light/

Yesterday's post has me thinking about light. I guess every photographer has to be a little in love with it. Some love to create it, some to manipulate it and some just wait and utilize what is there. But being a photographer, or maybe just a lover of light, changes your view of the world. My friends will tell you, often times mid sentence I just stop talking because I have been captured by a wild reflection off a window, or the quality of light that is hidden behind a cloud. Maybe it is just being a visual person...I don't know. I freely admit I have no answers as to why some of us notice this stuff and some don't. I just know what is true for me. Light moves me...more specifically, natural light moves me. It is a fickle, seductive mistress at times but we have come to have a beautiful and deep relationship. My love for light makes my experience of the world deeper, more rooted in the ephemeral quality that is life itself.

PS - Sometimes I hear music and I feel it sounds like light somehow. This Bon Iver song sounds like dawn to me.

Have a great weekend, friends.

maria moyer/light

Yesterday I spent the day with Maria Moyer, photographing her home for my project on craftsmen (and women). One of my favorite things about working on my own projects is being able to take a bit of time with these people and shooting their space. You can't really get to know a space by just showing up and shooting it right away. Spaces, like people, have moods. They change with the light, with the season, with what is going on in the person's life. Yesterday, I was able to just watch the light in Maria's house as it bounced off walls and ebbed and flowed with the day (see the two shots today of the same room only a couple of hours apart). I love being able to watch light. It is how you get the most beautiful image. Patience. And the beauty of being able to go back a second (or third, fourth or fifth) day to see what mood the space is in is how you really reveal what a space is really like. And somehow, I think it reveals what the person that lives there is like as well.

isa, williamsburg

I think this is my favorite image from my shoot at Isa  a couple weeks ago. The attention to detail in this place is really inspiring. That AND the food is absolutely delicious. You should all try and stop by!

blunk residency/

The view from the jb blunk residency was amazing on friday. pure heaven.

jb blunk residency/peter maclean

Heading back to Inverness today to shoot the latest resident at the JB Blunk Artists Residency, Peter Maclean. I shot these a few weeks ago...I cannot wait to see what he has been doing for the past months! It is going to be a fun day!!!

isa, williamsburg

While I was in New York last week, I shot the new restaurant, Isa, in Williamsburg. It is such a joy to shoot such a beautiful space with so much meticulous attention to detail. This is just a quick shot I took on my phone so you can imagine how gorgeous the proper shots are.

bed stuy/brooklyn

While I was scouting locations for a portrait in Bed-Stuy I saw this and for some reason it made me happy. That razor wire is so vicious looking but nature just changed it.

Just arrived back in San Francisco to a shining sun and hopefully a little Indian summer heat!

travel day/

back in california tonight! and I hear it is Indian Summer!!!

self portrait/roman and williams

Hope you all had a great weekend. I have just finished a marathon week of shooting on Sunday afternoon. Today a quick little self portrait of me at the offices of Roman & Williams on Saturday. Stephen Alesch has the most beautiful 8x10 land camera in his office just looking out the  window. It made my heart hurt (sigh...large format film!!!) but also inspired me to pull out my 4x5 upon my return to California this week. So many more beautiful shots from the shoot there on Saturday for one of my projects. I truly think the Roman and Williams office is the most photogenic place on the planet. I could shoot there for a month and still discover one more beautiful thing after another. Don't worry...you'll see more...

williamsburg/brooklyn

I shot this rather quickly on my way to grab a coffee in Williamsburg a couple of days ago. I love a good line of laundry. And I kind of wanted to steal the Mickey Mouse shirt (I resisted).

On another note, I am shooting straight thru the weekend so next week should be full of new stuff assuming I have a moment to edit. I'll rally for you all!

Have a great weekend friends!

brooklyn heights loft/

I have been staying with one of my dearest friends and her family in Brooklyn for the past few days and I have to say, it is a beautiful thing to know someone since you were 22. How else are you able to watch the evolution of a person from a wild young 21 year old to a mother of two.  To witness a consistency through it all is even more remarkable, and yet, that is what I see every time I am with her and her family.  An innate trueness to who she. Who she always has been. Her home is as consistent as she is. Always flea market and a bit of a carnival...a bit of craziness...in the best possible way. As you can see here. For the record, her daughter put the hat on the horse.

paul loebach/brooklyn

Spent another day shooting at Paul Loebach's studio yesterday for my new project. Always such a fun day discovering what he is thinking of and designing. This is a shot from last time I was there in late July. More on him soon!

battery park city, ny

This is the sight I saw walking to my friends place for dinner last night. yeah...I have no words either (though I believe my exact words were "holy shit!").

the sounds of summer/part 2

Awhile back I was lamenting about how I missed the sounds of summer. In San Francisco, this summer has been really cold and foggy. Yes, I know... typical...but this year has seemed unusually bad (or my threshold low?).  An unexpected invite to a friends lake house rental has cured me of this craving for awhile. When I opened the car door after the drive from brooklyn, there it was...crickets! (I think I gasped.) I fell asleep to a fantastic bug serenade!

 The view was pretty nice as well as you can see. A perfect little rest before this intense week of shooting and meetings.

june schwarcz/

Not too many words today. Just a picture I love from June Schwarz's place in Sausalito. Have a great weekend friends!

maria moyer/tonight at the rogan store, ny

Another wonderful story on porcelain artist Maria Moyer, this time in T style. Truly worth stopping into the Rogan store tonight  to see Maria's work. She'll be there so go up and give her a hug for me!

http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/07/water-works/

clouds/above jfk

I know, I know....it seems like a cop out to post another image of clouds, but I have to say, yesterday's clouds right before I landed at JFK we just damn spectacular! Look at those babies!!! Like cuckoo mashed potatoes! Ha!

Shooting and work begins in earnest next week so lots of new things to show soon. So excited!

travel day/

Heading to nyc for some super fun photo shoots! I'll be back on Thursday.

maria moyer/go see her work starting sept. 8th!

So excited to feature Maria Moyer again today. I have been photographing her for my project of craftspeople. To say I love her porcelain work is a bit of an understatement. I have a necklace of porcelain rings (a lot like what she is wearing in this image) and it is one of my favorite things. It makes the most glorious sound when I move. Everyone in NYC is going to have a treat starting this Thursday, September 8th. A series Maria has been working on, Blue, will be showing at the Rogan store. Read more about it here. I even think there will be some of her porcelain necklaces available...

heath ceramics la/

What is it about tools that are so beautiful? I just found this on my iphone - some tools sitting out in the workshop at Heath LA. I really love the text on that ruler, though...it really adds something...

have a wonderful weekend my friends.

daily life/nameless friends

I don't really know this guy, but I feel like I do.

I see him almost every time I go walk out near Sutro Baths. He is always sitting on this bench, usually reading (his John Le Carre novel is tucked behind the log there). Yesterday when I saw him, I was going at a pretty steady clip and he was looking wonderously into the bushes (yeah...no idea what that was about), but he made me smile as usual. On the day I shot this image, I was location scouting and I finally chatted with him. He's a talker in the best sense and when his words began spilling out they were tinged with the best southern accent (I love a good accent!). He told me all about other good places to shoot and the vets that usually are walking around there (including one that carries around a hammock so he can rest. his meds make him drowsy). He's full of stories and a complete sweetheart! But I was so enthralled listening to his stories (and his accent) that I completely forgot to ask his name!