photography by wasim.

Tag: malibu creek state park

My First 1st – ‘Pole Position’ Takes Top Spot In National Park Service Photo Contest!

So this is a quick one, but wanted to post an update to the National Park Service’s annual “Spirit Of The Mountains” photo contest I threw a couple entries into last month. Well, on November 2, they announced the winners. There were 4 categories, and my image “Pole Position” tied for 1st place in this year’s challenge category, “Variations On Light.” It was quite thrilling to see that ribbon and hear renowned photographer Tom Gamache’s positive critiques. Thank you to all who showed up and all those who supported me in this thing. I can’t express how happy I was to get my first 1st place ribbon in a photo contest. (And special thanks to my Arcanum cohort for convincing me on the portrait version of the image…that was key!). Also, if you’d like a limited edition 36″x24″ landscape version print of this image, 100 of them are currently available through AngelenoArtistry. Click here to check it out.

And congratulations to Mike Shaw, my 1st place tie mate!

For more of my madness, take your pick: Instagram: @wasimofnazareth Ello: @wasimofnazareth Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

November 18, 2014
The Spirit Of The Mountain Calls Again – Here’re This Year’s Entries!

I can’t believe it’s been a full year since the last one. That photo contest that I was honored to place 2nd and 3rd in last year, the National Park Service sponsored “Spirit Of The Mountain” photo contest? Well, it’s back. I just submitted my two entries, the two you see above, “Family Time” and “Pole Position,” two images taken within the past 12 months in the Santa Monica Mountain Range.

If you happen to find yourself in the area between November 2 and November 23, stop by the Interagency Visitor Center at the King Gillette Ranch. It’s right across the road from Malibu Creek State Park, so make a day of it…trust me, it’s absolutely gorgeous. Oak groves and rock pools and lakes and streams…hard to believe it’s only 35 minutes from Santa Monica and Los Angeles’ Westside.

Anyhow, if you happen to make it on November 2, that’s the opening reception, and renown photographer Tom Gamache, the man behind the beautiful images in Matthew Jaffe’s “The Santa Monica Mountains – Range On The Edge,” will be there to critique the entries. Also, Gamache has his images currently on exhibition at the same visitor center. That there is worth it alone.

The images above were taken on Samsung NX300 and NX30 cameras.

For more of my madness, take your pick:
Instagram: @wasimofnazareth
Ello: @wasimofnazareth
Google+: www.Google.com/+WasimMuklashy

October 14, 2014
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
DP Experience

So I’m kind of hyped. The new episode of one of my favorite photography podcasts was released today, and every week they choose a few photo posts from their Google Plus community and talk about and critique the photos. This week, they chose one of mine, the second time that’s happened, and I couldn’t be happier about which one…it’s the oak tree from the earlier post about Malibu Creek State Park and the borer that’s threatening California’s oaks. Any attention I can bring to that I’m happy about…it would be an incredible tragedy if we lose those iconic oaks.
Anyhow, check out the podcast, it’s called Digital Photo Experience (http://dpexperience.com) and it’s hosted by two extremely well-respected names in the photography industry, Rick Sammon and Juan Pons. If you download it, I highly recommend listening to it all, it’s the April 1 episode, but if you just want to skip to the photo critiques, they start with mine at the 1:02:45 mark.

April 2, 2013
Beware The Borer!

So after all that, they didn’t even remember to have us present our projects…but that didn’t stop me from moving with it. Not because I felt I needed to prove anything but because I truly want to do what I can to help out the park system. Budget woes are apparent all over, but that’s driving the passion of the volunteers, myself included, to make sure people are aware of the parks and these public spaces. They’re frickin’ insanely beautiful and they’ve basically saved my sanity and I know that anyone that shows up will feel the same. It just does that. So I created a Google Plus page for the Malibu Creek State Park Docent program, started posting to it, and plan on getting it going. So if anyone’s reading this and is on Google Plus, add us to your circles. If you’re not on Google Plus, well, you should be…just sayin’. (more…)

March 24, 2013
Working Better Under Pressure – A Malibu Creek State Park Docent Story

It’s strange how my life has turned into a series of photo taking and processing. Sure, not getting paid for all of it, so can’t really call myself a true professional, but all of my income is coming from this stuff, which is actually kind of…eh…neat. For the first time in my life, I’m actually feeling like I’m doing something I’m supposed to be doing. 36 hot damn years old and now I’m figuring this out?

Anyway, woke up with the intention of spending all day today working on editing the Megan Racing videos and processing those photographs so I can get a paycheck before rent-time creeps up in a hurry, but remembered that my docent project is due tomorrow at the final interpretation I’m required to go to as a new Malibu Creek State Park docent. (more…)

March 23, 2013