upcoming photo project: T & J

Before finishing my first Project April, I did a quick shoot with T and her boyfriend in a Long Beach laundromat. I love their chemistry so much I'm putting up a preview for them.

project

I've been working on a photo project for a couple of weeks now, and I'm getting pretty excited about unveiling it. But I shot over a thousand images, and this week I'm sifting through them and making my final choices. I hope to have the final project up on my site within two weeks. But I wanted to give everyone a preview of it, and also, wanted to thank all the models and actors who participated. They were all outstanding and each of them made such an individual and unique contribution.

This is Daisi, one of my fabulous subjects. I could have shot her all day, but my camera couldn't keep up with her moves.

spazz attack

Dot met Ivan for the first time last week, and she had a 2-hour long spazz attack. Both she and Lola simply adore him and are constantly creeping their way closer to him for sneaky ear licks. I'm glad the dogs and he have bonded. It's nice when you are able to bring another dog person into the world.

a guest came to the studio today...

... and the usual "welcome to the studio" dance ensued.

the perfect candid

This is my husband and his first grandson. This is the picture I've been wanting to snag since Ivan was born (just over a month ago). It's a personal favorite.

Ink & Iron 2007

Heads up that I'll be shooting at Ink & Iron this June at the Queen Mary in Long Beach, CA. If you're going to be there and would like some shots for yourself or your shop, drop me a line.

grand opening

So this was the Grand Opening of my new studio space in the fashion district (downtown LA). I moved some gear in today (gear is heavy, assistants would be good) and set up a couple of quick self portraits. I'll be slammed with work for the next week or so, then I hope to get some friends up there for some shooting.

Can. Not. Wait.

when it's too late to talk to your kids about birth control

More of the adorable addition to our family, baby Ivan. This is a real family portrait; Ivan, his mother Amanda, her father and her mother. I was really glad to get this shot of all of them together. There are lots more "normal" looking shots of them all, but I just love this one from the expression on Amanda's face. It's like, "so that's how it happens!

how to make an exit

I think I'm one of the last people on earth (with tattoos) who doesn't know Kat Von D or LA Ink, but since my daughter was getting some ink work done at her tattoo show (musink) this weekend, I got a chance to get some cool shots.

If you've never been to a tattoo convention, go! Even if you're not a photographer, or not getting a tattoo, you're guaranteed hours of the most entertaining people watching, even if it's only a bit of someone, like this shot :)

dog love

there's nothing like it.

i had the best shoot today with this rad family of people and dogs. the house was full of dog love, which is always the best.

welcome to our world

Big week around the house. I'm a grandma (yay) and that overshadows everything else that's going on at the moment. I think the studio opening will be delayed a few days, but I leave you with Ivan William in the meantime.

inked at last!

I love photographing people with tattoos, but i like to do it in the studio, in a more classic way. Photographing my daughter's tattoos has always been my favorite, but now that my husband has finally gotten his first, I'm so excited to be able to capture his expressions now that he's "one" of us.

POW!

That's all. Just...POW!!

Getting ready for the new studio opening (2nd studio for me) next week. Stay tuned. Much fun to come.

tattoo you

We have a new tattoo in the family; the first for my husband! It was a wonderful experience that I took hundreds of photos of. Luckily, not only was Trevor (the artist) a great guy, he was great looking :)

out of commission

Just as I'm getting excited about opening the new studio downtown, this flu that's been going around hits me and hits me hard. 10 days in bed. I hope you don't get it, it's a killer.

speaking of unconventional

This is one of my favorite shots from a recent dog shoot; possibly one of my all-time favorite dog shots. There are a dozen reasons why nobody would choose a shot like this, why it doesn't work, but there's really only one that someone would choose it: because they love it. It strikes me very viscerally; for me, it's that elusive essence of my subject that I managed to capture in a split second: the essence of this dog and her lanky discomfort at being photographed.

If I were looking for a cover image for a book about dogs, I might not choose this. But if I were just browsing images and came upon this on, I might write an entire novel around it.

don't put too much trust in conventionality

My fashion shoots are a bit unconventional. I do shoot traditional look books and straight models shots, but when I'm on a fashion shoot I always make time for a few shots of my own. Sometimes, the client flips over them. Sometimes, the client doesn't understand them :) But one thing is certain, unconventional will always help you stand out, one way or another.

This shot is from a model shoot I did last Sunday with a local agency. Of all the shots I took (many very traditional), this is by far my favorite.

Why we love Los Angeles

It's sunny, it's 75 degrees and Spring is almost here. Ooof.

space coming soon

I'll soon be opening a small studio in downtown LA; which means regular commutes again and no more working in my pajamas (unless I keep a stash in the studio).

I'll let you know when it's open, and I'll post pictures, and if you're in the area, you can stop by and say hello and get shot. By me!

Chloe

I had a chance to shoot my neighbor's two bulldogs yesterday and it was a gas. The more I shoot dogs, the more I enjoy shooting them in their own environment. Studio portraits have a certain appeal, but dogs in their own digs are much more entertaining. I never would have gotten such a candid moment from Chloe if she were sitting in front of my lights.