I admit, the point of this series was purely selfish. I wanted to share the things that I had done and seen while basking in the sun for a few days. A break away from the exhausted winter here. I didn’t use my camera as much as I have in the past, so the pictures lack in numbers, but there were definitely a few gems.

Next, New York in a few weeks. Can’t wait.

Someone asked me late last year what I thought the food trend would be for 2008. You know, besides this whole Pinkberry fresh yogurt thing, and the rise of upscale Indian cuisine. I responded “rustic Italian”. The word ‘cucina’ is going to be everywhere. New restaurants are going to popup and try to serve simple mixtures that reflect Campania, Nazio, Marche, Tuscany and Sicily. I’ll bet money on it, and I blame Mario Batali for it. Blame Mario – in a good way. Read the rest of this entry »

I never knew yogurt could taste this good and be healthy for you. You see the new Yogenfruz billboards in Toronto?. The ones that say you can add your own toppings. Well there is a story behind this. Toronto is copying another city again based on an incredibly popular trend. Enter healthy yogurt, add fresh fruit toppings, put in a chic loungish environment. Pinkberry has exploded on the west coast… Read the rest of this entry »

Nothing can be more enjoyable than a late morning brunch at a café or bakery. Give me a glass of cold juice, some eggs and bread and I’ll be able to tackle pretty much anything the day throws at me. For me brunch is time to enjoy the simple concoctions that the kitchen can bring and contemplate on the itineraries of the day. Le Pain Quotidien is a very well known bakery chain that is known for producing really good Artisanal breads. Read the rest of this entry »

Just read this article, it covers the basics behind the west coast re-birth of the cupcake craze. A re-birth pioneered by the one and only Sprinkles Cupcakes. Read the rest of this entry »

Etched in west coast culture as a very scenic drive, the basis of a Tom Petty song (free falling), the grounds for racing for the classic bad boy(James Dean) and the basis of a series of intertwining plots in that creepy Lynch movie. I took a drive through the windy roads one afternoon with tour guides in hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Prior to this my trip to LA a few weeks ago, I had stayed there for 2 full weeks in 2006 on a technical assignment. This was my first real introduction to the west coast, outside of tourist attractions, clean hotel rooms, a busy LAX and palpable smog. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a reason for absence. I think has a lot to do with my recent trip to LA, and the fact that we’ve all had enough of the weather here in Toronto. Snowfall after snowfall was fine, because that’s what winter is all about. March was temperamental, but we all clutched on to our snowboots and umbrellas hoping that the sun was just around the corner.

April came, and so did the sun but only momentarily. Weathermen scratched their heads as temperatures see-saw’d daily. As of now it’s supposed to be 13 degrees outside. It was 18 degrees yesterday. Good news? Well It’s supposed to snow next week, light flurries. How do you stay positive when the most influential element around you is full of grey skies and cold winds.

The weather in LA was fantastic, I couldn’t spot a single cloud the entire time and barely wore anything but a t-shirt.

It’s hard to describe the kind of empowering feeling good weather has on you. It refreshes mind,spirt,soul,drive. You want to wake up early in the morning because you look forward to going outside. When you’re a photographer, you want to wake up extra early because you can’t stop thinking about possible photography opportunities.

I find that I’ve barely had a reason to use my camera the last few months, when in Toronto. Unless I was cooking or was on contract or at dinner, the Canons sat quietly collecting dust at home. But in LA, I didn’t leave the hotel, or the car without it in my hand.

I’ve been living in Toronto for almost 20 years, but I am a child of the sun. I wasn’ t born here and up until moving to Canada I had lived in some of the hottest climates of the world. That’s what I want, ultimately. Shooting weddings and being in LA and Mexico has probably spoiled me, plus there’s always ‘re-adjusting’, so this time it’s just taking longer.

I’ve been getting a lot of emails from friends who’d like to see more photos and musings from my recent trips. So I’ve decided to dedicate an entire week to my LA escapades. Hope you like it,