runyon canyon bench series (post 5)

Thursday, June 10, 2010 9:36 am... (on left)he spoke passionately about the positive energy he feels at runyon canyon to a stranger new friend... i listened with a smile.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 9:46 am... (on right) big dogs chasing little dogs... too cute.

Friday, June 18, 2010 9:35 am... friends: swinging their legs, laughing loudly... nothing better.

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, june 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4

runyon canyon bench series (post 4)

One of the downfalls of shooting film over digital is the wait. And at the same time, that is one thing that I love about it. The time between taking this first photograph, shooting the rest of the roll, and finally seeing the results was about a month. Had there been no wait, I wouldn’t have looked at this first image 3 times (like a fool) trying to remember what it was I had photographed. But, more importantly, I wouldn’t have experienced the moment of surprise when I finally saw him. Do you see him hiding there? These things make me happy. Monday, May 24, 2010 10:12 am | 10:14 am

I'm pretty sure June is my favorite month in LA. Almost every morning is cool with a heavy blanket of clouds. They call it June Gloom, but to me, it's hardly gloomy. I love letting the breeze gently wake me in the morning and the quiet hikes at Runyon. I am in love with these photographs... so tranquil and dreamy. I can almost feel the cool air kissing my skin. These will forever remind me of what it feels like to stand atop Runyon Canyon in June.

Monday, June 7, 2010 9:50 am | 9:53 am

I have many more to share and will continue posting next week. It is also worth noting that my film scans have improved immensley since I switched labs. Thanks to Richard Photo Lab - my bench series just got better!

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may/june 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series: Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

dreaming of dahlia gardens..

I bought a bouquet of dahlias for the first time recently and deemed them the prettiest things. As I was trimming their stems and admiring their colors, I realized I have been dreaming of dahlia gardens for over 4 years now. Before I could change my mind, I took them outside and placed the vase on the ledge of a nearly empty and uninspired planter. I became lost in my own world as I created this illusion of a dahlia garden in a place where I suppose it should be... since my building is named "Dahlia Gardens," after all.

runyon canyon bench series (post 3)

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."- Pablo Picasso

From childhood through art school, I was constantly creating, without effort it seemed; but, as I grow older I am finding it harder and harder to say “yes” to myself and my personal project ideas. Last fall, in an attempt to remedy this problem, I picked up The Artist’s Way. I poured my heart and soul into the process and it changed my life. Among many lessons I learned, the most valuable to me was how to self nurture. That realization alone has improved all areas of my life in a beautiful way. I am now mid-way through Julia Cameron’s next book in the series, “Walking in this World,” and I am finally on my way to hearing myself say “yes” again, no matter how silly the ideas appear to be.

On the surface, this project is simply a visual documentation of this bench at Runyon Canyon, which is often crowded, sometimes lonely, but rarely over looked by its passerby’s. It is art for art’s sake. But, for me personally, there is another reason entirely... It’s about saying yes to the first spark of an idea, whether or not I have a clear vision for the final product, or even its purpose, and to just begin. It’s about accepting mistakes, mishaps, and mediocrity along the way and to just keep shooting as long as it excites me. Most of all, it is simply about having fun with the process of repeatedly photographing a bench with a plastic toy camera, complete with film grain, unexpected compositions, and light leaks. It is imperfect and I’m happy to be sharing my imperfect process with you.

…

Here are the last few photographs from my first roll of film of the series. I loved that for a few days there was a tiny American flag stuck in a crevice of the bench. I loved that May 17th was so foggy; it was like standing inside a cloud. I loved that on May 19th, all I could think of as I hiked was hopefully seeing these horses again, and when I reached the top, I was instead so happily greeted by the biggest dog I have ever seen – a gentle giant, for sure. And I loved that a few moments later the bench became lonely again, just as it was when I first photographed it last year.

Top Row: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 (my birthday hike!) | Monday, May 17, 2010 Bottom Row: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | a few moments later...

I am in the middle of shooting my next roll of film, so stay tuned for more… [photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series: Post 1 | Post 2

runyon canyon bench series (post 2)

This personal project is purposefully a very simple one: To photograph this bench with my Diana (a plastic toy film camera) every time I reach the peak of my hike up Runyon Canyon. The rule is: I'll wait only a minute or so to anticipate and document a fleeting moment, and I must take a picture of whatever is happening every time I reach this spot. (even if I am not terribly inspired and wouldn’t have taken the shot otherwise) I started hiking Runyon Canyon within days of landing in Los Angeles. My brother’s best friend took me the first time and I was hooked. I loved the physical challenge, the views, the dogs.. and I loved the crooked, oversized bench with peeled paint that sinks back just enough that you can’t help but really let go and just be. It is a place to disconnect from the city and calm your mind.

After over 4 years and a couple of hundred hikes, I started to take my camera. Knowing I won’t always live so close to this trail that is so much more than a trail to me, I needed to document a piece of the experience. I am now hooked on the project and excited to see where it goes (even though these photographs are super grainy and completely imperfect).

I'm planning to post more photographs from the bench series next Friday, so check back!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Same day... a few moments later

Thursday, May 6, 2010

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may 2010]

runyon canyon bench series (begins)..

I love simplicity. I love the fact that my Diana film camera has exposure settings simply for cloudy, partly cloudy, and sunny; and only 3 approximate focusing distances. I love that it is plastic and weighs nothing and I can throw it in my bag while I hike. I love that I don’t care if it collects a little dust or gets dropped. I love that it can take me 3 weeks or even 3 months to shoot ONE roll of 12 exposures. Shooting with my Diana is such simple fun and reminds me of my early film days… pausing time to wait and patiently anticipate a moment... and then, hoping I captured it with that one shot. When you shoot film, you naturally take more time to think about making a photograph and I love that. I also love getting my film back. It smells like sweet nostalgia.

...

I took my first photographs of the Runyon Canyon bench with my Diana camera in June 2009. For those photographs, I waited until the bench was empty to fit my vision. I photographed the bench again this past March and April, while documenting my regular bi-weekly hike (for the sake of personal nostalgia). This time, I found myself more interested in the dynamic of what happens in that spot and how fleeting those moments are. I waited only a second and photographed what was there.

I took only two pictures of the bench on that roll of film, so I was delighted to see them show up side by side on my contact sheet (even though they were taken 2 weeks apart). An idea sparked and I instantly knew what I wanted to do with the last roll of black and white film I had on hand.

I decided to set out to fill it solely with Runyon Canyon bench pictures – whatever is happening when I arrive after my steep climb. As of yesterday, I finished the first roll of my official “runyon canyon bench series ” – 12 exposures, spread out over one month. I am SO excited to get my film developed and will share photos (even if it’s nowhere near as cool as I thought it would be) and more about this personal challenge/project next week!

For now, here are the two images that sparked the idea. (And you can see my original bench photos from last year here.)

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood with my diana camera, march and april 2010]