I love taking out the Benz for a photo shoot. You can place this car anywhere and end up with amazing shots. I’m literally driving to one of my fav coffee shops located in The Lab, Cafecito Organico, when I see this colorful wall. I’m definitely going to give it a shot after I get some coffee.
Ideas started popping in my head the day I decided to use my Carlsson Mercedes as a prop. It’s a pretty cool prop to have and definitely brings a certain element to each photo shoot. There’s something about seeing a beautiful car next to some amazing architecture. And I didn’t have to drive far to find 611 Anton, it’s right next to South Coast Plaza, also known as the other Rodeo Drive. I honestly didn’t realize how many awesome buildings are here until I started looking for places to have a photo shoot. I’m happy that security didn’t rush out and kick me off the property, they tend to do that. It’s a good day.
I’ve been waiting for these bad boys for so long. I took my Cavalli’s out of the box and drooled but the most difficult part is putting them back. I know, right?! Trust me, my other shoes are wearing thin and I want to wear these right here and now but I can’t. Not that I can’t, it’s more like I don’t want to. I really don’t want to scuffed them up. You might be asking, why? Well…I’ve been thinking about doing a photo shoot with designer shoes for quite a while. At the time, I really didn’t know which designer to choose from and it was just by chance the Cavalli’s were on sale. So I grabbed a pair. Come to think of it, I should’ve grabbed two.
I heard on the news that 10-12ft swells were hitting today so I decided to grab my gear and check it out. I’ve heard about Huntington Beach being a great place to surf. Granted, I’m not a surfer but I played in the waves of Bali, Phuket, and Costa Rica to know what a good wave looks like. And today didn’t let me down. The 10-12ft swells definitely made the difference. I arrived on the pier around 10:55 am and walked towards Ruby’s Diner, I know, kind of cool to have a burger joint at the end of the pier. I already attached my long lens to my camera so all I had to do was setup in a place where I thought I could capture some great shots. I don’t know any of the surfers but if you do, just let me know and I’ll make sure to give them a copy.
Some of you might not know this but I don’t wear watches, much less a Diesel watch. I borrowed this one from my brother’s dresser when he wasn’t looking. I have nothing against watches and find the clock on my phone works just fine. However, when I do get a chance to have a photo shoot with some Diesel watches, I’m all over it. There’s something about the lost art of watch making that attracts me to them. I get so deep within the inner workings of the watch, I find myself in a macro world of gears and a bar that goes tick, tick, tick. Everything up close looks gigantic. I feel it brings a whole new look and emotion to the image.
Did you know there is a hidden network, crafted by weird little white-bluish men and women, trying to keep you from taking photos of their beautiful architecture? Seriously. No joke. They disguise themselves as security-renta-cops and when they spot you, they’ll ask you to leave and if you don’t, they’ll threaten your creative space by calling the real cops. But here’s the strange part. Basically, you can’t take a photo while physically being on their property but you can take a photo of their building if you’re off the property. Does that make any sense?
The hunger to fill my creative void keeps me constantly finding new things to shoot. My Spyderco blade and my brother’s Michael Kors watch comes in handy when trying to fill that void. At times, that same creative passion keeps me awake throughout the night. I truly love expressing my art through photography. This was a freestyle hand held photo shoot. The photos came out better than expected.
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Broad for sharing your art collection with the masses. Seriously people, here’s the backstory; all that art in the Broad Museum belong to Eli and Edythe’s personal art collection. Personal, like, in their house where only their friends and guest could see it. And what a collection it is. Now, everyone has access to their art. That’s so cool. It’s awesome to know you can enter a museum for free and see incredible artwork by some of the world’s finest artist. The lines are currently long since the grand opening in October but it’s worth the trip and the long wait. You have to check it out.
Shooting your subjects up close and personal, otherwise known as macro photography, brings you into the realm of abstract thought. My mind started wondering about why the planets and stars within our Universe literally float on a dimensional plane that we cannot see, but it’s there. No time for those thoughts right now. I shook them off and left my mind focus on the core essence of the watch.
On my road trip to Santa Fe, NM, I decided to pull over and take this shot. It reminds me of my life. Sometimes I don’t have all the answers and the path seems ominous. Doubt starts to creep in. It was freezing cold and I didn’t prepare well for a winter road trip. I didn’t know where I was going.