D.T.L.A. with A.L.L.

Thanks for checkin' out the Bsombin' blog! My good friend Jeff is the owner of At Last League. It is his apparel company that he's been working on for a couple-few years. He's recently released a new batch of designs that are definitely worth checking out!

 I've know my brother Jefroe for over 25 years. We were introduced through mutual friends, as kids, and became good friends through skateboarding. Over the years we grew out of skating and got into graffiti together (which eventually lead us both to the world or art and design). At one point, we even worked together. We have been through a lot together and have seen one another through some of the best and worst times of our lives. From boys on skateboards to men with computers & cameras, we have had a great friendship and been on a lot of crazy adventures together over the years. Maybe it's because we are both crazy and inspired to create, that our friendship has endured so long. Or maybe it has something to do with the way we motivate and inspire one another. But we are definitely kindred spirits that see eye to eye. I am thankful to have a friend like Jeff. It's always a good to see my brother. With that said, it should come as no surprise that Jefroe is one of my favorite people to go and shoot with. So, when homie hits me up to shoot, I'm almost always down to go. Last April, Froe hit me up one night and wanted to shoot. I had some spots he hadn't been to before, so we climbed in my truck and headed out to downtown...

 

Buds & Bandos

Thanks for checking out the Bsombin' blog! As I mentioned in my last "A Weekend In Guatemala" post, flying back into Los Angeles, and seeing the city lights from the sky, made me want to explore and shoot my city more than ever! So, when my brother Jefroe called and asked if I wanted to go shoot in the hood, I was quick to say yes!

Being that it was 420, my brotha-from-anotha-motha wanted to stop and get some prize winning medication to celebrate the "holiday". So, after meeting up with my bro, we were on our way out to the spot... We ended up somewhere south of DTLA and drove around the area exploring for a while before getting to the dispensary. It was a long wait for the crowned cannabis, but it was worth the wait. Once we were stocked and ready to roll, we made tracks to a "bando" Jefroe knew was close by.

It was an old abandoned logistics company's shipping office and docks which had become home to some of the areas homeless. You could see that people had been living in the building and there were several make-shift tents and enclosures surrounding the building. Not gonna lie to you, at first, I was a little nervous. The place was not the kind of place where you can relax and let down your guard. But after being there for a little while and meeting some of the homeless tenants, I calmed down and was able to focus more on shooting. It was interesting shooting a bando for the first time. It really made me think a lot about a lot. The combination of the homeless people, the abandoned building, all the trash and graffiti everywhere, the tents, the traffic, and the surrounding area being so modern and industrial, made being there feel very surreal and disturbing. It just goes to show how much of a mess our society really is. And how fragile and unstable it is too. Being in a major metropolis and sitting in an abandoned make-shift homeless shelter / street art gallery, had me thinking and feeling all kinds of things. Mostly, though, it brought about feelings of sadness for the homeless, and a greater appreciation for the things in life that I am blessed with. After about 20 minutes of shooting, we decided to vacate and head home.

Along the way, Jefroe encouraged me to do some "drive by shooting", since I was sitting shotgun. He took the long way home so I could get some shots of the city from the freeway. Afterwards we went back to Froe's and celebrated the "holiday" with some more friends. Good times with good friends and great ganja... Great end to a very thought provoking 420. Thanks again for checkin' out the blog! Check back soon for more Bsombin' and for more adventures in the City of Angels.

Another Day Of #ValleyLife

Thanks for checkin' out the Bsombin' blog! So, as most of have to do at one point or another, I had to go to court last year. I won't get into the reasons, since it's a long and complicated explanation. ...Instead, I'll just share some of the architecture shots that the android captured while we were at the Van Nuys court house on that totally awesome fun filled day. 

Android in Riverside

Had some work to do out in Riverside, one hot sunny day. And, the android captured a few shots worth sharing, along the way...

 

ILUMN8 in Chinatown

Thanks for checkin' out the Bsombin' blog. I have a lot of catching up to do, as far as all the stuff I have to post from last year. So, with a few exceptions, I'm going to be writing less about the images and adventures, to help bring things up to speed. Some adventures have to be told. But, for those less exciting outings, I'll just let the images speak for themselves. With that being said...

Last year, ILUMN8 Co. shot sot a look book for the Spring Line in Chinatown. I road along for the fun, after my partner Tony setup  a crew and some locations for the shoot. As usual, I took some shots of my own, while observing the shoot...