The Space Between: Visual Meditations is inspired by my recent return to Buddhist practice where I meditate gazing on an object in the distance, or softly closing my eyes to let in only a sliver of light, an un-focused vision of my surroundings. I want to explore this way of seeing, of being, with my camera. Sometimes I feel overstimulated by material reality, but through my un-focused lens objects become gorgeous shapes splashed with color—houses become pleasing lines and forms, and the light in my house plays inside my curtains and on my bed. The Space Between is a place to meditate on the nature of beauty in everything around me.

Aline Smithson is a champion of great photography and gives selflessly to create a community amongst photographers -a community that truly nurtures the creative spirit. I love her open submission exhibitions, and have just started to participate.

See her Your Favorite Photographs of 2011 Lenscratch Exhibition here: http://www.lenscratch.com

It feels so good to be in NYC again! I spent a few great days wandering the floor, meeting old friends and attending Gerd Ludwigs’s seminar on low-light lighting techniques. See his amazing work inside Chernobyl at http://gerdludwig.com/recent-work/chernobyl-update-at-25/

Checked in with ASMP, met up with Elliot Landy of Woodstock fame, and got a poster signed by Bob Gruen who has a new book out: Rock Seen http://www.bobgruen.com/

Today I volunteered to work at the Portfolio Reviews offered by the Palm Springs Photo Festival http://review.palmspringsphotofestival.com/

…and now I’m on my wat to the ASMP Members meeting….

I’m a year behind on this one, but this looks like it will be a whole lot of fun: The Telluride Photo Festival coming up Sept. 26-Oct. 2, http://bit.ly/j1YTZ6

Join us tomorrow for an exciting evening with L.A.-based fine art and commercial photographer Ed Freeman. Come view Ed’s work and learn about the creative process behind his remarkable images.

A few things from Ed’s Website:

He was a road manager on the last Beatles tour, played guitar on dozens of pop recordings and worked as an arranger with and producer with Carly Simon, Cher, among others.

In Los Angeles now and working as a photographer, he creates commercial and fine art images that have appeared in hundreds of publications, including two books.  His architectural series, Desert Realty and Urban Realty, are the subject of touring museum shows.

He travels the world taking pictures, teaches Photoshop at Santa Monica College, still plays piano, is fighting a losing battle to learn Mandarin Chinese, and swears mightily that he will write the Great American Symphony someday – whenever he gets some spare time.

Check out Ed’s website for yourself: http://www.edfreeman.com.

A great speaker, fantastic photos.  What could be better?  Come see for yourself.

FOOD, DRINK, AND DOOR PRIZES

REGISTER HERE

Students – $5

ASMP Members – $10

Affiliates – $15

General Public – $20

This Thursday, April 14th, is the year’s first ASMPLA Pints & Pixels party, hosted by Julia Dean Photo Workshops in their brand new beautiful space in Hollywood. This year we’re featuring Cell Phone photos with a slide show of contributing photographers, plus a book we put together from the best of. We hope you’ll join us and bring your cell phone photos -we’ll add them to the slide show!

Here are the details:

APRIL 14, 7-10 PM

JULIA DEAN PHOTO WORKSHOPS (new location!)
755 Seward Street, Los Angeles, CA 90038

$5 for Students, $10 for everyone else.

© Cristopher Lapp

I always look forward to April in LA. April kicks off with the Palm Springs Photo Festival and continues into MOPLA (Month of Photography LA) with openings almost every night at one gallery or museum or event space.

This week has a wonderful line up of lectures and openings starting off with a great panel discussion presented by ASMP-LA: The Current State of Photojournalism and Editorial Photography on Wednesday at the new Julia Dean Photo Workhops space in Hollywood.

Thursday is Brad Buckman’s opening of his show The View and What Becomes at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood.

Then, on Friday, my good friends Ken Haber and Mark Indig, are part of a group show at Terrell Moore called LA Mecca: Los Angeles as the Promised Land.

And finally, (did I mention this is non-stop?), Saturday brings us what will be a stellar show at Mr. Musichead of the Album Covers and Portraits of Musicians of Glen Wexler.