Analog Love Letter: No Pictures Please

Sometimes I don't understand the shyness of people whenever a camera is pointed towards their direction. Photos are taken all the time, often without people knowing of it. I find little to distinguish between knowing that a photo is being taken to not knowing. The end result is the same.

Jorge doesn't really like having his picture taken. At least from my experience but he's getting a bit better about it. Maybe because he knows I always have at least one camera on me at all times and at some point I may feel inclined to take his photo. Or maybe he's getting used to the fact that I'll keep taking his photo when I wish and I'm stubborn about getting the right shot. This photo was taken long ago before he warmed up to my picture taking when I first purchased my Fuji Instax camera.

"Jorge being shy" / Fuji Instax instant film / Circa 2014

Analog Love Letter: Casa De Cadillac

When the temperatures get warm enough, I like to venture out into the night and do a bit of night shooting. It's one of my favorite pastimes. Sometimes during the summer, it can get pretty hot in Los Angeles, especially the San Fernando Valley, and I don't even bother going out but during those hot summer nights, the evening temperature can get into the 70s and 80s which is quite lovely.

This time around, I was testing a camera and hit my friend Jasson up to do some night shooting in Van Nuys, Calif. when I took this photo of Casa De Cadillac which is a Cadillac dealership on Ventura Blvd. What I really love about this dealership, other than the caddies they sell (I love cars), is the font they use for the sign. I'm no font nerd but I do know a bit of history to this place. It opened up sometime in the '50s and has been in business ever since. The font reminds me of the "futuristic" styling and outlook of American industry in that era. America had just won World War II and the middle class was on the up and up and everyone was focused on the optimism of tomorrow.

There's a bit of a light leak in this image but it's in a good place where it isn't totally distracting and it gives the photo a bit of character.

"Casa De Cadillac" / 35mm Fuji Provia 400X / July 2014

Analog Love Letter: Salt In Her Veins

I don't think I've met someone so drawn to the ocean as my friend Genna. Before meeting her, I rarely went to the beach. It just wasn't my sort of thing but after meeting her, I found myself being at the beach more since she would invite me to come. It's a good place to spend the day to escape the scorching summer temperatures of the valley which is when we would always go.

There is this rock on a beach (that will be unnamed because it's her favorite "secret" beach and I swore not to give out) and we both climbed it when I took this photo of her as she was looking out towards the ocean. 

It's a lovely beach and it's quite secluded which is what I enjoy about it. I apologize for not divulging its whereabouts.

"Genna's rock" / 35mm Cinestill 800t / June 2014

Analog Love Letter: Los Angeles Living

Some people say that Los Angeles has no distinct weather pattern. No real winter or fall. Just sun and more sun. Contrary to popular belief, it does rain sometimes. It hasn't in a while which is sad because we need it. Having said that, I love sun. Warm is good. So are palm trees.

"Two sticks and a clear sky" / 35mm Kodak Portra 160VC / April 2011

Analog Love Letter: Awake

Sometimes all it takes is good timing.

I used to frequent my friend's house quite often. Most of the time I come unannounced. I'm almost like the Kimmie Gibbler (from Full House fame) of my group of friends.

My friend Flor was babysitting while the parents worked and this photo was taken just as my friend's son was waking up from a nap and his mother had just come from work to pick him up. As she was feeding him, he looked towards me and gave this curious look.

Me and kids are weird. I love kids but sometimes kids are stranger danger with me which is fine. Some take to me well from the start while others I just need more time so I can grow on them.

"Wrong side of a nap" / 35mm Kodak Portra 160VC / April 2011

Analog Love Letter: Co-workers

I took this photo of co-workers at Frankie's Italian Kitchen on my Fuji Instax 210 camera and I love the faded look of the images produce. It looks like I took this photo in the '70s or '80s when in fact I took it sometime last year. It's no Polaroid but it's a much more inexpensive option to Impossible Film. 

I also love how the red rendered in her hair. Kind of reminds me of a waitress in a proper diner.

"Jorge and Carol" / Fuji Instax 210 instant film / Circa 2014

Analog Love Letter: Legal Brew

I remember when I first turned 21. It was great being able to drink alcohol legally. Not that I drank before turning 21. I was never really a drinker. I've seen friends drink before and seeing them turned me off a bit because they drank to get drunk but as I grew into legal age, I imbibe to enjoy and rarely do I get drunk.

I took this photo of my friend Genna at Outside Lands last year and while she has been to previous Outside Lands, this was the time when she was able to finally buy her own beer legally. I'm sure it felt great to walk into Beer Lands, order her drink and show her wristband to the bartender. My first alcoholic drink was a wine cooler so it wasn't much, but it was great.

"Finally legal" / 35mm Adox CHS 100 / August 2014

Analog Love Letter: Another Moment In My Life

The moment I pick up a new camera to add to my collection, I instantly shoot a frame or two to experience how the camera handles in my hand. It's also a moment in which I officially make a camera mine apart from its previous owner.

For the longest time, I wanted a Hasselblad 500 in my collection and I was able to purchase one at a very good price compared to the market rates on eBay. The previous owner no longer shot film so I made him an offer for the camera body and 3 lenses. He even threw in a couple of 220 pro packs of Kodak Portra film which is always awesome.

Hasselblad build their cameras like tanks. This particular model felt great in my hands and the shutter barn doors made a pretty loud "clonk" sound whenever you depressed the shutter button. It sounded official. This was a proud day for me and my collection and I took a self portrait as my first frame.

"Self portrait with a Hasselblad" / 6x6 medium format Ilford FP4+ / May 2012

Analog Love Letter: Turn On The Bright Lights

Interpol is one of my favorite bands of all times (probably second to The Smiths) and their first full length album, Turn On The Bright Lights, had a huge impact in my life. The comparison to Joy Division was there when they first came out but they had a much different sound in my opinion.

I wanted to do start a project that is inspired by TOTBL which is what you see here. I used a Holga CFN to shoot this photo during one of my birthdays many moons ago. A Holga CFN is essentially a Holga but with a flash that had 4 filters built in, the other colors being yellow, blue and clear.

This photo has a strong red cast due to the slide film I used. You wouldn't get this strong of a color cast if you used color negative film. My guess being because slide film is "positive," it'll take the strongest light source more easily and blow out the shadows if you can't control the amount of light being produced. Holga's are simple toy cameras so there's no control over anything on it really which is what I love about lomography.

As with all my other photo projects, this series will be released when I feel like I've finished it so who knows when that'll be.

"Michael pours Guinness" / 6x6 medium format Fuji Astia 100F / December 2011

Analog Love Letter: Malibu Beach Walks

One of the few good things about living in California is that the weather stays pretty normal through much of the year. Even in the month of December, one can go out to the beach and feel comfortable as the sun shines down on our beautiful state.

I took this photo of Kristen and Genna during a scouting session at the beach. I was looking for a cave to shoot a possible photo in and Genna had said she knew of a place that would interest me. The cave was all that I had hoped for and used it as a location for one of the photos I submitted to the last Getty Masters Class that focused on alternative photographic processes.

"Kristen and Genna on a winter walk at the beach" / 6x6 medium format Kodak Ektar 100 / December 2014