INSTA*LOVE :: ALEXIS SOMERVILLE :: @ghostzine

It's that time again for another INSTA*LOVE feature and I'm so pleased to introduce you to one of the prettiest pastel feeds and one of the sweetest girls on Instagram: Alexis Somerville :: @ghostzine! Every photo she posts reminds me of a vacation I wish I were taking right at this moment! 

Where do you live?

Lisbon, Portugal. Originally from the historical city of York, UK. In recent years I’ve also lived in a small town in Taiwan, an even smaller town in Sicily and... the colossal city of Shanghai! Lisbon is a nice middle ground between these extremes.

What do you love/love to do?

I love walking around cities, going to the cinema, cooking (and eating!), going to gigs, drawing, painting, spending time with friends and loved ones, going on adventures and, of course, taking photos! I am also a fan of coffee, books, plants, old buildings, Mid-century modern architecture and illustration, space, dinosaurs, pizza, and comics. 

I teach English as a foreign language which is great as I love the English language and wanted to be a teacher even as tiny child (as well as a tightrope walker, though never quite realised that ambition!) It also enables me to live in Lisbon, which is an excellent perk.

I’m enjoying learning Portuguese, and it’s interesting to be on the other side of the classroom for a change. I love writing (not in Portuguese yet, ha!) and write for some websites, most regularly forbookssake.net, a books website championing writing by women, for which I review graphic novels. I also write short stories and make comics when I find the time!

What inspires you?

Exploring places with beautiful architecture and a distinctive atmosphere. Also literature, film, design, nature, people etc.

What do you look for when taking a photo?

Good colour combinations, nice architectural details, leading lines, conveying atmosphere, light… Lisbon has a special kind of light which helps to give everything a magical glow!

What are your favorite apps and filters to edit with?

I actually use fewer filters and apps now than ever before. I used to use VSCO but now usually just let my camera do the work (Fujifilm X-M1). When I do use a filter I usually stick with the Instagram ones such as Aden or Perpetua, but toned down a little. Most of the time I don’t use a filter as I love the colours the camera brings out.

Who are your favorite fellow Instagrammers?

Too many to name them all but these are some of them! @mimogine @kitsunekun @icebaby_icecreamvan @instamooca @jofolovesit @iamcameogirl @lucylovesyablog @worshipblues @thejaneaugust @muhnac @ashamor @spooks333 @florence.apictureaday @seciasophia (she's so sweet!) @sejkko @xandemaska @shelladineshelladine @curensea @riri_tiles @trippydana @andsmilestudio

I wish I could be a traveling gypsy like Alexis! I think those pastel buildings were made for her to photograph. She can even make crumbling, pink paint look like it was always mean't to be beautiful. AND... I think we may have been separated at birth because I wanted to be a tightrope walker when I was a kid too! Great minds...

Make sure to visit her Instagram @ghostzine and say hello! Oh, and if your eyes (and mind) are craving more, she even has a website: Ghost in the Machine. It's super rad and I definitely recommend hitting up the archives, especially the illustrations!

Thanks so much to Alexis for taking the time for our INSTA*LOVE series!

xo Sécia

F O L L O W   U S   O N   I N S T A G R A M   ::   @seciasophia