MILLS IN MONOCHROME
BLACK AND WHITE
Black and white photography is often said to be more emotive than its color counterpart. Having lived all on three different continents and traveling all over the world, I believe that Southern California is unique.
The scenes presented in #millsinmonochrome (MM) contain a mix of thematic elements which create an intended experience. My goal with this project is to create an experience larger than the sum of the images you see in the gallery.
The writing, playlist, quotes, lyrics and writing are presented here to create a “vibe” while at the same time releasing my creative expression, something that celebrates our collective humanity.
The process to create the images was laborious, but enjoyable. I hand-processed and DSLR scanned all images with minimal use of digital editing.
Massive Murmurs
“As flying enters into everyday life, the dreams of centuries become actualities. One by one they take shape and become stepping-stones for other dreams” – Amelia Earhart
I have always loved flying. It represents the freedom to travel and experience new culture. There are an abundance of airports in Southern California, which has the busiest skies I have lived under. Always a helicopter, a drone, a jumbo jet, or a private charter overhead, the buzz is constant. Freedom, is constant.
Magnified Meandering
"Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city" — Dorothy Parker
The suburbs that dot the map of Southern California have been booming since Post WWII, when architects flocked to the open air, desert climate and the American Dream of home ownership took shape.
This never-ending suburban sprawl, seemingly one neighborhood bumping up into another, is a façade. Underneath the plainly visible lies a unique community with its own character, its own people, its own culture.
Mystic Martyrs
“Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly Before they're forever banned? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind” — Bob Dylan
Palm trees have been the iconic symbol of Southern California for as long as I can remember in both cinema and photography. Prior to the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics, 25,000 trees were planted all over the city, granting new jobs post-Depression.
Historically representing strength and victory, the palm tree also presents itself as something light and breezy, whether silhouetted in a sunset or glittering in the golden afternoon, the palm tree is an omnipresent emblem of Southern California.
Mighty Matrices
“As far as loneliness, I feel Los Angeles and its layout, having to drive everywhere – it is a lonely place. It’s an isolated city in that respect because you’re driving to places alone listening to the radio.” —Jason Schwartzman
As the seasons blend into one long, hot, summer, the repeating towers of power always seem to get in the way of an otherwise decent view. In contradictory fashion, the lines that extend from one tower to the next weave in and out of the very fabric of the region, connecting an essential resource to the people.
The towers themselves standing as personified warriors, broad-shouldered and battle-tested. The electricity pulsating outward toward something bigger, something greater…the representation of imagining the possibilities…what gives Southern California its charm.
Motionless Melancholy
"Nothing comes close to the Golden Coast" -Katy Perry
The sweet salty air that blows in off the California Coast is unmatched. The solitude and emptiness is replaced by the sense of calm one feels when wandering out onto a pier for sunrise, or feeling the warmth on your face transform into a cool chill as the sun fades and the water color changes from turquoise to lavender. The sound of the waves breaking on the shore as the day comes to an end rejuvenates and revives the soul.
Mega Metropolis
“The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win” —Kobe Bryant
Los Angeles as a city is many things. Skid Row, 20s art deco, Hollywood Boulevard, downtown.
The hustle and bustle of the city is only matched by the hustle of the people who dream big and descend upon its walls in search of fame and fortune.
Midnight Mischief
“Los Angeles is the most beautiful city in the world, as long as it's seen at night and from a distance." —Roman Polanski
The glitter permeates throughout the desert in Southern California. The region bursts with energy in a constant cycle that invites curiosity. There is always something open and always somewhere to go, even in the wee hours of the early morning darkness.
Mechanical Marvels
“I create feelings in others that they themselves don’t understand.” — Lightning McQueen
Unruly driving and severe congestion are the routine for Southern California roadways, but underneath the tangles lie some of America's most spectacular scenes.
From Volkswagon beetles and buses to the low rider culture and exotic money that flows through, Southern California is a mecca for automobiles.
Take a cruise down the Pacific Coast Highway on a Sunday and you are all but guaranteed to see a mechanical marvel with a vibe unto its own.
