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