Last weekend I went and visited the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve as everything has been blooming over here in SoCal. I’ve actually been following their website for the last couple months waiting for the right time to go visit, and now it looks like it’s finally hit a peak for the season. As for the reserve, it’s a pretty amazing place- quite literally the entire hillsides of the area become an bright orange glob of color. You can probably still catch it for the next couple weeks, you should try to get over there as it’s really a remarkable experience.

About: Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve

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The Antelope Valley California Poppy State Reserve is a state-protected reserve land located in the rural westside of the Antelope Valley in northern Los Angeles County, 15 miles west of Lancaster. The reserve is at an elevation ranging from 2600 to 3000 feet above sea level in the Mojave Desert climate zone. The reserve is administered by California State Parks. The reserve’s namesake and protection is based on the state flower, the California poppy. The area is one of the state’s most consistent poppy-bearing lands. Other wildflowers within the reserve include the owl’s clover, lupine, goldfields, cream cups and coreopsis.

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So for the last month or so, I’ve been trying to make it a part of my routine to go out and shoot a new place every week. Mostly this is to get me away from editing photos every day, but I’m also to add to my ever growing stock photo library. With this, I’m going to try and get everyone caught up on the last few places I’ve been which have been pretty cool I think.

About: Venice Beach, California

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Venice is a district in west Los Angeles, California, United States. It is best known for its canals and beaches, but it also has a somewhat Bohemian residential area as well as a colorful boardwalk. Venice is today one of the most vibrant and eclectic areas of Southern California and it continues a tradition of progressive social change involving prominent Westsiders.

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I’ve been trying to continue my little Los Angeles project whenever I can, and the most recent shoot I did was over in the Venice Beach Canals which is a great little side away from the crazy beach scene over there.

About: Venice Beach, California

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Venice is a district in west Los Angeles, California, United States. It is best known for its canals and beaches, but it also has a somewhat Bohemian residential area as well as a colorful boardwalk. Venice is today one of the most vibrant and eclectic areas of Southern California and it continues a tradition of progressive social change involving prominent Westsiders.

See the Rest of the Photos…

Last week I had another great headshot session and this time it was with Kelsie Harris, a young actress. It was a great cloudy day and she was obviously talented so it made my work significantly easier. Here are a few I liked:

Sessions are still only $250 in the Los Angeles area, so if you’re in need of some great portraits feel free to contact us and we can answer any questions or set up an appointment!

Well this last week has been a whirlwind as I put editing my tempting Ireland photos on hold to shoot and edit images for Steve and Jeanette’s Wedding. It was the first Mormon wedding I’ve shot, so it was a bit of a learning experience picking up the various customs, etc. The biggest difference for me was not being able to shoot the getting ready or the actual ceremony- the Mormon temple is basically closed off to people who aren’t in good standing with the church. Everyone else waits outside for the big moment of them coming outside as man and wife [its a big lead up with a huge crowd cheer].

Here are a few of my favorites from the day, I hope you enjoy!
See more of Steve and Jeanette’s wedding here.

If you’re still looking for a wedding photographer, feel free to check us out- we have pretty good prices and are pretty nice too.

Location: LDS Temple, Westwood, California
Photography by: Ian Grant Photography

I’m trying to get caught up with all these entries I’ve had on backlog! Two weeks ago Tanya’s folks came out to visit and we all went down to Hermosa Beach to go check out the sights. Ever since I moved down to the beach communities [I live in Playa del Rey] I’ve really fallen in love with Los Angeles, well more of a tolerance, but nevertheless it’s made me a happier person. One of the more interesting towns in Hermosa Beach which is kind of a less refined college town than it’s sister town Manhattan Beach. It’s great through, tons of surfers, it’s own pier and a Boston pub that I’m still yet to go to!

Ok, the real reason I went to Hermosa Beach is because I needed photos to add to my Shoot Every Town in Los Angeles Project, and I now count the town done.

Some More on Hermosa Beach via Wikipedia.org:

Hermosa (”beautiful” in Spanish) is an accurate description of this city’s beach, which is also flat, sandy, and long; ideal for sunbathing, beach volleyball, surfing and paddleboarding. The city itself is only about 15 blocks from east to west and 40 blocks from north to south, with the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH to the locals) running down the middle. Situated right on the Pacific Ocean, Hermosa’s average temperature is 70 degrees in the summer and 55 degrees in the winter. Gentle westerly sea breezes take the edge off what can be high summertime temperatures in Los Angeles and elsewhere in the county. The same breezes help keep the smog away 360 days of the year.

A paved path, called The Strand, runs along Hermosa’s beach from Redondo Beach in the south approximately twenty miles north to Santa Monica. A typical day on this path will see thousands of people on foot, bicycle, skateboard, rollerblade and stroller enjoying the sun and surf.

Enjoy the photos!

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Last weekend, actor Hugo Horta hired me to shoot some new headshots of him, so we went to my normal hangout in Venice, CA and shot some images. He’s going for some Telemundo commercial roles, so hopefully these will get him some gigs!

The other day I was contacted by Josa [who is from Toronto] because she was going to be having her honeymoon in Los Angeles and wanted to capture some cute photos with her new husband. We decided to go to the Santa Monica Pier and got some great images of the two of them.

I’m not much for rides. In fact I hate carnival rides. One time I went on like the teacup ride [after forceful pushing] and came off with bloody blisters on my hand. True story. Where I’m going with this is, I almost regret not going on the Zombie ride. I mean, it has a lot to live up to with a massive skull creature with laser eyes, but how bad could it really be? Have any of you been on the Zombie ride and I can live vicariously through you?

UPDATE!
Apparently others have survived the Zombie ride and lived to tell the tale! FLICKR

I used to literally beg my parents for money to play these games and would never win. On the off chance that I did win like a light stick or something, we would try to preserve it by sticking it in the freezer and it wouldn’t be found for another two years.

I just had my second photo posted on LAist! If you’re from LA, it’s a fantastic blog about the goings on around our *cough* great city. I’ve been a daily reader for a long time, so if you haven’t checked it out yet- go give it a read.

I like night time long exposures. When I first started in photography some time ago I used to do tons of night time photo experiments and create ghost like creatures from :30 second exposures. This was lots of fun until I got in trouble for sneaking out the window in the middle of the night.

A couple weeks ago my fiancee Tanya and I went over to the Fiesta La Ballona, which in Culver City is a small little country fair with all the typical rides, fried foods and games for prizes. I thought it would be a fun time to bring out the camera and shoot some photos, not to mention it would go along with my LA town theme I’ve been working on. So for the next couple days I present some night time flashy light photos. Here is some more information about the festival:

“Fiesta La Ballona Days” began in 1951 as a week-long celebration of the region’s early settlers. People went to events - and even to work! - dressed up as Native American Indians, rancheros, señoritas, cowboys and cowgirls. The early fiestas evoked pride among the descendants of the “first families” and offered the entire community a playful opportunity to connect with its history. Fiesta La Ballona has week day events (August 20-23th) held at various locations and culminates in a weekend event (August 24-26th) held at Veteran’s Park, 4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City. The weekend event begins Friday evening and runs through Sunday evening.

This Saturday night had one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve seen in awhile- and thankfully I caught it with my camera [I need to make it more of a habit bringing it with me all the time]. The location is Lincoln Blvd. in Playa del Rey going down into Playa Vista, in Los Angeles. Enjoy!

Did some more headshot photos with an older gent named Bill Bartlett who was referred to me through the Bobby Ball Talent Agency over here in LA. It was nice working with someone who was a bit out of my norm of younger / middle age actors. Enjoy!