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

The Project

So, today someone asked how's the project going and my response of course was "which one?" Well, actually there's only one major personal project I'm working on at this moment for the year. What I call my Collaboration: a Portrait of Los Angeles Based Artists at work, play, life, etc. I have no idea really what to call it. So if anyone has any suggestions e-mail me. As long as the artists agree to let me document them, well, it's a collaboration in my "mind." or should I say the real world. They're in collaboration with that part of me that embraces their work and connects with them as colleagues, friends, and of course fellow creators. So below please find the latest. Two shoots two days. Or actually an afternoon and an evening. An afternoon of Jackie Stanton and Patrick McCarthy at work and play (Great Music and company thanks) and an evening art opening with Chaz Guest. (Chaz if I didn't have the opportunity to congratulate you it was because I was focussed shooting, I was in awe. And still can't get over how amazing and moved I am by your work. Thank you. Thank you Thank you.) If your in Studio City, drop by Rachelle Ryan Left Gallery (www.leftcoastgalleries.com) and check out Chaz Guest's Work. More to come... Enjoy the pictures. (Oh one last thing of note, does anyone reading this know how to prevent an image from looking a bit washed out when I publish them online. For some reason they always seem to lose their vibrancy.)




































©2010 Mark Paul Photography all rights reserved.

New Blog or Why I haven't been blogging...

I guess I'm about as bad as everyone who claims that they enjoy writing and they simply don't. No excuse for not writing anything new lately. I have been shooting and processing. No not guns, Photographs. And while most of us process everything in our minds a bit to much, the processing I am doing is more of the picture, retouch, crop, and contrast type. Bottom line, I'll try to do better this week. Maybe I'll just blog once a week. Maybe twice maybe everyday. Maybe I should just shut my mouth, post some pictures and let you enjoy a little bit of what I call my work. Enjoy the first of many Headshots and Portaits to come.

The world of Blogging like Photography can be a lonely one... or Embarking on a new project.

So here I am. Alone. Or at least at this point, it feels that way. No one has read my blog. I didn't expect anyone to right away. But hopefully at some point I'll get some feedback and eventually a reader or two. Blogging in many ways is like photography, you observe, document, and then put your work out there hoping that someone will read it or in my case see it.

Today I began a truly collaborative project documenting contemporary Los Angeles Artists at work. It is a eight month project that take the viewer on a celebrated journey of each artist's life and inspiration. It will reflect their inspirations as well as the environment in which ideas flourish and become a reality. Below is two pictures of my first shoot with Chaz Guest. He is currently working on images for a show coming up next week. I have to admit it is fun collaborating with like minds...







©2010 Mark Paul Photography
All images for private use only.

What's this Blog about....

This blog is about photography, art, life and of course being in the moment. People have asked me what is the secret in getting a good shot. I have three simple answers: Breathing, Connecting, and Being Completely Present in Life. Believe me, I get strange looks all the time when I give that answer. But I find that unless your under the age of five, most of us seldom take the time to do those three things in our every day life. And here's the funny thing, those people in Sardinia, Japan, Tibet and all over Asia and the Mediterranean that live to be over a Hundred. They've mastered what most of us have chosen to ignore. The basics in life. Breathing, Connecting and Being present. So I leave you thinking about this first entry. Not much to think about and then maybe it is a lot. For the record I will return to those three points. But for now, realize without being able to Embrace those three crucial tools, I would probably be unable to call myself a photographer.

Below is a picture I took on New Year's Day. Enjoy and welcome to my Blog and please tell your friends. And of course, Happy, Happy, New Year.

Copyright 2010 Mark Paul Photography



And for all of you who want a little more check out the Video clip.