These are my three most often used photographic tools; a Mac, espresso, and a camera, in that order. I find that I use the camera less and less, and as I use the Mac more and more, I invoke the magical power of good coffee more often. It’s the Photographic Trinity, really.
But when I say good coffee, I’m very serious. I wouldn’t call myself a connoisseur, but I will say that I’m a coffee snob. In 1999, when I selfishly installed an espresso machine in my NY studio to power up my team, I triggered a never ending search for the next best thing. I unwittingly began a near spiritual walk towards coffee heaven. A $300 cappuccino maker started a cycle of returns to Whole Latte Love, until a $2500 Jura S9 super automatic arrived. You may snicker, but the price of Starbucks sludge still was enough to justify this thing.
( Purists will pooh pooh a super automatic machine, and they may be right, but for a business, nothing beats a fresh ground espresso or latte in 60 seconds. Now get back to work! )
Anyway, this is where I’m going with this. Los Angeles may be culinarily challenged, but we do have two shiny little diamonds of coffee perfection. Intelligentsia Coffee - one in Silverlake and one in Venice.
Going there is like a visit to café-mecca. Most Americans don’t sanctify their coffee enough to really appreciate what’s going on here. There’s an important part of the coffee ritual that shouldn’t be ignored. It should be enjoyed in a ceramic cup, and savored for a few precious moments. Coffee is one of the things that makes our lives beautiful. And for that, it should be appreciated while sipping. Sit down, relax, and let the coffee caress you. It’s a precious moment, really. Don’t waste it on a f\_/cking paper cup with a plastic lid.
So, after trying every bean in creation on our Super Automatic, I’ve found that loading the hopper with Intelligentsia’s Black Cat Project espresso beans has been the best investment in my “Photographic” arsenal to date.
