Today is a very special day to me. Perhaps my favorite day of the year. Today is the day the other half of my sky was created. The day the universe designed and brought to life the person that I would eventually find when the time was right. Yes, timing, the timing had to be right for this interaction to work. Under any other circumstance, coincidence or encounter this would have never been a dynamic that transcends. This, this thing that the gal and I share. A bond, a partnership, a co-creative atmosphere that may not always be sunshine and chirping birds but nevertheless our North Star always seems to shine and guide us back home. When I wonder if I’m on the right path in my life, when I question if I’m living better than I was and doing what I should; when I doubt myself and question if ‘god’, the ‘universe’, the ‘creator’, whatever you want to call it, is on my side, all I have do is look next to me and see who’s standing there. The person that I tell my secrets to at night and share my dreams with in the morning is the same person that reminds me how powerful I am when I feel depleted. Someone with a heart like hers is rare and the compassion that this woman demonstrates, at times, leaves me stunned. Her ability to contribute to not only my world, but everyones that she interacts with is her superpower. She’s in the business of healing, and business is booming. So, today, this day, this special day is perhaps my favorite day of the year because she was born today and I am honored to be the one who gets to hold her hand and celebrate the beauty that was created.

Since I can’t develop and scan the photos yet of the adventure that awaits us, I figured I would post these photos from a roll of film that I just got back of her and my FML (future mother-in-law) doing girly stuff in Topanga.

-Danny

One of the most asked questions that I’ve been getting lately is if I’m still making Youtube videos? The answer is a tough one because I hate the fact that I’ve let a machine, a code, an algorithm, defeat me and my pursuits to create. The truth is, Youtube is a battle unlike any that I have faced prior. I went into the experience with a game plan, a map and an expectation of how fast I could grow my channel if I was truly honest and transparent. I figured, if this is the most vulnerable that I’ve ever allowed myself to be, surely the outcome will be worth it. Since time is money and it takes me about two to three days to shoot and edit each video due to this being a learn-as-I-go process, I thought I would easily hit the 1k subscriber requirement it takes to monetize my content which would justify how much energy I’m putting into my efforts. Seven months into this project and 185 subscribers later, I can honestly tell you just how naive I was in my expectations.

From my experience thus far, I can, without a doubt, tell you that Youtube is a nucleus of its own and does not (or rarely does) give you, the creator, instant gratification. It is not a place for overnight success and is the epitome of “slow and steady”. I’m sure there are ways to expedite your subscriber count but that will leave you, just as Instagram did, with a big following number that does not covert to organic acquisitions. Youtube is a place to build and share for yourself and if your motives are ones for financial success or popularity, you are building in the wrong place. You have to stay committed to yourself and express your thoughts and ideas freely as if you’re merely creating a digital diary, a moving scrapbook of your thoughts and experiences that you wish to look back on later in life. You document your interests and create content for the moment. You build from the heart with pure intentions for you and you alone. Maybe it will pay off, maybe it won’t, but that’s the thrill of it.

Seven months and 185 subscribers; is that enough time for me to truly give myself an honest shot at creating content and sharing stories through my own personal perspective? Has that been enough time for me to get comfortable in front of the camera? Has that been enough time for me to find my voice, one that could perhaps resonate with others? And lastly, have I found a way to contribute to the ethos? Absolutely not. 

Back to the drawing board. New video coming soon.

-Danny

Our Poster Club will  be closing shortly. Please make your final purchases while this SSPC selection is still available. 

*Free cloth gallery gloves with every order.

-Danny 

I’ve really been trying to get into the habit of always having a compact camera on me, or at least somewhere near me. Whether it be shopping at the mall with the gal or eating snacks in bed or just messing around in my workspace, there’s always a photo waiting to be made. 

-Danny

Like many of the cameras that I’ll be testing for the First Roll project, I didn’t know this one existed. I just so happened to be scrolling through Depop one night and thought the design looked interesting. Knowing nothing about the specs or how the Chinon™ Monami performs, or if this particular point and shoot was even in working condition, I talked the seller down to $25 including shipping. I figured that was a reasonable price to take a gamble. The mysterious thing about gambling is, sometimes it pays off.

The first thing I noticed upon holding it for the first time was how everything turns on at once. You flip open the lens cover and the flash instantly pops out. It’s actually quite charming. Something about the simultaneous mechanics got me excited to shoot, which is one of the things that I hold in high regard when it comes to a compact camera. Now it was time to load a roll of Kodak™ Portra and see what this baby could do.

My initial impression after shooting a couple of frames was just how much fun this camera is. It’s really a no frills, here to do one thing.. captures moments, type of experience. The only mechanics that you have control of is the flash, which you have to push back into the body and hold it down with your finger when you want to use natural or ambient light. I could see how one might think this is annoying but for me I liked the interaction. The viewfinder was pretty accurate and the focusing seemed to hit almost every time unless I was closer than an arms-length to what I was shooting. I even snuck a shot from the window of a moving car (frame #6) when we were in Malibu and it surprisingly almost caught the shot fully in focus. Remember, this is a grip-it-and-rip-it camera, meaning, all of your shots are dependent on the cameras accuracy to hit auto focus and exposure. So for me, this little plastic gem was up there with the point and shoots that are well in the $100 range. More importantly, the fun factor of this little guy made the experience memorable. Add that with the capability that this camera has to output usable images and you have yourself a nice little tool to toss in your pocket (or bag if you wear skinny jeans like me). Time for the pros and cons.

PROS:

• Compact
• Lightweight
• One-motion (flip) to turn everything on
• Cool design

• Pretty sharp 35mm lens
• Somewhat rare
• Reliable
• Extremely easy to use

CONS:

• Have to hold the flash down to turn it off
• Slow 4.5 lens
• No settings
• No close up shots
  
• Not weatherproof

There’s my thoughts on the Chinon™ Monami point and shoot. Now, as predominant as the cons seem to be, this is the First Roll with the most usable frames so far. Out of the thirty-something shots that I got from the roll, I used twenty but that’s only because some of the frames were either identical or simply out of focus. I would say that says a lot about this little camera and the reason why I am definitely going to keep it. Not only am I keeping it, I even bought another one as a back-up and highly recommend anyone who wants a very easy to use camera to do the same. I’m sure the secret will get out soon and we all know what happens when cameras like this get popular. 

-Danny

I’ve wanted the Zeiss® 35-70mm lens for awhile but could never find one in pristine condition. My search finally came to an end last week when I found a seller in Japan letting go of his beloved piece of glass. From my understanding, he was the original owner and only used it a handful of times in his studio. That’s lovely for me but I can’t wait to give this lens the use that it deserves.

-Danny

The small point and shoot collection that I started on about a month ago is really taking on a life of its own and now beginning to spill over into both of my workspaces.

-Danny 

We just discovered this spectacular hiking trail in our neighborhood while on our Sunday stroll. I think it’s one of those speak-easy types of spots that only the people who’ve lived in the area for years know about because it’s nicely tucked away at the end of a residential street, extremely well maintained, hardly any foot-traffic and absolutely does not embody a “fashion show” vibe of the likes of, Runyon. It has a nice winding route that leads you to an amazing view. It’s pretty much perfect.

-Danny

We get so many messages asking when we’re going to update the SS Poster Club. To be completely honest, I got so tired of people stealing my images and reprinting them all over the internet that I just didn’t want to deal with it anymore. Low quality pirated prints selling anywhere from $50 to $500 through numerous popular “art” sites. I understand that’s just the way things go and as much as we try to legally regulate these types of matters, its not possible to canvas the entire internet in hopes to pursue copyright infringements. I’m merely one person with a small team and do not have the time nor the resources to tackle such matters. Therefore, I decided to not put out any new posters, until now. All of our posters from here on out will have a small print and a hand-signed authenticity sticker on the back that will be changed up with each release. Knowing these efforts won’t stop unauthentic production of my images, it will at least help make it a bit harder. Our new posters will be available next week in 18x24 and 24x36 options. 

Thank you to everyone who supports SS by only purchasing posters and products through the dedicated shop.

-Danny

I’ve been putting little messages on the backs of my cameras for as long as I can remember. A lot of times people ask me if I can make them one to put on theirs. Well, the time has finally come. Our new sticker packs are perfectly sized to put on your favorite shooter. 

Available soon :)

-Danny