Whoah, my head is spinning a bit from so much to do. Happy 2009! I knew my annual Christmas trip to Florida was going to be a bit long this year, but I made it a point to take a lot of pictures this time. 11 shoots in 14 days! Pretty intensive for me as at most I might do 3 in a week.

I haven't looked at the negatives very closely yet but there might be some good stuff there. The exposures look better than I thought they would in the toughest situations, but then sloppily underexposed where I should have known better. I try to place myself back when the pictures where taken to understand why I was distracted, how the situation could have played out differently. There's a lot going on. When everything comes together and is all just right on the film, it's like magic. There might be one or two.

Samuel and Thalia is part of a series I'm working on called 'We Come Here All the Time;' Dog Walkers of Echo Park. When I took this one I was getting pretty good at the routine, especially close ups of people with small dogs. The dog wears a gold necklace with a charm of her name. Her alertness seems protective, and he holds her gently with huge, rough hands. She's like his girlfriend.

I've been working on this series for a couple of years, mostly in the summer months. Last year I switched things up completely. I'm now working with a 6x7 format and a new light kit. It's been like starting all over in a way, one step forward and two steps back. However, the new camera is easier to focus and the stronger lights allow for a faster shutter speed. I think now I can get that super-sharp focus even in the face, which tends to soften with long exposures. It's like that line by Diane Arbus, about how portraits allow us to stare. It's all about face.

All images © Sonia Paulino, 2009