I Am Alive in Los Angeles

Venice Beach, CA..

I took this picture late yesterday afternoon. I was in Venice Beach for a photo shoot and had about an hour in between subjects. It was surprisingly peaceful out in the Pier. Even right on the beach in Venice, the grittiness of Los Angeles still permeates even the calmness of the ocean. But yesterday it was quiet.

It's been a while since I have posted anything. Mainly because I have been in limbo, commuting back and forth between San Diego and Los Angeles. However this week was monumental in that I made a life changing decision in about an hour.

On Sunday evening, I drove down to San Diego from LA after a rich and relaxing Thanksgiving weekend. On Monday morning, I decided it was time to cut the crap and move to Los Angeles. On Tuesday morning I was in my car, on my way up to LA. By Wednesday morning I had a two month sublet and a photo shoot.

The time was right for me to move to LA and now that I am here, I couldn't be happier. This is the first step towards getting settled again, having a home-base, and building a new life!

More updates to come...

From San Diego to Maui!!!

I left San Diego on Wednesday morning. It was such a relief to get out of there. The fires had been burning since Sunday. My lungs were at their capacity- and my entire body was feeling affected by the smoke. I had been evacuating from place to place for 2 days. But the stress I was under was nothing in comparison to thousands of people who lost their homes. Either way, I was glad get out of there. I had a trip planned to Maui for several months, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Here are some photos from our first day....

San Diego Fire Evacuees, Qualcom, Stadium

I got a call from People Magazine to shoot portraits of evacuees at the Qualcomm Stadium. I had a little over 2 hours to make these portraits, however I am really happy with them.

Overall, it was very easy to get these people to be real with their emotions in front of the camera. Most of the people there had been under so much stress and lack of sleep- the last thing they wanted to do was smile in front of a camera. While they agreed to be photographed- most boundaries that keep people from being comfortable in front of a lens had dissipated.

I encouraged them not to smile- but to express what they were feeling in that moment, in front of the lens. It really worked. As I was taking these portraits, I was floored by how powerful the experience was. I don't think I have ever made a series of portraits of people in a traumatic situation such as this. It was an amazing experience.

I LOVE my friends!!!!

(Rachel Lane and Nicole Bernhardt)

Well, it has been a little while since I have posted anything. I guess I have just been caught up with everything- I went to New York for a week and a half, was in Seattle visiting my family, and now I am in Venice Beach.

But first, I need to focus on what this blog entry is all about, my amazing friends. I was in New York from September 19- 28. I got to see my brother, my great friends, visit with my agency (www.reduxpictures.com), and print all of the work I have been making over the last 6 months. It was an incredibly productive 10 days. I worked in the darkroom for about 10 hours a day, then spent quality time with people in the evenings. The time in NYC was so great, I have to dedicate a special blog entry to these people.

One of the first things I did when I got to New York was head upstate to the Bard area. My friend Nicole, Melissa and I rented a car and headed to Tivoli to visit my old friend and roommate, Sam. Sam is a chef and cooked a huge, amazing meal of swordfish, polenta, and an array of spanish cheeses. It was divine. We ate, drank, laughed and danced around the living room, just like old times.

Sam..early on in the night.

Melissa

Taun, such a wonderful person.

Rachel, on the Trapeeze.

The next day, we were mostly hung over. I cut Sam's hair, we did a fashion shoot, swam in the Hudson..

Sam..man of many identities (above and below)






cutting Sam's hair..


Our Jaunt to the Hudson.. It was a perfect Indian Summer day..











-Bryn and Tim in Fort Green Brooklyn-









I know Tim from studying abroad in Ecuador. We hit it off, then I met his amazing girlfriend Bryn. We became neighbors and fast friends.. now they are two people I know I will be close with for the rest of my life.

CLARISSE LABRO.. famous french architect in the making
Clarisse and I lived together during our time at Bard..Many wonderful memories with her. And she's moving back to Paris!





Love to my peoples in Nueva York!!

Malibu Longboarding Contest

On Sunday morning at 6am, I got in my car with a nice full mug of coffee and drove up to Malibu. Sunday was the finals for the Malibu Surfing Association longboarding contest. This was my first surf contest, so I was anxious to see what it would be like.

When I arrived at 8:30 am, the heats had already begun. The best surfers were left on Sunday- after winning all of their heats the day before. There were men and women of all ages, the youngest being about 4 and the oldest, 85. Sitting on the beach, it felt like a family. Many of the spectators and surfers have grown up surfing together and competing against each other. It was a beautiful day. The waves were small, but everyone made the best of it.

Sycuan Traditional Powwow Gathering

Last week the t.v. was on and a commercial came on advertising the annual Sycuan Powwow Gathering in El Cajon, CA - only 30 miles from San Diego. I have always wanted to go to a traditional Powwow. Since I have been out on the west coast, I have been flooded with creativity. I feel so inpspired by the landscape and culture out here. Every weekend, somewhere within a 4 hour drive is a surf contest, rodeo queen pageant, or a powwow. All are diversely cultural events with incredible subject matter for portraiture.

I knew that the powwow could be a pathway to another potential project. I decided to go there and focus on using my digital camera. I really want to get comfortable with it. I may never be as comfortable and satisfied as I am using film- but it may just be a matter of time.

I spent almost the entire day at the powwow. It was a wonderful day. I spoke to families that had driven over 10 hours- from Arizona, New Mexico, California, Washington- all over the west.

Life in San Diego, CA

I have been in San Diego since early September. I am staying with a my brother's best friend's family, the Winetrouts. The Winetrouts used to live in Eugene and I have faint memories of being with them when I was three and four years old.

They have been incredibly generous having me stay with them in San Diego. I have a wonderful little bedroom. They treat me as if I were their own daughter. I can come and go as I please, and they are always there to welcome me home with open arms.

In San Diego, I have mainly been focused on my girl surfer project. I have had a few meetings with Roxy/Quiksilver, who have given me many contacts with sponsored surfers. I have also just been going to the beaches and looking for the right subjects. Right now the project has such a nice mix of regular girls that love to surf, and pro short and long boarders.

I leave for New York in a week. There, I will be spending a solid week printing everything that I have been shooting for the last 3 months. I am so anxious to see everything and begin editing it. I want to make several new portfolios to add to my website. I am anxious to put the surfer project together and figure out it's right destination.

Right now I am really torn about where I want to settle for the next year. I have fallen in love with a little town called Encinitas in North San Diego County. It's about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego- and about an hour and a half south of Los Angeles. I have met amazing people there, they have a little capoeira group, yoga studios, and coffee houses. People are laid back and open- and it's right on the beach.

But I also love Venice Beach. I think Venice is the only neighborhood in LA where I could really live. It's funky, creative, on the beach, and full of galleries, bars and restaurants. It's going to be a really tough decision- but it may also become a decision that I will make over time. Luckily I have places I can crash so that I can give the decision some time. But sometimes it's also really important to just make a commitment to a place one way or another. I could drive myself crazy moving from place to place and back and forth. Hopefully my time in New York will bring some clarity.........

The Harley Ride, Pheonix, AZ

I had to peel myself away from the rocks in Sedona. I left after the sunset and started my drive to Pheonix. As I headed down the highway, a full moon was rising behind one of the famous rock formations.

I was headed to Phoenix to visit the Barnwell's, my stepmom's son and his family. They live in Mesa, Arizona, a suburb of Pheonix. As soon as I got up the next morning, Kevin told me to get dressed, we were going on a motorcycle ride.

And that we did. We headed out of Mesa on a backroad towards Apache Junction. It was fantastic. I have been on a few motorcyle rides, and each one, I will never forget. One was on a little moped in Hanoi, Vietnam with my older brother. Another was on the back of a crotch rocket, on my birthday in Miami, with a hot French guy. And now on the back of a Harley with my step brother, winding through the canyons outside of Phoenix.

By the time we got home 4 hours later, my butt was in so much pain. But it was well worth it.

Sedona

After the Grand Canyon, I decided to drive to Sedona. I know that I already partially covered the trip to Sedona in a previous blog entry, but I feel the need to go back to it. Sedona is one of the most spiritually powerful places I have been in my life. The earth there seems to be charged with an energy that is not found in many places in the world. I felt calm and at ease there. I only stayed one night, I wanted to stay longer but I needed to continue to Pheonix.

I shot a lot in Sedona. I photographed Slide Rock- which I posted in a previous blog entry. I drove through Oak Canyon on the way to Sedona. Oak Canyon is just outside of Sedona, and Slide Rock is only about 3 miles from the little town. On my way in, I stopped at Slide Rock to shoot a 4x5 from the bridge. It was a Saturday and there were about a hundred people swimming in the creek at Slide. I found this out the next morning, but many times in the summer, the city has to close the creek because tests indicate that there is an unhealthy amount of urine in the water. Ewwwwww. Luckily I had no idea as I splashed around the creek with all of the other tourists and Sedona locals.

When I went to photograph Slide Rock, I had to park about a half mile from the bridge. After parking, I walked on a pathway tucked in the trees along the highway. I was there in the late afternoon, and there were plenty of cars on the highway, and people in the river below the path. But the path was strangely secluded and devoid of any people.
As I walked down the path, weighed down by three cameras and a heavy tripod, I approached a woman. As she came closer, I noticed she was in her mid fifties or early sixties. She looked beautiful. She had long blonde hair. Her skin was tan and glowing. Here eyes were blue, and her clothes were clean and pressed. But there was something about her and the way she carried her that told me she lived on the road, and she didn't carry much to her name. As I approached her, I got a very cold feeling. We passed one another and a few seconds later, I could hear her yelling to get my attention. I turned around to see that she was talking to me, walking towards me. She was telling this story about her apartment getting broken into, her car getting stolen, she had no phone and needed money. As she spoke to me, she came closer and closer to me. Out of no where, a chill started at my scalp and washed through my entire body like a wave. I felt fear. I was holding my tripod on my shoulder, but I calmly pulled it in front of me to set a distance between us. I was unsure of what she would do, and the fear told me that she could physically come after me, even though she was clearly in her late fifties. I calmly interrupted her and removed myself from the situation as quickly as possible. As I walked away, the fear continued to wash through me, and I was scared.
I found it so interesting because I lived in New York City for three years, and never felt the fear that I felt when I was in her presence. I think that my body sensed something that my mind could not understand. It was beyond any physical or real comprehension. I just wonder what that something was- but thank goodness nothing happened. I will never forget that experience. I also think that my sense were heightened because Sedona is such an energetic place.

Cowgirls, Rodeos, Sashes, and Buckles

This blog entry is specifically dedicated to a new project I am working on. I have started photographing rodeos. Not only am I shooting rodeos, but I am shooting Teen Rodeo Queen contests. This project began when I was visiting my dad in Boise, Idaho. One Saturday morning, we took a trip to Idaho City, which is only an hour from Boise. Idaho City is an old mining town with all of the late 19th century buildings intact. When we arrived, the town was having a old fashioned, "Quickdraw Rifle Contest". At this contest was a 17 year old girl who had just been crowned the Idaho Gold Dust Rodeo Queen. As you can see, she was beautiful. She was humble, and glowing with the confidence of a strong, courageous woman. It was not only this confidence, but the shimmer of her brand new sash, and the gleam of her hat's medallion that inspired me.

It was that moment that I realized what my next project was going to be. Teen Rodeo Queen Contests and Pageants. When I got back to Boise, I immediately got on the Internet to find out when and where the next rodeo contests were taking place. Since I was flying back to Los Angeles, I looked for rodeos close to the city. I found one in Tehachapi, California, only 2 hours from LA.

The Tehachapi Rodeo Adventure:

When I got back to Los Angeles, my friend Paloma and I decided to visit Joshua Tree. We decided to first go to Joshua Tree, then drive to Tehachapi on our way back to Los Angeles.

Tehachapi is a little town that sits at the base of a mountain range. It took us three hours of driving in my un airconditioned car to get to the Rodeo. We arrived in Tehachapi, sweaty and exhausted. We had lunch at a truck stop. Then, I had the brilliant idea of sneaking into a hotel pool to cool off before we hit the rodeo. Needless to say, there were no showers, rivers, or lakes in Joshua Tree- we needed to refresh.

After a nice refreshing swim, we got ready for the rodeo. Luckily I remembered that I had my favorite pair of turquoise cowboy boots in my car. So I put them on, got all of my camera equipment ready, and started shooting.

Paloma was the best companion to have with me. Not only was she easy going- but she was genuinely interested in being at the Rodeo, and learning about the competitions. She sat in the stands with the Tehachapi townsfolk, chatting it up with ranchers and local families. When the sun set, I joined her on the bleachers- and we finished off our camping fare of brie, crackers and beer.

The Tehachapi Rodeo was my first official stab at this new project. Luckily rodeos happen throughout the US, throughout the year. One of the biggest rodeos in the US is in Prescott Arizona. Because of the year round heat in Arizona, the Rodeo happens in December. And of course the National Rodeo Pageant is in Las Vegas, Nevada in December. That will be an unbelievable photo opportunity.

The Grand Canyon to Sedona, Arizona

My friend Bryn, who lives in Brooklyn left me a message as I was on my way to the Grand Canyon. She made a wonderful observation when she said “ seeing the Grand Canyon can be compared to seeing Ella Fitzgerald live. It is a well known fact that both the Grand Canyon, and Ella Fitzgerald are internationally famous. But it is not until you actually behold the magnitude of the Grand Canyon, or Ella’s voice in concert, that you actually get what all of the hype is about.” When I first pulled up to the overlook at the Grand Canyon National Park, I was absolutely astounded. It was so incredible that it almost looked like a fake photograph- like the kind that covers an entire wall in a Chinese restaurant. It was breathtaking. I spent the afternoon at the Canyon, shooting tourists, overlooks, and the canyons. I still hadn’t decided how long I wanted to stay there. I considered driving back into the park the next day. But something told me to move on. I had another realization while looking at a map. I realized that Sedona was only about an hour from the Grand Canyon. And if I decided to drive all the way to Sedona, I may as well drive to Phoenix, and visit some extended family. I had everything I needed. Why the hell not?

The next morning I set off for Sedona. I began to realize how many Indian ruins existed in Northern Arizona. I decided to stop at Walnut Canyon, so see an ancient city that has been a home for Native Americans for centuries. It was essentially a canyon of cliffs that have extending overhangs. It was within these overhangs that people build their homes. It is incredible to realize that this was an ancient city that many migrating peoples have used for their homes for thousands of years.

Approaching Sedona... Slide Rock (below)



More on Sedona to come, need to run..