There is nothing like a new camera + your first time to a new place in almost three years to crank up the desire to capture everything.
After departing Baja, we found ourselves in the heart of Mexico City—ready to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday and devour every site, sound, cocktail, and delicious meal we could find.
These are some snapshots from seven lovely days in this big, beautiful city. There were visits to the usual important sites, along with afternoons wandering lesser known nooks and crannies of this fascinating place.
And oh, was this so much fun with my new X100V. Full collection of photos (plus some iPhone snaps) here.
After spending nearly three years land-locked and resorting to travel only via the reliable road trip, we finally got on a plane again in December 2022 for a visit back to the same place we were when it all began in March 2020.
But this time, I brought a new friend: the Fujifilm X100V. And what. a. camera. it is.
Several days were spent chilling with the most wonderful friends, wandering along the rocky coast of Pescadero, and soaking in the salt, sunsets, and weirdness that is this place while I fumbled and figured my way around this delightful new toy.
Another year, another few rolls of film that (finally!) made it to Photoworks.
These snapshots tell stories from beach adventures with the little Ginger Bear, wanderings around Angel Island with friends new and familiar, quiet moments from a weekend trip to Mexico last fall, and snapshots from a beautiful afternoon at Spring Training with sunshine, good friends, and good music.
All shot on my Olympus OM-G (yes, IT STILL LIVES ON) with Kodak Portra 400. <3
What do you do when it’s time to pull yourself out of a funk? Take more pictures, obviously.
The last half of June moving toward July 1st was an important turning point for me this year. I marked the occasion by picking up my camera again, determined to take one film shot a day for the next 365 days to remember, commemorate, and understand this period of my life.
As always, best laid plans give way to whatever the world actually realizes you need. Three and a half months in, I discovered that—for the very first time ever—something in my little Olympus OM-G wasn’t right. And with only one good roll to show for my journey, I paused.
So here we are, with more scenes from an everyday life in San Francisco and beyond—all things lovely, trying, confusing, and present. We have yet to see what comes of the roll in my hands right now, but I’m optimistic. Very optimistic.
Easing my way back into shooting film after a hiatus that was too long, and too removed from capturing the magic of these everyday adventures in the city.
More soon.
This is what happens when you wait a few years to develop those rolls of film that have been gathering dust in your camera (or tucked away in a drawer out of sight).
These are the moments I don't quite remember capturing, and that I'm terribly thankful I did. These are scenes from an everyday lovely life in and around San Francisco, from silly days in the park to adventures in Belden Town to endless afternoons wandering little alleys.
Some from my beat up Olympus OM-G, some from my leaky Holga. All on film.
For two days at the end of our trip to India in June and July, a friend and I wandered through Panjim, the sleepy capital of Goa that happened to be under Portuguese rule until 1961. Around every corner there were stunning colors and crumbling reminders of what this place once was.
See the entire set of photos here.
At the end of June in 2015, I traveled to India for two weeks to celebrate the wedding of two friends and explore bits and pieces of this incredible country.
Here are selected scenes from our week in Bangalore: the chaos of shopping on Commercial Street, visiting the stunning Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysore, miles of color in the Malleswaram Flower Market, mouthwatering snacks on Food Street, and a wedding full of color and so much love.
See the entire set of photos from Bangalore and the wedding of Felicia & Anup.
After a week in Bangalore, several of us escaped to the quiet coast of Goa to spend time listening to hot monsoon rains, exploring a spice farm, and eating all the tasty local cuisine. Following that, a few days off the grid in and around the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary. See the entire set of photos from Goa here.
In 2016, I participated in #the100DayProject for the very first time. #the100DayProject is an open project for anyone who wants to jumpstart their creative practice by making one small thing every day for 100 days. Inspired by Elle Luna and several other friends, I decided to create a photograph every day for 100 days that was inspired by—or reflective of—a written passage in literature (or, in a couple of cases, a play).
Here are some of my favorite pictures from that 100 day period. To read the passages associated with each, and to explore my entire project as a whole, click here.
In late May of 2015, I traveled to a place that always feels too much like home. This time (my fourth? fifth trip to Lietuva?), I wandered Vilnius for a week before a sunny weekend spent celebrating the wedding of my eternally beautiful cousin. See the entire set here.
Scenes from here, there, and everywhere as I wandered San Francisco in pursuit of a new project. See the full set here.
Between Christmas and New Year's, we descended on Palm Springs for a few days of adventuring and cozy hangouts. Selected scenes from a couple days spent wandering around the Salton Sea and visiting truly garish / slightly terrifying / almost-post-apocalyptic landmarks like Bombay Beach, Salvation Mountain, and Robolights. See the entire set here.
Over Labor Day weekend, I made my very first trek to Tucson to endure the silly heat and ridiculously awesome company of a new/old friend. We explored so many bits and corners of this lovely place, and along the way I took just a few photos. See the entire set here.
A cozy, grey weekend in early June celebrating the wedding of two ridiculously rad people. See the entire set here.
Life in black and white never looked so good. Selected scenes from another trip to Mexico, a short time in Austin, and other bits of adventure and noise from the end of 2013 and a very lovely beginning to 2014.
Everything here shot on Kodak 400TX with a (now getting quite beat-up) Olympus OM-G.
Tiny adventures, bundled around small moments that made the second half of 2013 a time of calm and a time of wounds (finally) healing. From around the corner to our Home(stead) away from home, from Austin, Texas to the annual trek to Friendsgiving. A perfect way to close out one chapter and start dreaming of the next.
And then, one Sunday afternoon, we drove down to Monterey to check out some whales. These are the days the best of memories are made of. See the entire set here.
Fourth of Juplaya 2013 was made entirely of uncharted adventure. Between the lightning, rain, and windstorms that (literally) destroyed our camp on the first night and turned our surroundings to mud, we managed to find beauty, sun, and loveliness together out on the playa. This only could have happened with the best campmates by my side.
Everything shot with an Olympus OM-G on 35mm Kodak Portra 400. See the entire set here. (Also, a little video I made!)
It is possible to fall in love with a city at first sight. My first (but never last) visit to Chicago was full of little moments that conspired to create a magical trip from start to finish. I didn't even bother to try and capture all of the lightning storms, the Björk concert, the punk shows, the long brunches, and the late nights. But that's okay. Full set here.
Sky line, horizon line, wherever sky meets earth. This month's theme was partially borrowed from a Feist song & partially a reminder to always look up. See the entire set here.
May was a month of staying in, of taking care of a the best kitten ever for the best of friends who come through any day or night. This month's 365 was more scenes from an everyday life that gets lovelier by the day. See the entire set here.
Change is the only constant. And so, April's theme was: graffiti / street art. I didn't even scrape the surface of this city, but it was so lovely to capture some bits and pieces of color and surprise around every turn. See the entire set here.
March was exactly as it had been predicted—with all of the twists and turns I couldn't have dreamed up. And who knew that choosing reflections as my theme would be so appropriate. I started the month buckled down and doing my best to keep moving forward. I end it freer than I've been in months & looking forward to a crazy new adventure I am not at all prepared for. Let's do this.
View the entire set of March photos here.
In February I decided to launch a new theme for each month of my 365 photo project for 2013. And so February was: beer. View the entire set here.
I started a 365 photo project for 2013 as an attempt to stretch my legs a bit as a photographer, as well as get my head back into the digital game after shooting almost exclusively on film for most of 2012.
January was just about taking a picture every day, and it was a useful exercise in moving on from a 2012 that was emotionally rough and incredibly heartbreaking. View the entire set here.
I went to Mexico in October & November 2012 to lounge on the beach near Playa del Carmen and explore the incredible beauty of the Yucatan. All photographs were taken with an old Olympus OM-G on 35mm Kodak Portra 400, no edits. See the entire set here.
I visited New York in September for just a few days, my first trip back in over ten years. It was a glorious and too short visit to a place I will always hold dear in my heart. I also snapped a few photos with my little Olympus OM-G on 35mm Kodak Portra 400. See the entire set here.
In the Spring & Summer of 2012, I pretty much exclusively shot film and did my best to capture friends, moments, adventures, and scenes from an everyday lovely life in the city.
These are some of my favorites, from a wonderful time of discovery and falling deeply in love with my world. Everything shot with an Olympus OM-G on 35mm Kodak Portra 400. See the entire set here.
In the Spring & Summer of 2012, I pretty much exclusively shot film and did my best to capture friends, moments, adventures, and scenes from an everyday lovely life in the city.
These are some of my favorites, from a wonderful time of discovery and falling deeply in love with my world. Everything shot with an Olympus OM-G on Kodak 400TX. See the entire set here.
My first Fourth of Juplaya in 2012 was a transformative, delightful, and utterly fantastic experience. The desert has always been one of my favorite places to be, and there is nothing in the entire world like the Black Rock Desert when it is empty—a stunning, quiet, inspiring place perfect for setting off fireworks, playing extreme playa bocce at dusk, and spending time with the best campmates in the world.
Everything shot with an Olympus OM-G on 35mm Kodak Portra 400 or with my little Holga, no edits. See the entire set here.
Early 2012 was about new friends, exploring new corners of my city, and rediscovering a love for shooting film. See more here.
Visually, Nicaragua for me was all about texture, color, and shapes. I realized very early into our (wonderful) trip in April of 2012 that I was trying to capture just a little of this in every place we went, whether it was in the tiles or walls or in the rocks that live along the gorgeous beaches.
See the entire set of digital photos here, and also a few film snapshots (35mm and 120mm) here.
Burning Man 2011. One of the first adventures my little Holga took. A perfect week of friends, lights, music, sky, and happy times. See the entire set here.
Utah in the Spring of 2011 (also commonly referred to among friends as SPRING BREAK WOOOOO!) could be described as one of our crazier adventures. The trip included snow, sleet, freezing rain, hail, and a flooded Paria River that kept us from finishing the entirety of our canyon trek. It was a little nuts, and a lot of fun. In a week we visited Zion, hiked (most of) Buckskin Gulch, and barely made it out of the Coyote Buttes before yet another storm tried to catch us. Excellent times. View the entire set here.
