shutter to think

its wonderful...

I'm thrilled to announce that i am the newest member of Wonderful Machine for the San Francsico location! WM is a boutique agency/photographer's representation which helps connect commercial art buyers with specialized photographers. 

Facebook and its new neighbors, for the Wall Street Journal

A recent assignment for the Wall Street Journal had me back in Silicon Valley but this time to photograph candid environmental portraits of the president of a neighborhood association.

The story follows the community's concerns about Facebook's relocation to Menlo Park and the needs for improved services in the neighborhood. Mr. Henry took me on a tour of his community's neighborhood, introduced me to seniors at the senior center, and then we closed up the assignment with a peek into campus where Facebook will move into.

Here's the link to read the story: Facebook Courts its Future Neighbors.

Below is my a slideshow of my outtakes, starting with the first image which was my favorite of the assignment.

Facebook and New Neighbors (wsj) - Images by Lianne Milton

archive: the light in my eyes

Wealthy Cambodian youth dance at a club, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

I made this image a couple of years ago when I first started on a project about morality and drug addiction in Cambodia. I "re-discovered" this picture when I recently went back through my takes to see what else I could archive, just in case. This was one of only two pictures I came back with from this dance club. For one, the lights in this club were strobing so intensely that I could barely see. I felt quite old at that point, as I barely managed to function with the club music and pulsating lights. Second, access was really difficult. They do not allow cameras, however one of the club's primary sponsors helped me gain five minutes of shooting time before the body guards and sercurity officers would cut me off. I wanted to photograph a club in Phnom Penh because more often then not these young wealthy kids were high on some sort of drug and I wanted to show that drug addiction does not affect all poor, disadvantaged people. I also wanted to show the economic progress since the civil war in the 80s (and Khmer Rouge), as more young people have expendable income. This picture is an outtake, and decided to use a similar image that evoked more feeling then this one. But I still like it.

archive: daily life

Nope, not a bride and groom picture, this delicate act of chivalry is her chambelán, dance partner, assisting la quinceanera, a girl's fifteenth birthday, out of the carriage, in La Habana, Cuba, where the tradition is still practiced despite the fact that Cuba is a secular state. Catholicism is the largest organzied religion in Cuba, however, in 1962, Fidel Castro closed nearly all 400 Catholic schools claiming that they were teaching dangerous beliefs.

as winter fades

...two of my favorite cities. winter in NY and winter in SF, photographed nearly in the same week.

archive: assemblyline of things to do

My head often feels like this line of servers heading out to serve the first course of dinner. Each server is a thing to do, some project, some updating, some email, the constant hours i spend in front of this computer trying to make things happen. I'm currently in the process of updating my travel gallery, trying to select images that say, "I want to be there". Only, at the moment, there are so many places that I'd rather be then in the "dojo" (its our office that my boyfriend built) catching up. I haven't even decorated or really unpack all the boxes! (help!!). I'm finally getting around to uploading my stock images, yay, and collecting model releases, as well as marketing both of my businesses, all the things I neglect when I'm busy shooting assignments or traveling. or, playing with my dog. Yes, he approaches my desk with only one thing in mind, a treat. And thats my reminder, that is time for dinner....

This photograph was taken at the Napa Valley Auction, which raises over a million dollars each year for non-profit organizations in the valley. I miss photographing this event. Its quick, its fun, there's things happening all around, auctioneers that wear cowboy hats, and most importantly, there's food.