As a sucker for self expression, visiting galleries and museums is a common weekend activity. The Photo LA art exhibition takes the cake, though - a big giant diva-popping-out-of cake. This year's event was held at the LA Mart downtown in conjunction with the LA Art Show (all mediums) at the LA Convention Center. I had planned on attending with a friend, but honestly these kinds of things are much more fun when you ditch the buddy and explore on your own. I mean, I got lost several times in the endless mazes of booths and showcases. Who really wants to deal with finding me when I get lost in such a wonderous world of creativity? I wouldn't want to come find me! These are some of my personal faves from the weekend.

Cara Barer - Her series on books is fresh and colorful. Full of emotion, she admits most of her creations come to her by accident while a few arrive by experimentation. Don't miss her current exhibition at Spiritus Gallery in Newport Beach.

Larry Vogel - Paris is always a good idea. Some of his european street photos are also up at Spiritus.

ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) put on a beautiful shocase called California Soul, highlighting 20 photographers' shots of the golden state. View the full collection curated by Yasmin Alishiv. Favorite of the bunch of a series of turquoise shots by Christina Gandolfo.

Stephen Wilkes is actually a friend's uncle so I had been aquantined with his work before. Hundreds of time-lapsed images pasted together, his Day to Night series is quite remarkable.

Tongue-twister-named Mr. James Georgopoulos - I've viewed his obvious and bold parallels between the camera and the weapon in a "secret" gallery off Main Street on Santa Monica. The giant prints are anything but discrete. Never seen this accompanied dark room display, though. Bang, bang!

Annie Sprinkle, porn star / photographer / Ph.D, developed her artistic vision in the seventies when she began shooting poloaroids of her fellow porn star and exotic dancer friends. Sprinkle's 3x3.5s were sprinkled over the table of a booth organized by a gallery whose name I think anyone who visited unfortunately, yet inevitably, forgot.

Super cool books produced by Zero+ publishing - Cryptik: Eastern Philosophy edition.

Richard Kraft - 100 Walkers series has come to life in various mediums. Modern day anti-war propaganda.

Elisabeth Sunday - This time, I met the artist on accident. Many of the participants at Photo LA were gallery owners displaying work that is also currently on display at their respective ateliers. What a treat to hear about her travels firsthand. Sunday hauled customized mirrors to Ethiopia to capture portraits, rather reflections, of the tribes people.

Tara Bogart - A Modern Hair Study

Corey Arnold - Corey's Fishing News: Bering Sea. If you've ever seen Deadliest Catch, you'll be sure to appreciate his in-depth body of work bringing slight humor to the most fatal job on earth.

Prints by the late Fernand Fonssagrives can be found in several galleries in London and NY, but also atDuncan Miller Gallery here in Santa Monica. Needless to say, a legend in capturing monotone female form.

Tim Hailand - TOILE DE JOUY. Check out his extensive series of vibrant photographs printed on exotic fabrics. Super yummy.

Gareth Seigel - In 38 Words or Less.

Alec Soth - I'm a sucker for abandoned movie marquees - well, abandoned anything really.

Omar Yashruti - The North: One of the best pieces of photojournalism I've come across recently. Shot in Northen Ireland in the 70s.

Wendy Sue Lamm - Land of Mircales. More striking photojournalistic work out of Israel.

Jay Mark Johnson - Costantino Sott Acqua 2, Cetona, Italia. This surrealist underwater shot was chosen to represent the entire Photo LA expo.

Helen Levitt - A Way of Seeing. THE New York City photojournalist.

Ward Roberts - Courts 8, Courts 14. These soft human-less pastel courts, though.

Our favorite Aussie photog, Deborah Paauwe shows off her latest series - The Untold Story.

George Simian holds photo workshops in cooperation with Samy's camera superstore. I came across his work on a slideshow meant to showoff the crisp image display of some sort of product something. I finally squeezed the website out of him where his Bali shots were posted, despite his endless attempts to get me to sign up for one of his workshops. Sorry, dude. The Balinese monkey ceremonies are just way more intersting.

Bryan Kong - fashion photog.

Shaun Black - His series Untitled Catalog makes me feel weird and that's why I like it.

Emerging Focus Barcelona: International Photo Contest is held yearly. Some of the finalists were featured at Photo LA.

Allison Turner - Brothers

Elizabeth Preger - Untitled

Arto Saari: Pro Skateboarder turned photographer, Saari shows us a perspective of the culture he has seen first hand. I especially love his boarder portraits placed adjacent to the board showing off a move.

Gabriel Figeuroa Flores - His faux panoramas (single shots stitched together) of Namibia were especially captivating. Currenly at the Cohen Gallery.

Christo Brock - San Diego. Love those lines.

Carol Kleinman - Window Reflections.

Simon Annand - Portrait of Judi Dench. I feel like he and Woody Allen are/should be good friends...

Clark et Pougnaud - Lost in Meditation No. 1-15.

Arthur Grace - State Fairs, America.

Douglas Kirkland - A life in Pictures. If you Google him, you'll find plenty of iconic images of famous faces, including a series of Marilyn Monroe twisting around in a bed of white linens. My favorite of his large collection shown at the expo were a Nigerian Saxophonist (which I cannot for the life of me locate again. le sad face!) and this native Australian man.

Guillermo Srodek-hart: Bocci. The Italian (I think) series made me feel out-of-place and at-home simultaneously. Something about the tones he uses when capturing such foreign scenes.

Susan Mikula - This blurred-on-purpose progression of green images started out very blurry. As you walk, the images get slightly in focus until you can tell it is a facade of some building.