In a Nutshell

In October of 2009 I left my job in downtown LA for one closer to home on the west side. Although I am happy with this decision, downtown was amazing and it took leaving to realize the experience of working there was the catalyst for my passion for photography. The commute, as agonizing and time consuming as it sometimes seemed, was the perfect introduction to the city for a newcomer. In one day I would travel by foot and bus from the beach community of Santa Monica and hour east to central Los Angeles. It forced me to pass through parts of the city I wouldn't have seen otherwise. At the loneliest time in my life, I would find myself surrounded by strangers in a bustling urban environment and swimming in my own thoughts. I was forced to look outward to the streets, the people, the culture, the architecture. Slowly I fell in love with the city passing by. In April of 2009 I got an iPhone, and in June I started using the camera, my only camera, to take pictures of what I saw. What followed was the creation of a sort of photo journal I called "In a Nutshell". I just took pictures of everything I saw, everywhere I went, and tried to capture the essence of each moment. This effort was incredibly meaningful to me, and was extremely well received by my family and friends that were featured in many "Nutshells" as we began to affectionately call them.  I attempted to keep track of it in a blog format, but really that wasn't the point for me. At the time I didn't have anything to say. My feelings were too raw, and the images helped translate my experiences into something that I could share. I posted them on Facebook and created a portfolio on Carbonmade and left them alone. As things go, my life started to grow in different directions and the Nutshells dwindled over Spring. That doesn't mean they have lost any meaning to me. Recently, I have thought about taking new Nutshells even though it wouldn't be as constant as before, or incorporating them into this blog, or perhaps creating an Etsy shop of my favorite Nusthells. I don't know if they make sense in my current shop, or if I should make another one all together (Titled "In a Nutshell")?? Hmm...I don't know. Anyways, I will work on making up some prints this weekend and see how they look....