oldies.

I took these photos a few years back. My friend Angelo was going down to Tijuana to pick up some car parts his lo-lo ('68 Impala). I decided to cruise with because I thought it would be cool to roll and it's always fun just to sit back and snap photos on a drive. We were also going to stop and get some tacos so I definitely wanted to go and get my grub on.


This pic I snapped as we were driving through a part of Tijuana that was extremely run down. It is so sad to know that people live in conditions like these. These shacks are barely standing.

unfortunate housing.




Angelo driving in Tijuana.




agua.

One mic.

keep passin' me by.


all I need.


rep to the death of it.


let it go.

I met this guy last night. I was walking down G street in downtown and I heard him playing his guitar and singing. I am not going to lie, I actually thought he had a very good voice. I went back to my car and grabbed my camera. I came back and motioned to him if I could snap some photos, to which he gave the universal nod of acceptance. As I snapped the pics, people walked by and watched. A couple passing by cheered him on, offering words of encouragement. They tossed a couple of bucks into his guitar case, which sat open as if saying "show me some love" on this cold night. I took a couple of more pics and people looked over as they passed him sitting on the cold bricks outside the theater. I started talking to him, introducing myself. His name is Brennan. Hailing from Michigan, he decided to travel around with friends some time ago, eventually landing in America's finest city. The last 4 1/2 years of playing the guitar, he now plays for those who will listen as they walk the streets of downtown.

Recent article about Levi's exhibit

Another article about the Levi's exhibit in San Francisco. Check it out and enjoy.
http://www.corduroymag.com/fashion/jay-carrolls-one-trip-pass
Still cannot say how honored I am to have a photograph included as a part of the exhibit.

Introducing, Oleg Gladkoff

Mr. Oleg Gladkoff

ABC Piano Co.

I met this man a few days ago. His name is Oleg Gladkoff. He runs ABC Piano Co. in North Park on El Cajon Blvd. I guess you could say that I have met him before, but that was in passing. I remember going into his store months ago, after driving by it, to browse around and check out pianos. Not that I actually have the money to buy a piano, let alone the space for it, but I have always had a fascination with those black and white keys. A few years back I took some piano lessons and enjoyed it, but not having an actual piano to practice on, quickly derailed that experiment. I remember going into ABC Piano Co. and asking the price about a couple of the ivory-keyed beasts and perusing for a few minutes at most.


pianos.



keys.

What made me return to that store? Do I have the money or space for a piano? Negative. You see, I get ideas for paintings and photographs from out of nowhere usually. The other night I was watching television, and for no reason really, an idea popped into my head. I started to get ideas to shoot a piano. While I was thinking about the different shots I could get, I remembered that store. Then I started thinking about how it would be interesting to not only get shots of different pianos, but also possibly shooting some of the owner and hopefully getting him to play the piano.


Nickelodeon piano.



bare all.

I drove there not really knowing what to expect. I walked in with my camera in hand and an extra roll of black and white film. I was looking around as the older gentleman, Mr. Gladkoff, walked out. He gave me his sales pitch on a couple of pianos, explaining to me that these pianos were built to last. He showed me the difference between a real wooden piano and one made with particleboard. A Baldwin piano, he assured me, was the piano for me. I was astonished at how low he was selling them. As I looked at the writing on the outside of the window, he is currently having a clearance sale. Unfortunately, the ABC Piano Co. is closing. He came to reveal to me that he recently had a stroke and is therefore selling his store. No longer able enough to work on all of the pianos himself and put them back together again; he must get rid of them. While talking to him, he tells me he has to use “those spring things” to help build back the muscles in his hands. As I ask him whether he is still able to play he tells me he does because it helps work the muscles in his forearms, and sits down to play. I quickly and politely ask if I may take some photos to which he agrees. I was only able to snap a few of him while he tickled the ivories.


Play.


Baldwin.

As we continued to talk he showed me a picture that was taken of him in his twenties, which was published in The New York Times. Originally from Ukraine, he came to make his way to the United States. He told me about serving in the Army for a few years, how he lived and played the piano in New York and Boston, before coming out to San Diego.


felt covered hammers.


Grand Piano.

“If it wasn’t for the piano”, Oleg Gladkoff said, “I would not be alive today.” He told me a story about the day Nazis raided his home. As they went through his house, they asked him to play the piano. He obliged. What ensued was the magic of music. The notes he played hit a chord within those men. The soldiers went from pointing their guns at him, to shaking his hand and thanking him for the music he had just played. As Mr. Gladkoff said to me, “Music has a way of getting into your soul.”



soul.

Coming soon....

So I have like 7 rolls of film that I need to develop, and soon. They are mostly color but I have a couple of rolls of b&w that I am SOOOOO anxious to see how the pics come out. If they come out how I envisioned them, they will be SICK. Some of the b&w's are from an idea I got one night and the next day went out and shot it. The other pics are of an author that needed some photos taken so he can put one in his next book. As soon as they are developed I will post some on here.

Oh and the color rolls are from about a weeks worth of going out and shooting sunsets at different beaches. That's for a commissioned project and requests for sunsets. I'm excited for these too.