karen maze photoblog

What is it about the middle of the night that makes me want to work so hard? I sat down at the computer around 9PM last night, thinking I’d do a few things until 10 or 11. A couple of demands for attention from the cat notwithstanding, I was still staring at the screen, ready to do more at 4AM.

What kept me up so late last night was an update to my website. I’ll be honest, I’m not in love with my website. I think it serves me well enough for now, but does it say to me “I’m so KAREN MAZE”? No. As I continue to home in on what exactly I want it to do for me, I like being able to do it myself. But those days are going to come to an end.  Outsourcing it is looking more and more like a good idea. But not yet…not just yet. Please check it out by clicking here or on the photo below. Be sure to check out the Recent Work page. It is brand new, has selected images from New Zealand, my day with Poptart and Brent, and more.

On New Year’s Eve I posted my first article on Examiner.com. I am the new Los Angeles Neighborhood Photography Examiner. I applied on a bit of a whim and mostly out of curiosity, but now that I’ve dipped my toe into the Examiner.com pool, it feels just right. It’s caused me to think more about the Los Angeles photo community more than ever before. It inspires me to get out and talk to people (I can be a bit shy sometimes!) and having a forum for their stories adds a new layer of interest. I’ll be covering photo-related events, gallery openings, museum exhibits, interviewing local photographers of all types, and more. If you have something you’d like me to write about, comment below or send me an email: karen[at]karenmaze[dot]com.

Like all of you, I’ve been touched by the ongoing suffering of the earthquake victims in Haiti, and by the frustration of so many people who want so badly to help, but are held up by a lack of infrastructure and the sheer mass of the devastation. If you’d like to make a donation, you can do so through these websites:

Red Cross

iTunes

Clinton Bush Haiti Fund

Whichever method you choose (I used iTunes), please make sure it’s a trustworthy organization. It’s lamentable that there are people out there who take advantage at times like these, but there’s no denying their existence.

I am going to get out and take some pics now. The rain has stopped and the tornado warning (!) is over. It wasn’t for my area of LA, but STILL! Los Angeles is never more beautiful than after a rain storm. We’re getting four of them this week (2 down, 2 to go), so there should be some incredible vistas out there.

By the way, my Examiner.com income is based on the traffic my page receives - so click away, won’t you? I’ll strive to write content you’ll find interesting and indispensable, so I hope you’ll head over there now and click on “Subscribe”. And by all means, tell your friends.

Happy shooting, y’all!

-km

I was on my way to meet TSNY's Jonathon Conant for the first time when I saw this scene. Taken from behind the school, looking toward Malibu.

This was taken on the night of TSNY LA's opening celebration. Taken from the roof of the Arcade next door.

This is Poptart Sprinkle. She would 'fly' (as trapeze folks call it) at TSNY LA often when I first started taking pics there. Poptart's drive, energy, and creativity make her a force to be reckoned with. She's pushed me to new heights as a photographer.

Poptart on the rings, a shot from our most recent shoot on the beach in Santa Monica.

July 27, 2009…I’ve chosen these photos for my first post as a reminder that sometimes you should just listen to that little voice inside. Don’t question it. Don’t reason with it. Just do what it says.

Like so many photographers starting out, I used to have a lot of angst about what I was doing, what I should be doing, what other people thought I should be doing. Even the simplest of projects felt like an enormous challenge in some way or another. When I wasn’t struggling to overcome my shyness to put myself out there and meet new people, I was stressed out because I had to apply a technique under pressure for the first time - or both. Sometimes I’d wonder why I put myself through it.

I’ve always loved the Santa Monica Pier. The iconic status, the beach atmosphere, the history…It’s also one of the most photographed places in LA. I spent a good deal of time thinking about unique projects I could do involving the Pier, but none of them pulled strongly enough. Then one day about a year and a half ago, I heard that Trapeze School New York was going to be opening its Los Angeles location right next to the arcade. How cool! I didn’t know anything about trapeze, but I knew that I wanted to photograph it. A quick email later, I was in touch with Jonathon Conant at Trapeze School New York, and he invited me down. It was a pivotal move for me - and believe me I was nervous. But after one day of shooting at TSNY LA, I thought to myself ‘this is what I’ve been practicing for all this time. And it’s fun!’

That’s what it comes down to. Photography and all it entails can be an incredible pain in the butt. At the end of the day, if I’m doing this right, it should still be fun. So far, so good.

-km