Los Angeles (1981-1986)
In 1981, after five years on the east coast, I moved from Providence to Los Angeles. I was ready for a change of scenery, and I knew from past experience that the sunshine and warm weather of California would make me feel like I was on permanent vacation. Upon arrival I moved into one of two bungalows in the backyard of a Hollywood mansion (the other was occupied by a writer for the TV show Seinfeld), and eight months later I moved into a rent-controlled Santa Monica apartment that was four blocks from the beach, bought a used Dodge Dart with a slant six engine, and I was in California heaven. I set up a darkroom in my one bedroom, and turned the apartments’s living room into my sleeping area, and I was off and running.
I loved living in LA at that time. It was a vibrant environment, and a great place to shoot in color; and although the light outside was often harsh, I was photographically inspired, especially when the outdoor light lit interiors as it entered through windows and doorways. After about a year in LA I began landing commercial assignments. I would usually shoot those in black and white, so I reconfigured my darkroom, and made the switch from color to black and white for my personal and the majority of my professional work.
Almost everyday, for the time I lived in LA (except when I might be teaching, shooting a freelance job, or working on one of my extended photo essays), I would wake up early, grab my Leica and a bunch of rolls of film, and head out to take photos for the day. Most of the time I would wander the beach and city by myself, spending hours interacting with people and looking for things to photograph, but every once in a while I would have a companion to wander with me. Like myself, most of my friends were unmarried freelancers, so we spent a huge amount of time together, taking hikes and drives, eating mexican food, going to sporting events, hanging with girlfriends, and basking in our freelance freedom. We were in our mid-thirties, unencumbered, and fancy free. None of us were making much money during that time, but at least we were surviving and having a blast, and that was all that seemed to matter to us...but things were beginning to change.
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