Tag: malibu

  • Bad Days Are The New Good Days! Thanks For The Reminder Photofocus!

    Bad Days Are The New Good Days! Thanks For The Reminder Photofocus!

    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!!

  • Photography Lesson Learned – Don’t Fight It, Just Succumb To It (It’s More Rewarding)!

    Photography Lesson Learned – Don’t Fight It, Just Succumb To It (It’s More Rewarding)!

    Samsung NX300_Wasim Muklashy Photography
    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…)

  • I Win I Win!! (Sort of…) – The Results (And Lessons) Of My First Ever Photo Contest

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

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    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.

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    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.

    Century Lake, A Portrait. Malibu Creek State Park, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography

    A Set Path. Malibu, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography.

  • Vote For Me!

    Vote For Me!

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    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…)

  • Oh Just Another Typical Backyard Caboose – Or Not!

    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…

  • Just Flow – Pursuing A Life Of Being

    Just Flow – Pursuing A Life Of Being

    In a strange sense, I feel like I’m preparing for something. I spend a lot of time alone, very little social interaction – isolated from the constant deluge of stimulation and media saturation. I’m left alone in my thoughts, in my being.

    And I do it to myself.

    And there’s an almost constant sense in me of, I’m not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to be down there either, but I’m not supposed to be here. I’m supposed to be somewhere. Elsewhere. Yet, only recently have I begun to accept and embrace the possibility that I truly am supposed to be here. For if I wasn’t, then I wouldn’t be.

    But I am.

    The distractions, the noise, the static, the relationships from the past, most of which were based on toxic and flawed foundations, would have continued. I would not have been able to see them for what they were. The true essence of man that surrounded me would have continued to be masked by a show or a band or a story or the news or an event or a relationship or a girl or a guy or a lie or the tv or a film or some form of numbing deceit…adding layer upon layer on top of the only thing that truly exists. Layers that you’d eventually have to dig through. One after another after another.

    And hence, the cycle would just propagate itself.

    Is it easy? Of course not. But it’s not supposed to be. Is it valuable? Absolutely. For understanding what you are capable of and what you are not, is necessary if you pursue a life of being.

    So it was necessary, necessary to step away from it all, and be away from it all, and be. Just marinate in being. Feel everything. Allow yourself to feel everything. Allow it to take hold of you. And then allow it to release you. However many times it needs to.

    It was necessary in order to understand that the way it was and the way it seemed, is not necessarily the way it will be. It was necessary to begin to understand yourself at your core in order to understand how that core fits into greater moment.

    Limitations are a gift. Limitations realized are a blessing. Knowing that those limitations are preparation for limitless expansion is the ultimate prize.

    For without those gifts and blessings, you would never know where you stand. Where you should be.

    So yes, I’m preparing for something. The only question is…

    …what?

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

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

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    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…

  • Late Night Fun With Photo Filters…and Scotch.

    Late Night Fun With Photo Filters…and Scotch.

    1wm5837 funwitheffects 2400sfwSo 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…)

  • From Frustration to Elation – Photography Therapy

    From Frustration to Elation – Photography Therapy

    Fox Creek Farm. Mulholland. Calabasas, California. Wasim Muklashy Photography
    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…)