Hermit Crab with a Camera Bag

Jalama Beach State Park: Point 'n Shoot

2011-06-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

Hmmm...what to say about Jalama Beach? A state beach surrounded by Lompoc greenery and a minimum of mobile trailers definitely sounded like a good idea for Memorial Day weekend. So where'd we go wrong? Going by Yelp and campground reviews, we were expecting wind...just not so MUCH of it!! As soon as we were out of the car, the freezing wind was whipping around our faces. We doubled up on jackets and took the afghan throw down to the beach while we waited for a tent spot, then climbed back up the beach to the camp store. I was dead set on trying their "World Famous Jalama Burger." A massive patty,a massive bun,ample cheese & shredded lettuce, and a sauce tasting similar to the In-N-Out special mix. We finished in about 2 minutes, and took the fries back to wait in the car.

Of course, I forgot I'd left the fries on the car roof, until the seagulls dive-bombed us.

What else is there to say about Jalama Beach, other than try visiting Labor Day weekend instead? Not much! For the 2 nights we camped, the wind shook the tent so much you'd have thought there was a blizzard outside, and I think we got a thorough face and ankle sand exfoliation trying to take a windy beach walk our last day there. So here I'll let the photos show the few standouts of the trip:
Chili bread bowl & clam basket
Beginning of sunset,and...
...the end of it.

Lompoc sculpture garden

I hope to have the shots from the Holga developed soon, but these from my SX 120 will have to do for now.

Wine Country, Part II

2011-06-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

We left through Sonoma, which definitely had some interesting roadside statues:

Right next to the San Francisco Solano is monument to the Bear Flag Republic battle:

And yes, we did hit one more winery and the final, 21st mission I needed. That was a detour in Fremont:

Wine Country, Part I

2011-06-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

Probably not a destination you would choose to go to at the end of December, but Sonoma was the location of the last mission I needed for my California missions photos, plus...there's wine! So into North Central region the man and I headed.

Started out around 5am, and didn't get off the 101N until mid-afternoon,then cut across several known "wine towns": Yountsville, Healdsburg, St.Helena. We had made another interesting choice for winter: camping in Bothe Napa State Park. No surprise, there were very few people hiking around and we were the only people there camping. The ranger doing his drive-by offered that "it was 22 degrees last night." Nevertheless, we set up the tent, and then went off on a short hike, and a drive a few miles down the road to visit the mini version of Old Faithful.

New Year's Day had us hopping around St.Helena and Rutherford to the few wineries open. But it was nice to come in from the drizzle outside, have some wine & breadsticks, and see who else was spending a holiday this way.

New York in B&W

2011-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

B&W Portraits

2011-03-18T15:55:00.001-07:00

Showing my Holgas

2011-01-18T21:55:00.000-08:00

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs787.ash1/167745_1736485207542_1100963397_3253199_2001141_n.jpg

The show is in Burbank,CA. Up for a month, and the reception is Saturday. Come on by!

Wine & Guitars

2010-11-04T21:05:00.000-07:00

I have never been much of a fan of people photography. Yet early this year, I was asked to document a wine-tasting event in Pasadena, and I agreed. It was so informal for me--no demands,just a few requests to make sure certain booths were included--that I enjoyed it much more than expected. And I personally ended up finding a niche I like in shooting people: the unaware moment. So interesting to observe others who aren't observing you, and capturing that blank or lost in thought stare that flashes only for a moment. I found that throughout the night I would first try to take a photo in this style before my presence was felt, and I had to make the obligatory shot complete with a pose or unnatural smile.

I actually find the last shot here, with the mix of aware/unaware parties, hilarious.

On a more recent note, the guitar in the first set of pictures was about to be put up on Ebay. I wanted to shoot it before it was gone forever, for purely aesthetic purposes.

The last guitar just happened to be in the same studio, so we played around with that one for some variety.

Big Bear Lake,CA

2010-11-04T19:07:00.000-07:00

A morning after Oktoberfest in Big Bear Lake.

Davenport, CA

2010-09-22T22:00:00.001-07:00

Davenport, CA was the chosen getaway this year for Labor Day weekend. Stayed at a house right across from the beach, got chased off some 'private' property, and had my major Hike of the Week at Big Basin Redwood Park in Pescadero (about 20 minutes north of Davenport).

35mm: Thai New Year

2010-07-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

35mm: Central Park

2010-07-08T17:21:00.000-07:00

Holga Update, Part II: New York

2010-07-08T17:07:00.000-07:00

Just a few Holgas that I liked from New York so far...Love the gritty look from the Rockefeller Center one, and how the mountain goat one from the Natural History Museum almost turned into a painting.
However,I can't wait to see how the roll of slides I shot came out. Stay tuned...

Holga Update, Part I

2010-07-08T16:27:00.001-07:00

So I finally picked out 4 rolls at random that I'd shot with the Holga to finally get processed. I can't believe how OLD some of these rolls were! The bear statue in Los Osos is from last June, and if you look back a few posts, you can probably guess the coast and tree shots are from around the holiday season of '09.
It's fun at times,though,to not know what you'll get.Like the times you find a $20 bill in a jacket pocket you haven't worn in months.

Polaroid Update

2010-07-07T23:27:00.001-07:00

It's long overdue...but I've finally scanned my backlogged Polaroids, so what you see here is a mishmash of New York from March, San Francisco, and a random.

Wining Around Santa Barbara

2010-05-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Should have done these sooner since this trip was already about 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately small digital pics are all that came from this trip. I decided to experience the wine and forego artistic expression for straight documentation.

First stop was at Summerland Winery in the small town of,well, Summerland. Had a good white wine I can't recall the name of, and an excellent petite Syrah.

Next was Bridlewood Winery in Santa Ynez. Best by far was a 2007 Viognier, and the scent...now I'm no wino, but I want to market that Viognier in a perfume bottle. And I'd probably be smelling my own wrists all day.

Loved their very friendly horses, too.

We'd wasted so much time getting ready to go, there was no way to make another winery before 5. So we putted around downtown Solvang, and even took the gimmicky horse drawn carriage tour.

We actually ended the evening back in Summerland taking our chances on a shady-looking saloon for dinner, and ended up having some exceptional calamari. And I don't even like calamari! Sorry, but the name of the place...is reserved for my most trusted confidantes.

Poppy Fields in the Antelope Valley

2010-04-20T17:14:00.001-07:00

Yet another trip (just about a week after getting back from NYC) that turned gray and cold. But the good thing about poppies are...their color is all over. Even folded up, you can see that bright orange miles away. So naturally, this wasn't stopping me;I hadn't gone on my first trip to the poppy fields nearly an hour away just to turn back. Again,these are from the digital compact camera, as I still need to get to my film developing and scanning.

Oh! A bonus...came across joshua trees on the way back.

New York City

2010-04-20T16:51:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile,and I've got a few more trips under my belt. This was of course the major journey,and unfortunately I still haven't been able to get to my film files yet. I'm sure they'll turn out more engaging, but for now here are a couple taken on my obsolete compact digital.

A cityscape from Central Park.

Sights from the Met, Natural History Museum, and MoMA (it turned out to be incredibly rainy;museums were the main highlight of the week.)

Salton Sea-Slides and B+W

2010-02-24T23:03:00.000-08:00

Here are the film shots I took with the Holga on that recent Salton Sea trip. Colors just look so much more vibrant on slide film.

Salton Sea, Jan.2010

2010-02-08T22:34:00.000-08:00

Two years after my first trip,I finally made it back to the Salton Sea. There were plenty of firsts this time; I'd previously only visited Bombay Beach.

Central Coast, December 2009

2009-12-30T11:27:00.000-08:00

Went up the central coast for the holidays this year. Saw Hearst Castle, Big Sur, 17 Mile Drive, and the Carmel mission.

EXPOSURE 2009

2009-12-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

I'm in the news!

http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/21190/

Participated in this group show with some of my Holgas, and also went to check it out.

Monsters on Bikes

2009-12-07T17:16:00.000-08:00

Kind of late for this, but this is a work of mine titled "Tooncifur" and is on display until the end of this week at the Flying Pigeon in Highland Park.

I do some work in Sharpies along with my photography. Along with using fickle cameras like the Holga and Polaroid, Sharpies take away some of the control I'd have with a more manipulatable medium. It creates challenges for me to work with, which I actually enjoy now.

West LA

2009-12-07T17:01:00.000-08:00

Affaire in the Gardens, October 2009

Beverly Hills by night

The Past Couple Days

2009-11-09T22:50:00.000-08:00

Eaton Canyon on Sunday. Waterfall at the end of the trail.

I don't generally take sunset pictures much anymore since the fine art college community practically threatened bodily harm to those who did, but when you have a view like this right from your backyard...this was dusk,today.

Wild Animal Randoms

2009-10-27T23:52:00.000-07:00

Taxidermied Bison, Natural History Museum

Viejas Outlets

Gives Ya a Good Feeling

2009-10-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

So these are a sampling of the Polaroids that just give me a smile...let me reminisce to the moment of the snap. These are the random photos that I won't necessarily include in one of my collections, but I consider them tiny artworks all on their own.

Film Artists

2009-10-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

Currently not at my own computer to upload newly scanned pics, so here's some other photographers I admire because they have great work and acheive it using film:

Atta Kim is my newest discovery. Found out about him just yesterday flipping through the latest issue of Color at Barnes&Noble.
http://www.yossimilo.com/artists/atta_kim/

These are some favorites of mine already:
http://www.esoule.com/
http://amandafriedman.com/
http://www.giacomobrunelli.com/pictures.html
http://www.patrickwinfield.com/composites.html

This isn't film, but I still love it:
http://www.sharonmontrose.com/

Enjoy until I make it home!

New Holgas

2009-09-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Slowly, I'm whittling my way down through my backlog of Holga rolls. Just 4 more waiting, and 1 currently in the camera. It's actually fun though to see what I get back, because I don't remember now what's on most of them. The San Jose ones I expected, but I also threw in a random for processing, and got back my roll from the Carlsbad Flower Fields in March.

I love the ones that came from the Winchester House.

San Jose, Labor Day Weekend 2009

2009-09-24T18:59:00.000-07:00

This was my first longish trip since the Sequoias exactly a year ago. I really hate to go so long without this kind of trip. Not only fresh scenery for the photographer, but it really helps clear the head in a spiritual/meditative sense.
So I spent the weekend in SJ, and also worked on my missions project. These particular shots are from the Winchester House, SJSU, and the Santa Clara mission.

Just got the Holgas I shot here back today, which was a mistake...now I'm going to SD for the weekend and can't scan them til next week. So now I'll be chomping at the bit til then, cause it looks like some good stuff.

Day Events (LA)

2009-09-24T18:19:00.001-07:00

A great thing about LA is, even when you can't travel out of town, there's no reason to be bored. Easter weekend this year was also Blessing of the Animals on Olvera Street. It was also an opportunity to try out my new (at the time) Golden Half camera.
I also got some B&W shots with my 35mm:

I finally made it out to the Getty Malibu too, bringing my Holga, Polaroid, and 35mm loaded with Ektar to shoot:

I stopped along PCH on the way back:

Day Events (San Diego)

2009-09-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

When there wasn't an opportunity to drive or camp, I would
tide myself over with photo day trips. San Diego had their Gay Pride parade in late July:

There was also the fair in late June. This was a first: I took my Polaroid along:

Morro Bay, June 2009

2009-09-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

Life was a dreary, trip-less drudge from the beginning of January to early June. That first weekend, I managed to get away for the weekend with some old photo classmates. The Holga shots came out great. I particularly loved the colors: I shot my first roll of the new (at the time) Kodak Ektar film. The first one here is from the beach in Montana de Oro State Park, and the other is Morro Rock at sunset.

Keeping up with the travels...

2009-09-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately, I've abandoned this blog for awhile. Can't believe it's been a year since I posted. There actually have been travels in that time, so I'll just try and give a small summary for each of them beginning in chronological order with December of 2008. Four days in the Bay Area. This first shot is a double exposure done with my Holga camera, and I think it's my favorite pic from the whole trip. Didn't even remember taking it, so I was really surprised and pleased when I got it back.

San Francisco was the ultimate destination, but my favorite Polaroids actually came from the pit stops along the way:

La Soledad mission and Solvang ostrich farm

There were more missions (I am currently working on a Polaroid project involving all the California missions), but this one just looked so...solitary. Like an abandoned building in New Mexico or other southwest desert area. Hence the name, I suppose.

My newfound formats

2008-09-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

Film has been my modus operandi since I got into photography; I didn't shrug it off for digital like it seems 99% of the rest of the world has. Even so, I find I'm playing catch-up to a lot of traditional methods. I think starting out at Freestyle got me out of my medium-format-and-Ilford-HP5+ rut I've been in for years (not that I have anything bad to say about it). I admit, change was in the air along with the seasons, and I took up 2 old-school methods I'd never done before: Polaroid and Holga.

My Kings Canyon polaroids were the 1st in this new adventurous experiment. I'd never used much Polaroid,hadn't shot one in years. Just from a couple exposures,I got the feel of the instant film's liberations and limitations. Apparently distance is everything :P

Next was Descanso Gardens nearer to me, in La Canada Flintridge (the 2nd longest city name in the U.S. There's some trivia for you. And yes,I know the 1st,but you're just going to have to Google it!) I had a better concept of what I could do with the medium now,and think I got better results because of it.

I also have to say another reason I took up Polaroid was that I heard the company had decided not to make the film anymore,and I was horrified I'd let the simplest of film formats pass me by all this time. So now the film almost twice as much $,so twice as precious for every frame. I find myself taking no less care composing an image than I would on one of my "serious" cameras. Each composition now has to be worth something.

The other one I took up was the Holga. I always considered myself anal in regards to my photos,and I wasn't sure I'd be able to let go and enjoy the unpredictable format. I was really surprised to get my 1st roll back and find that I liked the 'messed up' photos the most.

I'm still obsessed with shooting both,particularly the Holga. I love not knowing what to expect on each roll. Highly recommended for anyone who needs to lose control once in awhile.

In the Sequoias!

2008-09-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

So I celebrated Labor Day weekend in Kings Canyon Nat'l Park. Of course, it was crowded and we weren't at all prepared for freezing nights,but it was so worth it. One of those rejuvenating trips.

Saw this tree trunk that resembled a dragon head (to me).
My lovely car against the mountain backdrop.
On the road towards Cedar Grove on Hwy 180.
Within the hike towards Zumwalt Meadow.

One of my 1st pics once we got there.

Kings River

Panoramic Point

It's one of those places you have to go back to. Kings Canyon itself was huge, so we didn't even get to explore Sequoia that much (just a meadow in Princess Campground), and there's so much I want to see there, too. But awesome all the same. Hope some of my slide film night shots turn out;I'll get to see next week.

Point Loma

2008-07-23T20:07:00.001-07:00

Well,what was otherwise a ruined weekend, I dragged the bro with me to the Point Loma lighthouse and the huge armed forces memorial they have there. Also the Cabrillo Monument, but the landscape and graves (which I'm sure are better appreciated in a larger format I plan on trying soon) were the best parts.

The fair's in town...

2008-07-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry,but I haven't felt like I've done any blog-worthy work until this past weekend. I went to Balboa Park in SD earlier in the day, then on to the SD Fair later in the afternoon.

I love the bunny exhibit! Lucked out this year; usually we end up going on pigeon day. Yawn.

Some of the fair's nightlife.

Annnnd...check out my flower exhibit pics @ photophanatic.deviantart.com.

Nightly adventures and my directional prowess

2008-06-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

So I'm officially obsessed with night photography now. Let's see, I've been out for 7 consecutive nights now. Wow. I didn't even realize it had been a week. Anyways, here's what I've been up to since last time (which I still have sore calves from. Walking from Ave 64 to Colorado Blvd and back...probably a dumb idea.)

Friday night was a different kind of night photography...beach bonfire kind.

No nighttime partner for tonight, but I filled my day going to the Huntington Library's new exhibit "This Side of Paradise" showing photos representing LA from the mid 1800s to the present. Google Maps lost me on the way there; I swear they're as bad as mapquest now. Way old-fashioned, but my trusty road map saved me from having to give up in a fit of frustration. Ha, I feel so accomplished when I can find my way by my map. ANYWAYS, the exhibit was pretty damn good, plus afterwards I braved the day's stifling heat to see the Chinese Garden, which wasn't open last time I was here.

Oh hey, I keep forgetting to mention this...but I don't put EVERYTHING from every escapade on here. If you ever want to see more, I put more photos on my deviant art account: photophanatic.deviantart.com. Later!

Ughhh...

2008-06-11T00:18:00.001-07:00

Won't be able to go up the coast this weekend; the roommate wants to save money for bills instead of paying for a train ticket, and since it was her stepbrother we were visiting...Ordinarily, I'd just drive up on my own but good lord, the GAS!! And when you don't have a particularly lucrative job, well...I'm pretty much stuck for now. Oy vey. Well, I'm still hunting down photo job ops, and am doing my bartender training next week it looks like. So wish me luck.

Out and About in Eagle Rock

2008-06-09T22:31:00.000-07:00

Finally got to some of the places in my new neighborhood that I hadn't had a chance at. Went to a spooky-looking cathedral, old-fashioned looking diner, a small club, and a stairway near the club.

I have to go back to the area with these lions because there's also a giant cartoon chicken on the roof 2 blocks away, but...it was night and not the safest of areas. Have to go back with a burly bodyguard. There's also the craziest building ever, a bright orange Buddhist temple. I'd like to get a shot of that during the day and night.

So what's up next? Morro Bay for the weekend is looking definite. Really, I can't pass up the opportunity; SoCal is burning me out right now. And if I go hopefully I can get the missions in the San Luis Obispo area.

First Forays into the night...

2008-06-08T21:20:00.000-07:00

Night photography, that is. When I was visiting San Diego this weekend, I did my first attempts at night photography. I'm pissed that I forgot to bring my digital with me the first night though; I was distracted though! So now I have to wait on the color negs of those and hope they turned out decently. BUT I have the digital versions from Saturday night (when I went photographing after a pool party, alone, in a damp bathing suit and cover-up. I swear I'm sane.)

A church near Southwestern College. Fire station along Bonita Road.

I'm hoping to venture out again maybe Thursday night because there's a ton of great places just by my new apartment that I've been aching to get my lens on. There's just something about being out in the dark when it's all quiet, in the moments your eyes aren't darting around checking for shady characters, that takes the edge off the day. Or maybe that's just me; I'm naturally nocturnal.

Catch-Up, Part II

2008-06-06T10:12:00.001-07:00

Late April I go to the San Fernando mission in Mission Hills. Not one of the more impressive ones, but I found some interesting points. Anyone know Bob Hope has a huge memorial here? I didn't.

The Bob Hope Memorial

Sorry, I just found this funny.

Early May, it was off to San Gabriel mission, near to Pasadena.

I hadn't heard much talk about this one; I'd even heard it was unimpressive. But once I saw the gardens and cemeteries, I had to disagree. SG marked the end of the missions for me, at least related to school.

This summer marks a whole new territory for me,though. Not only do I not have summer school, I am now PERMANENTLY out of school! Which leaves me a lot more time to work on my projects. Next weekend I may head up to Morro Bay, and tackle the missions in the San Luis Obispo area on the way. Thanks to some of my photo-friends influence, I'm starting out with night photography too. So hopefully I've got some new stuff up soon.

Let's Get Caught Up...

2008-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

I'll start off playing catch-up with some of my photos from my Salton Sea/Joshua Tree trip from
January.

Here's Becca, at the top of Mt. Ryan.

This is one of my photo-mates, Paul. Dressed up like a robot climbing a rock in Joshua Tree. Don't ask.

I found the Salton Sea the most inspiring, although I think I'll have more ideas for my next trip to Joshua Tree now that I'm familiar with it. Some places just require more time in the particular atmosphere.

This was on our way home to LA county, stopping around the Yucca Valley area where's there are all these solar-powered (I think) windmills. Just hills and hills of them. Amazing.

Next would be when I decided to make my final project for my documentary class about the California missions. Or at least the ones I could make it to. I started off at the end of March with San Juan Capistrano, "jewel of the missions". I probably haven't been here in over 10 years, but after visiting and re-visiting 8 of the SoCal missions, SJC really is the most beautiful.

Here's Diana in front of an outdoor stagelike structure. Kinda reminds me of the photo by Annie Leibowitz of Susan Sontag in front of Petra.

After SJC, I started off spring break by visiting the fam in San Diego,which gave me the perfect opportunity to visit San Luis Rey in Oceanside. I sound macabre,but you'll soon see how I have a fetish for graveyards, and SLR has a pretty nice one.

After SLR, the real trip began...San Buenaventura, Santa Ines, Santa Barbara, and La Purisima

Another nice cemetery...this one at Santa Ines.

Santa Barbara grounds and cemetery.

La Purisima is so unique...for one thing,it's main building is bright pink. Plus it's in this long shape in the middle of a field, not any city sights nearby. It also still keeps farm animals running around.

La Purisima was the last mission I visited during spring break. I visited 2 more during April and May to round out my project.

OK...well, this will have to be Part I for now. It's late and I've got an interview tomorrow. I'll try to post about San Gabriel and San Fernando, as well as my travel plans for the near future, tomorrow.