Along the coast...

all images © Ava Alamshah

it's honestly the most romantic way to travel...

Portland

all images above © Ava Alamshah

  

{ taken with my yashica mat-124 g } 

A Feeling Like This...

This video for Blouse's new single is just breathtaking. The song  is so dreamy & mentions that feeling…you know, of never wanting a beautiful feeling to end. Hauntingly beautiful. 

I didn't know they were from Portland, OR. until now. I was just in Portland this past September, visiting my friends. 

rainy days...

Slowly coming back from a long hiatus and I'm really forcing myself to type this. I've been feeling a bit under the weather for the past week, and since I'm cooped up in my apartment, I thought the only sensible thing to do would be to stop feeling sorry for myself and focus! So here I am….

So much has happened since I came back from my trip and I wanted to share some highlights.

This is a one day art sale that I'm very proud to be a part of. So many wonderful artists - many CalArts friends / fellow alumni. Hope to see you there this Sunday! We got a pretty cool shout out from Los Angeles, I'm Yours !

©Ava Alamshah for Ermie x Weltenbuerger

 One of my photographs from an event I shot for the ERMIE x Weltenbuerger pop up at Arts (Re)Store LA!  Click here to see more photos and get an inside scoop from the event and future workshops. I can't tell you how happy I was to be a part of this night. Jennifer Parry Dodge is absolutely talented, and the warmest soul. Please check out her shop & support local! x 

If it wasn't for Joanna introducing me to Jennifer, I wouldn't have had this opportunity. Joanna, you are a gem. Thank you. xx

©Ava Alamshah

// This photo of Josephine //

I feel like our friendship has gotten closer over the years, and that makes me really happy. She lives in Portland, OR, and is married to my friend, Dave. Dave and I have known each other for 12 years. Dave & Jo met through craigslist! I love them, dearly. Good eggs.

Jo writes and curates. 

When I was visiting, I really had it in mind to do a couple's shoot for with you, today, but it rained so much and the timing wasn't right. I managed to get some good, random stills of my friends that I will share in the coming months. My boots were worn in that whole trip, and everyday my feet were soaking wet. It was all worth it. One evening, Dave made clam soup (delicious). We drank wine and listened to records. Her grandma, Katie, was also visiting and told wonderful stories of her childhood. She is an awesome, inspiring woman. I hope to be as independent & full of life in my 80s.

grandma katie © Ava Alamshah

Hey! I'm going to have a table at LA Zine Fest, 2014! Wassup!!!

Excited / nervous as hell. More details as the time inches closer.

your friend,

ava

Happy Halloween!

©Ava Alamshah

It's Matty!

©Ava Alamshah

This portrait I took of my friend, Matt, makes me really happy. I think I managed to capture his personality in a nutshell. Sweetly sassy, and one of the funniest people on the planet. He made me laugh so much the two days I got to spend with him in Portland. Everything is so green there and I felt so lucky to capture our time together, in between rain spells. 

I miss my friend, but so happy for him that he gets to pursue his illustration dreams. If you get a moment, please check out his rad website! Beautiful work. I am so proud. 

More portraits of Matt, here.

Here we are on the left in 2004. Rio found this old cellphone image of us! I did some quick photoshop cut & paste & added our current (& better quality) cellphone image! Nerds. 

The image on the left reeks of early 20s angst.

The framed photo that Beth holds up here, is an image I took ten years ago. Matt & her are frightened by a dark, shadowy figure. Must be an alien. It was during my time studying studio lighting. I wanted to make B-movie era film stills. We've all known each other since high school. I don't know where the time has gone.  

your friend,

ava

Minami

I'm very excited and a little overwhelmed with all the portraits I've been taking lately. This morning, I had the pleasure of shooting Minami & her long locks. She'll be chopping off ten inches tomorrow. Soon, I'll have more images of Minami, Matt, & the pacific north west!

x

©Ava Alamshah

your friend,

ava

Mateo

C O M I N G    S O O N

©Ava Alamshah

www.withyoutoday.com

Kneeland Mercado

Thursday night, I was invited to attend the grand opening of Joanna William's beautiful store, Kneeland Mercado. It's by appointment only, and is an extension of her online venture. I've written a bit about Joanna before in my entry, Seattle Bound. She is a very warm & welcoming soul. She also has great taste in clothing & an amazing eye for treasures from around the world. There was a plethora of art books, incense (which for some reason I forgot to pick up and smell // people were raving about the sent, cardamom perhaps?), hand woven Moroccan rugs, the brightest Mexican blankets/dish ware, artist made ceramic jewelry, antique oil paintings from France...giant pompoms (!!!), eye candy all evening! She even managed to get a sitar player. And if my senses weren't worked enough, below is a photo of the most amazing martini I've ever had (infused with lemon & rose water // topped with dried flowers) and dates stuffed with goat cheese. Divine.

This book, Into the Orient, looks amazing. On my list of wants. There are photographs from 1950s Iran that I am very interested in seeing. My father was just a little boy when he lived in Abadan during that time. He left Iran before the revolution, and migrated to the states, eventually meeting my mother at the Glendale Galleria of all places. 

Joanna, surrounded by her treasures

all photographs ©Ava Alamshah

L U S T    W O R T H Y

your friend,

ava

F Y F

Remember that time I wrote a bit about upcoming plans & seeing My Bloody Valentine, & hanging with friends & enjoying life? Click here if you'd like to revisit. 

I've been back from my trip to the Pacific North West & decided that enough time has gone by since FYF & that I really need to get these photos out there. I had a great time, even though MBV was so loud, they eventually blew out the PA system. So after a mind blowing wall of sound that threw us all into a trance (for real), all of a sudden it would burn out & then...nothing. No sound at all, except the rustling of the crowd. But when everything worked, they were exceptional. Just beautiful. Complete love. I mean, how can you not feel when you hear this beauty? And this?! Uhhhhhh

During No Age (hopelessly devoted since 2006 / we grew up in the same suburb)

Samantha's Bush / Samantha's Tent (during Eleanor Friedberger) I like her. I remember when she was in The Fiery Furnaces with her brother... 

 The Holy Nail & Your Friend, Ava before The Breeders! I had so much fun with this woman. Sasha & I got our nails done together once. x

Ran into Sam during the No Age set! Samantha & I go way back when I was one of her teachers for the community arts partnership while I attended CalArts. She was 15, and I was in my early 20s. So proud of her that she is still photographing and getting her work out there. See her photographs here.

Sarah Rose, Brian, & the sun 

©Ava Alamshah

H I G H L I G H T S 

crystal antlers

beach house (so dreamy)

flag

mbv 

your friend,

ava

coming soon...

// somewhere in Oregon //

©Ava Alamshah

Seattle Bound

So, I embark on a journey through the pacific northwest come Tuesday. I've never thought about visiting Seattle, until Ari moved there and has since talked about how wonderful it is. I wish I had more plaid in my wardrobe. I'd like to channel Bridget Fonda in Singles. I loved her style, and I just saw that that film came out in 1992 (I was ten). Now it seems like a 90s parody, with it's capitalization of the grunge music scene, Mtv era...casting Pearl Jam, and Matt Dylan's hair...GAH...90s!  People tell me that I am going there at a really sweet time (80 degrees, slim chance of rain), so I won't need plaid, but I am bringing a fuzzy sweater.  

I'll be taking the Coastal Starlight all the way up. I believe it's about 32 hours on the train. I won't have wifi, but plenty of time to explore. I cannot wait to photograph the epic scenery. Bringing my twin lens in the photo below.

I've been packing here and there. I am the worst packer and always take way too much. I need to really scale it down and don't know how. I only want to bring two bags. One containing all my toiletries & clothes, and another containing my wardrobe. 

I already got rid of the white button down, maybe I should lose the shorts, too. Not leaving behind the fuzzy sweater, though! 

I still need to fit two novels. Hollywood Babylon / The Invention of Everything Else (given to me by Gilda). Speaking of Gilda...

©Joanna Williams

P O W E R /// T W I N S

I swear we didn't plan this, guys! It was great to see you, G! 

This was earlier in the afternoon at Casbah Cafe. Had the pleasure of meeting up with G, Joanna, & Stef for a girl's date. It was lovely to finally meet Joanna in person. Stef & Gilda did a great interview with her on A Collection Of, and ever since I've had a girl crush. Her company is inspiring & I've been following her blog off & on, but it wasn't until Claire Cottrell's BOOK CLUB (more on that magic later), where we finally met face to face. Thank you for the photo, Joanna! x 

+ That list of things to do in Portland! 

Check out Joanna's shop <3

Before I finish packing, I wanted to leave you with some things that inspire me here, at home, in Los Angeles. I'm really going to miss my plants. 

...and the details that make my apartment feel like home

all images ©Ava Alamshah (image of Gilda & I, ©Joanna Williams)

Also, that book from Gilda, I had no idea what it was about until I just read the synopsis on Wikipedia. 

"a fictionalized account of the last days in the life of Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American electrical engineer."

Um...I CANNOT WAIT TO READ THIS

Speaking of Tesla, I leave you with Drunk History. Watch it, it's hilarious AND infuriating. You'll see. 

Also, you're welcome. 

When I write next, I'll be in Seattle! Until then...

your friend,

ava