PATTERNS AND TONES

I'm happy to announce this year's photographic series I'm dedicating myself to is "A Day In The Life Of A Rock n' Roller". I have been dying to document those I know and admire and photograph them from early in the morning to late into the evening to give the world a glimpse into the lives of those who I feel embody the spirit of rock and roll. Across many different fields of interests, I want to capture the underlying thread that binds them all together and document the raw passion and nature of their individuality and verve. The first installation of this series was with the fabulous and amazing Los Angeles music promoter Asia Muka. Generously giving me her time and allowing me a peek into her personal world, Asia's day was filled with music, passion and fun. I met Asia at a nightclub after my band The Checkers had just played a set. I immediately sensed her enthusiasm and pure passion for Rock and Roll music. I haven't seen this kind of fe...

Tim Armstrong I was working at Looking Glass  Photo & Camera down on Telegraph Avenue for a year or two while I was going to college. I often brought my twin lens with me to shoot some street scenes while in transit. Sometime I would just stroll all the way down Telegraph, from the UC campus to the border of Oakland where my job was, as I had a lot of friends that worked in shops along the way. It was a time warp for me to spend time in an area that I had known since childhood. My Great Uncle Rick Ratto ran the pawn shop across the street. My Mother and her family had moved from Boston in 1950 and had lived for 35 years in a house a few blocks away on 61st Street in Oakland, a home that held some of my very first memories. The year was 1988, a time when the streets of Berkeley were a mix of people filled with those who had recently been dropped off from the Napa State Hospital , college kids, die hard hippies, homeless folk and local punks. It was a community tha...

Is there a better way to start the New Year off than having a couple of hours to photograph one of the best rock and roll bands on the scene today at soundcheck? There's just nothing better in my book... The Jim Jones Revue came rolling into town for a rocking gig on the Sunset Strip at The Viper Room  January 2nd. It was a treat and a thrill to hang out with these rock and rollers from the UK. They had just started  The Savage Heart North American tour , with dates predominantly on the East Coast and Canada. Lucky for those of us in Los Angeles, they stopped by for one night to bring straight up punk rock blues to our town. Viva La Rock! Julie Pavlowski Green January 11, 2014

In my perpetual fascination with architecture conversions, the Fotomat still holds a dear place in my heart and I photograph them when ever I can. Like Taco Bell's from the 60's with their stone-like arched brick facades or the blue roof tops of the local I-Hop, Fotomats were very distinctive structures that you could spot from a mile away. They were usually placed in large shopping mall parking lots. You may be looking at this image of "Hartz Flowers" in Danville, California wondering where the structure of the original Fotomat could be. I too would be hard pressed to think it ever began its life as a Fotomat, that is if I didn't actually grow up in this town and visit this very Fotomat as a teenager! This Fotomat lived right across the street from my high school, just south of the donut shop we used to hang out at. This is a very rare extension of the traditional Fotomat structure. Completely remodeled and expanded, all that is left of the original s...