The Peps.

(Click image for large.) © William Anthony

This is Pepper. (aka "The Peps.") She was made by our good friends Tom and Kristy. Yes, that is her real hair. No, I did not Photoshop her eyes. She really is just that cute. (And better behaved than some celebrities I've worked with.)

Look out Anne Geddes.

Cindy Ortega for Eco-Structure Magazine

Click image to go to site.

My portrait of Cindy Ortega, Senior VP of Energy and Environmental Services for MGM Mirage, photographed at the new CityCenter in Las Vegas is now featured in the March 2010 issue of Eco-Structure magazine. We did the shoot in the beautiful pocket park area between the Aria casino & hotel and the Crystals shopping complex.

Ms. Ortega did the impossible. She oversaw the "greening" of the largest privately-financed construction project in history. No small task. She was gracious throughout the shoot and her enthusiasm for the project beemed through her smile. There's no doubt her pioneering management of this daunting task will forge a path for all new construction on this scale to do so with minimal impact on the environment. If CityCenter, under the skilled guidance like Ms. Ortega's, can do it for a 16,797,000 square foot, $11 billion (with a "B") complex, anyone can.

Quote of the day from the shoot while discussing cheap, overused, environmentally caustic plastics: "You know that new car smell everyone loves? It's really bad for you."


(Click image for supersize.) © William Anthony

Len Anderson IV in Plane & Pilot Magazine

Click image to go to site.

My photograph of pilot-turned-actor/screenwriter Len Anderson was used in a recent feature in Plane & Pilot magazine.

Laurie Records - Casting Director

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Laurie Records is a casting director. She is the sole proprietor of Laurie Records Casting, and fellow Seattle transplant. I was introduced to Laurie by my good friend, incredible musician and all-around awesome human being, Jared Clifton.

Jared's been a big fan of my work since forever and when his long-time friend needed some portraits, he was gracious enough to recommend me. Laurie moved here to L.A. ten years ago from Seattle. We met up to talk photos and ended up talking about our weirdest experiences in Los Angeles. (And there were many. Too many.)


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

We scheduled a shoot a week later. She's an absolute sweetheart and completely photogenic, despite her saying otherwise—repeatedly. She really made my job easy.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Photo Assistant: Pamela Sunnarborg
Humor Consultant/Stunt Best Friend: Fawnda McMahan

Robert Stromberg - AVATAR Art Director

I had the distinct pleasure and honor to meet an Oscar winner a few days ago, the smile on his face still fresh from picking up his statue and giving an emotional acceptance speech on the stage at the beautiful Kodak theatre.

Robert Stromberg won the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Award for Best Art Direction for the James Cameron epic AVATAR. I photographed him for ARTSTARS.us. And I was fortunate enough to sit in on the interview as well. I learned a lot in those 45 min.

Robert grew up in Carlsbad, CA, a short one hour drive from L.A. As a child he wanted to be an artist for a living, but wasn't sure how. Like countless others, he moved to Los Angeles in hopes of making a career out of a passion. He enrolled at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and slept on a friend's couch while working a labor job loading boxes into a van. A short-lived job that ended when, get this, he was caught drawing on the job.

One by one, Robert landed industry jobs. Sweeping an entire empty theater as a production assistant one day, a commissioned matte painting the next. And with each paycheck, he would say to himself excitedly, "Can it get any better than this?"

Then came the plot twist present in any movie worth its salt. Only this was all too real.

After hearing his name following "the winner is..." he walked to the mic and revealed, to many for the first time, that he is a cancer survivor. Thirteen years ago he was given a grim diagnosis followed by an even more grim prognosis. But he fought it and the fight was worth it. After beating the disease, he promised to make the rest of his time worth every minute. He speaks fondly of his wife, but especially his kids. Tom, creator of ARTSTARS.us, is a brand new first-time father. So it was not surprising that the first 15 minutes of the interview were dominated by talk of being a father. Come to think of it, though enthusiastic about AVATAR, it was overshadowed by his love of fatherhood.

Here I was, looking at a man at the top of his game—his life for that matter. Triumphant in every way.

Tom asks a few of the same questions to every interviewee. One is "Any advice to young people getting into the biz?" Robert answered with the expected requirements of passion and drive, but he also added in that "luck favors the prepared." I laughed to myself quietly. This is one of my favorite quotes and my fiancée had just texted this to me earlier in the day as an affirmation.

We shook hands and he was off as quickly as he came. But his impression on me stayed behind.

Cancer survivor, family man, Oscar win for doing what once got him fired from a job—can it get any better than this?

See his entire interview at ARTSTARS.us.

Architect magazine -Spacio Design

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The March issue is out with my portrait of Kiel and Shaunt.


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

Almost Famous in Vegas

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

While setting up for a portrait at the ARIA Resort and Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the hotel dispatched a young man named Brandon to help tidy up the location. While he did, I asked if he'd be willing to stand in for a light test. He responded, "Will I be famous?"

Well, I guess if you consider my blog fame, then yes Brandon, you are now famous.

Thanks for your help buddy...

Spacio Design

Shaunt Yemenjian and Kiel Famellos-Schmidt (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Yesterday, I made the long drive up to Fresno to photograph Shaunt Yemenjian and Kiel Famellos-Schmidt from Spacio Design for Architect magazine. We met up, had lunch while discussing the photo and then wandered around downtown scouting for locations. Kiel recommended the view from the top of a nearby parking structure. When we got up to the top I completely forgot about the view from the top floor and began loving the view of the top floor. The light fixtures were straight out of the 1950s and I was being given a gift of good skies and light. We shot for an hour or so and I absolutely love the results.

Look for their story in the March issue.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

about:face submission highlight

I've been there...

Thanks Indira.

Lead Solo

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

As you may already know, I've been collaborating with former Blue Angel-turned-screenwriter/actor Len Anderson on a project dubbed Out of the Blue. When we did the first set of images, Len's Blue Angels flight suit was three hours ahead of us in Pensacola, FL. Undoubtedly, a shot of him in the legendary blue suit was a must. So upon his return to Los Angeles after the holidays, he brought the whole get up to the studio for a portrait to lead the series.

Growing up in a Navy town like San Diego, I've been a lifelong Blue Angels fan. The annual Miramar Airshow with the Blues headlining was second only to Christmas morning in order of importance to me and my brothers. Finally seeing the suit and helmet close-up, with it's unmistakable gold visor, was pretty damn epic.

Len, call sign "Loni," did a full three year tour with the team. He finished as a solo pilot in the #5 aircraft, also known as the "Lead Solo." Before that he flew combat missions over Iraq, attended Top Gun and has logged over 250 carrier landings—widely regarded as the "quickest way to shit your pants on the job." The question now is, has all that prepared him for battling Hollywood?

At least F-18s have ejection seats.

A girl named Remy

Framing up. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A few weeks back, good friend and photographer Remy Haynes asked if I wouldn't mind helping her out on a shoot for her very timely Currency Project. What originally started as me recommending locations here in my neighborhood turned into me lugging lights. Voluntarily no less! I really wanted to see one of her Currency shoots in action. She'd been talking about it for months. Besides, it's nice to occasionally put the camera down and instead juggle C-stands and yell "game off" when a cars come down the street.

I've known Remy for years now. We met while both living in Seattle. As a matter of fact, she was the pathfinder coming down here to Los Angeles. She relocated here about six months before we did. Come to think of it, we used the same movers, car shippers and apartment finders. Needless to say, I owed her.


On set. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Her shoot was with Nate G. and friend Remy N. (Another girl named Remy. What are the chances?) She needed a gritty urban environment for a Twilight-inspired, vampire homage shot. This part of town set the standard for gritty. I knew just the spot.


Nate and the other Remy. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

So as we all headed down to a nearby warehouse district street, I grabbed my old Canon AE-1. It had an unfinished roll of film in it. What kind of film I couldn't remember. The counter simply read "5." I figured whatthehell, I'd just snap a few shots throughout the evening and whatever showed up, showed up.


Lit by her own strobes. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

It was SO FUN. I'd never worked side-by-side with Rem. (Her name was truncated to Rem for the day to differentiate talent from shooter.) I shuffled lights around, lifted sandbags and just generally had fun watching Remy—er—Rem, have fun. You can see the wonderful results here.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I am so glad we've kept in touch over the years. Her attitude and generous spirit is a real inspiration to me.

And best of all, Nate showed up on film! So much for vampire.

Michael Novotny - Production Designer

Shot at the Warner Bros. Lot (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Another installment for the ARTSTARS.us blog. Tom and I drove on to the Warner Bros. lot of sound stages for this one. Michael Novotny is the Production Designer for CBS's The Mentalist. He has a long and storied career. He's also the father of CSI's Dan Novotny. (The pencil doesn't fall far from the drafting board.)

In addition to the close-up hero shot for the blog, I knew I had to get a shot of Mike in his golf cart. The Art Dept. was having trouble with other departments mistakenly lifting their cart, the preferred vehicle at WB. Mike's assistant, Julie, told me he wanted to make his cart unmistakable. No wait, I'm paraprashing. What she actually said was, "Did you see the ducks on the roof?"

Two mallards in a boxy version of a pond are what now differentiate Mike's golf cart from everyone else's. He drove this thing around like a madman. I nearly fell out—twice. And the thought of seeing this cart whizz by with two ducks leisurely enjoying the ride, bills to the wind, made me smile.

No one mistakenly takes his cart anymore.

Look for the interview with Mike soon on ARTSTARS.us.

UPDATE: Read the interview here.

Trigger Street Productions

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

All good things must come to an end. And some ends are more fun than others. The following is definitely the latter.

A shoot I did last Saturday marked the end of my personal, neighborhood project I called The 90021 Project. And it's a shoot that's been in the works for months. Here in the Biscuit Company Lofts, one of our neighbors is Trigger Street Productions. Formed by Kevin Spacey in 1997, it's a production company that has produced titles for stage and screen. Also, it's web site is an online community of established, emerging and aspiring screenwriters, actors and waitstaff. (Remember, this is Hollywood.)

But to me, Trigger Street is Dana, Carter, Andy and Matt. Four guys, on a mission. What that mission is, I am not sure most of the time. But whatever it is, it looks and sounds like a lot of fun. Dana's the boss, Carter is the right hand man, Andy sets up picks and assists with the video editing and Matt is the good-natured nice guy that everyone gives shit to. Ok, just Dana. Dana gives him shit. Nonstop.

We quickly became friends when Pamela and I started up Trivia Night across the street at the local English Pub. They were usually the loudest team at the bar. I immediately liked them.

They're a different kind of Hollywood production company. Namely, they're not in Hollywood. They moved to downtown to get away from the influence as best they could. (Thankfully they didn't mimic Kubrick and move to England. Oh wait, Kevin did. Nevermind...)


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Once I started The 90021 Project, I thought it would be cool to try and illustrate that outsider ethos in a portrait. But at first, I didn't think they'd be up for my idea for the shot. In time, I got the balls up to ask Dana and he loved the idea.

I wanted shots that typified the Trigger Street attiude and highlight each guy's unique personality. Dana's the guy that can make it though a Mardi Gras riot without messing up his hair or losing a cufflink. Carter often times seems to look on at his colleagues with incredulous disbelief. Andy has dashing good looks that nearly always gets him in trouble. And Matt, well... Matt is just Matt.

We had a blast at the shoot despite the 6am call-time. Dana's fiancée, costume designer/stylist Johanna Argan, did an amazing job with the costumes. Hair and make up artist Tania McComas gave Andy a shiner and a fat lip. (Not the first or last to do so I am sure.)

And with this shoot I close The 90021 Project. It's been a great adventure and I've met some wonderful people during the process.

I just hope I don't have to get the guys Hepatitis shots because of shooting this on the 6th St. bridge...


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Production Manager: Pamela Sunnarborg
Photo Assistant: Jeff Johnson
Wardrobe/Styling: Johanna Argan
Hair/Make up: Tania McComas

about:face submission

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Thanks Jason!

See more here.

ARTSTARS.us

Click to go to ARTSTARS.us. © William Anthony

Today marks the launch of ARTSTARS: Conversations with Production Designers & Art Directors. Created by friend, neighbor and Production Designer, Tom Lisowski, it's a blog of interviews he conducted with some of Hollywood's leading PDs and ADs. Don't know what a Production Designer in Hollywood actually does? Neither did I. This is a good primer. Already in the industry? This is great insight to some of Tinsel Town's best films and how they were made.

Tom asked if I'd be up for shooting portraits of his interviewees. I was happy to, as I got to sit in on the interviews. These are very interesting guys. They all share a passion unlike any other in filmmaking. A passion for the craft of make-believe but very different than the screenwriter or director. Because their role in the production of a film is so wide-reaching, most are adept at not only drawing and designing but sawing and hammering as well. And they love talking about all of the above in minute detail.


Documentarian Daniel Raim (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Tom's launching with four great, in-depth interviews. He has many more lined up including more industry legends.

Check it out for yourself here.

Danny Clinch

Danny Clinch, NYC. 2004 (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A big congratulations to photographer Danny Clinch for the recent feature in Communication Arts magazine. It's long overdue. While wandering through a bookstore in 2000 I stumbled across his first book Discovery Inn and was instantly inspired and motivated. Danny's second book, When the Iron Bird Flies, got me into the art of the impromptu portrait. And it's still one of my favorite genres. WTIBF is a wonderful compendium of some of the best casual portraits of contemporary musicians to date. Really, really great stuff.

So when I opened the new issue of CA last night and saw his name alongside the gorgeous full-page portrait of Ben Harper, a wide smile wiped across my face and I murmured "F--- YEAH."

I met Danny in person at his studio in New York back in '04. We split a six-pack of Corona and shot the shit about bands, photography and New Jersey. I asked if I could take portrait of him. He agreed and told me he always wanted a photo of himself next to all his print boxes. (See above.)

Congrats Danny.

SoSweet

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I am proud to announce my Production Manager (and fiancé), Pamela, has finally launched her custom designer pillow company, SoSweet. For now, she's just got a blog. But the formal web site and international fame and fortune is forthcoming.

Personally, I think her success is nearly assured as she has her own, in-house photographer...

UPDATE: She now has a blog! http://sosweetblog.wordpress.com

about:face submission highlights

Submissions are starting to come in from the promo mailer. The above came from You Kyung Jung in Astoria, NY. Apparently, it reads, "You liar! It's a squirrel!" Okaaaaayyy...

Next, Hollywood producer Dana Brunetti used all the images to make a statement about his industry.



And somehow I just knew dogs and cats would get involved.





Thanks to Amanda Buchan in Seattle (cat) and Lisa Wood in Portland, OR for the dog... er... hydrant.

See more submissions or request a promo for yourself here.

Architect Magazine - December '09

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

As mentioned before, I photographed architect Michael Lehrer for Architect Magazine for the December 2009 "Best Practices" section.

More here.

about:face promo mailer launch

Coming soon to a mailbox near you. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After months of planning and production, we're finally launching the about:face project.

This is my newest promo mailer. Only with a twist.

A while back I photographed clown Peter Pitofsky in the studio. Not your typical clown, he rarely wears face paint but instead contorts his face and body to comedic extremes. (Think Curly from the Three Stooges on a bottle of 5-Hour Energy drink.) I asked Peter to make as many faces as he could and from the resulting 300+ frames, I narrowed it down to the 12 on the mailer.

Above Peter's head is a blank thought or speech "bubble." Each page is perforated and tears into individual 4x6 cards. Instructions direct recipients to write in their own comment, creatively use the card somewhere (the office, local bar, etc) then take a photo of it in use and upload it to an online gallery.


Online gallery of submissions. (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

The idea here is shared creativity and community. I want people to have as much fun using/seeing these as I had photographing them. I can't wait to see what this leads to.

I'll also highlight particularly creative ones here on the blog.

For now, the upload page and gallery are only accessible from the landing page: wmanthony.com/aboutface

If you'd like to participate, send me a request by clicking here.

Credits
Concept: William Anthony
Production Manager: Pamela Sunnarborg
Talent: Peter Pitofsky
Database programming: Carl Collins
Production Art: Julie Wessel
Printing: Clear Image Printing

Out of the Blue - Len Anderson

Then Maj. Len "Loni" Anderson, 2003 (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

In 2003, while volunteering as a photographer for The Museum of Flight in Seattle, I got the opportunity to photograph the Blue Angels as they performed out of Boeing Field for Seafair. As it happened, the one aircraft directly in front of my vantage point, and at the end of my 600mm lens, was the #6 aircraft piloted by Len "Loni" Anderson. The photo above was my favorite by far for its crisp militaryness. (I made word that up.) After the show, I mailed a print to the Blue's HQ in Pensacola and received a really nice message on Blue Angels letterhead and a voicemail from Len thanking me for the photograph.

Fast forward six years to just last month.

While perusing the Twitter feed of my friend, producer Dana Brunetti, I noticed he was followed by a "Lead_Solo." That's airplane geekspeak for one of the solo pilots from the Blue Angels. I clicked and there was Len. Only now he's in the Reserves and in L.A. returning to his theater roots to work on an emerging career as an actor and screenwriter. We reconnected and decided to work on a project together. I had an idea.


Lt. Col. Len Anderson, USMCR (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I was so intrigued by his story I thought it would be a good one to tell through my camera: Former Blue Angel making a career in Tinsel Town. I figured the title Out of the Blue was a good working title. Not only for the obvious story of Len's transition from Blue Angel to civilian, but also how the whole thing came to me out of nowhere.


Security Guard Len (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After becoming friends on Facebook, I noticed Len had a bunch of self-snaps in the many different costumes he wears while playing parts in Hollywood productions. I thought it might be cool to do it as a more formal portrait series. These photos were shot as a proof of concept. And I like the results.


Detective Len (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

I like the idea of Len being static, stoic—letting the costuming speak for itself. Hopefully in the future I'll get to photograph him in many other roles.


Improv Len (Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

You can learn more about Len and all his adventures though any one of his many online resources. He's got a Twitter feed, a Youtube Channel, Facebook Fan Page and probably more that I am not even aware of.

Stay tuned for more.

Michael Lehrer - Architect

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Earlier this week I photographed award-winning architect and art teacher Michael Lehrer at his studio in Silverlake for Architect Magazine. It's a wonderful, open-floor former manufacturing building directly adjacent to a preschool. Michael is a big proponent of artistic "cross-pollination" and the value of playfulness in design. During the day, they open two huge garage doors and the studio is instantly filled with a soundtrack of children playing. I imagine some of those squeals and the laughter make it to the final design of some of their buildings.

Once a month, they order pizza and host a night of life-drawing. Also, there's a workshop where designers are encouraged to use their hands after hours of just their brains. The small, cramped little workshop has birthed composite resin chairs, end tables made from old catalogs and coffee tables with legs shaped like deer hooves.

Michael was a great subject. Open, playful and talkative, he made my job incredibly easy.

He also had two dogs, Lolita and Ginger. They had their photo taken as well. But you'll have to wait til the issue comes out to see them in their debut.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Credits
Production Manager: Pamela Sunnarborg
Photo Assistant: Jeff Johnson

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.

Philip Lumbang III

(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

A while back I blogged about these cavity-inducing, sweet bears some street artist was putting up all over Los Angeles. I discovered the first on Mill St., right near the studio in the Arts District. After some research, I discovered they were done by artist Philip Lumbang. His web site had his contact e-mail address, so I sent him a message asking him if he'd like to participate in my neighborhood photo project 90021. Not surprisingly, his response was friendly and open to the idea.

So after a few weeks of e-mail and phone exchanges, and a very successful solo show of his work I might add, we set up a time and place for the photoshoot. Knowing he's the type to collaborate (be sure to check out his piece "Bear of the Dead" with Ernesto Yerena) I asked him if he wouldn't mind doing a mural specifically for the shoot. Not surprisingly, his response was friendly and open to the idea.




(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

After securing a permission wall (thanks Yuval!), Phil and I discussed ideas. When I see Phil's street work, the thing that strikes me is how seamlessly it fits into the harsh, gritty environment despite its polar opposite mood. Litter, grime and concrete meets fur, smiles and positivity. And somehow, it works. He's THAT talented. I proposed a concept where the lines between the real world and the land of "Awesome Bears" merges.

We agreed on an idea whereby a sampling of his large, rich cast of characters would be watching him paint them. Even down to the last little raccoon interacting with Phil himself.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

By the time he was wrapping up the mural, I realized the beauty of this phenomenon Phil's created. It's HIM. He is the bears. He is the raccoons, the elephants, the little long-eared rabbit looking for trouble. The best art is always a pure reflection of the artist himself (or herself). Phil is softspoken, laid-back and above all else really, really positive. If you met him in a coffee shop, you'd probably sense that right away. Even without the bears. But he's just one guy and can't be everywhere. But these little critters can. So in a sense, Phil's awesome, positive, laid-back fun attitude is popping up everywhere.

And I bet he's pretty friendly and open to that idea.

Follow Phil on Twitter.


(Click image for full size.) © William Anthony

Time-lapse video of the painting/shoot:

Philip Lumbang Paints His Portrait from William Anthony Photography on Vimeo.

Credits
Production Manager: Pamela Sunnarborg
Photo Assistant: Jeff Johnson
Video Producer: Dana Brunetti/Triggerstreet.com
Videographer/Video Editor: Andy McCallie/Triggerstreet.com
Music: "Red Hat" by Ethan Kalar
Special thanks to Yuval Bar-Zemer