Olaf Heine, Capturing the Aloha Spirit in Black and White for Almost 30 Years

Lee Kaplan: Arcana Books, Art, and the History of Los Angeles Book Culture

Paris Chong welcomes Lee Kaplan, owner of the long-lived Arcana Books in Culver City, a destination known for its vast selection of visually-driven material, including modern and contemporary art, photography, music, and fashion. Kaplan discusses his eclectic background, revealing he was a musician and visual artist before opening his store. Notably, he was one of the original three employees at Rhino Records starting in 1975, where he pioneered the store's renowned selection of jazz, world music, and reggae imports. Kaplan founded Arcana Books in 1984, originally operating out of a one-bedroom apartment in Westwood. The name "Arcana" was inspired by an avant-garde composer (and was strategically chosen to start with "A" for the pre-internet Yellow Pages). He reflects on the dramatic transformation of the book-selling landscape since the 1980s, noting the closure of many original, small used bookstores. Kaplan contrasts the early days of "the thrill of the chase" when hunting for used books with the modern grind of managing the business, sharing that his wife and partner, Whitney, assists with the operations from an annex in the Helms Bakery complex. Today, Arcana is situated in the Helms Bakery complex, in a building rebuilt on the site of the official bakery for the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Kaplan emphasizes that the store serves as more than just a retail space; it acts as a "confluence and meeting place" that connects artists, photographers, and publishers for various projects, an aspect he finds very rewarding. They also discuss the importance of books as a tangible calling card for photographers, mentioning the legendary initial success of Ed Templeton’s “Teenage Smokers*”*, and reflect on the patronage of late client Diane Keaton, who was a passionate book lover and photographer. Show Notes: www.theparischongshow.com/episodes/lee-kaplan-arcana-books-art-and-the-history-of-los-angeles-book-culture Chapters: 00:00 Show Intro and Guest 01:27 From Music to Books 03:24 Rhino Records Deep Dive 06:00 West LA Food Detour 07:27 Family Roots and Influences 11:09 Why Arcana Books 15:10 Bookstore Life and Partnership 24:32 Old Hollywood Holdouts 25:03 Diane Keaton at Arcana 29:22 Arcana’s Book Universe 31:11 Famous Faces and Connections 34:45 Selling Books and Being Cut Out 40:04 Why Photographers Need Books 44:17 Martin Parr Pick and Final Plug 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com

Capturing The Energy of the Ocean | Show Clip

Photographer Olaf Heine recounts his incredible experience photographing an 80-foot swell at Jaws in the winter of 2024, describing the atmosphere as "an army going out there into war" due to the seismic power of the ocean, which he notes is also what drives big wave surfer Laird Hamilton, who is featured on the book's cover. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Olaf Heine https://youtu.be/gSbqszE1XQw https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #bigwave #photography #podcast

Why B&W for Colorful Hawaii | Show Clip

Photographer Olaf Heine justifies his powerful decision to shoot Hawaii in black and white, explaining that the monochromatic aesthetic is more "pure and reduced" and timeless, allowing him to focus on the islands' volcanic, harsh, and rugged origins rather than the distracting colors of golden beaches and sunsets. He chose black and white to capture the full spectrum of Hawaii's extremes, balancing the environmental realities of the landscape and volcanoes with the deep sensuality of the local way of living. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Olaf Heine https://youtu.be/gSbqszE1XQw https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #B&W #hawaii #photography

The Ocean as Architect | Show Clip

Olaf Heine emphasizes that in Hawaii, daily life revolves around the ocean and the sun, with people rising and going to bed with the sun, and the sea defining everyone from local fishermen and surfers to tourists. He describes the ocean as the true "architect" of the islands, constantly shaping them by taking away and rebuilding the land, and this central role of the ocean is the primary theme of his photography book. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Olaf Heine https://youtu.be/gSbqszE1XQw https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #islandlife #podcast #photography

How Island Life Shaped Hawaiian Values | Show Clip

Photographer Olaf Heine and host Paris Chong explore the core of Hawaiian culture by discussing the Aloha Spirit, which Olaf defines as a philosophy of unity, solidarity, and open-hearted living, rather than just a greeting. Olaf explains that these principles and codes were developed by the Polynesians to survive on small islands, a contrast to his native, crowded Europe, and these foundational values are still sensed in Hawaiian language, songs, and stories today. Show Clip from The Paris Chong Show with Olaf Heine https://youtu.be/gSbqszE1XQw https://www.theparischongshow.com 🎵 Music by ⁠Andrew Raiher⁠ https://andrewraiher.com/ 📸 Shot & Edited at ⁠Visible Audio Studios https://www.visibleaudiostudios.com #hawaii #photography #podcast