New item in Etsy Store: Guardian Angel 8x10 print

Originally captured on medium format black and white film, this image depicting an angel has been digitally manipulated using filters to achieve an ethereal glow.

Available for purchase - click here

Prints & products featuring images of travel destinations & nature

Simply Ericeira

Simply Ericeira
Originally uploaded by ArgenticVision
Orange & Turquoise together - one of my favorite color combinations.

This photo was captured during a recent trip to Ericeira, Portugal.

Via Flickr:
Captured in Ericeira, Portugal

Four Corners with a Twist

Four Corners with a Twist
Originally uploaded by ArgenticVision
Walking in a big city requires putting one foot in front of the other while closely observing the ground beneath your feet to steer clear of breaks in the pavement, puddles, uneven pavement and of course, the remnants of Fido's daily walk :)

In NYC, I find myself constantly looking up in every direction all around me to check out the fantastic views of the skyscrapers towering high above the rest of the city's buildings.

Here's a photo taken during my recent trip to NYC. Depicted here are the tops of four separate skyscrapers which are located within close proximity to one another. The building to the far left is the Chrysler Building, which I happen to be obsessed with!!

Via Flickr:
Photos captured in New York City

"Art Auction to "Free All 3":Event in SF tonight

If you're in the SF area tonight, stop by SOMArts Cultural Center at 7pm to enjoy an evening of art, philanthropy, and music to support a great cause meant to raise funds for the legal defense of the 3 U.S. hikers held in Iran since 2009. Sarah Shourd (who will be present at the event) has been freed on bail but Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer remain in captivity.

The Louvre: From Impregnable Fortress to Palace & Museum

The Louvre is one of the most well known and important museums in the world but long before it attained such a status, it was a fortress built to protect the King and the inhabitants of Paris. The modern-day Louvre traces its architectural origins to the 12th century and was built by King Philippe Auguste. The medieval fortress included a thick cylindrical dungeon surrounded by towered walls.
Over the course of the centuries since it was first constructed, the Louvre has been transformed by events of French history as well as by the architects and decorators who have left their mark on it.
One of the things I like about this depiction of the Pavilion Denon is that it appears to be reminiscent of a haunted house. Who knows...perhaps it was influenced by the ghosts of the dungeon captives who are rumored to inhabit the Louvre, a belief which is held by some Parisians to this very day.

I Like What I See In Your Rear View

During my visit to Paris last year I had made it a point to make time to shoot the sculpture at the Palais Royale-Musee du Louvre Metro station, known as Le Kiosque des Noctambules (created by the artist Jean-Michel Othoniel). The entire bouche de metro is enveloped by two huge crown-shaped sculptures made of aluminum and colored glass. While it’s a bit odd-looking it’s incredibly cool at the very same time.

When I finally got there I encountered huge masses of people gathered around to watch a group of street performers. I made numerous attempts to maneuver around the crowd for quite some time in the hopes of getting a clear shot of the sculpture but it became pretty obvious that it just wasn’t going to happen.

As I walked away from the crowd to head across the street for a coffee break, I had to pass by a row of scooters and motor bikes which were parked along the curb. I caught a glimpse of part of the sculpture reflecting in the rear view mirror of one of the parked scooters and I decided to take the shot so that’s what you see in this image.

Aside from being a fun experience it was a learning lesson too because it taught me that there is more than one way to get the shot you want, you just have to be creative, patient and persistent. As it turns out, this is one of my favorite images and each time I look at it, I remember the circumstances that led me to be able to capture it.

Pigeons care about time management too!

This sculpture is located right outside Gare St. Lazare (train station) in Paris. I remember wanting to venture to that part of town just to shoot this sculpture which is the creation of Armand Pierre Fernandez titled "L'heure de tous". When you get up close to it, it's hard not to notice the significant amount of urea from the birds which is all around the sculpture itself as well as on its base. I was trying a few different angles to get a clear shot of the sculpture as well as of Gare St. Lazare in the back and at that moment a pigeon flew into the shot (center foreground).

Enjoy the Fun in Acquiring Different Perspectives While Traveling the World

I haven't posted here in a while mainly because in the past few months I've been concentrating exclusively on my core business, which has nothing at all to do with photography.

As the current busy season in my industry prepares to wind down slightly, I'm developing some thoughts and ideas related to my photography and increasing its visibility and presence online. While going through my images, I found myself continuously going back to one in particular, which I shot in Venice in the Spring of 2009 so I thought I'd share it here:

Many people who've seen this image up close have had a positive emotional reaction to it and it is one of my favorites too because it represents a familiar Venetian scene of gondolas on the Grand Canal, but it's presented through a different perspective.

I think when one travels, as well as in life, it's important to keep our perspective open and to challenge our view of what "is" because when we do so there's always an opportunity to learn something new and that's always a good thing.

Repair the World - Do Not Destroy It

(London, England - Trafalgar Square 2008 - Copyright, Lili Rahmati - All Rights Reserved)

I shot this image during an accidental encounter with a Middle East rally while visiting London in the summer of 2008. The man holding the sign was the only symbol of peace amidst the chaotic scene I witnessed that day. Since I captured this image I haven't known how to use it, but I think the time has come for me to share it as its message has never been more relevant than it is now.
As an Iranian by birth who has spent most of her life in the West after having to flee Iran just before the 1979 revolution, it is with great personal interest that I follow the events unfolding in my native country. I am hoping for peace and freedom for the Iranian people as well as all human beings who are suffering from oppression and tyranny in our world. I'm posting this photograph in dedication to them and in so doing perhaps I can give a voice to those who no longer have one, or whose voice has been silenced.

My photo exhibit: (Groupshow) Universal Art Gallery, Venice from June 13-July 12 2009

I'm one of 13 photographers being featured in a groupshow at Universal Art Gallery in Venice, CA. The opening reception was this past Saturday, June 13th and the exhibit will run until July 12, 2009. The evening of the opening was a great experience full of awesome art and it was quite well attended by invited guests as well as locals from the Venice/Marina del Rey/Santa Monica area.
I have 12 works on display (hand-made archival silver gelatin B&W fiber prints) featuring images of Barcelona, London, Paris and Venice, which were shot over the course of the past three years (2007 to 2009).
I had a great time talking to guests, customers as well as the other artists. who were exhibiting. The range of talent in the show is extremely diverse and all of the photographers are awesome, both in terms of their photographic skill as well as the fact that they are just amazingly nice and gracious people.
If you are in the area and have a chance to stop by, I would encourage you to do so as there is likely to be something to suit every taste/photographic aesthetic, etc.
Enjoy!

Pat on the back from VeryVoo.com! Thanks, Guys!

I feel as though I've become one with my laptop as I've barely left its side today, and it mine (my lap, that is) :-) I'm completely wiped and ready to shut it down but not before I share my excitement about logging in to the coolest new collaborative website, VeryVoo, and noticing that the photobook which I had recently created consisting of the latest images from my trip to Europe, is the "Best of the Best" feature on their photobook gallery page!
So cool and so Voo! It's a lot of fun - basically you start an album with a theme and invite people via email and they can add to it too - I think the max number of contributors is 20 people but you can adjust as you wish once you create a log-in, etc. Check it out and have fun collaborating! In addition to collaborative albums, you can also do creative writing collaborations, etc. Much more fun if you check it out yourself and explore the possibilities.

Donations of Artwork to support Charitable Causes....

Having an artistic ability and invariably the means to create something artistic is a very rewarding experience on many levels. The individual creative journey varies but it is an intense and almost meditative process. The act of creativity is spiritually rewarding.

Once an artist finds a market for their artwork such that they start to generate sales, of course, that is rewarding on a whole other level, which is pretty self-explanatory.

In my opinion, the act of donating artwork to worthy causes as fund-raising tools, is also quite rewarding. Many charities rely on successful silent auctions as part of their fund-raising efforts. In such a scenario, the rewarding aspect for an artist is multi-faceted: you are inherently rewarded vis a vis your sense of social responsibility knowing you are doing something to help a worthy cause; in addition, the silent auction itself can serve as a channel through which to market your name, artwork, etc.

Most recently I donated a print to a very worthy cause, Rockin' Against Cancer. One of my friends, a very talented photographer, is one of the key organizers of this cause as a direct result of a recent glioma diagnosis (brain cancer) received by her close family member. The mission of this organization is to raise funds for glioma research as well as to support families of those who are afflicted, etc.

This past Sunday May 24th there was a concert benefit held (in Colorado) which was hugely successful in terms of the community response, silent auction success and press coverage.

Click to learn more about Rockin' Against Cancer
Click to learn how you can help
Click to read about the Rockin' Against Cancer Press Coverage

Back in the US after Shooting Europe....

I've just returned from a wonderful trip to Europe. I visited several cities and had a chance to do quite a bit of shooting so I will be sharing some of the images from the recent trip on this blog over the course of the coming weeks.

Also, a quick plug for an awesome camera shop, ProCamera in Thousand Oaks. I was so busy prior to my scheduled departure that I didn't have a chance to take my camera equipment in for a good cleaning until literally the Friday afternoon just before my trip (I was leaving early on Tuesday). I've gone to this camera shop before and they've always been wonderful but in light of the pressing schedule, they managed to provide their usual exemplary service in an expedited fashion without charging me the equivalent of highway robbery prices. I'll add them to my list of favorite photography resources (Los Angeles/SoCal)...if you happen to be in the area and need your camera repaired, cleaned, etc., stop in and ask for Wayne.

In the interim, I've posted a few images...I will upload more images from my recent trip as often as possible.

Saying Goodbye to an Icon: American Film Photographer, Helen Levitt, Passes Away

From Crosstown: Photographs by Helen Levitt, Courtesy powerHouse Books
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/jan/levitt/020117.levitt.html

On my blog (in the right hand margin) I keep a short list of some of the great photographers of the past whose work inspires me...whether it's their humanity or their art, or both, some essence of their spirit serves as fuel for my own soul and intuition as I continue to develop my own craft and my own art.
Today I add to that list the name of Helen Levitt - an American photographer who captured the innocence of urban American street life in the 1930's and 1940's. Her art came into being before the advent of the television which caused us to retreat into our homes. She captured everyday life as it happened and focused mainly on the innocence and beauty of children at play, or just children being children.
The quiet greatness of this woman is important not only to those who follow photography, but it is important to all women. I can only speak for myself but I am inspired by such great women to stand up and be counted and to continue to strive for my own rightful place in the world both because of and in spite of my gender.
This is for all great women, past, present, and future, and in the memory of a great woman whose life achievements and whose body of work we celebrate today.

Some links about Helen Levitt below:

* NPR (Helen Levitt's Indelible Eye) - features an audio clip of an interview of Helen Levitt
http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/jan/levitt/020117.levitt.html

* New York Times - Art & Design section posted 30 March 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/arts/design/30levitt.html?hpw

* Lens Culture (features audio interview and slideshow of Helen Levitt's images)
http://www.lensculture.com/levitt.html

Medium Format Experiment Yields Ethereal Results...

I usually shoot on 35mm film but I had always wanted to experiment with medium format photography as well. I picked up a little Holga one day and took it out to do some test shooting locally in Santa Monica. I happened to be in the vicinity of Santa Monica college and was looking for a place where I could shoot with relative peace and concentration yet somewhere which would be a source of inspiration at the same time. I stumbled upon Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery. I had to think about it a little bit since it wouldn't have been my natural first choice as a shooting location but the more I thought about it I realized that it was the perfect location....quiet, a place where I could be pensive and tap into my intuition, yet be surrounded by plenty of other-worldly inspiration. I didn't spend much time there mainly out of a sense of respect...there were others in the cemetery and I didn't want to spend too much time walking around with my camera shooting epitaphs, mausoleums, etc. I think another photographer would definitely understand but I don't know if the average non-photographer would be quite so nonchalant about it...I do love the medium format camera, however, and as I post this I am realizing that I should probably experiment with it a bit more. Just a few images from that day are included below...

(images copyright of Lili Rahmati; http://www.argenticvision.com/)

Nighttime in Paris - Seductive Reflections...

Paris is truly beautiful in every season. There is a natural visual splendor about this most wondrous European capital that transcends time, space, weather, etc. The city holds a unique charm during the daytime but it has a particularly seductive power after dark. The Seine plays a major role in giving this city an air of mystique beginning at sunset and continuing into the night. The elegance of this famed city of lights is enhanced further by way of the positioning of reflecting pools near many of its magnificent architectural sights. The resulting luminous glow reflecting in the water leaves the observer with an unforgettable memory. I am fortunate to have captured such memories on film...in sharing the resulting images I hope that I can impart my good fortune with others. Enjoy!

(all images copyright of Lili Rahmati; http://www.argenticvision.com/)

Celebrating the Year 2568: Naw Ruz (Persian New Year)

In celebration of the 2568th anniversary of the Persian New Year I am posting a video which I created comprised of images I shot while visiting Musee du Louvre, Ancient Near East section, Ancient Iran & Mesopotamian Art.

I was born on Iranian soil and left at a young age - in my heart I wish for the day that I can return, as an adult and as a photographer, to capture the magic and mysteries of this rich and ancient land on film and share them with whomever may be interested.
Until that day comes, the section of the Louvre which houses the arts, artifacts, and architectural art history of the Great Persian Empire, is the closest I can get to the magnificent splendor that Iran has to offer.
To all Iranians, in Iran and in the diaspora communities around the world, I send my most sincere wishes for a healthy and Happy New Year. As we say in Farsi: "Eid-e-Shoma Mobarak".

For more of my photography, please visit: www.argenticvision.com

(images on this blog are copyright of Lili Rahmati)