Tastes Like Romance.

Romance. One of the most powerful influences in the universe. Romance can make you feel amazing, like a cool breezy drive down the 405; yet in the same breath it can make you sick even to the point where food doesn't taste the same. Romance can make you feel rich and whole, but on the other hand people become broke (literally and figuratively) chasing the wrong ideal or person. Romance can put you in this viscously amorous haze that clouds your judgement, yet it just feels so right. Your friends are useless to these great powers of romance. The force of a thousand freight trains speeding towards you cannot be stopped. Everyone is susceptible to romance, so theres no use in fighting it. But this is not going to be a post lamenting on the downsides of romance and falling in love. We're gonna stay positive today. 

In my opinion, romance is one of the most important concepts that humans have the ability to grasp. Once in awhile, there are couples that genuinely exude happiness. Couples that bring out the best in each other. Couples that trust each other, embrace their flaws, and understanding each others shortcomings. 

Yesterday, I had the privilege to photograph two very dear friends of mine, a beautiful couple, one of my favorite couples actually. I had this concept in my head for the longest time, I really wanted to find a street completely lined with palm trees and take pictures in the middle of the street. But what street in LA would i choose? There are so many. I decided on 6th ave in Leimert Park. (It's directly adjacent to the Crenshaw neighborhood of LA.) 

 Exactly as I pictured it. 

It just so happens that one of my friends is a native of the area, she was down to take a trip and take some pictures with my roommate, coincidentally, her boyfriend. Perfect. 

 Just starting their walk, on the journey of life. 

 Believe it or not, I had dreams about taking this photo, for over a month leading up to the day of the shoot. It came out pretty nice. 

 Quite possibly the best picture of the day. I don't think I've ever captured a more genuine emotion than the one they're expressing right now. They were great models. BIG UPS!!!

 Another genuine emotion. Seriously, most people have never seen him cheese that much. Just more evidence of a great day in the hood. 

 A candid embrace. 

 At the end of the shoot, I just needed to take a seat. A nice end to another beautiful afternoon in Sunny LA!

Before I close out, I want to leave everyone with a little something something I've come to realize. 

Take a break from going crazy, from your frantic work life, and all of your drama. Sit down and think about the happiest moments of your life. Some people will find that their happiest moments are shared with people they love, care about, or feel deeply for. Think about that for a second. Then ask yourself what you really want out of life and figure out the ways to achieve and attain it. Let's face it, we can never be happy 24/7, but what if we could be happy for at least 5-10 minutes out of every day? Do you have that one person that makes you feel whole on the inside? If not, maybe they're already searching for YOU. Sometimes we go looking for love and romance in all the wrong places, but what if we just worked on being ourselves, or figuring out what makes us... US! Then we wouldn't have to exert so much energy on people that weren't even worth the trouble anyways. Instead, the people, most compatible to you, will stand out the most. 

Enjoy life and all of its awesome minute details and nanoseconds of brilliance. That's all I'm saying. 

-TLG

The Bronx is Burning pt. 2

As we continued through the Bronx, I became more and more comfortable with the surroundings. I expected stabbings, gun shots, car thefts, harrassment. None of it was there. 
Music and TV paint different pictures than what i saw. A valuable lesson is to be learned. Dont believe everything you hear or see until you go experience it yourself. There is an added risk yes. But you don't know what it's like until you take a walk. I encourage people to take an adventure to places you've always been curious about. Be safe of course, express caution when necessary. BE SMART. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYONE'S MISFORTUNE. enjoy it. its life and we're supposed to be in a global community, go check out your neighbor for once. 

Back to Hunts Point. 

 Possibly my favorite picture of the whole day. If only the end of that car wasnt there it would have been perfect. I took this picture over my friends shoulder so I wouldnt have to attract so much attention. I took about 3 pictures. When I was viewing them at home i realized that the two ladies realized that we were photographing them by the second picture! Once the initial shock was out of the way, the third picture revealed a smile and a half pose from the lady in white. 

It was a good day. 

 More work from Tats Cru. 

R.I.P. Big Pun. 

 'Cuz even in the hood, there are rainbows. A symbol of hope for the community? Perhaps. 

 A nice contrast from the last picture. I feel this picture and the last are great symbols that suggest the Bronx is beautiful yet there is still a lot of garbage that needs to be taken out. 

How do you feel about the Bronx?

With my legs and back screaming to go home, I had one more stop. 161st st- Yankee Stadium. Hop back on the 5 downtown. Stop at 125th AGAIN! Transfer to the 4 train. Head Uptown to 161st. 

For those of you that do not know me. I absolutely hate the Yankees. I really do. But being a New Yorker forces me to realize that they are the best that New York has to offer. The never-ending success story. This is New York. I came here for one thing only. To take one picture that would symbolize everything for all New York baseball fans, specifically Yankee fans. 

  The Bat. A 138 foot exhaust pipe structure shaped like the same Louisville Slugger Babe Ruth used; sits outside the old Yankee Stadium site. A future T-shirt idea, maybe? 

After this picture we headed home. A mild sense of satisfaction creeped over my face. Mostly because I would live to share these pictures but more importantly because I learned that you have to see it for yourself in order to believe it. 

Like i said before, go out and bust a mission somewhere, maybe even get lost a little. Immerse yourself. Just be smart, be safe, and be open to new things. Once you start to practice this, you'll have a great appreciation for life, for the simpler things, and even your own life. From this experience I have a greater appreciation for my neighbor to the south. 

THE BRONX!

-TLG 

The Bronx is Burning pt.1

Prior to going out to the South Bronx on Monday, my uncle told me "The Bronx is a different animal". Having already known this, I knew that there was a special protocol for photographing this area. Whenever I go out with the intention of photographing strangers I try to follow a code of ethics, an etiquette that gives respect to the subjects I'm photographing and adds legitimacy to my work. 

As soon as people start feeling uncomfortable about your presence be sure that they will let you know about it (many times it will be non-verbal communication). Especially here in the Bronx. The key is to be subtle, almost unseen. Luckily, these days, there are so many things that distract people from being aware of their surroundings. Cell phones, iPods, personal conversations, drugs, and a lot of people are just generally in a haze.  
  

^^^an example of the haze.

^^^an example of a loving moment between a mother and child

 So, for this special trip, I asked a best friend of mine, to accompany me to the South Bronx. For backup purposes. I won't lie to you guys, I didn't know what to expect from this neighborhood. 

We begun our journey on the 4 train at Kingsbridge Rd. took it downtown to 125th st and transferred uptown to the 6. First Stop, Saint Lawrence Av in Soundview. 

We walked down to Morrison and Westchester Av, swung a right and approached E.172nd st. 
Continuing on Morrison we ended up at the famous Bronx River Housing Project. Famous for what? Pioneers of Hip Hop lived HERE! DJ Jazzy Jeff, Kool DJ D, Afrika Bambaataa, and the Black Spades Street Gang (later became The Zulu Nation). Walking through this complex wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The sun shines just like it would any place, people smiled, people minded their own business, kids played in the community pool and playground. I did my work. No one stopped and asked what i was doing there. I was pleasantly surprised. 

 The handball court. A staple in New York City urban culture. There's no age limit, gender or race requirement. Any and everyone can play. NYC is known for its handball following. Especially in the Bronx. This court is no different. As you can see from this wall, the usage is evident. Handball is large. 

 Back on the train, we head back downtown on the 6 train to 125th, to catch the 5 train uptown to Simpson St in Hunts Point. 

Tats Cru holds it down in the South Bronx, especially when it comes to murals. He also had one across the street.