Four shoots last weekend, with three more in the next three days.

I always do this, just pack 'em in, thinking, "oh, this'll hold me for awhile, won't need to shoot for at least a couple weeks."

Except I can't NOT shoot for a couple weeks. I can barely go 7 days, obviously.

And so, in the coming days, Sari, Frances, Larissa and more Laura (always more Laura).

This shot of Laura is from the week before last. The plan had been to use Laura as the model for some broaches my friend had made with his laser.

But the laser's been having some issues, so the broaches weren't ready just yet.

But I was in shoot mode. So I shot Laura anyway.

And, just for the record, it was totally her idea to bite the branch.

Oh sure, she backed away from the idea almost instantly, but by then it was too late!!!


Laura, sitting in the tall grass saturday, up on the blog: blog.louobedlam.com/post/67302883/i-just-cant-get-over-th...

Tags:   12.19.08 mamiya c330 kodak portra 400nc 65mm laura taylor. portrait los angeles silverlake my favorite model eat that branch!!! flowers a photo shoot without lens flare is like a kabuki without make-up Lou O' Bedlam Lou Noble

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I think I'm gonna take a break. Maybe just a few weeks, but definitely some kind of break. By thursday, I'll have done 8 shoots in 5 days, which should be enough work to keep this here Flickr in photos for the entirety of January.

Wouldn't say I'm necessarily burned out, but I do feel the need to rest up a bit, spend a bit of time not thinking about where the next model's gonna come from, or hustling around trading emails back & forth, trying to lock down a shoot.

Also, I've been spending quite the bit of cash on processing & travel, so it'd probably be in my best interest to take it easy.

I've been shooting so much, there's a legion of photos that I've yet to post, there are whole shoots that have yet to see the light of day.

So, yeah. Here's Carré, me trying to get Closer, like I used to with the Polaroid. There will be more of these in the future, as I can get a bit closer with my new lens, and closer is what I've been wanting to do ever since I realized my mamiya was leading me to actually back up. Madness.


A cute iPhone close-up of Carré up on the blog: blog.louobedlam.com/post/67486238/heres-me-trying-to-get-...

Tags:   12.13.08 mamiya c330 kodak portra 400nc 65mm lens carré calloway echo park freckles that there is some luscious hair get closer, that's my motto Lou O' Bedlam Lou Noble Carré Callaway portrait

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And so here ends 2008. Which, for me anyway, was an utterly strange year.

And what more can a person ask for?

I've gone and done something with the blog today, posted a shot of as many people I've met this year as I can find. They're almost all pix I've been holding onto, and so haven't posted before.

Turns out there's a lot. And they're all cool people, not a jerk in the bunch.

How 'bout them apples?

So that there's my tip o' the hat to '08, go check it out.

I'll see you next year.


blog.louobedlam.com/

Tags:   12.7.08 mamiya c330 kodak portra 400nc steph portrait franklin canyon park beverly hills los angeles stepho Lou O' Bedlam Lou Noble

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than with a photo of Laura.

Frankly, I loved 2008.

Photos galore. Black president. Roscoe's House of Chick'n & Waffles at least once a month. New people. New cameras. Making out with pretty ladies. Comic-con. New York trip. San Francisco trip. Katie West's wedding. Dad not dying. Laser-engraved Polaroids. Having an assistant. Releasing two (count 'em, two) books of photos into the wild. The Coilhouse launch party. Tony's Wedding. Finding my favorite house ever in which to shoot. Finding my favorite person to shoot. Mastering the garlic butter burger recipe. Tai Chi. The Mountain Lion Ranch shoot. Finding that hidden park. More stuff my swiss-cheese memory has forgotten (all the time travel, you see).

2009's got a lot to live up to.

So I better get started.

But first, I should probably get some sleep.


Photo of Laura I took with Emily's new 5D Mark II, up on the blog: blog.louobedlam.com/post/67794293/picture-of-laura-using-...

Tags:   12.19.08 mamiya c330 kodak portra 400nc 65mm laura taylor. portrait los angeles silverlake my favorite model Lou O' Bedlam Lou Noble

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It was Emily who showed me my new favorite place to shoot.

She'd been shown it by an ex-boyfriend, who we assumed did wicked wicked things there.

Like dancing.

And drugs.

And sexy times.

I almost feel bad going there without Emily, as I'm so damned grateful about her having hipped me to the spot.

Almost.

With Emily gone (back to SCAD, because apparently she's still under the misconception that she'll learn more about photography at college than hanging out with me), and Laura working, I've returned to shooting alone this past week.

And it wasn't as bad as I thought. Reminded me of the early days, sitting in a model's home, chatting them up, talking for a good long time before I even took my camera out of its bag.

My camera as passport into someone else's life.

Something to think about while I take the month off, remembering what my Intent is with photography.

Oh, also, news on monday, big project. If you live in Los Angeles, or even nearby, I'll be asking something of you that I think you'll really like.

Don't worry, it's free.

What y'all doing this weekend?


Photo of Emily, right before I saved the day, on the blog: blog.louobedlam.com/post/67962310/we-showed-up-at-this-sw...

Tags:   12.27.08 mamiya c330 kodak portra 400nc 65mm lens emily van ness portrait best assistant ever malibu los angeles park she's sitting in the tall grass, hoping the ground isn't too damp rattlesnake park Lou O' Bedlam Lou Noble

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