I have to pre-face this with I am not the biggest fan of "Best Coast" but watching their video yesterday did put them a few notches higher in my book. Besides the familiar concept of rival gangs and Romeo and Juliet kind of love we have seen many times in movies,books,etc, this video has some awesome fashion. Just the way it's styled is brilliant! I want every piece that Chloe is wearing. When I look at the video all I can think of is "I wish I could photograph it". 

Directed by Drew Barrymore and featuring not one, not two, but three of my favorite young actresses how could this ever be a fail? If you haven't seen it yet do yourself a favor and go see it now....

Read the Signs...

On my way to the gym this morning I felt like I kept seeing all these great unexpected signs. Not signs as in the universe is trying to talk to me but literal signs, either spray painted or put on marquees. Like an idiot I forgot to carry a camera with me but I at least had my phone on me.

 

I recently watched L.A. Story for the first time in years, I forgot the central idea to the movie being leading your life through what signs you get from the universe. I think it is time that I start paying attention to what is going on around me more closely. Normally you would think that I would subscribe to the notion that the universe is discreetly telling me what to do but just like everyone else in this world if the world is talking to me I am too busy texting on my phone to hear what it has to say. 

Story Time:  About two years ago I was working a job I hated, and only recently left. My manager was the dumbest person I have ever encountered and he dealt with this fact by being a complete asshole to me. It was the hardest thing to run a department and let him get all the credit on top of that he felt he needed to belittle everything I did to somehow boost his confidence. One day I had it, I was 30 minutes away from break and had decided that all I wanted to do was cry in the break room. When my break had arrived apparently he had the same idea, minus the crying part. I had nowhere to go so I walked down the street to Starbucks where I proceeded to call my friend and bitch about how this man not only makes my life miserable but also ruined my only time to have some emotional release. So I sat there with my head pressed against the table at Starbucks crying in front of complete strangers and when I looked down at the table there it was. Two napkins one reading something along the lines of .... "Everything will be better", than an arrow pointing to another napkin reading "Go to Spain". I know this seems like a crock of shit but in all honesty I couldn't believe it either, whether it was the universe speaking to me or just a coincidence who cares. I am planning my first trip to Spain next year and cannot wait to see what that has in store for me. I will end this with another sign I have seen on my way home.....

 

Forgotten....

 

I just scanned some images from my trip to NYC in 2010. I know I frequent New York City often but this trip was one of my favorites. I remember carrying around this cheap Kodak makeshift panoramic camera I had picked up at a thrift store a week prior to my trip. I was excited to see if I could capture some great panoramas of the NYC skyline, Times Square, Central Park etc. To be completely honest I had so many cameras on that trip that this one kind of fell by the way side. I recently discovered it in my failed attempt to clean my room. I had our lab develop the pictures a few weeks ago and once again I forgot all about the film. Luckily I had nothing to do yesterday night (not a surprise) so I spent the whole night scanning this roll. It's amazing how you can be drawn right back into a moment just by looking at a single picture. In a way, I think that is why I am drawn to photography. It is the closest thing I have to pausing my life.

This picture right here was taken on a whim, I had never planned to go to Hoboken and see my friend Jude it just happened. All the planets aligned and I was lucky enough to spend the day with a really good friend. The same way that day was not planned, this picture was not planned either. I snapped two panoramic shots one right after the other. When I went to go scan them they made such a great diptych that I feel the mood of the picture was lost when I separate the two.

I think I am going to start experimenting with lost photography, it seems to make it more special when you see something you forgot you even had. I guess I could apply this to life in someway.

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Another forgotten roll was found recently when I was cleaning out a bag I had for years. I found a roll that had ripped and I managed to save in the canister. It was also from a trip to New York, and it ripped while I was watching Jesse Lacey and Kevin Devine perform at the Williamsburg Music Hall more than three years ago. At the time I didn't know how to salvage the roll, even worse I didn't know who would develop it the way it was. As soon as we opened the lab in our store I politely asked our technician if we could put it through the machine. She was hesitant due to the fact that we both didn't know how a dirty roll that survived in a pocket of my handbag for three plus years would affect her machine. Luckily nothing happened but the results were crazy, light leaks, color changes, etc. Take a look for yourself ....

San Francisco....again

I have been to San Francisco many times in my life. Before New York City entered the picture this was the place I would go escape. It was the only real city I knew, or at least thought I knew. Looking back now I see how in the last 9 years I have only seen snapshots of the city. Being led through it by a number of different people,  seeing it through their eyes. 

  I always tell people that this is the only place I have been to more than a dozen times and yet I still can't figure out how to get around. You can drop me off  in the middle of the city and I would not understand at all how it connects. I remember the first time I went with Michelle, we stayed for 3 days, slept in the car in the parking lot of a hostel and drove up and down Van Ness street for what seemed like forever. That was 

freedom at nineteen years old I guess. 

This time around I traveled with an old high school friend who I hadn't seen or talked to in person for over 5 years. It is strange to think that someone would want to re-connect on a trip where there are no outs if for some reason the connection is not there anymore, well I am a strange girl.  

Once again it became a thing of seeing the city through her eyes, not that it was bad but I am wondering when I am going to get my own view of the city. Or maybe it is just too late? New york stole my heart it would be too hard to try to get it back. I am so confused with San Francisco now a days... besides it's black and white photobooth in Fisherman's Wharf I don't know what else I have to look forward to when I go. Wait I forgot, it has Bi-Rite Creamery ... you can disregard everything else I just said.

 

Your just jealous cuz we're young and in love....

 

I have been spending a lot of time with my family lately, just hanging out with my little sisters.  When you are that young hanging out literally means doing nothing. Spending hours in a singular location enjoying the time that is passing by. Do you remember the feeling of not feeling rushed? Of not thinking of all the things you had to do in the next couple of hours?  I love being around the unfiltered that feel like the world is in the palm of their hands. I once used to feel invincible but now I second guess every move I make even when I am walking down the street.

Why do you think we lose that? I know a big chunk of that is dream vs reality. We can only live so much in our head, after awhile I am sure we would go crazy. I have given much thought lately as to why I don't feel things are possible. When you are younger you say to yourself "I am going to travel the world" then you get older an realize you have to have a job to do this. Money is and forever will be the biggest buzzkill. I know that we are suppose to think a certain way when we are older. Stable job, stable house, stable family life...but what if that is not what you want. I think from now on I am going to ask my 10 year old sister what she would do and go from there.....

 Do you remember the age of young love? When you still got butterflies and all you really wanted to do is hold someone's hand? My teenage sister is experiencing young love for the first time. Her best friend is exactly who she wants to be around all the time. I look at them and think "Could they have found something so young?" Teenagers now a days know too much... they know things don't last. I don't know whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.....

Note to self: Act like a kid every once in awhile, there has to be a secret to their laughter.

tapes and tapes

I know that being retro is all the rage nowadays, this coming from a person who only uses film cameras and even worse still uses a small tape player to listen to music BUT trust me this is an involuntary reflex. Somewhere along the lines I just fell into the way of thinking, "if it's not broke don't fix it". I wouldn't say that I am afraid of technology but I would say that I wish we could just slow down and enjoy things for awhile. Every few months it seems like we keep improving on things that in my opinion don't need much improving in the first place. There is always something bigger and better coming along in the next few months making society never feel like they are satisfied. I hate that feeling! So I personally have chosen to slow down.

Like I mentioned above I use a small tape player as my primary music player. This happened all by accident when I saw one for under 3 dollars at a thrift store. It was just sitting there and I thought " Hey why not?" I then noticed how affordable tapes are selling, sometimes for as low as a quarter. I love going to Amoeba because they always have some great selections. These are my latest finds....

 

The funny thing is The Cranberries "No Need To Argue" tape was the first tape I ever purchased and here I was almost 16 years later purchasing it again.  

This right here is my gem, a Dinosaur Jr album on tape with no artwork. Comes right in time as the news of the Bug re-issue on tape , coming full circle maybe?

My first time with the LC-Wide

 

This is my first roll through the LC-Wide and to be honest I wish I would have gone closer! The LC-W is the new camera by Lomography that takes the LC-A+ to a whole new level allowing you to take not online wide angle shots but also half and square frame pictures! I say it is something along the lines of if the Diana Mini and the LC-A+ had a baby. To be quite honest when I found out this was happening I was not too excited about it, I like the LC-A and it already had the ability to add a wide angle lens so how much better could it be. I don't really care for the novelty of half frame photography and if I wanted square images I could just shoot medium format! But just  one look at the pictures and I knew that I was wrong. I could go over the technical specifications of this camera like it's 17mm lens and what not but I think just looking at the pictures you can see how great it is. The best part for me is that it only has two focus functions 0.4 -0.9 m or 0.9 - infinity ! That means not only do you not have to think about exposures thanks to the infamous light meter you also don't really have to think about focusing either!! Regardless I think I need to take this baby out for a spin one more time and you know maybe actually get a good picture.

Set on half frame option without the half frame mask creates fake panoramic images

Square format

Street Photography

Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching a new workshop at the Lomography Gallery Store LA that solely focused on street photography. A concept that I was not too familiar with but as soon as I did my research I became engulfed in the greats and master of the craft.

  My interest in street photography began when I moved to NYC for the first time (yes there was a second). I loved the idea of exploring the city and capturing it through my glass lens. I lived right around the corner from ICP and worked a few stops away from the MET so I was always occupying my time checking out photography exhibits. When I moved to NY I only had a canon rebel t1 35mm camera and a sony digital camera. This was back in 2007 when digital had finally become a household thing. I don't know why I held on the the film camera for as long as I did and now a days I can't imagine using anything but film but those were my companions while in the "big scary" city. I always remember on my days off taking the train to a random destination in hopes that when I got off I would be able to capture the essence of where I was.

photo by Henri Cartier Bresson

  I was already in the mentality of a street photographer and I didn't even know it. ICP hosted an exhibit while I still lived in the city on Henri Cartier-Bresson. I didn't know it at the time but I was seeing the photographs of someone who people call the grandfather of photojournalism. It wasn't until doing research for this workshop that I became re-acquainted with the photographs that inspired me years ago.

photo by Henri Cartier Bresson

 In addition to Bresson there are dozen or so great photographers that put their stamp on Street Photography back in the day. Doisneau, Evans, Gilden and many more to mention but all unique and similar in their own ways.

I think about how capturing people in their every day life was so important back in the day. A life before reality tv, before tabloid magazines, before leisurely traveling. This was the only way we could see the world outside of our own.  Street Photography requires a sense of confidence that I lack. You have to be able to walk up to anyone and be prepared to be let in or grossly told to fuck off. I can't handle that kind of rejection so in turn I will probably never be one of those names but I can say that dabbling in the art form is fun!

I also taught a Diana F+ workshop last week and at the tail end of it ran into WeHo Jesus. If you live in LA you have seen this man at least one time or another. He walks around LA wearing a long robe, has a beard and long hair. Resembles what we think Jesus would look like or at least what we have been told he should. I tried to sneak a picture as I saw him walk down the street ( Does anyone else hear Kanye's "Jesus Walks" when they see him passing by? ) He saw me and motioned my friend and I to come over, now I don't know about you but when someone who resembles Jesus tells you to do anything you almost feel some sort of religious obligation to comply, I blame my Catholic upbringing. I asked him if I could take his portrait and then he started asking me about Lomography, who knew Jesus knew about Lomo cameras.... It was a weird experience but I got this awesome shot out of it. I think the Diana F+ complimented this holy being really well, and don't worry I don't really think he is Jesus, or is he?

Puerto Rico !!!!

It's been a long time since I have written in here mostly due to the fact that I lack a computer! womp womp....
There is good news though, actually there really isn't any good news but we will glaze over that just so I can talk about how amazing my last trip was. I was lucky enough to spend a few days with my friends in NYC and then hop over to Puerto Rico to spend some time with my dad.

Being in Puerto Rico opened up my eyes to something I hadn't experienced in awhile, WANDERLUST! This word is defined as a strong, innate desire to rove or travel about. That is pretty much all I want to do with my life, I blame Anthony Bourdain! In all seriousness, being able to experience a completely different culture awoke something in me. While I walked down the small narrow streets of old San Juan I thought to myself this is what it is all about. Seeing new things and being around the unfamiliar challenges something inside of you to want more. We spent most of our time in Old San Juan walking around and taking in the beauty of the Atlantic. We even went into an old castle which was weird and cool all at the same time. There was this festival going on while we were there, apparently it goes on every Sunday with outdoor music and dancing. Everyone brings their own chair and they sit down or get up and dance but the main point is just relaxing and enjoying a day off. Living in the states I feel we all lose sight of what enjoying your life is suppose to feel like. We all work hard to try to get by and forget what life is suppose to be about. I guess that last statement could be interpreted many different ways for many different people but for me life is about experiencing and at the moment there is not much of that going on.

On trips I always find it hard to pack cameras, I have a few that I am partial to (Lubitel 166 I am looking at you! ) others are a toss up. I decided to take my Diana F+ on this trip since I haven't given it much of a chance in previous outings. I am so happy I did! the soft focus lens paired with slide film were the exact thing I needed to capture the beauty of Puerto Rico.

Here are a few images I was lucky enough to capture. All simple, without thought but lucky enough that the planets aligned and got me these gorgeous images.

the grunge princess

Princess movies? I'm into it! Actually anything Disney I tend to swing a bat at. I grew up thinking that at one point my Prince Charming would come or at least something resembling a prince charming. Obviously we all know that romantic comedies, Disney Films, and the Lifetime channel have seriously affected woman's expectation of relationships. I am constantly living in reality vs expectation but out of all the Disney princess films I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy "The Princess Diaries". Besides having a charming and shy lead awesomely portrayed by one of my future style icons Anne Hathaway. It has Robert Schwartzman playing the lovable friend that is in a band (Duh!). Completely a no brainer and thanks to E! playing it on heavy rotation I have gotten to enjoy this movie more than once this month.