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

Mateo

C O M I N G    S O O N

©Ava Alamshah

www.withyoutoday.com

Beth

©Ava Alamshah

The last time I shot some serious portraits of Bethany, we were both still in college. The image she is holding up has to be about ten years old. I can't believe it myself. Time has gone by, and suddenly we are in our 30s. We met in high school, and I remember seeing her from a distance and totally girl crushing.

She use to wear creepers and had this little pixie haircut with baby bangs, and I thought she was SO COOL and I wanted her to be my friend really, really badly. Well, as it turns out, my wish came true. One day, I saw her hanging out by the steps with Mateo (they had a class together), and we started chatting about our mutual love/lust for David Bowie & Michael J. Fox films. 

We have been friends ever since. 

Beth and I have gone through a lot together. First loves/crushes, first loss...

our first cars, with after school trips to hollywood blvd. & shopping on melrose because only cool kids go to melrose, right? We thought we were being "alternative". For Beth's 18th birthday, I smoked my first clove cigarette wrong, and we had dinner at Ed Debevic's. Remember that place?! 

To see more of Beth, click here.

your friend,

ava

Oh, Bethany...

C O M I N G    S O O N

©Ava Alamshah

www.withyoutoday.com

Part Time Punk

  So, I've been house sitting for my girls, Alex and Britt.  While they are hanging around in Seattle and Portland, I am here in the sunshine capital, manning their home and getting to spend some quality time with Teddy and Potato (their adorable cats).

  While looking for things to do, I came upon this book and decided to borrow it (thanks ladies!)  It is called Please Kill Me: The Uncensored Oral History of Punk.  I was sold with that title alone.  Since high school, I've always had a little bit of lingering rebellion inside of me, but I was way too timid to fully commit to anything my parents wouldn't approve of. I had Goth friends and really wanted to be Goth.  I loved The Cure, and had wannabe Doc Martens, but that is as far as it went.  I didn't really think I would look good wearing black lipstick, witchcraft was never my forte, and hanging out in graveyards seemed too scary.  I never did drugs, never had the desire to, but knew some people who did.  The hardest thing I ever did in high school was take a few drags from my friend's clove cigarette.  How PUNK.

  In college, I got really obsessed with The Clash, and I only knew a few Ramones songs.  I've always loved the Talking Heads because my mom had Little Creatures on cassette tape, and would play this over and over.  If I were to label that band, it would be more "art rock" than "punk", I guess.  A teacher of mine, Michael Perkins, use to bring vinyl records to class, and that is when I first heard Funhouse.  You can literally feel the raw energy that Iggy projected onto that album.  It still gives me chills every time I play it.  And the saxophone, people!  That sax! 

  Right now, I am exploring the Velvet Underground chapters.  Unbelievable stuff!

  "IGGY POP:  The first time I heard the Velvet Underground and Nico record was at a party on the University of Michigan campus. I just hated the sound. You know, "HOW COULD ANYBODY MAKE A RECORD THAT SOUNDS LIKE SUCH A PIECE OF SHIT? THIS IS DISGUSTING! ALL THESE PEOPLE MAKE ME FUCKING SICK! FUCKING DISGUSTING HIPPIE VERMIN! FUCKING BEATNIKS, I WANT TO KILL THEM ALL!  THIS JUST SOUNDS LIKE TRASH!"

  Then about six months later it hit me. "Oh my god! WOW! This is just a fucking great record!" That record became very key for me, not just for what it said, and for how great it was, but also because I heard other people who could make good music-without being any good at music. It gave me hope."

I G G Y    P O P
I love him because he is fucking nuts

your friend,

ava