Picture of a Nymph 畫中仙

A nymph (sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek

folklore. The Greek word nýmphē has the primary meaning of "young woman; bride, young wife" but is not usually associated with deities in particular.

Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, landform, or tree, and are usually depicted as maidens. Because of their association with springs, they were often seen as having healing properties; other divine powers of the nymphs included divination and shapeshifting. In spite of their divine nature, they were not immortal.

Nymphs are often featured in classic works of art, literature, and mythology.

They are often associated with the medieval romances or Renaissance literature of the elusive fairies or elves.

They are often attendants of goddesses and frequently occur in myths with a love motif, being the lovers of heroes and other deities. Desirable and promiscuous, nymphs can rarely be fully domesticated, being often aggressive to their mortal affairs. Since the Middle Ages, nymphs have been sometimes popularly associated or even confused with fairies.

Eloise Masse is a familiar face at the Venice Carnevale. She enjoys dressing up to attend all the grandest balls and parties at the Venice Carnevale. We've been friends for nearly a decade now. Usually I get to photograph her in the evenings just before the grand parties.

Many people think that these photos were done in a photo studio in Paris or Venice.

However, this small series of photos is actually done in the cold and on the busy streets in Venice. 2 minutes was all we had because it was really cold and the skies were turning dark....

This is a concept that I have been doing for quite a few years now... There is no indoor photo studio, there is no artificial lighting, flash or reflectors...With my costumed friends, we just take our street portraiture to an all new level....

The Venice Carnevale is not solely about masks. Local Italians and an increasing number of foreign costumers now prefer historical costumes or painted faces. During Carnevale, the whole Venice becomes a real life theatrical stage, and many of these historical costumes carry deep perspectives...