Leonie Markhorst (a.k.a. Noa Noir) is a Dutch style editor & freelance creative strategist based in Berlin. Her distinct, minimal aesthetic is simple, yet gorgeous.

Pictured below are five of her favorite, most impactful photos and an explanation detailing why they mean so much to her. Enjoy!

Architecture inspires me a lot – not just when it comes to photography, but also with fashion. The combination of different materials (concrete, steel, glass) always creates interesting structures and colour palettes, which often inspires me to try something new in my outfits or re-decorate my home. I like how architecture gives me ability to freely interpret and pick apart different details – kind of a “pick and choose” inspiration – more so than (other forms of) art.

Every now and then I need to surround myself with more colour… When I visited the Botanical Garden in Berlin, I felt completely overwhelmed (in a good way) and couldn’t stop taking photos. That day I probably shot my most saturated photographs in a long time – probably close to 500 of them – and I really love how they turned out. I am considering getting a few printed and framed… it will look great on my white walls.

I am not a very organized photographer, yet I don’t like shooting when I don’t have a decent idea or focus. Though sometimes there is no time to really think about how to go about getting the right shot and you just have to do it. I don’t shoot many so-called flatlays, but with this “what’s in my bag” photo I had 2 minutes to spare before heading to dinner and I simply pulled out what was in my bag (minus the tissues and other non-photogenic items, of course) and did not spend more than a couple of seconds arranging the items. Click, done… one of my favourite shots and a good reminder to myself to not overthink everything. Sometimes things just work out better when you wing it.

Just like my personal aesthetic, most of my photographs are more minimalist and muted (colour-wise), but I always like to play with details. I love how this photo turned out with the double-shadow, reflections and clean lines.

I took this photo of my wardrobe back when I lived in Vancouver, Canada, for a post on NOA NOIR. Over a year later I got contacted by a large magazine asking if they could print it full-page in one of their issues. It was my first feature in print and really felt like a confirmation that photography is more than a hobby.