shutter to think

sunday, downtown

Here are some snaps from a quick visit to chinatown/north beach last sunday. I ventured out of my neighborhood to test an old folding camera i've had for years, Agfa Billy Record. The roll is currently being processed and will share whatever gems come out of it...

Earth Day 2011

In celebration of Earth Day, let us conserve, reuse, and recycle every day.

Row 1: Smoky haze from burning garbage and land clearing over Padang, Indonesia.

Row 2: (L) Post-tsunami recovery in Aceh, Indonesia. (R) New Years celebration in Cambodia

Row 3: (L) Dry soil downstream in northeast Cambodia from a dam in Vietnam. (R) Water buffalo seek food in northeast Cambodia.

Row 4: (L) A gourd grows from a higuera tree, in Puerto Rico. Gourds are traditionaly used for instruments. (M) Writer Holly Payne embraces forgiveness. (R) Gardening and growing local.

strange bookfellows -- Mother Jones Magazine

I recently shot an assignment for the May/June 2011 issue of Mother Jones Magazine (thanks Mark!!!) of 72-year-old Bill Bennetta, a fomer journalist and biologist who runs a non-profit disecting schoolbooks for factual errors and flawed explanations. This man was incredible to work with and enthusiastically assisted me to produce some good portraits (love it when the subject is totally into the photography!). I'm so thankful for his energy and his ideas, although after the shoot i probably wore him out!

Check out the latest issue of Mother Jones, which also features one of my latest obsessions, photographer Vivian Maier (lucky me to be in the same issue!).

Stange Bookfellows - Images by Lianne Milton

sad day in journalism...

My heart goes out to the families and friends of two photojournalists, that I admire very much, who died in Libya yesterday. Very sad day. Just some thoughts i feel compelled to share. I know we've all been reading and watching news stories and photographs of two of the most admirable photojournalists in our industry since yesterday morning. It would be naive of me to say that they aren't suppose to die but for some reason these thoughts never cross my mind. Even a day after, I just still can't believe it. I'm suppose to see their pictures  tomorrow. I'm suppose to see the next film or story next month. These photographers are one of the reasons why i pick up the newspapers and magazines - to look for their pictures, and read the stories. To have that thought in my head, "why did they run wire, and not so and so." They are one of the reasons why i have courage and the confidence to go out to produce work, even though its no where near war related. They bring us closer to the stories that we need to see, at our  fingertips, and even right up to the front lines. I'm just so sad at the loss of two greats. We all are inspired by the work they bring to us. we may have not known them, but we know them through their work and dedication. Although they took a risk to be in the thick of war, i also couldn't help think about the hundreds of journalists killed, doing the work they believe in, for the sake to inform their people, in places such as Mexico, Colombia, Iraq, Philippines... anyway, sorry if it don't seem to articulate myself well here....and not sure how to end this....but just wanted to share.

dvafoto has compiled a great list of links about the two photographers:

http://www.dvafoto.com/2011/04/remembrances-memorials-and-thoughts-on-the-deaths-of-tim-hetherington-and-chris-hondros/

various shades of blue

a home project i recently began working on projects and seeing the light throughout different times of the day in my living room. film, digital, blue, blue grey, just trying it out. if only i can wrap up this and take it with me to other assignments! will update with more as it comes along...

Coppola Winery for Smart Money

Here's some recent work for Smart Money magazine in last month's issue. And probably one of my favorite pictures from Coppola's Winery is the very one they lead with in the article. To read the story: Wine Country Goes Wild. Or pick up a copy!

Bicycle Coffee Company for the Wall Street Journal

Earlier this week, I spent the better half of my Monday morning photographing the guys at the Bicycle Coffee Company bagging roasted coffee beans and following their delivery on the back of a dirt bike through the streets of San Francisco. It was a fun assignment and it gave me a chance to photograph a variety of images that you'll see in my outtakes slideshow.

To read the story: bicycle

There's also a fun video portion, though too bad that they've stopped with the cart because it would have been great for pictures!

And be sure to check out the Bicycle Coffee Company's website.

If you're a local SF-based company (or even Oakland and Berkeley), inquire with them about having delicious organic and fair trade coffee delivered to your business!

Bicycle Coffee Company for the Wall Street Journal - Images by Lianne Milton

2010 SFBAPPA'S 37th Annual News Photography AWARDS

Last night my story on the Cambodian Stampede, in which 450 people died during the annual Water Festival in Phnom Penh, placed Second in the News Picture Story category of the San Francisco/Bay Area News Photographers Association. I'm very grateful for the Chicago Tribune judges for recognizing this tragic story, which received very little attention in the media despite it being the biggest news story in Cambodia since the Khmer Rough and following Civil War. Cambodia is a very young country, in economic development, infrastructure and in age. 80% of the people are under the age of 30. The majority of its population still live in the countryside, although the city is developing and growing rapidly mostly due to factory jobs, and more recently increased service/hospitality-related employment.

Congratulations to all the local winners from the San Francisco Bay Area. Some very incredible work!!

To see my story: A Bridge of Ghosts; A Country in Mourning

Improved Communication for First Responders, for the New York Times / Bay Citizen

Last week I received a call for an assignment from The Bay Citizen, a local non-profit news organization that provides local content for the New York Times Bay Area section. The assignment was for the NYT and they needed pictures of a communications tower and first responders using devices responding to emergency calls. At first look, the assignment appears to have very little visual interest. But fortunately I was lucky that day. I took off from SF to Albany Fire Station during rush hour. It only took me an hour to get there (i've been in much worse drive time during rush hour). I met with a paramedic who showed me some of the communication devices for the story. Not very interesting since they weren't using them. I photographed some details, but never did I think I would be so lucky to go on a ride along during call to photograph a much needed image of a firefighter using these devices. Although it was tricky to photograph, I did manage to get some good frames. Afterwards, I headed back over the Bay Bridge and up to Bernal Heights for some of the best views of the city, and to photograph this tower. To read the story: Two Emergency Plans Gone Off Course

and the view from Bernal Heights: