UCLA Graduation2017 graduating class at UCLA school of geography I shot some documentary photography and portraits in Los Angeles during UCLA graduation day recently. It was for a family album for a client who hired me to visually tell the story of the day. The UCLA campus is lush and beautiful. It was buzzing with hundreds of graduates from many schools throughout the campus. Above is a photo I captured in the summer heat during a long ceremony. 

UCLA Graduation2017 graduating class at UCLA school of geography Mother of the graduate was all too proud that her youngest son graduated and was ready to begin his new life. She said "You want to equip your children with the tools for success" and I could not agree more. Below is a portrait I shot with so many people walking around it was difficult to get a clean backdrop. I was happy to find this little area and shot the portraits as fast as possible. 

UCLA Graduation2017 graduating class at UCLA school of geography

Many people don't realize how little time a photographer sometimes has to get several great shots. Here I was photographing portraits with only minutes after the ceremony until my client was scheduled to attend an event. I also parked partially in a red zone so took a risk so that I could start my shoot on time. I had some luck that day and did not get a ticket after all!

When I photograph a Baptism I keep a few things in mind. Most importantly is that this is a significant milestone for families and a most precious time. It is a quiet event and it happens quickly. Churches usually don't have the best lighting so I keep that in mind too. Between the emotional and technical I create a balance to make sure the families know I am ready and respectful of their time and space. 

The baby was fussy at first but by the time she was being baptized she was calm and even fell asleep during the ceremony. Everybody was a bit for relaxed once she was in her slumber. Her dress was quite ornate and draped her making her look like she was floating.

The photo above was shot by yours truly at a Brooklyn gathering in 2009. As I sit here eight years later in Los Angeles I remember what happened in that time. All of the steps we have taken to create a more just system seem to be a thing of the past. THEY ARE NOT.

We are at a crossroads here in the US and the world. The overt racism, failure to acknowledge climate change and constant lies told by the POTUS we hear daily are taking a toll on our livelihood. We cannot become victims and shut ourselves down. Let's make a promise to always go the extra mile to respect each other. Help an elderly person, give to charities, tune in and be aware of our surroundings and pay attention to in-depth news. All of this banter about fake news is just a way for politicians to make people think all news outlets are a sham. Sure, reporters make mistakes, they are human. However, to question and ignore every proven fact means we need to reiterate factual information all the more. Here is to the journalists who report facts, to Amy Goodman, George Seldes to the group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. 

The photo above was photographed by me at the "Immigrants Make America Great" rally in 2017. For all of us and for future generations, we have a responsibility to make the world a better place. Let's unite against the senselessness and become stronger together. As Bernie Sanders said, "President Trump, you made a big mistake. By trying to divide us up by race, religion, gender and nationality you actually brought us closer." 

Closeup of a portabella mushroom. Portabello mushroom photographed by Los Angeles food photographer Naheed Choudhry.

Shooting photography with a Macro Lens is one of my favorite activities. I love to capture every minute detail of a still life subject, especially food. In the oversaturated food photography times that we live in now food photography that doubles as beautiful art can be hard to find. There are thousands of amateur food photographs on Pinterest and Instagram, of course there are always exceptions. The portabello mushroom above looks so perfect, almost too perfect to eat. If my client allows I like to shop for the food I photograph and search for the perfectly shaped apple, the loaf of bread with the most grains on it and the mushroom that isn't smashed to bits! Here is to the beauty of the Macro lens and of my trusted Alien Bee 800 lights, which I now love like my best friend :) Most photographers become attached to their equipment and for me it is hard to let go of any of my gear. I usually donate my older gear to students but I always feel like I am losing a part of something near and dear to me that I have fond memories of.

Echo Park Los Angeles For the first time in many years I will be staying in Los Angeles this summer. I won't be shooting any weddings in New York City. I won't be going on any overheated adventures in the desert. It is all to stay near and dear to my beautiful and energetic toddler. I have a few projects lined up: Riding around LA with my camera outside the sunroof getting footage for films, capturing time lapses at Ernest Debs Park and learning some new photo software and equipment. I have finally upgraded to the coveted Adobe Creative Cloud for photographers so no longer need to use any older versions! I will still keep the oldies but goodies for that one client who is still using Photoshop version CS3.

There may be other exciting things on the horizon for me including taking the next big step in my photo career. I will keep you posted. With Mother's Day approaching and the summer just around the corner I am hoping for some big things to happen for me and everyone this summer. 

Pictured above is the beautiful Echo Park Lake at sundown in LA and windmills along the notorious 10 freeway .

Mother's Day is fast approaching and my large clutch style zipper pouches are a perfect gift for any mom with an eye for great design. The high end pouches are handmade by yours truly and all materials are made in the USA. The clutches are durable and are only $35.00. 

You can purchase the designer bags here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/naheedence

Order by Mother's Day 2017 with the coupon code: MOM2017 and get free domestic standard shipping, free gift wrap and a beautiful handwritten card. That is up to $10 of savings depending on your location. The bags ship within one week of purchase. If you send me a message on Etsy that it is a gift I will include a small card and gift wrap for FREE.

We are in strange times here on planet Earth, a crossroads to see if we will finally learn to put the health of the planet before convenience and greed. I've reflected a lot on how connected humans are to the health of our beloved home. Scientists are marching in Washington today and we are all well aware the EPA matters more than the greed of the 1%. Most of the 99% want to leave a better planet for future generations to thrive. I hope we can band together and walk a better path toward a healthier Mother Earth for us all. 

I've been lucky enough to travel throughout the US and have seen so many beautiful (and ugly, but that is another story ;) places in this amazing country. I grew up in Metro Detroit, and though Detroit is known as "The Motor City", there are so many parks and The Great Lakes so you are never far away from colorful forests in autumn, wandering creeks and thunderstorms year-round and snow covered hills in the winter. As a New Yorker I traveled extensively throughout the city, shot a wedding in Poughkeepsie and traveled all the way through the snowy mountains to The Catskills. When my husband and I moved to Los Angeles we did a cross country trip and visited too many places to name but Denver's mind blowing altitude and Utah's mountainous beauty definitely stands out. 

Living in California there are no shortage of National Parks and with The Angeles Forest so close, Joshua Tree a bit further and Death Valley not too far we can escape on a Magical Mystery Tour at a moment's notice.

As a nature photographer I love to capture landscapes that show planet Earth in all of its amazing beauty. It gives me a chance to appreciate all of the many nuances and gifts Mother Earth gives us. Who wouldn't want to capture and savor every moment of waves crashing, animals basking and sunsets that are humbling and no words can describe. In defiance of all that destroys the environment I am celebrating Earth Day everyday, not just on April 22nd, but every day. Here is to her strength and constant adaptability!

Photographs of Big Sur, California. Photos by Naheed Choudhry. Photos may not be reproduced without permission.

Photographs of Big Sur, California. Photos by Naheed Choudhry. Photos may not be reproduced without permission.

Given the current political climate in the United States and the constant undermining of the environment and the EPA I decided to do a blog post dedicated to Mother Earth. I respect any movement to help the Earth and humans thrive. After all we can't drink money! On the other hand, without water we can't survive as a species, in this case it could be argued we should trade on the stock exchange in drinkable water and not greenbacks or yen!