Photographers to Meet, Shoot

Downtown’s Million Dollar Theater, by jericl cat

The second-annual ShootDowntown Meetup is happening this Saturday, October 4 in downtown LA. The idea is for photographers to gather, shoot and talk shop while exploring downtown architecture and street life. The last event in December attracted 16 photographers so we wondered how well that went seeing as downtown is notoriously camera unfriendly.

Eric Richardson, of Blogdowntown and organizer of the meetup, reports there were no such problems, mainly because they stuck to older buildings and the Historic Core and not the newer skyscrapers that are seemingly managed by people who believe cameras equal terrorists. (My words not his.)

Last month, Blogdowntown ran this article about photographers rights in which Dave Bullock writes, “If you are stopped and hassled, keep in mind that you are likely in the right and your accuser is likely in the wrong.” Commenters posted that in particular the Heron Building, Wells Fargo and the U.S. Bank Tower are all high-harassment spots. If you wish to test those statements, let us know how it turns out.

Save Griffith Park – All of It

Photo by discarted

If you live in Los Angeles, you know there is woefully little green space. But Griffith Park remains a last refuge, an oasis of trails, wildlife and woodland in the middle of one of the densest cities in the country.

Sadly, but inevitably, certain city officials and developers would like to be able to develop it. Parking structures, amusement parks and restaurants all seem reasonable propositions to them. (Because it’s not enough to have digitized advertisements in grocery store checkout lines and billboards and strip malls as far as the eye can see. We must not stop until every last patch of green is covered!)

In response, there is a movement to designate the park — in its entirety — as a historic cultural monument. That designation would prevent any commercial development within its borders. If you believe in this cause and are sick of city officials who prize maximum density (and the money it brings) above all else, then write to Councilman Tom LaBonge and the Cultural Heritage Commission and tell them so. The Commission’s next meeting to discuss the matter will be October 30 at City Hall.

Photo by discarted

Councilman LaBonge in particular is a troubling case. As a man who’s never met a camera he didn’t like, especially when it comes to touting his love and affection for the park, it’s downright scary that he told the LA Times, “This is a park, not a preserve,” and:

“I’m all for designation of buildings and spots of significance in the park, but right here?” LaBonge asked, circling his finger over the dirt trail path one Friday morning, “Would it be something to designate? I’m not sure.”

For more info:

Read the LA Times article about the issue.

Go to the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council page.

Talking To…Photographer James Knoblauch

In the alternate universe that is Hollywood Boulevard, Marilyn Monroe has a restraining order against Chewbacca, the same guy plays Darth Vader, Barney and Mickey Mouse, and multiple Spideys vie for the title of baggiest costume. For years, photographer James Knoblauch has been photographing the characters who populate the few blocks around Graumann’s Chinese Theatre, and earlier this year his collection of portraits was published in a book called Imposters.

Here, we talked to him about what it’s like to go back to SpongeBob’s place for drinks, among other things.

You called Roger Gastman, the founder of Swindle magazine, the “instigator” of the book. How is that?
I did not use the words “instigator” to describe Roger Gastman, who was a business contributor to the project. Someone at the publisher thought it was a cute way to describe his function in the book project. I had sent Roger “imposter” photos with the hope of having some printed in his magazine and he suggested creating a book with 30 or so images of different characters. He then found a publisher to release the book.

A Refuge in Arkansas

On our cross-country road trip we stumbled upon the nonprofit Arkansas Native Plant and Wildlife Center in Queen Wilhemena State Park in Mena, Arkansas.

In its mission to rehab and provide education about native animals, they house a mountain lion, poisonous snakes, birds of prey, deer, a coyote, wolf, alligator and numerous other small mammals. The oftentimes ill or maimed animals are given to them by the Game & Fish department or just regular people who’ve come across them.

Run by Tom Young (above), an ornithologist and master falconer, they are in the process of renovating their land and building new pens for the animals, but in its current state, it’s ad hoc and very personal. Visitors can now experience a one-of-a-kind tour of the grounds (ours with the very affable and knowledgeable Wendell Thomas, below), even getting to enter the mountain lion’s cage and handle the snakes.

Once they are more established and turn it into a full-fledged animal zoo (which is what they intend), it’s certain it’ll be more formal and they’ll be less access and personal attention.

So now is the time to go if you ever find yourself in western Arkansas.

To see more of discarted’s photos of the center, go here.

We Live In Confusing Times

Of the things we learned on our cross-country road trip, and there were many, one was that one can freely and openly photograph the White House — arguably one of the most at-risk targets in the world — but the same can’t be said of office buildings in downtown Los Angeles.

To see more of discarted’s photos from this day, go here.

The ACLU Needs Your Help

Photo by discarted

We were contacted by a staff attorney at the ACLU of Southern California, and apparently they are looking into the harassment of photographers by law enforcement, specifically “incidents involving LAPD or other local agencies detaining or arresting people solely for photographing, seizing cameras, or ordering people to delete pictures.” If you’ve had an unpleasant experience with law enforcement in the LA area, please email us and we will give you his contact information.

The ACLU is a staunch defender of individuals’ rights and the First Amendment, and it could mean good things for photographers if they took this on.

Law & Disorder at RNC

 

More rumblings from the Republican Convention: Amy Goodman, host of Democracy Now!, was arrested in St. Paul today when she stepped in to help two of her producers who were being detained by Twin Cities police. AP photographer Matt Rourke was also arrested. They were both covering anti-war protests outside the convention.

While the crowd of more than 10,000 was mostly peaceful, there were pockets of aggressive demonstrators who vandalized windows and harassed law enforcement, which is apparently where Goodman and Rourke got caught up. The 51-year-old Goodman can be heard on the video pleading with police not to arrest her, but the cops, in full riot mode, weren’t in the mood to distinguish between journalists and protesters.

Read the Democracy Now! statement here.

Article from the AP via TwinCities.com.

Harrassing Photographers a Nonpartisan Effort

It’s not surprising that the political conventions have proved to be hostile venues for some photographers. Politicans and media types don’t always mix well.

At the Democratic Convention in Denver last week, an ABC News producer was arrested for trying to shoot film of some Democratic senators and bigwig donors leaving a private meeting at a hotel. Asa Eslocker was manhandled by the Denver police, one who couldn’t even be bothered to put down his cigar before handcuffing him. He was told by one officer that he was “lucky I didn’t knock the f–k out of you.” See footage of the arrest here.

And in Minneapolis this week at the Republican convention, three New York filmmakers from the Glass Bead Collective were detained by police for filming in the Shoreham Rail Yard. Fittingly, they were in town to document police brutality. Confiscating the trio’s belongings, including cell phones, cameras and hard drives, the police justified the search and seizure as a homeland security matter.

Also in Minneapolis, though not relating to the convention, photographer Guy Still was handcuffed and detained for taking photos of a police special operations center. Through a chain link fence, Still photographed some officers getting into a van, which triggered the requisite terrorist accusations. One officer told him he remembered “the good old days [when] we used to take people like you in a van.”

Whatever that means.

Articles via ABC News, My Fox Twin Cities and My Fox Twin Cities.