These two photographs appeared on the same roll of film as the Runyon photographs in my previous post and they stood out to me immediately. So, maybe it took me about 3 months to take 12 exposures on this roll of film using my plastic, imperfectly-perfect Diana camera (and 5 months before I actually saw the photographs!) As I explained in this post, it happens.. and it makes each photograph something really special.

In this fast-paced digital age, I find it pretty satisfying to have something that lets me slow down and wait patiently for the results. I guess it’s somewhat similar to taking the time to cook a great meal from scratch. What helps you escape from our so often rushed culture we live in?

. . .

Before moving away from Los Angeles, I had to take the quintessential Venice sign picture (for no one else but me) and I love it! The cotton candy colors are utterly dreamy and reminiscent of a perfect summer day.

When I saw the ocean photograph, I sat with it for a few minutes, quietly remembering that day and why I took the picture.. September 29, 2010. The movers had come and gone. Our home of 4 1/2 years (the longest my husband and I had ever lived in a place together) was empty. After I made a couple of phone calls, I found him asleep on the floor in our empty bedroom. I nudged him awake and insisted he get in the car and let me drive him to the ocean to sleep on the sand. And that is how we spent our last afternoon as Angelenos. I took 2 photographs of the ocean, so I would remember the feeling of that day. As we packed up our blanket, we breathed in deep the ocean air and said goodbye for now.

Instead of taking photographs of the bench during those final weeks I lived and hiked in Los Angeles, I decided to discreetly leave behind envelopes containing a variety of triptychs (3 prints) from my Runyon Canyon Bench Series. I thought of it as the final phase of my project – giving back to my fellow hikers and lovers of this trail. So, each time I hiked, I lingered until the area cleared, if only for a second, so I could anonymously stick an envelope into a crevice for a lucky one to find. As simple as the act was… it made my heart so happy and full each and every time.

The note on the envelope says: “To whoever finds this: I hope you enjoy these photographs as much as I enjoy taking them.”

I had my husband take the photo on the right on our last hike sometime near the very end of September. It is the only photograph in the series of myself on the bench and I am so thankful I have one!

A favorite set of photographs from the series:

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana film camera, August-September 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4 | Post 5 | Post 6 | Post 7

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana film camera, july 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4 | Post 5 | Post 6

So, here is the next installment of my bench series and one of my last. I decided to see the bench in color again.  I love the soft focus, dreamy quality of photographs made with my plastic Diana film camera. They feel like memories from another time.

June 22, 2010 / June 24, 2010

June 29, 2010 / On Left: My vantage point while sitting on the bench.

More to come…

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana film camera, june 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4 | Post 5

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 9:46 am… (on right)
big dogs chasing little dogs… too cute.

Friday, June 18, 2010 9:35 am… friends: swinging their legs, laughing loudly… nothing better.

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, june 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3 | Post 4

Monday, May 24, 2010 10:12 am | 10:14 am

I’m pretty sure June is my favorite month in LA. Almost every morning is cool with a heavy blanket of clouds. They call it June Gloom, but to me, it’s hardly gloomy. I love letting the breeze gently wake me in the morning and the quiet hikes at Runyon. I am in love with these photographs… so tranquil and dreamy. I can almost feel the cool air kissing my skin. These will forever remind me of what it feels like to stand atop Runyon Canyon in June.

Monday, June 7, 2010 9:50 am | 9:53 am

I have many more to share and will continue posting next week. It is also worth noting that my film scans have improved immensley since I switched labs. Thanks to Richard Photo Lab – my bench series just got better!

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may/june 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2 | Post 3

From childhood through art school, I was constantly creating, without effort it seemed; but, as I grow older I am finding it harder and harder to say “yes” to myself and my personal project ideas. Last fall, in an attempt to remedy this problem, I picked up The Artist’s Way. I poured my heart and soul into the process and it changed my life. Among many lessons I learned, the most valuable to me was how to self nurture. That realization alone has improved all areas of my life in a beautiful way. I am now mid-way through Julia Cameron’s next book in the series, “Walking in this World,” and I am finally on my way to hearing myself say “yes” again, no matter how silly the ideas appear to be.

On the surface, this project is simply a visual documentation of this bench at Runyon Canyon, which is often crowded, sometimes lonely, but rarely over looked by its passerby’s. It is art for art’s sake. But, for me personally, there is another reason entirely… It’s about saying yes to the first spark of an idea, whether or not I have a clear vision for the final product, or even its purpose, and to just begin. It’s about accepting mistakes, mishaps, and mediocrity along the way and to just keep shooting as long as it excites me. Most of all, it is simply about having fun with the process of repeatedly photographing a bench with a plastic toy camera, complete with film grain, unexpected compositions, and light leaks. It is imperfect and I’m happy to be sharing my imperfect process with you.

…

Here are the last few photographs from my first roll of film of the series. I loved that for a few days there was a tiny American flag stuck in a crevice of the bench. I loved that May 17th was so foggy; it was like standing inside a cloud. I loved that on May 19th, all I could think of as I hiked was hopefully seeing these horses again, and when I reached the top, I was instead so happily greeted by the biggest dog I have ever seen – a gentle giant, for sure. And I loved that a few moments later the bench became lonely again, just as it was when I first photographed it last year.

Top Row: Wednesday, May 12, 2010 (my birthday hike!) | Monday, May 17, 2010
Bottom Row: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 | a few moments later…

I am in the middle of shooting my next roll of film, so stay tuned for more…
[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may 2010]

Catch up on the Runyon Canyon bench series:
Post 1 | Post 2

I started hiking Runyon Canyon within days of landing in Los Angeles. My brother’s best friend took me the first time and I was hooked. I loved the physical challenge, the views, the dogs.. and I loved the crooked, oversized bench with peeled paint that sinks back just enough that you can’t help but really let go and just be. It is a place to disconnect from the city and calm your mind.

After over 4 years and a couple of hundred hikes, I started to take my camera. Knowing I won’t always live so close to this trail that is so much more than a trail to me, I needed to document a piece of the experience. I am now hooked on the project and excited to see where it goes (even though these photographs are super grainy and completely imperfect).

I’m planning to post more photographs from the bench series next Friday, so check back!

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Same day… a few moments later

Thursday, May 6, 2010

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood, california with my diana camera, may 2010]

Shooting with my Diana is such simple fun and reminds me of my early film days… pausing time to wait and patiently anticipate a moment… and then, hoping I captured it with that one shot. When you shoot film, you naturally take more time to think about making a photograph and I love that. I also love getting my film back. It smells like sweet nostalgia.

…

I took my first photographs of the Runyon Canyon bench with my Diana camera in June 2009. For those photographs, I waited until the bench was empty to fit my vision. I photographed the bench again this past March and April, while documenting my regular bi-weekly hike (for the sake of personal nostalgia). This time, I found myself more interested in the dynamic of what happens in that spot and how fleeting those moments are. I waited only a second and photographed what was there.

I took only two pictures of the bench on that roll of film, so I was delighted to see them show up side by side on my contact sheet (even though they were taken 2 weeks apart). An idea sparked and I instantly knew what I wanted to do with the last roll of black and white film I had on hand.

I decided to set out to fill it solely with Runyon Canyon bench pictures – whatever is happening when I arrive after my steep climb. As of yesterday, I finished the first roll of my official “runyon canyon bench series ” – 12 exposures, spread out over one month. I am SO excited to get my film developed and will share photos (even if it’s nowhere near as cool as I thought it would be) and more about this personal challenge/project next week!

For now, here are the two images that sparked the idea. (And you can see my original bench photos from last year here.)

[photographs taken at runyon canyon in hollywood with my diana camera, march and april 2010]

[photographs taken with my diana camera, June 2009, at Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles]