roman and williams/

I guess most people would be posting some Halloween type image, but of course I have none. I did see a funny dog yesterday dressed up like a chicken taco (no I am not kidding...it was specified...a chicken taco), but of course, in my mind that does not warrant a photograph. Roman and Williams conference room, however...that is a different story. Happy Halloween everyone!

roman and williams/

OK...I know...so many images from Roman and Williams!

But this is my tight edit. There are just so many good ones...so more today!

The second shot of Stephen's books is close to my heart. It is a simple shot, but my curiosity about what is in those books is kind of killing me...what do you think?

roman and williams/

These are my two favorite shots from Stephen's office at Roman and Williams and I have actually labored over the idea of posting them together. You know why? Because they are both kind of odd in a way. I have been sitting here analyzing why I like them so much and I think it comes down to the negative space in them. Beyond that, I have no idea...I just really like 'em!

roman and williams/

A couple of images from Stephen's office at Roman and Williams. Love the crows...

roman and williams/

A few more details of the Roman and Williams offices. I just kind of marvel at the fantastic mix of objects that so harmoniously sit together.

Thanks to Zan for the wonderful comments on yesterday's post. I agree with Dorthea Lange that every image a photographer takes is a self portrait and even every subject choice expresses something of the photographer. It is all a beautiful web isn't it?

roman and williams/

Let's face it everyone...this is the money shot at the offices of Roman and Williams. This is Robin Standefer's office and it is such a beautiful and well photographed space. So much so that I knew I would be taking this very shot before I walked in. But I have to admit, that made me feel strange...it has been done, I thought. I tend to want to make things somehow my own...if it has been shot I want to make sure I do something (anything!) differently. But my god...it is just sitting here like this, who am I to ignore this?!? It is a bit like walking into Wharton Esherick's house...it is just perfect! Don't touch anything...just shoot it and be glad it exists. So here is my version of this well documented shot...I didn't move anything except one piece of pottery (from the table on the lower right so I could see the coral).

More Roman and Williams this week. Stay tuned!

daily life/location scouting

This gives you a taste of my day yesterday. A little location scouting and a little admiration of old signage that I ran across. Yes, it was quite a random, all over the place day, but pretty fun and fascinating. Have a great weekend friends!

daily life/down in san jo

some lovely pics of my hometown of San Jose, CA that I shot yesterday.

Le suburbs...

manhattan/

Missing all my friends in New York today...you know who you are...xx

handcrafted modern/outtake/eames

A couple more from the Eames House. From the area you can't usually see...

happy birthday handcrafted modern!!!

It suddenly occurred to me this weekend as I was nursing a whopper of a cold, that my book is a year old! It is so strange, it seems like it has been out longer...so crazy!

I decided to run an outtake of the Eames house today to commemorate this milestone and to coincide with the California Design show at LACMA. They have disassembled the Eames living room and moved it there for the exhibition. So this room is now empty. I am so thankful I got to shoot it before this happened. Something about knowing that Charles and Ray were the ones that put this room together makes it different for me somehow.

love letter to my grandmother/

I had dinner with a friend the other night and when I was driving home, I just started thinking about my grandma. I think it was because I didn't have dessert - she was definitely a dessert person. My Grandma used to make the best chocolate sauce and when she was making it, she would always stick her finger in it, give it a taste and say, "mmm, good!"

The whole drive home that night I could hear her saying that in my head and it made me feel so happy. I even left the radio off so I could hear it more clearly in the dark of the drive. I still miss her (she passed a few years ago), but I am finally to a place where the thoughts I have of her just make me happy. Isn't she the cutest thing ever? And super sexy shoulders at 91 years old!!!

bolinas/

Not a lot to say today. I've caught a cold. Super irritating...

inverness/cuckoo crazy beautiful!!!

Some days are just blessed and yesterday was one of those days. First, I got to shoot a fantastic job in one of my favorite places on the planet, Inverness, CA. And second,  after it rained all the night before, the storm cleared and that crisp fall light illuminated the day. I mean look at this! Yes, the east coast has it's fall colors (which I love beyond reason), but in California this is what fall looks like.

And even though it was a 12 hour day, my assistant, Adam, and I sang Billy Bragg's Workers Playtime (from beginning to end) at the top of our lungs all the way back to San Francisco. We were greeted by a full moon reflecting off the bay as we crossed the Golden Gate. Pinch me, it really did feel like a dream!

ocean beach/san francisco

Sometimes I just need to stare out at the ocean and let my mind go blank. It is a kind of meditation. So yesterday I did just that. And it rained, which made it better.

Back to work today. Shooting in Inverness again. Getting paid to go to one of my favorite spots on the planet is just too good for words!

roman and williams/

More prettiness from the offices of Roman and Williams - a couple from Robin's office today. I do love the painting of the mama bear and cub in the upper right. There is joy in that image! And I marvel at this hand. It must be from a mannequin but it is the most graceful hand I have ever seen! I wonder what era it is from... The beauty in the arrangement and choice in her objects goes without saying...

Have a great weekend everyone, I'll be back on Tuesday. I'm gonna try and run away this weekend!

; )

roman and williams/

During my recent trip to NY, I had the pleasure of shooting the offices of Roman & Williams for a new project. I was there on a Saturday and the offices were empty except for a few associates working in the back. I have to say, sometimes I just love shooting places when they are empty. It is almost like being in a church.

As you can see, their offices are just so beautiful and filled with the most beautiful objects and furniture. I  continually found myself wondering, though, where the heck do they find all these beautiful things?!?! I want to go to a flea market with Robin and Stephen some time, that's all I have to say...

These are two of my favorites images so far, but then I have just started editing. More tomorrow.

paul loebach/west elm

Another of my images from Paul Loebach's studio in Brooklyn today because his collaboration with West Elm is now available and it looks so great!  I noticed this grey chair in his studio, but wasn't sure what the story was behind it...a prototype maybe? I tend to be an intense observer when I am shooting, really involved in the seeing, but not always wanting to ask about things. And sometimes the answers just reveal themselves to me - like this chair - which is from the WE collection.

I love it when things just appear to you unexpectedly. It is life telling me I am doing the right thing, shooting the right places, following the right path. Everything in my life is like this more and more...I really love it! It tells me to keep going!

ps - I just noticed Paul's new website is up! Check it out and begin to covet his work as I do. http://paulloebach.com/

lindsey adelman/studio visit

Imagine walking into a studio and seeing this...an elaborate satellite of lights being built in front of you. This is what I saw when I walked into Lindsey Adelman's studio in NY a couple of weeks ago. It is funny, but until then, I just never really thought about how they figured out the configurations. I just loved her work. But this is like a huge intricate puzzle. Just fascinating to see!

Her studio is a bit like a mad scientists laboratoire (in the best way) and the mood she has created there feels wonderfully collaborative and open. I like her work more because of it (if that is possible). And that huge new piece they are working on? Well, hell...it is just so damn gorgeous. I would love to see it installed and just lie on the floor underneath it for a long time. Maybe doze off and then wake up and see it with sleepy eyes, a little blurry... More images from her studio follow and one from the Sight Unseen Pop Up from last may.

See more of her work on her website and at Roll & Hill. Pretty, pretty stuff...

lindsey adelman/studio visit

During my trip to NY a couple of weeks ago, I finally made it by Lindsey Adelman's studio. Lindsey designs some of the most delicious lighting. I'll show you more of the studio tomorrow, so you'll see her gorgeous lights then (or if you are impatient like me, click on her name and go to her website). Today, I just chose my three favorite shots from my visit. I love seeing people working and then looking at what they were working on. And it feels like a gift from the color gods when the colors are working like this...her chair color completely working with the colors in the design she was working on? You can't plan that, but I do love when it happens!