I drove West down Pacific Coast Highway this morning to meet a potential client.  I was so annoyed with myself that I didn’t bring my camera and wasn’t about to try to take wide angle vistas of the magnificent Pacific ocean with my Iphone.  The best camera is not always the one you have with you, it just may be the one you left at home.  At the meeting the potential client pulled out a stack of magazine’s she had previously advertised in, the above Tim Walker photo was on the cover of one of them. I had trouble following the conversation after that, I couldn’t stop staring at the image, it’s so haunting + quirky.  How can that even be possible? I love that the eagle makes the bed look miniature, it relays how larger than life this creature is (even dead).  Am I the only one that thinks this images is both awesome and disturbing?

I know that baby rhino’s aren’t for everyone but I quite fancy them.  I had the distinct pleasure of being able to feed a rhino this summer (yes, of course I am bragging, don’t be jealous) and it was complete euphoria. I vacillated whether or not to showcase a piglet snuggling a baby goat instead of the rhino’s but that’s too obviously cute and besides it’s Monday, I shouldn’t be putting you into a cute coma so early on in the week, right?

I wanted to get these images up before I inundate you with the photo’s from the road trip, because I am going to be a big show-off for sure.  I never go anywhere anymore so a trip away from home has become an event of epic proportions. One day, I just may get all Mrs. Limestone on you (so envious! Truly one of my fave armchair travel + reno addictions) but for now you will have to settle on images from cities within my state, lucky for me I live in the Golden state, so there is much exploring to be had.

I have had quite a few emails about my failed MMXI PROJECT (wherein I was to edit a photo a day for all of 2011).  Well, I had some bumps in my road, mainly quitting of an old job, starting a new one, getting canned from said new job, then making the huge decision to go back to being a freelancer, thus throwing caution and a false sense of security into the wind.  That’s a lot to digest whilst trying to edit my poorly shot images on a regular basis.  I do want to continue doing an on-going photo project but maybe it won’t be as ambitious?  Or perhaps I will start up in June and have a fresh mid-year start? As you can see, decision making is not my strong suit. 

Can you believe this was taken out of a car going 80 miles per hour?  Me neither  I usually spend an inordinate amount of time trying to avoid camera shake and my inability to sit still does not help my  cause.  I also shoot my digital camera as if it had expensive rolls of film placed in it, being very, very careful not to ‘waste’ a shot.  Some people would think this is a great way to shoot, that I am more thoughtful with my compositions, but really part of the excitement of digital is being able to throw caution to the wind and just ‘go for it’.  On the ride home I decided to be more carefree and took shots like this from a speeding vehicle.  I know if I was thinking of my camera as a film camera I would have never wanted to be so spontaneous with my shooting.  How fun to be able to come home and see which shots turned out OK, which one’s failed (delete) and which one’s would make it on to the blog. Gosh darn I love technology. 

The Fancy and I went on a little adventure yesterday and left our *gasp* zipcode.  I have been known to not venture farther than a 3 mile radius of my home for long stretches of time.  I’ve been wanting to explore new areas not so much for the thrill of experience, (as it seems I am quite content at the moment with the pleasure of routine), but because I was getting a little tired of shooting the same things.  I don’t think you need to leave your zipcode to be creative with your photographs but gosh darn does it help when you can find new subjects to inspire you.  We actually went through multiple zipcodes as the City of Angels is spread out so far and wide that I probably went through at least a dozen without even knowing it.  We stopped in three of them–one for lunch at an outdoor cafe which seemed so decadent on a Tuesday (and that was before I had the fries), another to visit a Hollywood landmark and the third to stroll on a newly gentrified street of sweet boutiques and outdoor cafe’s.  I then went to work at 5 p.m. to meet my new freelance branding + design clients and I have to say this current work day suits me so much better.  Today I am supposed to be driving up North to discuss another potential project and that can only mean more zipcodes to explore and more opportunities to be had. I feel like I am in a Dr. Seuss book–Oh the places you will go.