runyon canyon bench series (begins)..

May 20, 2010

I love simplicity. I love the fact that my Diana film camera has exposure settings simply for cloudy, partly cloudy, and sunny; and only 3 approximate focusing distances. I love that it is plastic and weighs nothing and I can throw it in my bag while I hike. I love that I don’t care if it collects a little dust or gets dropped. I love that it can take me 3 weeks or even 3 months to shoot ONE roll of 12 exposures. 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.)

runyon canyon bench, hollywood fine art photography

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

hurry never..

April 13, 2010

to live content with small means;

to seek elegance rather than luxury,

and refinement rather than fashion;

to be worthy, not respectable;

and wealthy, not rich;

to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly...

to listen to stars and buds, to babes and sages,

with open heart; await occassions, hurry never... this is my symphony.

-william henry channing

i stumbled upon this poem a few days ago, while making a collage with old magazines soon to be discarded. i have read it countless times throughout the week. it speaks volumes to me, each and every line. is there a better way to live other than to be content with small means?

tonight i began to ask myself where and when in my life have i felt a sense of being overwhelmingly content, when have i truly felt that it is ok to hurry never. of course it happens to all of us at many different times, but i wanted personal imagery to pair with this poem.. if nothing else, but to serve as my own reminder of the little things.

big sur was the response that came to me and specifically the photographs i took at deetjen's. i love its historical charm and understated elegance.. and the way this magical place allows you to just . slow . down. so, here's to listening to stars and buds and hurrying never..

[photographs taken at Deetjen's in Big Sur, California March 2009 and February 2010]

Big Sur, California Fine Art Photographs

i wish..

February 12, 2010

i wish i could paint my name on the purple one. just putting it out there.

[Photographs taken in Big Sur, California, March 2009]

my favorite place to be..

February 4, 2010

if i had to pick a favorite place in LA, it would be this spot above the city where i stand, catching my breath after a steep climb. i can't count how many times i've stood here, and yet only now and then do i sit on this bench and swing my legs, fully realizing how far i've come.

runyon canyon, los angeles, fine art photograph

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

utterly grateful..

January 30, 2010

There is a still, quiet beauty all around us, every day… if we are open to seeing it. Photography is a gift that has inspired me, since I was a kid, to take notice and appreciate life’s subtleties…those heart-wrenchingly beautiful moments in ordinary life that make you pause and feel utterly grateful.Those are the moments I strive to capture.

i have been on inspiration overload lately, a combination of a lot things coming together and helping me makes sense of the world, or at least my teeny tiny sliver of it. the combination of solitude with daily hiking and walks, weekly yoga classes, and a lot of writing. it's amazing how suddenly a burst of clarity can arise after months of diligence, stillness... and nurturing of one's self.

as i was re-discovering my intention with photography and refining my artist statement above, i realized there are so many photographs i have taken over the years that are collecting virtual mold in their plain yellow folders stacked on my c:drive. so i am going to make a point to share a few now and then, those moments that have made me pause and take notice of the beauty around us.

fine art nature photographby teri genovese

[photographs taken at Malibu Creek State Park, March 2009]

happy friday

December 4, 2009

"i am at the beach alone, quite literally.pondering why i haven't done this before. listening to the waves as they pound in unexpectedly, yet like clockwork. as i look down at my page, the sound intimidates me and fills me with a rush of energy. 'i'm alive,' my heart says."

-excerpt from my journal