Leaving Los Angeles

I'm sitting on a plane at John Wayne airport heading back east once again and I'm letting the past few weeks soak in. It's been a whirlwind with the first issue of Toujours Magazine going live and shooting for some new clients, including the fabulous team at SFA out of Santa Barbara.

On my way to the airport tonight I grabbed my friend's phone and snapped this shot of the rain falling over downtown LA in the distance. Such an amazing sunset. While a red eye flight is not ideal, I'm glad to have had the sunset....

Jumping Traditions: Sound of Music

So, as I've blogged about before, jumping in my family has been a staple in our photos since I was little and my silly mother got her hands on a Philippe Halsman Jump book in the 90s.  So, it has slowly leaked into the photo culture in my group of friends.  My good friend, Jaymi, who is a super talented photographer has been documenting the joy of the jump lately too - and I think her photos tell it all - pure joy, silliness, and fabulous fun!

These shots are so fun, because my friends were in town and we were touring the gorgeous Disney Music Center and as soon as I put the camera on the ground, they said "Oh!  Jumping time?", which made me laugh like a hyena.  It was perfect.  Here are a few of the successful (and silly) shots - we definitely missed the timer more than a few times.  And yes - I'm in them - so it made for an even more difficult shot.  It's all timer and camera placement…which is easy to screw up when you're running into the shot! Too much fun on a Sunday….

First try and we all made it up in the air!

 Not up, but all so ready to jump

 Ugh!  Moved my camera!  Kind of a fun angle though...

my favorite

I love that Sasha is jumping straight, Mason is a bit curved and I look like I'm in a wind tunnel!

For Philippe's book, click here to buy online

LA DAY: Tourist in my own city

My friends Sasha and Mason were recently in town from NY for the weekend and we took a day to explore downtown.  I love exploring this huge city and often forget what architectural gems we are living amongst.  While they may not be hundreds of years old, we have some beautiful structures that are definitely worth the day trip to downtown.

this alabaster stone is cut thin enough to allow light to enter the cathedral like modern day stained glass…the organic quality of light and texture is stunning

my mom recently re-interpreted these sconces for a project in Santa Barbara…I love both this original and the piece it inspired...

visit the LA cathedral - click here

Family Diptych: Summer Ridiculousness

I don't know about your family, but mine goes from being silly and fun to then talking about philosophy and politics and then getting "drunk" on a thimble sized drop of whiskey only to then pressure everyone to try some chocolate they found in the cabinet, promising it to be life changing.  Yes, that pretty much sums an afternoon with my family.  And I would be lying if I ever denied loving every minute of it.  I'm going through a slew of images today in preparation of a crazy week and found these two, which made me laugh out loud and instantly knew they had to be a diptych…they are just too funny side by side.  We'll see if my mom ever reads these posts, because if she sees this one, it may be on view for a limited time.  But honestly, it captures a normal summer bbq with my family.  Happy Labor Day weekend!

Architecture: Bones of Beauty

I love love love the Getty Villa in Malibu.  If not for a specific exhibit, I adore spending a sunny Saturday afternoon wandering through the grounds and gardens of this beautiful Southern California landmark.  The Villa is modeled after a first century Roman country estate, the Villa dei Papiri in Herculaneum, Italy.  The building was constructed in the 1970s by architectural firm, Langdon and Wilson, who's work is still seen and built all over the world.
I was just up there and took some fun shots that I hope will inspire others to hop over for the afternoon and explore for yourself.  It takes a little pre-planning as you have to request free tickets ahead of time.  Best summer day?  Getty villa for art consumption, lazy lunch at the dive-y Reel Inn in Malibu, and a mellow afternoon at any Malibu beachfront sand spot you can find parking for…

look up…it's worth it

 the attention to detail is spectacular…

meander through the courtyards; the gardens are worth a leisurely stroll..

 in and out…a modern entrance to a beautiful structure referencing history and romance...

Book your visit here…

Sky High: Los Angeles

When I was sorting photos that I had taken last week, I was honestly trying to figure out when I had been on a plane...(I know that sounds ridiculous, but I travel so much for work that I actually have forgotten what city I'm in some mornings)...until I realized I took this at the Ritz in downtown!  While on an interiors shoot I couldn't help but notice the gorgeous view.  The sunset was ridiculous and you can see all the buildings lining Wilshire Blvd all the way to the beach.  While Los Angeles is definitely a sprawling monster, it was nice to see it from this vantage point and appreciate this crazy town.

Check out LA Live and the Ritz downtown - it's an amazing escape from reality!

Two Dinners and a Breakfast

While in NY a few weeks ago, I visited some good friends at their home in Jersey and ended up collapsing at their awesome house for a weekend of delicious cooking and major relaxation.  Here are some highlights….

dinner on Friday…candle lit yard & fantastic sword fish grilled on wine soaked cedar planks.  amazing.

 dinner number two…fantastic yogurt sauce & lamb chops on the grill

 and finally, the best pancakes ever

 we had more than a little fun...

Inspiration: We are all Savages

New York City: Last Day, Best Day...

the frenzied entrance to Savage Beauty:

the always inspiring Metropolitan Museum of Art:

On my final day in NYC last week, I rushed between meetings to view the Alexander McQueen exhibit on display at the Met before missing my only chance.  And I did it like I do a lot of things - in perfect timing, but a little bit delayed.  I was supposed to meet a friend that morning, but she had an emergency and cancelled, so I viewed the show solo.  I arrived 5 minutes before the line closed and instead of waiting for hours, it only took 15 minutes to enter the exhibit.  While it was pure luck and good timing, it was also disappointing to have to view the entire exhibit with packed rooms in a single hour.  Great planning, no, but perfect timing, yes. The video below is a wonderful narrated tour through the exhibit by the curator, Andrew Bolton.

Now, anyone that has been to the Sistine Chapel in Rome will understand the cluster chaos that you will encounter seeing this exhibit after it's received so much press.  The rooms were being wrangled by low paid guards with little reverence to the obvious genius they were protecting.  However, I realized quickly that since there were only two more groups being let into the rooms, if I waited a bit and slinked back, I could view the spaces in perfect silence.  While I am in no way a fashionista or designer factoid, I was in complete awe of the exhibit space, McQueen's pained, yet beautifully inspired collection, the unbelievable details that were included, the head pieces designed by Guido, and I left with a sense of feeling connected to runway fashion in a way I hadn't previously experienced.  In the past runway has always seemed like a show to me, not always directly inspiring me, although I always appreciate the artistry of the exhibiting designer.  With this exhibit, the clothing seemed to transcend fashion and create statement and purpose, as well as deep political statements, while remaining captivatingly beautiful.  The exhibit, the collection, and the memory of McQueen all seemed in perfect harmony.


So, my point?  Get your butt to NY before August 7th and see this exhibit!  Here are links to all the info you would ever need: Metropolitan Museum, Savage Beauty Exhibit Info, and special Monday tickets for the Exhibit - completely worth the $50, I'm sure!  


On my way out of the exhibit, the last few of us lingerers were being corralled out by the guards, and as we entered a back hall, I saw this:

Obviously it had more to do with construction than anything else, but I felt the tiny hairs on the back of my neck pop up…I couldn't help but toy with the thought that it felt like an eerie message from beyond:)

NY: Refreshen Your Perspective

When I'm in the city, I'm surrounded by amazing people, great friends and I am in constant amazement of the energy, diversity, and general nuttiness.  I love seeing the world in a frenetic craze and getting some fresh perspective on life in general.  At a rooftop party last night, as the evening was winding down, I snapped this shot of the Chrysler Building in my champagne induced mini-nap.  It was my favorite of the night and it reminded me to always re-examine my surroundings.  I love to grab inspiration from everything I see throughout the day, and in New York I'm on inspiration overload...