photography by wasim.

Tag: california

I Got A Bit Jerky, And In Return, Topanga Got Fresh!

So this was fun. I recently got a minute to head over to Topanga Fresh Market & Cafe, the organic market in town, to check out the display for Topanga’s Finest Jerky, the beef jerky company that used one of my canyon images for their label. I must say, it looked pretty darn good in there. I thought I had posted this here already, and perhaps I have and accidentally erased it, so forgive me if that was the case (I have a vague recollection of the event…). Anyhow, check it, just in time for the flurry of spring activity that’s about to abound!! Oh, and it’s gluten-free for those of you that maintain a gluten-free diet (and each pack comes with a handy dandy flosser…it’s the little things…). You can either stop by Topanga Fresh if you’re in the area, or hit up www.TopangasFinest.com directly.

March 3, 2014
Bluegrass And Treetops On The Topanga Trails

Topanga Canyon Hiking Trail_Sunburst Through Oak Tree

T’was a perfect day in Topanga Canyon, and to stay inside would have been a crime, so I grabbed one of my cameras, the Samsung NX300, threw on the ‘summer’ outfit, and headed out into the hills. As I was hiking through this, live bluegrass echoing through the canyon in the distant background served as my soundtrack. Don’t know where it was coming from or what it was, but it was perfect.

Perfect.

Click past the break for a few images from that Topanga Canyon hike.

February 18, 2014
Back To The Future Does Pacific Coast Highway – And The DeLorean Is An Airstream

So I don’t have too much to say about this one, really just wanted to share. This was one of the properties I was assigned to shoot yesterday for Airbnb.com. It was a chunk of land on a bluff off Pacific Coast Highway that housed an old vintage Airstream trailer that rested on a ledge in what seemed to be the most idyllic, picture-perfect mini-canyon on the California coast.

Anyhow, the lead picture to the left here was processed to look the way I felt when I was wandering around in there…simple…relaxed…peaceful…grateful…unapologetically lazy…perhaps what the glory days of Southern California felt like, a feeling of romantic nostalgia who’s remnants only seems to exist in isolated, hidden, carefully-guarded pockets these days.

This place was definitely one of those pockets.

Click on “Continue Reading” and then click on the pics.

View them large.

Enjoy…

February 13, 2014
Bad Days Are The New Good Days! Thanks For The Reminder Photofocus!

So I know you’ve probably already seen enough of this set of images, but, well, too bad! Ha! An image from this series keeps getting around one way or another – this time absolutely humbling me by showing up on the homepage for Photofocus.com as this week’s ‘Featured Image.’ This is Scott Bourne, Richard Harrington, Melissa Niu and company! It’s madness! Check it out:

CLICK ME!

The crazy thing is, I thought I was having a bad day that day when I just needed to get out and away so jumped in my car for that ride up the coast where I ran into these buggers on that hill. If it wasn’t for that ‘bad day,’ I would have never been able to make these images, rendering that day not a bad day after all – it actually turned out to be one of the best days of the year. Just another one of life’s funny reminders that you never ever ever ever ever know what’s going to happen and why things happen the way they do. Whether a frown or a smile, just roll with it…after all, neither lasts, but one of them is always sure to return…

Can’t wait for my next bad day!!

January 28, 2014
Not A Bad First Sunset Of 2014. Happy New Year From Topanga State Park. 01.01.14

Topanga State Park, January 1, 2014. Shot with the Samsung NX300.
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January 1, 2014
Photography Lesson Learned – Don’t Fight It, Just Succumb To It (It’s More Rewarding)!

When you feel something, your mind and body are trying to tell you something. Listen. Don’t ignore. Today was just another reminder of that basic instinct that we so often and easily seem to lose touch with in our hyper-‘connected’ day and age. There were a few things going on that were weighing heavy a bit on my mind, and something just kept tugging at me saying, forget everything you’re doing right now and just go. Doesn’t matter where or what, just go. Get out of here.

Go!

But I had work to do, and I was on the clock, and so I kept pushing back…”No, no, you can’t just go. What are you thinking?” (more…)

December 13, 2013
The Power Of Serendipity – A Lesson Learned

simply stunning. Wasim Muklashy Photography

It might be a little bizarre that I was booked to shoot three professional NFL football players from the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders, yet my two favorite shots of the job had absolutely nothing to do with the job itself.

So as I’ve already written about in a previous post, I was hired by WhoHasItApp to shoot celebrities and the clothing in their closets for a new e-commerce app (it’s actually a pretty brilliant idea, click WhoHasItApp.com and check it yourself). Anyhow, on that trip, I was scheduled to shoot Kyle Williams of the San Francisco 49ers, and Rod Streater and Terrelle Pryor of the Oakland Raiders, and those went extremely well. But something happened that was completely impromptu and unexpected. We were all set up and waiting for our subject to show up so we can get the portrait shots, but it just so happened that it was getting to be that time of day where the light was absolutely perfect – golden hour as the sun was setting over the bay while we overlooked it from the east side of Oakland Harbor. It was killing me that our subject wasn’t there while this light was getting insanely flawless.

I was literally pacing.

Once we realized he wasn’t going to be there in time, I just had to get someone, anyone, it didn’t matter, in front of that lens and smothered with that soft pastel light, so I jumped inside, asked if anyone at all can just come stand in the light, and after a bit of persuasion, was able to convince one of the women that was there, to come out and be my model for just a few minutes.

As soon as she stepped onto the deck, I knew immediately this was going to work. Her beautiful smooth skin was bathed in gorgeous golden hour sunlight that was partially diffused by a low lying haze – when people call it the ‘magic hour,’ this is exactly why. These ended up being two of my favorite shots from the entire weekend, and these weren’t even part of the gig.

The lesson learned in this one? Follow my intuition and not be bashful if a certain situation presents itself – especially if the gut is tugging at you to make a move. Those are the times you know you’ll regret not doing so. I had no idea her name, and I’m sure she didn’t mine either, but for those 5 minutes, it just didn’t matter. Best of all, I walked away with two portrait shots of a stunning woman that i couldn’t be happier with.

simply beautiful. Wasim Muklashy Photography.

November 8, 2013
I Win I Win!! (Sort of…) – The Results (And Lessons) Of My First Ever Photo Contest

So I threw a couple entries into this year’s “Spirit of the Mountain” photo contest, a contest sponsored by the National Park Service for images taken within the Santa Monica Mountains. Being as how I live in Topanga Canyon, right in the middle of that mountain range, I spend a lot of time exploring and making images around these hills and peaks and valleys. Anyhow, this past weekend was the opening exhibit so I headed out there with a couple of friends and to my surprise and elation, I walked up to see both of my images placed. One of them, “A Set Path,” placed 2nd in the competition’s challenge category ‘Shadows & Highlights,’ and the other, “Century Lake – A Portrait,” came in 3rd in the ‘Scenic’ category.

This was the first time I’ve ever entered a proper physical printed photo competition, so I have to say, that was really encouraging and neat to see and experience. The cool thing is that the images were judged by a pretty distinguished panel, including area legend Tom Gamache, photographer for Matthew Jaffe‘s iconic book “Range On The Edge,” as well as professional photographers Jim Shoemaker and Van Webster of Webster Communications.

One lesson I did learn however…matte your submissions! Mine were the only ones that weren’t matted with a border, which I didn’t even think about or realize until they sorely stood out amongst literally all of the other submissions. So yeah…next time…matte the buggers!

Also, there’s one award left…the ‘People’s Choice.’ Voting for that one doesn’t end until the 24th of November, so if you’re in the area, check it out. Make a day out of it. It’s right in the middle of the hills, surrounded by California State Park and National Park land. The exhibit is located at the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center located at King Gillette Ranch at 26876 Mulholland Highway, in Calabasas, California, 91302.

Anyhow, here are the images in a higher resolution for your viewing (hopefully) pleasure.

November 4, 2013
Vote For Me!

This is just a quickie…so I entered a couple photos into a contest sponsored by the National Park Service. The opening exhibition is tomorrow, November 2 at 1pm and it will be open through November 24 for viewing and voting. You should go vote for my images. It’s nice out there. Grab some wine, a sandwich, and some Oreos. Have a picnic. These below aren’t the ones I entered but were taken within a half mile of the place just a few days ago. Voting and the exhibit are at the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center located at King Gillette Ranch at 26876 Mulholland Highway, in Calabasas, California, 91302 (more…)

November 1, 2013
Oh Just Another Typical Backyard Caboose – Or Not!

Some of you know I shoot for Airbnb.com every now and then. There are a lot of nice places in the area that I’m fortunate to check out, but the ones that truly stand out are the quirky funky unique ones…the one-of-a-kinds. Those are my absolute favorite. I don’t write about a lot of these shoots, but sometimes one comes along that I just feel begs for a few words. I wrote about the charming yurt on the organic farm in Malibu a few months back, and today I ran across another gem that compelled me to share: a caboose…on Mulholland…in the hills of Agoura.

Apparently this thing was once owned by a popular movie producer and used quite frequently as a prop, and this couple, Diana and Douglas Tharason decided to take it onto their property, effectively turning into an “ongoing project.” The thing is awesome! And the property it’s on is equally awesome. Douglas is an incredibly talented artist and his sculptures and wonders are displayed throughout the property, as is his studio, which overlooks the Santa Monica Mountains from within this blessed little hidden valley off the Mulholland Highway. So if you’re ever in the area and need a place to stay, screw the Hilton and the Ritz…you’ll never find a more charming and memorable place to marinate than this thing. A few of the images are below, and if you’re looking to book it or want to see all the pictures, click here for the Airbnb listing. The thing is within striking distance of Malibu Creek State Park, Cornell winery and tasting room, the famous Rock Store, and a fishing lake…

And if you’re interested in Tharalson’s work, check out his site at www.TheralsonArt.com.

Anywho…just wanted to share.

Til’ next time…

October 24, 2013