International Women's Day

It's wonderful that women have a day to themselves to celebrate being a woman, throughout the world!

Yay!

Um...now what?  I wasn't sure how to celebrate today but since we have this great technology where we can instantly find answers to just about any question we can imagine, I can just search the phrase, "how do you celebrate International Women's Day?" on google and voila!  Everything I ever wanted to know! Well, sort of.  I found other websites asking the same questions but I would recommend going to the source and read all about it on the official International Women's Day website.

On the website, there seems to be a lot of celebrating going on, at least in the virtual world.  The 591 Photography blog decided to dedicate today to female photographers and lucky for me, I was selected among some amazing artists.  I am grateful to be a part of the group.  Now go out and celebrate that special woman in your life!

Art Inspired By Art

This past week I was asked to come up with a photograph inspired by another painting or photograph. My mind instantly went to one of my favorite images of all time, featuring John Lennon and Yoko Ono taken by Annie Leibovitz.  I am currently reading her book, "at work" in where she describes how this photograph came about.  Sometimes, the best shots you take are the ones where you are not in complete control.  You will have to read the book to learn why.  Unfortunately, this was one of the last photographs of John Lennon before he was shot the next day.

I love it when my friends are up to participate in my crazy requests.  I asked Jamie and Traci if they wouldn't mind recreating this photograph, but with a modern spin.  I didn't expect them to jump on board right away but they both agreed and thought it would be fun.  It was.

I came over with a large ladder, sheet and my camera.  We moved all of the furniture out of the way to place the sheet on the ground and then they put their comforter over the sheet.  I have a sliver of the couch showing and instead of jeans thrown over, their dog Ollie decided that the blanket looked like a nice place to lay down so he curled up next to them.  In this photo on the right, you can see the ladder with my foot and ollie's tail on the bottom of the sheet to give you an idea of what the scene looked like.

This photograph at the top is my favorite of the bunch.  It shows the love between these two.  A big thank you to two of my dearest friends for playing along.

Painted Max

On Halloween, Max wanted me to enter his photo in a costume contest that painter, Kellie Straw was having on her facebook fan page.  He dressed up as a fisherman.  You can see the photo HERE.

Max and I were so thrilled to learn that he won!  For a prize, Kellie painted Max doing his favorite thing...having fun at the beach.  She painted his portrait using a photograph I took of Max on the beach in Cape Cod last year with the wind in his face.

I love her work and I love this painted portrait of Max!  She even has note cards available of this painting HERE.

Thank you Kellie!

Cape Cod, Massachusetts

I have always loved the cape and I still do.

I spent some time at the tip of the cape in a little community called Provincetown.  Each town on the cape has its own distinctive personality and charm and there is something special about every community you come across.  I didn't get to spend as much time here as I did last September, but it was special just the same.  There really is something for everyone on the cape.

Most of the days were rainy when I was visiting but I took advantage of the clear breaks when they came.  I took Max for a spin in his trailer, walked along the beach, went to the bark park, strolled around commercial street and soaked in the sights.  I didn't take as many photographs as I did last year, but these are a few taken with the three cameras I have with me.  I did pretty much the same as I did a year ago.

Sometimes I like to set the timer on my camera and jump around on the beach to entertain myself.  It's actually quite the workout and good for a few laughs when you watch people passing by staring at you.  I don't mind.

Other people didn't mind the weather and enjoyed a campfire on the beach even though it was windy and in the 50's.

It was also interesting to see new signs up that tell you the mileage from PTown to Long Beach, my home base.  Just in case you were wondering, it's 3,652 miles.

I look forward to sharing more adventures coming up within these 3,652 miles.

Provincetown, MA

I love Provincetown.  I fell in love with the area when I was lucky enough to spend the month of September here last year.  I briefly visited the town in the summer but I think the fall is the best time of year to be here.  The crowds are thinner, the air is crisp and the town is just the same as it always is...diverse and quaint.

Each part of Cape Cod has its own personality and I am drawn to ptown each year.  I love the rows of cottages as you approach the town and if you decide to drive through commercial street at 1 mile an hour, you will get a glimpse of what the town is about.

Once you are out of the car and mingling with the surroundings, you will get a sense of what I am drawn to.  You can stroll the street a mile and see some amazing works of art from locals and semi-locals.  You won't see a Starbucks or any other chain coffee or fast food restaurant which is a breath of fresh air.  Everyone in town is free to be who they are, when they feel like it.  It's not uncommon to see people expressing their love openly or seeing someone strolling down the street in leather pants with nothing else on in 50 degree weather.

My favorite place to eat for breakfast is at the Far land market.  I stop there at least once every other day to pick out some goodies and if you want an amazing breakfast at a low price, you better get there before 11:30a.m!

All of the beaches are beautiful and I have always been drawn to Race Point.  In fact, I took a photograph of the ranger station each day during my stay last year in September.  It never gets old.

I've always said that this is the perfect place to live if you are able to survive the winters.  Here is a small collection of some of the photographs I took while in Ptown with my camera phone.

A Day In Venice Beach

I tend to be the one to avoid crowds most of the time.  I enjoy the peace and quiet of nature and the solitude that comes along with it.  Sometimes, I do enjoy the chaos and energy a big city brings.  Even though Venice is not a big city...spend an hour there walking along the strip on a weekend and you will know what I mean.

What I love about it is that everyone is welcome.  People from all walks of life come to gather.  There are kids living on the street, sharply dressed visitors, street performers, students, infants, grandparents, the affluent beach front home owners, the struggling artists, volunteers, addicts, religious groups, musicians, entrepreneurs, soul searchers, homeless people, athletes, and just about everyone else in between.

I spent the day strolling along and absorbing the energy around me.  I stopped to talk to some artists, visitors and the homeless.  Everyone has a story to tell and this would be the place to listen to them.  As chaotic as I might make it sound, somehow it works.  Everyone does their thing and for the most part, people let others do their thing as well.   I enjoyed talking to these two gentlemen (top left) and having them pose for me.  As usual, I gave them little direction and told them to look at each other.  They did that for about ten seconds, cracked up at each other and said, "that's so gay!"  It turns out that the out take is one of my favorite shots.  It usually works with couples but you never know... it worked for them.  Instead of getting an "adoring" shot, I got a great candid of their personalities shining through.

Venice is not the sanctuary for healthy living, by any means.  There are lost people, people who obviously are in need of help and you will find that others are there offering to do what they can to help.  However, there are stores that will be more than happy to keep you on the path that you choose to take.

What I love about it is that you are free to be yourself.  No matter who you want to be that day, you will be welcome on Venice Beach.  There are a few places in this world that give you the freedom to express yourself and be just who you are.  Thank you, Venice beach.

For more photographs of my day, click HERE.

MOPLA Group Show Opening Night

The one word that comes to mind for being accepted in the MOPLA group show is grateful. I am so honored to be selected to be a participant in the opening lastnight.

Simply put, the show was amazing.  To be included alongside such talented and creative photographers was such a thrill (for a complete list, click HERE).  I am completely inspired by the work that was showcased in the show and the entire experience left me with a heightened feeling of hope.  I can't wait to continue on this journey to see what's next.

The moment I stepped foot in the Smashbox studios gallery (hosted by Dee DeLara), I knew that I was in for treat.  Every inch of space on the walls were filled with photographs portraying beauty in every aspect.  I had several favorite artists and took a tour around the space over and over again, seeing something new each time.  If you were not able to make the show, the photographs will remain on the walls for the next few weeks and I would recommend a visit.

"Dixie" (The Corgi with the Airstream) would like to say hi to you from the wall.  Just like she's saying hello to these gentlemen.

When I wandered across the USA last year with my little point and click in hand, I had no idea that it would lead up to this.  Taking photographs has completely changed my life.  I see things differently, feel things differently and I have this constant urge to see more.  Good news is...that is precisely what I am going to do.  In exactly a month, I am packing the few things I need in my car and am headed out once again on the open road without an agenda.  My dog, Max and I are going to set out to get lost in this country to see where that takes us.  I look forward to this journey and sharing it with you.

I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to Cat Jimenez and Hossein Farmini for the opportunity and to Jamie Familara for her constant coordination and excellent attention to detail.

I am truly grateful.

Los Angeles Brewery Art Colony Spring Art Walk

I love looking at art, meeting artists and watching them create their magic.  Each year, the colony of artists who live at the Brewery art building in Los Angeles open up their homes to display what they are working on.  It's a wonderful way to meet the artists, look at their work and see how they live.

I walked into the home of Andre Miripolsky and was able to see him surrounded with all of his beautiful art.  Miripolsky is a "world renowened artist who pushes the limits in many media, creating his own stlye of expression in painting, sculpture, mobiles, graphics, branding, production design, sets and costumes: groundbreakig provocateur who marries idioms of art, music and film: name translated in Russion means "field of peace.""

There is also a loft where you can take cooking classes through "Hip Cooks."  The chef lives there and has a very cute little one that was playing on the kitchen table in her beautiful loft.

If you are drawn to the quirky, odd, weird and obscure (I know I am!), there are several artists showing their creations made of dolls, everyday items, musical theatre, lamps and the like.  The overall vibe is one of, "welcome, make yourself at home."

Sometimes I dream of living in a loft not unlike the ones I see in the brewery art colony.  Even though it's right in the middle of the city, it seems to be its own city within a city of artists.

I walked around and snapped photographs of everything I found interesting.  Believe me, there were a lot of interesting things to see in the area.  I am glad that I took a moment to soak up the beautiful art and energy of the event.  There are several art communities in all cities.  I would recommend seeking them out and supporting your local artists.

Thank you for supporting my photographs by being a facebook fan HERE. :)