mishina photography

hiatus

2010-07-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

this lil' ol' blog is going on hiatus for a bit. i haven't been able to keep up with school and posting, so for now i'll refer you to my website, www.michelle-kunz.com, until i have a bit more time for the fun stuff.

thanks for reading this far, and see you again sometime soon. :)

michelle

texas

2010-05-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

i'm about to start school again and thought i'd better update this here blog before i don't have any time...again.

i took a little trip to austin with C and had some fun with the amazing texas light. i love going to a new place because no matter how mundane the environment, it is new and therefore interesting and exciting. inspiring, even.

lone star is clearly the drink of choice for texans.

but margaritas are pretty good, too.

red shoes at the continental club

New Website!

2010-05-12T12:05:00.000-07:00

I just launched a new website: www.michelle-kunz.com for my commercial and personal work. Mishina Photography will transition into weddings and portraits. Check it out when you have a chance!

A few screen shots:

it's been a while...

2010-03-11T23:33:00.000-08:00

art school has been keeping me busy. i am exhausted, and so incredibly happy to be doing what i love full time. more than full time, actually. like every waking moment of every single day. it's intense, but oh so amazing.

i thought my personal life would really suffer, but every now and then i get to hang out with a friend and do homework AT THE SAME TIME. and, when that happens, life is truly wonderful. :)

fun!

2009-12-13T21:30:00.000-08:00

from a fashion test shoot late last month...

model: marie-lyn deja
makeup: inara lopetaite
stylist: amanda richardson
special thanks to taslimur! :)

A Favorite Place

2009-10-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

Faery Hunt at Griffith Park

2009-10-07T19:54:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, my friend Rosanna invited me to go to a "Faery Hunt" in Griffith Park with her sister, two nieces, and her friend and her friend's daughter. The Faery Hunt is an interactive play, where the kids (mostly little girls under the age of 6) follow a faery guide through the "forest" (aka: picnic area of Griffith Park) as they searched for the Faery Queen, encountering trolls, gnomes, and a weird hybrid bird-beast. It was an insanely hot day, but all the adorableness made up for it. :)

the bag and the beach

2009-09-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

i've heard of photographers using baby diaper bags and even lunch boxes to carry their cameras discreetly. i'm not really into that, and after searching endlessly for a cute bag big enough to hold my camera and a lens or two, i found one at urban outfitters. i really wanted a leather bag, but i realized that would be much too heavy when i have all my stuff in there... so this one won:

yes, i realize it's gigantic (though not quite as gigantic as this photo makes it seem. the model is super tiny!) and because of its size it's not exactly incognito, but... it doesn't look like a camera bag, does it? :)

anyway, this means that i can now bring my camera everywhere, like i want to, and not feel like a dorky tourist with a gigantic, manly camera bag. it's a gigantic, CUTE camera bag! i still have to figure out how to pad it properly so the camera is totally safe, but i've got a couple ideas up my sleeve. :)

anyway, i took my "stealth" camera bag to the beach for an early morning picnic with chet over the weekend, and got a couple fun pics.

grandma

2009-09-10T17:39:00.000-07:00

i drove up to san luis obispo over labor day to visit my aunt and 91 year old grandma. it was a great time-- we went to an apple orchard, watched lots of fun old movies (i think it was the first time i've seen "the wizard of oz" since I was a kid...what a trip!), and took a beautiful drive through the canyons of wine country.

here are a couple shots of g-ma looking through some old photos and getting her hair done.

(on a side note, i finally figured out how to post bigger pictures. hooray!!)

headshots :: emma

2009-08-20T23:39:00.000-07:00

vacation!

2009-06-18T21:07:00.001-07:00

well, a mini-vacation, anyway. last weekend's getaway to the montage laguna beach was AMAZING. i was so busy relaxing by the pool that i almost forgot to snap some pictures. almost. :)

here's my new favorite spot in southern california-- the montage's fire pit where you can order marshmallow and s'more kits. yum!

Studio Lighting!

2009-06-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

So, I've always fancied myself a documentary photographer, but I realized that if I wanted to get anywhere in this industry I should know how to do studio lighting, too. My good friend Tas has a little studio at his house and he was nice enough to let me play around. (Check out his work at www.taslimur.com-- he's SO talented!) My model had to work at the last minute, so Tas was brave enough to be my guinea pig and put up with all sorts of crazy suggestions.

I'm pretty happy with how these turned out-- much more dramatic than anything I've been able to do in natural light. While my first love will always be documentary photography, I have a serious crush on studio lighting... I can't wait to go back and do more!

Thanks, Tas! :)

a string of hits

2009-05-11T19:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a photo I took yesterday outside the Rite Aid at Franklin and Western. I just finished a hike up Mt. Hollywood and went to pick up a Rx on the way home when I came across this man playing a broken trumpet outside the store. As I left the store, I asked him if I could stay and listen and take some photos, and he seemed quite content to let me do that. I asked him where he was from and he told me instead where the woman who wrote the song he was playing was from. "...mumble mumble mumble...She's from Nova Scotia. It was a string of hits!" O-kay. "What's your name?" I asked, and he replied with chuckle," Earthquake. My name's Earthquake." O-kay again. He continued to play this garbled "string of hits" as I watched him-- and the people around us.

What I found most interesting was that, a half hour earlier when I walked into the store to pick up my Rx, few people were stopping to give him a second glance, much less any money. (The honest truth is that he isn't a very good trumpeter.) But when I came out and started talking to him and taking photos, all of a sudden that changed. People started walking more slowly past him, and 90% of them dropped dollar bills into his Thrifty Ice Cream cup. I wonder if, because someone was paying attention to him, they thought that he was suddenly more interesting that he was before? A little more deserving of their dollars? Or they saw that a young woman was interacting with this man, so he couldn't be too crazy or too much of a threat? I'm not sure, but it was certainly fascinating.

It reminds me of a great article I read a while back by Gene Weingarten about virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell, who played unnoticed in a Washington Metro station for 45 minutes. This man sells out concert halls with $100 seats, and yet less than a handful of people stopped to listen to him play outside of the subway. Again, fascinating.

joshua tree

2009-04-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

a couple weeks ago, i had an assignment to take a picture of a tree. uh....what? and not just any tree, but a tree with feeling. the happiest tree i've ever seen, or the most melancholy, or the most inspiring. I was at a complete loss-- where should i even begin? this was by far the most challenging assignment i've ever had to wrap my little mind around. mostly because i am not a nature photographer. and i don't particularly like landscapes. i rarely think landscape photos are interesting-- at least the landscape photos i take, anyway. so this was a big problem. how do i take an meaningful picture of a tree?

luckily, it dawned on me that this would be the perfect time to visit joshua tree national park, something i've been wanting to do since moving to southern california. if i couldn't take an interesting photo of a tree, gosh darnit at the very least i'd have a photo of an interesting tree. so, i rounded up the troops-- my buddy tas and his gorgeous wife jamie-- and we headed out to the desert.

after all my complaining, i have to admit that i was very pleasantly surprised. joshua tree is an amazing place, full of strange landscapes and a strikingly beautiful desolation. i've never seen anything like it. i want to go back and camp, wake up early for the sunrise, and spend the day among the yuccas. maybe go rock climbing, or do some hiking through the desert forests.

the cactus is making babies!

a cactus baby stuck on jamie's finger.

spring was on its way... pretty wildflowers everywhere and flowering yuccas:

gorgeous:

East LA Mariachis

2009-04-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago my friend David and I went out to East LA to see what we could find. We stumbled upon this group of very friendly, jovial mariachis. They played a little for us, and though I don't know much Espanol (at all!) they were so nice to me. I wish I knew their names so I could go back and give them copies of these pics!

True Blue Tattoo

2009-04-03T20:43:00.000-07:00

I know, I know. I've been slacking. So much for the New Years resolution, right? Well, hopefully this excuse will suffice-- I was bedridden for almost a week with the flu. Now that I'm all better, expect a flurry of photos. The documentary class kicked my butt, but I have tons of new pictures to show for it. Hopefully you like them as much as I do!

Here are a couple of my favorites from a shoot I did at True Blue Tattoo on Hollywood Blvd-- right across the street from Sweeney Todd's. Told you this was a cool little area!

Landon and the folks at True Blue are awesome. Landon is probably the biggest Dodgers fan you'll ever meet-- so much so that if you get a Dodgers tattoo, it's some ridiculous price... $8 I think? And free tats for anyone on the team. If your a huge LA fan, it's kind of hard to beat that deal! Anyway, here are the pictures. Go say hi to Landon and Chris and Vanessa. They're awesome and do really great work!

True Blue Tattoo
4648 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA 90027
(323) 924-2369

Sweeney Todd's Barbershop, Los Feliz CA

2009-03-18T20:04:00.000-07:00

Every night as I drive home from work I pass an unassuming strip of Hollywood Blvd. that is quietly growing into one of the coolest little parts of LA. While these two or three blocks may often be passed over in favor of Los Feliz’s more established hipster heaven, Vermont Ave., around the corner there are a few shops that are worth a stop out of your way.

My favorite of the bunch is Sweeny Todd’s Barbershop. I know, I know. I’m a girl. I don’t need a barber. But my always-dapper partner in crime does, and I’m so jealous he has a place like this to go to get his hair(s) cut. In fact, he wishes his hair grew faster so he could go more than every other week! Sweeney Todd’s is a man’s barbershop. There are no $40 shampoos. There is no whiny hipster music playing on loop from sleek speakers above. No cell phones allowed. Just Todd and Danny in their white barber’s smocks and long scissors, snipping away while vintage tunes play in the background. There’s a rack of old Playboy magazines across from a glass case of curios—almost-rusty keychains, vintage combs, and other nicknacks. The walls are sparse with the exception of black and white headshots of famous leading men of yesteryear and a couple of aged posters advertising the “latest” in hair cut, care and style.

I’ve always wanted to photograph the shop so when I got the assignment to shoot “someone at work,” this was the only place I wanted to go. Todd was nice enough to let me crash the boys’ club for a little while and I had a great time talking to the various clients waiting for their turn in the chair. One gentleman, Mike, had been going to Danny for his haircuts for over 45 years!

If you’re a guy and you want a great haircut, go to Todd’s. Tell him I sent you!

Sweeny Todd’s Barbershop
4639 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027

class act

2009-03-18T18:51:00.000-07:00

hello, friendly blogland!

just wanted to give a short intro to the next couple posts i'll be adding. on a whim, i decided to take a documentary photography class. i love taking these kinds of classes because they challenge me both technically and creatively, and i feel like you can never, ever do too much learning. plus, i like that i can write everything off as 'education' come tax time! :)

this class is one of the best i've ever taken. our teacher, anthony friedkin is an incredible photographer who's done the kind of work i would love to do someday. honestly, the guy is an artist and journalist rolled into one, very enthusiastic fountain of knowledge. he grew up in california and is a peer of stacy peralta (writer/director of the amazing film dogtown and z boys) and does really stunning ocean photography. as a hawaii girl, seeing those pictures makes me feel like i'm a little closer to home. in addition, he's worked for magnum photos. if i could accomplish just one thing in my lifetime, i would love to work for magnum. not easy to do... but boy, wouldn't that be amazing!

anyway, i'm learning tons and will be posting the results from each assignment here so that they don't get lost in my ever-growing archives, never to see the light of day...

enjoy looking and i hope to hear what you think!

Simone

2009-03-12T17:36:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first to say that I've had my fair share of weird roommate situations (including renting a room from a "massage therapist" in San Jose, though that's a whole blog entry unto itself.) However, I've also been lucky enough to meet some really amazing people like Simone Shin. Simone and I both rented a room in this funny little yellow house with a red door in South Pasadena. We bonded over the weirdness of our other roommate, who kept squirreled away in her room during the day and was a smelly food-eating, crazy club-going party animal at night. One of the first times I talked with Simone, we were discussing getting internet for the house. I was tired, so I looked around her room and found a chair to plop down in. And plop I did. See, Simone is an artist. And the chair was not really a chair, but a sculpture of a chair made out of cardboard and fabric. When I sat down, I crushed her sculpture. I felt TERRIBLE. I ruined ART! But Simone was gracious and made a joke and I knew then that I liked her more than any other roommate I'd had in recent history.

Even though I moved out of that house soon after Simone moved in, we've tried to keep in touch as much as our busy schedules will allow. I was so, so thrilled when, out of the blue, she contacted me last week because she'd been nominated for a prestigious illustration award and needed a photo to submit in case she was selected. I was like, OF COURSE! I mean, if anything else, it was a way to work off some of my destroyed-chair-sculpture karma. And, more importantly, it meant we'd finally meet up like we'd talking about for ages. Anyway, long story longer, we did the shoot, she won the award and we finally got to hang out. What more could I ask for?

If you have time, stop by Simone's website and blog. She's amazing!

holga

2009-03-04T22:32:00.001-08:00

in the 1980's, the medium format holga toy camera was introduced as a way to bring affordable photography to the masses in mainland china. the camera body is made entirely of plastic, with only a little metal spring to open and close the shutter. over twenty-five years later, this little guy is still going strong with few-- if any-- changes to the original design. people love it for its ease of use and often unpredictable and surrealistic, dreamlike images. i bought my lil holga about three weeks ago because, though i love the instant gratification of digital, i was craving something less perfect and more tactile-- something i adore about film. with digital, you pretty much know what you're getting when you take the photo. with holga, it's a surprise. little light leaks in the plastic camera body create flashes of pink or orange on your film... the focus is guesswork, and even the exposure-- or double exposure-- is almost as much skill as it is plain luck. i'm hoping to get a little better at interpreting the simple-yet-oh-so-complicated settings (of which there are six: sunny or cloudy, and close, sort of close, far, or super-far) but here are a few that i liked from my very first roll:

probably the thing i love most about my holga is how light-weight it is (it's made of cheapy plastic, after all!) and i've been carrying it with me everywhere. i always feel a little off when i don't have a camera on me at all times, like the moment i don't have my camera, there'll be the shot of a lifetime-- and now i can feel secure that i won't miss a great picture without breaking my back. i still have lots to learn about holga's little quirks and i'll be sure to post my latest attempts here, for all to see! :)

left my heart (and luggage) in san francisco, pt. 2

2009-02-26T22:35:00.000-08:00

I've had a few days to relax after my quick NorCal trip and am anxious to go back. Mostly because I'm hungry for Saha, but also because I am already tired of LA driving... again. Here's a sad thing: not only am I not-so-great at driving (more because of a lack of patience rather than lack of coordination), but I'm not-so-great at public transit, too. Even though I used to live in the Bay Area, I never really took BART and I failed royally at it last weekend.

To get from Palo Alto to Berkeley without a car, you either have to be super in-shape to walk and swim the 40 miles across the bay, or you need to take the CalTrain and BART. I, being the ever-so-savvy Hawaii girl-turned Angeleno, felt the latter was the easier, hipper, and certainly more metropolitan choice. After a nice lunch with a friend in Palo Alto, I hopped on the CalTrain towards Millbrae. Not so tough, right? Wrong. Imagine me, wrangling a gigantic backpack (turtle girl!!) a gigantic purse, and a gigantic carry-on through the teeny upper-level aisles of the train. As I finally made it to a chair and squished in with my three large bags, I wondered if anyone could see me hiding beneath them. At the Millbrae stop, I hopped off and bought my BART ticket. But, there were no signs directing me which train to take to get to Berkeley. I hopped on the sole train there, figuring it would eventually take me where I needed to go. Map says Dublin/Pleasanton train to Richmond train which stops at Ashby... Cool. I'm on the right track, I've got it figured out. As the train started pulling out of the stop, a voice crackled over the loudspeaker. "This train going to San Francisco. Next stop is your transfer to the Richmond Train to East Bay." Wait, what? I thought that was at least four stops from here! No sooner had I decided the conductor was probably right, the train pulled into the next stop. Ok! Grab your backpack, catch the next train, let's go! As I sprinted up the stairs looking for the other platform (wait! there's no other platform??) I realized that my bags weren't nearly as heavy. I only had one of them. QUICK! I ran back down to the platform, right in time to see the train-- and my luggage-- disappear into the tunnel towards San Francisco.

Needless to say, I was freaking out. I searched frantically for a BART employee, but no one was to be found. No one, that is, until I found Maria. I could barely see her behind the large swivel chair and pulled-low-over-her-eyes hat in the info booth. As she turned around to acknowledge me, I could tell I was in good hands. "Bags…on train…my luggage…everything!" The words came tumbling out as I motioned with my arm towards San Francisco. "My bags are on the train that just left!" She calmed me down, checked the schedule, and phoned to the next stop. After a couple minutes, we got the call back that when the train arrived at the next station they would go down and have someone search it to see if they could find my bag. After what seemed like hours, the phone rang again. They had it! All I had to do was get on the next train to Daly City and pick it up. Maria walked me down to the platform, and when the next train arrived, the conductor, Mike, leaned out of the window. Maria explained everything to Mike, and together they promised I’d finally get to where I was going—with all my bags, too.

At Daly City, I got off the train and met up with Andrea, who searched the train and saved my bag from its unaccompanied trip to San Francisco. Maria, Mike and Andrea, if you are reading this— a big hug and THANK YOU!! Your kindness truly made my trip memorable.

My heroes:

So, after all of that, you’d think I’d have a smooth trip to Berkeley, right? Almost. I texted my friend Adrianne to let her know why I was delayed, and she said just to get off the BART, she’d meet me at Civic Center in SF. That sounded good to me—I was a bit overwhelmed by BART at that point. But then—of course—I didn’t realize Civic Center was the next stop. As I rushed to exit the train (with all my bags, thank goodness,) it dawned on me that Civic Center was probably not where I wanted to wait. Strip clubs and liquor stores lined Market Street, and there didn’t seem to be any place for me to sit that wasn’t intruding on someone’s “home.” I could feel eyes following me and my three gigantic bags as I walked through the open courtyard and decided, very quickly, that I’d just get take the train to Berkeley—it would be safer than waiting. Back on the train, I was relieved but also incredulous that it could take me almost four hours to get forty miles. I might have done better walking!

The rest of the trip went by much too quickly. Burgers and beer at Raleigh's, thrift-store shopping, and drinks and a game of Pictionary at Albatross. A fun night, and I wish I could have stayed longer. Next time I’m in the area, I’m going to go to a show at 924 Gilman Street, the legendary East Bay punk rock venue. Green Day played there before they “sold out,” and so have my favorites Fugazi, Rancid, Bad Religion, The Dead Kennedys… *sigh*. I heart punk rock!

Here’s Adrianne outside Rasputin Music:

And some pretty cherry blossoms in Palo Alto:

left my heart (and luggage) in san francisco, pt. 1

2009-02-23T19:39:00.000-08:00

Oh, what a month it's been! My normally homebody self has been up and down the state this past month and I find that I'm again playing catch up.

My dad was in town for a conference two weeks ago, and when that was over we drove four hours north to San Luis Obispo to visit my aunt and 90-year-old grandmother. This is technically a photography blog so I'll spare you the essay I could write on what I observed to be a surprisingly warm and rewarding experience of caring for a parent as they age. But, I'll say this: while it's difficult to see someone you love change and need more and more care, I was so touched by the relationship I witnessed between my aunt and grandma. She has little to no memory, but she is happy. She laughs, she jokes, she doesn't take herself too seriously (in fact, one of the funniest things to her is that she is, indeed, 90 years old.) Though she sleeps most of the day, she is never alone and whenever she wakes there is someone who loves her there waiting. It's scary, to think of our parents aging; our role models we know to be strong and steady becoming weak and frail. But what a gift, to be able to care for them as they've cared for us... I've always wondered how I could ever express to my parents how grateful I am for the love, life and opportunities they've given me. I hope one day (a very, very long time from now) I'll be able to show them the same love and care as they did for me when I was just a messy, screaming, rugrat of a child.

Anyway, enough of the serious stuff! Here is a photo of my parents, who are so obviously still in love. How cute!

Not a week after my dad left, I got on a plane to San Francisco to visit my sister Melissa for her 23rd birthday and see several of my closest friends. Melissa and her boyfriend Nate picked me up at SFO and we went straight into the city for a late dinner. Let me just say that I have a new favorite restaurant, and it deserves it's own line:

Saha, SF

It's the most amazing food EVER, and I love food. I was a bit skeptical based on my preliminary research, but know this-- the website does not do it justice. It's so good, in fact, that I couldn't even share more than a bite (one bite!) with my sister...ON HER BIRTHDAY. That's saying something. (I hopefully made up for my gluttonous ways with the birthday candle-topped choco-pear, but still the guilt persists...) The Yemenese/Arabic-fusion was subtle and delightful, the decor was rich and inviting and vibrantly exotic. I have only two complaints-- one, that my stomach was not large enough for another three courses, and two, that my favorite restaurant is 300 miles away. Dear Chef Aboghanem, can you please open a Los Angeles location? I promise I'll visit every night until my piggy bank falls empty to the floor!

I took a couple pictures of Saha, but they were on my new (and already beloved) chunk-of-plastic Holga camera, which uses only film (ah, the good old days...) I should have the proofs back in a day or two, so I'll scan them and post them then. In the meantime, here are some shots I did a few weeks ago of Aman Alem, an actor and very talented young musician. LA folks-- extra points if you can spot the locations!

Stay tuned for more on my trip to SF, including the heart-wrenching story of how I almost lost my luggage! (Well, maybe not heart-wrenching to you, but for me... it was a doozy!)

Keiki Time!

2009-02-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

In Hawaiian, keiki means "little one." I've been dying to do a shoot with a little itty bitty baby, and last week I had the chance to take some photos of 5 month-old Oona and her mom, Arianne. As you'll see from the pictures below, I'm not exaggerating when I say that this keiki is about as cute as they come. One thing I loved about photographing Oona-- her name means "unity," by the way-- is it reminded me how simple the world used to be. Remember that? When there was nothing more to do than be cuddled, eat, play with pets and toys and your own little toes, cuddle some more... sleep.... *sigh* What a life we all once had!

Oona and her parents live in a beautiful house up in the hills, with an open-beam ceiling and tons of light. For a while, I was really, really into interior design and Arianne and her husband David's house was just my style! Modern, with earthy touches like unfinished open beams, and a slate/ rock wall that reaches to the tip-top of the tall ceiling. Low, modern couches and floor-to-ceiling windows... *swoon!* It's an absolutely gorgeous house to hold an absolutely gorgeous family. Eventually I would like to learn a little more about architectural photography, but for now I'm perfectly happy to spend my time taking people-pictures, and am hoping to do another keiki shoot soon! (Probably because try as I might, I just can't get away with sleeping and cuddling and playing with my own toes all day... and if I can live vicariously through a cute lil' one while taking pictures, I'll take it!)

Even the dogs in this family are adorable!

Timothy Christian Thomas

2009-01-25T20:08:00.000-08:00

As promised, here are a few more photos from the shoot I did a week or so ago with Tim-- actor, Johnny Depp look-a-like, and all around awesome guy:

Playing Catch Up

2009-01-19T16:12:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I’ve been horrible about posting photos! I guess I could say that I got swept up with the busy-ness of the holiday season, but there is no excuse for not typing at least something here. I’ve always made resolutions for the New Year, but I rarely keep them (much less remembered them!) This year, I'm going to try something new. I am making goals instead. And goal numero uno? You guessed it—more blogging! I know what you're thinking-- "It's already mid-January and you're only now making your goals?" Yep. Goal numero dos is to stop procrastinating. So, I am going to play catch up for a couple posts and then, hopefully, I will be back on top of things. I will try to blog every week, even if it means catching you up on the banalities of my life--which sock I lost in the dryer this particular week, for example-- though hopefully I will have enough pictures to post to spare you those details. ;)

There’s one more very important thing I need to say before I get to the picture posting—I am a lucky girl (queue that music above!) Why, you may ask? Because over the course of this past year, I have gotten to know quite a few absolutely amazing people—families, actors, musicians, couples. I am so grateful that you’ve put your faith in me as your photographer, and that you’ve let me into your world and shared your passions with me. I feel lucky to know you and am grateful for your time, your business, and your friendship. Happy 2009!

… and yes, here come the pictures.

Starting off-- a few from my trip home to the Big Island of Hawaii to visit my family for Christmas. This set is from South Point-- the southern most part of the United States (whaddaya know!) South Point is famous for its windmills and orange clay dirt. We woke up super early on Christmas morning to get there as the sun was coming up. Check it out:

My sisters and I-- doesn't this look like a terrible place to grow up? I didn't even have to photoshop the rainbow in! :)

Preview: Timothy Christian Thomas

2009-01-13T08:59:00.001-08:00

Here's a sneak peek at a shoot I did on Sunday with actor Timothy Christian Thomas-- More to come soon! :)

Fun with Fall Leaves

2008-12-09T21:53:00.001-08:00

A Family Day at the Huntington

2008-12-09T21:52:00.000-08:00

Nohi's Birthday

2008-11-26T17:31:00.001-08:00

About a month ago I met little Nohi and her parents Alma and Sang. Nohi just turned one-- a major milestone in both Korean and Filipino cultures. To celebrate, she had two parties-- a barbeque with her Filipino family, and a party and traditional ceremony with the Korean side of her family. I kept thinking throughout the weekend how lucky this little girl is-- growing up with two such different cultures means she will have two sets of traditions to make her own. And, with her large extended family and parents like Alma and Sang, I have a feeling Nohi's going to be a very wonderful little person, both well-rounded and worldly, and most definitely loved.

Fairy tales

2008-11-06T20:30:00.000-08:00

My most recent class assignment was to do a diptych (two photos next to each other that somehow relate, via form, content, or whatever else) with a "fantasy" theme. With Halloween right around the corner, I decided to recreate two fairy tales-- Little Red Riding Hood and The Little Match girl, by Hans Christian Anderson and tried to make them more "fashiony" than what I normally do. I had a great time shooting with the models (including my dashing, debonair boyfriend as the wolf!) and I think made some great connections, as well. Mary Shultz was the make up artist for The Little Match Girl shoot and did an absolutely incredible job. I highly recommend her to anyone-- she's so easy to work with and really knows her stuff. My models, Bobbie and Kim, were also amazing and made the ideas come to life. Thank you, everyone, for making these shoots turn out like they did!!

Jesse

2008-10-28T20:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of working with Jesse, an actor referred to me by Hans. Everyone Hans has sent my way has been an absolute joy to work with, and Jesse was no different. We caught the metro into downtown LA and spent a few hours wandering around. We got gutsy and snuck into The Million Dollar Theater, which I believe was just recently renovated and reopened, and got some really fun shots. Then, the Bradbury Building, Angel's Flight, and finally Bunker Hill. My good friend Leonard recommended this last spot, and told me that a few goats lived on the hill as a pollutant-free sort of weed-killing system. I didn't believe him til we got there and saw the "evidence" scattered all over the ground. Yuck! :) Take my word for it-- as strange as it sounds, there was a hill of goats living in the heart of downtown Los Angeles....

Here's Jesse on the hill (don't worry, we made sure we found a clean spot for him to sit!):

At The Million Dollar Theater:

And, of course, the metro:

Fire!

2008-10-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning at around 5:30 a.m., the garage in the building next to mine caught fire. I awoke to my boyfriend screaming, "GET UP, GET UP!! There's a fire!!!" After scrambling around to find my glasses, my sweatshirt, my cell phone... knocking over a plant and breaking its pot in the process, I was able to get out of my apartment and down the stairs (after slipping on the wet concrete twice in my haste to leave.) At first I couldn't tell that just the garage was on fire. The flames were so large that the entire back of the apartment could have been affected. My hands were shaking and I didn't know what to do, didn't know where we should go. Instinct said "run!" but curiosity said, "hey, stay awhile and check it out..." It looked like our building was going to be fine, especially since there were now four large fire trucks parked outside. People slowly came out of the building in their pajamas and started huddling together near the street. I've never been more frightened. I wasn't scared enough to stay put, though. Besides my cell phone and sweatshirt, I grabbed my camera. I ran back towards my building's garage, which is adjacent to the one that was burning. My hands were still shaking, and it felt strange standing just yards away from where four people's cars were being completely destroyed. I felt like I shouldn't be there, it probably wasn't safe, but no one was telling me to stand back so I stayed. And I wanted to take the pictures. It looked like it was under control, but the more I think about it, the more I realize it was probably a bad decision to be so close. What if a car exploded? And can someone explain to me what those hatchets are for?

In about an hour the fire was under control. As the sun came up, the firemen began to pump the water out from the flooded garage. The cars were still there-- four completely charred, and three melted and water logged-- and the area was taped off for an investigation. The firemen, exhausted and grumpy, packed up their hoses and drove off in their trucks, while water flowed through the gutters down the street. All this and it was only 7:00 a.m.

I still don't have any idea how the fire started, though I'm doubtful it was an accident. How else could something like that start so early in the morning? In addition, there was a similar fire like this across the street less than a month ago. Coincidence? Luckily, my garage is gated (the other two weren't) so hopefully that's at least a small deterrent for something happening here....

Gallery show this weekend

2008-10-16T12:33:00.000-07:00

Great news! I will have two photos in the upcoming Music Share group show this Saturday and Sunday at Hangar 1018 in downtown LA. All the art in the show was either created by a musician or music-inspired, with works by Shepard Fairey (of OBEY), Slash (of Guns N Roses), and tons of others. I feel very lucky to be a part of it! Stop by if you can!

www.myspace.com/musicshare08

Opening on Saturday, Oct. 18 @9p
Hangar 1018
1018 S. Santa Fe Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90021

If you come, you have to see my friend Tas' work-- he's an absolutely incredible photographer with an crazy imagination and true talent for creating hauntingly beautiful and intriguing images. (If you can't make it, you can still visit his website at www.taslimur.com)

More from Julie C.

2008-10-07T11:44:00.001-07:00

Julie L. and The Greenhouse

2008-10-06T13:01:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended a screening of various short films produced by The Greenhouse, a non-profit media cooperative. It's a really awesome concept-- artists of all kinds getting together to create films. Everyone contributes their individual talents, from writing, acting, lighting, sound, craft services, etc... and sometimes members even learn new skills depending on the needs of the production crew. Last night, all this collaboration resulted in three incredibly entertaining shorts: Why I Do, What I Do; You've Got Potential!; and Spy Games. These films should be online soon, so check out their website at greenhouseproductions.com when you have the chance!

I've been fortunate enough to work with several Greenhouse actors, including Hans, Julie C. and Julie L., whose headshots are posted below. They are a truly talented group, and I look forward to seeing more Greenhouse films soon.

*A special thank you to Hans, who invited me to last night's event and who introduced me to both Julie L. and Julie C.! :)

Julie C's Headshots

2008-09-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

I'm a little bit sad-- my mom, who was in town for my birthday, just left this afternoon. You know that feeling when you come back to your house and it's suddenly a lot bigger and quieter than you remember? Even my teeny tiny studio feels huge. I wish my parents lived closer. I miss them! Anyway, sad as it is, I'll finally have time to update this poor, neglected blog :)

This morning I met up with actress Julie at her home in Sun Valley. It was such a fun shoot! She lives on a mini ranch (with horses and everything!) which gave us tons of options for her headshots. Then, we drove into Burbank to get some photos of her in more professional attire. It was a busy, busy few hours, but we got some great shots and it was well worth the early-morning call time.

Take a look!

play date!

2008-09-14T19:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I hung out with my friends Debbie and Marie at Marie's house, where her two little boys were having a playdate. These six kids were the cutest! I had no idea how quickly the little kiddos could move; in fact, I'm surprised I had any non-blurry photos at all! I can see why parents are so exhausted at the end of the day... but also why they love their children so much :)

Eating watermelon is fun.... getting cleaned up afterwards is definitely NOT!

The Scoop

2008-09-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

A little less than a year ago, I decided enough was enough-- if I was really serious about learning photography, I'd have to take a deep breath and shell out some serious dough (well, serious for me, anyway!) to buy a digital camera. I knew that once I did that, I'd learn much faster than I had been with my film camera because of the immediate feedback. "Does this light work?" "Did I over/ underexpose?" and a lot of "Hmm.. I wonder what happens when I do this?" Trial and error has been my best friend, and even after all my reading and experimenting and shooting, I'm realizing that I still have volumes to learn.

Part of learning is exposing yourself to new situations. I'm interested in doing not only news photography, but weddings and portraits as well. However, in order to book those jobs, you need to have a place where future clients can see your work. So, after much anticipation (at least on my part,) here it is!

www.mishinaphotography.com

The site is definitely a work in progress and I'll be adding my new favorite images as time goes on. This blog will remain the first spot to visit for recent shoots and things that don't quite fit the theme of the website. Eventually, the site will be used purely for my "commercial" work-- weddings, portraits and headshots, and I will keep the music, photojournalism, and other random images to the blog or in the featured galleries.

Enough of my blabber. Go check it out and let me know what you think! :)

-michelle

Washington, D.C. (Again!)

2008-08-23T17:54:00.000-07:00

Wow-- It's really been a while since I've posted pictures.

Here are some of my favorites from another recent trip to Washington, D.C.

I played tourist and did the Potomac boat tour...not just once, but twice! I loved it! :)

I <3 Georgetown!

Sneak Peek!

2008-08-23T17:31:00.001-07:00

It's almost finished! Here's a *little* preview of the new website, hopefully launching sometime this month....

Update

2008-08-12T21:14:00.000-07:00

hi everyone!

sorry for not posting in a while! after another work trip to washington, d.c, i'm ready to get back into my routine and start posting photos a bit more regularly. come back in a day or two and i should have some pretty shots of the potomac at sunset up, and then this weekend i've got a shoot downtown... i can't wait! i have a feeling it's going to be a fun time. those pics should be posted by early next week.

also, i'm working on getting a website up and I'll post the link here as soon as it's ready to go-- i'm crossing my fingers that it'll be "live" by next friday.

thanks for your patience, and see you back here real soon! :)

-michelle

Downtown Los Angeles

2008-07-17T20:01:00.000-07:00

How well do you know the city where you live? Each of us, no matter where we may be, gets caught up in our little world. When I was in college, we called it the Santa Clara "bubble"-- life inside the bubble was not the real world. It was a world created for us by our parents, who sent us to SCU, and by the University itself. It was full of frat parties and palm trees and never-ending meal plans; it was an entire universe that catered to our physical, emotional, and intellectual needs.

During my freshman year, I was so homesick that I told my parents that I couldn't stay at SCU. They responded that I could return home to Hawaii only if I spent a quarter involved with SCCAP (the Santa Clara Community Action Program) or enrolled in a similar social justice- oriented class. Desperate to leave the mainland, I did as they asked-- I left the bubble. And a funny thing happened-- once away from the campus's idyllic Spanish architecture, rose gardens and student body that seemingly stumbled out of an Abercrombie catalogue, I realized what an incredible opportunity I had to explore the Bay Area. On the streets of San Francisco, I saw the effects of untreated mental illness for the first time. I met normal families who were, for one reason or another, living without a home. The children would go to school during the day and sleep in donated blankets at a shelter that night. I saw terminally ill AIDS patients who hadn't left their apartments in months. In the alleyways outside those apartments, I witnessed drug use and sex acts performed in broad daylight.

It was difficult to transition between those two worlds-- from extreme comfort to utter desperation and back again. Those experiences have stayed with me and, as you might have guessed, kept me from returning to Hawaii. Still, I often get caught up in my little world. I go to work, go to the gym. I read, I watch "Lost" online (all 4 seasons in hi-def!) But then, there's a part of me that realizes that this isn't all there is to the world. Anywhere you look, there are people with stories to tell.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but as I'm discovering, a thousand words is far from enough. So for starters, here is a teeny tiny glimpse into the story of downtown LA.

A citrus wholesaler with his fruit:

A sewing shop in the garment district:

From the flower market:

Impel at the Derby

2008-07-15T19:43:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday I saw my friend Poon's band, Impel play at the Derby in Los Feliz. They're so good! Poon and the guys have come a long way since I last heard them in a big storage space in Fremont, CA over two years ago. Even with the less-than-ideal acoustics at the Derby, they sounded great! I can't wait to hear more from them... and from the looks of it, that'll be happening very, very soon!

Note: Due to really funny lighting and a no-flash rule, I had a hard time capturing Aaron, on drums and Justin on guitar. *Sigh*-- I've got lots and lots to learn.... and probably some very expensive lenses to buy. Anywho, here are Poon and Erik in all of their Impel glory!

Hootenanny 2008

2008-07-10T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wow!! I had SUCH a great time at the Hootenanny last weekend! This is my third Hootenanny, and this time I was lucky enough to score a media pass which gave me front-stage access (I snuck backstage for all of two minutes before getting the boot! Oops! I'll take what I can get :)

Some of the best bands in SoCal were there, including rockabilly legend Glen Glenn, Big Sandy and the Fly Rite Boys, Tiger Army and of course, the indestructible Mike Ness. It was rockabilly heaven... and with all the cars, tats, slicked-back 'dos and parasols, it made for some fantastic photos. Here are a bunch of my favorites:

Driving to the show:

Everyone's gotta look good!

With music comes mayhem... in the form of burning porta-potties:

The Hootenany wouldn't be complete without gorgeous old cars...

And, of course, the music.

Big Sandy and His Fly Rite Boys:

Royal Crown Revue:

The girls went crazy for Glen Glenn, who is seen here handing out pictures of himself with Elvis:

Tiger Army (click here for youtube link):

And last but not least, Mike Ness of Social Distortion:

Self Portrait (or, Note to Self: Wear sensible shoes next year!)

Marissa's Wedding

2008-07-03T17:25:00.004-07:00

Last weekend my cousin Marissa got married in San Francisco. It was SO much fun! Not only did I get to see family from the East Coast that I haven't seen in probably 10 or 12 years, but the wedding itself was fantastic. Marissa is one of the most creative and unique people I know, and the wedding reflected her and her husband, Peter's personalities perfectly.

Held at the Swedish American Hall in the Castro District (a day before the Gay Pride parade, no less!), the event was full of surprises. Marissa and Peter high-fived in the middle of the ceremony, a Japanese butoh dancer acted as the flower girl, and the ceremony ended with a brass band-led "Just Married" parade around the block. It had to be seen to be believed!

But a few hours before the wild festivities began, Marissa was as peaceful a bride as anyone could imagine. Here are a couple shots of her getting ready:

Butoh dancer Kinji Hayashi:

Just Married!

Congrats, Peter and Marissa!! :) Love ya!

Melissa's Graduation

2008-07-03T17:25:00.001-07:00

I've spent the last three weekends out of town with family visiting from Hawaii, and am finally catching up on posting all the pictures I took.

Here are a few of my sister Melissa's graduation from Stanford University on June 15 in Palo Alto. We're so proud!! She majored in Earth Systems and is soon heading to Ireland to work on an organic cabbage farm and galavant across Europe. I sure wish I could go with her!

One thing that's really neat about Stanford's graduation is the "wacky walk," where all the undergraduates walk into the ceremony dressed in completely wild and utterly brainy outfits. We saw graduates tossing around arm chair-sized paper mache planets and circled each other like a solar system, there were swing dancers, sun bathers (who literally disrobed and laid out on the stadium grass during the procession), a giant, rasterized photo of Oprah, the commencement speaker, and a whole bunch of human-sized crayons (yay Purple Foothills Melissa!)

Congrats little sis!! I love you! :)

Twins! My mom and my aunty Eileen walking towards the Baccalaureate Celebration. Click here for an absolutely incredible and motivating speech by Rev. Peter J. Gomes. He comes on at around 23:50. Wowee!

The beautiful graduate:

Wacky members of Stanford's marching band:

Melissa as a purple crayon:

Mikey Headshots

2008-07-03T17:23:00.001-07:00

Mikey and Tera

2008-06-09T20:16:00.001-07:00

Washington DC

2008-06-07T11:55:00.000-07:00

While I was in DC for a work conference last weekend, I had the opportunity to check out some of the places most associated with our United States of America. I had been there once before, years and years ago for a family reunion (my dad grew up in DC), but I wasn't quite old enough to know what these monuments stood for. As I walked up the steps to the Supreme Court, it hit me that that this is where everything in our country happens. These are the places where America was shaped into what it is today. It's the site of many of our proudest-- and weakest-- moments. Yet what shook me most wasn't the feeling of standing on those hallowed grounds, it was the sense that even a place as important as this was trivialized by the thousands of tourists who arrive each day, and stay just long enough to snap a couple photos before leaving. The most important place in our country seemed just another tourist trap.

My greatest hope for the next year is that we elect a leader that will make us proud to be American again, and proud to visit national monuments where we can feel the weight of the struggles and achievements of the people who came before us. We are a country in need of change and inspiration.

Here's to November!

Photo Homework: Final

2008-05-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the finished cd case that I will be turning in as my final project for my digital photography class. This was a really great project because not only did we have to combine everything we've learned this semester in terms of taking the photo, but we also had to consider design, layout and text, too. Morgan, my model, was incredible and I hope she likes the end product as much as I do!

A closer look:

Hans...again :)

2008-05-20T09:03:00.001-07:00

Anyone who knows Hans will agree that we just had to do some pictures that captured him in character. He's from the midwest, so a cowboy theme was natural. But, much to my delight, he also wanted to do some vintage-inspired shots. As luck would have it, there was an awesome old Dodge pickup parked outside his apartment and old-school diner down the street. If you're ever in the mood for a good cherry pie, check out Paty's in Toluca Lake.... deelish!

Morgan

2008-05-13T22:09:00.000-07:00

At LACC, where I'm taking a digital photo class, our final photography assignment of the semester is to create an cd cover for a musician or band. This project is supposed to encompass all we've learned this quarter-- design elements, lighting, etc. I chose to do a cd case for The Distillers, a punk rock band from LA.

So, on Saturday I met up with Morgan, a model who answered my ad for a Brody Dalle (Distillers front woman) lookalike. The Distillers are one of her favorites too, so we had a good time trying to recreate the feel of their music and she seemed to really enjoy playing Brody. I'll post the completed project in about a week. Until then, here are some pictures from our day:

Hans

2008-05-03T16:35:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working with an actor named Hans Obma (www.hansobma.blogspot.com). Hans was so much fun to work with, and really, just a great guy all around. He looks like Viggo Mortenson, sings like James Taylor, and can switch between an impressive German accent and fluent Spanish translation like nobody’s business.

I met up with Hans and his friend/ stylist Krys Fehervari (www.fehairvari.com) in Alhambra bright and early-- when I arrived, Krys was about to give Hans a fun new haircut, so I snapped a few shots while Hans was getting ready. (Check out the vintage-looking ironing shot below…)

Then, we went downtown for some Daniel Meade (of “Ugly Betty”) –inspired shots, and back up to South Pasadena where we did a few outdoorsy and frat boy looks. It was a fun day, but not nearly long enough. Keep an eye out for more pics of Hans—we’re going to get a little more creative next time with some James Dean looks, and maybe even some outfits from the 1940’s… fun!

Photo Homework: Self Portrait

2008-04-19T19:12:00.001-07:00

I was totally dreading this self-portrait assignment for my digital photography class. But, after getting all gussied-up I rather like the results. Thank goodness for wigs, fake eyelashes and rollers!

A day in the park

2008-04-17T17:06:00.000-07:00

Kathrin

2008-04-13T09:29:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I’m finally starting to take this photography thing a little more seriously. I always loved taking pictures, but I’m only now discovering how much I love meeting so many different people and getting a glimpse into their world. Saturday afternoon was a perfect example of meeting an awesome person I probably wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise. Katrin is an actress/ model/ ex-pro tennis player who moved to LA from Germany only a year ago. She was awesome to work with, and such a trooper. From gracefully balancing in 4-inch heels in Griffith Park shrubbery to smiling through chattering teeth in a freezing pool after sundown, she did it all beautifully and with incredible ease. Thanks again, Katrin!

Wedding: Lisa and Aldous

2008-04-07T23:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I had the pleasure of working with Henry Chen Photography as an assistant for the wedding of Lisa Gill and Aldous Trotter. Married on a yacht in Marina Del Rey, it was a short and very sweet ceremony, we had beautiful weather, and Lisa and Aldous were great to work with. I was able to get some shooting in before the ceremony, so here are a couple pics of Lisa getting ready. Her dad wasn't able to make it from England, where Lisa grew up, but he did the next best thing-- he joined via Skype! What would we do without the internet? You can see Lisa, her mum and her dad video conferencing on the computer in a couple shots...

Talia

2008-03-30T21:50:00.004-07:00

Yvonne and Princess

2008-03-30T21:50:00.003-07:00

Los Angeles Marathon, Mile 3

2008-03-30T21:09:00.000-07:00

The 23rd Annual City of Los Angeles Marathon was a sight to behold. I was up earlier than I wanted to be on Sunday, March 2 to catch the first runners pass the three-mile marker at Hollywood and Highland. Normally prone to traffic congestion and wacko celebrity and character impersonators, the intersection was barricaded to keep onlookers from getting too close to the elite runners-- finely-tuned exhibits of human anatomy and outright lunacy and determination-- who were about to come careening round the bend.