For the Love of LA

I moved to Los Angeles, CA from the East Coast in October of 2016. My experience with moving to LA was highly formative in that it was the first time I lived in a city that inspired me photographically. When I first arrived, busy and occupied with a new full-time job, I didn’t have much time to go out and shoot with my camera. Instead, I began capturing moments with my iPhone camera that I saw during my everyday routine. Inspired by California’s rich photographic history from Ed Ruscha’s ‘Some Apartments in Los Angeles’ to Ron Jude’s ‘Lago’ - I slowly began to collect images that captured the joy of experiencing not only a new city but a new phase of life. In my late twenties and on the other side of the country from everything I’d known before, I was empowered by the feeling of endless possibility that many who live in LA understand. The architecture, light, and plants felt like my own personal film set and I was exhilarated at what new visual discoveries I’d encounter each day. I wanted to cherish this phenomenon in the form of picture-making that felt attainable and authentic to that stage of my life. Though I don’t make photographs like this much anymore, I still love LA with all of my heart. I have some works of this series hanging in my apartment to remind me of why, after a pandemic and multiple ups and downs, I never want to live anywhere else.