Vicky - Wardrobe stylist/costume designer

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Vicky is my neighbor of two doors down. Her loft is a lot like her—richly adorned and very tall. (Our floor has 16 ft ceilings.) We met Vicky shortly after moving in. She seems to glide about, always with a big smile and bright eyes. Now that we've become friends, we simply can not pass by one another without a hug and a kiss. That's just how she is. Originally from Australia, her voice is light and her speech lyric. And she is rarely seen empty handed, whether it be racks of clothing, her dog Tabitha on a leash or a ridiculously long surfboard. She's always up to somethin'.

I decided to photograph her in front of her gorgeous Moroccan doors, imported from Marrakesh. Knowing Vicky's penchant for succinct brevity, I opted for a 10 question Q & A:

Q: Where were you born?
A: Sydney, Australia

What do you do for a living?
Wardrobe stylist/costume designer

Have you ever been lost in the wilderness?
Never lost in the wilderness... but in the wilderness... a lot.

Pick your poison
Red wine.

What is the love of your life?
My two boys... Oliver and Axel... they are the loves of my life.

Any bizarre hobbies?
'fraid not.

Ever had a near-death experience?
Yes, but really don't want to talk about it... it involved a car and a rabbit.

Favorite color name.
Sea foam green.

Most ridiculous fashion trend.
High heeled Crocs.

Ever meet a personal hero?
Every day.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

CSI: NY (well CSI: LA really...)

NYPD 12th Precinct in downtown L.A. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This last Monday they shot a scene from CBS's CSI: NY down the block on Mateo Street. The front door of a warehouse was converted into a NYPD Precinct complete with patrol cars and a NYC cab. I don't watch the show so I assume the Escalade was for some sort of dashing police detective to peel out in after a heated argument with the police chief or the Medical Examiner or a blonde bombshell.

After shooting was completed, I watched one lone (probably union) guy load all these cars onto a tractor trailer and drive off. And he did it all in less than an hour. Impressive.


Prop cars. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

UNICEF- Believe in Zero Launch

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The UNICEF Believe in Zero advertising campaign launched this month featuring my commissioned portraits of Lucy Liu and Laurence Fishburne shot earlier this summer. The campaign will continue to roll out though the end of the year and on into 2009. I also photographed Nicole Ritchie, Joel Madden, Amare Stoudemire and Alyssa Milano. Look for those soon.

For more information on the campaign, click here.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Art Director: Brad Roberts
Asst. Coordinator: Ari Schneiderman
Production Manager: Pamela Sunnarborg
Agency: Matale Line

Architect Mag Cover - Oct. 2008 Issue

Real lens flare. No Photoshop. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The feature (and cover) I shot last September for Architect Magazine is currently on the stands.

The cover features Vivan Loftness of Carnegie Mellon University. The entire story is about "green" building construction and whether these new, more earth-friendly designs are truly living up to their promises of sustainability.

Dead Bridge

Lit for movie filming. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

If this remote area of downtown has an icon, it's the Sixth Street Viaduct. Seen in countless car commercials and motion pictures, it's the visual center of film shooting in this area. It's not uncommon to see the parking lots below it packed with grip trucks, hotlights and support trailers.

And it's going to be destroyed.


Viewed from the Fourth St. Bridge. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

According to recent studies, this bridge has a 70% chance of "failing" in a large earthquake in the next 50 years. Reason is the bridge has a cancer known as "Alkali-Silica Reaction" (ASR) that is causing it to slowly crumble from the inside out. It's the only one of the twelve bridges that span the L.A. River near downtown to suffer from ASR. Engineering reviews have shown the best solution is not retrofit, but demolition and re-construction. So no matter what, this bridge—this icon—will be gone.


From the river basin. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

New bridge options are now being considered. But the sad truth is a piece of art deco history is quietly going into the sweet hereafter. Which is, in sorts, a harbinger for this neighborhood. The signs of this area changing rapidly are in the air. The building I live in and many like others like it have become an engine for change and growth in these parts. We hear we're a "neighborhood in transition." I just hope that Los Angeles, unlike my former Seattle, manages the change properly and chooses to retain some of the rich history of this area over the quick profit.


From the bridge deck. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

In the meantime, I think I'll continue to photograph this bridge as much as I can until it's gone.

Graff

Ben. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

There's a building on 3rd St. in the Arts District covered in graffiti. Gorgeous graffiti. Just West of Cafe Metropol, there's a section that seems to change with the seasons. And today I found out why.


Thanx on the ladder. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

While heading over to Phillipes for lunch with my good friend Ryan, we saw four guys working the wall. The light was still weird and orange from all the recent brush fires and we happened to have our cameras with us. So we decided to stop and snap a few frames of these artists at work.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Unlike most situations, the owner of this building has given permission and consent to graff artists to bomb the structure. And bomb they do. The lead on this crew was a gentleman named "Thanx." He's from an L.A. crew named UTI and was being helped today by some friends visiting from out of state. The wall previously had a Halloween theme and was now being covered with a new one. We were there too early in the process to know what that new theme is.


Wall detail. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We shot the shit with Thanks for a bit then let him do his thing. I also spoke with Ben, who immediately caught my attention because of his intensity while working and the long beard the likes of which I haven't seen since I left the colder northern climes of the Pacific Northwest. He was gracious enough to allow a portrait. But after a few frames, he quietly said "I don't want to take any more pictures." It was then I realized all my talking had taken him away from his work long enough. Plus, he was no poser.

Check out more of the UTI Crew work here.

End of the Earth

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The Greater Los Angeles was surrounded by major brush fires today. We were in Hermosa Beach and saw smoke from several separate fires converge in a low ceiling over the ocean, obscuring the sun.

Awfully strange sight, but oddly beautiful amber light.

Lisa Solberg - Painter

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

For yet another installation in my loosely defined neighborhood photo project "90021," I asked painter and TOY Factory Loft resident Lisa Solberg if I could drop by for some photos of her in her studio.

Lisa truly gives meaning to the phrase "live/work" loft. She lives and works in a very sparsely furnished loft complete with excellent window light. She lives her work. Walls are covered with paint smears and Post-It notes scrawled with notes—written backwards. (A habit she picked up when she was younger to hinder her mom from reading her sketchbooks.) What's immediately obvious is that one thing is paramount to Lisa—her art.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Her curriculum vitae is almost as thick as her passport. A world traveler, she speaks German and can get by in Spanish if need be. She also speaks with a certainty and confidence about her vision that nearly competes with the bold strokes and colors in her paintings. Her prolificacy is evidenced by the 22 exhibitions she's been shown in to date. Today, she casually transferred a drawing from her sketchbook onto a large canvas pinned to the wall. "Is that the Virgin Mother?" I asked. "Yup. The Pietá. I revisit the Pietá a lot."


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

She just wrapped up a solo show of new work here in Los Angeles at Kinsey/DesForges Gallery. Next up is a group exhibition at Amsterdam's Andenken Gallery. You can find more information at her web site and see new work regularly posted at her blog.

The Royal Claytons

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After the great shoot at Church & State, it seemed only fair to cross the (Industrial) street and get a portrait of the owners of The Royal Claytons. Meet Tony, Elizabeth, Lady Etta and Sir Henry. It's rare to see Tony and Elizabeth without the dogs. So, they had to be part of the shoot. Had to. And I am glad they were there. These dogs are walking sandbags that slobber. But don't be fooled by all the snorting and grunting. They are very, very smart. (Except for the part where they tried to eat billiard balls.)

"The Claytons" is our regular hangout. It's a home away from home—with 11 beers on tap. Great food, great beer, great company. I highly recommend that if you're in our neck of the woods, drop by and get a pint. Or two. Or three.

Fall sky

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The US Bank Tower (aka "Library Tower") looks down at the AT&T Microwave Tower in downtown Los Angeles. It's finally getting cold in SoCal. You know, like mid 60s...

Hello friend

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Election Night

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

To get my mind off the anxiety of the electoral college, Joe the Plumber and dangling chad flashbacks, I decided to get outside for a photo on election night. I had an idea. I envisioned my loft building filled with people in their living rooms watching the election results on TV, as seen from the rooftop across the street. So I lugged my gear up seven floors and set up shortly before sunset.

At the tail end of the magic hour, I clicked away. And wouldn't you know it, I seemed to be the only loser in town not at an election night party because, as you can see, hardly anyone was home. Shit.

Oh well, I got a great new photo of my loft building and a new President to boot. Win/win.

44

Acceptance speech via iPhone cam

"For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback."

- (Soon-to-be-First-Lady) Michelle Obama

Obama - Si se puede

Carolyn is the real deal. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Instead of just voting this election year, Pamela convinced me to actually participate in the campaign effort for Barack Obama. So she signed us up for a volunteer shift calling voters in the battleground states, reminding them to vote and directing those interested to their appropriate polling place. Now, I am not one for this sort of duty, but she was really excited about it. So I went. And I can say it was one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen and done.


East L.A. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The campaign office is in East Los Angeles on Cesar Chavez Blvd. We arrived and they immediately gave us phones and a call list. Not unlike the Obama rally I visited in Seattle back in February, it was a refreshingly diverse group of people. And everyone was still just as excited as those I met at the rally eight long months ago.


Pamela at her station. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This shift, we were calling the battleground state of South Carolina. And thankfully, not at their dinnertime. I must have called 200 people, of which I spoke to about 10%. Much to my surprise, many had already voted. Seems like all this "community organizing" works!


Alma. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

At the conclusion of our two hour shift, I asked a few people for portraits. All were happy to oblige. Heck, PROUD to oblige! We handed in our phones and they gave us the most awesome parting gift ever. "Jarritos '08" tee shirts! You'll only understand the significance if you love good Mexican food. And boy do we.


Jarritos FTW! (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On our way out, we met a gentleman named Art. He had a bit of a smirk, and there was something about him that caught my eye. As I got closer, I got a good look at the two buttons pinned to his shirt and I immediately liked him.


¡Si hombre! (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Again, whomever you choose to vote for, get up, get out there and DO SOMETHING.

At the very least, vote this upcoming Tuesday, November 4th.

¡Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

Seen at the Festival de la Gente, 2008 © William Anthony