A Camera Girl

A ClockVine Christmas

2012-01-22T10:47:00.000-08:00

There is this ole' time song that Tom always plays around christmas time that is a man and a woman singing about how they have no money to buy presents for each other. The man sells his beloved pocket watch to buy his lady a gift. The woman cuts her long hair to buy her man a gift. On christmas day the man presents the woman with a beautiful hair comb and the woman presents the man with a silver chain for his pocket watch . . .

xox

Camera Girl

A ClockVine Christmas

2 0 1 1

Happy Valley

California

All PHOTOGRAPHS by rosey lakos

with the exception of #s 7&8 which were taken by Mr.LG

Real B&W instant FILM & real light leaks...

Artifacts of Life & Film

2011-12-02T10:50:00.001-08:00

It is a medium that can leave artifacts on the emulsion. Much like love does across ones soul.

xox

Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

on the radio

2011-11-18T08:42:00.001-08:00

I met my husband over a pair of turntables spinning hot wax into the cold starry night. That was over fourteen years ago now, but he is still playing those records and I am still watching wide eyed from the other side of those tables. We are both artists and we live in a teeny tiny cabin at the end of a dirt road together. We work side by side nearly every day putting ourselves out there and doing what we love. After years of loosely collaborating our musical and photographic efforts we have finally put a name to our duo of creative forces.
C l o c k V i n e Finely Curated Visual & Audio Ambiance
Brought to you by DJTom LG and Camera Girl rosey lakos

Follow Clockvine into the radio room . . .

For the past two years Tom and I have been hosting SIDES Speakeasy every Monday night at the 515 Kitchen & Cocktail in Santa Cruz, CA. We transform their dining room into a portal of time travel from Nine until Midnite every week. Recently Eric Berg of KUSP asked Tom to come into the studio for an interview. I went in with him with some high speed instant B&W film and my favorite camera.

xox
Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

More on . . . CLOCKVINE

Listen to the Radio Spot HERE

What's your reason?

2011-10-19T10:57:00.000-07:00

Everyone is here for a reason. What's yours?

Aimee Miller: Acupuncturist

The term HEAD SHOT just makes people squirm. I think it sounds a bit violent this whole "shooting" people thing. I have opted to use the term professional portrait, but regardless of the name the process is agonizing for everyone. I recently went through this process with my dear friend Aimee, as she was in need of images for her newly budding acupuncture practice.

One of the big hurdles of starting your own business is getting dynamic images that speak for you. Nobody wants to use stock images, but so many resort to that option even if they don't feel good about it. I really love working individually with people to design and create photographs that reflect who they are or even who they would like to be.

Aimee's treatment room is nestled along a creek in beautiful Happy Valley just ten minutes from Santa Cruz. She wanted her photographs to highlight the natural beauty that her rural location offers.

This ended up being my favorite image from the session. As we were working in the fading light under the redwood canopy the wind rustled through, taking a piece of her hair with it. I couldn't help myself.

xox
Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

Find out more about: AIMEE MILLER ACUPUNCTURE

My Day With Louise | Part FIVE | Prairie Wolf

2011-08-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

She is usually active between dusk and dawn, but is sometimes seen abroad during the day.

Trotting along the bottom of the valley floor in the thick of summer with tail held low.

The setting sun or the first daylight may be greeted by a eerie chorus of yapping howls and yips.

She follows the rambling line of the dank creek bed in the slipping light of day.

Her tongue hangs from her long muzzle, her pointed ears are alert for every sound.

Her coat is usually unkempt and her hungry look is emphasized by her sharp features.

This appearance is deceiving.

It is the last roll of film and the light is going fast. My make-up artist Alanna and I are waiting for "Louise" to come out of the dressing room. We were both standing there in the slipping light, our feet on the dirt road and there she was slinking across the field through the tall dry grasses. Her facade blending perfectly with the terrain making her almost indistinguishable from the dirt and brush.

In the fading light her coat looked fluffy and her intricate markings quite beautiful. In this moment she was silent and small and turned to look right at us both. Stopping in the middle of the two wells that ran along the dirt driveway her paws halted, her head cranked towards us. I uttered "coyote" and she gasped slightly.

To me the sighting was primal and comforting and normal. I live with this beast and others along the canyon ridge where my little cabin sits. This beast that fills the night air with bone-chilling screams and howls that cut through the stillness of the canyon at all hours. Through her widened eyes and shortened breath I see another beast. Breathtaking and whimsical in the breaking dusk.

xox

Camera Girl

Thank you lovely "Lousie" for putting your entire heart and trust into this work and me . . . it shows.

A special thanks to Miss Alanna for your exquisite artistry and full commitment to this project.

We could have not done this without you.
Make-up & Styling by the one and only Alanna Williams of Skin by Alanna

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

All "Prairie Wolf" quotes directly adapted from the book, " Mammals of the San Francisco Bay Region" William D. & Elizabeth Berry 1960

"My Day With Louise" in FIVE PARTS

ONE: The White Dress

TWO : Bourbon & Pie

THREE: Teal Sedan

FOUR : Plum Smoke

FIVE: Prairie Wolf

My Day With Louise | Part FOUR | Plum Smoke

2011-08-18T13:06:00.000-07:00

I work on creating unique custom photographic sessions that are constructed from a rough imaginative narrative. This is how I approach and execute my own work and also how I create photographs for clients. There has to be an undercurrent of something that fuels the session, for myself and for the client. As I was designing this photo session with "Louise" she envisioned that we would be in the forest off some dirt road somewhere. We had been sitting around the coffee table in her living room pouring over the selection of books of vintage photography I picked from my collection for her to explore. With titles such as, wheels and curves and seductive smoke I knew where this shoot was headed.

Drive toward the horizon, veer slightly off the road, turn anywhere and see where it takes you . . .

I wasn't worried about finding a remote and rustic location for the shoot, seeing as I live deep in the forest at the end of a dirt road myself. I wasn't however quite sure where to find the perfect period specific vehicles. Like I have said many times before, it is all about who you know. Most of the people in my "network" have cars of a much later vintage variety so the solution wasn't presenting itself right away. As it turns out I didn't have to look much farther down my dirt road to find both the perfect vehicles and location.

When we arrived on set at the beautiful Messer estate we were greeted by the owner who was wearing overalls and trailed by his long legged hound dog Red. I have known this family since I met their daughter in the fourth grade. I just knew it was going to be a good day. . .

We were given the choice of vehicles and after a short deliberation and mostly because it was too hard to decide over the two beauties, we agreed to use both. As he was pulling them out of the garage he joked that it would be unheard of for a woman back in that day to drive one of these alone down a dirt road in the country.

This made us both very happy and fueled our "fire" a little more...

Another part of this crazy recipe for creating intriguing imagery is the occurrence of the unexpected. I do every damn thing I can think of to prepare and primp for a photo session mentally, physically and visually. I drove by this particular location at various times of the day looking at the light, shadows, trees, the water level in the creek, how high the grass in the field was (I even had to make a special request that the grass not be mowed prior to the shoot). I would drive up the main road past the house, pull into the dirt turn out and then go past again, crawling along like a tourist trying to find the Mystery Spot as my eyes tried to absorb the scene. I knew what time the sun went over the mountain and when the trees allowed it to filter down into the field. I felt prepared and comfortable with the location and excited to begin my work.

What I couldn't see from the main road was that the tree by the car garage was branch heavy with beautiful dark red plums. So many little round ruby bits of sweet wonderful that made the most amazing warm sultry light. They were just a few days from being plucked and made into jam. A most glorious unexpected gift indeed.

xox

Camera Girl

Make-up & Styling by the one and only Alanna Williams of Skin by Alanna

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

"My Day With Louise" in FIVE PARTS

ONE: The White Dress

TWO : Bourbon & Pie

THREE: Teal Sedan

FOUR : Plum Smoke

FIVE: Prairie Wolf

My Day With Louise | Part THREE | Teal Sedan

2011-08-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

Well I mentioned that we pulled the four door sedan out of the garage, but what I didn't show you was what a beautiful shade of teal she was. This just happens to be my very most favorite color in the world, a perfect balance between green and blue. The car's owner explained to me that it was not an original Ford color, but oh boy is it sure swell. Besides the lovely color this car has so many precious details, some of which included; a luscious leather interior, original silk blinds with sweet little tassel pulls, a traveling trunk that fits over the back bumper, a horn that goes Ah-ooga! and two silver flower vases in the back. As we were shooting the car's owner brought over a hand picked bouquet of flowers for us... so perfect.

You might remember from the first post in this series ("White Dress") that some of these images were for her grandma. Well that beautiful beaver purse you see below was her grandmother's back in the day. I know I say this all the time, but I can't reiterate enough how every element in a photograph matters and has the potential to tell a part of the "story".

More Bourbon.

More laughing.

I shoot color and black and white film. In this digital age it has become the norm to capture everything in color and then decide later whether the image should be black and white or color in post production. This method doesn't work for me. I pre-visualize every image and I can literally see in black and white or color. I always joke that I have a button you can push that switches the view, but really it has taken many years to develop this descriptive vision and it is an integral part of my process. Some images can work well in either, while others simply have to be in one or the other to "work". I visualized this image in color while I was in the middle of shooting a B&W roll. I yelled out on-set , "This has to be done in color, don't let me forget!".

I didn't forget . . .

xox
Camera Girl

Make-up & Styling by the one and only Alanna Williams of Skin by Alanna

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

"My Day With Louise" in FIVE PARTS

ONE: The White Dress

TWO : Bourbon & Pie

THREE: Teal Sedan

FOUR : Plum Smoke

FIVE: Prairie Wolf

My Day With Louise | Part TWO | Bourbon & Pie

2011-08-16T18:40:00.000-07:00

Well I said that the session was going to take a little turn, but it hasn't veered too far off the road yet. We did pull the beautiful four door sedan out of the garage though. A change of make-up and outfit and a whole different Louise comes out...

Just feed her bourbon and make her laugh . . . the rest is pie. -rl

xox
Camera Girl

Make-up & Styling by the one and only Alanna Williams of Skin by Alanna

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

"My Day With Louise" in FIVE PARTS

ONE: The White Dress

TWO : Bourbon & Pie

THREE: Teal Sedan

FOUR : Plum Smoke

FIVE: Prairie Wolf

My day with Louise | Part ONE | The White Dress

2011-08-15T11:15:00.000-07:00

I can hardly even talk about how amazing my last photo session was. I have a fabulous new client and more importantly a new friend that is a perfect creative match for me. For her first custom photo session she wanted to embody the one and only Miss Lousie Brooks. She wanted a shoot that would honor her grandmother, her mother and most importantly herself. After months of discussion and planning we finally had a date secured, two vintage automobiles, a most fabulous make-up artist/stylist and a beautiful summer day in Happy Valley. . .

I was having trouble picking images to share from this shoot, simply because there was so many damn good ones... one hundred to be exact. The shoot had a loose framework and story line that we worked within and I have decided to separate this blog posting into sections defined by these different "looks". We started the session off with this sweet and innocent white dress, but you might notice from the last image that the shoot is headed down a different dirt road . . .

xox
Camera Girl

Make-up & Styling by the one and only Alanna Williams of Skin by Alanna

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos
Captured on REAL FILM

"My Day With Louise" in FIVE PARTS
ONE: The White Dress
TWO : Bourbon & Pie
THREE: Teal Sedan
FOUR : Plum Smoke
FIVE: Prairie Wolf

How To: The Removal of a Stocking

2011-06-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Last Fall I was commissioned to do a custom boudoir photograph for a new local business. I knew I had to bring in a professional lady for the job and called up my friend Vienna La Rogue. Besides being a truly lovely person she is also an amazing and talented professional burlesque performer. During our session I asked her to show me how she removes as stocking. I assumed she would simply pull the stocking off. . . but instead she grabbed her toe behind her head. Oh! I had no idea this was how one could remove a stocking and you never know what neat thing you will learn during a photo session.

Here you see the lovely Vienna La Rogue demonstrating the artful craft of stocking removal. . .

Vienna La Rouge.... Bringing the La back to Lady one stocking at a time.

xox
Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

Vienna La Rouge

The Torturous Head Shot

2011-05-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

Once again I am attracted to natural light coming through old windows. My friend Kirsten is a local dancer and she was in need of a nice professional portrait. She told me she didn't want it to look like all the other headshots and wanted something a bit more. . . her.

I knew just where to go for her portrait session and called up Rob over at the R.Blitzer Gallery. There is something about the gallery space that Rob has created over in the old Wrigley building on the edge of town that I find potently attractive. I knew I wanted to photograph in that space the second I walked in.

Kirsten expressed to me that she was not looking forward to the session and that head shots made her very nervous and uncomfortable.

As I stood behind my camera making my final adjustments I didn't try to tell her differently, instead I agreed that they are simply awful and yes they make everyone very uneasy, me included. Somehow this acknowledgment made the session a little easier. We still had to go through the motions of making a headshot, which is a torturous repetitive series of conjuring up smiles when all you feel like doing is running out the door screaming. Somehow throughout the session we were able to really capture Kirsten.

These two images are my favorites from our session. She was very happy with what turned out on film, and even though she had plenty of "smiling" pictures to choose from she loves this last one.
I am simply I N L O V E with the light.
Yes I fall in love with light.

Recipe:
Real B&W Film
Natural Light
Beauty
Genuine Intention
and Trust.

xox
Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

The Lion in the box

2011-05-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

R O A R . . .

xox

Camera Girl

The Lion in the Box ~

Hand crafted jewelry boxes made in Santa cruz by the lovely Linnaea Holgers James

C.Rose Jewelry

Jewelry in the box styled and provided by the lovely Carissa Rose.

Artisan Finishes by Peter James

The beautiful lime walls in some of the images are the work of Linnaea's husband Peter James.
I simply fell in love with the light and texture in their beautiful bathroom and had to photograph in there.

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

Meet the Montgomerys

2011-04-20T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Montgomery family visited me at the Hinds House for a much overdue family portrait. They told me the last time they had a family picture taken was in 1980 something. They fit beautifully into the victorian setting and vintage furs.

Thank you Montgomery family, you really were quite fabulous.

xox camera girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

All styling provided by the M. Family

Visit Montgomery's Barber Shop at 1047 Water St. / Santa Cruz CA

Old House Pretty Windows

2011-04-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

When my friend Heidi asked me for a portrait session for her new pursuit as a real estate agent I knew I had to find an intriguing space for us to work in. Generally the idea of a real estate portrait does not conjure up great creative possibilities, but I am finding a way to visually intrigue even when I am photographing the most seemingly straightforward portrait shoot. I am thinking about what is below the surface, what might be unsaid. This is how I work.

So the concept of the home kept coming to my mind. I thought it was fitting that we work in a architecturally rich environment that also had historical value. Not only does this space hold meaning for what she is pursuing, but those old windows yield the most beautiful natural light. So I made a call to some friends that live in a beautiful victorian on Beach Hill and we were able to work in their upstairs foyer. Subtle natural light filled the white tiled space in a most wonderful way, accentuating Heidi's graceful beauty.

She chose a lovely image from our session to use for her business, but of course I was attracted to the "other" images from the session. The ones that reveal Heidi a bit more, the ones that are not best suited for a real estate portrait. These two images show a bit of something else. . .
xox
Camera Girl

P.S. I hardly got enough and this is most definitely not the last you will see of that foyer. . .

Check out Heidi's website here: http://www.HeidiKernytsky.com/
Make-up done by the lovely and talented Alanna of Skin by Alanna in Santa Cruz.

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

Katelin & the Marsh

2011-04-18T11:36:00.000-07:00

The late autumn sun was sinking below mountain edges as we trudged through the high grasses towards the marsh.

xox
Camera Girl

Katelin Dutton is an artist, photographer and songwriter currently living out her life in Australia.

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

Katelin & the Marsh
-instant film-

Clementine and the Fur Trapper's Daughter

2011-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

My morning was spent with Ms. Clementine and her two friends listening to the Enchanted Tiki Room on vinyl. Although we were really too busy playing, she did agreed to sit for one portrait while she was taking a moment to ice her hurt finger. Thank you Clementine, the morning with you was divine.

We had some business with the fur trapper's daughter down the road, so we packed our lunch and headed into the forest.

We found June on her porch. It looked like she had been there for quite some time.

I got the feeling that it wasn't us she was waiting for . . .

xox

Camera Girl

Stay tuned for my next visit with the fur trapper's daughter as her story slowly unfolds.

June is a musician, singer and the director of the West Marin Free Skool in Point Reyes where she lives with her daughter Clementine.

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

The Boudoir Lounge

2011-03-18T11:08:00.000-07:00

I have been told that what I really needed was a room of my own. Oh my were they ever right. . .

In lieu of having an inspiring photography studio space to work in I decided to rent a historic room at a local Inn to use as my work space for a few days. I hosted a Boudoir Lounge which offered a creative and inspiring space for boudoir sessions just in time for St. Valentines Day.

I chose to work at the Hinds House, a beautiful Grand Victorian Guest House in downtown Santa Cruz. I had the choice of many of the rooms there, but was quickly enamored by the light in room number two. The room is on the second floor and was the original upstairs Parlor. It has a fireplace with a tiled and carved wood mantle, a huge wooden bed, a clawfoot pink tub and a sitting area. A series of big windows in the sitting area was the only natural light source, creating a variation of tones that spread beautifully throughout the whole room. I am a natural light kind of gal and this room was tantalizing, especially in black and white.

When I turned the key on the lock that first morning light poured into the room and my heart did a little skip as I moved about the room arranging and primping.

I put the plastic eye sore t.v. and clock radio in the closet, moved the offending tissue boxes and busy flowered comforter next to them for hiding. I had fresh cut flowers in vintage vases hand delivered and arranged in the room. When my lovely stylist arrived she laid out a tea tray and unpacked all her vintage adornments, blanketing a side table with feathers, jewels, furs, hats , lace and fancy bits. I put on a special selection of vintage tunes and the stage was set. . .

The ambiance created an inviting space, but I felt that my clients would need a bit more help transitioning from the distracting outside world into their boudoir session.

I brought piles and piles of vintage boudoir photography books of all different types and styles that I set out on the big oval table in the sitting area by the windows. Once introductions were made I invited them to sit at the table and peruse the books while enjoying a hot cup of tea.

A piece of paper and a pen also awaited them, with a brief welcome statement and an invitation to write any thoughts or concerns that might be coming up for them as their session gets underway. I use writing as a way to explore my own photographic ventures and I thought it could also help them work through their own artistic process.

The very idea of beauty is subjective and interpretation of its visual form can be just as elusive. This makes every boudoir session truly a unique experience for myself and subject. It is a true collaboration and in some ways I am at the mercy of my subject and what they are willing to give.

The process of art has overriden my fears of my body and I am thrilled to have this first venture double as a gift to my husband. -CMC

xox

Camera Girl

A very big thank you to my wonderful and amazing model for graciously sharing the images from her boudoir session.

Hair, Make-up & Styling - Model
Flowers provided by - Heather of Bee in Harmony Farms
Musical ambiance - DJ Tom LG

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos
Captured on REAL FILM

Waiting For Eloise ...

2011-03-06T17:41:00.000-08:00

I spent an afternoon in the home of the lovely Linnaea as she awaited the birth of her daughter Eloise last fall. Here are some of my favorites from our session.

I was very attracted to her home and the way her yellow hair played upon her vivid environment.
xox
Camera Girl

Linnaea is owner of Artisans Gallery in Santa Cruz, CA.

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos
Captured on REAL FILM

Baby Bear, Mrs. Cow, Mr. Fox and Tank the Puppy

2011-03-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

My friend Becca came down from San Francisco for a family photo session with her husband Brett, son Jack and new puppy Tank a few Sundays ago.

I met Becca years ago while she was on the job shooting my sister in-law's wedding. I was the maid of honor and I really liked her and I ended up working as her assistant for years.

I had driven around Santa Cruz looking for a good location and since Becca is very partial to Black and White this backdrop on the outskirts of town worked perfectly.

There was some puppy wrangling and child coaxing and I had a most fabulous time with this family.

And no shoot would be complete without animal masks. Becca brought these down with her and they were a great addition.

This is the kind of day that reminds me why I do what I do.

Thanks for a great afternoon Baby Bear, Mrs. Cow, Mr. Fox and Tank.

xox

Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos
Captured on REAL FILM

A day at Battery Chamberlain

2011-02-26T07:56:00.000-08:00

If you have ever been to Baker Beach in San Francisco you might have noticed the cement wall that parallels the beach. Built in 1904 the Battery stands of a historical remnant of our coastal defense system. It is also home to the last six inch disappearing gun of its kind on the west coast. Once monthly there is a public demonstration and the giant gun is revealed from the depths of cement below.

John
Navy - SeaBee

Tom
9th Coast Artillery Captain

Jeanavive
Civilian Defense - Nurses Aid Corps

Last year the lovely Jeanavive hosted a vintage 1940s era picnic at the Battery. If you squinted your eyes and ignored the swarms of modern day beach goers it really did feel like a fine summer afternoon in 1942. . .

July 3 2010
1940's Era picnic
Summertime at the Battery Chamberlain
All Images captured on vintage Speed Graphic with Instant Film

WAC
photo by Tom LG

xox
Camera Girl

ALL IMAGES © P H O T O G R A P H S by rosey lakos

Captured on REAL FILM

M O N I Q U E ...

2011-02-13T08:11:00.000-08:00

As my adventures as a working artist continue I have to take a moment to revel a bit. I am not reveling in my success or accomplishments, but rather in how very fortunate I am to be right here. I have been told by numerous people that the way to generate and start a business is to use your own network. Use what you know, who you know and who they know. They might not have taught me much about business at art school, but that one was drilled directly into my skull upon graduating. And it is true.

I was recently hired to photograph a bass amplifier. Now photographing musical equipment doesn't sound like something that is necessarily up my alley, but you have not seen Monique. Yes the amplifier is named Monique, and you can see why. . .

She is built by Jule of Jule Amps in Santa Cruz. Here is the part where my network comes into play. I went to high school with Jule's daughter June DiMorente who is a fabulously talented singer and performer (formerly of El Radio Fantastique) and a very good friend of mine. Jule caters to professional musicians hand building musical amplifiers out of his garage. This has been a true labor of love for Jule and the intention that he puts into his work is exemplary.

Monique is a new bass amplifier that he has just introduced to the Jule line. Apparently she is quite amazing, but I don't know much about music equipment so all I know is that she is very attractive. When Jule contacted me he told me that he wanted me to "do what I do" with her.

He already had product photography done, what he was looking for was my own photographic vision of Monique. So I packed up two Moniques, one "bare naked" and one "wooden" version and went to do my thing. . .

It took me a little while to think about how to approach Monqiue. I just was not sure how to properly present her. She had feminine appeal and a classic design and I needed an environment that was as rich with texture and matched the quality of her workmanship.

So I called in a favor and asked Scarlett who owns Saffron & Genevieve if me and Monique could come into the store for awhile to get to know each other. Her store is in a sweet old victorian and Scarlett is an expert hunter and gatherer of vintage gems of extraordinary appeal. The store is filled with beautiful natural light and a rich ambiance full of unique character and I have wanted to photograph there since the first time walked through the door. Luckily Scarlett had the store closed for a few days while she painted and moved things around in the shop, so the timing was perfect.

And as I moved around Scarlett's shop slowly photographing Monique I went into some sort of state of rapture. Doing the very thing that I love.

There was a moment when Scarlett asked me from the ladder she was perched up on how I know what I am getting, if I cant see it right away. This made me smile and I simply said that I don't. Well not really, but that I can feel it in my gut somewhere. I don't care how fishy that sounds that is how it works for me. One of my favorite things about shooting film is the the anticipation and trust that occurs during the process.

Monique and I had a grand time capturing her design and craftsmanship, but there was another side that needed to be explored. I needed sultry, classic and sexy so I grabbed a local girl and my stylist and we headed to the top floor of the historic Santa Cruz Hotel which is home to the RED Restaurant &Bar. This is where you go when you need to be bathed in a deep amber lighting and slip away into the folds of velvet cushions.

The bare naked version of Monique is intriguing and sleek and she knows how to have a good time. When I visualized this persona of "Monique" I knew there had to be a feminine form representing her. I needed a woman with curves and grace and so I called up my friend Marie. I have wanted to work with her for awhile, and when I met Monique I knew she would be my gal.

Now as I said before I don't know much about bass amps, but I do know that when you plug Monique in she lights up with the prettiest little cyan light and her tubes inside get all warm and glow.

When I was attempting to explain Monique to my dad over the phone and was explaining her tube amps he said ... Oh, so she is analog like you. Sometimes Dad is right on.

So it is all about finding your people, your clients your creative network and using what you have at hand to work with. I have been told that limitations in your creative process serve the important purpose of forcing you to work within a certain bounds. This can either be seen as limiting.

Or limitless . . .

xox

Camera Girl

Thank You: Jule, Monique, Renee, Marie, Scarlett and the lovely staff at the RED.

On-Set

2011-02-03T09:52:00.000-08:00

So this guy I know is making a movie.

Over the past year or so my husband and I have traveled around California to different shooting locations to take part in this amazing project. The film is set in WW2 and has a very sweet story line. My husband is one of the soldiers and I spend my time making photographs on-set.

We are getting to the end of the movie making process and there just might be a light at the end of this crazy tunnel. Before this experience I had never been exposed to the arduous movie making process. I remember my first time on-set I kept thinking, Wow, is this really how they do it. As it turns out movie making involves a lot of waiting. A perfect environment for image making. Now let me get back to waiting around a little more.

So the movie is spilt between two main scenarios: Homefront & Battlefront. Up until now I had only spent time on the battlefront scenes. This cast consists primarily of authentic WW2 reenactors, not actors. This was the first time I had even met the cast of the homefront. I was used to hanging out in uniform in the dirt with the boys. It was refreshing to experience the other side of the movie for one of the last homefront scenes. It is also sort of strange to shoot an entire movie and see only half of the story play out. These gals were quite amazing.

The factory set was shot on location at the historical WW2 airfield Eagle Field. Those are actual bombers in a real hanger. During wartime Eagle Field was a country club of training bases, boasting a bowling alley, air conditioning, soda fountain and rec hall. What remains standing is a mere skeleton of the past and the conditions out on that barren airfield are hardly comfortable.

The movie is not set at Eagle Field, but in researching the base a bit I found out something interesting and poignant to the content we were shooting. Wives of the men in training worked on the maintenance crew for the planes. As stated in a true account of cadet life...

This is one post where wives are welcome. Captain Smith says they are really good workers on the maintenance link as each wife has the idea that her husband may fly the plane she is working on and really does a good job. -Herky Jr.

I can't really divulge much about the storyline, but I can tell you that hearing these women play out their scenes within the bitter cold of an expansive airplane hanger into the wee hours was a chilling experience. I only wish that the audience could feel the bone chilling cold of the cement floor and the eerie wails drifting from the set.

And yes camera girl did get her chance to be in front of the camera. Once again I am not going to spill anything, but I am pretty much guaranteed a spot on the blooper reel.

Here I am on-set as a factory worker (photograph by Nate).

We are off to the snow this weekend to shoot the Battle of the Bulge. Once again I will get a chance to be in front of the camera, but this time I won't be quite as recognizable...

xox Camera Girl

All images captured on Fuji instant B&W3000 speed film on a Hasselblad.

Read more about Eagle Field and the full article of Here is a Day of my LIFe at Eagle Field. The images that go along with it are absolutely stunning...

A day at EAGLE FIELD

2011-01-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Eagle Field is a surviving WW2 airfield located in the dusty flat plains of California...

All images were shot at the 2009 Eagle Field Fly-in on REAL FILM
xox
camera girl

The Harvest Moon Ball November 13, 1987

2011-01-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

It all began under a harvest moon in a little mountain community theater in 1987. A daddy daughter dance. For brownies or school I can't quite recall. This event was a vague memory of mine until earlier today when I pulled a dusty little folded card out of a box I was cleaning out of my mother's attic. A faded peach copy paper with xerox writing crinkled all across it. The Harvest Moon Ball November 13, 1987. I opened it to find a polaroid of eight year old me and my dad sitting on a paper moon.

A stale memory slowly surfaces.
I remember eating Oreos from the plastic wrapping in the parking lot and dancing on the tops of his feet. I put on a cotton dress, blue beads, white tights, a bow and rouged my lips and cheeks with hot pink Bonnebelle. My daddy drove his truck from his mountain up to our mountain to pick me up. Not my brothers, just me and my dad. We danced and danced under the dark wooden beams of that mountain community theater in the thick of the redwoods. I felt like a princess being taken back up to the yellow dome castle returned to my mother at the end of the night and tucked away in bed with the other five children.

I always wondered why I dreamt of a paper moon ...
xox camera girl

really good actress

2010-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

You are not a model you are an actress. I wish I could remember every word that poured out of his mouth that day we were in that room together. Just me and him. It was a year ago today that he left for good. The kind of leaving that is permanent and painful for those left walking and talking and living. I barely knew him and even I was left with something.
Scrawled writing in black pen records the words said and spoken. All fervently written while he was talking and pacing in front of my photographs and gesturing slightly with his hands, but mostly his face. I tried to get it all down while doing as much nodding and reciprocal eye contact as possible. The whole time I was trying not to show my excitement and the paralyzing fear that welled up within as I waited for him to utter his first words. I couldn't help but thinking this was it. This portion of an hour spent in this room with this man. This is why I had come here.
At the same time I was thinking this I was also wondering what it would be like if I was not given this time with him. I was in my last semester of art school and had pretty much resigned to the reality that I would not be one of his students. I wasn't going to get caught up in it and I was not going to let it ruin my good time. I was fine without him and I didn't "need" to work with him I thought.
Then I was sitting at a brown laminated table with my advisor as she casually remarked, "there is one spot left in Larry's class, do you want it"? I uttered a yes and walked out clutching my new schedule and feeling as if I had just won a secret lottery without even playing.
What was not known then was that he would be leaving us so soon. That my class would be one of his last. The way in which I got to work with him seems so much like luck , like fate now.
Especially today.

Vacant Impressions

2010-12-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

I have spent a lot of time in classroom settings, listening to photographers teach me things. Sometimes they choose to share things from their own personal experience that ends up teaching you in a very distinct way. They let you in on their mistakes. This is the sort of instruction that leaves a perpetual imprint on your artistic process. If you let it, that is.

I remember one such story being told to me by a professor at junior college. He reminisced about a building he drove by over and over again in this one place he photographed often. Every time he passed by it he thought about photographing it and saw the image in his mind. He did this again and again, always visualizing the image in his mind that he would someday take. He did this for years. One time he drove by the building and all that was left was its burned out basement. He was mortified. It pained him to think about every time he passed it, not having enough time, promising himself he would capture it on the next visit. The image that he was always hoping to make was physically gone, but it lingered. If you are not familiar with this feeling I can tell you it is simply awful. The shadows of these unmade images seem to leave darkened impressions, like little feet hallows in sand.

I remember when this story was being told I was sitting in one of those little plastic chairs with the little attached mini half-desk thing that they cram you into. It might have been cold or raining outside and the classroom was a pitiful run down little room meant to be a temporary classroom in 1982, and you could hear the rats or raccoons running along the roofline. I recall the look on his face as he told us the building had burned down and he missed getting his shot. I could see the distance in his eyes as the image came clearly to him beneath his lids and his mouth continued to tell the story. I know he could clearly see the way the light gently raked across the brick and mortar and the depth the shadows would take on in the final print. I recognized the slight agony in his voice. This story was also mine.

It is Thanksgiving Day as I write this, and it has been seven years since that day in the classroom. Out the window I see the persimmon tree in the yard heavy with fruit, branchy and barren. Two days ago the tree was swathed with large waxy yellow leaves. I wanted to photograph those leaves in the waning autumn light, but a windstorm accelerated the leaf dropping process, leaving only fruit and sticks. It still makes me a tiny bit sad each time this happens. I am beginning to think that these missed images may have a more poignant role in my photographic process than just vacant impressions.

I realize it is also what makes my images all the more precious. The times when I stop everything that I am doing to make a photograph that presents itself in a passing moment. When I don’t fuss and think too much, I just see and I photograph. It is impulsive, it is unplanned, and it is imperative.

Captured on REAL FILM

To be employed as a camera girl ...

2010-11-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

I was recently introduced to the term, “Camera Girl” as I was researching the history of 1940s nightclubs. My husband starting calling me Camera Girl and at first the term annoyed me, as I thought it sounded very childish and well…annoying. As I began to read about these girls the term started to take on a different shape. These were not just some camera girls portrayed in a Hollywood flick. These “girls” were working class women armed with speed graphic cameras and flashbulbs at nightclubs across America. These were real women. Ida S. Beck, Jeanne Crain, Frances Lear.

The nightclubs hired Camera Girls from local photography companies. These girls operated 4×5 press cameras snapping images of guests that could be ordered later. They sometimes wore outfits similar to a cigarette girl and were sort of a novelty item at the clubs. I have yet to see an actual image of a camera girl in action. I have been scouring Weegee’s (Arthur Fellig the famous press photographer of the 1930s-40s) photographs hoping to discover a glimpse of one of these dames in the background of one of is photographs taken of social venues at night. This was before people documented every moment of their life digitally. I know that these Camera Girls were a part of nightlife culture, but their own image has been lost somewhere behind the camera.

What I have found are the pictorial remnants of their work. These I find in random piles of vintage ephemera at the flea market, stacked between yellowed holiday cards at the thrift store, or possibly tucked away with your own family’s memorabilia from back in “the day”. My husband started collecting them and at first I just thought they were a neat piece of Ephemera. Until I realized that each one was taken by a different camera girl. Once I realized what these were I started finding more of them, which seems to be the way things work when one is hunting for random vintage things in old boxes. I began to covet them. These little paper frames represented a connection of some kind to these Camera Girls.

After maybe sixty years in a dirty box in someone’s garage these little gems find their way into my hands. They become evidence of faded trace of a tradition that has long since slipped from the conscious of our culture. Each one comes in a custom paper souvenir frame from the restaurant or nightclub logo on the front. Often times the people in the picture have signed the inside of it as a keepsake of the evening. The people in the photographs are usually seated around a table with drinks looking gay. Evenings concluded with just one image capturing the entire night mounted neatly in a custom frame. Imagine how many of these souvenir photos you would have after a while. You might have a stack of these tucked away in a drawer, each one commemorating a celebratory evening out on the town.

Each one made by some camera girl loading a sheet of 4×5 film into a film holder, which is then slid into a slot in the back of the press camera, a flashbulb inserted into the bayonet of the flash unit, the metal focusing rail adjusted to match the estimated distance of the subject to viewer, framing approximated by peering through a metal frame protruding from the top of the camera and POP! A stream of smoke is released from the bulb as it is ignited causing an audible pop, momentarily blinding both the subject and Camera Girl. The process of photographing in this manner turns into sort of a performance piece. Every little step has to be executed for each and every frame. A bag full of loaded film holders and unused flashbulbs also must be carted around. Remember this was all executed by the Camera Girls in a pair of heels and cute little outfit as they wooed the guests into buying photographs. Most people today (man or woman) would find this job near to impossible. Having personal experience shooting on vintage press cameras with flashbulbs I have developed an incredible amount of respect for these women.

I know it is hard to imagine the pre-digital camera world, but please try for just a moment. In our modern society we are very accustomed to our instantly-captured culture. We have grown to expect digital documentation in every aspect of our world. We want cameras that will fit in a clutch, a pocket, a hand, a phone. We want to carry them with us, fearing that we might miss something. Or rather our camera might miss something. We were not always like this. Men used to wear hats and women wore gloves. There was an etiquette to an evening out on the town and nobody worried whether or not their digital camera fit into their evening bag.
XOX Camera girl

Haven't you embraced digital yet ...

2010-10-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

Haven’t you embraced digital yet the man asked.
No indeed I have not I replied.
I never know quite how to explain to people why I choose to use the materials that I do. As an artist, film and camera are my proverbial paintbrush. I have spent years trying out different film formats, cameras and equipment and the tools that I utilize have been carefully chosen to serve my artistic process. It is an extremely conscious and deliberate decision. Digital photographic technology is a completely different tool like the difference between acrylic and oil paint. They are different materials within the same medium, yet they render things quite uniquely. This is the sort of relationship that I feel film and digital photography have. This is why I tire of being asked, not why I choose to shoot film, but rather why I don’t shoot digital. It is assumed that new technology is somehow “better”.

I point to the table I am sitting at, completely covered in little sheets of instant black and white film … but I am happy with these materials.
A big smile spreads across my face.
Digital technology mimics the properties of light sensitive materials and is based on the principles of film photography. Since the inception of the photographic process in 1839 advances within the medium have been driven by photography’s inherent ability to visually replicate reality. We are currently experiencing a technology transition within the field of photography. Just like when Photography made the step from glass plates to film (1883-90), a significant shift in the accessibility of photography to the general public occurred. Digital technology strives to more “realistically” render a scene and to heighten the convenience factor of the medium to the general public. It has done that very well. Digital has become the norm and film is now considered to be an archaic form. It is cumbersome, slow, limiting, and expensive.

You must be a purist the man said.
My smile widens as I answer yes.
That does not however mean that I am anti-digital in any way. I rely on scanners to get my film from the light table to the computer screen and I print digitally. I love that the technology allows me to readily share my work and make quick and economic prints of my work. Granted with the introduction of digital photography I did hold out for a very long time vowing to never pick up a digital camera. However, It quickly became apparent to me that this new technology was not going to go away. I learned the basics of shooting digitally, but found the process to be extremely unsatisfying and in someway, too easy. I have been in school during the last ten years of this digital transition and part of my philosophy has been created by the attitude that the fine art world has had towards digital photography. Film is highly respected and the schools that I have chosen to attend have all had a very strong dedication and emphasis to traditional methods (which is why I chose them). I have been directly told to continue shooting film because it is working very well for me and because it is a viable art form.

I am feverishly pasting photographs to the inside of paper photo frames, each one hand cut by me. A vaudevillian magic act is keeping the partygoers at bay for a moment by hypnotizing a reddish brown hen. I am 375 miles from home.
What it really comes down to is the experience of actually making photographs. If you know me you know that I am the sort of girl that has an affinity towards things of the past. I always prefer well-made things from long ago to shiny new plastic things from today. I am not enamored by technology. So when I make decisions about my materials this influences my decisions. My camera has no automatic functions, and was first produced in 1948 by a company that made cameras for the Swedish military. The advertisement for it boasts that it is a camera for the photo perfectionist and the current model looks almost identical to the original design. Why mess with perfection.

I am folding a giant paper moon in half, breaking down the canvas cloud backdrop and pushing down on the garbage can that is bulging over with instant film remains.
By simply sticking with what has been working for me my materials are being greatly appreciated. I used to get really annoyed that digital was poisoning the pure well of photographic art, but what it actually has done is set what I do apart from the norm. Film photography is now described as traditional and viewed as a fine art approach. I have no complaints about this. The down side to this being that the commercial market has “gone digital” and there has been a big decrease in the availability of traditional photographic supplies. I have had to say goodbye to a lot of my favorite printing papers, film and chemicals, but there is still enough on the market that I can still find everything I need to pursue my craft. If it comes down to it I will go back to hand mixing my black and white chemicals from scratch. It means that much to me.

I am not attracted to the hyper-realistic look that digital has or the fancy plastic beeping cameras that translate light into files. I also don’t wish to spend my time in front of a computer making pixels look like film grain. I prefer the way that film renders light and I am attracted to its subtle and beautiful nature. The process in which I make imagery directly influences my photographs, every single decision affecting the outcome. This is why I am committed to the craft of film photography. It works for me.
xox
camera girl

I am quite convinced that something, call it art or what you will, but something apart from mere mechanical and scientific excellence, not only can, but, should, find its way into every print from every negative that leaves the photographer’s studio

~Frederick Hollyer 1838-1933

Parte Seconda

2010-09-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

I drove back to Sicily this weekend for another day of filming for One Way Home. By "Sicily" I mean a beautiful vineyard in the hills of Petaluma, which looks surprising like the Italian countryside, especially if you squint your eyes a bit and are slightly drunk on wine. It was a perfect day for shooting and not nearly as hot as last time and no I was not drunk on wine. By the time Tom and I arrived the cast and crew were already on-set at the vineyard. We unloaded our gear in the parking area and headed out the dirt road by foot. Last time I rode up in a jeep and I couldn't exactly remember how far it was. Tom had all of his gear on and the little bit of skin peeking out from his helmet was already tacky with sweat. We were passed by two farm hands mounted on off-road vehicles. They did not seem to be phased by the site of a man and a woman in full WW2 battle gear, so I assumed that we were headed the right direction.

We walked through gate after gate opening and shutting the metal clasps as we passed. I was packed down with more camera gear this time, film and digital my full canteen on my web belt. As we walked single file along the wells in the packed dirt road a bi-plane flew overhead. Tom's head quickly cranked up towards the sky as he named the plane. I commented that we probably blend right in with the dirt in our bush colored uniforms. He said they can probably see our shadows. I said probably not since they were so short. Looking back to find my shadow made me feel very aware of my own body walking along these wide open rolling hills of dried grass and oak trees. I began to think it was sort of curious that I would find myself bedecked in vintage army gear trudging along a dusty road. There is no reason for me to be doing this is there ...

I made these images on instant film after shooting had wrapped for the day. The wind embedded dirt into the emulsion of the film (I cleaned them up a bit for viewing).
I am not publishing a handful of these images because they are the start of something ...
xox
camera girl

To see the images from this day on-set visit my One Way Home gallery.

Captured on REAL FILM

the last pack of polaroid ...

2010-08-21T08:21:00.000-07:00

When I heard the sad news that Polaroid was going to stop producing instant film I did what any artist about to loose one of their favorite materials would do, I stocked up (after a small set of tears and a near anxiety attack). The back shelf of my refrigerator was full of little cobalt blue boxes of pack film. I was half way through my BFA program at art school, so I needed enough to last two more semesters (at least). It made me feel so happy to open the fridge and see that polaroid blue peeking out from between the milk. Over the next year my stock lessened as I used the polaroid in my photographic process and I navigated and experienced art school. I was left with just a few boxes by the time we were packing up our little studio apartment at the Casa Bonita. I loaded them up in the cooler with the rest of the left over food and headed for the hills.
When it finally came time to load up the very last pack of polaroid into my camera back I was living in a one room plywood cabin in the woods with no running water. The pack stayed in my camera for quite a while. I pulled some sweet ones of Eliza the hound dog and her lovely owner R. Then there was only half a pack left. I kept almost using it, but never felt that it was the right time to pull the last of my precious polaroid. Nothing was quite good enough for that. Not until I was standing in a WW2 uniform on a dry and dusty airfield shooting my boys in front of bombers...

By the time I shot these they had been sitting in my polaroid back for so long that the emulsion had transformed slightly and a light leak crept in, creating this lovely "aging" effect. The sun was edging thehorizon line as I pulled these last four polaroids. Instead of lamenting the loss of a beloved medium I was left elated by this bittersweet finale. Thank you Polaroid ...
xox
camera girl

Captured on REAL FILM

fragile camera

2010-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Wedged in between wooden ammo crates, fingers wrapped around o.d. metal, boots dangle over the back of the jeep as blonde dry grass and dust hardened road pass underneath. My faded green musette bag hangs heavy from one shoulder with the words fragile camera scrawled across each side.

A day spent on-set for the making of One Way Home composing images. I chose to carry only my film camera with me . This simple decision of limiting my materials created a distinct framework for me to work within. There are only so many hours of light and this many frames of film to work with ...
I reluctantly get out of the WWII jeep at the end of the day brimming with the excitement of the undeveloped film in my pockets and perfectly consumed by the images I have just made.
xox
camera girl

Captured on REAL FILM

Follow this link to view all the images from this shoot:On-set photographs ONE WAY HOME