photography by wasim.

Author: Wasim Muklashy

When you can’t get away from it all…get away from it all.

So it was one of those days, the thought process just goes into overdrive and begins to cloud any reasoning and logic. The past comes up, the future comes up, all of the baggage surrounding both start to rear their nosy and intrusive little lizard heads. Sometimes this would last for hours, then days, then weeks, but more and more you begin to see that there’s a way out…well, at least temporarily.

You recognize it.

You realize it.

You consciously stop it and remind yourself that none of it is part of your current existence, except the parts you allow to be.

And then just as you think you’re starting to get the hang of it all, you slip right back down. And that’s when you realize you need to step away.

Or maybe it’s just me.

In any case, I figured it’s been a long while since I’ve visited one of my little sanctuaries and what better time than now. So I jumped in the car, headed down to the gardens at Lake Shrine Self-Realization Center, and just sat.

Literally.

Just picked one of the benches and sat.

Watched. Listened. Felt.

And a few other people just came to the surrounding benches and sat.

Just sat.

Watching, listening, feeling…being.

And just like that, you remember what you’re supposed to be doing. And everything else melts away.

Thanks again for setting me straight Lake Shrine.

Until the next time…

June 28, 2013
A bee just stung me in the neck…and I liked it!

Honeycolony. Bee. Wasim Muklashy Photography

So I got stung by a bee today…in the neck…and, I’m not quite sure if this is sadistic or not…but I liked it. I was actually glad it happened. And I knew it the moment that it did.

Something about it, and I’m not quite sure what it was, felt a bit cathartically cleansing to me…not in some weird spiritual sense, but more in the sense that despite the extended period of emotional numbness and madness from the events over the past few years…here’s a bright little reminder that, damnit Wasim…you’re still alive!! You felt that thing land, you felt it crawl around, you tried to ignore it and snap a photo, you felt it sink its stinger into your neck, you still tried to snap a few shots, thinking perhaps that that action alone can mask your emotion – your feelings – the way you’ve maybe therapeutically used photography so many times before – but this time…no…that bugger just stung me in the neck!! (for some reason, I couldn’t help envision Gene Wilder in Blazing Saddles: “Little bastard shot me in the ass!”).

I jumped inside, told the host I got stung, she told me exactly what to do, talked me through it, and that was that. All I could think to myself was “You can still feel, and you can ask for help, and people will give it to you.” Heck, perhaps I ought come down from the mountain more often…

Anyhow, regarding the host, was visiting with the folks over at HoneyColony.com regarding some possible work I might do with them, and after the meeting, figured I had to snap a few shots of founder/owner Maryam’s backyard beehive (btw…check out her crazy movie ‘Vanishing of the Bees’ narrated by Ellen Page…this’ll make you think twice the next time you go to swat one of the little buzzers).

And that’s when it happened.

Not sure if that bee was telling me that this opportunity is something I should embrace and jump on or if it was saying stay away…but considering no harm was done, and just a few hours later the swelling is down, and here I am thankful for the experience, perhaps I’m going to run with the former. And hell, at the very least, now I know I’m not allergic…

Anyhow, despite my best efforts to get a solid shot with the Nikon, all you get is this fancy shmancy Kitcam/Snapseed one from the iPhone. Sorry…maybe next time…

In the meantime, check out what they’re doing over at HoneyColony.com, some pretty sweet stuffs and words and pics and information about living healthier and happier going on…

June 20, 2013
Late Night Fun With Photo Filters…and Scotch.

So had a house I had to shoot this week for Airbnb. It was actually the second of two units on a property I shot before, but I hadn’t seen the second unit as it was occupied that first time. Anyway, not important…so after I was done shooting the interior, I figured, no one was here, I was going to take advantage of the moment and just kind of chill for a minute. When you’re standing on a deck with nothing in front of you but a gorgeous canyon that opens up to the Pacific Ocean (see image at bottom of this post), it’s hard not to force yourself to take a break and soak it in. So as I sat down and took a few gulps of my warm ice tea that had been sitting the car since I showed up, I saw this ridiculously quaint and charming little candle holder with a pile of little rocks alongside it, being draped PERFECTLY by a grapevine. And when I mean, perfectly, it’s as if it was staged. For some reason, my imagination took me to the Mediterranean coast, perhaps Spain, maybe Italy, I don’t know, but my wanderlust got the best of me and I started snapping a few shots of it as if I was actually on that coast. (more…)

June 14, 2013
From Frustration to Elation – Photography Therapy

Just another small reminder that patience, adaptation, and going-with-the-flow can pay off. Finished a gig yesterday and turned to get on the freeway to get home. It was packed. Nothing but an endless sea of red brake lights. My only other option was to add an extra 15 miles to my trip by driving through the hills on a side road that runs parallel to the freeway. So I said screw it…that’s what I’m doing. Would rather look at the hills than a million other cars on the 101. Not only that, but the sun was getting ready to drop behind the mountains…and that’s enough to turn on any photographer. (more…)

June 7, 2013
Piece by Piece

A few recent gradual revelations are telling me that perhaps part of me feels like I’m coming into my own in a lot of respects as far as photography is concerned. And I suppose it’s really just a matter of perspective and paying attention rather than just letting life happen and allowing the monotony to take charge of the psyche. Day in and day out I’m editing photos robotically for a website, and many of the photos are photos I’d never think to take myself – small, close-up details, seemingly devoid of context.

I’m so constantly focused on the large wide sweeping shots, so much so that my camera almost always sleeps with my 11-16mm on it, that sometimes it’s hard to remember that often times, it’s in the details that the most awe-inspiring imagery can come from, and I think it’s due to the clash of the two different styles that my life has been recently oscillating between that context to such contrasts can be extracted.

On the one hand, I spend so much of my own personal time in the outdoors, looking to try to capture those landscapes that make us remember and appreciate the beauty that life and the world holds –

BIG.

Then, on the other hand, for work, I find myself photographing and editing photos of homes and properties, in which so much more is being said by the details – the textures in the concrete surrounding a marble fountain, the way the shadows of a lattice fall upon a watering can sitting alongside a charming wooden bungalow, the contrast of a purple wildflower growing alongside a yellow window frame –

SMALL.

And it’s these hidden gems of discovery that remind me that you can learn something from every job, from every situation, and take that, use it, and grow from it.

In this case, I’ve been learning to train myself to basically, yes, keep my eyes open for those cinematic sweeping scopes, but at the same time, not ignore what’s directly in front of me…those small quaint and charming additions and details. After all, it’s a culmination of all of those combined, piece by piece, that make up the whole.

cottage.

June 5, 2013
DP’d (Again).

So this is pretty neat! You may have seen me post this photo of Sentinel Rock in Yosemite before, but I got served a bit of awesome sauce today because of it! It was just picked to be critiqued for another popular photography podcast. Check it, it’s the Digital Photo Experience hosted by ridiculously respected photographers Rick Sammon and Juan Pons, and they talk about the image at the 56:22 mark. That’s the third image on three podcasts in the past few weeks, including a different image on this same podcast a few weeks back for one of my oak trees. People seem to be digging some of this stuff, now, hot dammit how do I turn this into something tangible!? Get me outta this shack!

Anywho…in case you’re bored and at work, here’s the podcast link:
http://dpexperience.com/2013/06/03/dpe-podcast-06-01-13-all-questions-from-you/

While you can skip to the critique, I recommend listening to the full thing, and subscribing to these guys, especially if you’re a photographer. They provide valuable insight and tips and information and ideas and inspiration in every episode. A good listen while you’re in the lightroom.

June 4, 2013
God Likes Jerky.

So this is a short and sweet one, but every now and then it’s nice to see things like this…I suppose it’s a bit of a validation that perhaps, finally, I’m on the right track. To have two of my images used on a billboard and a label is pretty satisfying encouragement to keep going with this thing. It’s a damn good feeling to know that others are appreciating what you do.

Anyway, so I know a few weeks back I brought up that the two beef jerky companies reached out to use some of my images for various purposes…the local gluten-free jerky company, Topanga’s Finest Jerky, and then there was Oh Oberto. Well, worked out a deal with Topanga’s Finest and here’s a version of the label below. Crazy stuff! (more…)

May 30, 2013
Scott Kelby, The Metro, and The Ranch.

So was a pretty good last few days. Did the whole Scott Kelby’s “Shoot Like A Pro” workshop/seminar here in Los Angeles on Friday, and I’ve got two thoughts:

One, he’s the MAN! I learn more from a one day session with him than I can on my own in months. He simplifies things so much to the point where you start asking yourself, why the hell did I ever think that was complicated to begin with? I had a great experience at his Photoshop seminar last Winter, was hoping for the same with this one, and I got it.

Two, WHY DIDN’T THE METRO RAIL EXIST WHEN I LIVED IN LOS ANGELES!???? Damn…parked my car in Culver City, made it down to the Convention Center in 20 minutes on the train, and just as easy on the way out. No traffic, no rush hour, no gas, no driving, no cell phone ticket, no 20 dollar parking, no hassle. Frickin’ insane. Right in my stomping grounds…L.A. almost felt like a (gasp!) real city! (more…)

May 28, 2013
From ‘Up There’ to ‘Out There’

Sometimes you just have to do it. The head won’t stop and you need to get outside of it to regain your sanity. Last Friday was one of those days. So like most times, a good personal photo session was in order. I hopped in my car, and drove up the coast, out of Los Angeles, through Santa Barbara, over the hills, and into the Santa Ynez Valley.

Oaks, rolling hills, vineyards, and more oaks, rolling hills, and vineyards. One of my favorite spots on the planet. (more…)

May 23, 2013
Be Ready Be Real.

So I found myself unexpectedly in the middle of a joint exercise in restraint, being ready and being personable.

It was on Saturday, I was scheduled to work an event. I was supposed to be capturing video and photos of the owner of racing company as he participated in a drifting demo at the Xtreme Autofest in Los Angeles, but unfortunately, he was unable to show up, so I found myself at a street racing and modified car auto show, with an all access pass, my camera gear, and, well, quite frankly, enough stimulation to keep many people happy all day, but for some reason, I just wasn’t feeling it. A huge part of me was saying “take pictures…it doesn’t matter of none of this is really doing much for you…TAKE PICTURES!!!,” but then another part of me was saying, “well, why force it?” So I didn’t. I simply walked around, and enjoyed a free day at the festival, eating barbecue, scoping out cars, watching the drift demo, snapped a few shots there, saw a train of at least 35 tricked out Impalas roll around the grounds…was very pleasant, and didn’t really think about photos even though I had the camera strapped around my being all day for 9 hours. So 6 o’clock rolls around…and at a time when most would tell themselves to stick around because the sun is falling, and the light is getting better, and this is when the good stuff happens, something inside kept telling me to leave. Usually, I’d brush it off and give into convention, but this time, for some reason, I unapologetically told myself, “screw it, I’m leaving!”

I was planning on going directly to my parents home an hour south to spend the next day, Mothers Day, with the familia. So I got in my car, and started driving. I rolled into Temecula about 40 minutes before the sun was going to dip behind the valley hills and disappear, so figured I’d drive around for a bit, with no expectations, and see if anything caught my eye…and boy did it…I came across a blueberry farm on a street that was once closed to traffic, and just as I turned the corner, I saw the light falling on it…pink, orange, pastel blue skies, it was gorgeously inviting. So I pulled onto the farm, no one was around, jumped out of my car, and started snapping shots. The tractor, the fence, the barn, the horses…I got there right in time.

A man came out of the farm house and seemed a bit irritated, explaining to me that “We’re closed. We re-open on Thursday. I don’t have liability insurance on you until then.” I tried to tell him that I just saw the sun setting, the beautiful farm, didn’t know they were closed, and couldn’t resist really. He said something along the lines of “you should have at least asked.” And I know he’s right, but with 20 minutes left of light and trying to find angles and shots, that’s where most of my mind was. I was torn at the moment between trying to be nice and cordial while knowing full well my attention was on nothing but the shots I could be getting while I was talking to him, so I started pointing things out and genuinely showing my excitement at the light and the opportunities.

So as I was trying to explain myself, my eye kept drifting to what the light was dropping on, knowing right well that there were only a few minutes left of this…my attention darted from the light bouncing off the horse tails, the fence, the barn, the gravel, and back to him, trying to explain that I didn’t know they were closed and that I profusely apologized for being there after hours, but that I was ‘chasing the light.’ It was then that it hit me…he’s just standing there feeling like I don’t care, and most of the words he was telling me were going in one ear and out the other…and that was completely disrespectful to him. That”s when the photographer in me stopped for a moment, and the human in me woke up.

I slowed my roll, walked over to him, looked into the farmer’s eyes and apologized again, and I saw him release a bit of tension when he saw that I was genuine for the first time since he came out and saw me trespassing on his property. I took a moment to show him a couple of the images on my camera, and he stepped back a bit and said, ‘Wow, that’s actually pretty nice. Is this what you do for work?’ I told him I did, in various conventions, make my living (if you’ll call it that) in photography and photography related work. That’s when he took a few steps back, sat down off to the side on a tree stump, and then just watched me, letting me do my thing. I think there was a moment there that he knew that I meant absolutely no disrespect, and realized my intentions were quite the opposite…to do my best to capture the beauty that they built here at the Temecula Berry Farm.

I couldn’t have been there for more than 30 minutes or so, but walked away with a few images I was pretty happy with. 9 hours at the fair, nothing. 30 minutes on the farm…boom!

I gave him my card, told him I’d gladly send him the photos, he appreciated that and we went about our separate ways.

So that was my exercise in being ready, being real, and paying attention to the gut.

Now just need to practice it more…

May 15, 2013