Thursday, March 24, 2016

Go West Project - Rose

ROSE

Rose is a leap year baby.
She's a mere three weeks old, and weighs less than 7 pounds.
During the past year, I watched her swell in her mother's stomach
as we sat in pitch meetings and lunches.
Her arrival has been highly anticipated. 






Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Go West Project - Maxie

MAXIE

Two year old Maxie routinely walks by my house with his nanny.
His little boy sweetness spills from him smile.
His adorableness grounds me in the present,
a respite from ticking off things on my to-do list.


Saturday, March 19, 2016

Go West Project - Joe

JOE

I've known Joe for 10 years.
When we first met he was 5, a pipsqueak, the youngest of three
who liked to bury his head in a Gameboy.
I would engage him in conversations about things that interested him like Pokeman or Minecraft.
In time, he greeted me with a theatrical run from across the room and a leap into my arms.
His hug was a like slice of warm blueberry pie.
Our conversations evolved as he approached adolescence and his interests expanded
to include science, pop culture and girls.
In recent years his growth spurt halted my ability to catch him in my arms.
Thankfully, I still get an affectionate embrace
even if it is accompanied with a teenage eye roll and smirk.

To-date, this was my favorite Go West experience.  
Joe was so open and comfortable in front of the camera,
and the setting sun crowned him in a 1970s effect.
Our conversation was easy, familiar, and laugh-inducing, 
yet the pictures capture a more serious side of him.
The emerging man is evident even though glimpses of the goofy boy can still be seen.






Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Go West Project - Kevin

I'm getting bolder approaching potential portrait candidates,
but I tend torush the process, and snap too quickly.
The results are mixed.
The lighting isn't always ideal, and the compositions look hurried.
Sometimes a happy accident results.
This is KEVIN.
His mother didn't speak English, her friend translated my request.
They kept encouraging him to smile.
 I'm grateful he didn't listen. 






Monday, March 14, 2016

SPRING

Everything is blooming in LA.
The not-quite-El Nino rains have resulted in a particularly fragrant spring.
 A reminder to just breathe, take it all in, and relish in the magic of the season.




Saturday, March 12, 2016

Go West Project - George

GEORGE

"Bandanna or hat, bandanna or hat", 
George mumbled to himself as he took his fedora on and off in front of the mirror.
Why not both, he decided.
George prided himself on his sartorial style,
and was looking forward to the compliments he would receive for his black wing-tipped shoes,
a gift from his friend Helen.
They were her husband's, and of no use to her after he died.
Pants would hide the workmanship, the quality of the leather
so he paired them with shorts.
En route to the neighborhood coffee shop,
he spotted two roses on Crazy Haddie's lawn.
They looked like they were dipped in the same dye as his tee shirt.
Not one for editing his accessories, he had to have them.
Mindful of the thorns, he bent one stem, then the other,
 until they were free to accompany him on his Saturday morning outing.




Thursday, March 10, 2016

Go West Project - Dan

DAN

It was the incidental gestures,
like the ease in which her tiny fingers latched onto his,
that caused Dan’s breath to catch.
When he tried to grasp the territory they would cover together,
he became overwhelmed.
He silently assured her he’d always be there to steady her,
for as long as she needed,
for as long as she wanted,
for as long as he was able.
He was humbled to know if life ran it’s natural course,
he would be the one in need of her sturdy hand.



Monday, March 7, 2016

Morning


A stranger stirred me from a nap on a burgundy velvet couch in a cozy flat in London.
A darling black puppy licked my hand berfore burrowing into my side.
A flash interrupted the moment. 
I was pulled to the light outside my bedroom.
A rattling rumble of thunder tugged me further.
The dream unspooled leaving a trail of discordant fragments.
A violent morning storm was on stage in the canyon.
Sheets of rain became leaden with ice. 
Another boom,
and I was fully awake.



Saturday, March 5, 2016

Go West Project - Margot

MARGOT

Her hands are cold as she hangs her vintage garments on the metal rack.
The fog has yet to lift, trapping dampness in the morning air.
Soon the market will be busy, and Saturday's routine will be underway,
but for now she's lost in the meditative task of unpacking her haul, and setting up her booth.
She removes a pair of high waisted Guess jeans from the bin, circa 1985,
an excellent garage sale score during a road trip with J up the coast.
She thought by now she would have told him she wanted to move on,
but they too have settled into a routine of Saturdays, and Tuesdays and Fridays.





Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Go West Project - Maggie

MAGGIE

Maggie wrestles with Mommy's tummy as they snuggle with a  book.
She dreads what's inside the large bump, and snivels in defiance.
After a twenty minute outburst, and hyperventilating heaves,
Daddy takes her on a walk for ice cream.