adios 2012!

Today is Christmas Eve, and I have grand plans to watch the entire fifth season of Mad Men, snuggle with the kittah, and Skype with the Mister.

This year has had its share of good fortune and sucky deployments (the latter is still on-going), so I'm trying to stay positive for the most part. Going through the holidays while your other half is thousands of miles away for several months at at time is tough, but I've been fortunate to meet great people here in San Diego who not only let me occasionally vent about the aforementioned sucky deployment, but remind me how much I really do love living in this city.

So here is my official sign-off for 2012! I'll see you guys next year :)

creativity works // debbie

And so begins a new photo series! I've been wanting to start a new photography project that involves taking portraits of rad people who work in any kind of creative field, so first up is Debbie Chialtas of Soapylove Soaps! I first met her over the summer at a Creative Connection event, and not only is she an inspiring business owner, she's super gracious and makes some pretty good photo booth faces. She also recently started a new line of products called Super Simple Soaps that use three ingredients or less. Right up my alley.

While we were doing this little shoot at her office, I couldn't help but take more photos as I wandered around and took a peek at all the neat products she makes. Her space is so bright and happy, and I love all the color and framed prints on her walls.

Debbie, you rock. Thanks for letting me photograph you :)

from where I stand, aka "I look at the ground a lot"

Sometimes it's worth the time to take a look down at your feet and see what's there. I do it. 

Maybe a bit too much :)

oh crap, it's December!

 I took this photo on the east coast recently, where their autumn is way cooler than ours.

Where the heck did November go? It feels like the election was just weeks ago! Thanksgiving was practically yesterday! I'm not ready!

But actually, I am. There's just lots of things/projects I'd like to get done before the Mayan-predicted apocalypse happens. Such as:

1. My car needs an oil change/tune-up. I know, real boring life things, but I keep putting it off.

2. Send out Christmas cards. I meant to do this today, but nope. Even if I send them out later this week, I'm still ahead of the game right?

3. Get a bunch of my poster prints framed, so I can finally commit to putting things on some of my bare walls. I've been living in this house for just over a year now, so it's kind of embarrassing that the main wall in my living room is still empty.

4. Finish my Christmas shopping. Of course. Like I would ever have this done before December first.

In photography-related things, things are looking up! I found out today that one (or more) of my photos from this shoot will be published in a local magazine next week, so I'll definitely be sharing that soon. And I've got a new portrait series in the works that I'm starting next week as well. I'm excited to see where it takes me...I've been itching to photograph new faces!

photo booth faces!

Just some silly face-making from last night's Queen Bee Market in Carlsbad....it was nice to catch up with these ladies! I've been having a rough couple of weeks, so this was exactly what I needed.

let's eat!

I love to eat. I love to eat even more when I don't have to make it myself. And therein lies my weakness of living in San Diego: there's so many good restaurants here, sometimes it's hard to convince myself to cook at home. Especially when the person I love to cook for the most is currently thousands of miles away for his job. (sigh)

So here's a couple of rad restaurants I had the pleasure of trying out over the past few weeks.

After attending an event with some fellow Navy wives, one of them suggested we hit up Kahn's Cave in Clairemont Mesa for apps and cocktails. It's sort of an Asian-American fusion place (like me! ha!), and the food was excellent. There were four of us, but we probably ordered enough food for eight. Pork gyozas, calamari, panko shrimp, lettuce wraps, fish sliders...yep. Just get in my tummy. Right now.

A friend and I were wandering around Hillcrest with the intent of finding a "new and adventurous" place to eat, so I turned to my trusty Yelp app on my iPhone to see what was around us. When Kous Kous popped up, I remembered that I had read about it before and knew it was supposed to have good Moroccan fare. I was smitten the moment we walked down the stairs to the front entrance. Cozy benches with patterned pillows, rugs, and poufs greeted us before we even stepped through the door. I wanted to hang out there all day. And inside was even more of the same, with comfy couches and hanging lamps everywhere.

Since we were Moroccan food virgins, we asked our waiter to suggest good things for us, like the Kefta Kabob and the Chicken Tagine. It did not disappoint. Their pita bread is the best damn pita bread I've ever tasted, and the hot mint tea made a perfect after-dinner drink. Oh Kous Kous, I am so going back to you.

wearing masks

 of flesh and blood (2012)

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin."

I've been feeling quite introspective lately...and it wasn't until after I took this photo recently that I began to notice the frequency with which I use masks -- both literally and figuratively -- in my self-portraits. For me, self-portraiture is a way to visually document my thoughts, dreams, fears, and joys. So if that's the case, what am I revealing about myself?

So I wanted to share some of my past masked self-portraits and tell you a little bit about why I made it, or what it means for me now.

there are some remedies worse than the disease (2009)

I had just finished watching the movie Surrogates, in which people in a futuristic world interacted with each other not with their own bodies, but through a robotic version of themselves. These "surrogates" would experience life for you --beautiful, perfect, and impervious to sickness and danger -- while the "real" you would live at home in isolation. I think the concept moved me deeply, because the idea isn't too different from all the online interaction and social media we use today. The fact that I'm writing this blog post right now, behind a computer screen, and will publish it online without ever stepping outside, is proof of that, isn't it? So I think in this image I wanted to convey a sense of loss of one's true identity, the real self we hide under a mask of something artificial and seemingly impenetrable.

dress up (2010)

When I originally uploaded this to my flickr, I wrote, "I am 29 years old and I still play dress-up." It's funny, the things we put on our bodies to fit in with social conventions. Another mask? I think so. I may lounge around at home in pajama pants and a holey shirt, but I'll definitely put on something nicer when I'm going out to meet friends for dinner. It's more than just clothes too....tattoos, piercings, how we cut our hair...another layer. Another mask. We're all just trying to fit in with our own particular modern day tribe.

 little bird (2010)

When I bought this old bird cage at a Spanish flea market, I had a feeling I would end up wearing it for a photo. Like the title suggests, I wanted to convey the sense of being locked away like a little bird in a cage. Safe, but confined. And now that I'm looking at this image again, it reminds me of a book I've been reading lately by Desmond Morris called The Human Zoo. He's a zoologist who proposes that people who live in confined, urban environments (cities, basically) exhibit the behavior that resembles that of captive animals, such as stress, random violence, self-mutilation, attacking offspring, etc. It's a fascinating book. He writes in the Introduction:

"The modern human animal is no longer living in conditions natural for his species. Trapped, not by a zoo collector, but by his own brainy brilliance, he has set himself up in a huge, restless menagerie where he is in constant danger of cracking under the strain."

 there's something wrong with my head... (2009)

I've always sort of felt like I never really fit in. Growing up, I moved from place to place so often, so maybe I never had time to. Or maybe I use that as an excuse. So I sit on the outside a lot. I observe. But I'm comfortable with that now. I can hide easily. I do it all the time behind the camera lens. Even when I'm in front of the lens, with all these weird self-portraits, I'm still hiding, showing only a small part of myself. See me, but don't see me. Here I am, but not all of me. I think this self-portrait epitomizes that feeling. Also, I wanted to see what I'd look like with an ink blot as my head :)

hair sculpture art by Nagi Noda

I came across the work of Nagi Noda recently, a Japanese artist who made some amazing and playful "hair hats" using hair weaves shaped over wire mesh. So brilliant! I think the "hair as spaghetti" is my favorite though, from a conceptual point of view.

You can see more of her work here.

little bits of home

I feel like I'm slacking with this blog. I'm a slacker. So to make myself feel a bit better, I shall share photos of some corners of my home. I took all these with the VSCO CAM app on my iPhone. Enjoy with a side of Cool Ranch.

home sweet home.

has it already been a year??

The Mister and I arrived in San Diego approximately one year ago, and my mind is blown. We found a fantastic place to live, we met great people who've turned into close friends, we explored our city, and I kept going with my photography. I feel so incredibly lucky that this is my life.

I put together this little video yesterday as a two minute visual reminder of what this past year has been like. It's (nearly) every single photo I've taken since I arrived here, complete with iPhone photos, 35mm film photos, and DSLR photos.

the first year from Lisa Kimberly on Vimeo.

When I watch this, it occurs to me that the reason I obsessively document my life is pretty simple: to help me remember. I can barely remember things from my childhood, or even college for that matter, unless I'm looking through a photo album that shows those periods of my life. So all these silly photos I take, day in and day out, it makes up my own digital family album. And that is a precious thing to me.

Photography aside, I'd also like to list my unofficial San Diego Pros and Cons.

Pros:

1. My neighborhood. Downtown La Mesa is my jam. From my house, I can walk to the grocery store, the post office, the library, the farmer's market, Friday food trucks, the trolley, antique shops, coffee shops, and a bunch of bars and restaurants. If I didn't like the rest of San Diego so much, I'd never drive.

2. If you've never been a great parallel parker, this city will whip you into shape quick. I'm pretty sure I do more parallel parking here than I ever did in Spain. And not to brag, but even with my boat of a station wagon, my method is now flawless.

3. Sun. Lots of it. Sometimes this is a con though (see below). It's like Spain all over again, except most people speak English and I can shop on Sundays. 

4. All the different neighborhoods. As much as I love La Mesa, it can't fulfill all my needs all the time. So maybe I'll pop over to North Park and people-watch the hipsters as I eat at a vegan Mexican place. Or maybe I'll take the trolley to downtown to get that urban city feel. Ocean Beach has perfected that 70's beach town vibe, and if I wanna feel really poor, I can wander through affluent neighborhoods like La Jolla and Del Mar (this is all tongue-in-cheek though, I love all these places).

5. San Diego is amazingly dog-friendly. I'm not sure why I'm listing this, since I don't have a dog, but it's still really nice to see. I always see people with their dogs sitting on patios of local eateries, and a lot of places will put out food and water bowls for them. And tons of dog parks everywhere. It's basically dog-topia.

6. Living in San Diego and not liking beer is like living in Antarctica and not liking ice. Okay, maybe not, but I do love the local beer selection here. And if you're one of those people that has never liked the taste of beer, come visit me, and I will prove that you just haven't tasted enough beers to make that statement.

7. I'm about a two hour drive from all my favorite people on television. If I ever decide to stalk Jon Hamm, it'd be totally easy right?

8. Mexican food. That is all.

Cons:

1. Sun. Lots of it. It gets a bit much at times. Even more so since I live inland. Sometimes I just want three cloudy or rainy days in a row in the middle of summer. Is that too much to ask?

2. It's true, I do miss the change of seasons that I got while living on the east coast. I totally took it for granted.

3. Old house = No AC = Not super fun times. August and September were brutal. Anything over 80 degrees outside was like Satan's armpit in my house. 

4. Honestly, I can't think of any more cons. Just writing those three above makes me feel slightly whiny and ungrateful. Which I'm not. I feel incredibly lucky to be living here.

So here's to year two! :)

I'm a Project Imagination Finalist!

You guys! Such exciting news! Some of you may know about or have heard of Ron Howard's Project Imagination, which he started last year and was hugely successful. I remember regretting not submitting any photographs in time, so this year I made a point not to forget.

I submitted a bunch of images to several different themes that were still open, and I'm happy to announce that my image above, "Alien" was selected as a finalist in "The Unknown" theme! So what that means is that anyone with an email address can VOTE FOR ME RIGHT HERE once a day until October 1st. The top seven images with the most votes, along with Ron Howard's selection of three more photos (for each theme), will then be voted on by the panel of celebrity directors. You do have to register with the site to vote, but it's quick and painless, and you would be supporting a great project that blends photography and film to make a great story.

I usually cringe at the thought of badgering people to do the whole "vote for me!" thing, but I've never made it this far in any kind of photography-related competition, so what the heck right?

Also, if you're curious and want to watch Ron Howard's first Project Imagination film from last year, here it is.

So here's to the small chance that my image will be a part of an amazing film :) Even if my image isn't chosen at all, I'm still pretty excited to see what the final result will be.

some wise advice

This is exactly what I needed to see just now. I find that it's nearly 100% applicable to photography, and heck, to life in general. Why not, right?

Also, I'm probably going to end up buying this print. Which you can also do right here, if you're curious.

As for this weekend, I'm going to try to stay cool (more high temperatures, yay!), edit lots of photos that I shot last weekend, and then meet some of my neighbors at a Labor Day pool/block party!

Happy weekend!

let's get creepy for a minute

American Horror Story was one of those shows I quickly got addicted to when it came out last year, so of course I'm psyched for the new season. So, bonus points for these creepy/awesome/fantastic promotional ads that just came out. The photographer in me appreciates these on so many levels....lighting, mood, post-production (especially that last one!), and of course, the creepy factor.

Sometimes I just like weird stuff.

rad gifts are rad

It's so awesome when you get a surprise gift from someone, and the first thing that pops into your head is, "This person gets me!" Such was my reaction when a friend nonchalantly handed over a bunch of Time Life photography books from the 1970's, and said, "They're yours!"

I can't wait to pore through them all :)

Haute As Ever at Del Mar

For the first time in what seems like eons (but in actuality was only a couple weeks), the outside temperature has dropped below 90 degrees, and I am starting to feel like a normal, non-rageful human being. Living in a house without air conditioning of any kind has evidently brought out the Not-Fun-Lisa side of me, where going to my local Target to buy an electric floor fan and finding out they're completely sold out induced a mini panic attack (luckily, Wal-Mart next door had plenty). Even my poor husband, who is currently thousands of miles away from me, had to endure my bouts of grumpiness and listen to me complain about my layers of sweat via Skype dates. Sorry, husband. I'm much better now.

So besides cooler temps, fun things are happening this week! I have two shoots this weekend, and the first one is sort of a shoot mixed in with a event at the Del Mar Race Track.

I was invited to this event by Kylie that I met at last month's Creative Connection, and I was all "heck yes!" I had planned to bring my camera of course to photograph all the swanky, dressed-up people that were sure to be there, so when she later emailed me to ask if I could shoot some fashion portraits at the event for Urban Style, I of course said yes again. It was like she was in my head. So I'm super psyched. Also, if any San Diego friends are reading this and you have some time to kill this Saturday, come to this event and say hi! All you have to do is RSVP and it's free! I've never been to a horse race before either, so I'll probably be asking silly questions like, "How do I know which horse to bet on?" and "What's up with all the fancy hats? Am I at a Spanish wedding?"

My second shoot this weekend is literally the day after the Del Mar thing, and all I can say for now about it is that it's a fashion shoot with a model I've worked with before, and I'm going to be up suuuper early. And hopefully the weather cooperates. And there's animals involved. I just hope we're not in over our heads :)

new selfie + my love of multiples

Hey! A new photo! My most recent self-portrait was inspired by none other than the awful heat wave that seems to be permeating all parts of San Diego, and man, was I a sweaty mess while shooting this. You can read more about it on my flickr page (and see it a little bigger too, if you care about that kinda thing).

I think a natural part of practicing photography is that eventually you start seeing themes in your own work, and I think it's official: I love multiples. When I see multiples of something in an image, it just makes my brain and eyeballs feel good. No wonder I've done more than a few.

Lemons! Lots and lots of lemons. As with most of my 'multiples' images, this was a composite of about seven images. I only had one bowl full of lemons, so I shot the same bowl several times in various places, while also moving the lemons around within the bowl itself. Then I put them all together in Photoshop.

Here I am as a crazy tea lady with her ginormous cups of tea. I think I was drinking Earl Grey that day. For this one, I had two actual cups of tea that I kept moving around as I shot. And this was a bit trickier to composite due to all the crazy shadows. I'll admit, some of my editing was sloppy in this one.

For this one I folded a bunch of paper planes, strung them up by attaching them to an overhead lamp, and then swung them around multiple times while I shot. Now that I'm looking at this again, I'm really not liking the wrinkly bed sheet I hung in the background, but hey, I did this one like two years ago.

If you're a photographer, do you find recurring themes in your work? I'd love to hear! In the meantime, I plan to chug water all day and exert as little energy as possible :)

Currently in the orange stage. Yep.

home video // August

August from Lisa Kimberly on Vimeo.

As with all my previous home videos, this was shot purely on a whim, while I was outside yesterday taking in the late afternoon sun. I loved the way those little gnat/bug things seemed to be suspended in air, and the way the light hit them. They looked like glowing little orbs of light. I know it sounds corny, but while watching the playback, I thought, "this is really beautiful."

local tunes for your auditory pleasure

There's so much good music to be had in sunny San Diego....I recently came across these tunes and was pleasantly surprised to find that nearly all of the artists are from San Diego. Hit that play button, download to your heart's content, and enjoy.

 

rad life things

I honestly couldn't think of a better/more clever title than that, so....sorry. This isn't one of my usual specific-subject posts, just more like, fun things that I partook in during the past week. In Instagram form.

Beer. Wonderful, delicious beer. Especially when it's a collaboration beer between Sierra Nevada and Russian River enjoyed al fresco at KnB. I'm not gonna pretend to be even remotely knowledgeable about its flavor or oaky notes or what it pairs beautifully with. Just trust me when I say it's good. So good that I picked up an extra bottle to take home with me. To save for either a rainy day or for the Mister when he gets back from his sea travels. Probably the latter.

I'm still in the process of adding/arranging things on our lovely bookshelf, but I was so happy to finally find an awesome print to display in this particular space. Not too shabby for an IKEA print, if I do say so myself. I also have plans to spray-paint my thrift store skull a nice gold color. So a trip to Michael's is in my near future.

AND! I went to L.A. last weekend for the Renegade Craft Fair with a new friend that I met at last month's Creative Connection (her name is Corey and you can read about her adventures here). So much fun! Before we hit up the fair though, we made a stop at the Santa Monica Pier to photobomb the heck out of it (cause we're photogra-tourists and that's what photogra-tourists do), and also to satisfy our mutual burger cravings at this awesome place called Pier Burger. Easily one of the better burgers I've had in awhile.

Also worthy of note from that day: while we were walking towards the pier, we couldn't help but notice all these groups of fit guys (and some girls) working out on various workout equipment, and at first we were like, "the heck?" But then we realized, "it's Muscle Beach, of COURSE." So it's basically an outdoor beach gym where abnormally fit and shirtless men make you feel like crap cause they're doing push-ups on raised parallel bars as easily as you and I drink water. Kidding. Kinda. But it was cool to see.