[LA Life] Life’s a Beach at Leo Carrillo + Point Mugu

July 8, 2017August 1, 2017Leave a comment

In Los Angeles, the weather of choice from about March through October is sun, sun and more sun; and I’ve heard that the only remedy is to give in – indulge in the afternoon, frolic in the sunshine, stick your toes in the dirt or the sand – wherever the day takes you, and if absolutely necessary – take a mental health day when you’re feeling at your best, but instead let’s just agree to call it a ‘Because I’m Awesome’ day, because – well – we’re awesome, duh. Anyhow!

The other week, after realizing we’ve spent all the time we could with our A/C unit and the kitties, Danny and I did a quick about face, packed our beach bags and in a seemingly unprecedented move we left the East Side for the day, in search of sandier pastures where we could relax with the ebb and flow of whimsical, diamond encrusted waves. Only about an hours drive sans traffic from the forever away East Los Angeles, there are ample beaches to bounce between with your choice of rough and tumble rocks, rolling sandscapes, and a sprinkling of pastel wildflowers.

It can’t be just me that’s entranced by the the undulating consistency of the waves, with their half dangerous, half powerful and all inspiring nature, or the strength of the sun’s rays, dancing to and fro about our bodies like stars in a solar system. There’s something so calming about dipping your toes in the water, something so innately ingrained in all of humanity’s motion. Considering how much of our bodies are actually made out of water – it makes sense that we feel so at peace in it, and then ten fold when you think that our first moments were floating within our mother – the same way we float within mother nature.

For my full photo album, head over to my Flickr and show some lovin’

For more on Leo Carrillo Beach or Point Mugu, head to their socials – or just get off your beach bum and head there yourself. Trust me, so worth it!

Leo Carrillo Beach: Website | Yelp

Point Mugu: Website| Yelp

[LA Life] Gallivant Through The Gardens of the Getty Villa

November 4, 2016Leave a comment

The weekends are made for reveling and laxing; for shedding that thick skin you buiilt up throughout the week and letting your soul shine through in diamond delight for 48 hours. For those of us out on the North East side of Los Angeles, it’s also that one time a week that we’ll leave our pocket of the city and venture to Hollywood, Downtown, Long Beach, Malibu – little slices of our near and distant bubbles of life that feel like another planet entirely.

Built as an homage to the Herculaneum’s Villa of the Papyri, the gallery was curated back in 1954 and opened to the public in the 70’s. Back a several years ago, I took my first trip out west to the stunning Greek Inspired Getty Villa and marinated in the Greco Egyptian and Greco Roman artifacts and treasures. This time felt different. As we entered, we lingered in the gardens, lapping up the luxurious landscapping and gorgeous greenery each corner of the Villa had to offer.

Getty Villa

The Getty Villa is open from 10am to 5pm, Monday through Wednesday and parking is $15 before 3pm and $10 after. Good news is that tickets to get in are $Free.99, you’ll just need to reserve your spot online to get in; you can plan ahead, or just get tickets the day of. The food options, which admittedly aren’t why you come to a museum, are nominal but delicious – and the wine and beer selection makes for excellent Sunday Funday material.

For more on the Getty Villa, visit their socials – or just plan a visit!

[Oh, Snap] Chasing Sunset at Malibu’s Point Dume

December 22, 2015December 22, 2015Leave a comment

Last Sunday, we bid adieu to the succulent last seconds of Autumn in one of the most blissful fashions. As I’m sure you’re well aware, Los Angeles either has the absence of seasons or a mass inundation of each throughout a single 24 hour stretch. With strong Winter storms coming in from the North West on Saturday night, we almost changed our Sunday plans – discussing the merits of cloud coverage in romantic photography and the like, but we decided to throw caution to the literal wind and get our booties out to Malibu to enjoy the last weekend of the season with some of our favorite people, creating magic and celebrating true love.

Love. It’s a simple four letter word with a complex, vast and almost unfathomable meaning. Love takes you by the arm securely and leads you to safety, while encouraging you to blast out of your own comfort zone and reach for the stars. Love isn’t only giving, it’s forgiving; the last piece of the puzzle of a beautiful picture, a picture that was once so inconceivably incomplete. Love fills your life in time with your heart, warming each and every nook and corner; clearing out the cobwebs of the ego, unchaining your pride and letting your soul shine free. Love is natural, like the sun, wind, water and Earth; yet love is extraordinary, like the existence of the universe, like the rose that grew from concrete, like the existence of you, or I – or the simple fact that between you and I, there’s a we that is coveted more than the deepest secrets and oldest friendships. Love is a bridge from nowhere to everywhere, a door that opens infinitely and a dream that’s never deferred. But the most beautiful thing of all is that love is.

Though photography is a passion of mine, it certainly isn’t a profession – I’ve left that to the fiance. He’s been building a bustling portfolio in the three years we’ve been together and I’m so thrilled that I’ve had a first hand view at how he’s grown as a creative, as an artist, as a working professional. Though he’s done his fair share of concerts, shows, festivals, plays and musicals – he’s itching to get his feet wet in other arenas, including headshots, portfolios, high fashion and engagement shoots – and I’m thrilled, because this means I get to learn, too! So after a quick breakfast and conversation, we were off to the beaches to capture the effortlessness of true love in a fantastic couple. Now, I don’t have any spoilers – because, well, they’re not my pictures. But I did get to spend a good amount of time chasing one last Fall Sunset at Malibu’s Point Dume, and let me tell you – so worth it. And a perfect full circle from last year, where we spent the first day of Winter in Big Bear.

Locals might think of it as a total tourist trap with not a lot of parking, but I think the scenery is stunning, the views up and down the Pacific Coast are breathtaking and there’s a whole host of marine life for you to take in. – from cranes to seals, and even a dolphin (or shark!) if you’re there on a good one. There’s plenty of rocks for rock climbing, and tons of ocean to relax the mind and body.

For more on Point Dume, check out their State Park website and social media channels.

Website | Facebook | Yelp

[Doing It Right] Birthdays, Beaches and Bonobo

April 18, 2014April 18, 2014Leave a comment

For birthdays I’m a huge fan of presence over presents, so yesterday – instead of buying a present for Danny, I took the whole day off work so we could simply be together in whatever capacity we felt. So, as we let the day drift away – our plans slowly but surely fell into perfect place. We started off by cruising the California coast line through Malibu into the Zuma and Leo Carrillo State Beach areas. It was a little overcast but since when were we going to let a little weather get the best of us? We spent a good hour or two climbing eroded rock formations in search of tide pools and signs of life.

After the beach, we cruised up the coast to Neptue’s Net – an amazing spot right on the PCH with clam chowder bread bowls that’ll blow your mind, not to mention a healthy selection of adult beverages. Then it was off to Ventura’s Majestic Theater to see Bonobo’s Northern Borders Tour – fully equipped with a live band featuring killer saxophone, string and drums sections. The show ended so much earlier than I was prepared for but it was a beautiful moment to be trapped in, however long it might’ve been.

Oh, Snap: Ready for Summer

May 8, 2013Leave a comment

In my last Watercooler post, I alluded to the strange weather we’ve been garnering in Los Angeles over the past few weeks: rain, wind, extreme heat, fog; if you ask me, the weather is either bi-polar or going through menopause, but I digress.

As a whole, it’s been feeling a lot more like Summer lately – so I’m simply going to take that feeling and run with it; here are my favorite sunny snapshots from the last few months =)

Burbank

Walt Disney Studio Lot

Nichols Canyon

Runyon Canyon

Secret Sunshine Spot

The Old LA Zoo

Malibu

Runyon Canyon

Malibu

Oh, Snap: Globe Photo

April 3, 2013April 18, 2013Leave a comment

At this point, I both think and hope y’all understand that I have this ridiculous love for all things technology and photography related; when I discovered Pixlr-o-matic I went a little crazy and started editing the shit out of my favorite pictures. Well, seems life has come relatively full circle because now I have a new admiration for an Android application – this one is called ‘Globe Photo‘. I know there are a few out there for you iPhone obsessives as well, but hey – that sounds like a personal problem 😉

Essentially, what the application does is take the left and right edges of your image and stitch it together to make a circular, planet-esque, image. After a few hours of playing around with horizons, lines and fun edges in my old pictures I have a nice little album going of my own images – enjoy

Porter Robinson World

Cosmic Gate World

All Day I Dream

Ingrosso

Coachella

Kaskade

And last, but certainly not least:

San Diego Train Tracks

Doing it Right: Slow Sundays at the Getty Villa

January 21, 2013August 14, 20132 Comments

Yesterday, a few friends and I went on quite the glorious adventure – the weather had just cleared up in Southern California and we were off to the J Paul Getty Museum out in Malibu!

From the second we arrived, we were in absolute awe – the grounds were majestically adorned in Greco-Roman architecture and sculptures; from the fountains and statues, down to the marble and stone each room was built with. The best thing about our day-venture to the Villa was that beyond the $15 for parking, all we had to do was make a reservation and the occasion was absolutely free; as all good art should be, in my opinion. We spent about three hours wandering through every room, letting our breath be taken away by the intrinsic beauty, intricate details and color schemes of ancient times.

As amazing as they are, please note that these pictures do not do the works of art or grounds of the Villa any justice – if you’re ever in the area, I highly suggest you check it out for yourself!