Saved by the Lens #31
Red, for a Reason
Inspired by The Woman in Red, LA photographer Daniel Acuña photographs Serina in a portrait series about red, roses and a Latina woman who owns the room.
Saved by the Lens #30
The Naked Guy was more relaxed
Back in 2008, I was recovering from a broken ankle and going a little stir-crazy.
I had a white wall, tan carpet, a camera, and a creative urge to keep working.
So I invited a few people over and photographed them clothed and then nude in the same pose.
One of those people was my friend Arden. The funny thing is that Arden was nervous when he arrived. Not unusual.
Saved by the Lens #29
The Stage Between Us
This past weekend, I turned a stage and an old piano into a temporary portrait studio.
No elaborate production. No giant crew. Just warm curtains, good light, and people willing to sit down for a moment and be seen.
One of my favorite things about portraiture is how quickly a person reveals themselves once they stop “posing.”
Saved by the Lens #28
A Reflective Poem on Modern Life, Human Nature, and Staying Present
A reflective poem inspired by late-night observation, human behavior, and the strange beauty of everyday life—blending humor, contradiction, and quiet moments into a meditation on presence, modern culture, and what it means to stay human.
Saved by the Lens #27
The Day We Didn’t Wait — A Cancer Journey, Community, and the Power of Showing Up
A documentary photographer captures a powerful day with a cancer patient, family, and friends—reminding us to live fully, stay present, and fight together.
Saved by the Lens #26
What I’m really chasing
There was a time I thought photography was about chasing the shot.
Saved by the Lens #25
Resonance in Paper and Time
It began with a photograph - a faded print from my father’s days in Vietnam.
A woman stands beneath a corrugated roof, her dress blooming with color even as the years have dulled the ink.
She sings, guitar cradled close, her voice long vanished but somehow still echoing through the grain of the paper.
Saved by the Lens #24
From Screens to Springs: Reclaiming the Body, the Breath, and the Moment
There is something ancient in the act of releasing energy in nature, especially through the ritual of hot springs. For centuries, cultures from Japan to Iceland to the Roman Empire have honored geothermal waters as sacred medicine. In Japan, onsen bathing is not just about heat and minerals; it is a purification ceremony for body and spirit. The combination of heat, water, and earth pulls toxins out while grounding your energy back into the planet. Each soak becomes a dialogue with nature, your tension dissolves into the steam, your thoughts quiet, and your pulse finds a slower, older rhythm.
Saved by the Lens #23
In this special edition of Saved By the Lens,
Daniel Acuña reflects on how years behind the camera led to the creation of Studio Acuña Fine Art Prints — a space where art, story, and stillness meet.
Saved by the Lens #22
Fish, Faces, and the Heart of Ensenada
Ensenada smells like salt, stories, and fried fish — in that order.
I went down there with my camera thinking I’d photograph boats and maybe catch a sunset. Instead, I found a whole world stitched together by weathered hands and community deeper than any ocean.