shutter to think

Semana Santa, Antigua

I spent a week with friends in Antigua celebrating Semana Santa traditionally by making alfombras, or colorful carpets used for the processions. It was a delight to be a part of a creative group. I didn't really intend on photographing Semana Santa, because here in Antigua its quite touristy, although the processions are pretty amazing. I had first thought that I was going to make some travel images for stock, but found myself just taking a break from shooting. But it was until that Friday that suddenly things came together. Here's a slideshow of some images from that day.

You can also catch my snaps on my tumblr: http://liannemilton.tumblr.com/

Destination: Semana Santa in Antigua, Guatemala - Images by Lianne Milton

a little amor in guatemala city

It's really sweet to see a little love in one of the most violent cities in Latin America...

Food and Art in Sebastopol

An October travel assignment for the New York Times travel section sent me to Sebasotpol for the day to photograph their eclectic food and arts scene.

These assignments are always really fun, but they can be super crazy and stressful as I'm usually running around with my shotlist photographing places and people under varies lighting conditions. I try to shoot indoors when its in the afternoon and outside places when the light is softer. Sometimes I have to be at two places at the same time as I'm trying to compete with time before the light falls. Its just hectic sometimes! But I always meet really cool people and discover new places, such as one of the best thrift stores I have ever been too, Aubergine.

Sebastopol is also home to some very creative people, and one of them is Patrick Amiot, whom is picture in my outtakes. I also want to thank his wife Brigitte Laurent for giving me a private tour of their home, Mr. Amiot for showing me his "studio," which is pretty much a very cool junkyard, and a photographer's paradise to photograph.

The town also has really incredible food. I was also lucky to photograph a farm (this was off the list but I really wanted to go) where most of the foods for dishes at the restaurant, Peter Lowell, are grown.

Out of the Rolling Ocean

With the last six frames left of a roll, I headed down to the beach to capture this amazing blue glow I saw from my yard. My favorite time to shoot and it lasts only minutes. The earth, sky and ocean in the same blue color palette. This day was the last of a weekend-long the bluegrass festival...it was summery fall...surf was good that day as was the music from the park.

Visiting a dark past on Angel Island

I visited Angel Island for the first time in October. We took the ferry and rented bikes to cruise around the island. Considering I was born and raised in the San Francisco/Bay Area, I feel like its a shame that it me took so long to visit a part of my history, not just locally, but about my ancestry.

The island is a state park, and the dark history that haunts it is just part of its rich story, which you can read here: http://angelisland.org/history/. During the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, this island served as a detention center for all incoming Chinese immigrants. You won't find "detention center" in our American history, though that is essentially what it was. Instead you'll read: United States Immigration Station (USIS).

The buildings have since been renovated, new paint, the grounds immaculate, and the only real sense of how life might have been here are the etchings of poetry by prisoners on the wooden walls of the dormitories. You might say that I was a really disappointed, but not surprised, in the softening effect of our American history.

For more history on the "Immigration Station," please click on this link: http://angelisland.org/history/united-states-immigration-station-usis/

i made a book...pacific park

snaps from a quick trip to la last year with a friend....thanks Missy!

PACIFIC PARK by LIANNE MILTON | Make Your Own Book

The National Palace of Culture

Guatemala City --

Los Barriletes....the kites

Here in Guatemala on Dia de los Muertos, or otherwise known as Todos Santos - All Saints Day - families get together and fly kites, have picnics, drink, and be merry at the cemetaries of their deceased. On Monday I went with a friend to check out the kites at Santiago Sacatepequez....to the cemetary where it overlooks a lush green valley.

When two worlds collide

Over Labor Day weekend, this city gal found herself immersed in a quaint village in the middle of Wisconsin. This time I wasn't on assignment. I was hired by a colleague, who otherwise assigns me stories for NPR, to photograph her wedding. Honored and touched, this moment also terrified me: I'm photographing my picture editor's wedding! As soon as I touched ground, met all their closest relatives and friends, I soon enough felt like I was part of their extended family. Here is a colorful snapshot of mixed iphone and hasselblad images from Ephraim, Wisconsin.

Thank you Coburn and Brad, and your families and closest friends, for a memorable time and having me document one of the most celerbated days of your lives....

Aceh in UK travel magazine

I"m happy to share that some of my Banda Aceh images that were published in UK travel magazine, called Wanderlust. Here's the lede clip of the main feature story. 

Guatemala's food insecurity

While famine rages in Somalia, many other countries face hardships also due to the rise in food prices and climate change. This is very much the case in Guatemala, where farmers can no longer predict the time to plant and harvest production is very small. Heavy rains and long droughts prevent healthy growth of crops, in particular maize, where the cost of corn rose 40% since last year. There is plenty of food in Guatemala, a country where half the population lives in poverty and violence is 4x more then Mexico. However most of the food production is for export (mostly to the US).  Small farmers are especially vulnerable, where half the crop is for family consumption and the other half to sell at the markets. This year, many small farmers have produce low yields of crops mainly due to extreme weather (heavy rains, and long droughts).

Here are two images from my film edit. the scans are low res until i can get home to make higher quality scans, but was anxious to share since i haven't posted on my blog in a few weeks.

from mexico

I recently spent two weeks in mexico researching a project and visiting old friends. i found myself mostly taking snapshots with my iphone then with my camera. at times, it just seemed easier. here's a dyptch of my travels in transit, hovering over Mexico City and on the road to Guanajuato.

A weekend in Mexico City

The first time I traveled to Mexico City was during the swine flu in 2009. The city was shut down. Streets and sidewalks empty, and all stores and restaurants closed. I was curious to know what the city was like on a normal day, and last weekend a friend and I had a chance to play tourists and see the sites, which also included the annual Gay Pride Parade and a Mexico vs USA soccer match.

Guanajuato, Mexico

I spent a couple days in Guanajuato researching a new project. This is one of the most precious towns I have ever been too. This old mining town is a labrynth of little alleyways and cobblestone streets, colorful buildings and music that echoes throughout this colonial and romantic city. here are a few snaps...

Chinatown, SF

Some gems I scanned from a roll I shot in Chinatown, San Francisco.