Stephen & Mauricio - Venice Beach Boardwalk, Venice - Beat

 

 

Mauricio (left) and Stephen (right) met earlier today and started jamming together on the Venice Beach Boardwalk. Their sound was on point and mad props to Stephen for making that drum set.

PS. Pictures I took earlier in the day at the Venice Canals...

 

 

 

 

Silky Blue & Jeff - Pershing Square, Downtown - Open

 

 

 

 

 

From time to time I encounter such interesting characters and the conversations are so captivating that my post cannot do my experience justice. Sometimes the pictures speak for themselves, but in this particular post, these individuals' spirits and conversation delightfully surpassed my original expectations of this photographic project.

Today I returned to Pershing Square where I met Silky Blue who was taking a moment out of the day to eat lunch and relax. Silky showed off some beautiful jewelry and had fun smoking while I captured some shots.

Jeff started chatting with me when he saw my camera and this casual interaction turned into an hour of incredible stories. This lovely man from Macedonia described his childhood, what it was like to grow up in a Communist country, his love for soccer and how he has read only 10 books in his life, most significantly the Bible. He read the Old Testament for 5 days and 5 nights and upon completion, headed to McDonald's for some much needed sustenance. Before he could reach the counter, he collapsed from exhaustion and woke up the next day a religious man. Jeff's positivity emanated from every story he told and I wish him the very best.

 PS. Some pieces from the Art Squared Outdoor Cityscape gallery at the square.

Isabella, Hannah & Molly - Barnsdall Art Park, Los Feliz - Change

 

 

Isabella (left), Hannah (center), and Molly (right) were chilling out and enjoying the holiday at Barnsdall Art Park. I had a delightful time chatting with these stylish ladies and I learned that Molly moved to Los Angeles yesterday. Props for already repping our Lakeguys with that hat. Welcome to La La Land! I hope it treats you well. :)

PS. More pictures from the art park. Today was my birthday so I went to my favorite public space in Los Angeles as a present to myself (I also gifted myself a bowler hat...). I had a lovely afternoon and enjoyed the simple act of sitting on a rock, being warmed by a star.

 

 (what do you see?)

The Dog People - Cristina & Desmond - Mulholland Fountain, Los Feliz

 

 

I've been trying to shoot at the William Mulholland Memorial Fountain for a few weeks now, as it is quite a beautiful site. However, it's tucked between the 5-freeway and Los Feliz Blvd, making it slightly isolated and somewhat empty during the day. It's still popular for dog walkers and I was lucky enough to catch Cristina walking her dog Desmond. Yes, that is Desmond after the loveable, Scottish character from Lost and yes, that is a Dharma Initiative dog tag (as a fellow Lost fan, I find that totally awesome). Cristina, originally from Long Island, just moved to the area from Laguna Beach and walks with Desmond by the fountain on the daily.

 PS. More pictures of the fountain...