This photo is from the Downtown Los Angeles Artwalk, held on the second Tuesday of the month in what's known as Gallery Row. These guys take the ambient sounds from the sidewalk, and make music out of it played inside the Bert Green Fine Art gallery. Gallery Row is sandwiched between the high rises and the rapidly shrinking skid row. I've read they are shipping the transients to other parts of L.A. The photo was on the front page of the The Washington Post for a story penned penned by William Booth, who in addition to being my friend, is a great writer for the Post. Now a hip and cool area that's full of artists and hipsters living in lofts in upgraded awesome old buildings , it used to be you were either homeless or nuts to be caught in the area after dark, but now a transformation has happened and it's one of the hotspots in L.A.
Phil Spector , music producer legend, leaves the downtown courthouse after a mistrial was declared in the murder case against him. I read that while celebrities are often convicted of dui's and other offenses, no celebrity has ever been found guilty of murder in Los Angeles, including OJ Simpson , Robert Blake and Snoop Dogg. Looks like they will have a re-trial for Spector next spring. It was not that easy to get photos of Spector when he walked in or out of the courthouse, he had to gigantic bodyguards around him, and he is a fragile, small man...with lots of money! That helps to get the best lawyers and bodyguards.
On October 28 I was assigned to photograph one extremely hard hit block in Ranch Bernardo in San Diego County. 7 of the 9 homes on a cul-de -sac were destroyed by the Witch Fire. These neighbors are so resilient, sticking together through the tragic week. Truly inspirational. No tears today. They were on a mission to move forward.
