IF IT QUACKS LIKE A DUCK...

If it quacks like a duck, it could be a guy betting that you can't take his picture, come on, it's the Sportsman Lodge for goodness sake, wedding photogs everywhere, so I joined in the fun. As for the ducks, they were too far away, but I got a goose... not golden egg though, although by the look of these, it might be a rotten egg... I couldn't get close enough to get the image that I wanted, that's the way it goes, I need a good shooting day.
Today I spent restless and unsatisfied. Looking for interesting shots, I saw many, but couldn't really capture much. The Holga is not built for speed, that's for sure, or accuracy. But, for some reason I am compelled to keep shooting. I think because when the shot is good, it's beautiful. And, in the end, I think that this will sharpen my professional skills.

BLANKETS OF GRaY

When I opened my eyes this morning I thought to myself, it's another day of grey, and I suppose it will be this way for a long time now. Maybe it will clear up later today, if so, maybe I'll find something really cool to post... with so much in our world there should be limitless possibilities. Temporary is a blessing and a curse. That's my thought for today.
This gloomy day did not slow anyone down if they had plans to go to the Getty. There were so many people in the gardens, each group had their trusty digital cameras poised to capture the ultimate picture of a flower, or something rich in color on day. So many pictures, so many people, so many things.. I asked my friend David, "where do they all come from?" And he just thinks I ask too many questions. He's probably right.

Climbing Trees

There are days when I wonder why life is so difficult sometimes. Everything takes an effort and I wonder if my efforts will make any difference at all?

My day started early, 4:00a.m., my sanity came when I met my best friend JB for breakfast, or as we like to call it Bitchfest.... we are both parents and artists with very complicated lives. After hashing through the "whys?" of life, we both went our separate ways, but I am so grateful that she is in my life.. even though she wants to kick my ass with her Holga. Well, we are in this together and so I had to take a picture of something, I can't let her down. By the end of the day the only thing I could think of was this tree. Simple and beautiful, reaching to the sky, reaching to the stars, maybe it's touches a little piece of heaven.
Tomorrow I will try and get something more interesting. Don't be fooled... ideas will find me once again.

PUMPKINS!

After a major mal-function with my first polaroid pack... lost the whole thing, much later in the day I happened upon a Pumpkin Patch in La Crescenta. Rich was kind enough to let me spend some time with him while he was "holding down the fort," so to speak. We waited for the evening rush of children picking out their pumpkins for Halloween. If I were to sum up the day it technical blooper gone wild. It seemed simple things that I would never have a problem with went wrong, but hey, I hope that just means I got it out of the way for awhile.

I Can Hear Music

Yesterday, as I was bouncing around the towns... from Pasadena to Burbank, I stopped in front of a store front window and happened upon an abandoned piano. I grew up with music, I spent many years in the music business, and the site of this broke my heart. It's just one instrument, but when I saw it my imagination went wild.. who played it, where has it been? And is it destined to succumb to the cobwebs and dust, left to die a silent death? How sad I thought, how lonely, a metaphor for so many things that are old and past their prime. Imagine.

Almost Only Counts in Horse Shoes

First of all, today I hit the ground running, that is to say that everywhere I went, it felt like I was AMOST too late. Not a good feeling for a photog with assignments that reporters are counting on for images needed to add to the content of the story. First I was three frames into the announcement of the Rose Queen, when she was named.. about five minutes before schedule due to the rain.
Next assignment was canceled, and finding weather shots was on. So the rest of the day was spent chasing mud slides, all over Burbank. Not an easy thing to do on a rainy day, with police barricades. Somehow, I managed to get a few pictures.
And no Jacqui, this was not a HOLGA day, no time, no sun, and rain will ruin those polaroid suckers. But I did capture my favorite image of the day, which had nothing to do with anything, I post it tomorrow, as it is still at the office.
Thunder and Lightening are up on the top of my list, that's my kind of weather, wild and crazy. I do like the occasional soft summer night and breeze that goes with it... but nothing makes me feel more alive than a good flash and bang... No Jacqui, I'm still talking about the weather... and now, I'm off to rest for tomorrow will be another day.



For more "Keys..." see you tomorrow.

Bridges of Glendale

Sometime in my busy day today, something unusual happened. One of my assignments fell through, so as I was leaving, this bridge caught my eye, so interesting with it's steele and curves.

The bridge is in Glendale on Kennilsworth, built in 1936. A women happened to be walking by and when I pealed the polaroid apart, there was this image, looking like days gone by, it could have been taken anytime, but today in the sometimes drizzly weather, it added an extra element of atmosphere.