fstopinertia – photography of angela marklew

I met Danella through a mutual friend – he and I were planning on shooting together and he suggested Danella model.  That was back in late 2008, since then her and I have worked together (she was so kind as to get covered in ice cream for my ‘f word’ series) and have become friends.  I came to find out that she volunteers a lot of her time to fostering animals – kittens mostly.  I’ve been thinking about being a foster “parent” for a while and about a month ago, the opportunity arose.

Victor and Lenore are a brother and sister who were pulled from the shelter hours before euthanasia.  They were 2 1/2 weeks old (born around April 1st) when they were dropped off but the shelter couldn’t keep them/take care of them for the remaining 6 weeks it would take until they were old enough to be adopted.  I had spoken with Danella previously about fostering so when these little ones were almost 4 weeks old, she asked me if I could take them.  I had never owned a cat before but I said yes and it has been awesome.  They were still being bottle fed when I got them, and having a kitten that barely weighs a pound crawl up on you to drink milk out of a bottle just about breaks your heart.  In the past 4 weeks, I’ve watched them almost double in size and I’ve got to see their personalities emerging.  Lenore (second image, below) is cautious yet brave, whereas Victor (first image, below) is more of a sweetheart.

It will break my heart to see these little ones go, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having them for the last 4 weeks. To find out more about becoming a foster parent to orphaned puppies and kittens, please contact the Los Angeles Animal Services.

I absolutely LOVE bridges – I love crossing them (in car or on foot) and I really love photographing them.  The Brooklyn Bridge is probably the most beautifully built bridge I’ve ever seen and every time I go to New York, I gravitate towards it.

(Brooklyn Bridge – January 2010)

This Saturday (March 20th), I’ve been invited to show work at the monthly Santa Ana art walk.  It will be the first time I’ve shown work in California in over a year, so if you’re in southern California, come check it out!

Migration: Portraits of Human Abandonment
Saturday March 20th, 2010
7-10 pm
Tight Space gallery at the Santiago Street lofts
729 North Poinsettia Street
Santa Ana CA 92701

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.” – Seneca (Roman philosopher)

I have always been drawn to vacated buildings, anywhere people once worked, lived, or spent any significant amount of time. These places, which may once have been hubs – of cities, towns, neighborhoods, or maybe just families – are now forgotten. Things that once marked a new life – like a new home, or a new car, or the possessions collected over the years – were ultimately discarded in favor of a fresh start somewhere else; a new beginning. But to me, it’s the things left behind that tell the story….an old car left in the garage, a teapot left on the stove, or a rocking chair slowly moving back and forth in the breeze, all in an arrested state – all waiting for the owners who once cherished them to return.

By focusing on interiors and specific objects left behind, I am attempting to capture the essence of the former inhabitants, almost as if I were taking their portrait. I have always loved that, shown only a person’s belongings, each viewer will perceive that person in a different manner. The “portraits” in this body of work allow the viewer to do just that – make up their own minds about the people to whom these objects once belonged.

I’ve always thought that November was a fantastic month to start new things.

With that being said, welcome to my photography world.  This is where I’ll talk about inspiration, different processes I’m trying (both modern and historical), new projects and assignments, as well as the ever popular topic – lighting.  So stay tuned!  Until next time, I’ll leave you with an image I shot in September of Dan, a security guard who works in South Central.