Everything I Need, I've Got

I'm not the best blogger, clearly. It's been a month since my last post and meanwhile my photos are piling up into an unmanageable pile of multiple posts, so instead of trying to play catch-up, I'm just going to cherry pick the best photos from my stash and share them with you with a little background. As I combed through my photos, it was easy to find myself honing in on portraits of everything around me that makes life worth living-- the people, places and puppies!

Want to start with my perfect, pretty puppy basking in the afternoon sun. She's the light of my life!

Thalia and I recently spent a morning enjoying The Highland Cafe down the street from my home. The rejuvenation of York Blvd in Highland Park has been so nice to watch happen, now if you drive through this stretch on a Saturday or Sunday morning, you'll see so many people walking (who says nobody walks in LA?!) and enjoying the local businesses and the revitalization of the neighborhood.

A Highland Park staircase and a hillside in Griffith Park, the kind of outdoor scenery I'd like more opportunities to shoot. I have found that my passion is in portraits but sometimes you just see something so beautiful that you have to at least try to capture it!

Spent a night camping in Ojai in February and got this awesome shot of Greg under his big straw cowboy hat.

One of my best friends, Chelsie, also likes to take photos. I won't fault her for using a Nikon, even though I shoot with a Canon! She's always got a smile on and I appreciate her insight and mindfulness. She is an excellent mediator and always tries to get everyone's perspective before she chooses her path.

Another trip to Montana, a few more beautiful photos. That beautiful moon was hanging low over the Craters of the Moon National Park outside of Arco, Idaho.

A shot of myself, either before or after I went skinny dipping in a river in the Tahoe National Forest. It was hard to stop smiling-- I love being out in nature, especially in a judgement-free zone where it's ok to be truly human.

My friend Chris and I got all done up to go see Bjork at the Hollywood Palladium in June. The crowd behind us didn't really appreciate Chris' height or his horns, but after the show ended, he was showered with compliments! Bjork is one of the first independent artists I ever listened to, so it was a dream come true to see her perform live. She sang so perfectly that I almost didn't believe it wasn't dubbed!

Hopefully it'll be sooner and not later before I post again, but if not, enjoy the photos and feel free to share this blog!

Downtown Warehouse Party

I am acquaintances with a handsome and talented gentleman named Jared Tate who lives in a studio in the Fashion District in Downtown LA and had a chance to go to a party in his decked out loft. All the usual suspects are here: Thalia, Jonnah and Chris Boss along with April O'Neil. I used the party as an opportunity to play "Unofficial Party Photographer" but mostly I ended up just snapping some interesting photos of my friends and the crowd.

Clearly I'm an amateur, but I love that my learning curve still allows me to take photos that offer unusual results that I still enjoy and am proud to share.

At the party's peak, local comedy band The Weekend Pilots performed a set of their songs.

People laughed, people danced, people got comfortable and got cozy, at which point the evening more or less dissolved into me taking candid portraits of my friends around the loft.

If you like my photos, please share my blog with your friends! Also, keep an eye on the These Things First Tumblr account for outtakes, photos of myself and my life (mostly the food I eat and my dog) and other photos that you might not see on this blog!

The Standard Hotel Downtown, January 2013

On January 21, 2013, a group of my friends and I gathered up our summer gear and celebrated a little bit of July at Christmas down at The Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles. I think people get the idea that Californians (and Angelenos in particular) take our non-stop summer weather for granted, but we like to take advantage as best as we can. The Standard Hotel rooftop pool is open to the public and is free every day (except Saturdays, where you can expect a $20 cover charge), so we got there early and sipped up overpriced cocktails with reckless abandon. This is how we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Los Angeles — ideally, from within the midst of the beautiful Downtown LA skyline.







swimsuit is JOYRICH x Keith Haring.










Visit Thalia and Jonnah at Infinite Pi (∞ Π) and visit Chris Boss at clitmonsterbbygrl. All photos taken by melissac. (except the one of myself, which is by Jonnah!)