Alicia

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Even though we met in 1984, I've really only known Alicia for a few years. Granted, they were those unforgettable, hallowed "formative years."

Alicia and I went to high school together. As a matter of fact, we carpooled every day for the better part of those four years with our crazy buddy Mike D. (Think Mr. Toad's Wild Ride but without the safety bar over your lap.) Mike had an old Ford Ranger we'd all pile into and jump the steep hills behind our school. Three people, one truck cab, four years. And Alicia always got stuck riding in the middle. Poor girl.

We reconnected at my 20 year high school reunion. At the time she was living somewhere in the frozen Middle-North part of the country. She and her beau recently relocated to Los Angeles to advance their travel/film production company Studio Red Dot. And despite the 20 year gap of radio silence—a silence filled with a separate lifetime of experiences, friends, partners, and career choices—it was as if it was just yesterday we were skipping our late classes to run down to Carl's Junior for shit junk food.

Doug Pray | Art & Copy

Dramatic photocopier shot. From DDB Project. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Doug Pray is an incredible filmmaker. I almost wrote "documentarian" but that would be a limiting descriptor. Not all documentaries are as beautifully crafted as Doug's. For some reason, many documentarians feel the subject matter alone is reason enough to carry a film. But ever since seeing the act transition scene showing grainy, handheld camcorder footage of the first time Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was played live in his debut HYPE! I knew this was more than just your average, run-of-the-mill documentary—it was "film." Goosebumps-hold-your-breath-exhale-while-saying-wow-out-loud "film."

Well now Doug has done it again. This time with something many love to hate—advertising. Full disclosure: I used to work in advertising and I have also worked alongside Doug. (See here.) But I have to admit upon learning about his new film, Art & Copy, I gave out an audible "duh." It's a no-brainer. Of course he'd be intrigued by the personalities in advertising. Of course he'd dig deeper into the slogans and taglines that make up our culture's landscape. Doug digs deep. And this new doc looks no different.

And I look forward to seeing it.

Paul Solomon

Crossing the 6th St. bridge with the Biscuit and TOY as backdrop. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The first time I met Paul Solomon I was looking into a lease at the Biscuit Company Lofts. I had just tugged on the BCL office door only to find it locked. They had closed a half hour prior. It was then that I heard a soft-spoken, "Can I help you?" I turned to to find myself looking directly into the chest of an extremely tall man that didn't match the voice.

Paul Solomon is a partner in Linear City, L.L.C., the company that repurposed, among others, a toy factory and biscuit company into some of Los Angeles' finest live/work loft buildings. I happen to live/work in one now. (After, of course, I learned the office hours.)

As time would go by, I'd see Paul out and about in the neighborhood and began to notice that his hair seemed to be growing uncontrollably. And growing. And growing. At some point, I said to him, "... don't cut that hair until I get a portrait of you." A few weeks later, when the coiff reached apogee, we scheduled a shoot. And by then, the fro was in full glory. I knew I wanted a car. But not just any car. A car that not only fit the style but could actually accommodate the monstrous mane. A 1971 Buick Skylark convertable with a few patches of bondo fit the bill. The results were—and I don't say this lightly—epic.

Thanks Paul.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - Aurora, CO

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

Cody

1.5 years old. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Cody is the son of very good friends of ours in Colorado. He is also very easy to photograph. This morning, he stealthily stuffed half of his waffle between the sofa cushions while watching cartoons.

I like Cody.

Bl!sss Magazine

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

My portrait of painter/neighbor Lisa Solberg was published in the Apr. '09 issue of Bl!sss Magazine.

On the Road - Las Vegas, NV (Part 3)

Pink Cadillac. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The reason for our trip to Vegas was that one of Pamela's best friends from high school was getting married and getting married in a very Vegas kind of way. The ceremony took place at the Little White Wedding Chapel in the North part of the strip. It's a famous location of sorts. Joan Collins and Michael Jordan were married here, not to each other mind you, as well as other celebs.

I don't shoot many weddings. And I wasn't the official photographer for this one. Which is nice because it allowed me to roam and capture the spirit of the event from the perspective of a guest. A perspective not usually seen by the bride and groom and one I am very good at. ("Excuse me where is the champagne? Thank you very much.")

And no, they were not married by Elvis.

Best wishes to Stephanie and Mike.


Here comes the bride. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


Tourist drive-by shooting. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


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

Amy

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Amy is bartender at The Royal Clayton's. She is also an aspiring actress. She came over for some headshots and I asked for a few shots in the stairwell of our building. There was something intriguing about the combination of the green dress, hazel eyes, black hair, bricks and the chartreuse door.

Oh, and the motorcycle boots.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Hair/Makeup: Pamela Bjorkland

Lisa Solberg live painting at Andaz Opening

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Our good friend and neighbor Lisa Solberg was featured at the Andaz Grand Opening and Vanity Fair Domino Benefit in West Hollywood on February 20. She performed a live painting in the lobby while guests mingled. Guests included Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore and Prince among many others.

I brought my 4x5 camera to get a nice big portrait of the Lisa and her work. Moments after setting up the camera, I was informed by the head of the hotel's security that someone on the mezzanine was nervous about my camera. I looked up to see Prince's security detail giving me stink eye. Unbeknownst to me, and by no effort on my part, I am the world's first and only large format paparazzi.

UNICEF write-up in PDN Magazine.

(Click image for legible size.) © PDN Magazine

I got a brief mention in the Create: Behind the Lens section of the Feb 2009 issue of PDN Magazine for UNICEF's "Believe in Zero" campaign. (Note: The inset photo is not mine, however.)

On the Road - Yachats, OR (Part 1)

Point and shoot. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the Road - Portland, OR

Brian in his studio. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We're staying in Portland with my good friend Lisa and her husband Brian before heading out to the Oregon coast for a few days. I met Lisa when she was a DJ at KEXP in Seattle. She now lives in Southeast Portland a few blocks from Hawthorne St. Late one evening, after the ladies retired to their chambers, Brian showed me his basement studio/hideaway. He tells me he sits down here for hours on end, recording, mixing and meditating on vinyl. It was an impressive setup. I had to get a few photographs.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We descended and talked for a few hours. Small talk, straight talk, deep thoughts... you name it. I loved it down there. I felt far removed from everything—acoustically and mentally isolated from the world outside. There's something uniquely Northwest about these DIY basement set ups. I had forgotten how comforting they are.

In addition to the hospitality Lisa and Brian exhibited, another plus of staying with them is the complimentary bedwarmer that comes standard with the guest bedroom.

Thanks Lisa, Brian and Annabelle.


The Annabelle Bedwarmer. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Made for Walkin'

Paul at Schatzlein Saddle Shop. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We're heading back to Minnesota later this month to visit family. (The stoic Scandinavian branch of the family tree.) This portrait was taken on our last visit to Minneapolis just over a year ago. It's Paul from Schatzlein Saddle Shop, a family run business that recently celebrated it's 100 year anniversary. That's right, I said 100 years. Paul is third generation Schatzlein and he helped me fit and order a fine pair of handmade Lucchese Black Cherry Buffalo Classics.

I'll be wearing them when we visit him again on this trip.

Tom Garner - Painter/Graphic Designer

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

When one thinks of the Arts District, the type of artist that comes to mind first is the fine art painter. A painter with a loft studio filled with canvases, easels and bottles of wine all against a musical score of some sort playing in the background.

Artist Tom Garner pretty much fits that to a tee.

Tom responded to a community e-mail I sent out looking for portrait subjects in the neighborhood. Upon receiving his reply, I checked out his website and immediately realized that Tom lives in a different visual world than most of us. I was intrigued.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Classically trained, but with a very contemporary interpretation, his work seems familiar at first, but then quickly eludes. With a nod to the Venetian greats, his paintings look classic, but only at first. A good example is his Omaggio A Tiepolo series. This body of work pays homage to the works of classic painters, but with the added element of movement. A technique I, as a photographer, could appreciate. When questioned about how he derived the look, the answer proved simple, and humorous. He would tell me that, as with most museums, photography is prohibited. Therefore, many of his reference photos were taken on the sly. This translates to: quickly, and often—blurred. Lemonade from lemons they say


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The amazing thing about Tom is that painting isn't all he does. His day job is as Director of Graphic Design at Lucky Brand jeans. After our shoot, he pulled out some color digital printouts of tee shirt designs he's hand-lettered or hand-illustrated. All of it stunning. He also teaches painting in the classic style at UCLA. He's a busy guy. The day after our shoot, he was off to Italy to meet up with his wife and son for the Holidays. They split their time between Italy and California.

People like Tom are fast becoming a rarity. A commercial artist who can draw and paint. We discussed graphic design, something I have dabbled in on occasion. He says he's happy the latest trends in graphic design are going back to the fundamentals, when, he concludes, "graphic artists really were artists."

Hear, hear Tom.

UNICEF - Amare Stoudemire

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The UNICEF "Believe in Zero" ad with my commissioned portrait of NBA star Amare Stoudemire has rolled out. Amare was the only portrait subject I've ever shot that required me to stand on not one but TWO full apple boxes. Dude's tall.

For more information on the campaign, click here.

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

Dan - TOY Factory Lofts Security

Dan in his natural habitat. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Meet Dan.

Officially, Dan is security at the TOY Factory Lofts across the street from my building. Unofficially, Dan is a security guard, doorman, dog-sitter, FedEx package signatory, dog treat dealer and overall jovial guy in a polka-dot tie.

Dan moved to Los Angeles from Maryland some years back to deal poker. But he quickly tired of that scene and stumbled onto our little block way the heck out here in industrial-land. And he decided to stay. When asked about the transition and why he can't ever seem to want to leave, he simply says, "I love it here. I REALLY love it here. The people are great." You'd have to love it here to work 6 days a week as he often does.


Dan Field Guide. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Beloved by the tenants—and their four-legged best friends—Dan is a fixture around these parts. He earned that status through his charm, sense of humor and biting, lightening-fast wit that is nearly always delivered completely deadpan.

I befriended Dan while hanging out at The Royal Claytons around happy hour. I'd recognized him as the guy I'd seen sitting in the odd little shipping container box/front desk in the lobby of the adjacent TOY. Only at The Claytons, the tie is gone and his shirt is always untucked (his way of saying "off-duty") as he holds court with a bottomless White Russian in hand.

And if you ask Dan what he does, he'll turn to you and pause with a serious look on his face and reply completely deadpan, "I run the building."

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

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.

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.

Steve Arroyo - Church & State

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Way back when, on our real estate tour of the Biscuit Building with the property manager, the first thing I noticed was the restaurant under construction on the ground floor loading docks. "That will be Church & State" said the rep from the leasing agent. "It will be really cool." Indeed.

After a protracted courtship with the developers, Church & State opened on Sept. 22nd.

The restaurateur (Did you know there's no "n" in that word? Me neither.) is a man named Steve Arroyo—owner of several other successful eateries in Los Angeles, most notably Cobras and Matadors. I introduced myself to him soon after opening day and later hit him up for a portrait. He agreed without a blink. I like this guy.

Softspoken and courteous, Steve indulged my complex lighting melange while nearly falling off his chair from a hard-puffing cigarette buzz. ("More smoke Steve! More smoke!") The restaurant's interior design is a mix of influences from Pastis in the Meat Packing District of NYC to clarklewis in Portland, Oregon. The latter also being a former loading dock in an industrial building. (Look closely at the photo above and you'll see the wine bottles perched on the former loading dock of the Biscuit.) I wanted to place Steve in situ as he fits the decor as someone who's created a space in which he fits perfectly. The mirrors, the Edison bulbs, bricks, steel and bottles of red, red vino all blend with the tats, hat, smokes and lowball glass of swirled aperitif.

Thank you Steve.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Architect Magazine - Steven Lewis

© William Anthony

Last week, I met and photographed architect Steven Lewis here in Los Angeles. Steven is the new President of the National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) and will be featured in a Q & A in an upcoming issue.

Adam and the KIA commercial.

Adam between takes. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This is Adam. He was part of a crew filming a KIA commercial on and around the 6th St. Bridge. I was just sitting there on my bike watching the camera car chase this sporty little KIA car up and down 6th Ave. Then I saw the fro. I walked up and asked if I could snap a few frames. His response?

"Totally."

Thanks Adam.

Personal Work - Aaron

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

This is Aaron. I've known him for about 15 years now. We were co-workers together in the Navy's Marine Mammal Research Program circa '94. We worked for, by far, one of the worst bosses ever. It's true what they say, misery does indeed love company. We'd be stuck on a little 22 ft. Boston Whaler at sea for hours on end thinking of ways to push this contemptible loser overboard and make it look like an accident.

"I could hit a wake too hard," Aaron would say. "Bump! Splash! Half day!"

"The anchor line could wrap around his foot!" I'd respond. "To the bottom. Quickly."

In the end, the only thing that stopped us was the inevitable paperwork that would ensue. So instead we'd just laugh to ourselves and tell horribly inappropriate inside jokes to one another in front of John. (Who was too stupid to realize we were having fun at his expense.)

Aaron was driving through L.A. from San Diego a few weeks back and stopped by the studio to say hi. And thankfully, agreed to a portrait.

Thanks Aaron. Good times buddy.

Personal Work - Aristocat

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

“Looking good is the best revenge.” - Ivana Trump

On the Road - Pittsburgh, PA

Light test with lens flare. © William Anthony

We're currently on assignment again for Architect Magazine. (This time only five cities!) Today we shot a portrait at the beautiful campus of Carnegie Mellon University. Specifically at the very cool "Intelligent Workplace" laboratory where they research sustainable construction techniques and technology including those like this solar photovoltaic panel.

Next up—Philly, PA.

On the Road - Encinitas, CA

Jeff and Christian. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

On the way back from a four day personal trip to San Diego, a stop at Pannikin Coffee, Tea and Spice in coastal Encinitas, California for some coffee beans was in order. While there, I saw a huge mountain of a man in swim trunks and surfer blonde hair standing in line who had a calendar date and time of day tattooed large on his sun-burnt back. At first I wasn't sure what the date could signify. Then, stepping out from in front of him, was the answer—a little boy. A little boy born on that date.

After a brief introduction to the father and son, I asked if I could take a portrait of them, on the spot. Dad agreed with a wide, proud smile.

Turns out Jeff runs a surf school. If you're in North San Diego County and want to learn how to get tubed or go toes-to-the-nose, drop him a line.

Personal Work - Pop

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

While on assignment for Architect Magazine earlier this year, we met "Pop" in Baltimore. Pops ran the construction elevator at the Silo Point project. All Pop does, all day, is run the elevator. Up. Down. Up. Down. Need to know which floor has a porta-potty? Pop simply points to the dry erase board to his left while he leans forward and looks downward to make sure the floor of the elevator car lines up with the poured concrete floor of each level. Need help loading three cases of camera gear onto the elevator? Pop knows just the right (younger) construction workers to help you with that. Pop never leaves the elevator. And his job description is pretty simple. Open door. Close door. Up. Down.

Interestingly, Pop doesn't take a lunch break. He takes his lunch with him. Hanging from the metal grating sides of the elevator is a thermos full of hot coffee—it was in the mid-30s when we were there, a little colder on the upper floors in the wind—and his lunch pail. He eats on the fly, literally.


Pop's Office. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Everyone on the job site seemed to love Pop. Or at least respect him. After the official portrait shoot of the architect on the 23rd floor, on our way down, I asked Pops if I could take his picture. He smiled from ear-to-ear and the cold, rickety, mud-covered elevator car warmed up a few degrees.

I was glad to break his routine if even for just a few minutes. But as soon as I finished, he turned back around, hand on the lever.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

UNICEF - "Believe in Zero" Campaign

Appropriately, my first assignment in LA was a celebrity shoot. A public service campaign for UNICEF USA. I photographed husband and wife duo, Joel Madden and Nicole Richie as well as NBA star Amare Stoudemire for the "Believe in Zero" print campaign.

Look for the campaign to roll out later this year.

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

Alaska Airlines

I just completed a great assignment for Alaska Airlines. The Seattle-based airline needed some imagery of their employees for collateral and photo library. My crew and I spent two full days at Seatac Airport photographing staff and crew going about their work day in the terminals, gates, aircraft and their ultra-snazzy "Boardroom" VIP lounge.






All images © William Anthony

Great people. Great airline.

Credits
Photo Assistant: Ryan Schierling
Styling: Jenny Verador
Alaska Airlines Brand & Product Marketing Manager: Kathy Weishaar
Agency: HMG

Eights cities. Ten portraits. Eleven days.

Architect Lynn Befu in San Francisco, CA © William Anthony

Just got back from a feature assignment for Architect Magazine. Myself and my producer, Pamela, traveled across the United States on a seriously compacted schedule. It looked something like this:

SanFranciscoDallasNewOrleansStLouisBaltimoreNewYorkChicagoBoston

Actually, it felt exactly like that. The usual schedule was wake up call, check-out, cab to location, scout, set up, shoot, strike, cab to airport, turn off cell phone, fly, eat pretzels with ginger ale, land, turn cell phone on, cab to hotel, sleep. Repeat every day for 11 days. Only in two cities, NYC and SF did we stay two days and got some breathing room.

All hardships aside, we had great shoots. Wonderful people, great weather and only a few broken pieces of equipment. (Thanks American Airlines!) Speaking of American Airlines, apparently, I am an asshole. Or so says an unknown American Airlines baggage handler in SF, Dallas, New Orleans or St. Louis.


This may as well have said "Broken Items Inside." © William Anthony

I discovered this little gem hanging on my large Pelican 1650 rolling case housing my lighting kit. I didn't discover it til I was at La Guardia. So I am not sure which airport staff was so kind as to leave me their note of discontent. And the thing that kills me is my case was WELL below the 100 lbs maximum for checked baggage and one of only two oversized. (Sigh.)

The photographs came out great though, and well worth the effort. I'll post a few more shots here when the issue streets.

Credits
Producer: Pamela Sunnarborg
Art Director (Architect Magazine): Aubrey Altmann