Earlimart

I have been “tagged” this week by a few different bloggers – the idea is that I’m supposed to share eight things about myself that maybe you don’t know. Okay then, here you go!

1. I was the personal assistant to Chris O’Donnell for five years. I lived and traveled with him to London, Italy, New Zealand, Mississippi, New York and Chicago, and worked on “The Chamber,” “In Love & War,” “Batman & Robin,” “The Vertical Limit,” and “The Bachelor.” Those were some of the most fun times I ever had in my life. Now I shoot Chris’ family Christmas portrait every year. In fact, when he got married in 1997, although Denis Reggie was his wedding photographer, it was one of my photographs (taken as his guest) that Chris used on the first Christmas card he sent out with his then new wife. It was a moment from their first dance that I shot on black and white film and later handpainted using Marshall’s oils.

2. I’m closer in age to my mother than I am to my brother.

3. I have a bizarre wood phobia and get goosebumps if I see someone rubbing chopsticks together. I can’t actually stand it. I’m getting goosebumps right now just thinking about it. When I eat sushi (which I LOVE), although I do use chopsticks, I can’t actually let the chopsticks touch my mouth. I told you it was bizarre.

4. When I was about five or six years old, Mike Cleary and Frank Dill did a radio show together every Saturday morning. One time, my twin sister, Joy, and I called in to talk to them about something. They thought we were so cute and liked us so much, that THEY called US every Saturday after that for the next year just to include us in their show. They even brought us to some of their public functions because we started to have fans.

5. The tiny town of Clayton where I grew up (and my brother is currently growing up) has a Fourth of July parade every year. One year, they had a contest to see who could come up with the theme of the parade. I entered “Leap to the Future while Looking to the Past” and won. I got to be the Grand Marshall and sit in the car that lead the parade and wave to all the people.

6. My mother dressed me and my sister as Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy every Halloween before I was old enough to choose my own costume. I always refused to be Andy, so Joy graciously did it. (thanks, Joy!)

7. I knew I would grow up to be a professional photographer by the time I was 10 years old. It was my “fall-back” career because I really wanted to be a director. (I studied film in college at UCSB and moved to LA immediately afterward. I’ve been here ever since.)

8. I really love to go listen to bands play out, but not at huge stadiums. I much prefer going to small venues where you can stand in front of the musicans and hang out with them afterwards like I did tonight with one of my favorite bands, Earlimart, at the CD release show they held at the Echoplex in Echo Park.

Here is a shot I took of the lead singer, Aaron, with my Razr phone. Afterwards, I shook Aaron’s hand at the bar and told him his band kicked ass. They do. You should definitely check them out.