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Austin Texas Photography Project Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Abandoned Houses

When the genesis of a project starts in my head I usually picture myself doing it alone.  When I was in Austin, Texas visiting good friend and fellow photographer Suzi Q. Varin I was thrilled to discover a partner in crime.  Over two days we trekked through small towns surrounding Austin, Texas looking for abandoned houses.  We proudly carried our film and toy cameras with us wherever we ventured. 

Forget needing a GPS as I started referring to Suzi as “my little GPS.”  She was better than any electronic device. 

We also were on the lookout for church steeples and would gleefully drive towards them and usually weren’t disappointed.  Almost universally you would find astroturf on the steps of the church which I found funny and had to document.

Make sure to also check out Suzi’s blog as well………………….

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More to come…………………….

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Polaroid Film Weddings Why I Love Film

Sneak Peek of Bride Ashley on her Wedding Day

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I photographed Ashley with my grandfather’s Polaroid Land Camera and Chocolate 100 film.   I can’t wait to share this wedding with you. 

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April Rocha Happenings Diana Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Road Trip! Exhibit at the Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction, Vermont

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It is with great honor that I announce I have four images in the upcoming “Road Trip” exhibit at the Darkroom Gallery in Essex Junction, Vermont.  The superb photographer Douglas Beasley was the juror for this exhibit and I am so flattered that he chose some of my images.

Three of the images are from my trip to Austin, Texas this year and the fourth image is from my trip last year to New Orleans, Louisiana.  

Douglas had this to say about this how he chose the images for this exhibit: 

The Road Trip is the most classic of photo themes and one that got many of us started down the path of making photography a serious part of our lives. The very thought of imparting on a road trip is the start of the journey, which is both internal as well as external. A road trip can be as much spiritual journey as it is physical journey.

 In judging photos, I am looking for photos that speak to me, that have something to say. This is completely subjective and it is important to realize it is only my opinion and not fact. It does not mean one photo is better than another. But it is an informed and educated opinion. Yet still opinion, not fact…….

I look for photographs that have a sense of mystery, a deeper meaning or even layers of meaning. The composition must be strong and purposeful, not haphazard. The photographer should have an awareness of the whole frame not just subject and background. The intention or ‘voice’ of the photographer should come through. I look for a strong and personal point of view rather than a ‘me too-I can shoot like that’ visual attitude. I want to feel the photographer had a personal connection on some level to their chosen subject rather than finding a random pretty or interesting scene. I would rather see photos with a fresh perspective or an authentic voice than the same tired subjects redone. I would rather the photographer look deeper within his or her self and photograph from an authentic place of connection to the subject rather than copying past photo contest winners-which is a little like coloring inside the lines when you were a kid because you knew you might get praise. I would rather see a photograph that erases the lines altogether.

A compelling image may ask more questions than it answers. A good photo leaves room for mystery and interpretation and is more like a poem than a novel. The novel tells you everything in exacting detail but the poem hints at the story in the simplest possible way, removing all that is not essential to get to an essence, leaving room for mystery and interpretation. To me the best photographs show not only what the photographer saw but what and how they felt. This way of interpreting your subject is much harder to do but well worth exploring…

 The exhibit opens August 16 and includes an exhibit catalog.   You can view all of the images in this exhibit here

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April Rocha Happenings Holgaroid Infrared Film Polaroid Film Why I Love Film

I Love L.A. Exhibition Gala Reception

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I am pleased to be a part of the I LOVE L.A. Exhibit at the Duncan Miller Gallery in Venice, California.

Two of my images are in the exhibit “Childhood Memories” and “Griffith to Hollywood.”

There is a book signing and Gala Reception on Thursday, August 11 from 7-9 pm at the Wilshire Grand Hotel.

To prepurchase the “I Love LA” book featuring the 50 images included in the exhibit, click here.

To see all 50 images in the exhibit, click here.

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April Rocha Happenings Holgaroid kudos Polaroid Film Santa Monica Toy Camera Why I Love Film

One of the Winners of the Photobook Cali Project

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PDN (Photo District News) created a project with Blurb and B&H Photo calling for the best California related photography.  The project is called the Photobook Cali Project.  The sponsors wanted us to show the Golden State as we know it (with a special emphasis on a series of images).

In showcasing the state of California it’s without question that I would choose to show my hometown of Santa Monica, shot of course with Polaroid film and a toy camera.

I was honored to find out today that I one of the 35 winners of this project.  The project will be published in an PDN branded special edition book celebrating the images that capture the true California experience.

You can view all the winner’s images here.

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Diana flowers Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Oh How I Love My Diana

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I just love my Diana F+ camera with Close-Up Lens.

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Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Oakland Cemetery

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I had one more roll of film to develop from my trip to Atlanta, Georgia and only recently got around to developing it.

This image from the Oakland Cemetery was shot with my ever faithful Debonair toy camera, which my good friend Isabel Gomes of Isabel Lawrence Photography originally told me about. This camera is NOT easy to find.

Click here to see what this camera looks like.

Click here and here to read previous entries about Oakland Cemetery.

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April Rocha Happenings Diana Photography Project Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Sneak Peek of Photo Adventure in Austin, Texas

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As I was scanning the negatives from my recent trip to Austin, Texas  I was reminded why I love what I do so much.

My friend Suzi Q. Varin and I went on a photo adventure to small towns outside Austin looking for abandoned houses and old cemeteries.  Not only did we succeed the day of our adventure but the images I just scanned prove the true success of that trip.

Stay tuned for more………….

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April Rocha Happenings Holga Holgaroid Infrared Film Polaroid Film Toy Camera Why I Love Film

Redefining Hollywood Exhibit at The Factory Gallery

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I am proud to be a part of the Redefining Hollywood exhibition at the Factory Gallery in downtown Los Angeles.

Produced by Fabrik Magazine and curated by Aline Smithson, J. Wesley Brown and myself, this is an exhibition that looks at Hollywood with an analytical and an amused eye. The idea of Hollywood has intrigued and inspired image-makers for the last century and it’s no different today. Photographers find themselves continually fascinated by not only the notion of Hollywood, but by the city and community of Hollywood. For some, it’s the feeling of noir and night, for others, it’s the reality of the streets and neighborhoods. Photographers are influenced by movie stars and the idea of celebrity, and by the movies themselves. There is a rich tapestry of photographic ideas and inspiration that emerge from the tangible and intangible idea of Hollywood, and with each unique photographic vision, these photographers are Redefining Hollywood.

I have three prints in the exhibit:

Griffith to Hollywood
Once Ince
Hollywood as a Mystery

Click here to Aline Smithson’s wonderful blog entry about the exhibit on her Lenscratch blog.

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April Rocha Happenings Diana Holga Holgaroid Polaroid Film Toy Camera Why I Love Film

I Spy with my Plastic Eye II Book and Exhibition

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I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when Astor Morgan, curator of I Spy with my Plastic Eye, chose my Six Flags Diana image for the cover of the accompanying book.

I had another Holga image (shot with a Holgaroid camera and Polaroid film) in the show as well “No Photoshop Used on Image.”

Click here to purchase the book from A&I Books for $40.