san francisco (2).
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If you keep your eyes on the lookout, gorgeous light will find you every which way.
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memory lane.
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The problem with having a blog is that photos from ages past get lost in the muddle, years later. I’ve been posting some older photos from my archives onto Instagram (@ruinista), but I thought I’d post them here as well, all nice and big. These are among my favorites from the archives, though I have to admit that even I’d forgotten that some of them actually existed at all!
Hope you enjoy them. Have a great weekend. Me, I’ll be heading into Chelsea tomorrow to catch this show, which I’m incredibly excited about — Bryan Schutmaat’s stuff is extraordinary.
Top:
1. Cats | New Jersey, 2009.
2. Leaves | Pennsylvania, 2008.
3. Alice, Amiti, and Lulu | New York City, 2010.
4. F Train | Brooklyn, 2011.
Below:
1. Q Train | Brooklyn, 2008.
2. Kathryn | New York City, 2011.
3. Daniel | New York City, 2010.
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the suburbs (philadelphia).
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A few of us drove down to Philly this weekend for a dear old friend’s birthday. We stayed at Dear Old Friend’s home, a mighty expanse of a place, especially in the eyes of New York City folk accustomed to tiny apartments with no garden access. But here it was, a space so very verdant and lush, with three stories in the house to spread ourselves out a bit. (And a hammock, even!) Before a cooling autumnal storm came through that evening, we sat out in the patio and drank, fittingly enough, a few rounds of Dark and Stormy cocktails.
A nice little getaway, at once invigorating and relaxing. I need to plan more of these sorts of mini-trips outside of the city — they do wonders for balancing out the daily bustle of it all.
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two plants.
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Taken in Venice Beach (top) and San Francisco (above) with the Pentax 6×7, back during my August vacation.
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thing learned.
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I learned many things about film and my cameras, and about photography in general, this summer vacation. (Really obvious thing: Don’t forget the light meter you bought specifically for the trip. Oy.) But the main takeaway from the trip: chickens will not pose for you, no matter how awesome your Pentax 6×7 is. Not a chance.
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the hike.
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A few more photos from a lovely hike we took on my last day in Laramie — also my last day of vacation — though this roll was taken with Fuji Provia 100F slide film (hence the slightly bluish cast to the photos). A beautiful day all around. And the landscape! Goodness me, it’s been a little hard getting readjusted to New York CIty living after that end-of-holiday hike.
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the suburbs (continued).
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People sometimes get really excited when I tell them that I grew up in Los Angeles. Where’s a good place to grab a drink? A cup of coffee? A really awesome meal? And then I point out that I spent my childhood there, and not more than 3-4 weeks out of any given year as an adult, and do you know how sprawled out LA is? Nope, I grew up in the suburbs, still part of L.A. County, but far removed from the cool parts of town. And, like any other suburb with its mini malls and empty lots and donut shops, the quiet banality of it all is, for a now-New Yorker now accustomed to noise, a lack of personal space and waaaaay too much foot traffic, sort of comforting.
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the suburbs.
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My parents live on a hilly cul-de-sac in Los Angeles. At the bottom of the hill, just across the street, is a little park with a handful of picnic tables beneath leafy trees; not much to look at really, and there’s no playground, so the place is often empty. At the top of the hill, right where the street dead ends, is a clearing — I guess there’s a gasline of some sort, maybe a power substation? I didn’t investigate very thoroughly, though over the course of the week that I was home this past August, I went out every night just before dinner to take a few photos up and down the street. The photos here are arranged from the bottom of the hill to the very top, where a dilapidated fence makes a half-hearted attempt to ward off trespassers.
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wyoming + ektar.
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I’d fretted for weeks leading up to my trip out west: What film to bring with me? I ended up with a hodgepodge of Ektar 100, Portra 160, and Portra 400 in both 35mm and 120 formats, and for my interior shots (like these, and goodness me, I am so pleased by the results!) I relied mostly on the Portra stock.
But when it came to Wyoming, with all that big sky and lushness and depth, I’m glad I stuck with the Ektar 100. Look at the blues in that photo above! The tonal range is just exquisite, and there’s great saturation without anything or anyone looking unnatural. And with the larger negative (thanks to the Pentax 6×7), everything just pops all that much more.
Of course, the best part — more than getting the perfect shot on perfect film stock — was the company. Nothing beats seeing old friends (and a new one in the form of a hilarious 3 year old) and taking a leisurely hike through a gorgeous landscape. There’s so much in this photo that I miss already.
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esme.
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My friends Travis and Justine with their new baby girl, Esme, photographed during my visit to Los Angeles. I was worried that the incredibly loud shutter slap on the Pentax would wake her up from her nap, but no worries; she slept like a trooper.
Below: Possibly my favorite photo from the entire trip.
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hong-an tran 