My Heroes #1

MY HEROES: Hey, peps! Check out my new vlog series! I am listing here some of the photographers/friends who have inspired me over the years! I hope it can inspire you too! In this video, I am mentioning the marvelous work of photographers: Muybridge, Metzger, Okuhara, and Kaufman.

0:00 Sequential Photography
0:16 Eadweard Muybridge
0:53 Ray Metzger
2:01 Tetsu Okuhara
3:02 Elliott Kaufman

Learn more about my work: https://www.smallphotobooks.com

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EVERY PHOTO HAS A STORY #1

EVERY PHOTO HAS A STORY: check out my new video blog! I promise to get better at it! 😃

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Youtube: @avepildasphotography
Instagram: @avepildas
TikTok: @avepildas
Facebook: Ave Pildas Photography

Dog Days

The phrase “dog days” entered the English language in the 1500’s. It refers to the astronomical activity occurring between July and early September when a particularly bright star, Sirius the Dog Star, is visible.

Sirius shines with the sun and is hidden at night during a one of two month interval in the northern hemisphere. This interval is associated with hot sultry weather, and so “dog days” has generally come to mean a period of stagnation or inactivity for humans.⁠
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As a dog lover and lifetime dog owner, I am attracted to the sites that dogs share with humans. ⁠⁠⁠
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Via @avepildas

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Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Street Vendors

Street vendors are an integral part of urban economies around the world, offering easy access to a wide range of goods and services in public spaces.

Men and women are drawn to the occupation by factors such as low barriers to entry, limited start-up costs, and flexible hours.

Competition for space in the streets and access to customers are realities in many locations. In order to prosper, vendors must engage passers-by; quick and easy banter is part of a vendor’s stock-in-trade. ⁠

As a street photographer who often must convince strangers to pose in my pictures, I feel an affinity to this job requirement. ⁠

I have been traveling internationally for over seventy years. When I arrive in a new city, I take my camera for a walk and mingle with the street vendors. They and their merchandise provide a good introduction to a particular time and place.⁠⁠
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Via @avepildas

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Dinosaurs

Everybody’s favorite…from the Triassic period of the Mesozoic Era, that’s 230 million years ago.

Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago.

They now exist in museums and as tourist attractions.

Dinos are a sub-group in my Animal Antics series.⁠
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Via @avepildas

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Shadows / Silhouettes

They look a lot alike but are very different. I often find them together, both lack, detail, and rely on shape.

They are flat and graphic for me.

Silhouettes are the real world while shadows are of another world, both are mysterious, enigmatic, curious, and strange.

They stir my imagination.

I'm attracted to both.

They help me make great photographs.⁠
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Via @avepildas

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Secret Life of Plants

They call it landscaping.

For me is always a bit strange, so I'm attracted to it photographically.

What are the plants thinking?

What were the landscapers thinking?

What are you thinking?
⁠
Via @avepildas

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Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

MORE ODD SHOTS

I love odd shots. . .

Just drop me off somewhere, anywhere with a camera and I will find something to photograph.

My senses are tuned to observe all manner of quirky or unusual situations. Street photography exists as a source of entertainment and wonders for me.

If I shoot a good photo, it makes my day.
⁠
Via @avepildas

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Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

ODD SHOTS

I love odd shots…

Just drop me off somewhere, anywhere with a camera and I will find something to photograph.

My senses are tuned to observe all manner of quirky or unusual situations. Street photography exists as a source of entertainment and wonders for me.

If I shoot a good photo, it makes my day.⁠
⁠
Via @avepildas

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Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

July 4th

The West Los Angles Veterans Affairs Medical Center occupies a large parcel of land in Westwood donated by wealthy California landowner and socialite Arcadia Bandini de Stearns Baker in 1887.

Originally known as Sawtelle Veterans Home, the site became Wadsworth Hospital in 1927. The present modern building opened in 1977.

In 2011 a group of homeless veterans sued the Center, claiming that the Veteran’s Administration was renting parts of the land for commercial gain and ignoring the needs of veterans for housing.

As part of the settlement of this lawsuit, the VA released a draft master plan for the future of the campus. In 2016, it announced a plan to build 1200 units of housing for veterans, sufficient for only some of the estimated 26,000 that populate the County.

Currently, the sidewalk perimeter of the site on San Vicente Boulevard is lined with tents occupied by vets. Each is festooned with a large American flag sewn on the front. As a gesture of honor and support, I decided to feature images of these tents and their occupants for this 4th of July week.

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Horn Please

Truck art has been a part of India’s visual lexicon for decades. The trucks that were deployed as army vehicles during World War II were made available for civilian use when the conflict ended, and trucks continue to play a pivotal role in transporting heavy-duty goods.

Most drivers are on the road for weeks, often sleeping and eating in their vehicles. Their trucks become their homes, and drivers go to great lengths to beautify them. They collaborate with artists who specialize in truck painting, choosing colors and symbols that express the drivers’ emotions, aspirations, faiths, and cultural roots. Certain catchphrases like “Horn Please” and “Use Dipper At Night”, encouraging other drivers to dim their headlights as darkness approaches, are common.

These colorful vehicles immediately attracted me on my first trip to India. During subsequent visits, I sought out locations where large numbers of trucks were parked and where truck artists painted. This week I present a group of photos from my collection of painted trucks.

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Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Pride

The first Pride march in New York City was held on June 28, 1970, on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day”. In major cities across the nation, the "day" soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events to celebrate the LGBT community.

President Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month with a proclamation issued in 2010. ⁠The first Hollywood Gay Parade was held in 1972.

I captured some of the activity with my camera and returned every year to witness the event that grew bigger and wilder as years passed and the stigma of being gay disappeared. I offer this week a selection of pictures from gatherings celebrated locally from1972 to 2019.⁠

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Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

People Watching

People watching: Most of us, ‘People Watch’ to pass the time. I people-watch because I am a photographer and I find people fascinating.

There is a long history of street photography that includes people as the subject of the image. ⁠
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For me, picking up on the idiosyncrasies of the person(s) and the surroundings is like going on a safari or treasure hunt. When I get a good capture it makes my day.⁠

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Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Hollywood Boulevard

Street vendors are an integral part of urban economies around the world, offering easy access to a wide range of goods and services in public spaces.

Men and women are drawn to the occupation by factors such as low barriers to entry, limited start-up costs, and flexible hours. ⁠

Competition for space in the streets and access to customers are realities in many locations. In order to prosper, vendors must engage passers-by; quick and easy banter is part of a vendor’s stock-in-trade.

As a street photographer who often must convince strangers to pose in my pictures, I feel an affinity to this job requirement. ⁠

I have been traveling internationally for over sixty years. When I arrive in a new city, I take my camera for a walk and mingle with the street vendors.

They and their merchandise provide a good introduction to a particular time and place.

---

Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Street Vendors

Street vendors are an integral part of urban economies around the world, offering easy access to a wide range of goods and services in public spaces.

Men and women are drawn to the occupation by factors such as low barriers to entry, limited start-up costs, and flexible hours. ⁠

Competition for space in the streets and access to customers are realities in many locations. In order to prosper, vendors must engage passers-by; quick and easy banter is part of a vendor’s stock-in-trade.

As a street photographer who often must convince strangers to pose in my pictures, I feel an affinity to this job requirement. ⁠

I have been traveling internationally for over sixty years. When I arrive in a new city, I take my camera for a walk and mingle with the street vendors.

They and their merchandise provide a good introduction to a particular time and place.

---

Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Venice

For as long as I have lived in Los Angeles, I have enjoyed excursions to Venice Beach. In addition to the postcard-perfect Southern California landscapes of sand, sea, and palm trees, I find the people-watching opportunities second to none.

Weekends encourage the carnival-like crowds, but any day of the week will present an occasion for a unique photograph.

I was sad this week to observe how the homeless situation has transformed the location, but I offer this week glimpses into the Beach from the last forty years.

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Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

New York

⁠New York City is not only the most populous city in the United States; it also attracts thousands of visitors from locations worldwide on a daily basis.

It includes three of the world’s ten most visited tourist attractions. According to Travelzoo, NYC is the most photographed city in the world, and it is a favorite destination for me and my camera.

This week I offer a few of my New York shots from the past fifty years.⁠

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Jazz

⁠The Saxophone designed in 1840 by Adolphe Sax and patented in 1846.

There are many types of Saxophone, including soprano, alto, tenor, baritone, bass, and variations.

The Saxophone became popular in Jazz in the 1920s, featured in the bands of Fletcher Henderson, Duke Ellington, and Count Base.

From then on the giants of the Sax emerged, like Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt, John Coltrane, and countless more.

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Is it Art?

⁠While this image is recent, I've been photographing wall art since the 1960s, and have a large collection.

The color and imagery vary by country. Found art is serendipitous and makes my day.

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Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Odd Shots

I love odd shots. . .

Just drop me off somewhere, anywhere with a camera and I will find something to photograph.

My senses are tuned to observe all manner of quirky or unusual situations. Street photography exists as a source of entertainment and wonders for me.

If I shoot a good photo, it makes my day.

---

Would you like to purchase a photograph from Ave?

Send us an email and get a quote: avepildas@gmail.com

Odd Shots

$20.00