Julie On Film

Posted on April 13, 2012

The beauty of film can best be seen when shooting people. There is something magical about the way it handles skin tones and I’m always amazed at how well it holds highlights. These days most people are looking for the instant gratification of looking at the display on the back the camera but it seems to me that the world as given up so much for the sake of convenience. To put it bluntly, film makes everything beautiful and dramatic and it forces you to think deeper about what you’re shooting because there is a limited number of exposures. If you enjoy my pictures please try it yourself and buy some film from Kodak. You’ll not only be expanding your horizons but you’ll also be helping to save one of the all time great American companies.

Edward Killingsworth

Posted on April 2, 2012

Edward Killingsworth’s Long Beach office is one of the many remarkable mid-century gems that exist in the city. When I was young, I drove past this place hundreds of times and never bothered to notice it all. It wasn’t until I attended Cal State Long Beach and spent countless hours in structures he designed that his name became familiar to me. Killingsworth grew up in the city and one of the six case study homes he designed is located in the Naples neighborhood of Long Beach. The Opdahl residence won numerous awards in its day and was one of the few 36 case study designs actually built. Shortly after it was restored, I had a chance to attend a party in that amazing home. Its unapologetic and bold simplicity left a lasting impression on me. Southern California is home to so many mid-century structures that I’d become immune to them but this was an encounter with modernism I will never forget. Killingsworth’s road to distinction began with an office/residence he designed in Los Alamitos, California that caught the eye of architectural critic John Entenza. Originally designed for local realtor, Jack Baird, it was one of the first post and beam structures in Southern California. The structure can hardly be recognized today but his office still stands in all its wonderfully balanced simplicity. It’s difficult to take a bad picture of such an elegant structure and as a matter of fact, I think it flatters my ability as a photographer. Mr. Killingsworth passed away in 2004 but his office stills serves as an architectural office that is, hopefully, living up to his legacy.

Composition Ideas

Posted on March 15, 2012

Sometimes I have nothing to shoot so I go out and try to make something out of nothing. I really enjoy doing this and I love it even more when the film comes back and it seems to work.

Long Beach Funk Festival

Posted on March 4, 2012

Just as the summer is winding down the city of Long Beach throws a giant block party to celebrate that other American art form we call funk. I’m a bit of snob about the funk I like so, in my opinion, the music isn’t one of the strengths of the festival but what is wonderful about it is the way people from all back grounds come together to enjoy a summer afternoon. It’s a musical carnival were the homeboys, the b-boys, the artists, the college kids, the musicians, the families, and those driving in from out of town all feel at home. Long Beach is roughly 10 miles from downtown Los Angeles and roughly the same distance from Orange County so the festival draws in people from both places. What results is a wonderful portrait of what California really looks like. Hopefully my pictures tell you that story and give you a sense of the festive mood that we were all in. All of the images were taken in August of 2011.

Santa Ana, CA – The Renaissance & The Rest of Us

Posted on February 18, 2012

The hip kids have moved into downtown Santa Ana but it must be said that if you grew up Latino in Orange County the place was our South Coast plaza. There is no need to convince me of how hip it since it was the place we went shopping for our food, clothes, and our medicine. This was a sort of white mans no mans land when I was growing up but the city and property owners are working hard to change that. Recently the property owners of Fourth Street re-branded the area the East End Promenade and dropped the name Fiesta Market Place. I don’t understand the name change but perhaps it will convince some people of just how hip it is and they will come out. These days you can go down there and enjoy a day of gourmet seasonal food cooked by some kid wearing a sweat band while you enjoy your $10.00 “Culinary Cocktail” and then settle into an evening of dubstep played by a DJ with enormous hair. They got bars down there now for every demographic and occasional you will see a Mexican guy in a big cowboy hat, that no one talks to, in the place. One night, I had a conversation with one such gentleman and he told me he goes down there as political statement and he doesn’t care if anyone talks to him or not. “We must be able to live together,” he told me before one of the owners walked up to ask me if the man was bothering me. The renaissance that is happening is exciting and I hope that the new kids on the block are able to co-exist with the Latino business who have occupied and probably saved the area from the wrecking ball but I fear that wont happen. There is a lot to enjoy there and I recommend you visit Memphis Café, on any given night, to taste and experience the best of what the area has to offer. I took these pictures while walking the area one afternoon.

Hsi Lai Buddhist Temple

Posted on January 4, 2012

Nestled on a hilltop in the quiet suburb of Hacienda Heights is one of the largest Buddhist temples in the western hemisphere. The Hsi Lai Temple was built at a cost of 10 million dollars and it’s absolutely magnificent in its splendor and size. There are numerous shrines, gardens, statues, and halls on the 15 acre site and being there feels very far from Los Angeles but it’s only a 30 minute drive away.

The Kelly Thomas Story

Posted on August 7, 2011

On July 5 six policemen in Fullerton California savagely beat a 135lb mentally ill homeless man while numerous people at a nearby bus depot stood by and watched. Kelly Thomas died and the subsequent silence on the part of city hall and the level of violence used on this poor man has outraged and mobilized this otherwise conservative town into action. Hundreds of people stood outside city hall this past weekend demanding justice for Kelly Thomas and demanding that the mayor and police chief step down. Here are a few images I took while I was down there this past Saturday.