KELLY EUBANKS PHOTO BLOG

Year of the Dragon: Chinese New Year

2012-01-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to celebrate the Chinese New Year Parade in Chinatown (downtown Los Angeles) for some time, but never quite made it out before. I'm so glad this year I was able to. It was a lovely, warm January day. Here are some shots of the parade. If you ever get a chance...Go!

Zugspitze: Quiet in the German Alps - Los Angeles, CA, United States, Travel + Leisure Photo

2012-01-20T16:56:00.000-08:00

Zugspitze: Quiet in the German Alps - Los Angeles, CA, United States, Travel + Leisure Photo

If you like my photos, please log in and click on the stores and vote for my photo. Thank you!

A NEW SITE AND SOME THOUGHTS FOR A NEW YEAR

2012-01-17T20:38:00.001-08:00

If you haven't seen my new website, please check it out: Kelly Eubanks Photography. I designed it as well as did all the photography. If you like me on FB and send me an email before January is over, I will offer you discounted design or photo services valid up until May 30th, 2012. May you all have a wonderful journey in 2012. I look forward to all the creativity that lays before us in this new year and may you all live your lives to your fullest potential and achieve your dreams!

Some inspiring quotes to set us all on our journey:

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

-St Francis of Assisi

"All who wander are not lost."

-JRR Tolken

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover"

-Mark Twain

MICHAEL EMERSON: A SHOOT I DID AWHILE AGO

2011-12-02T11:53:00.001-08:00

I never posted photos from this shoot I did with for Hollywood to Hollyweird as I had to wait for the images to be released, and then I got busy in my day job, life, etc. So I wanted to finally brag about a really fun shoot I did with talented actor Michael Emerson, director Michael Moutsatsos, and my friend & Videographer David McAbee. Check out the photos on The Michael Emerson Fanpage or on Facebook.

FLORAL DESIGN

2011-11-21T20:15:00.000-08:00

Some of my photos are featured on Noble Four Creative. I love collaborating with My Linh Miles, the talented floral designer. See more of my images and her lovely designs coming soon.

GRAPHIC DESIGN BEGINNINGS + TEENAGE OBSESSIONS

2011-11-20T12:56:00.000-08:00

When I was younger I loved making photoshop collages of celebrities, many of whom I had teenage obsessions with. Gwen Stefani/No Doubt was definitely the greatest as you'll see in my earlier post. No different from today's Twihards or the sixties' Beatlemaniacs I needed to express my adoration for these sensorial-talented beauties who inspired me in my youth. Below are some of my earliest, more primitive graphic design & photoshop skills at work as well as a brief look into the brain of an obsessed teenage girl.

A PLACE I CAN ENVISION LIVING: PORTLAND

2011-11-16T18:13:00.000-08:00

Like any city, Portland has it's pros and cons, but after my third visit (this time virtually rain free) I have to say I am very smitten. I can envision myself biking to work every day, and am practicing now on the evermore bike-friendlier streets of Los Angeles. I wouldn't mind trying a different restaurant every week and all the unique food trucks scattered around town by the plenty. I foresee myself sipping hot cocoa or coffee at Powell's Hawthorne weekly and walking down my neighborhood streets and taking in all the beautiful gardens that are obviously the pride and joy of their owners! I can envision treasure hunting in thrift stores that thrive on nostalgia. I most definitely can see myself taking many weekend trips to the coast or visiting the beautiful wine country, spending time in the more rural and hospitable parts of Oregon that remind me of my Texan roots. I don't know if I will live in Portland though, as there are many other places I would equally love to live in a heartbeat (most outside the US), and the opportunity has not yet presented itself. So for now I will just admire Portland as a visitor from afar and show you some of the colorful, quirky beauty that enchanted me.

And as a fun additive if you haven't seen Portlandia, it is a great show that takes place in Portland. It starts again in January on IFC. Portland native and Sleater Kinney band member Carrie Brownstien and SNL cast-member Fred Arminsen created and star in this creative comedy series along with many fun guest appearances like Aubrey Plaza and Amy Mann.

NATURE + DESIGN

2011-11-14T12:58:00.000-08:00

A SECRET GARDEN OF SORTS: GROW NATIVE NURSERY

2011-11-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

Today I went to a "secret" garden. Grow Native is actually a nursery, but it is definitely a new development in West LA in association with Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Gardens and Veteran's Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. Being, so new these links are the only real information on the nursery. I accredit this great find to my friend Carolyn, whose savvy seeks out many a treasure in Los Angeles.

In addition to great plants and a very informative staff, (one of whom came from the Rancho Santa Ana botanic Garden) this treasure is also home to a beautiful exotic bird sanctuary. After being greeted by the caws and hellos of these lovely creatures themselves, we met Christopher, an avid bird lover who is also turning his passions into a business. Featherpeutic teaches about birds and their eco-systems, the proper care and right handling of birds, all while showing off their dazzling natural talents.

LOMO PHOTOS

2011-10-25T18:54:00.001-07:00

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS: MESHING CULTURES & TRADITION LA STYLE

2011-10-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

Saturday my husband and I went to the 12th Annual Dia de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. It was our first time. This fun event brought a modern LA take to a long standing Mexican tradition, popularizing and bringing together people from many cultures as our LA community uniquely does. Traditionally, the Day of the Dead takes place on November 1st coinciding with All Saints Day, but holding it on a Saturday allowed for more festivities and more people to be able to attend. As a photographer, it was a sensory overload of colorful visual stimuli, from the painted faces and costumes of people to, flowers and memorabilia of exhibits; all quite amazing and inspiring.

My only criticism of the event is that they did not allow for bicycle parking, which in LA these days is a bit behind the times. All events should promote if not sponsor more clean & efficient transportation, such as biking, which is in itself becoming a large community in LA. There was however an exhibit at the event that called some awareness to the biking community and bike safety. I have a small photo below. For Cinespia movie nights at the cemetery they do allow bikers to come in, so I don't understand why this event couldn't find a way to do the same. Otherwise, the whole day was full of fun activities for all which included face painting, interactive exhibitions, music and traditional dance, and delicious food! Below are just some of the photos I took of LA's Dia de los Muertos.

GREEN GROUNDS: AN LA GARDEN PROJECT

2011-10-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday I built a garden in South Central Los Angeles with a friend and the nonprofit group LA Green Grounds. I found out about this group via a Master Gardner Workshop at The Natural History Museum, taught by Florence Nishida. A huge advocate of sustainability through our community and gardening, Florence believes that hands on participation is as important as the information she teaches. The Green Grounds project is about building edible and sustainable gardens in an area where healthy, affordable food options are hard to come by. This was a great experience as a gardener in training and also in building and understanding our communities in Los Angeles. We often feel very disconnected as Angelenos as we are blessed and cursed living in a sprawling urban city of diverse communities. Events like this help to remind me that we can always do something and be involved in our own local communities and even the community at large. In an era of global politics and economics through technology, it can be hard to stay connected to one another on a basic level even though we are virtually "connected" all the time. Sometimes it is about getting down and dirty with fellow citizens, putting our hands in the soil and actually sowing the seeds for hope and change together. We then come to realize how much we really can accomplish as a collective community and as human beings. I feel so grateful for this experience and all the inspiring people I have met along the way. I hope to translate the practical knowledge I have gained into starting my own garden with my neighbors. Now I know that staying involved in my community and really participating is the only way to really promote growth and change for a better future. LA Green Grounds is a real grass roots program and anyone can join. So check out their website and maybe I'll see you at the next dig in! Below are some photos from our exhilarating day!

The family plants a fruit tree.

Emily (left) one of the host's family members & Vanessa (right) from LA Green Grounds

WOAD BLUE: A FRENCH GENERAL WORKSHOP

2011-10-03T19:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I tried out a Woad workshop through French General. I was turned onto this amazing dye workshop by my ever inspiring friend and floral designer, My Linh.

The day started with donuts and coffee at French General where we shopped around and chatted. French General is a crafter's dream. Located between Silverlake and Atwater Village, it is only open Mondays 11am-4pm and workshop days, but you can peruse and shop online anytime. The store offers unique design inspirations such as beads, fabrics, pins, and other small crafts mostly coming from France. The owner, Kaari Meng also has a blog: The Warp and The Weft, where she shares her latest inspirations. Below are images from inside her store.

Thirty minutes later we made our way to Elysian Park where we were greeted by the woad expert and enthusiast, Denise Lambert (pictured below). Denise travels yearly from France just to teach and share her love of woad with eager Angelenos. You can also visit her studio in France: Bleu de Lectoure where she and her husband grow and cultivate the plants which they eventually extract the pigment from to make woad dye. At Bleu de Lectoure you can buy the dye, take workshops, or buy clothing dyed woad blue. There is also an Academy of Arts and Sciences of Woad in Toulouse, France where the woad trade was very prosperous in the early to mid 15th Century. It was used to dye the uniforms of Napoleon Bonaparte and garments of royalty throughout Europe until Indigo and other synthetic dyes took over. Woad is 100% natural and produces some breathtaking and unique varieties of pastel and occasionally darker blues.

The effects of the blues vary based on fabrics but also on how many times you dip your article into the dye. Whatever you are dying must be fully submerged in order to hold the dye. When first pulled out it is almost a pastel green/turquoise, but as the fabric oxidizes it turns the desired bluish color. Then you can dip again to achieve darker blues. The more natural the fabric the better the dye holds, and should not fade over time. The chemical process of achieving woad dye is a bit complicated and fickle, but the results are stunning!

DOCUMENTARY RECOMMENDATIONS

2011-09-26T19:56:00.000-07:00

Recently I've watched two really great documentaries.

1. Bill Cunningham New York

This is a look at a long time street photographer who has worked for The New York Times, Women's Wear Daily, and Details. Bill Cunningham, an avid street fashion follower since the 1950s spends hours and hours photographing street fashion and in essence observing the trends. Bill is a modest man, how knows what he wants out of life, not allowing anything superfluous to interfere with his main love, photographing fashion. He doesn't dress up for any situation or put on heirs when rubbing shoulders with the rich and social elite. Up until recently he lived in a modest studio above Carnegie Hall with no kitchen and still is found riding his bike around the city with his camera. He is known to refuse money which could increase his wealth, but in turn chooses to forgo the financial obligation that comes with payment, continuing to do what he wants how he wants. He is not interested in fame or fortune, not even status, yet has gained much respect and infamy in the fashion world, world wide. He is always a welcome guest at the most exclusive events. His keen eye and taste inspire fashionistas to dress in hopes of being captured by him. Vogue editor-in-chief, Anna Wintour states dressing for Bill and being devastated when he doesn't photograph her. This documentary is fun for people who like fashion, inspiring for photographers and art lovers, and also a refreshing portrait of a man who lives a modest but invigorating life. It shows that one can stay down to earth and true to his values and still achieve great success.

2. Herb and Dorothy

This is another peak into the art world via two collectors, Herbert and Dorothy Vogel. Unlike most collectors exposed in films and magazines, this couple is also very modest and uninterested in status. They live their lives on a shoestring budget of a postal worker and librarian, spending all their extra money on art. Like Bill Cunningham, the Vogels are inevitibly part of high society with no real interest in the fame or fortune of it. They just love art, collecting it, and supporting the art community. In the film they are shown in their one bedroom apartment that seems more like a storage facility, full of works from lesser known artists to the more famed Sol Lewitt, Donald Judd, and Chuck Close. Many of their pieces were acquired in the 1960s when these artists were selling work for cheap. The Vogels even got a few pieces on trade. Instead of selling works and choosing to become millionaires, Herb and Dorothy have now donated their collection to The National Gallery in Washington DC and are in the process of distributing what else they have to other states because they just had too many works. This is a different kind of philanthropy that is less shown today in the art world or in many circles. They refer to their art collection as their child that has been raised well and put out into the world for others to know and enjoy. You can view their collection here. I highly recommend this documentary for art lovers as well as for the story about two generous, modest people who wanted to share their passion for art with the world.

Both of these films show what can be achieved when passion overcomes greed and modesty and dedication overcome desire for fame and fortune. Both films are inspiring, and hopefully not the exceptions, but rather are just two of the many examples of how we can all have a passion filled meaningful existence through our own hard work, dedication, and involvement in our respective communities.

OREGON TRIP PART II: MY FARM FAMILY

2011-09-16T18:47:00.001-07:00

Two weeks is not really enough time to get to know people well, but in a short amount of time I felt I shared a meaningful time with the people I met on Riverside Farm. So I would like to introduce my "farm family".

Jackie, the farm's owner, was a kind spirited woman full of interesting tales from teaching Science in southern California to meeting a mysterious medicine man in the desert. She was open to our stories too and could almost be called a spiritual or at least philosophical guide. Her farm definitely has brought together an interesting mix of people from all over the world, whose stories seemed to interweave together in an uncanny way.

In addition to teaching us all a bit more about herbs and farming, she taught us to listen to our hearts (or that "inner voice"); and not to always make assumptions of people or situations at face value, yet use that inner voice to guide us.

Tom is a long time friend of Jackie's, and much needed handyman who passes by yearly to help on the farm. In addition to doing some of the more complicated work that Jackie and her wwoofers are unable to do, Tom is a kind spirit who also had many interesting tales. When he's not on the road, the unmistakable Bostonian makes his homestead between Laguna Beach and Belize, where he has a flourishing ecotourism business.

Charlie, a mostly inward young girl who recently moved from China to Wisconsin for studies, was a bit harder to know. Clearly smart, philosophical, and adventuresome with an admittedly darker humor and an eye for photography herself. She was funny and full of energy and definitely brought an interesting perspective to our group.

Emily, an American born English girl, was a fast friend. After day one it was as if we were almost inseparable. I felt we could speak openly about anything, laugh, and console one another without judgment or discomfort. She was also the savior I spoke of when it came to my fear of spiders. Emily came to the farm as her first step at hopefully making America her home. Spending time with her in the magical town of McMinville gave me a refreshed appreciation and perspective on a country I often have many grievances with. Sometimes you feel people are just great souls and mates, and I believe I found one in Emily.

Andrei, a Utahan, by way of Austin, Texas was a refreshing mix to our group of gals. I connected with him initially over our ties to Texas. I feel I did not give him enough credit though for his kindness and openness. This was mainly due to my obsession with his dog, Barkley (photo below). Andrei another spirit on a quest, trying to find a life a bit more suited to his passions while also keeping the bank, decided to revisit the state where he graduated college and join us in a wwoofing adventure. He was kind and hard working, taking the hard jobs that most of us girls were in no hurry to volunteer for: swimming in a rank river to dislodge a broken water pump, carrying a half decayed sheep to burial, and working in a pen with a surly and somewhat dangerous goat. His keen sense to buy face masks while we cleaned a dusty chicken coop caked in poo, was an astute and much appreciated idea. Taking interest in all of us and seeing his blog, I think he could find his success in writing for sure. Check it out here: http://travelswithbarkley.wordpress.com/.

Now for the animals. While Barkley was not an official animal of Riverside Farms, I think he should receive an honorary recognition. He was so well behaved, always with a smile on his face, and really brought out the love that only man's best friend can. He was not only popular with us but everyone he met in town and I'm sure wherever he goes. While Andrei, probably hopes to use him as lady bait, I think he should be weary that some lady doesn't just want to snatch him up. It's like finding the right parent for your child I would think.

MacBeth, the Chinese rooster who crowed morning and afternoon & Hundertwasser, the peacock named after an Austrian artist. Hudert, as Jackie called him for short, liked to stare at himself in a mirror, jump on the roof, or hide in the bushes. He also liked fig newtons.

This is Buckey, the calm yet distant alpaca. These shots were the closest I could get to him before he quickly backed away. Gotta love the haircut!

Unfortunately I don't remember the mom's name, but Lila, the the lamb on the left was pretty much Jackie's equivalent of a dog. Every evening and many mornings she would come baaing for her bottle of milk, which Jackie was weening her from. Very persistent and seemingly loyal, she followed Jackie around almost constantly, but she really hated to be pet.

Eyore and Jenny were the farm's donkeys. They were sweet and friendly, and would smile when you fed them apples. I'm so glad I got to capture this! Thanks again to Emily for feeding and telling them "smiles" in her charming British accent. They wouldn't always do it for me.

Bam Bam was the miniature horse who is also the symbol of the McMinville Public Market. He loved to be pet and would watch us chopping wood or feeding the donkeys in hopes we would feed him again.

I don't remember all the goats names either, except Narusse, the surly one off in the distance below. The one with the green collar liked me a lot because I once saved some food in the feeding bucket and gave it to her. She seemed to think I would do it every day, but I wasn't playing favorites.

Some more photos of activity on the farm. Tom & Jackie discussing how to calm Narusse, by moving his wife back in with him. She did not like it one bit! Poor thing.

Veggies and fruits from Jackie's garden.

Andrei was well experienced with chickens, and had raised some of his own prior to this trip. He taught me how to pick one up. I wish someone had gotten a photo of that!

Charlie loved the trampoline!

Here's one of me, taken by Charlie. She really did have a good eye for photos too. I hope she can pursue it.

OREGON TRIP PART I: THE RED BARN

2011-09-15T17:08:00.000-07:00

I recently spent a few weeks in Oregon. It was an amazing, and possibly life changing trip. Time will tell, but I definitely learned a lot about myself and some of the care as well as how much time goes into farm life. I was able to have this amazing experience thanks to the "wwoofing" program. The farm I stayed at was Riverside Farm, a unique little gem located in the charming town of McMinville, OR. McMinville is also home to great wine, The Spruce Goose, and a the country's second largest UFO festival. For the two weeks I lived at Riverside Farms I used a compost toilet, worked outdoors, had amazing local organic food, and lived in a red barn. This post is dedicated to my challenging but opening experience living in the red barn.

I have to say I was a bit weary of staying in a barn even though, they are quite nice in photographs. Many of my fears about farm life and being outdoors were realized. Creatures seemed to be even more prevalent here than when I have been camping. The first night inside the barn, with birds flying over my head, I laid on a bed that felt like a rock. The second night I moved into a space we called "the cave" with a far more comfortable bed, three walls, and sheets all around. I thought in this semi-enclosed space I would be more protected from the outside critters who had made their way into the barn. I was wrong.

My first night in "the cave" I checked my bed for spiders, then taking heed of what the previous tenants had said I decided to look up and check the ceiling. Above my head I counted 11 spiders. On closer inspection I saw that 5 were pregnant. Remembering Charlotte's Web, I was not excited about hundreds of baby spiders crawling on me in the night. Being a long time city gal, I was also incredibly squeamish about handling any bugs, let alone spiders. Normally I would yell for my husband or at worst quickly smash a shoe on the poor little guys, but I wanted to overcome this irrational need to kill something potentially harmless. With great fortune, Emily, a sweet English girl and now cherished friend, offered with no fear to catch them for me. She calmly caught each one, one by one in a glass cup and threw them out the window. I thanked her profusely, and she said it was no problem. For the first week this was our evening ritual, and she became my bi-nightly "spider woman". She was so sweet and so brave that it actually changed something inside me. By the end of the second week I was catching the spiders (now only two or three would gather) and throwing them out the window myself! Victory! Since I have returned to city life I have only once encountered a creepy crawler in my home, but instead of killing it or yelling like a girl for my husband, I put the little spider in a cup and sent him outside. I have always appreciated spiders' webs and the jobs they do, but I do appreciate them more as beings now. However, I still do not want them in my home. Sorry little dudes! Below is Emily on the left, and Charlie, the quirky and unpredictable Chinese girl by way of Wisconsin, on the right.

Another thing that took getting used to in our living space was the clutter. At first I found it a bit overwhelming, mostly because after years of being a bit of a hoarder myself, I have now become more of a minimalist thanks to my clean and organized husband. It was a bit of an adjustment to see so many big and little trinkets: rocks, shells, drums, and even a doll house covered in dust and spider webs. By the end though I could appreciate the beauty and love that was brought into this space from it's passers-by. While I still would not opt for quite as much stuff nor this aesthetic in my own living space, I could appreciate the uniqueness that was present in this one. I even came to enjoy the different sheets with their variety of patterns, decorating and defining the space.

above (bottom left): my cave

The final issue I had to overcome was the amount of flying creatures. Like spiders, I am not a big bird person because they are fast, small, and unpredictable. They are pretty to spot in forests or backyards, but having many fly around in my living space was a bit difficult. Also, I've seen The Birds. Alfred Hitchcock was a brilliant director, and was so successful at presenting horror and suspense that the emotions I felt during his film resurfaced on this very occasion.

While in general I am not too fearful of birds attacking me, having them fly over my head in an enclosed space was a bit unsettling. The other bad thing is they poop everywhere! Most days we could shoo them out by nightfall, but one night a few of these little swallows came in before we went to bed. Below in the barn they had made nests, and we were told that they were gathering for migration. Why they came to our living space when clearly their loved ones were outside and below us is beyond me.

The night they came in we got them all out but one. It was kind of sad because he kept flying into a close window we could not reach. Finally we decided to let him be. He was mostly very quiet and waited until morning to leave. Around one a.m. though I heard fluttering very near to my head. Waking abruptly from a deep sleep this startled me. I jumped up to turn on the light and saw a bat fly out of my cave. Now not only were swallows and spiders making home in my temporary home but bats too!! This was a bit much, and I came very close to leaving the next day. However, with support of my husband and Emily as well as a much needed weekend getaway to the coast, I was able to regroup the following week and survive!

Later Jackie, the farm owner, showed me a dead bat that had been caught and it really was quite cute. I wish I had taken a photo, but I felt silly being so scared of such a tiny, kind of cute creature. The bat never returned though.

Below is the lone swallow.

More unique decor

One of my favorite things about the barn though was sitting in the window and looking out at the farm. Below is this vantage with little swallows sitting along the telephone wire.

To find out more about the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms visit their website: http://www.wwoof.org/.

ZION, UT

2011-07-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

Below are photos from a three day camping trip my friend My Linh and I took to Zion.

From Emerald Pools trail:

On the hike up to Angel's Landing:

DESIGN: BUENOS AIRES

2011-07-28T16:11:00.001-07:00

MORE OJAI: A FUSCHIA WEDDING

2011-07-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

My friend, My Linh does great floral designs for events. Again you can visit her site for more info, Noble Four Designs. I was hired to shoot her designs for a wedding she did a few weeks ago in Ojai. I was lucky to get some shots of the bride and wedding party, thanks to the kind hired photographers. The bride looked stunning, the setting was lush and green, yet low key. My Lihn's flowers really popped and brought a fun vibrancy to this overcast, sweet, morning wedding.

OJAI VALLEY: MEDITATION MOUNT

2011-07-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I helped a friend with a wedding in Ojai. After the wedding we decided to explore a little, visiting the Meditation Mount. About, 15 miles east of the town center, this quiet climb overlooks the Ojai valley. We met a lovely woman who was staying for a month long meditation retreat. A regular to the meditation center, she gathered flowers from the garden for the afternoon meditation, and gave us a quick tour of the grounds. The space was created in the late 1960s by a woman from New York and a landscaper from Santa Barbara, in the tradition of Tibetan Buddhist site. Most of the site's upkeep is done through stewardship and volunteering. It is open to the public. This is a great southern california treasure of those who need to get away and feel more connected!

We ended the trip with a local homemade Strawberry shortcake from Boccali's:

DOORS

2011-07-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

Brugge, Belgium

Dallas, Texas

Venice, California

Paris, France (repost)

Lyme Regis, England

DESIGN

2011-07-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

2011-07-05T11:02:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July!

THE LA RIVER: NEAR ATWATER

2011-07-01T02:09:00.000-07:00

THRILLER

2011-06-24T11:51:00.001-07:00

I've been going through old photos and then watched Michael Jackson's Thriller video again recently, and realized without even knowing that I had taken a photo of the house in the video.

This is a still from the Thriller video.

This is my image from the historic Angeleno Heights in Echo Park, Los Angeles. It just goes to show what a good compositor can do.

The make up effects were done by Rick Baker, who also did Batman Forever, Harry and the Hendersons, Men in Black I and II, Star Wars Episode IV, & countless other great films.

JUST ANOTHER TUESDAY IN VENICE CA

2011-06-14T21:09:00.000-07:00

OJAI, CA

2011-06-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

FLOWER MARKET LOS ANGELES

2011-06-10T19:44:00.001-07:00

ODE TO BASKETBALL

2011-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

These are some shots I took about a month ago, but I thought I'd post them as my ode to basketball. I've been watching the NBA Finals and hoping The Mavs win it this year because they are one of the most deserving and hardworking teams out there! And they're from my hometown Dallas. Go Mavs!

JOSHUA TREE: YUCCAS, SUNSETS, AND CAMPFIRES

2011-06-06T19:19:00.001-07:00

DESIGN

2011-06-06T13:05:00.000-07:00

My friend My Linh is an amazing floral designer, with a PR and event planning background. I recently had the opportunity to shoot a baby shower she decorated. Below are some images of her inspired creations and decorations! Check out her blog: Noble Four Designs.

I don't know much about floral design, but her designs capture all the senses. I love the use of the ball jam jars and fresh mint as a nice scented arrangement filler.

The shower had great little bite sized pies and cakes from a bakery in Long Beach, called Sweet & Saucy. My Linh found this place based on her fine culinary tastes and her desire for all elements of her events to be beautiful. These were mini chocolate smore pies. Yum!

The momma-to-be also made fresh strawberry jam from local Oxnard strawberries, and gave them as party favors. My Linh decorated the jars with stickers and placed them in fresh moss for style.

In this floral arrangement she added coffee beans for a unique color accent. Great idea! She also made a delicious peach sangria that matched the decor.

If you like My Linh's design please contact her through her blog, Noble Four Designs. She is great! Contact me if you need event photos.

A BEAUTIFUL LADY

2011-06-01T23:20:00.000-07:00

NYC: BRINGS MAY FLOWERS

2011-05-25T01:17:00.000-07:00

COLORFUL CONEY ISLAND

2011-05-16T13:25:00.000-07:00

NYC: CENTRAL PARK IN SPRING

2011-05-15T16:18:00.001-07:00

"He adored New York City. He idolized it all out of proportion. Eh uh, no, make that he, he romanticized it all out of proportion."

-Woody Allen (Manhattan)

Central Park is quite magical and inspiring anytime of year, but Spring offered up some wonderful delights: the blossoming trees, a pink ballerina dancing in Columbus Circle, Cinderella leaving an afternoon party, and kids racing toy boats on the lake. You can see why Woody Allen and many others have fallen in love with New York over and over again. These are just a few of the treasures I captured on my journey through this modern day wonderland.

Columbus Circle

“If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.” -Lewis Carroll (Alice and Wonderland)

"What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else."

-Joseph Campbell

The Guggenheim

"We shape our buildings; thereafter they shape us." -Winston Churchill

SATURDAY FARMER'S MARKET IN SANTA MONICA

2011-03-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

SAN DIEGO: SPRING IN BALBOA PARK AND CORONADO IS.

2011-03-20T14:22:00.000-07:00

LYME REGIS, UK

2011-01-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I spent a day and a half in the Southern English seaside town, Lyme Regis. A good friend of mine is from here, and I had never been to a seaside town in England. Apparently, it is full of tourists in the summer, but quite dead during the winter months. Also raining and cold everyone insisted it was much nicer in the summer, but to me this just added to the quiet beauty. It felt as if the was a town was here just for us.

A staple of the English family wardrobe

Benji, the family's black lab was so sweet.

Anna and her mom

clay kitchenware by a local Lyme artist

Water is a big part of Lyme, whether rain or shine. Water runs throughout the town into the sea, and The Town Mill is a local tourist attraction as well as incorporated into the names of many local restaurants and breweries.

My two beautiful, adventuresome friends!

Beach changing houses

MY HOMETOWN: DOWNTOWN DALLAS

2010-12-06T14:26:00.000-08:00

I decided to interrupt my Europe postings for a minute and go back to my hometown. I will miss it during the holidays, but am going back soon after.

I took these the day after our wedding since we had some time to kill and were staying downtown. The first few are of my favorite building in Dallas, The Fountain Place. The building mostly just houses offices, but outside lies an unexpectedly serene water garden. They do wedding receptions at the downstairs restaurant, Avanti, and sometimes you will see photographers capturing the wedding party in the water garden. In an ideal world I would have liked to have some of our wedding photos done here, but it didn't come to pass. I didn't take any photos of the actual fountains because most are shut off on Sundays. I do have some in my film library somewhere. It was one of the places I first photographed when I started doing photography. I love just sitting here on a nice day, listening to the fountains and watching the reflections change in the buildings.

The Fountain Place reflected in another building.

The Fountain Place peeking into in the background.

A photo of Anna sitting peacefully outside, at The Fountain Place

ONE MORE OF PARIS

2010-12-04T18:00:00.000-08:00

So I lied about the previous post being my last post on Paris. I had to post these photos of my favorite metro stop in Paris, Assemblée Nationale off the 12. I know there are so many cool metro stops I didn't see, but of the ones I saw Assemblée Nationale was the most colorful. It reminds me of a Piet Mondrian painting with a slight twist. Another great photographer who photographed the Paris metro is Larry Yust. Check out his book Metro.

PARIS

2010-12-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

This will probably be my last post dedicated to Paris for now. It is just a culmination of other photos I took around the streets of Paris, things I found interesting about the city.

Musée national du Moyen Age (Thermes de Cluny)

Marche de Puces (flea market) in Saint-Ouen

a pretty blue door with lions' head handles on Rue Vieille du Temple

near the Pompidou

sunset through the buildings

and along the River Seine

AN HOMAGE TO EGGLESTON

2010-12-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

So every now and then I like to pay homage to my favorite photographers, the ones who inspire me. I already paid homage to Mr. William Eggleston a few months back, but I recently saw his work again at LACMA. So I wanted to post a few images. Most are from the exhibit: Democractic Camera, but some I just liked from his trust website. Read more about him here or see the documentary about him, William Eggleston in the Real World. The LACMA exhibition is open until January 16th, 2011. Go see it if you are in the LA area! It's free Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays after 5pm to LA residents or second Tuesday of the month to all!

GRENOBLE POST II: LA BASTILLE

2010-12-01T21:56:00.000-08:00

I felt La Bastille deserved it's own posting, being one the major tourist spots of Grenoble. Now, I know tourist sites usually mean crowded and often overrated. La Bastille was neither crowded and most definitely not overrated. Sometimes, places are highly recommended for a reason. It's about an hour hike up or ten minutes by téléphérique (my sister and I hiked up and took the téléphérique down), taking you to the top for a magnificent view of the city and Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps.

GRENOBLE

2010-11-30T14:59:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I find going to the "towns" of countries is more interesting than major cities. Grenoble is not exactly a town in size, with over 150,000 people. However, it is much smaller than Paris and still has a lot to offer. It was the home of the 1968 Winter Olympics as well as one of France's biggest Universities, Université de Grenoble. I spent only two days in Grenoble, but it will definitely be a place I hold in my heart and memory. Here are just a few photos.

The Sheepest

Architecture and Foliage around the Univesité de Grenoble

PARENTS ON A TRAIN

2010-11-24T16:32:00.001-08:00

LUXEMBOURG GARDENS

2010-11-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

Another great park within Paris is Luxembourg Gardens. The lovely fall foliage was in full bloom. For some history of this once palace turned public park, visit wikipedia. Below are my photos of the gardens!

PARIS: JARDINS VERSAILLES

2010-11-22T17:04:00.000-08:00

Our last day in France, we visited Palais Versaille. It was an overcast and chilly afternoon, but something about the fall colors and stillness of the gardens gave me a sense of all the history this place holds. Versaille is obviously a very high tourist destination, and I wonder how different it must be during the summertime. There were a good number of tourists when I was there, but I can only imagine it must triple during peak seasons. It was nice to find some spots in the garden where nobody was around and imagine being lost in nature for hours.

PARIS AND LONDON PHOTOS SOON

2010-11-19T21:26:00.000-08:00

Avalon, CA: Catalina Island

2010-11-19T12:20:00.001-08:00

So I am slowly crossing off "places on to see" in California. I've always wanted to go to Catalina Island, but finally made it out. It's about an 30 min drive to the San Pedro port and then another hour by boat. When we arrived the weather was very cloudy and later began to drizzle. Our tour was cancelled due to fog so we just wandered around the shoreline up to the Avalon Casino. It was a lovely and relaxing little getaway. It feels miles away from Los Angeles life, and you can still feel a bit of that old world Hollywood allure. Hopefully I can go back on a sunnier trip and explore more or maybe try out some camping.

VEGAS: CITY OF VISUAL WONDERMENT

2010-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

So I have been to Vegas about a dozen times, most before I turned 21. People always asked me what I did there when I wasn't of drinking and gambling age. I always told them the same thing. "I take photos". This time I was of age, and indulged in a little of sin city's debauchery, but mostly I still just take photos. I find Vegas one of the most interesting places to photograph. It's almost hard to keep up with all the photo possibilities and filter out the interesting ones.

We went with a friend from England, who had never been. So we tried to do as much of The Strip as possible. We walked from 11am to 1am only stopping to eat and drink.

We only got 2/3 of the way through before we had to stop. Then we went to Downtown! I didn't take many photos there. :(

I hadn't been in almost 6 years, and had forgotten how visually overwhelming it was. There has been a lot of growth since I last went. The Aria and City Center were by far the most interesting new developments architecturally. I also had one of the best fruit smoothies ever at the Aria: Pineapple, Strawberry, Banana.

4TH OF JULY

2010-07-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

PARIS AND INSPIRATION

2010-06-03T11:58:00.000-07:00

I'm going to Paris in the Fall!

Below is a video review of one of my favorite photographers, William Eggleston who recently showcased his series Paris, for the Fondation Cartier in Tokyo. Check out the article about his exhibition and work. Some of his work will also be in the upcoming exhibition In Focus: The Tree at the Getty next winter. Eggleston, is one of my biggest inspirations as a photographer, and I am excited to go photograph where he has and see what images I can come up with.

I'm very excited about my trip to Paris, and hoping to make it up to England for a few days too. I really want to visit the Roald Dahl Museum. He is another one of my inspirations and the most beloved author of my childhood. Can't wait for my journey to begin. Now for some research and planning.

PHOTOS OF DAVE

2010-05-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

So I recently took photos of my friend Dave for his website in downtown LA. Here are just a few from our shoot. Check out his website for awesome wedding videography.

Thanks for a fun shoot!

NEW ZEALAND WINE COUNTRY: BLENHEIM & PICTON

2010-04-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

One of the places we visited in New Zealand, was the Malrborough wine region. If you are into wine and touring wineries, I highly recommend it. If you are not into wine, but like good food the Marlborough region is also for you. The saying "where there is wine there is good food" certainly rings true here.

We took a ferry over from Wellington through the Queen Charlotte sound. Three hours later we docked in the Picturesque town of Picton. It is located at the northern tip of the South Island off the Titoki Bay. We only spent a couple hours here before we caught our bus to Blenheim, but we did enjoy a nice walk around the quaint Picton harbor.

Our time in Blenheim was short as well. With only a day and a half though, we had were able to sample this growing wine region. We booked a nice half day tour through Bubbly Grape Wine Tours (van pictured below). Our tour guide, Kerry picked us up at our hotel about noon. There was an option of going at 10am, but that seemed bit much for a light drinker like myself.

If you do take this tour (which I highly recommend), I suggest taking it with Kerry. She is very open to suggestions. You can make it your own tour depending on your group. She also has a ton of stories, some of which were quite hilarious. She also hand makes journals to write down all the wineries you visit and wines tasted. She really made our tour unforgettable and fun.

On our tour, we visited five wineries. First stop was Fromm where we actually bought a bottle of the 2008 Riesling Spätlese. The woman who gave the tasting was incredibly knowledgeable, not only about New Zealand wine, but wine in general. She spoke a lot about the Mosel wine region in Germany, which I was able to try some wines from during a wine festival in Köln last year. Fromm winery is actually owned by Germans.

Next stop was Grove Mill. Here we were able to pick and taste the wine grapes off the vines and stroll through the vineyards. Walking through the vineyards reminded me a bit of the Santa Barabara wine region. This winery actually exports some of their labels to the US.

Another interesting winery, was Spy Valley. The name originated because it is located in the Waihopa Valley near actual spy domes. There was even a story about how one of the domes was recently deflated and being rebuilt a few weeks prior to our visit. This story can be found through tvnz.co.

Spy Valley is one of the newer wineries in the area, built in 2003. You can tell by the modern design of the building. A unique aspect to the architecture is the conceptualization of the outside design. The outer wood paneling is placed sectionally so it mimics morse code, spelling out Spy Valley all around the building. Pretty cool!

Our last winery of the day was Bladen. It was the smallest of the wineries we visited, and family owned. Christine, one of the owners actually served us for our tasting and shared her story of how she came to own a winery. Maybe it was because this was the last winery of our tour, but they had some of the best wine from all the wineries we visited. Usually, they say by the end all wines taste the same, but by then my cold had cleared up some and I think I could actually appreciate the flavors and aromas more. This was also one of the valley's older wineries, so they probably had more experience in perfecting their wines. We bought two bottles from Bladen.

Marlborough was a great little stop on our New Zealand trip. It was very low key, and until recently, not as sought out area for tourists. However, the area is quite charming and lovely, and I am glad we stopped here on our whirlwind tour of New Zealand.

The last two photos are just some nice sunsets in Blenheim and through our bus to Picton.

MORE KAIKOURA PHOTOS

2010-04-21T17:33:00.001-07:00

One of the other reasons our stay in Kaikoura was so special, was because of our accommodations. We stayed above the town at a bed & breakfast called Austin Heights. It's small, but the people who own it our sweet and you can tell they really love what they do.

They served us a delicious continental breakfast every morning (included) and give free transport to and from the train station or bus stop. We were lucky, and got a few extra rides no charge. They rent out bikes, have laundry on site, and a friendly cat named Oscar. John, one of the owners was so warm and funny. He would sit and eat breakfast with us and give us recommendations for where to eat in the town and ask us what we did the day before. All of his recommendations were spot on! We almost felt like we were saying goodbye to friends or relatives when we left. It felt like home.

Here are some more photos of the lovely seals from our Kayak trip. We got really close to some. It was quite amazing and fun to see them frolicking in their natural habitat. Like dolphins they are very playful and friendly so long as you don't bother them too much.

A nice photo of us taken by our Kayak guide, with a seal swimming in front of us.

More photos of the beautiful landscape. Couldn't get enough of it! This was at one point off the South Bay Reserve. We didn't get to go the whole track as it took us about an hour to get here from our hotel and we had other activities planned.

My husband does his Rocky impersonation after a long hike up with our bikes.

And a cute cow who was kind enough to look at me for the photo....I did wait though.

We miss you Kaikoura!

KAIKOURA, NZ

2010-04-19T23:15:00.000-07:00

So I decided to start with the last place we visited in New Zealand, which was actually our favorite. I took the most photos there because I wanted to record every moment and inch of space I could. The landscape alone was so awe inspiring and beautiful. It is definitely one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, and standing looking out at certain points you feel like you are at the end of the earth.

The way the sunlight fell was poetry alone. I felt like that seen in Bedazzled where Brendan Fraser is just too sensitive and wants to cry every time he looks at the sunset and then says "Why won't the darn thing set already?!"

Another reason I loved Kaikoura so much was all the wildlife we encountered. We kayaked with seals, went on a whale watch tour, and even had sheep right across from our bed & breakfast.

These are from the seal colony, which as you can see, we are literally feet away from them as they slumber in their natural habitat. I feel like there are very few places these days where you can be this close to wildlife without someone or something "protecting you" or rather protecting them from us. There were signs asking not to come to close because they do get ornery like any other animal when disturbed, but otherwise it seems people and wildlife can actually coexist peacefully here.

On our whale watching tour we saw a sperm whale, which I'm sad to say wasn't as interesting as I'd hoped. I've seen humpback whales in Hawaii, and they were much more lively. The sperm whale was only up for about 5 minutes and all you saw was 10% of his head, and then his tale as he dived down. The shot I took wasn't that interesting so I won't post it.

However, as the tour obviously knows how exciting seeing next to nothing of a whale for 5 minutes can be, they made up for it by taking us around to see other marine life. At the very least you get up close to other seal colonies and see large albatross, but we were lucky enough to see dolphins! I ♥ dolphins These are just a few shots from the hundreds I took.

It is very hard to photograph those dusky dolphins. They are incredibly fast and move in odd patterns. They do like to perform though. So I was able to get a couple nice shots of some of their flips.

It is true what they say about sheep in New Zealand. They are everywhere. We actually saw a sheep shearing show which I might post photos of. I do have mixed feelings about it though. I was assured by many Kiwis that sheep are not harmed in any way, but we did see them get nicked and cut. One of the lambs looked terrified half the time and was shaking. The show we saw was done by a seasoned sheep farmer, but seeing the look on the sheeps' faces was a bit hard for a vegetarian animal lover like myself. So here are some happier sheep photos.

This one has lots of sheep in the background...can you tell? They look like white dots.

And of course there is a tractor driver and his dog!

More photos tomorrow!

MARRIED

2010-04-17T19:20:00.001-07:00

So I haven't posted in awhile due to the fact I've been busy working and wedding planning. I didn't have a wedding planner, just help from friends and my mom. So it was like a full time job in itself towards the end.

All that planning paid off though. The whole day went off without a hitch. Everything was beautiful and the whole weekend was so much fun. So many friends and family came from all over to celebrate with us in Dallas, TX. Having all of our loved ones around really made everything so special.

These are just some of the photos. They were taken by my good friend, and amazing photographer, Jessica Peterson. These are from her blog:

For our honeymoon we went to New Zealand, which was also amazing and so beautiful. I will be posting those photos soon!

2010 TRAVEL WISH LIST

2010-01-14T14:41:00.001-08:00

So I haven't really traveled anywhere in awhile, which is one the most prominent joys of my existence, and brings me the most photographic inspiration. So for 2010 this is my travel wish list:

New Zealand (definitely going for honeymoon. Hooray!)
New York (haven't been in almost 4 years and miss it. Plus we have a friend there to visit.)
Aruba (have been invited to go again for a week with the soon to be in-laws)
Italy (invited to stay in Lucca but would like to revisit Venice, but really all over. Could probably go for 3-6 months if I could learn some basic Italian. If we ventured to Switzerland I wouldn't mind either. Could push this to 2011)
Tennessee (always wanted to see Graceland and visit some family nearby)
Costa Rica (very intrigued by the tropical weather, monkeys, and jungle. Might have free place to stay, and good way to practice my Spanish more)
Argentina (hopefully going for Christmas, but want to go to Puerto Madryn and maybe Iguazu again. I still really want to go live there again for another 3-6 months with my soon to be husband. La extraño mucho!)
London, England (one of my dear friend lives there and I haven't been since I was a teenager, but also could sacrifice for 2011 if Costa Rica or Argentina became more possible.)

Paris, France (although I'd like to go whenever my sister goes there)

and of course I'll definitely be going to my home state of Texas in March for our wedding.

Most of this is superfluous information for some of my readers, but to the universe--Let's make it happen! 2010 you are my year! Plus I would have way more travel photos to add to my already fantastic portfolio so all of you travel mags, blogs, and tourist bureaus would realize that you need me to take amazing photos, enhancing your your magazine, site, place, etc. A win win really.

In fact if any of the above interested parties would like to pay me a small stipend to go to any of the above places, I would charge you nothing for the photos, and could even offer free writing services for you as well.

Sincerely,

Kelly Eubanks