A Story of Someone 2/22

I spent the past few days in Las Vegas and knew that I'd have endless options for interesting people for this week's subject. Cyrena and I were in town visiting our friend Kari (hi Kari!) and before getting on the road for our very long trip back to LA, we hit the strip in search of our photo subjects. I thought taking photos at the Bellagio fountains would be perfect, but learned on Sundays, the fountain show doesn't start until 11:00 a.m. Diss.

Not wanting to go through the hassle of finding another casino, I ventured back inside and had plenty of options between the lobby and the casino floor. Or so I thought. I learned the hard way that you're not supposed to take photos of a live game (makes total sense). After I was gently scolded, I moved to another part of the casino...the "garden". Which as it turns out isn't really much of a garden. The space was all decked out for the Chinese New Year and when I saws the sight below, I knew I had found my subject.

Listen. In 2008, I got one of the best presents. Ever. It was the original "selfie stick" that many of my friends and family immediately nicknamed "The Molly Pole." A name which still sticks (pun intended) today. So the latest explosion of the "selfie stick" has prompted so many of my friends to talk about how ahead of the curve I was (thanks to this perfect present from my sister Kara). When I saw this couple using their "selfie stick", I just had to capture the moment. Plus. I'm always fascinated by people who don't actually smile in their own photos.

I had a hard time choosing between these two photos. Below is my photo which symbolizes Las Vegas perfectly. It embodies the last ditch effort of going for a win (evident by the bag slung around his body and the large suitcase out of sight behind him) and the loneliness that you can feel in such a busy, busy place. I love the contemplative look on this man's face and the movement of the card shuffling in his left hand.

Check out Cyrena & Sarah's photos below:

Read more...

A Story of Someone 2/15

Katie and I were walking to do our errands and stumbled upon a superhero, inside T.J. Maxx no less! I couldn't resist capturing this sweet moment of innocence and fun.

Here's an outtake from our walk where I immediately fell in love with this woman. She was walking with her friend (or perhaps her sister) who is just outside the frame of this image. But I loved her style! Katie and I looked ahead to them with their wheelie bags and both thought "That'll be us one day. Walking around Santa Monica to do our errands. But instead of shoulder bags, we'll have a bag on wheels." 

Check out Cyrena & Sarah's photos below:

Read more...

A Story of Someone 2/8

Today while doing some grocery shopping for the week, I happened upon this man standing in the wine/liquor aisle. I love the endless choices of beverages (not to mention all the yellow sale tags) and just one person having the aisle all to himself. And I wonder what wine he ended up with.

Check out Cyrena & Sarah's photos below:

Read more...

A Story of Someone 2/1

I had a few different options for photos today, but went for a walk tonight to the park and saw a man sitting alone on the bench looking out towards the Santa Monica Pier. I see this man a lot and I often wonder what his story is. He has a big pack that he stores in the middle of a tree and can often times be found lounging in the grass not too far from that tree that houses his possessions. 

Tonight I found him about 1/2 a mile away from his usual spot just sitting on the bench looking out. I like that the pier and reflection of the lights onto the water is clear and he's a little out of focus. It's appropriate given the mystery surrounding this man. Maybe one day I'll work up the nerve to learn his story. But for today, I'll just peek into his life from afar.

Check out Cyrena and Sarah's photos below:

Read more...