Los Angeles

I quite like Instagram at the moment.  I’m trying to only follow photographers as that makes for a more interesting home page for me, I don’t like to be plagued by endless selfies and photos of what folk are having for tea, that’s what Facebook is for.

My most popular image is one I took in L.A. several years ago and whilst I’m currently image-less on the phone it makes sense to tell you about this time.

Jade was working over in L.A. for a number of weeks and had a large suite in a hotel for the duration of his stay.  So with the promise of free accommodation and some free time on my hands I grabbed a cheap flight and flew over, this was my first trip to the USA.  With the 7 hours time difference I was wide awake at 5a.m. on the first morning so I grabbed my camera and went for a walk.  The first person I met was a large lady wearing an umbrella hat.  I hammed up my best British accent (naively thinking that the yanks love an English accent) and said, “Good morning.  I’m a photographer from England and was just wondering if you would allow me to take a photograph of you?”.  She smiled and began to pose and told me she was a teacher who likes to walk to the school where she works and it takes her 2 hours.  She was a lovely lady and certainly the loveliest person I met in Los Angeles during my stay, but she had inadvertently lead me into a false sense of security.

I left her to continue on her journey to school and walked into a nearby neighbourhood.  I then saw a pastel green wooden house with 4 Hispanic gentlemen sat outside being illuminated nicely by the morning sun.  Knowing what a success my accent had had on the first person I met I hammed it up a little more this time, “Morning!”, raising my voice so they could hear me from the bottom of their garden, “I’m a photographer from England and I was wondering if you gentlemen would mind me taking a photograph of you?”.  One of the chaps rose from his seat and wandered over to me in a very relaxed fashion.  As he neared me he pulled out a pistol, I think it was a 9mm Beretta, and put it towards my head.  He then calmly said, “Get the fuck out of here mother fucker before I fuck you up”.  I did exactly as he suggested.

I think Los Angeles is a horrible place.  It’s false, the people are horrible and there are far too many of them and apart from the teacher lady, they don’t like you taking photos of them.  If I can help it I will never return.

"The Popular Image (Also seen on Channel 4!)"

"Jade the Surfer"

"L.A. Beach & Pier"