the bag and the beach

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. 

Sweeney Todd's Barbershop, Los Feliz CA

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

Playing Catch Up

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! :)

Fairy tales

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!!

Fire!

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....

The Scoop

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

Sneak Peek!

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

Hootenanny 2008

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!)