75-year-old photographer Paul Jasmin grew up in Helena, Montana, but found himself attracted to the glow of Los Angeles from a young age. His new book, California Dreaming (from which the photos above and below are taken) captures a warmth, intimacy, and sense of possibility in the L.A. people and places it features."You can paint with a camera," Jasmin says. "That’s what I try to do with photography... it’s always about making something romantic of reality. I grew up in a housing project in Montana but to me it was heaven because I was always dreaming."Jasmin with friend and student Sophia Coppola [Nowness.com]

Visit Nowness to read an interview with Paul Jasmin, and go here to see more photos from the book. California Dreaming is available from Steidl.