Union Station

This is the digital version of a previous image from the photo adventure Chuck and I went on in Los Angeles.  We had so much fun poking around Union Station and Olvera Street (home of the world's best churro).  I was shooting for my calendar.  

Land Before Time Leaves

Thought these leaves were pretty and needed some attention. I found them in the same spot as the black and white photo of the brush.  The seemed prehistoric to me.  I guess I watched a little too much Land Before Time when I was younger.  This image was captured with my camera phone.

Shipping LBC

A night shot of the Port of Los Angeles.  The reflection on the water was serene.  It was quiet.  The image portrays the quiet beauty of the lights bouncing off the reflective surface.  This image was taken with my camera phone.

Lan's Triangle

This is another from the series of pictures I took at Union Station in Los Angeles.  At first I wasn't very excited about this image, but my friend and fellow photo nerd, encouraged me to print it because of the triangle she saw in there.  I was very happy with the unexpected results.  I really like all of the shapes and lighting in this image.  In a way  it almost looks like a collage of different images pasted together.  It has now been added to my pile of calendar images.  Thanks Lan!


This was taken with the Hasselblad camera and film.

Party of Two

Chuck and I spent an afternoon up in Los Angeles so that I could shoot for my calendar.  This was one shot I took in Union Station.  I loved the way the light was hitting the empty chairs.  Their stillness was so apparent especially while surrounded by the hustle and bustle of people trying to catch trains, buses, and taxis.  In the middle of the madness the chairs just seemed so serene.


This image was taken with film and a Hasselblad camera.

Camille the Cat

Meet Camille the cat.  She's my friend Randy's cat.  She is as mean as she is beautiful.  One minute your petting her soft gorgeous self the next your bleeding because she randomly bit you.  Pretty funny.  I happened to catch her in a good mood, although I kept my distance just to err on the side of caution.  

Through the Woods

Just got done in the darkroom printing this one. I had a solo adventure this past Saturday exploring the wilderness off of Harvard and Michelson in Irvine. While it doesn't sound that exciting, there were some pretty cool textures and patterns. I was happy that I didn't find a dead body. My imagination is out of control when I'm all alone in a secluded area. Suddenly I flash back to every scary movie or episode of Dateline I've ever seen.


I'm happy with this print. It feels like madness to look at. Just can't figure out where you want to focus. I took this image with the Hasselblad and film.

Big Girl!

This is Chuck's niece, Chloe, I've written about her previously, her nickname is Ladybug.  I think it suits her so well.  She's a lover of all things girly.  Her favorite item of choice right now is purses, big and small.  She has these incredibly big brown eyes with beautiful eyelashes -- and really who can say no to a little face like this!?  I'm amazed every time I see her at how much and how quickly she changes.


This image was taken with 35mm film.

Sunset

I think sunset is my favorite time of day.  It just emotes that sense of accomplishment -- you've made it through the day and your reward is a slower pace and relaxation.  As you drive home or take a walk after arriving at home smells of dinner waft through the air and a kinship is formed with other survivors of the day.  

This image was taken with 35mm color film.

Let's go fly a plane!

Meet Clint.  In his spare time he fulfills his childhood dreams of flying.  This is an environmental portrait taken at the Riverside Airport this morning.  I was really nervous about my first on location portrait, but to my surprise everything went as ideally as I possibly could have hoped.  The environment was assigned to me by my teacher.  She had everyone pick one random one and I was fortunate enough to get "pilot".  Clint is my friend's husband.  He's just about as sweet as can be!  I think his expression and kind demeanor are readily apparent in the expression on his face.  This is one of my favorite portraits I've taken this semester!

Stop! Motion.

Another Hassleblad picture.  The assignment was to catch stop motion or blurred motion by using a high shutter speed and strobe lights.  This was one of many fun and hilarious shots.  It's not my favorite of the bunch, but still pretty funny.  Here my models, Lan and Jerod, are being pummeled with practice golf balls.

Night Strobe Shoot

This was my most favorite shoot of the entire semester.  We laughed so hard and had so much fun playing on the playground we all forgot it was an assignment.  Best photography night to date!  This shot had a Super Mario Brothers feel to it.


I used strobes and the Hasselblad.  It truly is a magical camera!  

To Infinity and Beyond

I was pleasantly surprised during a recent trip to the Santa Ana Train Station.  The inside is so unexpected.  I realized it was an older building but I didn't expect this grand entrance.  The number of shapes were endless.  

This image was captured with a Hasselblad using film.

Downtown Circus

It was a very warm day in Downtown Orange. The awnings were gifts providing shade. I looked up and saw this image before me. I'm drawn to lines like a moth to a flame!

I used a Hasselblad camera to take this image.

More Human Impressions

Saturday night Chuck and I went to one of our favorite places to eat -- Phillipes in Los Angeles -- home of the best beef dip.  I love the nostalgia the restaurant embodies.  Every inch of every brick inside the space has become a time capsule evidencing some mysterious person who's been there or someone's love.  Can't help but wonder if "Brian & Judy '01" are still going strong.  Chuck and I were discussing the walls on the way home and he was saying he plans to bring his Dremmel next time so he can write "CHUCK" in big letters.  The visual of hearing the high pitch screaming noise of the Dremmel in the middle of the restaurant made me laugh.  I guess the pictures I take next time we go will be far more entertaining.

Voluptuous Shadow

Although this could be a cartoon-like woman with some serious curves wearing a tightly fit dress, it's actually the shadow of a fountain. The pattern of the bricks leant themselves as the perfect background.

Tree House

This image was captured in Downtown Orange with a Hasselblad. I liked the urban look the fire escape had. It seemed like a good place to sit and read a book for awhile.

Palm trees

Friday the 13th, seems like it should be scary but it's always just another Friday.  


I'm frustrated by this image.  I feel like it should have been more interesting than it turned out. I tried printing it several different ways but this ended up the most interesting of all of them.  It might have been something that just worked better in color.  I had it included in my mid-term version of my calendar but have not 100% decided that it will be strong enough for my final.


This is an image taken with the Hasselblad and film.

Optical Illusion

I like this image because the water in the center is a bit ambiguous.  At first it's hard to tell if it's water reflecting light from the sky or a hole in the bushes.  It's water.  This image was captured with my camera phone.

Human Impressions

I love looking at the way people leave things.  There's an innocence and unawareness that I find incredibly interesting.  Every item you see was touched by human hands at some point.  A series of events have to happen just so that one item reaches that very point at that very second.  Nothing is planned.  It is just because it is.   This happens to be one corner of my boss's office.  This is his war table.  At any given moment it could be surrounded by stress, or people discussing things, or a hearty laugh (which is most common). The light that was falling into the room through the windows and making the chairs look soft and the room so quiet.  

Apples & Cinnamon

This is two different images I took at the grocery store last night.  One of apples and one of cinnamon.  At the time I was taking them I just really liked the repetitive patterns in each item -- then later realized the two are kind of friends in the food world.  After that, I found a new feature in Picasa to experiment with and tah-dah!  Apples & Cinnamon!  The cinnamon caught my attention because of the aromatic power it had.  I love this time of year because everywhere you go it smells like spices and reminds you of warm, fuzzy holiday feelings.

Shoesies

These shoes and hat were one portion of my friend Seth's Halloween costume as Steve Zissou.  My friend (and his wife) Megan made his costume which turned out perfectly!  The shoes and hat were simply the icing on the cake.  He looked adorable as did she.  I had a lot of fun helping Megan get dressed as a Geisha that day.  I couldn't believe the artistic things we were able to do to her hair thanks to about 5,000 bobby pins and 2 gallons of hairspray.

Feels Like Home to Me

The end of a long day there is nothing more that I like than sitting on the couch relaxing with Rowdy dog.  I love this image because to me it is a moment that was not manipulated or set up.  It was Rowdy snoozing on the couch.  His little paws relaxed and doing nothing juxtaposed by the little indentations in his pads evidencing his very busy day of trotting around.

Nostalgic Rides

I think rides like this are actually time machines connecting youths of today to their parents or grandparents as it may be.  They are so nostalgic by nature and I think pictures communicate that nostalgia.

Tungsten Portrait

Last night I made my first print of my first studio portrait session with my gorgeous model Alejandro Maldonado.  We had so much fun during our shoot and I just wanted it to come through in the pictures.  I like this one in particular because he looked relaxed and debonair.  I still have some work to do on the shirt being too white but I'm pretty proud of it!  Hopefully, my teacher will agree!  

Jelly Belly Ouchy

These were my delicious snack this morning.  I was looking at all the beautiful colors and I couldn't help taking a picture of it.  I do have some pointers for enjoying them as much as possible though... 1) Do not place jelly beans in a coffee mug next to another mug filled with coffee, it inevitably (at least from my very recent experience) leads to half a hand dipped in really hot liquid.  This is not as enjoyable as a mug full of jelly beans.  2) Eat the jelly beans one at a time so as to keep track of the gross flavors especially if you do not have a container to sort out the colors!

Farm Dog at Heart

This was a really fun day.  We took Rowdy to my friend Linda's house.  She has a ranch with four horses!  I think Rowdy found his calling.  He had a blast.  This was a moment when it seemed that he was soaking it all up and appreciating the beauty.

Surf Story

This is one of the first creative images I've gotten to take with the Hasselblad camera.  I am in love with this camera and the medium sized format film.  It just makes for really amazing images.  I really liked the story that this scene was telling.  To me it was a couple local surfers who rode their bikes to the beach to surf.  You can see them in the distance getting ready to catch a few waves and relax.

In Studio Portrait

This is a digital image from my very first in studio portrait session.  I like how professional and dignified Alex looks.  I'm really hoping I got some good stuff on film too!

Rowdy Dog & Ball

Rowdy with his favorite and most beloved toy -- the tennis ball.  It also acts as doggy gum.  Rowdy enjoys chewing on the ball like it's gum as much as he enjoys fetching it when thrown.  Pretty funny guy!  This image was taken with my camera phone.