives.
When we met this time, in mid-December, I asked Kelly if I could perhaps follow him around and take a few pictures of his works-in-progress, and also get some shots of his incredible loft. This led to several thousand photographs and the complete modernization and overhaul of his website, KGA.NET.
I thought I would share a few of those images directly, in order to draw your collective attention to Kelly’s work—to the wonderful custom fabrics, pillows, furniture, and the interiors themselves.
Perhaps this isn’t travel photography, per se, but it does reflect my ongoing attempts to engage with local culture wherever I find it—no matter the location, the social strata, or the subject matter.
I hope you enjoy these images, and will follow Kelly’s work through his Facebook page.
For those of you growing restless and hoping for a return to my action- and travel-specific photography and stories, fear not! I will be back in Nepal only nine days hence, and there will be much rejoicing, photographing, and general jollity to report.
All the best, namaste, peace, love, etc, etc, etc,
—Jim
