Uploads from Lou O' Bedlam, tagged hollywoodhills

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 04:34:19 -0800

Whether I've taken a dozen shots or a thousand (a prospect that once would've filled me with awe and revulsion), the goal is to get down to around to about 50. The rest get deleted, their souls consumed in the fires of creativity.

And while this one wasn't an A+ winner, I couldn't get rid of it, some undefinable kept me from pressing the button.

And I think it's that wisp of hair across her face that keeps me keeping it.

That wisp of hair and the impression that her eyes are liquid.

Little things, but enough.

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 05:18:12 -0700

Lou O' Bedlam posted a photo:

When I talk to people about Polaroid these days, there's a word that comes up a lot: CONTROL.

I talk about how, the way I see it, there are two camps of Polaroid fans out in the world. Those who love the unpredictability of it, the unknown. These are the folks who loved Time-Zero film, loved how they never knew exactly what they were gonna get from an image.

Then there's the other camp, the camp I sit squarely in, the camp that loved the format, the palette, the consistency. I loved Polaroid knowing that the colors would always be the same, given the same conditions. I could count on it. I was in control of the image through that knowledge.

And that expands out into my feelings on photography in general. It's about having a good time, engaging with my subject, yeah, but there's also an undercurrent of control. I've picked my subject, the location, I'm guiding the conversation, steering the interaction, I'm creating the frame within which I will find my shot.

I leave as little to chance as I can.

Maybe it's a reflection of what I want from life, that control. What I want but cannot have, as the universe does not allow us to control, truly, anything but ourselves. And even then, it's a battle.

Was it Avedon who said every portrait is a self-portrait? Every shot we take of someone says something, maybe a lot of things, about us.

For me, the magic is not in the result being a collaboration between myself and the unknown. For me the magic is akin to a performance, executed with precision, eliciting the desired reaction from the audience, from the subject, from the camera.

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 08:31:29 -0700

Lou O' Bedlam posted a photo:

Randi texted me Monday, said she was in town.

Which is both a blessing and a curse and a blessing.

Because she's down to try anything.

And I am not particularly good at Anything.

There's a few tried and true photo situations I'm comfortable with. But after that, I run into the Great Limitation.

Some of my favorites, Julia Galdo, Annie Liebovitz, Chris Buck, they got the mind for it, aside from the amazing technical skills. They have...I was describing this to yesterday's model, actually. She wanted to shadow a director on set and was wondering What Was It that got someone to that point, where many stop at other jobs along the way.

The main thing, I told her, is Vision. Having the mind to come up with ideas that are worth executing. Ideas that other people are drawn to, want to work on.

There's a lot more, but that there is, in my mind, the heart of it.

That Vision Thing.

I do not have that vision thing. It's why I gave up on writing fiction ages ago. It's why my photographic focus is on people, rather than situations. It's why I was drawn to perfecting one certain situation before moving on.

So when Randi texts me, I'm excited, because I love shooting with her. Great energy, great attitude, just lots of fun to talk to and shoot with.

But I'm also apprehensive, because now I've got to come up with something New.

So I've found a pool. I've got some lights. I told her to wear something awesome. And we're gonna do it at night. So we'll see if my underdeveloped vision thing is up to the task.

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 07:07:25 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 05:12:04 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 21:06:06 -0700

Lou O' Bedlam posted a photo:

new project: CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PARTIES

It's me, photographing people riding/driving in cars. Daytime, nighttime, themed outfits, hanging out of windows at dangerous angles. Good Times.

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 20:52:32 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 20:51:25 -0700

Lou O' Bedlam posted a photo:

new project: CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PARTIES

It's me, photographing people riding/driving in cars. Daytime, nighttime, themed outfits, hanging out of windows at dangerous angles. Good Times.

nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:51:49 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 04:57:33 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 07:21:02 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 07:14:37 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:11:54 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 06:02:45 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 07:28:17 -0800

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 21:23:22 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 08:50:59 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 07:54:08 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:08:01 -0700

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nobody@flickr.com (Lou O' Bedlam) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 09:16:08 -0700

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