San Francisco / February 6, 2014 by Mike Daclan

Ahhh how I love that city. I have a blast every time I go and this last time was no exception. Thanks to our lovely friend Cindy we always have a local to show us around and to take us to all the good spots to eat and drink. She's a lovely guide and we can never repay her with enough booze for showing us around! I need to get back up there for longer than a weekend. The city looked beautiful at night and I wish I could have photographed more of it although it was BITTERLY cold (for a Los Angeleno).

One of the highlights from this latest trip was a visit to Alcatraz island. Although I've been going to San Francisco with my friends for the past 7 years, this was actually the first time that we made the trek out to The Rock. It was a cool and creepy place that I would have loved to wander around in the restricted areas away from all the crowds. We did get a brief history while walking around with the audio tour but if you had full run of all the areas it could make for some great urbex photos.

Overall the weekend turned into a great way to put my newly acquired x100s through it's paces and I must say it's an absolutely wonderful camera that I will miss (more on that later). If you are thinking about making the plunge just do it. You won't regret it at all. It really is a perfect street/travel camera.

Cheers until next time!

Revisiting the Familiar / January 24, 2014 by Mike Daclan

I've had the idea to revisit my old neighborhood for a while. When people typically think of street photography in Los Angeles, the one location everyone thinks of is Downtown. It's a high traffic location with a lot of interesting background scenery to frame your images. While it's a great location, I wanted to revisit a location that was a bit more personal.

Eagle Rock will always hold a special place in my heart. Some of my fondest childhood memories were formed in this small town just Northeast of DTLA. Good food was always a few blocks away. Each doorway seemed to hold something special behind it. Especially when the doors were unmarked or I never had a chance to visit the business behind them. My mind would race about the possibilities behind each of them. Over time some were answered while others still remain a mystery.

There was much about the town that was beautiful and amazing to me. I think that comes with being a child though. As I returned to the city I loved I began to take notice of the little flaws and imperfections inherent in any small town. Abandoned buildings, trash, the homeless population, etc. etc. Seeing these issues still doesn't change my love it though. In a way it actually strengthens my love. It's like seeing someone you love open up and show their vulnerable side to you.

Flaws and all, Eagle Rock, I love you.

New Year New Post New Photos / January 19, 2014 by Mike Daclan

My last post was back in October of 2013. This is completely unacceptable. Updates need to happen more frequently and with some consistency. I've always wanted a place to share my photos so why not use this resource that's been available the whole time?

Although I have been taking a lot of pictures since my last update, they often wind up on my Flickr page with little to no fanfare to those I really want to see the images. It becomes an archive in a gallery way off the main street that not a lot of people actually see. Only those that are down that alley for a purpose end up seeing these photos.

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be catching up on my backlog of photos and posting and sharing here along with some stories about particular photos. I've made it a resolution that over the new year I'm going to be more active in my photography. Both in taking pictures and making sure that this blog/site gets updated with more images.

These latest images are from early October when my friend Cliff came into town. He's a great photographer and was here in Los Angeles for a few jobs. While in town we spent a morning/afternoon walking through downtown Los Angeles and Old Town Pasadena. Going out for a photo walk by yourself is always a great experience but going out with a friend, and one who hasn't gone street shooting in your city is an even greater experience. You get a different perspective with fresh eyes looking at the city and you can both approach the same shot in different ways. If you ever get a chance to meet up with someone from out of town for a photo walk I highly recommend it!

Hope everyone has a great 2014 and cheers to a photo filled year!

Light & Shadow in Downtown Los Angeles / October 23, 2013 by Mike Daclan

Went for a walk in Downtown Los Angeles yesterday and experimented a bit more with how I approach subjects in relation to the available light and shadows cast by the building. It took a while to change my method of thinking in approaching subjects but after about an hour it was easier to see how the light filtered through the buildings to setup great areas to capture.

The biggest factor that changed was I learned to stake out a good photo location and wait for the right moment. This requires a lot more patience than my typical run and gun style. It was definitely a fun way to approach the city but tomorrow I'll definitely go back to the R&G style.

The Abandoned Zoo / October 17, 2013 by Mike Daclan

As it turns out, it wasn't as abandoned as I thought it would be. There were plenty of people setting up for Halloween so unfortunately there were a few places that seemed interesting but were fenced off. I still managed to find a few places where there was enough of a gap for me to squeeze through (no easy feat mind you!). I didn't feel as creeped out as I thought I would though. This may be due to the fact that I knew that there were a group of people working on Halloween attractions less than 30 yard away from me.

The only true hair raising moment was when I was walking past the abandoned house to a small empty cage. I was far enough away from the workers where I couldn't hear them anymore but I could hear movement in the bushes around me. Reality struck that I was actually alone and there are LARGE cats that have been spotted in the mountains. I ran my hand over my knife which gave me an odd sense of comfort but I knew that maybe it would be best to return with a friend. Hopefully the next time I'm back the fences will be down and there will be more to explore!

LACMA / October 9, 2013 by Mike Daclan

A quick walk around the museum and the Tar Pits in the late afternoon provided some great lighting for photos. I'm trying a few new techniques in my post processing with Lightroom and Silver Efex Pro which I've been happy with but needs a little more refinement.

Fashion District Street Shots / October 2, 2013 by Mike Daclan

Many weekends involve my girlfriend and I heading down to the fashion district while she shops for fabric to use on various projects. This provides me with an ample amount of time to walk around and capture what's going on in the streets.

There's a lot to take in and the streets are usually crowded during the weekends which is both good and bad. It does provide plenty of opportunities for great shots BUT with the increased crowd you have to deal with narrower windows of time to get a good shot.

I still have a long way to go with these shots. I'd like to get straight profile photos of people but it's going to take time to get to that point. For now I hope you enjoy these!

A Quick Drive / September 24, 2013 by Mike Daclan

There are so many times that we don't get a chance to be as creative, as we want. In certain situations you may have to make due with whatever chance you get.

Such was the case this past Sunday. A quick drive to meet up with a friend provided plenty of opportunities to capture the every day as it passed by. I'm constantly amazed as to what you can find if you take the time to look around.

Cheers!