Dreamy California

I've always had a soft spot for California, ever since I flew Virgin Atlantic to randomly visit an online friend in San Francisco around 1999. The vastness of America, and then, California, its largest state; I was transfixed. Everything was huge: the enormous cars, the vast sky, the huge food portions. I loved it.

It was so cool to hang out in the Apple store on Market Street, visit Castro, take pictures of the Painted Ladies from Alamo Square Park.

And the landscape. Just wow. Joshua Tree National Park is probably by far my favourite. It's eery, encapsulating, sculptural and inspiring all in one. Like I am on another planet. And the photo opportunities there are just incredible. It's hot in the summer, but nowhere near as much as Death Valley. It's the colour palette of this natural place, so subtle and yet so fierce. And then the vegetation: cacti being my favourite, again adding to the sculptural qualities that I just love.

Plus if you want to escape from the world for a moment then America offers you that. Unlike in Britain where the beauty spots are usually also tourist spots, the vastness of California (plus other States) offers you the chance to lose yourself and focus on capturing that perfect moment.