Foxy The Pom Mix

Foxy The Pom Mix, originally uploaded by fotonomous.

Foxy © Lydia Marcus / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed September 13, 2010 in Encino, CA. Foxy is a 10 month old Pomeranian mix rescued from a Los Angeles shelter.

FRED MARCUS, 89

Fred_Marcus_89, originally uploaded by fotonomous.

Fred Marcus, 89 © Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed September 17, 2010 in Encino, CA

DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

Cali © Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed September 8, 2010 in Encino, CA

SLIP AWAY

slipawayposter, originally uploaded by fotonomous.

Poster image I shot for "Slip Away" starring Lauren Birriel & Michelle C. Bonilla. Directed by Tina Scorzafava. http://slipawaythemovie.com

BFF PHOTOBOOTH

Jonathan (my brother from another mother) and I had fun posing in this photobooth we found in the Valencia Town Center Shopping Mall. The photobooth (run by blababooth) had GREAT lighting, something I REALLY appreciated since I was sans makeup :-)

Jonathan & Lydia
August 19, 2010 in Valencia, CA

LEGALIZE GAY

I spent yesterday evening in West Hollywood, celebrating victory that Prop 8 (which banned same sex marriage in the state of California) was declared unconstitutional. I saw this window display on the corner of San Vicente & Santa Monica Boulevard at the American Apparel store. I just love the slogan "Legalize Gay" - funny and powerful. American Apparel sells t-shirts and tank tops emblazoned with those two words and currently they're offering a buy 1 get 1 free on their website. Now's a great time to buy!

"Legalize Gay" American Apparel Window Display
© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
August 4, 2010 West Hollywood, CA

MADCHEN IN UNIFORM DVD

Earlier this year I shot and directed a behind the scenes extra for the upcoming Wolfe Video DVD of the 1958 remake of "MADCHEN IN UNIFORM". I also interviewed filmmaker Katherine Brooks to discuss how the original 1931 version of "MADCHEN IN UNIFORM" inspired her to make "Loving Annabelle". All three films feature a student's crush on her boarding school teacher, but in 2006, "Loving Annabelle" took it a step further to a full-fledged affair.

For a 1958 film, "MADCHEN IN UNIFORM" is amazingly bold about the lesbian content and I was quite surprised how far this German film went. Compare how Germans portrayed lesbianism on screen in '58 to how Americans did it later in '61 with "The Children's Hour" and you will be amazed how far behind we were.

Unfortunately the 1931 original is still not available on DVD. I saw it once, over 20 years ago, at an art house revival screening somewhere in Los Angeles. I consider myself very knowledgeable about queer cinema (in fact that was my specialty when I was an entertainment journalist and film critic) and I never even knew there was a remake until Wolfe approached me to do the DVD extra! So the fact that the '58 version is going to be available on DVD is utterly fantastic.

Netflix is waiting to see how much demand there is for "MADCHEN IN UNIFORM" before they buy copies of it to make it available to customers. So please save this DVD to your queue right now. Here's the Netflix link, http://www.netflix.com/Movie/Madchen_in_Uniform/70142638, just click and hit save to dvd queue. Thanks! - Lydia Marcus

You can also buy the DVD for only $13.46 from WolfeVideo.com

Here's the plot of "MADCHEN IN UNIFORM" according to Netflix:

"Sent to an austere, all-girls boarding school after the death of her parents, spunky orphan Manuela von Meinhardis (Romy Schneider) soon develops a sensual attraction to one of her teachers, the beautiful Elisabeth von Bernburg (Lilli Palmer). As Manuela's forbidden attraction becomes stronger, the suggestion of lesbian scandal sends the school's headmistress into a rage. Géza von Radványi's directs this 1958 remake of the 1931 classic."

And here's a description of the DVD extra:

"Includes special bonus featurette: From Manuela To Annabelle (in which director Katherine Brooks discusses how Madchen in Uniform inspired Loving Annabelle)."

THE LAST TRUCK: CLOSING OF A GM PLANT

As a fan of cars, Americana, and documentaries, I was drawn in by the Oscar nominated documentary short "The Last Truck: Closing Of A GM Plant" - currently playing on HBO On Demand.

The IMDB tagline sums it up as, "The inside story of the last days of a General Motors plant in Moraine, Ohio, as lived by the people who worked the line."

The plant came to a close as the U.S. economy faltered, gas prices rose, and the gas guzzling SUVs and trucks made on the GM line fell out of favor with the American public.

The documentary shows ordinary American factory workers (all with just high school educations) showing pride in their workmanship on the line, unsure of what future employment they will be able to find with their education level, and sharing stories of the wonderful solidarity and companionship they found among their GM co-workers. Sure these people just helped manufacture cars, but I really saw them as great American heroes doing the hard physical work that's responsible for building this great country and automotive industry. The film shows a cohesion and fraternity rare among women and men, blacks and whites, young and old.

Besides the dignity and pride that shows through from the interview subjects, I felt the film had a real beauty in how it captured the exterior of the plant and town.
- Lydia Marcus

Promo

Here's an interview with the filmmakers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CALI

One year ago I adopted Cali from Southern California Labrador Retriever Rescue. Happy Anniversary my sweet Cali-ente!

Here's a then (4 months old) & now (1yr, 4mo) photo. She went from just under 25 pounds to just under 50 pounds! She's smart as a whip, very obedient, an excellent retriever, lots of fun, and has NEVER chewed anything in the house that doesn't belong to her.

© Lydia Marcus / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed July 2009/2010 in Los Angeles, CA

THE QUEER FILM EXPERT

I interviewed Jenni Olson for my documentary "Desert Hearts Mon Amour" and shot this with my Nikon D80 / 50mm f/1.8 lens after we finished rolling. I thought the DGA little theater (aka DGA Video / DGA 3) was the perfect setting to interview Jenni. We both had seen many great films in that theater in the early days of Outfest.

Jenni Olson is director of e-commerce at WolfeVideo.com and one of the world's leading experts on LGBT cinema history. Author of The Queer Movie Poster Book (2005, Chronicle Books), Jenni was also one of the founders of PlanetOut.com where she established the massive queer film industry resource, PopcornQ. She continues to write about queer films, as well as curating, collecting, and creating them. Her feature debut, The Joy of Life is now available on DVD. Her website is www.butch.org.





Jenni Olson
© Lydia Marcus / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed July 11, 2010 in Los Angeles, CA at the Directors Guild of America

OUTFEST 2010

A Tigress & A Cougar - Meowwwww! "Momma" Dearest & Me, Outfest Opening Night Party.

Outfest has been a summertime tradition for me since 1987. This year is the 28th Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

Tickets are still available for many films, panels, and events. Go to outfest.org.





Photo © Lydia Marcus / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed July 8, 2010 in Downtown Los Angeles

WE WANNA GET OUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66

If you like the bad performances on American Idol you may get a kick out of me and my two friends singing a twist on the song Get Your Kicks On Route 66. We made the video for a contest sponsored by Sears called Exploring My America. We hope to win the L.A. to Amarillo Route 66 portion so we can go on the trip and have it paid for by Sears.

LYDIAMARCUS.COM IS NOW VIEWABLE ON MOBILE DEVICES

My main photography website www.lydiamarcus.com is Flash and until now has not been viewable on mobile devices, i.e. cell phones. But I'm happy to announce a new mobile version viewable on many devices including iPhones and Blackberrys.

There are two ways to access the mobile site:

1. Go to www.lydiamarcus.com and click on the tab that says "Enter Mobile Devices Site" on the new splash page.

2. Go directly to the new mobile site at www.lydiamarcus.com/mobile.

LADY LIBERTY

Happy 4th of July weekend!


Photo credit © Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed January 23, 2010 in Twentynine Palms, CA

Photographed with a Nikon D40 / Nikon 18-55mm

MY PHOTO & BLOG INSPIRED AN LAIST STORY

Occasionally I contribute photos to the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. I try and put things in that are a bit unusual, different, or that I think may pique the editors interest. Putting a photo in the pool gives LAist the right to use it on their site. I've been lucky a handful of times when LAist has used my photo in one of their daily postings. They always give photo credit and a link back to photo on the photographer's Flickr feed. I like having my photos run on LAist because they spotlight Los Angeles in a unique way and support local photographers by publishing their work to a wider audience.

On Tuesday, LAist posted the story Capturing The Summer Solstice. They not only used one of my photos from Griffith Observatory, they also directly quoted me in the article.

Quite an honor. - Lydia Marcus

Here's the story:

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Today I visited Griffith Observatory to witness Summer Solstice from the vantage point of the Transit Corridor - think of it as Griffith's high tech version of Stonehenge.

Sunlight hits the Transit Corridor at 12:55pm on June 21, 2010 marking high noon and this year's Summer Solstice - the day the sun is at it's highest position all year long, also making it the longest day of the year.


This is the Transit Corridor. Laura Danly PhD (Curator of Education at Griffith Observatory) explained Summer Solstice and the Transit Corridor to observers and a cameraman from Channel 7 news.



"Like ancient monuments to the stars, the Griffith Observatory was built to create specific effects when the solar system is aligned for the solstices. On the summer solstice, for the Sun’s “local noon” appearance, at its highest position in the sky all year, the Sun’s projected image crosses the engraved meridian arc of the Gottlieb Transit Corridor on the west side of the Observatory. The solstice local noon occurs at 12:55 pm. The northernmost sunset and the end of the longest day of the year align with an engraved marker and stone line laid into pavement on the terrace. The solstice sunset occurs at 8:08 pm. For 2010, the Solstice is on a Monday when the Observatory is closed, but you can still enjoy the architectural phenomenon." (From http://golosangeles.about.com)

Some misc shots from Griffith:

A crow scares off a red tailed hawk infringing on it's territory in the sky above Griffith.



Greek Key and Arches at Griffith



The world famous Hollywood sign viewed from Griffith's front lawn.



Hikers enjoying a local trail below Griffith.



I have a thing for signage, especially those with icons or drawings. This sign in particular is very important in light of the terrible fires that engulfed Griffith Park in 2008.


Here's a link to a Wiki article about the Solstice.

Enjoy the summer! - Lydia Marcus :-)

Summer Solstice at the Transit Corridor, Griffith Observatory
© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Photographed June 21, 2010 at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, CA

Photographed using a Nikon D40 / Nikon 18-200mm VR lens.

HAPPY PRIDE WEEKEND!

The comedians of Chelsea Lately did a bunch of funny PSAs to celebrate 40 years of Pride in Los Angeles. All the videos can be found the CSWLAPRIDE You Tube channel.

Here are a few of my favorites:









To get more info about L.A. Pride events go to lapride.org and facebook.

CALI AND LUCY THE CHOCOLATE LAB GO NUTS OVER A SQUEAKER

My dog Cali and her bff Lucy The Chocolate Lab go nuts over a squeaker. Lucy jumps for joy several times at the sound of it!

iPhone 3GS video by Lydia Marcus.
Recorded June 9, 2010 in Encino, CA

SOCIAL WHIRL

A really nice full page spread of my photos from the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's An Evening With Women event is in the current print and online issue of Frontiers IN LA.

(Clockwise from top left: Gina Gershon; Nancy Wilson of Heart; Pink; Renée Zellweger; Sarah Silverman; unidentified woman and Suzanne Westenhoefer; Linda Perry; Lorri L. Jean; Nancy Wilson and Ann Wilson of Heart; two unidentified women and Center CEO Lorri L. Jean)

© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
Published: Frontiers IN LA
05.19.10 - 06.01.10
Volume 29 / No 02

TRADESMAN

© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
May 8, 2010 in Culver City, CA

Photographed using a Nikon D80 and Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens.
Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body only)

CULVER CITY CAR SHOW 2010

Sunday I attended the free Culver City Car Show - my favorite local classic car show. It was a bit difficult to get full length photos of the cars (too many people in the way) and honestly, the background would have looked cluttered and ugly anyway. This led me to take photos I love to take anyway - close up, abstract details of cars, trucks, and vans. I absolutely LOVE the vintage fonts on these vehicles. Job-Rated, Hotrod, Apache - way cooler than Accord, Venza, Prius, or some lame brain series of letters and numbers.
- Lydia Marcus



















And now for some levity - a woman posing with the Green Hornet. Go GRAY HORNET!



These motorcycle helmets are both creepy and creative.


Culver City Car Show 2010
© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
May 8, 2010 in Culver City, CA

Shot using a Nikon D80 and Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens.
Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body only)

NAUGHTY NURSES, NINJAS BRING YOUR FOOD

CNN.com ran my photo of Hot Dog On A Stick gals in their feature "Naughty nurses, ninjas bring your food."

Here's a screen grab:



The original feature can be found here

AN EVENING WITH WOMEN 2010

This past Saturday I photographed An Evening With Women for the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center. I had the best view in the house - front of the stage - for live performances from Heart, Pink, Linda Perry, Sarah Silverman, and Gina Gershon, plus an appearance by Renee Zellweger. I photographed the entire evening with my dreamy and tack sharp Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens.

Nancy Wilson of Heart




Ann Wilson belts out Barracuda


A heart shaped soundhole on the guitar


Center supporter and Oscar winner Renee Zellweger


Pink and Linda Perry duet


Pink poses with the lucky live auction winner who bid $12,000 for this Vespa autographed by Pink (who also rode it onstage).


Pink being a badass - making the most of her props - the Vespa, a wine glass, and cigarette smoke. My favorite photo from the night.


I love Pink's new natural look - she's so beautiful and talented.


Hostess Gina Gershon. She performed two songs, What's New Pussycat and Is That All There Is?


I think this is a move leftover from the Goddess routine in Showgirls




Sarah Silverman - possibly the funniest Jewess on the planet.


Gina recalling another Showgirls scene (remember Cristal wanting a manicure from Nomi before deciding she's too old for the "whorey look"


Cherie Currie posing with her son. Cherie was a teen rock goddess in The Runaways and now she's a chainsaw artist!


The great and powerful Jean - Lorri L. Jean - CEO of the Center. Love her!


L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center's "An Evening With Women: Celebrating Art, Music & Equality"
Featuring Renee Zelwegger and Sarah Silverman, hosted by Gina Gershon, musical performances by Linda Perry, Pink, and Heart
© Lydia Marcus 2010 / www.lydiamarcus.com
May 1, 2010 in Beverly Hills, CA at the Beverly Hilton Hotel

Full set of photos on my flickrstream.

Photographed with a Nikon D80 Nikon D80 10.2MP Digital SLR Camera (Body only) and Nikon 85mm f/1.4 lens