I woke up this morning invigorated by memories of my recent trip to India and decided to put some Krishna love into the universe--especially after finding a beautiful video shot by Kodak in 1925 about Krishna!

View it here: 

The Midwest landscape is beautiful, but there are no oceans, no mountains, and no twisted Canyon roads that leave you breathless with wander and sporadically slamming on your brakes. My first time ever on the West Coast was in the beginning of March, which left me with a massive case of culture shock.  I was shocked by the abundance of vegetarian fast food and the positive energy and open kindness of strangers, all within beautiful landscapes and consistently gorgeous sunsets.  I absorbed all of this the best I could, thinking I wouldn't return to California for a long time. 

Little did I know, I would be uprooted from my hometown of Saint Louis and be back in Los Angeles in a mere three weeks.  This was a welcome change, but it left me spinning in a whirlwind of to-do lists, jam packed days, and excitedly sleepless nights.

And now, here I am, continuously lost in this sprawling beautiful city with roads that mirror adventure-driven car commercials, insane views that don't seem fair for me to view from within a car--no sweat required--, and an endlessly inspiring mix of people and combination of cultures. 

The studio is unlike any other workspace I've encountered ; backup batteries share shelves with black boxes of negatives, 8x10 film is kept cold next to a carton of half & half (a studio essential), and a portrait of Will Smith eyes me from a wall shared with a grid of multicolored Volkslivin' buses and a pierced punk couple.  While it's a place of business, creativity leaks into everything we do.  One can't even eat lunch without being a victim of Kwaku's camera.  That said, I'm happy to be the lucky victim.

~Sara Swaty

My morning drive to work on Topanga Canyon Road.

Stopped by the Grand Canyon on the drive to California.

This is a tribute to all the great fathers out there and all the Dads who let me photograph them (some unknowingly). Here's to you. Have a great Father's Day!

Recently my home away from home has been the Bowery Hotel in the center of downtown NYC. The recently revamped Bowery is the highlight of what is heralded as the most energetic neighborhood in New York. I frequently run into friends and other colleagues in the game including celebrities, politicians, musician, and fellow photographers. The Bowery is old school New York, bohemian chic, high class yet comfortable. The staff at the Bowery hotel is friendly, helpful, and made up of just downright good people. The wonderful people at the front desk and the doormen always greet me with a welcoming smile. And Mario, the manager at the Lobby Bar, always takes care of me and my friends and hooks us up with the best booth in the lobby. 

On top of the great decor and cozy rooms, the Bowery offers the amazing Italian restaurant Gemma. Gemma is definitely my restaurant of choice when I stay in New York. Plus the manager Giovanni is an old friend from my early days when I lived on 30^th street and was starting off as a young photographer. The Bowery also has these really cool red bikes they let you ride around the city. Check it out next time you're in New York.