Meet my intern, Amelia
Posted on 18 March 2010 | No responses
I count my lucky stars that Amelia Louise Sellers knocked on my door one fateful day, asking for an apprenticeship. An aspiring photographer, Amelia has the brains to match her remarkable beauty. She’s part Bond girl, part babysitter next door, part rocket scientist, and she’s always willing to go beyond the call of duty on my photo shoots. She’s oiled up my models, showered with one (true story), chucked buckets and buckets of water, shlepped tons of lighting gear, and endured many hardships and shenanigans on my behalf. I am grateful for her dedication and unflinching loyalty, and delighted by her company. There aren’t a lot of women in this world that can make snort-laughing seem totally charming and sexy. She is one of the rare few.
And though she’s not the first intern to pose in front of my camera, Amelia is the first one to do it naked. On my bed. Very tastefully, I might add.
This particular photo session earned her the title “Skintern” proving that she clearly deserves her spot in the hall of fame of my legendary interns, which includes Hot Pirate Kris and the almost mythical Señor Intern Fantastico. She’s just embarked on a 6 month journey to Italy, so I got a quick interview in before she hopped on a plane.
Be sure to bookmark Amelia’s Flickr photo stream, as she’s definitely one to watch.
- What is it about photography as a medium that appeals to you?
This question is making my brain explode. It is truly so many things. It’s nostalgia, it’s a connection, it’s aesthetic, it’s sentimental, it’s raw, it’s emotional, it’s ephemeral, it’s truth.
I know that sounds super cheesy but it’s true. I think photography is special because it’s a way to capture art that already exists. It’s raw and quick. That appeals to me. I’m also a very nostalgic and sentimental person by nature. I always want to remember a moment, a face, a feeling, etc. Photographs are the closest thing to achieving that. When I was little, I wished we could to take pictures with our brains and print them out of our mouths or something. As I got older, I realized that memories are pictures we take with our brains, but we forget. I’ve also always been obsessed with my mother’s photo albums. Now that I own them, they are some of my most prized possessions. And even though the photos aren’t my memories, they are documents of her life and I think that is invaluable. Photos serve as mementos that I wouldn’t otherwise be able to have. It’s also a very emotionally connected medium; if it’s making me feel something, I want to take a picture of it.
- What do you love to take pictures of the most?
People. Friends, strangers, old people, children, whatever. People as subjects rule. People always have stories to tell.
Less specifically, I like to photograph whatever is happening around me. Slice of life stuff. Living in an urban environment is very inspiring.
- What do you aspire to do with photography?
I aspire to be a better photographer! I aspire to take more photos. Lots and lots more photos, and to hopefully show them to the world. If I could make money from photography, that would be great. If not, oh well. I can’t see myself ever going down a commercial road, which I think closes me off to a lot of financial opportunity, but who knows.
- What are some of your favorite cameras?
1. Nikon D70: it’s my everyday camera. I also inherited it from one of my favorite photographers so I think it has lots of good karma in it.
2. Holga 120CFN: the camera with no frills is the perfect camera for me. And even though it’s so simple to use, I’ve managed to produce many happy accidents.
3. Yashica T4: the perfect point and shoot. Very crisp. The “mode” button is broken on mine, and I can’t get the date off, so all my photos say they were taken in ‘87
- Well I can attest that ‘87 was a pretty awesome year, so it must be a good omen. Who are some of your favorite photographers?
There are the obvious masters that I admire like Edward Weston, Irving Penn, Robert Frank, and Diane Arbus. I recently discovered Nan Goldin’s work and it absolutely floored me. There’s also a local L.A. photographer named Cali DeWitt that I really look up to in a strange way. A friend turned me on to his blog a few years ago and I check up on it every couple weeks. I feel like a voyeur because all of his photos are really personal day to day stuff. He’s just constantly documenting his life and it inspires me to do the same. Oh, and Love Ablan, duh.
- Bahhh, you flatter me! How does it feel, having modeled for me for these photos? Was it weird in general, or did you find it easier working with a female photographer? From my perspective, I personally don’t believe that photographing women (or men) in any state of undress is objectifying, unless it’s done with that specific intent in mind. On the contrary, I consider it a kind of act of worship and reverence.
Working with you has always been fun, so modeling for you was no different. There’s a lot of trust there and I think that makes all the difference. And, sure, there are definitely ways to photograph women that are objectifying but I also think that in the end, it’s all subjective. Luckily, I was working with a photographer who has great taste, so that thought never crossed my mind. It was a great experience to open up. Sort of, freeing in a way. Being on the other side of the camera also gave me a greater perspective as a photographer. It was a win win all around.
- Definitely a win for me! Our photo shoot started out so innocently. The next thing I knew, we were listening to Marvin Gaye and you were smoking cloves and drinking champagne in my bed, wearing my shirt. And we got some fantastic pictures out of it! I think you’re a natural both behind and in front of a camera. Any plans to model again?
Aw, thanks Love! No, no plans, but who knows? Maybe. I’m open.
- So you’re leaving for Italy for 6 months! What are your plans in Europe?
I’m gonna boss around some kids, teach them English, drink lots of wine, eat lots of pasta, work on my tan, let my hair grow long, and geek out on some ridiculous art.
- Sounds glorious! Though you will be greatly missed here in L.A. Do you promise to write me letters with excessive use of the words “ciao” and “bellisimo“?
Yes, of course. We’ll see if you can decipher my broken Italian.
- And now, the last question. Name one person (historical or fictional) that you would like to serve you breakfast-in-bed on a Sunday morning.
My mom.
- Thank you for taking the time to do this interview and for letting me photograph you. I hope you have wonderful, cathartic adventures in Italy. And I hope we get a chance to hang out in Spain in the fall and burn pianos on the beach, or something crazy like that. I can’t wait to see all of your travel photos. Ciao bella!
Ciao Ciao, Amore!
Mega Man 10 commercial is MEGA AWESOME!
Posted on 9 March 2010 | No responses
A few weeks ago, I shot the Mega Man 10 Lost Commercial for Capcom with the super rad i am 8-bit gang. It is a testament to our nostalgic love of everything 80s, including Betamax, lasers, robots, sweatbands, retro games, jogging shorts and faux wood laminate.
Here it is in all of its mega awesome glory:
A little trivia about this commercial:
• JenZ wrote and sang the lyrics, accompanied by ChrisT (who may or may not have been an original member of the Max Rebo band).
• JenZ is also inside the robot suit, thus earning the nickname Small Wonder 2.0.
• I built that robot suit by hand, using blood, sweat, tears, old circuit boards and advanced alien technology. (I should have scanned in a picture of Kelly LeBrock! What was I thinking??)
• Contrary to popular belief, that is not an Atari he’s playing on — that is a flux capacitor. Also known as Panthro’s samophlange. (Audio = NSFW)
• My genuine 80s keytar and TOMY robots are scattered throughout the room.
• Our director’s name is Jon. Our main actor’s name is Lennon. So we called out “Jon! Lennon!” whenever we were ready to start rolling.
• We listened to the Miami Vice vinyl picture disc on a record player on set for inspiration. It totally worked.
• My telekinetic powers accidentally made a box of chocolate covered raisins explode at the craft services table.
• Lunchboxes really glow when you put something magical inside. True story.
• This ranks in the top 2 as the most fun I’ve ever had working. Ever.
• I love everybody that worked on this job. You guys are all amazing!
• I’ve had this song stuck in my head for WEEKS now, and not even The Final Countdown can erase it from my memory banks.
It’s only been up a few days and there’s already 75,000 unique views on GameTrailers.com. If we hit 100,000, I will name my 50mm lens “Optimus Prime“. *(This is in reference to the Facebook Fan Group: “MY SISTER SAID IF I GET ONE MILLION FANS SHE WILL NAME HER BABY MEGATRON“.)
Mega props to the mega amazing crew and cast: Jon (writer/director), Amanda (producer), DeZastro (producer/1st a.d.), Taylor (editor/fx animator/pixel magician), Lennon (actor), Jeff (actor), Reagan (sound mixer), ChrisT (score), JenZ (vocals/actor), Lawler (gaffer), Britt (asst camera), Austin (grip), MikeS (storyboards), Veronica (stylist) and Jason (props).
Mega huge thanks to i am 8-bit productions and Capcom for making the magic happen and for hiring me as DP! (That means I get paid in lasers!!) And thanks most of all to Mega Man, without whom none of this would have ever happened. You really are more than a man, sir. You’re a Mega Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! *insert flaming guitars*
Hi Fashion $9.99 at L.A.C.E.
Posted on 5 March 2010 | No responses
Here’s some pics from a recent live performance of Hi Fashion $9.99 at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions in Hollywood. There’s 69 more images are viewable on my candids Flickr (some are tagged moderate and restricted, so login to view all of ‘em).
Flickr Set: Hi Fashion $9.99 @ LACE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lovebyte/sets/72157623436633335/
It was a cool exhibition at LACE, and an absolutely fantastic performance from Hi Fashion $9.99. They’re always a sight to see and a delight to hear, so go friend them on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/HI-FASHION-999/
See you at the next show?
p.s. Here’s one of my pix of the band on BRAND X announcing the LACE show: http://ow.ly/19sT7
Eat Your Art Out, L.A.!
Posted on 17 February 2010 | No responses
Here’s a preview of my piece for the third annual Eat Your Art Out exhibit to benefit the fierce roller gladiatrixes, the Angel City Derby Girls! These amazing ladies literally KICK ASS. On wheels no less! So I hope you roll, bounce and skate your buns over to Meltdown Comics in Hollywood this Saturday night, where you can bid on this piece, as well as awesome work from bad-ass artists like Akirophoto, Jim Mahfood, Jeff Shagawat, PeekabooMonster, Miles Kinghorn, angrywoebots, Codak …and more!
untitled (001) – skates
by Love Ablan
11″x14″ UltraChrome Print – Framed
Limited Edition 1 of 1
2010
I saw a couple of pieces when I was dropping off mine, and let me just say it’s gonna be a really fun and interesting art show, so don’t miss it! Much love and thanks to Carmen “Jane Dope” Acosta for all her hard work curating the show! And love and thanks also to Jen DeMartino for posing for my piece. You lovely ladies ROCK.. and ROLL!
Eat Your Art Out III
Proceeds benefit the Angel City Derby Girls
Saturday, February 20, 2010
7:00pm – 11:00pm
Meltdown Comics
7522 Sunset Blvd.
Hollywood, CA
Related Links:
- Facebook: RSVP for Eat Your Art Out III!
- Meltdown Comics, Los Angeles
- Angel City Derby Girls
- Yelp review: Angel City Derby Girls
The OWLS in Berlin
Posted on 15 February 2010 | 1 response
Last year I got to work on a unique narrative-documentary hybrid film by Cheryl Dunye called The OWLS with an incredibly talented multiethnic queer artists’ collective, The Owls Parliament. And I’m extra happy to announce that it just premiered at the 2010 Berlin Film Festival!
That’s pretty awesome! I totally wish I could be there with everyone this week. (Especially as I’ve also been missing Berlin and all my friends there since the ich bin 8-bit exhibit last Spring.) For those of you lucky enough to be in Germany right now for the Berlinale, check out their website for the programming schedule.
You can also take a sneak peek at my behind-the-scenes stills on location with the Owls Parliament:
Filmmaking is a challenging but wonderful labor of love and collaboration, and I am thankful for the experience and the joy of working with this remarkable collective. (See IMDB for the impressive list of cast & crew.) It was really great to see firecrackers like Cheryl, Guin, Lisa, Campbell, Alison, Anna and Agusta just do their thing and make movie magic unravel before your eyes. I’m also very thankful to have met and worked with Ernesto (writer/director/producer and kindred spirit) who invited me into the Parliament to begin with. His virtues and creative gifts are too many to list on this post. He’s just a gem of a human being with an unwavering love and enthusiasm for movies and visual storytelling that is absolutely inspiring. (He co-wrote Better Luck Tomorrow which is such a high point in Asian-American cinema — go rent it if you haven’t seen it already!)
I really had such a great time working with everyone and I’m thrilled that the film has made its way onto the big screen in Berlin! I look forward to its release in the U.S.
Previously, my favorite owl was Bubo, Athena’s mechanical pet in Clash of the Titans. (Followed closely by the Tootsie Pops owl who taught me that it takes exactly “thrrrreeeeee” licks to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop.) But it’s safe to say that now The OWLS Parliament are my ultimate fave. They’re a real hoot! And owl be seeing you guys again soon… <(@v@<)
The OWLS
USA, 2009, 66 min
English
Director: Cheryl Dunye
Cast: Cheryl Dunye, Lisa Gornick, Guinevere Turner, V.S. Brodie, Skyler Cooper, Deak Evgenikos
Section: Panorama
Related Links*:
- Cheryl Dunye
- Ernesto Foronda
- Guinevere Turner
- Lisa Gornick
- Campbell X
- Anna Albelo
- Alison Kelly
- Candi Guterres
- Skyler Cooper
- IMDB: The OWLs
(*If you’re in the Owls Parliament and want to be listed here, holler at me!)
Tween Love
Posted on 28 January 2010 | No responses
My cousin, illustrator Mike Segawa, drew “tween” versions of me, Jen and some of his BFFs into his first book, published by HarperCollins.
Rad! ^_^ Thanks Mike, I’m totally honored to make a cameo in your illustration!
Check out more of his awesome work at http://mikesegawa.com
L.A. Ink Stains #36 “Professional!!!”
Posted on 15 January 2010 | No responses
Looks like I make another sweet cameo in my homie Jim Mahfood’s Los Angeles Ink Stains Comic issue #36 where he recaps the last year.
Check out the full comic here.
It felt like 2009 was a pretty tough year for everyone. Which is why I’m extra proud of Jim for successfully selling his new animated show, rocking his art in galleries and walls all over the globe, painting exquisite tribal-esque patterns on people, and pouring out his soul in his autobiographical comic. He’s transcending mediums left and right and that’s a truly beautiful thing.
It’s been awesome becoming such good friends with Jim over the last year, and I look forward to continuing to collaborate with him. In fact, if we get our “Pervert Train” stuff published in a hardcover book this year, I will TOTALLY get a Food One tattoo in celebration of our work and our friendship. Maybe one that says “Tough Love” haha!
I have a really good feeling about 2010. It’s still early in the game and it seems like we’re all hitting the ground running. I believe we’re going to accomplish things we’ve never thought we could before.
So to all my dearest friends and family, my awesome clients, and even those of you I’ve just met or I’ve yet to meet, I wish us all creative and personal breakthroughs this year, and a million belly laughs to top it off.
Voulez vous le Kat Food? Oui ma chérie!
Posted on 7 January 2010 | 2 responses
Here’s one of my photographs of artist Jim Mahfood and model Kat Glancy which will be featured in the special 32-page bonus section of the upcoming hardcover French edition of Jim’s graphic novel Kick Drum Comix, published by Indeez Urban Éditions.
Mon Dieu! I’m so excited. This is the first time my photography work will be published in France. ^_^
As Jim (aka Food One) mentioned in his autobiographical comic Ink Stains, I lit the shot like a “tricked out hip hop video“. Jim lives large and in charge, and I wanted to represent the L.A. lifestyle. Beautiful women, hot cars, smokin’ cigars under the glorious California sun. They call it the Wild West for a good reason.
I don’t know what other photos made the final cut in the book, but here’s some extra sneak peeks for you to enjoy:
Thanks to Jim for kicking ass on the wicked body paint job. It looks sick! And makes me want to get a “tough love” neck tattoo haha. Thanks also for inviting me to work on the bonus features. What an honor! Merci beaucoup! Thanks to Chris Heinz for hooking us up with the sexy hot rod, and to Kat for being even sexier than a sexy hot rod. Thanks to Jen for her asstounding observations. Thanks to Akirophoto for punking me by sneaking a naughty mag in my gear trunk, haha. And thanks to Jane Dope for designing the bonus pages.
I totally can’t wait to see this book in my hands — it’s gonna be super fresh. How does one say “super fresh” in French?
According to Google Translator, the publisher describes the Kick Drum Comics compilation as: “This comic crazy leads us on a distant planet whose heroes live crazy adventures all over each other.” WORD! So for those of you on the other side of the pond, you can pre-order the graphic novel directly from the publisher, and I believe it hits the stores in April.
Three cheers for 2010! May we all live crazy adventures all over each other. À la vie!
Behind the scenes: Hi Fashion $9.99
Posted on 20 December 2009 | 1 response
Here’s some awesome behind the scenes pix of today’s photo shoot by Jen Z who was assisting me:
Radness! =D
More info on this shoot and the final pics of Hi Fashion $9.99 will be posted in the near future. For now, I gots to take off my boots and sleeeeeeep like a baby. Zzzzzz……
x
Orange you glad it’s 2010?
Posted on 18 December 2009 | 1 response
I’m commissioned every year to take the holiday portrait of filmmakers P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes of the Ebersole-Hughes Company, and their adorable pitbull Butchie. This year’s theme is "orange" based on their shared love for the color and their sunny dispositions. I was going for a 1960s modern lifestyle look.
Here are previous portraits I’ve taken of them — as you can see, they’re always a blast to work with and I look forward to our next adventure:
