ILLUSTRATIONS

When I was little I thought I was the best draw-er in the world, mostly because grandma told me I was.

She also told me I was the fairest in the land. Turns out I'm not everything grandma told me I was but at least she encouraged me as a young creative kid to keep going.

I haven't really drawn anything since i was young but I had the idea of sketching some illustrations for a TYPICAL Magazine piece that was just too beautifully written for photographs. I teamed up with Mark Torres and we made these illustrations based on the imagery in this story by Ashley Soto.


WWIM12 x THE LINE HOTEL

Twice a year Instagram encourages users all over the world to step out from behind their phones and meet each other in person.

I wasn't sure if I'd have to time to host one this year but at the last minute things worked out. For the 12th Worldwide Instameet, LA photographer Ray Neutron, blogger/graphic designer Anna Jepson and I partnered with one of my favorite places in LA, The Line Hotel, for an intimate rooftop evening meet in Koreatown. A huge shoutout to the Line for the last minute accommodations and thank you to everyone who came out for the #staycationmeet.

@thelinehotel

@rayneutron @noelcoolj

a huge thank you to @thelinehotel AND @instagram

@noelcoolj

@rayneutron

@sotospeaks8

@amaetaylor

@propercp

@emaritraffie

@annajepson

@annajepson

@chardonnaywhite

@mehcore, @mmborado, @thatshowiraul


FRIENDS ARE MODELS TOO x TYPICAL MAG

Our normal friends turned into models with some direction from TYPICAL's creative director, Jessi Noel. 

A few weeks ago we sent out the call for friends who were willing but didn't have to be models. Four (plus a few friends and significant others) showed up bright and early on a Saturday. We made a makeshift backdrop—that to my dismay fell down a few times on our model—and then watched magic unfold. Our normal friends turned into models with some direction from TYPICAL's creative director, Jessi Noel.

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TECHNICALLY SPEAKING:

When you are starting your own magazine with your friends, there is zero budget for studio space or new equipment. Here's how we made do with what we had already. We used a suede gray paper seamless (these run about $40 on Craigslist), taped up on the wall (trust you me, I bought a backdrop stand also off Craiglist the minute I got home from this shoot), a reflector ($20-40 on amazon) on a stand, and a flash tethered to the camera. Even though it was daylight, I underexposed on my camera and let the flash be the light source, positioned to the right for a dramatic look. Here's the result:

LISTEN TO TRACE

This weekend I had my heart invaded but the little force of power also known as TRACE. Her music is so lovely with catchy little beats that dance with the feelings in your head, her voice so smooth that it gets under your skin, and her lyrics so raw that you feel like she is reading your diary on stage. TRACE is also funny. And she has an edgy raw side that just makes you want to know more and more.

READ THE FULL FEATURE AT TYPICAL MAG


KIMBERLY HEATHER ELIZABETH SABATINO

in

Coolest name ever right?

Like a name that is just demanding attention, BUT in the most unassuming way. That's Kimberly, her striking looks are almost at odds with her demeanor, which is whatever is the opposite of pretentious. This girl has both feet on the ground and it is so calming. She is casual marries stability marries adventure (what? but really doe). She is also a straight up doppelganger for Cara Delevingne. She is also a dope photographer/instagrammer with the best captions on earth. Anyway, we did a shoot with her and her best friend Payton Elizabeth Manley (who is a hip-hop dancer is LA, how freaking awesome is that?!). 



A WILDFOX POOLSIDE MORNING

in

Dude. People looooveee pineapples. But I don't blame them.

I've got a camera and some new lighting equipment. My roommate's got a pineapple, is a model and just got a Wildfox pineapple swim cover up. We have a pool and an hour before we have to be anywhere. Here are the results:

JOHN GIVEZ

in

When you want to do a thing but you can't find the opportunity to do that thing, you create that opportunity yourself. 

My friends and I did that. We started a magazine. We created a place where we could share the things we are passionate about. We can make the photographs we want to make. We can tell the stories we need to tell. It is a place where we are slowing down to appreciate what's often taken for granted and stopping to examine what we can no longer ignore.

Our first feature was the talented and raw Oceanside rapper John Givez, who is about to release his latest album 'Soul Rebel.' While, the photoshoot below was an honor for me to do, it doesn't stand alone. Read the story of what it means to be a soul rebel written by RayNeutron for Typical Mag. 

JOHN GIVEZ / emaritraffie.com
“My music is for rebels. One thing about rebels is that there are rebels with no cause and rebels with a cause. But even that cause can be misinformed.”
— JOHN GIVEZ

SUMMER BECOMES NOSTALGIC

Nothing feels more 'summer' to me than capturing those fleeting moments on film, like putting them in a time capsule.

Like freezing a slice of wedding cake—except the moments only get sweeter with time. Through the filter of Portra 160, the present becomes instantly nostalgic and we feel like we are already our own kids looking at pictures of our young, cool, beautiful parents. Maybe it's naive and narcissistic, but it's how I feel when I look at photos of my parents when they were young and that's the feeling film gives me.

 
 


HEATH MCNEASE

in

Singer-songwriter/rapper/actor/director/self-proclaimed fashion icon Heath McNease graced Los Angeles with his Georgia self and I had the pleasure of snapping a few shots of his handsome face. We shot all around Hollywood and then in Lincoln Heights. Here are my favorites.

INSTAFRIENDS + LOTR, IRL

I meet people on Instagram all the time. I think it's something to do with getting to know people via their visual taste and bonding over that before ever spending time together in person. I met Michael through Instagram while I was still living in Boston and he was living in the OC. We both shared love for mountains, pour overs, and J.R.R. Tolkien (among many other things) so when I moved to LA it was a given that we meet up. After the first coffee together we decided it was a homies forever type of deal and he invited me to join him, his sister and some friends on a weekend trip to Mammoth.

This photo set is from the gloriously epic place which we like to call Lotr, IRL (Lord of the Rings, in real life).

HAZEN

Four doctors, four ultrasounds and four ultrasound techs told them Hazen would be born with club feet. They were physically and mentally prepared for years of casts and trips to specialists in Boston when he was born three weeks early... and he was perfect. I was so happy to have the opportunity to do newborn shots of this little miracle and his older brother. 

DANIELLE + LOGAN (headshots)

I had the opportunity to shoot some portraits of these two lovely friends last week. Having professional headshots is a must, especially if you are at that point between college and career and sending out resumes on the daily. Speaking of, who wants to take mine?

GLOUCESTER

AMERICA'S OLDEST SEAPORT: a snapshot of a bygone industry

After a month of waking up before the cold winter sun to get to Gloucester, MA, I was able to capture just a snapshot of what was once a booming fishing industry. Some of the reasons why are summarized in the story here, but it's a much larger issue that many are devoting their lives trying to solve.

This is a story I would love to spend more time telling, specifically in a documentary form, but this is what I was able to capture and learn in the little time I had. 

EMILY

I call this one... a modern Jane Porter in a rhododendron jungle.

You know, if Tarzan was set in a New Hampshire state park, Maureen O'Sullivan is now Emily Seppala, and the most dangerous wildlife are mosquitoes (swarms of them). The analogy breaks down after that, I suppose, but I hope Phil Collins' "Strangers Like Me" is as stuck in your head as it is in mine now. 

EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
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EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie
EMILY / by emari traffie

SHANE + ASIA (part one)

It's happening! The little sister is getting married to the man of her dreams in a month. I had the pleasure of capturing these two lovelies over the course of two photo sessions. They were so drastically different, I had make this into two posts. Session one (below) was a golden hour spent intermittently relaxing and twirling in a field. I've been taking photos of Asia ever since I first picked up a camera, so working with her is a dream for me. I mean, just look at that face. That, combined with Shane's rugged good looks and I could've just thrown the camera at these two and we'd still have great shots. 

“Her eyes fill with wonder
And my eyes they do the same
Just looking at her face”
— "Looking At Her Face" by Tyrone Wells

Look for session two, coming later this week!

DEV, BECCA, EVERETT + BABY K

A pre-planned photo shoot is the best option, but when it comes to the fam, it's usually an on-the-spot decision because everyone happens to be dressed and at the same place at the same time.

So last week I did a quick five minutes (already too long for the attention span of toddler and a newborn), shoot for my brother and his family. It was mostly spent chasing the two-year-old around the back yard, so of course there's a photo of that too. 

JEFF + HOLLY

All the family was in Boston from overseas for Jeff's graduation, so Holly and Jeff decided to add one more reason to celebrate and got married! They led their families to believe it was a brunch and it wasn't until they opened the invitation that they realized it was a whole lot more. Several tears and tissues later, Jeff and Holly were legally wed and ready to document the day. We practically frolicked around the city and they made it so easy to capture the moments (it helps that Holly is a talented wedding photographer). I was so honored to be a part of this incredibly special and exceptionally fun day!