Jamila + El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, California, November 3, 2015

Last night an opening for today appeared in the schedule, just as Jamilacontacted me. She has been working in Los Angeles since a few weeks ago, and all of a sudden our longing to collaborate become a reality. Without much fuss we made plans to meet today and head out to my favorite place in the States for photography. 

She brought what she had, which was more than I would have anticipated. The weather was unseasonably cool, yet did little to affect her desire to present her art. We picked three places on the lake bed, and photographed at each for perhaps 30 or so minutes.

This was our second spot, a new perspective for me. While clouds and lightning gathered over Los Angeles, we had nothing but blue skies and a lunar landscape in which to collaborate. The only sound was that of the wind, and the clicking of the shutter. 

Happenstance at its best!

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Helene + Yoga, Los Angeles, California, November of 2010

In advance of my collaboration with DiviniTree Yoga and Arts Studio, a triple image of my time with Helene is being shared. These images were made a few years ago just outside of Los Angeles, as we were forced to look for sunshine when the city was covered with nothing but a thick haze. With her kindness and trust, we drove an hour over the mountains and found a simple spot next to an industrial reservoir… an unlikely place for these images of serenity.

Helene however was a true professional and dealt with the cool winds coming from the valley, producing images of exquisite beauty and peace. She never complained once and only stopped when we were finished.

In January Ann and her team at DiviniTree Yoga and Arts Studio in Santa Barbara will hold a benefit featuring my work with Nirvana Bodhisattva and his foundation, Nirvanavan Foundation. We hope to raise awareness and funding for his schools, and have fun in the process. As the date nears I will post it for those near and far to come and show their support.

www.halimina.org

Note: These images were made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Julia + Session with Patrick, Cleveland, Ohio, October 31, 2014

After two months of talk preparations, a day of pure creativity was enjoyed with an incredibly creative team headed by my cousin Patrick. Under his leadership, a group of hairstylists, makeup artist and models was organized for today and clothing gathered from a local clothing designer/shop. We used the space next to Dominic's restaurant thanks to his generosity, and spent the day creating beautiful images in line with this one of Julia.

www.halimina.org

Note: This image was made with a Sony D750 and 85mm 1.4 lens, edited for size and contrast only.

Timothy + Fabric + Wind, Palmdale, California, Fall of 2012

These images have remained dormant since they were made almost three years ago just outside of Los Angeles, California. I met this young man through a modeling website, yet our collaboration was completely spontaneous. After a morning session with a dear friend at Mormon Rocks, we talked to Timothy and found out that he was free for the afternoon. I turned to Magdalena and she showed serious interest in hanging out for the rest of the day with us, and so we decided to drive out to meet Timothy near his sister's home.

He had taken the time out of his day to walk up a mountain nearby and send us images of the view. We were enchanted with the images, and the fact that he did this for us. We picked him up and drove to the location, and up the mountain for the afternoon. The wind was dramatic and lent its character to the images below. This is the first time he is seeing these, and I hope that he is as thrilled as I am.

www.halimina.org

Model + Lake Erie, Mentor Headlands, Ohio, Summer of 2014

This past week I had a chance to try a new camera for the upcoming trip toCuba, and was fortunate enough to have had this wonderful spirit as a volunteer. We met at Mentor Headlands before sunrise and worked for two hours or so. We started with a ballet theme and then moved onto more abstract thoughts. It seems that I have found the perfect place for photography right here in northeast Ohio! 

www.halimina.org

My Two Hours With Helene, Just Outside of Los Angeles, California, Fall of 2010

These images, and perhaps sixty more, were made in less than five minutes at the end of our session. From one expression to another Helene moved without being instructed, took me on an incredible voyage of human expression. Here was a stranger in front of her yet she yielded the fiercest of emotions, the most gentle of feelings.

The wind was blowing endlessly and bringing with it a cold breeze. Rather than making me feel hurried and pushing the session to its end, Helene allowed me to unload and load film without stress. When asked about the cold she smiled while she shivered, pulled up her shirt while waiting then pulled it down immediately as the camera was ready.

Our session began with images of her yoga experience, and then shifted to close images in my usual style. The background was the glorious sky and her hair blew wonderfully with the wind. She never did attempt to control her hair, but rather allowed it to dance with the environment. These are some of my most memorable images from the first visit to Los Angeles, and I look forward to printing this series in the next few weeks in the darkroom. Only then will I realize their incredible potential to move me once again.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

My Session with Kittie, Studio, Cleveland, Ohio, March 4, 2012

As I was signing off this evening a message arrived from this beautiful spirit. The conversation that ensued brought back memories of a wonderful session earlier this year, when she visited my studio along with our dear brother Matt.

Respect is what she has shown the people in my work since our first communication years ago. We have worked together on three occasions. On every single one of them she presents something different, always brings a concept along and an incredible array of clothing. For this latest session she worked more with patterns/colors painted onto her skin.

She did all of this on her own, without help from an assistant. One minute she would be a certain way then fifteen minutes later she would walk out of the room looking completely different. Looking is one thing, but to engage the lens with an entirely different spirit reflecting the 'face' just put on is an entirely different accomplishment.

I look forward to another session in the near future as we discussed tonight as we said goodnight on the last day of the Mayan Calendar, quite fitting actually.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

Printing Magdalena, Lucerne Valley, Los Angeles County, California, September 15, 2012

Now and then twelve exposures on a single roll of film are equally beautiful. This is the case with a roll of film exposed on September 15th of this year in collaboration with Magdalena. This was my fourth session with her, and over fifty rolls of film have been exposed so far in documenting her incredible spirit.

Without exaggeration she never gives me the same look twice, and has a seemingly infinite imagination regarding wardrobe. Without much time she changes from one into another, leaving me to think that she has a deliberate plan in mind. It all seems so effortless and continuous. She never objects to being asked for another presentation, and moves from the car to the 'stage' seamlessly.

This was that much more impressive during our last session in that she was feeling less than well. On our way to Lucerne Valley she slept the entire ride, apologizing ahead of time for doing so. She woke up thirty minutes or so before arriving to have a small salad, hoping to feel a little bit better.

In my opinion she performed flawlessly in spite of her physical distress. The wind was blowing as we were on the side of the road, and the sun was quite strong. Clouds were absent from the skies, unlike the city of Los Angeles just beyond the mountains. The areas just outside of the city have become my photographic playground because the sun seems to shine more often than in the city, where we are at the whim of the ocean and variations of cloud formations.

We worked for perhaps two hours, resting now and then from the sun and heat. In just this amount of time Magdalena gave us perhaps five presentations, and various minor changes in between. These slight variations become much less minor when printing a portfolio. It is these small changes that attract me so, leaving the variables such as the background and sun more fixed.

This week the last four negatives will be printed from this session, and Magdalena's roll of film will be the only one printed in its entirety from my portfolio for my book. By the time this entry is finished the prints will have washed for half of the necessary time. I look forward to seeing the dry prints tomorrow morning, even more so to Wednesday when another day in the darkroom is possible.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

Another Side of Mariel, El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, Los Angeles, November 18, 2012

Just when I thought we were finished for the afternoon Mariel decides to produce an array of expressions with her face, in very much the same way she had produced so with her body for the first part of the session. She moved from one expression into another with such power, and dignity.

She is a professional, acknowledged my reactions and incorporated them into her next gestures. Her light eyes stood strong against the sun even though most would fold under such intensity. We had worked for over two hours by the time of this portrait yet she was unyielding in her output. When offered rest, she kindly insisted to continue with our work.

In comparison to the digital platform, moving at such a pace in the analog equivalent required reloading the film back over and over again. Rather than losing momentum Mariel would continue to move while I reloaded the film back. When I returned to the viewfinder she would be ready to show me much more and with an exuberance that made working with her the equivalent of working overseas.

Here is a woman, photographed literally hundreds of times by dozens of photographers. Rather than placing herself above those in my portfolio from around the world because of her experience, she embraces them by approaching this project with humility and respect. She never once asked me for a hair stylist, but rather let her hair flow freely in the wind. She had every right to do so, and such a team is an incredible asset to a photographic collaboration. However she recognized the meaning of my work and wanted to be one with the women and girls in my book.

On this day she achieved this most successfully and has earned my sincerest respect. We shall collaborate for years to come, and have plans next year to initiate a workshop in the Los Angeles area to raise funds for schools in India. On her support the girls of Rajasthan can depend, and have found a sister across the oceans.

As her essence passed through the glass elements of my lenses, she joined those in my portfolio in their struggles, in their joys. To learn more regarding my work, and the projects represented through these images, you may visit the website listed below.

halim.ina@gmail.com

Halim Ina Photography

Dreaming Mariel, El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, Los Angeles, California, November 18, 2012

While most would think twice about driving over two hours to a location, this young woman accepted the drive initially for our morning session. This meant leaving by four in the morning and returning well after two in the afternoon. She accepted without hesitation, always helping me feel comfortable in my attempts to make our arrangements ideal.

Perhaps by chance or perhaps by fate, the afternoon cleared for us to work and Mariel once again accepted without hesitation. We met by her apartment early in the morning nonetheless and began our three hour drive to El Mirage Dry Lake Bed just outside of Los Angeles. We stopped for coffee and hot chocolate, and chatted like old friends along the way.

When we arrived I was worried that maybe the lake bed would be closed due to the recent storms in the area. To my pleasant surprise the lake bed was open to the public, unlike my last visit to the area. We drove onto the lake bed, always to the side in order to preserve the integrity of the surface. We headed to the end of the bed where few would be around, and set up for our session soon after.

Mariel took a few minutes to prepare herself and was ready quickly. The angle of the sun was low and allowed us to work immediately, and throughout the afternoon. We began with an elegant black dress, and I soon learned that Mariel shed her inhibitions during her sessions. She began the session standing up and then laid down on the surface for a different presentation. Rather than worrying about the dust on the fabric, she embraced the dust and gave me yet another dimension to the images.

Then, for the image above, she returned to the car in order to gather an incredible piece that she had recently acquired. The wind, while ideal in most instances, made it quite difficult for Mariel to manage. Like a professional she managed beautifully, at times using her hands to stabilize the piece while adding lines, volume to the exposures.

She never complained, never once told me that we needed to finish early. We worked for almost three hours and then decided to end our session with peace in our hearts. We packed up our gear and headed back home, also chatting along the way. Some find it awkward after a session, since so much output is needed leaving one with little energy to talk. This exquisite woman understood the essence of my work and therefore quenched my need to learn about her. 

I very much look forward to printing more of her work, and to collaborating once again early next year.

halim.ina@gmail.com

Halim Ina Photography

Printing Mariel, Darkroom, Cleveland Heights, December 1, 2012

Starting late this morning made me think very little would be printed in the darkroom. Rather than working between various projects, concentrating on my latest collaboration with Mariel seemed appropriate since yesterday was spent in the same manner. The negatives were still laid out on my desk and the proofs were on the screen for easy reference.

My time with Mariel at El Mirage Dry Lake Bed will be for another posting, for this deals with the process of printing her negatives earlier today. Earlier in the week we exchanged a few messages and got an idea of which images were to be selected according to our preferences. The image shown above was one such selection.

Before this negative was printed three others were processed, taking me to nearly 6:00 pm and a little later than my usual to print any more for the afternoon. Since I started a bit later today it seemed only right to print one more negative. I sat in front of the computer screen and went back and forth, finally selecting the negative shown printed above.

While most negatives are printed without cropping, something inside of me pushed me to crop this image considerably. Before doing so I checked the image sharpness with loupes and confirmed that such could be done without compromising the quality of the final product. The negative was placed in the negative holder, and the enlarger head was raised to achieve the proper image size.

A few minutes later it was clear that an exposure of nearly four minutes would be needed for this negative, complicated by the distance from the easel. In addition a considerable amount of burning would be necessary to calm the highlights down on the left cheek and forehead areas, adding almost three more minutes to the process. The chemicals had 'matured' nicely and would be different tomorrow morning, so I pressed on.

A little bit of dodging the background areas, burning the highlights on the skin, an overall exposure of seven minutes later produced an exquisite print by my standards of course. I decided to go ahead and print nine more for the evening, and made a quick snapshot of the final two prints right before they were removed from the fixer. At this moment they are washing for the next hour in an archival print washer, and will be laid on screens to dry overnight for viewing tomorrow morning.

Overall two hours were spent printing this negative, with ten prints to show for the effort. Many will wonder as to my reasons for using film, and the printing of that film in the darkroom. For the sake of clarification there are those performing much more complicated printing processes relating to photography to make my process seem so simple. The question usually arises in comparison to the digital process, and with this in mind the question is framed.

For me personally, I am in love with the process, the idea that the reflection from a person's skin moves through a series of glass elements, lands on a light sensitive film, processed to permanence through a chemical process, placed in an enlarger that acts as a camera in reverse depositing the negative image on a light sensitive paper, then processed to permanence through a similar chemical process to achieve a print that we will hold in our hands, and frame for those generations in the future to witness.

The details flow from one to another without steps, from one piece of grain to another. There is something magical about this, as my loupes show me every single time I view a negative prior to its printing in the darkroom. Soon Mariel will have this print in her hands, and we shall celebrate.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

Markeya Carlita, The Film Images, El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, Los Angeles, California, September 16, 2012

These are a sampling of the film images from my session with Markeya Carlita at El Mirage Lake, just outside of Los Angeles. This was my third time at this location in less than one week and, with great thanks to the officials on the property, we were able to find a secluded spot far away from the recreational activities for which this lake bed is known.

We parked on private property just outside of the lake bed, with the generous owner giving us his permission to do so. I set the equipment up, while Markeya and her dear good friend went about arranging the various outfits for the session. She brought a suitcase holding an incredible amount of clothing, everything from heels to jackets to dresses to various accessories, all to the specifications agreed upon before this meeting.

The sky was clear and the sun just perfect. We worked slowly, beginning with the more abstract positions, then moved onto the closer, more intimate portraits. Markeya never did stop, she moved from one creative position to another at the sound of the shutter being released. She did so without complaining, but rather saw this an opportunity to create a magical body of images.

In between changes, we admired the silence of the place... and the magnificence of the lake surface. It seemed that someone must have come beforehand and swept it for the session. The small tumble weed from a few days earlier was still there, and reminded me that perhaps we have found the perfect studio for my time in Los Angeles.

Halim Ina Photography

Eleanor, The Film Images, Downtown Los Angeles, California, September 16, 2012

Many will begin their viewing of these images with an opinion, few will be as open as Eleanor. Documenting this young spirit was effortless, since she brought her stories to the collaboration. Even before we met on this beautiful morning she presented her ideas to me. When one idea was complicated by a third party, she moved onto a second just as important vision.

When my schedule needed to change at the last minute, she changed her schedule around and made this collaboration possible. I am fortunate enough to have met many significant people in my life, and Eleanor is one such person. My years as a photographer will hopefully include Eleanor once again, and a chance once again to document her stories.

For more information regarding Eleanor and her various projects, please follow the link below.

Rooftop Revolutionaries

Halim Ina Photography

Markeya, East Coast Meets West Coast, Model, El Mirage Lake, Los Angeles, California, September 16, 2012

From her first message to the texts on the day of the session, Markeya shows nothing but respect. Point after point is presented to her and is agreed upon without resistance. Whether it is her wardrobe or the location, my suggestions are accepted with an open mind.

On the day of our session she suggests to us that her friend can bring her to the location, saving us the distance and expense of going her way. She agrees to head out a bit early and we meet on the other end of the lake, at the suggestion of the park ranger. The dry lake bed happens to be closed due to some recent storms.

On the other side of the lake bed access is possible with a public road. We drive up to a home at the perfect spot and meet a man named George. In our approach to his home there are multiple, disheartening signs regarding access, permission and so forth. Rather than turning around we continue forward and meet George. Before my door is opened he waves his finger in a negative direction and shrugs his shoulders. I almost turn around but then get out of the car to ask his permission to approach the lake bed from his territory.

His first words are actually in the form of a joke, and this makes me feel more comfortable. It seems that he is quite the jokester and is more than kind, allowing us to park in front of his home and to access the lake from his land. He tells us a bit about himself, and about other photographers that come to his place. Pieces of cars, planes, boats and so forth sit on his land, making it quite the location.

With his permission we pull up and discuss our plan for the day. We begin with the distant images, and plan on working closer as the sun begins to set. Markeya pulls out a most impressive suitcase filled with clothing, accessories and so forth, all organized in different compartments. As with our email exchanges, she listens to my suggestions and we agree upon a sequence regarding her wardrobe.

The cars are parked perhaps fifty meters from the location, and I head out to set up the equipment in advance of her appearance on the lake bed. The skies are beautifully clear and the silence is intoxicating. We work for the next two hours, and she shows me an exquisite range of movements, never once complaining about the sun or the heat.

We end the session with success and head out for a small meal. On our way to the restaurant Markeya immediately puts together a collage and posts it to her circle of friends. Her excitement is palpable, and contagious. We exchange information, she receives her images on a disc and we go our separate ways.

I look forward to the film images and to a long-term, creative relationship with this incredible woman.

Halim Ina Photography

Eleanor, Musician, Engineer, Activist, Model, Los Angeles, California, September 16, 2012

On this beautiful morning in Los Angeles we arrive an hour before our session to look for a white wall near Eleanor's home. Bailey and I arrive before the sun has even appeared, and approximate the direction of the rising sun. We drive away from the center of the city and look for open spaces. We find three or four and make notes of their locations.

Then we send a text to Eleanor and advise her that we are ready for her. She meets us downstairs across from her building, in front of a coffee shop. We then drive to our locations and then decide on one that is both less busy and more open. Eleanor is immediately ready, and prepared herself as desired by me. Her hair has a most delicate quality to it, and flows beautifully in the wind.

We begin with close images to record her features with the rising sun. She moves from one expression to another with ease, and seems to follow my direction without ever hearing them, since they are never spoken by me. We are on the same page, she smiles then plays with the lens with sincere respect. She understand my work and has a deep respect for the people within it.

We then move onto making images with movement, and from a distance. She stands on the sidewalk and I walk into the street. Cars pass by and go around the camera without interrupting our work. People also walk by and show only respect to us.

Eleanor tells us the story behind this flag, and surprises us with the details behind her acquisition of it. It fills me with pleasure to represent her and her thoughts, and hope that people will approach these images with open minds. Rather than write for Eleanor and paraphrase her views, I will present her images and let them speak for themselves.

The images above are the work of my dear friend, Bailey, and were made at the same time as my work with the film camera.

After our session we drive back to her apartment and she treats us with her generosity. Here is a young woman being asked to spend her Sunday morning with us working for two hours and here is a young woman that gives us even more rather than expecting anything in return.

Her voice will speak for her and can be found below.

Rooftop Revolutionaries

Halim Ina Photography

Kylee, Model, Mother, Sister, El Mirage Lake, Los Angeles, California, September 14, 2012

Having just returned from Los Angeles, my focus now turns to reflection rather than production of images. The next few entries will highlight the beautiful spirits met during my time on the west coast, and documented through my photography.

Needless to say many messages are sent to various women near the Los Angeles area, yet only a small percentage respond. Out of these responses, even less continue the conversation and even fewer make it their intent to realize a collaboration.

The young woman above is named Kylee and our session almost never happens. After exchanging an incredible number of messages and happily so, she learns of a complication in her schedule that makes her unable to collaborate with me. She is palpably sad in her messages to me, and only confirms my thoughts about her, that she is a most genuine person.

As it happens the afternoon of that same day is open and this is shared with her. Pure joy is her reaction and we revise our time to meet about one hour away from the agreed-upon location of our session. From my first email correspondence through the messages exchanged this evening, this most beautiful spirit has shown me nothing but love, kindness and understanding. She loves the people in my portfolio and is kind enough to donate her time to the work. In her understanding of their stories, she confirms her status as a sister to the people in my portfolio.

Rather than complain about the distance, she drives on her own and comes along with me for the final leg of the trip. Rather than demand a stylist and a make-up artist, she offers her wardrobe and goes out of her way to purchase specific pieces for the session. Rather than worry about her hair, she allows me to wet it completely and cover her face with the very mud of the lake bed.

Needless to write, the temperature on the lake bed is difficult to take and even more so when we are working. Instead of complaining while she is performing demanding movements, she smiles and continuously exclaims: 'awesome!'

On our way to El Mirage Lake, we run across a tumbleweed and decide to bring it along with us, and it seems to fit into our session perfectly. The shape of it dances within the spaces between her limbs, and this is done spontaneously.

In her own words written tonight:

'From the moment that I saw your portfolio I knew that you were not just a photographer I wanted to work with, you were a photographer I needed to work with. I felt the passion and love in each and ever one of your photos and I could see your dedication along with your bright and righteous spirit. It shined through all of your images. I could only imagine what we could create together and I knew that working with you would bring something unique to my portfolio, it did way more than that. The images captures are beyond AWESOME and I can not wait until your next trip to L.A.'

The above words are further proof of her selfless nature, and her desire to give rather than to take. I look forward to working with Kylee in the near future and following her with my camera for life.

Halim Ina Photography

Saideh, Model, Friend, Near Lake Erie, Ohio, August 24, 2012

After driving around for an hour near the shoreline a white wall is found for our collaboration. We meet perhaps two hours before sunset, and begin immediately. Saideh brings with her once again an incredible selection of pieces, all dark and timeless.

The place chosen is the side of a local business, and away from the road. For perhaps an hour we move from full length images to closer portraits, and Saideh displays her talent at changing positions effortlessly. She understands my pace and stops now and then to allow me the release of the shutter. Much of the time we work with the digital camera, and every now and then we use film.

After a bit of time a man approaches us in his truck up the driveway and at first seems friendly. He makes a friendly joke about the collaboration and goes about his business. He then returns perhaps after twenty minutes and tells us that perhaps we might want to think about leaving since the owners of the building might be distressed about our presence.

We take his advice into consideration and feel that our work is harmless, therefore continuing with our work. About twenty minutes after that conversation the same man returns and this time is quite aggressive, telling us to leave in an unfriendly tone. This continues perhaps for ten minutes during which Saideh is quite composed, and understanding.

It gets to a point that we need to end our work because the man refuses to leave us alone. For whatever reason he might have, he has taken a keen interest in making our session end quickly, even though we advise him that moving to another location would eat up our remaining time.

Luckily for me I have Saideh, a most resourceful woman. She tells me that on her way to meeting me she had also seen another white wall, perhaps less than 100 meters from this one. We decide to drive over to that wall and find that it's actually a nicer one. This time people are present to whom we can speak. I approach the factory entrance and am met by a large, friendly man. He listens to our story and gives us his permission to use the white wall as our background.

The images above were made at the second location, at ease and with plenty of sun. The grass is soothing, and the mood serene. We work for perhaps 45 minutes and see the sun setting behind the trees, causing us to stop we think. As we begin to put everything away I notice a white trailer behind the factory, and quickly begin unpacking the equipment. We move to the trailer and, with the guidance of the same man, work for perhaps twenty minutes more.

During the entire time Saideh remains calm, and shows her support. After we are finished we sit down for a lemonade and chat for a while. She has a keen interest in creating beautiful images and a deep appreciation of the people within my portfolio. They are in my mind her brothers and sisters, and will see her portrait upon my next trip. We part with the thought of our next session in our minds.

For more of my work, please visit the newly designed website below, courtesy of Patrick Luu.

Halim Ina Photography

Vamptress LeeAnna, Model, Sister, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

The new year begins with a sweet message from my dear sister, Vamptress LeeAnna.

People ask me about my trip out to Los Angeles: 'So what did you do out there, photograph models?'

There is a notion that perhaps models are different. While they may be so in certain instances, my experience out West taught me that they are very much like the women in my portfolio from Asia and Africa. They have their stories to tell, and can do so quite eloquently.

One such example is my creative sister, Vamptress LeeAnna. This young woman drove almost two hours just to meet me for an afternoon. She came out with an incredible man, and his support made this collaboration that much more meaningful.

The weather was misbehaving and rather than going along with the mood of the weather, they spoke only positive words and allowed me to lead them a bit further up the road, perhaps twenty minutes or so until we found an area full of sunshine just past the rim of the clouds. We exited the main road and then drove around looking for a spot, one that allowed for images made against a light wall and images made against the backdrop of the sky.

We found one, in the middle of a new development, and parked our cars. Vamptress took a few minutes to get ready while we set up for images against the yellow wall at first. The image above is from this series. The range of her expressions was indescribable, she went from the expression of a stranger to that of an old friend, within a few frames, from sultry to familiar within seconds.

Tomorrow will be spent in the darkroom printing these images, along with her selections. Rather than being photographed and walking away, this young woman has become my sister and continues to inspire me.

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

Magdalena, Model, Sister, Mormon Rocks, Outside of Los Angeles, California, Fall of 2010

Over the past few weeks her images have been printed in the darkroom. Few other individuals are represented as much in my portfolio as Magdalena. The image above was made late last year in an area called  Mormon Rocks just outside of Los Angeles.

The location served us well, since Los Angeles for most of my stay was cloudy and unusually wet. Magdalena and her dear good friend met us early on this glorious day and followed us to the rocks. The fact that they drove through two hours of traffic to make it to our location as the sun appeared made a deep impression on me. They impressed me even more so by bringing with them an endless array of clothing, all of it dark and timeless as requested.

On our way to the location she shared with Bailey a worry: perhaps her new hairstyle would be an issue for me. The night before she and her friend had cut each other's hair and she shaved the sides of her head. Bailey assured her in my absence that the new style would be a hit. As I entered the car Bailey shared this with me in Magdalena's presence, all to my delight. We would be documenting her like nobody else, and as she will never be again. Nothing could have pleased me more.

We found a spot on top of a formation for us to work. The wind was incredibly strong yet Magdalena adapted beautifully, never complained. With the wonderful support of my dear friend Bailey, we were able to switch between outfits and work for perhaps two hours before the sun disappeared beyond the clouds. 

Magdalena likes to move while being photographed. Unlike those with preferences for static poses, her dance is a way to express her thoughts at any given time in a most fluid manner. We danced on this day, and she was sensitive enough to listen for the shutter release... almost anticipating the movement within the camera itself. As the mirror lifted out of the way and the curtains opened, the shutter clicked and Magdalena continued with her movements.

The image above is but one snapshot in the series, a series I will continue to print. 

halim.ina@gmail.com
Halim Ina Photography

Raven Le Faye, Model, Friend, Parking Lot, Oakland, California, Fall of 2010

She brings with her an incomparable selection of clothing. Before we meet she sends images of her clothing for my review, all laid out neatly and numbered as well. She is the only model from the San Francisco area to allow for changes in my schedule, the only woman to truly desire inclusion in my portfolio.

Before my last day in Los Angeles, I decide to make the trip and document this most exquisite spirit. 

My experience with Raven Le Faye is nothing short of educational. In a previous posting under her name in my blog her story is told. In this posting it continues. To this day she shares the images from our collaboration through her blog, she stays in touch with me and sends messages once in a while as friends do. 

While my images of her are quite different than anything else in her portfolio, she feels comfortable enough to include them, to showcase them. She understands the role she plays and advances my work through her efforts as well. 

She is a giving and confident woman, changing from one outfit to another in this parking lot without question or resistance. The sun strikes her eyes with exuberance and yet she adapts. She learns to look in other directions, to take advantage of the black asphalt surface. The wind begins to pick up during our session and adds a sense of motion to the work. The dress begins to dance, and her hair follows.

When our session ends, we talk for a bit and go our separate ways. The drive back to Los Angeles lays ahead of me, and my flight home happens to be the very next afternoon. For innumerable reasons the task of this return is effortless. The very last roll of film from the trip is finished on this afternoon, as the sun sets behind the trees and telephone wires.

Her work can be seen below.

Raven Le Faye on Model Mayhem

Raven Le Faye on Tumblr

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