JESSICA MIRONOV
photographer for époque évolution
on her travel itinerary: Egypt
(but lives in: San Francisco)
travel has long been a source of inspiration
for photographer Jessica Mironov, who first picked up a camera when she lived in Thailand back in 2008. she soon started a daily photography blog, and taking pictures eventually turned from a hobby into a passion into a day job. “there’s something really special in seeing a moment and being able to capture exactly what makes it magical,” she says. “i also love how photography simplifies, cutting out all the mundane details and leaving only the bits that are full of wonder.” is it any wonder, then, that when we launched époque evolution, one of the very first things we did was ask Jessica if she would photograph our clothes? or that when we found out she was going to Egypt, we insisted (gently, of course) that she take pictures and tell all of us — and you — about it?
why egypt?
“my mother — who is a travel agent — suggested going, and we said yes immediately!”
the itinerary?
“we landed in Cairo, spent a couple days there, then flew down to see Abu Simbel (a temple literally carved out of a mountain — amazing!). from there we went to Aswan and took a cruise up the Nile for four days, stopping to visit temples and historical sites along the way.”
the highlights?
“going inside the Great Pyramid (which i don't recommend for claustrophobic folks!). and eating my weight in hummus, tahini, and baba ganoush, which were amazingly delicious. (i was inspired to try to recreate the hummus we ate on the trip after we came home, and i can fully recommend Ottolenghi's recipe, which is delicious and easy to make.)”
the one thing everyone who visits needs to see or do?
“visit the pyramids, of course! and see Abu Simbel if you can. Karnak: also incredible.”
book of choice for those travel days?
“on the plane i read Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes (pretty sure she would have approved of this trip) and Awakening Your Ikigai by Ken Mogi, which is all about a Japanese philosophy on adding meaning to your life. both were great plane books.”
best all-around travel tip (or three)?
“pack neutrals, for sure! and if you're going to buy souvenirs, buy them from artisans you can see making things — so much of what we saw for sale was really made in China, which is a depressing thought. but i did buy two beautiful alabaster vases from a shop that definitely employed local artists.”
on your packing list?
“i pretty much packed only époque évolution and a few linen pieces, which stood me in good stead! i loved having clothes that didn't wrinkle (well, except for the linen, of course) that i could easily re-wear without feeling dirty or gross. i wore the jet set trouser on all the long plane flights (it really lives up to its name!) — and then paired the go to tank with everything. but my most-worn piece was definitely the every day crop, which is just so comfortable and easy to move in.”
you knew we would ask: secrets for taking a great picture when traveling?
“look for good, even light. you can find this everywhere early in the morning or just around sunset, but you can also usually find it in the middle of the day in shady areas. and try to avoid direct sunlight if you can — it makes for uninspiring photos.
play with your perspective! can you get a lower angle? or a higher angle? maybe you can crouch down or stand on top of something to get a more unexpected shot.
and always, always check the edges of your frame, to make sure you aren't including anything in your photo that you didn't intend to, or accidentally cutting off part of your subject.”