Category: Photography

[LA Life] Kick Start 2016 Off Right With a First Day Hike!

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525, 600 minutes ago, yet I can still taste the moment that I was marinating in: blustery, salted ocean air coating my hair as we adventured down into Crissy Field and over the Golden Gate Bridge where I did my best to forgo my fear of heights.  Somewhere, in between two nights of Pretty Lights, my audiophilic tendencies were reinvigorated and my love for the world blossomed exponentially.  I’m a sucker for the bright lights, bold vibes and vibrant personalities of city life.  There’s an energy that resides in the city, a resilient energy that grows stronger as the night grows darker while glowing technicolor.

It’s not that I don’t find an equal but opposite view of the stars and nature, it’s just for almost 31 years that my dancing feet have led me directly into the heart of the city. Yet, after 31 years I’m finally searching for that something new, something natural, something free  – an oasis in the midst of a barren desert, a secret garden in a concrete jungle. Time and time again, I’ve found myself enthralled by the melody as the bass becomes me, but more and more I’ve simply pulled out of my city kitty tendencies and found myself into the great tonic of wilderness, clean air and a clear conscience.

The New Years offers up a wonderful, albeit temporal, period of solid resolution and personal resolve.  Whether it lasts the whole year or not sounds like more of a personal problem but those who have a will, always always tend to have a way.  But, I’ve found that writing down my personal wants, needs and goals for the year helps me not just keep track of them but I also hold myself increasingly more accountable of them.

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Last year, when I made my 31 Before 31 Resolutions –  I made it a point to visit a new local Botanical Garden or State Park every month and I’ll tell you right now that beyond going to the multitudes of festivals and events – it’s one of the most rewarding feelings I’ve ever had.  Betwixt the travel and writing, work and kitties, music festival after music festival across the West Coast – I’m so grateful that we had the opportunity to visit so many wonderful places steeped in grandiose history and utter beauty.

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With exercise as one of the most common New Years Resolutions, it might just behoove you to get up, get out, get over that hangover and get healthy – or at least just get some fresh 2016 air.  Around the nation, thousands of people will be hitting the trails, mountains and rivers as part of the National ‘First Day Hike‘ movement – and there’s plenty of fun to go around on each and every corner of the United States.  Just in California, there’s over 50 different hikes to join in over 40 different parks across the state, not to mention paddle boat rides, geology walks, seal tours and some vehicle rides off the beaten path.

Locations include:

Where will you be spending the first day of 2016?

 

For more details on First Day Hikes around California, head over to the State’s Parks Website. For a birds eye view of all the natural, National goodness  – use the hashtag #FirstDayHikes to dive into pictures and locations on Twitter and Instagram.

 

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For a trip down memory lane, try out these adventures from the past year!

December: The Los Angeles Arboretum | Big Bear | Crissy Park

January: UC Botanical Garden

February: Glenoaks Canyon

August: Multnomah Falls, Oregon

October: Big Sur, California

November: Stanford Arboretum + Arizona Cactus Garden

December: LA Zoo Nights

[Traveling Tales] A Leisurely Road Trip Down the West Coast

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“The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt

I’ve been told that there’s only one constant in life, and all ironies aside – that constant is change.  As with the old adage ‘this too shall pass‘, I’ve developed a thicker skin and a willful resolve in the understanding that no matter what I’m doing or the trajectory of my life, the chances of a roller coaster moment is coming are high – so hold on and enjoy the ride.  The ups, downs and in-betweens are all wonderful side-effects of this passionate, purposeful and perpetual, journey around the sun.  This past year alone has been a crazy one, it started with a bang on a social high and it’s ending on a more personal, yet equally loud, roar – and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The holidays have always provided me ample time for retrospect, possible due to the lack of a social circle in Oregon – but mostly because of the long flight up and almost two hour drive in from Portland to Corvallis once the plane lands.  Even though I’m not originally from Oregon, my dad is and I’ve felt like it’s been my second (well, technicality third home for my entire life).  Since I was a wee little one, I’ve been frequenting California’s stately neighbor to North.  Plus, now that my dad is inching towards retirement he’s left the busy, bustling and vibrant city life of San Francisco behind while trading it for the slower paced, quieter, country life of  Corvallis; where the claim to fame is green grass, football and Oregon State University.

Since they’d spent the last few months moving, my step-mom was over the moon excited to see us for two reasons – it’d been almost four months since the last time the family got together and she couldn’t wait to unload whatever household items they didn’t need into our possession.  Whether her excitement was from Column A or Column B simply didn’t faze us – we were over the moon about both! Originally when we discussed how we were bringing it all back to Los Angeles, we’d considered renting a van or renting a U-Haul, and had jokingly mentioned that we could just fill the old ’98 Ford Expedition  for a full fledged, super fun road trip – maybe we’d bring it back later in the year and use it as an excuse to come visit again; the options felt endless! Instead of laughing at us, they mused that we might as well just keep the truck since all it had been doing over the last give years was gathering rust and spiderwebs in the garage.  Without missing a beat, we jumped with joy and resolved we’d only have to book a one way flight to Oregon – and could spend the tail end of it road tripping down through Oregon to San Francisco and then on to Los Angeles.  Sure, we had the chance to travel down this path when heading to and from Shambhala but we’d always been in such a rush and never seemed to have the time to smell the proverbial roses or bask in the delightful Oregon sunshine.

If you’re not from Oregon, one of the first things to understand about traveling during Thanksgiving Break is that you’re going to find yourself in a bit of traffic from the Civil War Game.  Every year after Thanksgiving, the Eugene based University of Oregon Ducks take on the OSU Beavers for what’s contended to be the 5th largest college football rivalry in the United States.
If you’re a football fan, it’s a proper time to rejoice – but if you’re trying to make your way down the 5 to California, beware – because there’s really only one major freeway and depending on your timing you might just get stuck in it.  That’s literally the only weekend of the year I’ve ever seen traffic in Oregon. Instead of getting stuck in traffic, we decided to not only leave early but to take every detour we saw fit – we were in the mood to enjoy ourselves and for once we weren’t rushing back to LA on zero energy!

Our first stop was the little known Corvallis BMX Park on the edge of the city where the Marys River and the Williamette River collide.   Some parts were too waterlog to risk, others were too icy to entertain – but throughout it all it was an enjoyable adventure, even when we had to look up exactly what poision oak really looks like. Then we were off, off and away to a rest stop near Oakland, Oregon that looked like it was straight out of a fairy tale with vibrant greens, radiant yellows and blossoming reds.  Time had come to a standstill while we stood there, laughing like five year olds as we waltzed the empty paths around the field, enraptured by our momentary microcosm.

By the time we reached Mt.Ashland, it felt as though we’d experienced the brevity of all the seasons in just a few short hours.  First a cool breeze and sparse sunshine, blossoming into sunshowers and scattered clouds as we climbed our way into an indescribable winter wonderland.  Squealing like a schoolgirl that hadn’t seen snow more than a handful of times in her life, I pleaded with Danny to pull over at each and every turnout so we could embrace the snowfall, dance on the purity of the ground… and apparently have a snowball fight or two.

By sunset, we’d conquered Yreka and saw a beautiful orange and magenta shimmer off of snowcapped Mt.Shasta

We got to Menlo Park late that night, to wake up to the excitement of a stunning Saturday in the Bay Area.  It’d been forever since we’d had a day to just spend some time with my mother and I was beyond happy that she could host us for the weekend.  We spent the day gallivanting around the Bay Area to all my former stomping grounds – Strolling through Menlo Park, and into Atherton where my old High School was to grab lunch downtown at Le Boulanger, then into Palo Alto, Stanford Campus and my favorite hidden gem of a botanical garden. It was a whirlwind few days with a lot of driving and a ton of walking, but it felt great to stretch the limbs, expand the mind and really connect with my family and my fiance.

 

[Oh, Snap] Weekend Wanderlust Along California’s Coastline

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“We do not “come into” this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean “waves,” the universe “peoples.” Every individual is an expression of the whole realm of nature, a unique action of the total universe.”
― Alan W. Watts

When life seems overwhelming and bubbling over, it’s important to take some personal time and marinate in the purity of the moment. Whether its work or social life, the cure for emotional chaos and calamity is the warmth of the wilderness and the nurture of nature. This past weekend, I took a wonderful little trip up and down the California coast on the historic Pacific Coast Highway with Danny and a few of our friends, leisurely exploring nooks and crannies and enjoying each other’s company.  Danny and I had done the drive before a few years ago, but we always found ourselves wishing we had more time to explore tide pools, coves, caves and the great outdoors – so this time, we made a point being leisurely and letting it all soak in.

Constructed over the course of several decades, California’s Highway 1 began segmented construction in 1911 to connect coastal communities.  Commonly just referred to as The 1 or the PCH, depending on which leg of the journey you’re on, the route was completed through the Big Sur region in 1939 after securing funding from Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression. After cruising along the 101 into Santa Barbara, we jumped on the 1 in San Luis Obisbo and took a necessary lunch break in Morro Bay where its almost obligatory to get the clam chowder.

Our pit stop took us to the Otter Rock Cafe and man, oh man – was it ever delicious!  I had to get some clam chowder in a bread bowl and a Bloody Mary after the table over dished some elated dirt on them, and then some oysters on the half shell to top it all off.   Leaving Morro Bay, we set our sights on San Simeon’s Elephant Seal Vista Point. I’ve never seen so many of them – they’re loud, a little bit ridiculous looking, in my opinion they’re one of the few living remnants of God’s sense of humor.  There were literally hundreds of them lazing around various coastal beaches, from young pups to more mature seals.

After leaving San Simeon, we were off and away to Big Sur, Carmel and Monterey, winding the roads with wanderlust in our eyes and adventure in our veins.  We finally reached Monterey around dinner time and took a nice Uber into the Warf area and searched for a worth dinner spot.  After some searching, we found ourselves at Lallapalooza, and let me tell you – their specialty drinks are phenomenal; I had a Skytini with cucumber, mint and Hypnotiq and it was refreshingly fantastic.  With some bar hopping under our belt, we resigned ourselves to our hotel in Seaside for the night so we could get a roaring start to our Sunday funday.

My #1 objective for the weekend: find us some tidepools.  I don’t know about you guys. but growing up I loved searching through the tide pools for brightly colored creatures and slippery souls.  Sea urchins, starfish, hermit crabs, sea anemones  – you name it, if it’s in a tide pool I will undoubtedly think it’s awesome.  Our first stop on Sunday was at Del Monte Beach just outside of Seaside, then we were on the road again – more concerned about the journey than our final destination. After scouting a few beaches we found ourselves at Garrapata State Park, just a few notches south of Monterey. The park is host to wonderful hiking trails up and down the coast and on clear days it’s wonderful for dolphin watching – we even saw a pod!  For the more daring it’s just a hop, skip and a jump down to beach level, and more importantly – you guessed it –  tide pools!

On closer inspection, the tide pools evolved into technicolor colonies – so gorgeous!

Visually, there’s something so simple yet stunning about peach flowers against a bright blue sky and I can’t help but try and capture it. I actually took a really similar picture last time Danny and I came through the area, but it was just so delightful that I had to snap another.

One of my personal favorite things about hiking along the cliffs was seeing bits and pieces of old abalone, muscle and clam shells glistening and sparkling in the dirt.

After a leisurely, lovely stroll through the park we were off, off and away – but not without first losing my phone in the car, then finding it, the trunk almost coming open on the drive, rushing out to close it and flinging my phone into the sand….so that five minutes later I’d actually lost it and we had to do a major search along the roadside for the next fifteen minutes. Good news is that we found it, glistening in all it’s rose pink glory in the bright Autumn sky; never a dull moment when you’re with me, I promise. 😉  On our way up the coast we strolled through the area around Pfeiffer Beach near sunset and made a mental note to come back the next day and I’m so thrilled we did, there was so much wilderness to explore – including rocks that had been pulverized so much that a cave had been created in the middle of it, and there was a completely hidden cove with so many stacks of rocks – it was beautiful!

Last, but certainly not least, we caught a stunning sunset near Lafler Canyon – the cotton candy, sorbet skies are permanently etched in my mind and not in my phone because I found myself enjoying the moonrise too much to care – retrospectively, maybe I should’ve asked to stop but the memories will live on.

From start to finish, this past weekend was one for the books and a completely necessary deviation from the normal, routine of everyday life – an escape from the fast paced, high anxiety world that’s part of some weird reinforcement cycle that I’m most certainly an integral part of.  As a self proclaimed city kitty, this time away from the sheeple and masses reaffirmed to me that I’ve been overwhelmed with life, over-inundated with work, tasks and relationships and haven’t taken the proper time to reset myself, to meet myself at my core and be unshakable, to find solace in a moment without flustering over the past or fumbling into the future.  A weekend without cell phone reception, wrapped up in conversations that ranged from trivial and hilarious to insightful, inspiring and compelling. Before our journey, I felt a dark cloud over my head and an unshakable awkward, anxious feeling but after a weekend swept up in nature and seduced by the open sea air, I found myself calm and collected upon my return to Los Angeles – a change that was hopefully deeply imprinted upon me. Though to be fair, I could always use a good excuse to escape again.

 I can’t wait for our next weekend getaway and am already looking up fun routes to and from Oregon for Thanksgiving! When’s the last time you got away for the weekend and where did your wanderlust inspire you to wander to?

[The Audiofiles] Another Night Out, Another Dance Floor with Late Night Alumni and DJ Firefly

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Last Friday night, hundreds of eager, friendly faces crowded into Orange County’s Yost Theater for a musical treat.  For the first time almost a year, down tempo house sensation Late Night Alumni was slotted for a headlining set with support from local talent DJ Firefly and A Baum.  In the last decade, Late Night Alumni have championed their own unique style of downtempo, ambient electronic music that incorporates equal parts electronic production and organic instrumentation. Originally a quartet with Ryan Raddon of Kaskade fame, Late Night Alumni currently tours as a duo – angelic vocalist Becky Jean Williams with John Hancock, a prolific producer, with Finn Bjarnson occasionally making it a trio.

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DJ Firefly kick-started the evening with a proper punch and pizazz.  A California transplant originally from Michigan, Firefly lit up the night with an eclectic mix of deep, tech and progressive house you couldn’t help but bounce around to.  From 10pm to close, the mood was set at a magnificent high as the vibrations from the speakers matched the energy on the dance floor.

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Up next, DJ ABaum took the decks, ebbing and flowing through bass heavy EDM bangers – leaving the crowd wistfully wondering how the night would segue into Late Night Alumni.

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As Becky Jean Williams‘ ethereal vocals dazzled the audience, I found myself equally entranced by John Hancock’s expert skill with the multitudes of instruments on stage, including an electric piano, violin and a Thermin.  After seeing Oliver Huntemann live on a ReacTable a few years back  in Los Angeles, I’ve been prepared for almost any instrument to be brought out on stage, but the Thermin was novel – and I was impressed.

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Live performances are the blue moons of EDM shows, with a set magnificently strung together with purpose, pride and passion.  Throughout the night, Late Night Alumni found a way through their entire anthology of hits, mixing newer tunes from their 5th and latest studio album, Eclipse – released on Kaskade’s Arkade imprint, and of course some oldies but goodies like Empty Streets and 4AM.  

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Photography by Daniel Leist / Daniel Leist Photography

For the full album, head to Facebook

For more on Late Night Alumni, DJ ABaum or Firefly, head to their socials –

Late Night Alumni: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

DJ A-BAUM: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

DJ Firefly: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud

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[The Audiofiles] Losing a Laptop and Facing the Music

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I should preface this by saying this is not the recap article I was planning on writing. When we had the opportunity to cover Lightning in a Bottle for the second year in a row, Danny and I didn’t even have to bat an eye before conferring on an answer. Yes, yes, unequivocally yes.  Since the time I heard of Lightning in a Bottle several years ago, I knew deep down in my heart that there was something so intrinsically special and important about this festival.  Our lives, our friendships and our relationship all revolve around live music.  From concerts and clubs to raves and multi day music festivals, we eat, sleep and breathe music and dance like every cell in our body is affected.  It’s something that we can both experience individually, communally and romantically all within the same moment.

Two years ago, we said ‘I Love You’ for the first time at Lightning in a Bottle.  Last year, we conquered our first major festival as contributors to The DJ List and this year, we were back for the third time – for him, to cover the festival as a photographer for The DJ List and for myself, working on the Press Team with The Confluence – one of the hardest working, boutique PR firms on the West Coast.

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We had an amazing weekend and met dozens of warm hearted, life loving, amazing individuals.  Unfortunately, those memories are now marred.  On Monday morning while we were packing, we noticed that things weren’t right.  First, we noticed that our 13″ Apple MacBook Air was stolen.  Then, we realized that other trivial things like an Apple Lightning Cord + Phone Charger were gone…and so was our favorite pillow. After putting 2 and 2 together to make 4, we’ve come to the conclusion that we’d been watched all weekend.  The two of us had gone back and forth to the tent from the Press Area with our gear several times, and over the course of the week – someone must have been watching.  We weren’t just robbed, we were targeted.  They didn’t just take from us, we were violated. And, this isn’t just a laptop – this is Danny’s photo laptop.

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This is where he’s edited pics from Lucent Dossier, HARD Day of the Dead, Gem and Jam Festival (one of which was featured in the Huffington Post!), Desert Hearts and Sea of Dreams; not to mention, artists like EOTO, Russ Liquid, Paper Diamond, Dreamlyfe, Seven Lions, Bassnectar, Krewella, Cosmic Gate, Armin van Buuren, Markus Schulz, Zion I, G Jones, RL Grime and so much more.  He’s also working as a live theater photographer and has deliverables to turn in weekly.  The stolen laptop is more than an inconvenience, it’s a monetary drain and is putting his work – his AMAZING work – on hold.

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What’s personally disappointing is that this is billed as a transformational festival; this is a supposedly safe place where we can be free, vulnerable and open – with our hearts, our homes, our minds and our belongings.  The fact of the matter is that this could’ve happened to anyone – but it happened to us; just because we had to learn a difficult lesson, doesn’t mean you need to learn one yourself. We’ve thought of a few tips and tricks for you guys so regardless of if you’re a photographer, videographer or simple a festival freak who enjoys enjoying themselves – take some notes, be safe and let’s make sure we keep our ever evolving community in check.

  •  Apply for Car Camping!  When your car’s locked, it’s just a giant lock box.  If you can manage to keep your car next to your campsite, you’ll be set the entire weekend.
  •  If Car Camping isn’t available, see if you can get back to your car easily every night to put things in a safe place.
  •  Check with the Press Team and see if Lockers are available.  Bring your own lock.
  •  Minimize expensive equipment.  You don’t need your entire closet of cables, computers and camera gear – just bring your bare necessities.
  •  Always close your tent completely; lock it if you have a lock
  •  Never rush through camp – make sure you cover your equipment and retrace your steps.
  •  Keep your gear on your person as much as possible
  •  Back up your data on a portable hard drive or on the cloud
  •  Download ‘Find My Phone’ to keep tabs on your gear
  •  Stay sober-ish.  I’m not saying have fun, but an inebriated mind isn’t the best judge of character or equipment safety.

All of the pictures used in this post wouldn’t have been possible without the gear we’ve had, and I’m crossing my fingers that we don’t have to miss amazing opportunities and coverage because someone decided to be selfish and horrible.

With the immense amount of support I’ve gotten – my friends have told me to make a Go Fund Me page – so here we are.

–> Go Fund Me: Let’s Replace Danny’s Laptop <–

If you’d like to donate, even if it’s only $5 – anything helps! I don’t care if we make all of the money back for a new computer, I don’t even care if we only make half – I just want us to continue doing what we love doing, because covering live music and being part of this community is something that both of us are so passionate about.

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[Oh, Snap!] Eagle Rockin’ and Eagle Walkin’ v7

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So far this year I’ve learned that if you’re on the West Coast you should literally pay no mind to Punxsutawney Phil; he might know a thing or two about weather on the East Coast but when it comes to us, just consider him Jon Snow: he knows nothing.  For the past few weeks, Danny and I have been on a determined fitness kick. With festival season right around the corner and the wicked terrain of Lightning in a Bottle heading our way in almost T-3 months, we’re planning on kicking our own asses, taking some names and making our bodies into lean, mean, workout machines. A few weeks back, I snagged a sweet crystal ball off of Amazon and we’ve been having a ball (pun) snapping pictures using it. We’ve even managed to discover a few new walking trails around our apartment. Enjoy our journey!


 

[Oh, Snap] Sunday Funday at Thousand Steps Beach

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The tides are in our veins.

Photo by Daniel Leist

Calming and cathartic, the ocean beckons with a quiet roar masked as a whisper – cascading from shore to shore in enigmatic harmony. Growing up in the Bay Area, only a hop, skip and a jump from local beaches like San Gregorio, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz and Capitola, and spending a good amount of my childhood on the Oregon coast – I have a plethora of fond memories building sand castles and feeding s

ea gulls while unearthing sea glass and haphazardly discovering beautiful raw stones.  And even though I spent my collegiate years right on the beach in Santa Barbara, I could’ve spent a lot more time actually at the beach. So whenever I get the chance to finally hit one up, the five year old trapped in this 6’0 body gets butterflies in her stomach and stars of excitement in her eyes.

Photo by Daniel Leist

Life, as they say, is what happens while you’re making other plans and the other weekend was no different.  After a haphazard morning leaving Los Angeles, timing had proven tumultuous and schedules had shifted. Thankfully, it was a beautiful day and there’s nothing quite like hitting the road with some good jams and great friends. Soaking in the wonderful weather over Valentine’s Day weekend, a great few days filled with lots of love and great company, my wanderlust waved me over to Laguna Beach’s Thousand Steps Beach. Located just off of the Pacific Coast Highway, tucked away between two bluffs – Thousand Steps Beach is a gem among beaches with loads of soft sand, caves to explore and loads of blissfully breaking waves for hydrophilic humans.  Though it’s not technically a thousand steps to get down to the beach, there are definitely enough to warrant a lazy afternoon soaking up some rays.

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We couldn’t leave before Sunset on the beach and as we thought, it was absolutely stunning. Sprinting out to the water to snap a picture, my body tangled in itself and the necklace I was wearing broke and my pendant, a beautiful little piece of Amethyst that I got at the Gem Fair in Tucson,  tumbled through my sweatshirt and plunged into the current.  I watched three or four waves swoop, swish and rearrange the stone and instinctively thrust my hand into the water. Miraculously, I saved it – and it hasn’t left my neck since.  This was almost two weeks ago and I’m still finding grains of sand on it!Last, but certainly not least – as the sun went down, the creativity heated up and we tried our hands on some light painting.  Danny took hold of the wand, our friend All Day Jimmy was behind the camera – and the result: magic!

What’s your favorite beach to soak up the sunshine? Let me know in the comments below!