Mexicali Earthquake Article with my pictures

Many of you have asked to see more coverage on Mexicali. Here you go... More pictures to come.

So... What's going on today...

Health bill passed. Good thing? don't know but this isn't a political commentary. This is about embracing your every shot. Your every moment in life and taking in the good with the bad, ugly, and "whatever, whenever?" But most importantly it is about the grace and beauty that surround our world that people fail to see....

Let's move on:


Artists:

Alan Locke ladies and Gentlemen....



Jewelry:

Clara, beautiful Clara. I walked by her while hanging out with Jasmine Karma and her husband Wiley at the Spa at the W. And I said to myself there's a beautiful girl that needs Mark Paul's touch when it comes to ear wear. I don't even want to say what the before Looked like. But here's the after. Another happy client and more importantly, friend... Shout out to Clara.






By the way a lot of you our probably what I shoot with.... Anything I can get my hands on. But my preferred camera is my D200, even liked it more than the D2x. But the shots of Clara were taken with an Iphone!!!! Check that out.

Have to run in the middle of an edit and signing up for Myspace? go figure that one out.

Just in case your all curious my links are as follows:

Temporary website, been saying that for a while:

www.markpaul.showitsite.com for general body of work.
www.facebook/markpaulphotography@gmail.com

Talk to you all soon. And please comment or not. Do I really care??????????????????????????

Absolutely, I care about all of you, why would I not be writing this if I didn't care. I'm not a "right wing Wacko" Just and artist who loves to dance do business with amazing people. Thank and major abundance and blessing to all

Art and Living Magazine

ALL PICTURES ARE COPYRIGHTED ©Mark Paul Photography 2010.

AM I Blogging... Of course I am.

I was asked if I was still blogging the other day by a friend and my answer is yes. I apologize if I have posted my last artist Alan Locke or Chaz Guest closing. I have actually been really busy shooting a few portraits, meeting with clients and doing a location shoot over at the W all while preparing for a out of the country four day shoot. So something in my life had to give, and of course it was the Blog. With that said, I hope to have a little free time in the evenings while I'm away and show all of you what I have been up to these last few weeks. That includes my artists, my clients and the cool location I have visited. Hope this appeases all your curiosity in the interim...

Mark Paul

Ps I have to show you all what you can do with an IPhone...

Connecting with the Subject....

I always wonder how some photographers can shoot for less than 15 minutes and think they got a shot. Other than red carpet, where, it in itself is a art form. It's next to impossible to be able to shoot the perfect picture without feeling a connection to your subject be it a person, place or a thing. And if dear reader you disagree, which your entitled to do. I just want to leave you with a few thoughts...

We travel the world to see foreign lands mostly because of a picture in a magazine, or some type of periodical.
We emulate and support our celebrities be it a sports star, actor or politician. Based on pictures and images conveyed by a photographer connecting with a subject. Think of Marilyn Monroe or any album cover that sells in which the music is terrible.

Well, I have a 7:15 Call time. Which means I have to cut this short. Below please find the amazing Hope Railey as well as a few other shots from the week and before.















©2010 Mark Paul Photography

Observations from Hollywood

I see things often that disturb me on my morning walks. As the world awakes, for some, actually many, it just continues. No street is truly desolate in the Hollywood area. There are people sleeping in the shadows often feeling a sense of loss and pain. These souls have been forgotten by society or ignored. We've all have walked by them and acted as if they were not there. This morning as I walked to the post office and drank my $2.50 gourmet coffee only to be witness as a man shed himself of his identity and possessions by emptying the contents of his wallet on to the sidewalk and shedding the last semblance of his connection to society. I wondered, did he give up, was he beaten or was I observing him on the precipice of a new beginning. I felt angry and challenged. Not by him, but by the rhetoric of our politicians that was conveyed last night by both sides. When was the last time a mayor, governor, senator, representative or president walked down Hollywood Blvd. or any street in a city or town and witnessed first hand, people riding the subway to work, exiting buildings after a long night of labor, or coming across someone begging you to play them in a game of chess for simply the cost of a piece of gum. It’s hard for me to relate sometimes considering how fortunate I have been. Having the freedom of a car, the liberty of a job that allows me to be creative and travel, and a home nestled in one of the best neighborhoods in Los Angeles where the biggest danger comes from getting lost in the hills or dodging a visiting car driving to fast. Enough said.

Shout out to my buddy Keith…Hey I’m writing!!! Thanks for reminding me of my other talent. This blog is dedicated to those long urban hikes I drag you on at all hours.









©2010 Mark Paul Photography all rights reserved.

Malibu, Rain, and shooting in the Zone... (Plus of course the artist project continued)

If any of you live in California, Southern California specifically you know how crazy the weather can get when it rains. Really, when it rains here, it pours, but mostly for a day, two at the most. Not five straight!!! So this week, I did what any professional would do when the weather chooses not to cooperate. Bundle up, cover up, pack my water resistant gear and drive out to Malibu to shoot Scott May, "Scottie" the muralist of the group. I guess the best way to some up the shoot is simply to use Scottie's words... "You're quite a trooper." The funny thing is that while it was cold and damp, and pretty much every part of my body was soaked to the bone except my water resistant boots, I never really felt the rain or cold wind until the shoot was over and I was changing into dry clothes. There is something about when I shoot that embraces my entire being and takes me to a level of focus that I believe only another artist could understand. And I define an artist as someone who creates. A painter who has created a masterful work of art that exudes emotion, a writer who has sat down and composed a piece that engages the reader, a basketball player who finds or creates a shot, a doctor, a lawyer, musician, chef, you get my point. When you fall or break through that invisible barrier... nothing matters but the moment of creation. The love for the craft, the subject, the concept, the idea.

Okay. Let me stop. and Breath. You've all hit that stride, you've all been in that zone. I just feel lucky that I come across it often enough that at times it continues into other parts of my every day life. Like cooking enchiladas for friends or improving an already flawless dessert through collaboration, fruit and a little bit of whip cream. Enjoy the pics. Thanks Both Scotts. Yes, I did a back to back shoot with two guys name Scott. I know there's a joke there. The second is actually a former professional Basketball player.

Next Week... Well. That's next week.











©2010 Mark Paul Photography All rights reserved