it ain't pretty....but it is beautiful

Scenes From The War

2011-04-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

Winston St Rising

2011-04-07T23:28:00.001-07:00

The Firecracker Boys

2011-01-23T18:31:00.000-08:00

14 Ft. King Cobra

2011-01-19T16:39:00.000-08:00

Body Oil, Oil Burner, Burning oil

2011-01-09T11:07:00.001-08:00

Marvin
Winston St. - December 2010

Tahiti 2009

2011-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Bruce Irons

Balaram Stack

Peru

Raimana

Ain't a damn thing changed Pt. 2

2011-01-08T15:32:00.001-08:00

LA Times - February 1892

Blood stains
Winston St. - October 2010

Ain't a damn thing changed Pt. 1

2011-01-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Young Hoodlums
LA Times, July 1889

CripFace
Winston St. November 2010

Drug arrest
Winston St. October 2009

Luscious Garage

2010-12-20T14:10:00.000-08:00

And something I wrote about them for Alternative Apparel

http://lusciousgarage.com/

Moto Kid

2010-10-27T15:01:00.000-07:00

118 Winston St.

2010-10-06T12:13:00.000-07:00

My studio is located at 118 Winston St. in downtown Los Angeles. Winston is a small side street that runs for 3 blocks from the edge of skid row into the heart of it. In the 1940's it was a mission for alcoholic veterans returning from the war in Europe run by a nun name Sister Sylvia Creswell under the dba of Sister Sylvia's Soul Patrol.

From 1974 until 1985 it was a mission called United Indian Involvement where homeless native Americans with no where else to go could eat and sleep and get help.

Although the UII hasn't been here for 25 years I still occasionally get some native men and women stopping by and asking if there are still AA meetings happening there.
This man is still around. He is from the mighty Navajo Nation and lived at 118 Winston for several years in the early 80's.

Tracy

2010-09-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

I came out the door the other day to find this girl sitting on my steps smoking a joint with a friend. She apologized for smoking there and I said there was no problem until there was a problem which she seemed to like. I told her I liked her tattoos and asked if I could take her picture. She seemed flattered. While photographing her I asked how the LAPD liked her tattoos and she said "Yeah...they like to photograph them too".

Al

2010-09-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

My doorstep

2010-07-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Some recent portraits

2010-05-27T17:01:00.000-07:00

Potato Bug Kilbourne

Potato Bug Kilbourne

Jodi & I

Member of 18th St

Jodi's chic Tin Foil Hat

Thomas

Mr. Salas - Spiritual leader of The Gabriellanos

March 2010

2010-04-09T17:58:00.000-07:00

On March 22nd I turned 40 and decided to spend the day with Messenger Scorpion at the CA Poppy Reserve.

I live & work in Downtown Los Angeles, a little place I like to call America's Calcutta.

On March 4th 2010 tens of thousands took to the streets all over California to protest the firing of 23,000 public school teachers.

Gregory Brisson
The Modern Primitive
A departure from tradition

I respect the efforts that go into educating an artist and the student teacher relationship but I have never considered these factors to be what makes the artist. If I see a work of quality the last question on my mind is “I wonder where they went to school?” I am always wondering about the creator’s life. What shaped them to? What drives them to create?
When encountering the work of Gregory Brisson you would find it hard to be impressed by it’s sophistication and refined technique mainly because those qualities are pretty much absent. What does impress is the beautiful rawness of technique, simplicity of his lines, the bold colors, and the varied subject matter ranging from intimate portraits of former male lovers to whimsical creatures that seem out of a children’s book.

What was it that shaped Greg, a man on the cusp of his 70th year, to create such seemingly light-hearted and almost child-like work?

Born in Minnesota in 1941 Greg’s life was set to be one of intense struggle. At the age of 4 his mother was institutionalized with severe mental illness and was raised by an aunt who would take him to visit his mother in a place more like a miserable dungeon than a place of compassionate care (this was at the dawn of psychiatric medicine).
Throughout his childhood he was always drawing and intensely creative which he developed more in high school. Greg attended St. Cloud University and graduated in 1964 with a bachelor in science and art education. During this time he began suffering discrimination for being homosexual, became ostracized from his family (his only support at the time) and found himself starving on the streets during a Minnesota winter. An art history teacher at the university of Minnesota was made aware of his situation and took him under his wing, gave him a place to live, and nurtured Greg’s artist soul.
Both of them realized that Minnesota in 1969 probably wasn’t the best place for a young gay artist to be himself so with $50 in his pocket Greg boarded a bus for San Francisco. San Francisco at that time was an exciting place full of hippies, free love, and an openly gay community but little work. Greg found his way to the Tenderloin neighborhood and worked odd jobs to support him while he painted. Life presented another series of difficult circumstances and once again Greg found himself living on the streets. After a rough ride being homeless in the city Greg was awarded what was then termed a “third world” full scholarship to the San Francisco Art Institute where he studied under Mary Johnson and Hatowski.
After graduating Greg met a former military man turned nurse who was to become his life partner of 37 years. Finding San Francisco to be getting smaller and smaller feeling they packed up and moved to Los Angeles and Greg found a place where he could truly be himself and the freedom of expression he was looking for. In the mid-80’s he befriended fellow artist Susan Bolles whom he began sharing a studio with in downtown LA where he still paints today.

As I state at the beginning of this, I respect the artist’s education but am most interested in their story, which I consider the real education. Although Gregory has lived a life that would have crushed many he still paints everyday with the enthusiasm of a neophyte untouched by life’s hardships. The seemingly naïve carefree-ness of his of his unique style contradicting the story of the man.

Peter Romberg studio visit

2010-02-27T23:48:00.000-08:00

Mr. Titus Kinimaka

2009-11-05T19:02:00.000-08:00

By any chance......

2009-09-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

On 9/22/09 11:59 AM, "Truman Adkins"

<trumanadkins@*^%&$$%^.com> wrote:

…..in the year 1991 did you live on Pine Street in San Francisco?

I was cleaning out a drawer the other night and found an envelope containing a number of exquisite photos in black and white, taken with a two and a quarter, made into post cards, a story on the back of each one. The return address said "note new address".

I believe this was related to a post card/photography group centered around a photo mag I subscribed to at the time. If this is you, I hope you will please accept my thanks for this wonderful gift that had completely left my mind, but now fills me with warmth and appreciation.

Have a nice day.

Truman Adkins
Fieldale, Virginia

Date: Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:03:48 -0700
Subject: Re: By any chance......
From: stephen@stephenzeigler.com
To: trumanadkins@^&%$#!.com

Re: By any chance...... Hello Truman!

WOW! This is probably the coolest email I think I have ever received. Especially since it’s regarding images I made before email ever really existed.

To be honest I have no recollection of sending you any postcards although in 1991 I was crazy for mail art and making postcards and I have no idea how many or to where they were mailed to.
I know that if I had an address it got something mailed to it.

Was the mag “Shots” photoZine? I know I sent that guy a lot of cards as well as others from there I would correspond with.

Truman, thank you for getting in touch and sharing.

I would love to make a blog entry out of this.
http://it-aint-pretty.blogspot.com/
Would it be possible for you to scan a few of the cards for me?
May I have permission to reprint your email on my blog?

Would love to leave your name on it though if that’s cool?

I think you just made my year!
Best,
sz

On 9/22/09 6:35 PM, "Truman Adkins" <trumanadkins@.#$%*#.com> wrote:

Yes, it was Shorts, I still have copies of that on the shelf.

I am so happy that I was able to connect with you on the first try! Damn that is amazing. I will scan those photos tomorrow and send them to you. I think it is a testament to creation, the written word, the image. All those things.

Please feel free to blog about it, you can use me name and location, it is a small town but I'm real proud to be from here. Include whatever you want.

This makes today a good one.

On 9/22/09 6:35 PM, "Truman Adkins" <trumanadkins@.#$%*#.com> wrote:

I scanned all 12, front and back, and the envelope, will attach as many as I can and send them along.

I have them numbered so the first number is the photo and the second number is the side.

Enjoy.

Truman

1_1
1_2

2_1
2_2

3_1
3_2

4_1
4_2

5_1
5_2

6_1
6_2

7_1
7_2

8_1
8_2

9_1
9_2

10_1
10_2

Date: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:06AM
Subject: Re: By any chance......
From: stephen@stephenzeigler.com
To: trumanadkins@^&%$#!.com

Hey Truman,
Thanks for this walk down amnesia lane.

Wow what a trip. I only have vague recollections of making these.
I remember being really into native american symbols back then...still interested in symbols now...
Mostly south east asian and Tibetan buddhist symbols.
My hand writing and spelling haven’t changed a bit....sadly.

Again, thanks so much for this Truman.

I’ll let you know when the blog post is up.

The very best to you,
sz

Date: Thursday, 24 Sep 2009 3:53PM
Subject: Re: By any chance......
From: stephen@stephenzeigler.com
To: trumanadkins@^&%$#!.com

Hey Truman,

The blog post is up.

Thanks for this.

SZ

Laos

2009-09-22T21:01:00.000-07:00

Honey...the Crips are here

2009-09-21T11:01:00.000-07:00

I recently shot the cover for GNT's soon to be released new record.
G(angster) N(ation) T(rues) is made up of a who's who of mid and late 90's LA gangster rappers.
The main voices are Big Prodigee & Young Prod who were in the amazing South Central Cartel. SCC's 1997 hit jammy "All day everyday" was and still is the definitive ode to LA gangster fashion and not giving a fuk.

"All day every day I don't give a fuk
as long as i got on my khaki's, t-shirt, and chucks
Rollin through Compton what do I see
A gang a mo niggas dressed just like me"

Pictured here from L to R: JD, Young Prod (holding our 2 1/2 pound Yorkie, Mac Dogg), and Prodigee.

Buti Dharma

2009-09-18T14:54:00.001-07:00

Buti making incense offering, Northern Thailand

Al after meditation

2009-09-16T22:25:00.000-07:00

Kymm's gnar eye

2009-08-17T11:28:00.000-07:00

It's not what you think. Girlfriend fell while jogging and hit her head on a curb.
She had an audition two days after this was taken for a role as a motorcycle riding, just off the streets, ex-hooker and the gnarly eye pretty much landed her the role.

It's Hot!

2009-08-10T13:12:00.000-07:00

As from my window I sometimes glance.....

2009-08-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

In 1957 W. Eugene Smith set up a studio in a 6th Avenue loft in New York City and begins the series "As From My Window I Sometimes Glance…" parts of which are published in Life (March 10, 1958).

A sunday drive in LA

2009-07-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Booty was in town from Thailand and Alisha was up from the deep OC so we decided to take a drive to East LA to eat some Birria. It was hot as hell out and the thought of a hearty warm goat stew didn't sound like the perfect summer dish but Jodi really had her heart set on it and Booty will and has eaten most everything that walks or crawls so per Jonathan Gold's advice we drove over to Flor Del Rio. It was really flavorful and authentic but i didn't take any pictures. click the link above for images of the food.

With our bellies full of goat Jodi led us on a surreal car tour of LA.

We began at a Mercadito where we ate fresh Mexican sorbet and window shopped for cowboy hats and leather vests.

Across the street from the Mercadito is a graveyard where we found the graves of some historical LA figures.

We drove around Elysian Park looking for a good view of the city and came across a dead end where there were a bunch of single latino guys sitting in their cars. We took a couple snaps of the skyline before realizing that it was a gay cruising area. We got in the car and drove down the hill which seemed to be covered with horny dudes looking for weird action.

As we came around a bend in the road we looked up to see this guy lurking under a tree on the fringes.

He was just kind of pacing back and forth under this tree looking completely horror show.

I really wanted to get out and talk to it/him but everyone was tripping and just wanted to get out of there fast. We named him "The Gay Reaper".

Our last stop was to see the amazing old Victorians of Angelino Heights.

Monk Monday at The Cave

2009-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Messenger Scorpion (Shibuya Subhuti Sensei) leads "Insect Meditation" at The Cave

The first show at the new space

2009-07-16T18:47:00.000-07:00

We had our first gallery showing at the new space last week with paintings by local artists Greg Brisson, Susan Bolles, and Kymm Swank. Wife sold from her vintage clothes archives and Natalia from N.Om showed her beautiful handmade jewelry. We were a little concerned about our location (off of Main St and on the second floor) not being accessible enough for the ArtWalk crowd but we had a steady stream of brave and curious people coming through all night.

Palm Desert July 5th 09

2009-07-10T20:27:00.000-07:00

Burning Graham

2009-06-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

In 1973 at the age of 26 Graham Parsons died of a heroin overdose at the Joshua Tree Inn in southern California's high desert.
As his body lay in it's coffin at LAX airport waiting to be shipped home to Louisiana for burial, Graham's friend and road manager high jacked the casket with a stolen hearse and drove the body to Joshua Tree national park where they attempted to cremate the body by pouring five gallons of gasoline into the open coffin and throwing a match on it.
The site of the cremation has now become a pilgrimage destination for Graham fans and freaks...I being one.

Welcome to the Boars Nest

2009-06-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Boars Nest is a private facility on Oahu's legendary North Shore where local and visiting surfers and professional fighters go to train in MMA, Jui Jitsu, and Muay Thai. I had the opportunity to visit recently and see for myself why the locals have such a fearsome reputation. Most people view Hawaii as a laid back paradise and to some extent this can be true, but if you hang around long enough and look a little deeper you can see and feel the warrior culture that is so deeply rooted in it's history.

See you soon

2009-04-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

Gone to Tahiti for a while to make some photos. Take care.

Behind my back

2009-04-24T13:31:00.000-07:00

Photos by: Scott "beard fight!" Richards

The Limited Collection

2009-04-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

I shot this catalog recently for Quiksilver's "Limited" line. It's their boutique line that, as the name states, sells in limited quantities. The designs are more sophisticated than their regular line and a bit more fashionable. Thanks to my art director I was allowed to shoot film which I hadn't shot in a loooooong time and it made me remember how much I love film, and the softness you get from it that you just can't get from digital. We also shot a lot of Polaroid which was a treat as well. I shot with my converted Polaroid 110A which gives everything a timeless quality and produces precious little prints.
We used skateboarder Alex Olson as a model. Alex is a quiet and direct guy with a jaded sarcasm about him that I really appreciate, not to mention he's just an incredible athlete.

Los Difuntos

2009-04-12T14:04:00.000-07:00

I shot these of LA psychobilly stars Los Difuntos last week. It was a good time and they were a really respectful group of kids. Their new record "Born and Raised in East LA" is great energetic psychobilly straight from the hotbed that is LA's MexiPsycho scene.

An image of sheer terror

2009-04-09T11:18:00.001-07:00

A while back Jodi and I decided to go to Magic Mountain to ride some roller coasters.
Jodi refused to go on this thing simply called "X" so I was left to ride this terrifying machine next to a laughing stranger. When I got off the ride people were gathered around the picture viewing area pointing and laughing at this image.

The Wild Ones

2009-04-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

I came to the studio the other morning to find this new piece across the front of the building.
Then today it was gone thanks to the city's graffiti eradication program. It was the first piece I was disappointed to see go.

Destiny Train

2009-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

The other day my brother found these song lyrics written on a scrap of paper on the floor of my 8 year old nephews room. I'm thinking/hoping he has a big future in black metal.

(admire the serious "rock tension" in his brow)

Destiny Train – Henry Zeigler

E B D A (chords)

I thought it was a whistle in the distance
I thought it was a crow in the tree
But when I came closer, it went away
But then it came closer to me

E D Em

Chorus
But then I saw the destiny train
Going in the distance
When it stopped, I was picked up by it
On the ride it was like a storm
We stopped in Heaven and Hell was next door
Finally I was at my stop – a door with a deadlock

D-Am

But then I knocked on Heaven’s door
And it wouldn’t let me in
So I guess my best shot is Hell
So let the ripping begin

Chorus
But then I saw the destiny train
Going in the distance
When it stopped, I was picked up by it
On the ride it was like a storm
We stopped in Heaven and Hell was next door
Finally I was at my stop – a door with a deadlock

D -Am

Knocked on Hell’s door
And they wouldn’t let me in either
So I guess I’ll be a wanderer
So let the ripping begin!

HTC ad from Europe

2009-03-13T17:00:00.000-07:00

I shot this image a while ago of a kid I met at the beach. My good friends at Hollywood Trading Co. liked it so much they decided to use it for their ad's in Europe.

Quik Women's

2009-03-03T13:38:00.001-08:00

I shot these images for Quiksilver's new women's line look book a while ago and just found this slide show they created for their blog.

At Arjan Noo Kanphai's

2009-02-18T15:52:00.000-08:00

To call Arjan Noo Kanphai a famous Thai tattoo artist is an understatement. Tattooing mystic Buddhist warlock rock star is more like it. He is respected and venerated by masters, monks, movie stars, gangsters, police, high and low society alike for his beautiful and powerful protective tattoos that are traditionally called Sak Yant. When Jodi and I were tattooed at his place about 45 minutes outside Bangkok I was told that the next day they would be having a special ceremony to celebrate the release of a new amulet that Arjan Noo had created. The next day, not really knowing what to expect, I took a cab and found a complete mob scene. The police had shut down traffic in a two block radius only letting through special cars that carried old monks, Thai TV crews, Thai movie stars, and for some reason the bald honky with the camera. I guess since I was the only farang in attendance they figured I was special...a little weird but special none the less.
I stood just inside the gates to Arjan Noo's compound/temple/tattoo studio/house with a couple hundred Thai devotees. We watched as a slew of Mercedes and BMW's pulled up one after the other each letting out an elderly barefoot monk. The monks were escorted from their cars as a guy on a microphone announced who they were and what Wat they were from. The crowd would go silent in awe and drop to their knees with hands in prayer position as the monks made their way through the mob.
We all sat in white plastic chairs with white strings tied around our heads while a long ceremony with lots of chanting took place in a room somewhere out of sight upstairs. From the little English my driver spoke I was able to put together that this new amulet was intended to bring about good fortune for artists, actors, musicians, and creatives and that the monks were consecrating or "activating" the amulets with this ceremony. "Stoked" I thought "I could use one of those" and went to buy a few at the makeshift counter. Just as I was deciding between the big Oreo cookie lookin one and the little nilla wafer one I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to find a Thai news reporter and camera man with big smiles about two inches from my face pushing a microphone into my hands.
Sawadee Krap! You talk amulet you like at camera!
Sawadee Krap. Oh..I don't speak Thai.
No problem. You talk English at camera here speak amulet you like now Krap!
Oh...ummm....
GO!
Ummm...This Arjan Noo amulet. It very good. I like. Make lots of good luck. I like!
Then I gave a weak little thumbs up. They just stared at me mildly stunned as I handed them back the microphone.
Ok....Kop khun krap.
After my weird and embarrassing Thai TV debut I nudged my way through the crowd to where the ceremony had taken place upstairs. The room was packed full of sweaty people vying for the cheaper more mass produced clay amulets that Arjan Noo was giving out by the handful. It was an amazing scene. There were heavily tattooed monks, famous Thai people I'd never heard of, screeching girls, and guys with unsettling eyes and strange smiles wearing ropes of amulets. Arjan Noo wore all white and moved around the room smiling but reserved as he gave out the small tsa tsa's to his fawning fans and disciples.
The sun had long since set and the crowd had begun to thin when I found my ever smiling cab driver. As we drove along the dark highways my driver said "Happy! Happy! Happy!" then looked at me with a big rotting toothed smile and asked "Happy?"
"Oh yeah. I Happy."
This exact same conversation then took place every 3 minutes of the 45 minute drive back to Bangkok.

Scummy & Scummier : )

2009-02-16T23:22:00.000-08:00

A few years ago Jodi and I were in Thap Sakae, Thailand where we were adopted by a pair of mangy beach dogs that we named Scummy and Scummier. They followed us everywhere and slept on our porch every night we were there until the day we went on a really long walk up the beach and ran into a big pack of local dogs who kicked the crap out of them all the way home. We loved those dogs.

The Cockroach and The Dragonfly

2009-02-14T11:05:00.000-08:00

Me and Sensei Shibuya Subhuti outside ATSBMS 2-11-09
photo by Barry and his Iphone

Muay Thai Boxer from East LA

2009-02-12T17:09:00.000-08:00

The writings on the wall

2009-02-10T14:38:00.000-08:00

Shot at 5th and San Julian

A while back

2009-02-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

Hmong village, Laos

3 Years Ago Today......

2009-02-01T13:33:00.000-08:00

....Jodi and I were married in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The other day I went outside

2009-01-29T23:35:00.000-08:00

The New News

2009-01-29T22:31:00.001-08:00

Was

Was

Was

Is

Is

Was

Is

Our new president \!!!/

2009-01-21T10:19:00.000-08:00

This picture gives me so much hope and just makes me smile.

I took it off Matt's blog...which rips.

The Eddie

2009-01-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

Every December for the last 23 years a ceremony takes place at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore commencing The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau surf contest. An elite group of the worlds best big wave surfers are invited to participate in the contest, which takes place only when the waves at Waimea reach a minimum of 25 ft (Hawaiian standard, the wave is measured from the back, that's roughly a 50 ft face). The ceremony is a beautiful event, which includes a blessing by a local Hawaiian priest and a paddle out where all the contestants form a circle in the water and prayers are made for everyone's safety. I was lucky enough to attend the most recent ceremony on Dec. 1, 2008, where I took these pictures.

Kahu (priest) Billy Mitchell

Rusty Keaulana

Chava Greenlee

Kala Alexander

security!

Suburban vernacular photography at it's finest

2009-01-18T09:22:00.000-08:00

I love found photography and what the snap shot has to say about us and what people found important enough to document and immortalize. The wife and I are always visiting flea markets and thrifts stores where she finds vintage Gucci bags and mid-century furniture and I find old Polaroids of recent parolees smiling outside prison gates and families gathered around their 1970's Christmas tree that's been decorated like a cupcake.

I heard a quote the other day that went something like:

"We have a birth certificate to show that we were born and a death certificate to show that we died. Photographs show that we lived."

I would add to that "they also show that we wore rad shorts and idolized Eddie Van Halen."

This is my good friend Craig, who in 1985 smoked a lot of pot, grew a baby teenage mustache, and learned to play Eruption as if he were Eddie's bastard child.

Mark Healey...a different kind of yogi

2009-01-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

Mark Healy is a big wave charger born and raised on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. He is known for his fearlessness in conditions that would make the bravest of men piss their pants like scared children. He is a waterman in the truest sense of the word. He is a champion spear fisherman who hunts shark...alone...at night. He is also a champion free diver and can hold his breath for 4 minutes. We caught up on my recent trip to the North Shore where he demonstrated for me a breathing exercise he does before diving that prevents his lungs from bleeding. Look up "crazy as a shit house rat" in any dictionary and you'll find an image of Heals.

Particleboard...it's not just for sub-floors anymore

2008-12-31T18:11:00.000-08:00

Separation Anxiety

2008-12-01T18:52:00.000-08:00

Wow! We are sooo close. So close I can almost taste it. The finish line is in sight. The bummer is I have to leave in the morning for 8 days and that kind'a freaks me out. I never thought that I'd be bummed to have to go to Hawaii but I am a bit. Emilio and Jodi will be running the show while I'm gone and I'm sure that all will be bitchin as they've pretty much been running the show all along. I won't be posting until I return. Until then here are some random pieces from the chaos that is soon to be my castle. Aloha.

I get by with a little help from my friends

2008-11-29T23:53:00.001-08:00

Dorian

Emilio

Chong

Susan

Fridger

Henry and Mitch

Brie

Kymm

Will

Shawn, Emilio, Josh

Beer

Thanks but no thanks

2008-11-29T22:30:00.000-08:00

Thomas is a local guy who lives on the streets and does odd jobs for people in the neighborhood. At one time he was the doorman for the Comme Des Garcons guerrilla shop on 4th street. Decked out in Comme and the latest Nike's he was the chicest looking homeless man you've ever seen. Sounds weird, I know. A few nights ago Thomas came by the new space saying that he had a friend near by who was selling a great new mini-frig and microwave for $20 and did we wanna go take a look. We needed a break and were a bit curious so we decided to take a walk to see what's what. Emilio, Stephen Hill, Thomas, and I walked over to a big parking lot on Los Angeles St and 2nd St. Thomas began leading us toward the back of the lot where we could see a make shift tent surrounded by various junk in the far corner. As we got closer Thomas began yelling "Ronnie! Hey Ronnie!" and very soon a disheveled man in spectacles came crawling out of the tent. Thomas introduced us and Ronnie crawled back into the tent then pushed the refrigerator out. He told us that he had cleaned it up and plugged it in and that it worked just fine. We looked at it and were seriously considering buying it until we opened it and a funky aroma poured out. He said we could just put a box of baking soda in it and it would be great. We ended up declining but I have to say we really liked Ronnie. Even living in his adverse conditions he was friendly, smart, funny, and honest. As we walked back through the parking lot Emilio announced excitedly "I'm gonna take my shirt off!" Just as I lifted my camera to take a picture Stephen reached back and punched Emilio in the balls. I love my neighborhood!

Happiness is......a new pooper!

2008-11-27T11:43:00.001-08:00

Some Random

2008-11-26T00:02:00.000-08:00

Home depot parking lot. The douche mobile or the asshole wagon?

They always have "Skin" stickers don't they?

The wife

Shawn is one of our bad ass painters. He's a really rad dude and has played drums for some legendary LA punk bands like The Controllers, The Skulls, The Gears, and The U.S. Bombs.

Ballad of an unwanted commode

2008-11-25T23:52:00.000-08:00

In it's original home

Uprooted and sitting in the studio

Out on the sidewalk where I figured someone would pick it up but instead within 20 minutes someone took the tank lid and the seat and someone actually peed in it. I love my neighborhood!

Scenes from the mess

2008-11-25T07:58:00.000-08:00

Robert the plumber brought the whole crew homemade tamales

Emilio my foreman extraordinaire/friend in the old shower/new kitchenette

Richard the sort of handyman who replaced all the glass in the windows used the old flooring tiles from the bathroom as his safety anchor.

Abdul-Malick is Will the electrician's best friend and has come in to help finish the job. No matter what is happening, 5 times a day he unrolls this prayer rug and faces east.

I am a monk magnet

2008-11-23T23:32:00.000-08:00

On our gajillionth Home Depot run I spotted these two Japanese Zen monks.
Random?
Kind'a!
I was so excited that I forgot to sneak a peak into their cart to see what they were buying.

Sorry bro but....

2008-11-23T23:09:00.001-08:00

It always sucks to have to fire someone. To be honest I'm not very good at it and always feel bad, even if they deserve it. Thank god I've got Emilio as he doesn't stand for slacking or crappy work.

Jodi and Emilio enjoying street eats

my favorite graf on the front of the building

Gnarly suprise

2008-11-23T22:28:00.000-08:00

At some point someone covered two sets of windows with wooden flats. We theory that it was a film crew as the flats were the typical kind you see on sets. We knew that there were broken windows behind them but weren't really prepared for what else we found. Enjoy.

Day 3, Good luck sign

2008-11-21T10:17:00.000-08:00

As we were walking downstairs on our millionth Home Depot run a group of Sri Lanken monks from Santa Clarita were walking into the building to buy sunglasses at the sunglass retailer on the first floor. I took this as a very good sign.
The wood for the floors arrived this morning and we hired Cedric to carry it upstairs. He's the most ripped homeless guy I've ever seen.
The cast and crew and characters that are showing up on this endeavor have been straight comedy. I've been trying to keep all the hires local which seems to mean your missing your front teeth.

Day 2, wall demo and the dirt brotherhood

2008-11-20T14:50:00.000-08:00

We decided to get rid of the closet in order to expand the store room. When we tore the plaster and dry wall we got to see how walls were built in the 1890's.

Day 1, Will says "it's all about the layout"

2008-11-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

Will is the neighborhood sparky who hooks up the electricity in everyones lofts for a neighborhood price. A great guy and a teddy bear of a man who loves his job. He began working on the electricity three hours after we signed the lease and he pretty much hasn't left the building since except for home depot runs and the corner store for Rock Star energy drinks which make up 80% of his diet.

The new space

2008-11-18T22:40:00.000-08:00

There is a brown brick building across the street I can see from my bedroom window. It is on a notoriously drug ridden little street called Winston and for the last few years the wife and I have watched all manner of the saddest of the human condition take place on the steps in front of this building. Prostitution, fights, drug deals and lots of drug use. It's a pretty sad little piece of the city but fascinating to watch, sort of like having a permanent car wreck outside your window. The building itself is, at first glance, pretty nondescript. Three stories, facade covered with graffiti, windows covered by ugly bars, with a party supplier and low end sunglass wholesaler on the first floor, it's sandwiched between an ally way and a small parking lot. The sort of place you pass by without really looking twice, that is if you even looked at it once. But when you do give it a good look it begins to become pretty amazing. It's old, from the late 1800's. The original entrance is located in the ally but no longer in use and is flanked by two large old pillars and there's some interesting architectural molding. The orange first floor street side of the building, that IS in use, is an added on wooden facade that hides god knows what sort of forgotten treasures.
As we watched this building for the last few years we always wondered what it was like inside and what the upper two floors were used for. Then a few weeks ago a "For rent" sign went up and we had to take a look. The available space was on the second floor and in fact was the whole of the second floor. It was 1800 sq ft divided into three rooms, one large and two smaller. For the last few years it had been used as a warehouse for the party supply shop downstairs. Before that it was a Hindu rescue mission. Before that no one seems to know. It was in pretty rough shape and at first we thought "no way can we take this place". Too dark, too much work, weird vibe, etc, so we forgot about it. Then about a week later I began thinking about it again and fantasizing about what could be done with it. After about half an hour of doing this I decided we were going to take it. Jodi was pretty apprehensive about the idea but recognized that I saw something in it and was willing to take a second look.
We went back, looked at it, talked about it, then decided that it could be amazing. The landlord gave it to us for an great price and we signed a long term lease for it last week.

Renovations coming soon....

The Election

2008-11-10T07:57:00.000-08:00

I haven’t been sleeping well for about 2 weeks now. Very fitful and full of anxiety dreams. It was getting to the point that I was actually sort of fearing going to sleep. About four nights ago I had an incredibly vivid dream that McCain had won the election. In my dream the whole nation was depressed and heartbroken. At one point in the dream I was crying uncontrollably. I woke around 4 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep.

When I left to go sit with my monk/teacher (yoda sensei) last night, CNN had only projected Vermont and N. Carolina. One for each of them. My teacher has been encouraging me to sit half lotus for long periods saying that it will energize my practice. It’s been a struggle, as it really hurts my back, and my legs fall asleep really quickly.
The room we sit in gets really quiet. Even though it’s in the hood off Crenshaw and you can hear car alarms, pit bulls barking, sirens, and crazy people screaming, when you finally settle in after a few periods it gets to be what Sensei refers to as “quieter than silence”. In the middle of the forth period, fighting off knee and back pain and feeling a bit more used to my new sitting posture I could hear in the far distance a chorus of honking car horns and all my mental chatter about body pain subsided. It sounded like elation. Like joyous celebration. Like the bad dream had ended and everyone woke up and collectively realize “oh shit! It was just a bad dream! Thank god that’s over.”

I drove back to downtown (one of the most diverse neighborhoods in los angeles, both racially and economically) and my whole neighborhood was out in the street. It was truly amazing! There was such happiness and joy on everyone’s faces.
There were Champaign corks popping and literally grown men crying. Strangers came up and hugged me. This sounds insane and over the top but it’s true and I have never experienced anything like it before.
I heard someone say “This is the first time in my life that I know how it feels to be proud of my country and proud to be an American”.
So heavy.

the scene

reed, dorian, wife

cheers!

wife & cameron

lucky doesn't care who won. he'll still take your money at knife point.

My friend Ken

2008-11-03T09:09:00.000-08:00

This is my friend Ken. He smokes un-filtered Pall Malls and has finger nails longer than most women I know. He writes poetry, fiction, essays, and music. He draws, paints, sculpts, and plays the harp. He has lived in the same 250 sq ft. hotel room in downtown LA for the last 28 years.
He's a veteran of three foreign wars and refers to himself as an extreme Maoist.
Most mornings we sit together drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes and he gives me advice or we discuss politics and current events. Lately he has suggested that to save money I should get rid of my car and invest in a horse and a light plane. Yesterday he told me stories about being a kid living at the Vatican where he would draw on the paintings and call the Pope "Pappy". His first wife, who he married at age 11 in a native American ceremony, was beautiful and smart but kind of a mess. Sadly she suffered from "psychosomatic leprosy" and could only be cured through his sexual prowess.

Plan 9 are totally scary

2008-11-01T22:43:00.000-07:00

Do you like The Misfits?
I love The Misfits!
Have you heard Plan 9?
Fuck yeah I have! They're amazing!
They're playing at The Regent in downtown on Halloween.
Get out of here!!! FUCKING AWESOME!!!

So yeah, Plan 9 played a half block from my place the other night. If you don't know them but your like me (meaning you love Walk Among Us era Misfits) then you should go get their latest record Man Made Monster from Nickel and Dime records. They have been a dead on Misfits cover band for years but lately have been writing their own stuff which fully rips. Unfortunately for all of us their singer Aaron Fuller died last month in a motorcycle accident on the bay bridge. The band has decided to continue on and have been looking for someone to replace him which will be no easy task as Aaron had a great voice and was an incredible front man. This show they definitely didn't find their new singer. The band was so tight and dead on and great but the singer was sloppy and winded after two songs. At one point he was so off time that he tried to stop the song in order to start it over at which point I thought there was going to be an on stage band fight. If you look at the bottom group shot it pretty much says it all. I imagine the drummer and bass player are communicating telepathically about how they're going to jump the guy and the guitar player is thinking how much he's going to enjoy seeing it.

5th & Main

2008-10-24T18:07:00.001-07:00

One block from where I live is an intersection known to locals as "the Nickel". The rest of the world knows it as Los Angeles’s "Skid Row". When I first moved to downtown, if you had to walk through the Nickel you did it as quickly as possible doing your best to avoid eye contact with anyone. As you hustled through this open-air drug market on your way to anywhere but there the sites and sounds were astounding. People pissing and shitting in the street. Thirty to forty destitute men sitting against a wall openly smoking crack or speed. Sometimes shooting heroin. Mentally ill men and women screaming at the top of their lungs at everyone and no one. Pimps, hookers, gangsters, dealers, addicts, homeless, black, white, brown, old and young all doing whatever it is you do when you've hit rock bottom and see no way out. It's hard for anyone who hasn't experienced the Nickel firsthand to really comprehend or believe that a place like this exists in a city as wealthy as Los Angeles.
So my good friend and local artist/poet Richard McDowell and I decided that we'd take my 4x5 Linhoff down the block and see who we could meet. We set up against an old wall and waited. The dealers stared at us from across the street with curiosity and a bit of menace. Several aggressive addicts walked by yelling "mother fuckin police" or politely smiled saying "good day officers". Then the woman in this first image came up to us acting really nervous asking us what we were doing. We said that we were just making portraits of anyone who would let us photograph them. She said "you can take my picture for a dollar." It really wasn't in my plan to pay anyone but said, "Sure I'll give you a dollar". She was really nervous, obviously a crack addict and probably a prostitute. I shot about 4 sheets of film before she stepped away from the camera and asked for her dollar. She took the dollar quickly and took off just as quick. It felt illicit, like she had just turned a trick and wanted to get away as fast as possible in case the cops were around. We made a few more portraits of some folks that were curious but I was so nervous that we were gonna get jumped I didn't make any images that were that good. Then the guy in the second image came up and stood in front on the camera. He didn't look at us or say anything to us but he was talking or mumbling. Whatever it was I couldn't understand a word. He was high, really dirty, and ill. I loaded a film holder into the back of the camera and began shooting. On the third or forth sheet I began to hear what he was saying. Like a mantra, over and over he was saying, "fuck you white man, fuck you white man, fuck you white man, fuck you white man, fuck you white man" and grimacing into the camera. I just kinda looked at him and listened for a bit not shooting. Then, as suddenly as he showed up, he turned and walked off.
At that point I decided that my nervous system had had enough and we packed it up.
Not long after that the city decided that they were going to "clean up' skid row which meant that the rapid gentrification that had been happening around downtown had made it's way to 5th and Main and that this little piece of hell on earth was soon going to be worth something. Cleaning up basically meant arresting everyone or pushing them farther east toward the river. In the last year The Nickel has changed a lot. It's now full of art galleries and cafes, and you can walk on through with relative safety…even at night. It still has an edge and some sketchy characters, but it's nothing like it was when these pictures were made a few years ago. A long conversation could be had about this place and this experience and it could go in all sorts of directions but I've written enough.

Some new Quik catalogs

2008-10-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Performance

Woman's

Accessories

Young Men's

Boy's

Kid's & Toddlers

I ain't seen you in a minute

2008-08-28T07:50:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since my last post. It hasn't been out of laziness or sloth or nothing to say though. It's because there's been a lot going on. Shooting, re-doing my books, and some top secret projects in the works.
Wife and I are leaving on a road trip for a couple of weeks in the morning so I won't be posting for awhile and I wanted to put something up before we hit the road. These images from August each have a story behind them that don't have time to tell now so just make up your own.
Enjoy and happy trails....

Bicycling commuters for Getty

Green Hobbies for Getty

Lil Blacky

Jesse

The Million Dollar Rosslyn

LV

Richard McDowell

Ken

Thomas

Doll-E Girl

Brie's mustache collection

Jason

Members of Gangster Nation Trues

Charles

Big Dave

It ain't always easy....but it is beautiful

2008-07-25T14:57:00.000-07:00

I just shot a catalog using Danny Fuller and his new wingman, Skelly. I’ve never worked with a skeleton before, and discovered it poses some serious challenges. The guy is more demanding than your most prima donna model. Every little joint has to be taped, tied, wired, or somehow rigged into position. The clothes don’t fit so smart, either. All it takes is the wind to blow or someone to look at him sideways, and it's back to the drawing board. It proved to be a long, hot, and humid day, and this bag o bones really tested our patience. At the end of the day, I think all of our hard work paid off…though I’ll think twice about bringing that skinny bitch back on the job!

Joe Schilling

2008-07-25T12:33:00.000-07:00

I have been shooting a project of a young Muay Thai boxer from LA named Joe Schilling. I am fascinated by the discipline, dedication, and mind set of people who beat the shit out of one another, and what it takes to step into that ring. I suppose I'm interested because this mentality goes against my own nature so much that I feel drawn to understand it. Also, I really dig the ritual of competitive fighting. Whatever the reasons, I do enjoy a good fight.

The Polaroid Kidd

2008-07-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

Saturday night was an art auction to raise money for a documentary film by Faythe Levine, called "Handmade Nation". The film is about the DIY art, craft, and design scene happening across America. Wife and I previewed the auction online and saw there was a print by Mike Brodie, aka “The Polaroid Kidd”. There were some other great pieces we were interested in, but it was Brodie's photograph that we were drooling over.
If you've never heard of The Polaroid Kidd, just google the name and you can find any number of posts about him and his photographs of modern hobos, train jumping krusties, gutter punks, and other road weary marginalized members of society. His photos are authentic and rare glimpses into these worlds, and from what I understand, the work was created when he was just 20 years old. I’m really curious to see how his photography unfolds. Word has it that he was a bit overwhelmed with the whole gallery experience and checked out to build houseboats out of junk. Sounds bitchen…I can only hope that he is documenting it.

We showed up right when the show opened at 6:30 and looked at all the art. There were some great paintings, a croched image of a gun, and a screen print we liked, but it was Mike's photograph that really turned us on. It was a silent auction where you wrote your bid on a piece of paper which was taped to the wall under the piece. Since the bidding wasn't set to end until 9:30, we decided to go eat and return at 9:00 to see how the bids were stacking up. When we arrived, there was only one bid on the photograph for the minimum of $125 and I immediately began scanning the crowd trying to figure out who else it was that wanted it. Jodi went over and wrote in a bid at $5 over starting bid. As I was standing by on “bid-watch”, I noted a freckled girl with a bob haircut watching her, and pointed her out to Jodi. I knew by the look in my wife’s eyes that it was gonna turn into a bidding war. When it was announced that there were only 5 minutes left, the other bidder walked up to the wall, looked at Jodi's bid, and without making a move, stepped back into the crowd. Then, it was announced that there was one minute left and the bob haircut bid $135, wife immediately bid $150, bob haircut bid $160, wife $170, bob haircut $180… it was ON. The announcer yelled, “10 SECONDS”!! The two ladies stood shoulder to shoulder, out bidding each other until bob haircut realized that she was up against a madwoman who refused to lose. Wife was not leaving without that photograph. Bob haircut let her scribbling arm drop to her side, and turned away as wife’s smile stretched ear to ear. When the noise subsided, the woman looked at Jodi with a sweet smile, and said "watch yourself, cause I'm gonna jump you in the parking lot!". Jodi just smiled her big, beautiful smile and bounced up and down like a happy child. The freckled girl later congratulated us, and we talked about how much we like Mike's photos.
As everyone waited for the bids to be sorted out, a preview of the film was projected on the wall, and everyone sat on the floor drinking beer. It looks to be an inspiring and unpretentious film about people making art out of just about any and every medium. Our favorite characters were "The Knittas" from Houston, Texas. The Knittas are a knitting gang who go out in the middle of the night and cover telephone poles, street lights, and traffic sign posts with rainbow colored knitted tubes. Kinda like graffiti artists, but with knitting. They tag everything with “Knitta, Please!”, and have kooky knitter gang names, like P-Knitty, GrannySQ, PolyCotN, and MascuKnitity.

We ended up having a great time, meeting some really cool people, AND leaving with the piece we had our hearts set on. Stoked.

Soup, Paradise City 2006
By The Polaroid Kidd aka Mike Brodie

Flea market photo finds

2008-07-16T17:49:00.000-07:00

On the 2nd Sunday of every month a flea market is held in the parking lot of the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. There are acres and acres of furniture, clothes, antiques, and yes....old photos!
It is definitely the best flea market in the LA area and has become a magnet for the super hip Japanese vintage buyers. Here's a selection of images I found at the last one.

Vice Photo Show

2008-07-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was the opening of the 2008 Vice Photo Show in Culver City, which consisted of 3 separate exhibits. The first exhibit I saw were images by the late Australian social-documentary photographer Rennie Ellis of work he made in the 70's and 80's. I had never heard of Ellis before and feel like a bit of a schmuck about that since his biography says he has produced 17 books and his pictures are amazing. The images conveyed to me Ellis's sincere interest in people and the backyard adventures that being a photographer can bring. There was a cool group show curated by Tiny Vice's Tim Barber called 'Riddles'. This group is made up of ambiguous images by a variety of known and unknown photographers. The 3rd exhibit was another group show of 3 Japanese photographers. This work was more intense than the others, as it seemed to deal with women's roles in Japan. The images consisted of fetishized blind folded women, in addition to the ever popular sexualized Japanese school girls.
I look forward to going back when it's not so claustrophobic and sweaty.

Lock and Load

2008-07-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

It was the 23rd hour and we were looking to get out of downtown for the 3-day, 4th of July weekend with our friends, Emilio & Dina. Typically, the beach would sound great, but because the entire south land, their visiting friends, and relatives usually have the same idea, we decided against it. We then considered Palm Springs, but bailed that after we found we could spend the price of 3 nights accommodations on a ticket to Europe (and that was for just one couple). Finally, we thought of the perfect getaway...29 Palms! OK, it may be a little hot, but as long as there's a pool, were golden. We got lucky, and our #1 choice inn had one bungalow left that would fit all four of us. We packed the car, and headed out to the high desert, arriving Thursday night just in time for dinner by the pool. The day of the 4th, the 7-Up thermometer hit 110 degrees. We spent the entire day poolside, drinking mojitos and playing backgammon in the shade. We met a gnarly local dude named Steve...total bro. He seemed stoked as long as he had a brew in one hand and a Marlboro in the other (we him dubbed "Loud Steve", for reasons you can imagine). Anyhow, Loud Steve gave us the local hook-up, and told us about the dry lake bed next to the marine base, where you could watch the fireworks without getting patted down by the 'Gestapo'. So we packed it up and headed out...on a long dirt road...the Prius was alone in a sea of 4x4s. . When the show ended we heard the father of the family parked in front of us yell "Lock and load! Everyone in the truck!" It was like being on the moon with rednecks. After the pyrotechnics spectacular we drove to a biker bar in the middle of nowhere called Pappy & Harriet's to see the band Graham Rabbit. They are the kings of the high desert music scene and the place was packed. A fun band with psychedelic visuals and surreal backup dancers. The next day was spent investigating the desert thrift stores, of which there are quite a few. If your into air-conditioning and old army jackets, this is the place to be. Wifey found a Brooks bicycle saddle, an American Indian turquoise ring, and a ceramic Spanish umbrella stand. Dina bought a taxidermy grouse. Stoked.

Newps revisited \!!!/

2008-07-08T19:15:00.000-07:00

These are some of the images from my shoot in Newport a few weeks ago. I shot 4 catalogs, web content and p.o.p for infants, toddlers, boys, young men, men, and the new womens line in a matter of 5 days. It was a lot of fast and furious shooting but thanks to a tight crew, great weather, rad talent, and being on the beach, it hardly seemed like work.

MS 13 and Rodrigo Abd

2008-07-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

I saw a guy in my neighborhood the other day who's face was covered in MS 13 tattoos. He was so heavy looking I couldn't get his image out of my mind. A quick bit of googleing turned up the following photos of Mara Salvatrucha 13 and Mara 18 gang members. They were shot by Argentinian born AP photographer, Rodrigo Abd, at a prison in Guatemala. I think Rodrigo did an amazing job with these, as well as the other work he has done with gangs throughout Latin America.

Our Honeymoon

2008-06-30T17:25:00.000-07:00

Another obsession of mine (besides monks) is old photo albums I find at garage sales and flea markets. My wife will be searching out vintage Gucci and Hermes and I'll be knee deep in some cardboard box fishing through the discarded memories of people I never knew looking for pieces of accidental photographic genius. We went to the Long Beach flea market on Sunday where I found this honeymoon album and she found a Gucci pen. It was a win win sort of trip.

Shaka \!!!/ Newps

2008-06-30T10:32:00.000-07:00

Just returned home from a 5 day shoot last week and boy, are my arms tired. Went really well and had a great time. My crew (who are fantastic) and I stayed in a plush house on the beach in Newport. I was fortunate enough to get the master suite with a jacuzzi tub that overlooked the ocean. I always feel a bit weird being treated like a pimp (doesn't happen too often, as it stands in contrast to my "doesn't mind sleeping in a chicken coop" personality). However, this time I really enjoyed it. I felt so fried at the end of each 15 hour day that it was great to lay down in that big, comfy bed and watch The National Geographic Channel (my favorite, after Ovation's "Genius of Photography" series) on the mega-huge flat screen.

The last couple jobs I've been shooting with the Canon Mark 3 and am feelin' it. Love the bigger viewing screen and larger files, as does my client. Also, my first time using Adobe's LightRoom, which I think pretty much rules over Capture One as far as navigation and processing speed.

Today, I begin the portfolio making process, which is what I am devoting July to. That, and developing my blogging skills, so I'm sure both subjects will be showing up here a lot this coming month. Stay tuned.

See ya

2008-06-22T20:25:00.000-07:00

Gonna be out of town this week shooting so no new posts till next week. See ya then.

Photo hero

2008-06-19T15:19:00.001-07:00

This guy reminds me of a fat Terry Richardson......only creepier.

That fat editorial money

2008-06-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

I opened the mail yesterday and found a check for an editorial shoot I did in January.......2007. I had given up on it long ago after several unreturned emails and phone calls to the photo ed. Silly me for just giving up and not understanding their 17 month payment policy.
It's so lame that it's rad.

DIY art zine

2008-06-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

I love how easy it is these days to have your own photo/art book made. Before Blurb and all the other online book publishers, there were zines....handmade, DIY, little book/magazines created in bedrooms, garages, and at local copy centers. They were sold super cheap and in small circulation at indie record stores and book shops. In 1989, I bought three of these xeroxed jobs by (then) little known artist Raymond Pettibon, at a record store in Hermosa Beach for a $1.50 each. I was in Venice Beach recently, where I saw the same copies for sale at Equator Books for $300 a piece.

Needless to say, I was quite pleased when Scott Richards, (art director, artist, friend, and all around good guy) put together a limited edition, photocopied & hand stitched art-zine and included a few of my photos. Here's a sample of some of my favorites:

in order from L to R:
Randy Noboribawa, Brian Craighill, Scott Massey, Justin "biscuit" Bauer, SZ, Scott Richards, Alex "krusty" Brastev, Jason Danhoff
Cover by Scott Richards

Cats, Dogs, and Monks

2008-06-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm mildly obsessed with Buddhist monks. The discipline and intention for enlightenment inspires and motivates me, especially the extreme cave dwelling types. My interest/obsession is born out of the fact that growing up in the west I was led to believe that material possessions and status would lead to contentment and inner happiness. What I have come to believe is that those things lead to an unending craving for more and the desperate need to hold onto that status. I have met many young monks on my travels who own nothing but their sandals and robes, sleep on straw mats, and rely on the communities generosity for their one meal a day. It's such a hard life yet they are incredibly happy and good humored. Much happier than many wealthy people i have met in the western world. I found these images recently that make me smile every time I look at them.

.

Gangs of Kabukicho

2008-06-13T16:11:00.000-07:00

I bought Japanese photographer and man about town Watanabe Katsumi's "Gangs of Kabukicho" at OK recently. Katsumi worked the red light districts of Shinjuku Province in 1968 Japan. Shooting with an on camera flash, which was rare at the time, made his portrait services popular with the drag queens, gangsters, hookers, and night club patrons that worked and partied there at night. It also gives his work the feel of all the other masters of on camera flash like WeeGee, Arbus, Larry Fink, and Araki. And like those greats, he must have been amazing with people, as his subjects all seem really relaxed and for the most part happy....... or at least happily drunk.

Gangs of Kabukicho is published by PPP Editions and Andrew Roth in an edition of 3000.

The heaviest 10 year old

2008-06-13T13:32:00.000-07:00

Just got a few line guides back from Quiksilver.
When we do these shoots there are a few staple props that keep showing up. One was this acoustic guitar that bugged me, so I was looking for a way to make it disappear. I was photographing Quiks am skate team star Parick Ryan, who is the most radical 10 year old hellion anarchist you'll ever meet. He was more than happy to smash the thing to bits, but the guitar was almost as big as he was and proved tougher to destroy than he thought. When it didn't shatter, he threw it to the ground and began jumping up and down on it and growling like a feral child. I just love this kid!

scouting

2008-06-12T15:11:00.000-07:00

I went scouting yesterday at a house on Lido Island owned by an amazing 88 year old woman who drives around in a convertible white Bentley. She said I couldn't do a portrait of her then as 'she wasn't properly dressed' but when we come back to shoot she'll be ready. Can't wait to see what she comes up with since she was wearing an all pink pants suits with matching hair band. The house was filled with great photos and paintings of her Newport Beach family from the last 60 years. I find it interesting what images people choose to use in their homes as memories of or tributes to their loved ones. I really dig the 80's ski bunnies. They feel like something you would see in a Richard Prince piece.

Welcome to IAP

2008-06-11T17:37:00.000-07:00

So it looks like today is the day that I put finger to keyboard and begin the experiment of adding my voice to the world of photography related blogs. I say experiment as i have never done this and am completely accepting of the fact that failure is a possibility. Or that it could turn into something totally different from my original intention. Or that i could find the whole thing a giant bore. Or that I could be a giant bore. Whatever happens happens, but let's hope for the best.