Santa Monica Pier
I had grown up watching movies set in LA and had always had an idealized and romantic vision of the city. I had visited the city 3 times before and had intensely loved every second I had been there. The city could do no wrong in my eyes, and everyone I met had been great to me. In short, I loved the people, loved the place and badly wanted to move here one day.
When I knew I was coming for a month, I researched the sites and started contemplating which landmarks I wanted to photographically capture, as is my way when I arrive in a new city. Most of the visuals I found from my research on the internet had a grungy style to it. Grafitti-ed walls and tattoo parlors seemed to dominate the visual landscape when I ventured beyond the obvious landmarks you'd associate with Los Angeles (the Hollywood Sign, Griffith Observatory, the Santa Monica pier and Farris wheel, Hollywood Blvd, the triangular Beverly Hills street sign etc.)
I wanted to show a different side to LA, and capture it the way I saw the city in my mind's eye, an idealistic vision, a magical place where some of the most influential artists, past and present came together to make new worlds.
Beverly Hills Hotel
I wanted to show the iconic glamor of Hollywood in this shot.
The photo was taken in Beverly Hills which is much more glamorous than the Hollywood area.
I was in LA for far too little time and can't wait to come back and shoot more of this town.
The Beverly Hills Hotel here is actually the same hotel that's on the album cover of the Eagle's iconic "Hotel California".
Los Angeles Skyline from the Hills
I shot this from Griffith Observatory late one night.
This image was actually used on an album cover a few years ago.
I love the view of the city grid below and how perfectly aligned it is.
Cities are at their best in my opinion when they are lit up at night and this here is one of my favorite views of LA, made all the prettier by the city glow against the dark sky.
