500/really?

Apparently I have done over 500 blog posts. Today will be the 507th to be exact but I have been sitting on this news because I have been in blog crisis for awhile. I've been moving all the images to another server. That means looking at each and every image I have ever posted and slowly redoing each post. I am at a point where at least all the images are redone (not all sized, but soon!)
It has been illuminating looking at each blog post, to say the least. Happily,  I am at the point where I can squeal a proper WHOOHOO!!! I never thought much about what posting a picture each weekday would mean when I started back in April 2010. Some of the time I wonder what the heck I was thinking, but at other times, I realize what a wonderful practice it has been for me. So thanks for being along for the ride. I am leaving in a couple of weeks for round two in Europe. Looking forward to sharing more of the journey of my European book with you all.
Today an image from one of my shoots in LA. I loved seeing an old Mac floppy on the wall...how far we have come...

quotes/

I've been in LA this past weekend doing all sorts of fun, work related things. Yesterday found me shooting an artists studio. I caught myself reading his walls quite a bit because they were filled with wonderful quotes.
This one has stuck with me. I hope this is true...

max lamb/nyt.people watching/outtakes

My all time favorite from the outtakes at Max Lamb's London home. There is something perfect here...
See more here.

max lamb/nyt.people watching/outtakes

A few more outtakes from Max Lamb's live work space in London. I told you there were a lot...
See the original NYT People Watching post here.

nyt.people watching/max lamb

My latest post of People Watching just posted! Check it out!
Click here!

note from london/bethan laura wood

Spent a really lovely afternoon with designer Bethan Laura Wood today talking about laminate and light. I kinda love her! Just one quick image from her tiny studio! Check out her work here or at Nilufar.

jesse schlesinger/nyt.people watching/outtakes

Here I am in London working on the next NYTimes People Watching post and I realized I never shared my outtakes of Jesse Schlesinger! So here they are, including my favorite portrait of Jesse and my favorite image of them all of the blue string study with that amazing triangle of light. A new People Watching post is coming soon. Just need to get it written!

jb blunk residency/studio

The great thing about being able to return to a place repeatedly to shoot, like I have been at the JB Blunk Residency, is that the place starts to seep into your bones. JB's house has become a part of me now. And because of what I do, I notice all the tiny changes - they patched the roof or changed the configuration of the closet - you get the idea.

The other day in the studio, I noticed this little fan that I never noticed before. From the looks of it it isn't new. But I am rather enamored with this shot now. No clue why except that this fan seems like a little secret creature that I just discovered. It is wise somehow.

serena mitnik-miller/studio

quick portrait I shot of Serena Mitnik-Miller in her home studio the other day. I really like it.

serena mitnik-miller/studio

I did a more extensive scout at Serena Mitnik-Miller's studio the other day and I keep coming back to the one image. It was just sitting there. I didn't touch a thing. No need to...it is a perfect little vignette.

serena mitnik-miller/general store

I happened upon this lovely room the other day as I was browsing the vintage clothing selection at General Store in the Sunset. I  was directed to the fitting room behind the curtain and as I pulled it back, this is what I saw. Something about how the light was coming in the window....well I was compelled to pull out my iphone and take these two shots. It turns out this is the studio of artist Serena Mitnik Miller. She is one of the owners of General Store as well as an artist. I am toying with the idea of going back and documenting this space in more depth if she will let me and I can find some time. But maybe that is me just wanting to spend more than a few second in this lovely back room studio. The front of General Store is pretty damn great as well. When I want an afternoon coffee and a little breather, I head out to Trouble Coffee, which is next door, and then I browse around General Store and head out to their back garden to finish my coffee. Not sure if I am supposed to do that, but this place makes you want to linger...and I never leave without buying a little something.

kay sekimachi/collections

a couple more images of Kay Sekimachi's collections. I have to say, I find people's collections fascinating. And with Kay, she takes so much care in the way she stores and displays them, that I feel like they are an extension of her artwork. It shows how she thinks.

henry varnum poor/crow house

not too many words today. I just love this picture. Especially all the rectangular rusted tins in a row on that shelf. 

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

I figured I would end the week with a few of the details I tend to get lost in. More details of JB Blunk's studio.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/zeisel

Another workshop shot - this one at Eva Zeisel's country house. I was really surprised to find a full woodshop at her studio. It conjured up visions of Eva with a jigsaw and made me see her as more of a badass. Of course she was 101 when I was there photographing her home, but still...total badass. The bagged up wood pieces were from a new piece of furniture she was working on, I believe.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/kapel

I guess it is because of yesterday's post, but I find myself thinking about all the workshops and studios that were not in Handcrafted Modern. This is another view of John Kapel's workshop in his basement. He is incredibly tidy, as you can see. I really love that sculpture. It is an early piece. I believe it is made of particle board. Wish I could have taken it home, frankly.

handcrafted modern/outtakes/blunk

One thing that got edited out of Handcrafted Modern in a couple of chapters is the workspaces and studios. In JB Blunk's chapter especially, there just was not enough pages to fit JB's studio. Here are a couple of my favorites. I love all the stones he collected.