Saturday Drive

I went for a long drive today to clear my head. These are a few things I saw.


Apartments. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Redondo Pier. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Polynesian. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Poseidon. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Queen Mary. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

Spectral Motion Shop Tour

Atlas of Clinical Dermotology (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

On the occasional Monday night, I play on a pub quiz/trivia team called "Titicaca." (Don't ask.) One of my teammates in cerebral calisthenics is a guy named Brent Baker. Each of us on the team have our trivial specialties. Mine are biology, aviation, photography and Precious Moments™ figurines. Brent's are TV, film, horror movies and special effects. Which makes sense because he's an amazing special effects artist with a long, distinguished filmography.


Brents. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

A while back I asked him if he'd be interested in a portrait at his shop. Why? Why NOT? He has one of the coolest jobs in Hollywood. I dream of portraits like this. Plus, I think it's important, every now and then, to turn the spotlight around and shine it on the people who don't see much light because they're quietly working in a non-desrcript industrial shop in Glendale. Thankfully, he agreed.

So earlier today, I got a tour of the Spectral Motion studio for a scout. It was pretty amazing. Being a scifi geek and lover of all things fantastic, I wandered around wide-eyed and slack-jawed. This is an amazingly talented group of people and I felt pretty lucky to be invited in.


Paint shop. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Same to you buddy. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

Spectral Motion has worked on many feature films including M. Night Shayamalan's Lady in the Water as well as Hellboy. And every so often I'd turn around only to be staring right at Hellboy's sawed-off horns or down the jaws of a snarling robotic tinder wolf. Hostile workplace at it's truest.


Hellboy sculpture by Ryan Peterson. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony


Animatronic wolf head. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

My visit was timed so any and all top secret projects they may (or may not) be working on were not in view. They're currently working on an upcoming Martin Lawrence movie. (See below.) I saw dismembered portions of Mr. Lawrence throughout the shop. His head here, lips there. A leg on a shelf, torso on a table. Really, really surreal.


Martin Lawrence mold. (Click image for large.) © William Anthony

In the next few weeks we'll set up a time and concept for his portrait. And given the location and subject, anything is possible.

Stay tuned.

Jetstream

Starfighter (Click image for supersize.) © William Anthony

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter was known by its pilots as "Zipper, Missile With A Man In It, Widowmaker, Flying Coffin, Ground Nail, Bullet & Blades, Badmash & Wicked One."

And those are the flattering ones.

Easter

(Click image for supersize.) © William Anthony

I took this photograph March 3, 2003—the evening before we invaded Iraq at a peace rally in Seattle.

Space Ghosts

Mercury program helmet. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We visited the California Science Center today. They have two actual full NASA spacesuits on display. I was fascinated by the helmets. We find such interesting ways to protect the precious organ that gets us in all the trouble in the first place—the brain.


Apollo pressure bubble helmet. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - Las Vegas, NV

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Happy Valentine's Day

Home of the World Famous... ? (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Merry Christmas

Fulton St., Brooklyn, NY (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - NYC (Part 2)

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

While in NYC, I finally made my way down to the temporary WTC Memorial at Ground Zero.

So sad on so many levels.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - NYC (Part 1)

Home of Liz Lemon. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Just returned from a week-long trip to New York City to show the portfolio around town and tour a few studios. The following are a few frames of personal shots from around the city.

Christmas in NYC, especially with snow, is amazing. I look forward to returning.


Chelsea Market. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


The Standard Hotel from The Skyline. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Lone chair near The Skyline. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Prius with snow and sneakers. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


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

On the Road - Farewell Ryan & Julie

Goodbye, home. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

By pure providence, my trip to Seattle coincided with the departure of two of my best friends from the Emerald City. I met Ryan first, circa 2004, through the music community. Sometime thereafter Ryan began dating "The Girl Next Door." Literally. They were neighbors. They fell in love. Happily ever after, etc. Since then, they have been friends, confidants and double-date partners.

They lived in a small, 20s era courtyard apartment complex officially known as "The Taylor Court Apartments." Unofficially known by residents as "Ghetto Melrose Place" or just "Ghetto Melrose." Anyone who visited them or participated in their epic barbecues or annual Halloween Party can attest to the wonderful spirit at that place.

When Pamela and I left Seattle back in Summer '08, our very last stop before hitting the road for SoCal was Ghetto Melrose. And it was there that Ryan took the last photos of us as residents of the 206. The photos were beautiful, lyric.

Since I was present for their last day there as well, I took the photo above as payback. And though not nearly as artful as Ryan's, I think I captured the feeling quite well.


Progress looms. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Not unlike us, a few years back they became restless. They were changing. Seattle was changing. Some changes were subtle, some not. The seven story condo abomination built behind their building that brought nearly a year of construction noise and stole their late afternoon sunlight was an obvious one. And the last one.


Home Sweet Home 2.0. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

As of last week, they are residents where the nights are long, the stars bright: Texas. Austin specifically. I felt honored to be there as they said goodbye to the city that changed all of us. I know it was just as emotionally confusing as when we left. I was glad I could be there.

The Rainier beer tallboys and Ryan's incredible bbq fish sandwiches didn't exactly hurt either.

On the Road - Seattle, WA (Part 4)

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On a quiet, winding road alongside Lake Washington there is a small nondescript grassy park with a small lonely bench. A casual passerby may not even notice it. When I lived in Seattle I must have driven by it 20 times and never even saw it. That is, until one walks up to the bench to find it covered in scribbles and carvings written to "Kurt." That Kurt would be Kurt Cobain and that park sits adjacent to the house were he died 15 years ago.


"Sorry about the Guitar Hero thing." (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Officially, it's called Viretta Park. Informally, it's known as "Kurt's Park" and is the defacto Cobain memorial in Seattle. Every time I've visited it's a completely new bench, covered in messages like a guestbook. I've always been fascinated by the way people communicate indirectly like this. A long conversation taking place between people, separately, all drawn together by a single purpose or the emotions of loss.


Rest in Peace. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I visited Kurt's Park this time with my 15 year old nephew. He's a huge Nirvana fan. It dawned on me as I photographed him at the park that he was born the year Kurt died. He's a physical reminder of the time that's gone by since that horrible day. As I watch this long-haired rebellious kid, who loves playing his guitar, wearing Converse sneaks with "Endorsement" written in Sharpie marker on the toes, I realize that Kurt really does live on.

Endless, Nameless.



Smoke offering. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - Seattle, WA (Part 3)

Mudhony (sic). (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Grunge history in the throne room of Scott Colburn's recording studio/church in Ballard.

On the Road - Seattle, WA (Part 2)

Lake Union from the Space Needle. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Picture Train

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This past weekend they were filming Leonardo DiCaprio's latest film Inception downtown. How did I learn this? Why, the full-size, drivable locomotive parked on Hill St. that's how.


That's going to be a bitch to tow. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Prop Shop Sale

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

There are numerous prop shops in this neighborhood. Which makes sense considering how many productions happen here. There's one particular shop on Colyton St. that opens it's warehouse every now and then to sell off excess inventory.

Communication Arts Photography Annual 2009

Cover image © Andrew Zuckerman

I am proud to announce my inclusion in the 50th Anniversary of the Communication Arts Photography Annual.

From 8,612 entries, 157 were chosen for inclusion in the annual and I am honored to be one of them. Below is the winning image. The annual is the September/October issue and should be on newsstands shortly.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - Manhattan

Dapper isn't Dead. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Chotskies. aka "tchotchkes." (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Times Square (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Don't Walk (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


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


Tourist Dad (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - New York City

The Hot Seat (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Dreaming on Mill St.

Mill St. between 7th & Industrial (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

UPDATE 8/3/09:
It's the work of artist Phil Lumbang. Thank you Phil. Thank you very much. So glad you chose our neighborhood.

Unwelcome

Stencil on S. Hewitt St. / Unneeded apostrophe on E. 3rd St (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

These are constant reminders that we live in an cultural ecotone.