New York City | Polaroid SX70

We drove into the city at 6am ready to explore and adventure! Apparently, city folk don’t get up that early. So we parked in Soho and took a nap in the rain. Tourists!

Infectious Joy

Every moment of every day we are spreading something. Stress. Worry. Negativity. Hope. Joy. Encouragement. Almost four years ago (I can’t believe it) Elsie arrived in our lives with a thunderclap. (Click here to see a video of her first five days.)

From that moment on, Elsie has brought an infectious joy into our home. Every “errand” is an adventure, every trip around the block treated with the anticipation of a trip around the world. Being with her, you have no choice but to dance and sing, she’ll have it no other way.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this and I feel this is the greatest gift we can give to our family, our friends, and yes our clients; to bring this same spirit to our encounters with others. If we treat every moment as a responsibility, as a gift given to us to help shape the world around us, what might we do differently in the face of adversity. How might we react to that crazy uncle with his camera, of that thunderstorm that rears its head at exactly the wrong time? It is a discipline, and no doubt a challenge, but in embracing this we will not only change those around us, we’ll change ourselves. The best part of adopting this attitude is, that living like this creates value, significance and meaning in everything we do. Infectious joy, that’s something worth spreading. Just ask Elsie.

Jamie and Elsie, photographed on a Mamiya rz67 with polaroid instant film.

Los Angeles Under Water

I grabbed my Hasselblad and some 100b fuji instant and headed out as the sun set. I can’t remember the last time it rained this much in Los Angeles, it almost feels like we’re in another city. This was my favorite, it looks like the clouds are dancing over the city.

peggy & narong | engagement

Peggy and Narong spent an impossibly gorgeous Sunday afternoon in Pasadena with us for an engagement photography session ahead of their upcoming wedding this March.  We kicked things off with a Polaroid to memorialize the most beautiful day I can ever remember.  Stylish couple and a crisp blue sky, what more could we ask for?

After a quick change we headed to Eagle Rock for something a little less formal.

Thanks guys, we’ll see you before you know it!

PS IF you are new to our work, please visit our portfolio site HERE.

10,000 Hour Rule | And Miles To Go Before I Sleep

Throughout his book “Outliers,” Malcolm Gladwell repeatedly mentions the “10,000-Hour Rule”, claiming that the key to success in any field is, to a large extent, a matter of practicing a specific task for a total of around 10,000 hours. I remember at first feeling overwhelmed when I read this, but then a strange comfort and clarity sunk in. To put 10K hours into perspective, if you wrote for 3 hours a day 300 days a year it would take you just over 11 years to reach 10K hours. This begs the question, whatever you are doing right now, do you love it that much and if so are you putting in the work? If you do, then you are on your way. And if you don’t, then let go and find your passion without delay.
My brother found his passion and he’s well on his way to 10K. Every day he wakes up and puts in his time. One day he’ll cross the mark, a rainbow will not appear, a chorus will not sing, but likely he’ll be in the midst of something remarkable. Whoever you are out there, hopefully you are too.

Porsche | Meet Polaroid

They don’t make them like they used to.
I am totally drawn to older cars. I saw this one parked a few blocks from my house and had to race home to pick up my polaroid camera. Since I’m not an aficionado, I could not tell you much about this car except that it reminds me of the one Ferris Beuller took on his infamous day off school. There is something about these old designs, so artfully and lovingly crafted. Seeing one of these old cars parked like this is like finding one of your old drawings in the attic.

Ashbourne Drive

One day it just happens. You wake up and your little girl is all grown up. Kira was by far the snuggliest of our four children, I fondly remember her rythmic breathing as she slept sprawled across my chest. She didn’t so much walk when she was a toddler but hop here and there, always singing a song (Barney anyone?) or dancing a little dance. She is the perfect older sister: engaged and enthusiastic about life and responsible beyond her years. I don’t remember being half as capable at her age (14), she manages to juggle school, an internship and sports without ever letting the pressure alter her mood or rosy outlook on life. I suppose I’m like most parents when I imagine her doing amazing things with her life, I am so just proud of her. But deep down there are days that I wish I could grab her hand and walk back in time for just one more tea party, one more dance, one more little snuggle.

All shot on my Contax 645 with Fuji 400H film and the one of a kind California winter sun on one of my favorite streets in South Pasadena.

Lake Arrowhead | Dawson Family

A rare opportunity to shoot in the snow. I so want to shoot a wedding someplace like Sundance in the winter! One of the great advantages of shooting film is the latitude it has, digital had a tendency to blow out the whites to capture detail in black. I love the natural color and tones of these film shots:)

Farmers Market | Los Angeles

Believe it or not, TMZ does not have the final word on LA. If you look hard enough, you can even find a little charm. One of my favorite spots for lunch, the Farmers Market in Los Angeles. Shot on Leica m6.

Walking To School

In the class of things that make me happy, walking Elsie to school ranks right up there. She is such a little chatterbox and the joy she finds in the mundane does my heart good. Shot on a leica m6 with kodak bw film.