Chy was on rollerskates the entire shoot, zipping back and forth on the street...but this is the shot I dig, out of all of them.

Not a waste to have had her skating, because she loves it so and it's what put this smile on her face...but I do wish I were better at capturing that kind of motion.

I remember I photographed my cousin, who's made a name for himself as a skateboarder, I was so self-satisfied with the shots I took of him on his board...until I saw what other photographers were doing with skaters.

It's a Sisyphean task, life is. Took me the better part of a decade to become proficient at photography, and then I took up tai chi. Then surfing...surfing took a good eight years, and really only got there once I started surfing several times a week, putting in the reps as it were.

The older I get (and this isn't me whining about being old...but maybe a little bit), the more challenging it becomes to gather the energy to be bad at a skill, even if being bad is the first step in being good.

Though...that's always been my problem, being willing to put in the time. I want to be good Instantly. Putting in the work...I've always chafed at that very idea. Getting better at photography, at surfing, felt almost accidental...perhaps the trick is to find the joy in the learning. If it's a chore, it's pushing a boulder up a hill, but with photography, the fun was In the learning, in trying different things out, finding pleasures in small improvements.

...maybe even finding a shot like this one, in the stack of shots that didn't work.

Tags:   3.1.23 Chyenne Santini portrait

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*looks at MRI authorization* Seems like I might have possible posterior impingement syndrome in the left shoulder...so instead of surfing, I've taken to walking around the neighborhood.

Much like I did here with Mal & JJ, I walked well past where I normally would during a shoot, looking for new and different places. I like to walk before dawn, it's less populated, the stillness is soothing. I'll put on a podcast and gaze at my city with "soft eyes".

Dead end private streets I've never noticed. Buildings that take pains to hide what's inside. Front lawns expertly manicured. Lots left empty for years.

Means taking a different route every day, so I don't get lazy when it comes to looking around, but right now, the city, every building, every yard, every half-hidden backyard, it's a feast for the eyes.

Tags:   6.2.23 polaroid 680 Mal Corinne JJ Hawkins WPD23People portrait

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Been waiting to make this photo for, oh, 12 years?

Twelve years I've had to wait to see Sally again, and lucky me, I didn't have to go all the way to England, this time she came all the way to me!

Son in tow, I get to hang out with my favorite Brit all goddamn week!

Chatting with folks on the internet is all well and good, but nothing beats being able to see 'em up close in the LA light, see 'em radiant, tattoo-covered flesh and all!

(side note: I initially was shocked at the quality of this film, as earlier photos had been quite distressed due to age...only to realize a few minutes later? Completely different film. Turns out fuji holds up better in my fridge than even original Polaroid!)

Tags:   10.21.23 polaroid 180 fujifilm FP-100c film Sally Reynolds Los Angeles portrait

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It's been mentioned before (by me) that Jada has the best fake smile in town.

Can't help myself, despite my crusade for authenticity, I get such a kick out of asking for her best fake smile, watching her turn it on Instantly, it's like a magic trick!

The rest of the session was pretty chill, we walked around the farmer's market a bit, mostly sat down and chatted, feel like I hadn't actually talked with Jada enough, over the few years we've been taking pictures together, but I'm very much in a "let's do more talking than picture-taking" mode. Take a few Polaroids, futz around with my other cameras a bit, enough to feel satiated, but mainly, chatting.

And magic.

Tags:   10.17.23 polaroid 680 Jada Selexman portrait

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We're on the top floor of the building, so I can hear the rain coming down on the roof quite well, right about now. It's an hour until dawn, so there's not much to see, but the sound of it...means no surfing, today, despite the surf forecast being exceptional, but at this particular moment, the music of the storm is far more interesting.

I'd expected a light drizzle, but this...this is why they redid the building's roof two months ago, this is why we had leaks back in January, this is why the power was out for three days, this kind of storm.

I wish everyone were awake to hear it, but I'm also delighted I have it all to myself.

Check out the full photo essay on The Photographic Journal: LA WINTER

Tags:   1.28.23 Kayla Barbie for TPJ mamiya c330 kodak portra 400 film portrait

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