Levitated Mass Moves

A giant rock weighing over 340 tons begins it's journey to LACMA as part of a new art exhibit called "Levitated Mass." The 21 1/2 foot tall boulder will take 11 nights to move from it's original home in a Riverside rock quarry.
The pace of the rock's movement will be around 4-6 miles per hour, and will go through city streets, not the highways. Electrical wires, lighting and other street obstacles need to be removed from the giant rock's passage way.
A local woman came out to visit the rock, which is parked on a dirt lot in Glen Avon, she wanted to know what cut her cable reception off. She took several images and was impressed by the giant monolith.
The custom made trailer looks to be over 100' long. The rock is covered in plastic to protect it from taggers and other hazards.
Click on images to see bigger.

The whole kit and kaboodle.

The Levitated Mass cradled in a custom made trailer.

Parked in a open field.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2012

Serene Super Yacht In L.A.

The Serene an impressive, $300 million dollar, 7 level, 440 foot long super-yacht has been docked all over the Los Angeles coast line this week. The Serene is the 9th largest super-yacht in the world and is owned by Russian vodka (Stoli) tycoon, Yuri Scheffler.
There is also a rumored post Oscar party to be held on her later this evening.
Yes, that is a Eurocopter on her bow.

The Serene.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2012

Happy Birthday Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was born on this day back in 1902.
I just got back from Yosemite National Park and shot this image of Half Dome.

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

Ted Soqui © 2012

The Giants of New York

The New York Giants football team paraded down the Canyon of Heroes today in downtown NY.

A city of champions.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2012

MLK Day Parade In LA

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in South Los Angeles.
Thousands of people lined up on MLK blvd. from Western to Crenshaw to watch bands and floats pass by.

Los Angeles Unified All District Band.

Parade watchers on MLK Blvd.

Korean dancers.

Tuskegee Airmen in their float.

LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and his motorcycle which he drove in the parade.

LA Sheriff Lee Baca on a low-rider bicycle.

Occupy the Hood on Western and MLK Blvd.

Belize float.

Parade participants.

Crenshaw High School band.

Parade watcher on MLK Blvd.

More fun than the Rose Parade.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2012

Join Me On January 14

ROBERT BERMAN GALLERY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JUST OCCUPY EXHIBIT
Christopher Felver and Ted Soqui, Just Occupy exhibit.

January 14 - January 28, 2012
Saturday, January 14, 7:00 – 10:00 pm opening night.
ROBERT BERMAN GALLERY Bergamot Station Arts Center 2525 Michigan Ave. / D5 Gallery Santa Monica, CA 90404
11 – 6, Tuesday – Saturday 310-315-1937 Email: info@robertbermangallery.com

ROBERT BERMAN GALLERY presents JUST OCCUPY - an exhibition documenting the Occupy movement featuring photojournalists Ted Soqui and Christopher Felver.
In the spirit of the Occupy movement, Robert Berman Gallery at Bergamot Station Arts Center will be holding a pop-up exhibition titled JUST OCCUPY featuring the photojournalistic, yet intensely striking photographs by Los Angeles photographer Ted Soqui. Soqui is a seasoned Los Angeles photojournalist, whose photographs were featured in the New York Times, LA Weekly and other international journals around the world.

Ted Soqui’s iconic photograph of the female protester with the 99% bandana, knit cap and shockingly intense eyes was chosen by artist Shepard Fairey for the cover of TIME magazine’s person of the year. The image is now the symbol for the Occupy movement, not only from Wall Street, but from Arab Spring to Athens to Moscow.

JUST OCCUPY will be the first exhibition and documentation of the Occupy LA phenomenon, which lasted longer than the Wall Street occupation, of which all images are intense, provocative and beautiful.
Also featured in JUST OCCUPY will be a series of photographic collages by photojournalist Christopher Felver, who is known for his documentary photographs of the beats, poets and musicians.These photos from his Ordered World series show a stark contrast to the narrative photos of Ted Soqui, yet have a different impact by showing the force of simple words when joined together such as: JUST PEACE, JUST WAR, JUST 99%, JUST OCCUPY.

JUST OCCUPY will open in conjunction with Photo LA on Saturday, January 14th, 2012.

LA Weekly Cover Jan 6-12, 2012

Made the cover of this week's LA Weekly.
The cover was designed by Darrick Rainey and the story was written by Tibby Rothman.

Merry Christmas To All

...and to all a goodnight.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2011

Santa Ana Winds Visit LA

Santa Ana winds, with gust as high as 70 miles per hour, race across Los Angeles county.
The Santa Anas, also know as "Devil Winds," knocked over a giant 100 foot tree in Glendale just in time for Christmas. Power and local services were shut down and some residents were evacuated due to a possible gas leak.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

Before The Shot (Update)

Here is a visual timeline of images right before "the shot" that was used to illustrate Time Magazine's Person of the Year 2011 "The Protester."
I started off with a wide angle lens and wasn't really feeling the image. Once Sarah Mason put on her bandana, which was soaked in vinegar just in case the LAPD decided to use tear gas on her and her fellow protesters, I knew it would have to be a tight shot. Immediately I switched to a 70-200 zoom lens and shot about 5 frames of Sarah close up. The "one" shot stood out to me instantly and I knew no more needed to be taken.

Update:

Found an image of Sarah marching in downtown LA taken a month before "the shot." Was going through my archives looking for another image and ran across this one.

One month before taking" the shot" at a protest in downtown LA. Sarah (L) marching. 10-15-2011

Wide angle. 

Still wide.

Adding vinegar to their bandanas.

A wide tight shot, still not quite right.

Went wide once again.

Right before 'the image."

Time cover.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

Year In Photos 2011

Images from Los Angeles during one trip around the sun on our Earth. 2011.



2011 Year End Slideshow Images - Images by Ted Soqui


Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

Time Magazine Person Of The Year 2011

An image I photographed of an Occupy LA protester made it on the cover of Time Magazine.
The image was adapted by artist Shepard Fairey and now represents Time Magazine's 2011 Person of the Year "The Protester."
I took the photo at a protest at the Bank of America building in downtown LA. There was a small group of protesters linking arms and making a human chain around several tents near the front of the building. I made a few wide angle photos, then realized a tight shot was going to be way better. There was only one photo where eye contact was made, and that's the shot.
The woman in the photo camped out at LA City Hall and was arrested during the LAPD raid and spent time in jail.

Lenin Head On La Brea

A giant chrome Lenin head appears outside the Ace Gallery on LA Brea Ave.
The name of the giant sculpture is " Miss Mao Trying to Poise Herself at the Top of Lenin's Head," and is made by the Gao Brothers from China.

ECU of Lenin's head.

Miss Mao atop Lenin's head.

Photos By Ted Soqui © 2011

After The Rain

After the rain in Los Angeles. Get to take this image about once a year, it always makes a nice way to end the year.
Click on the image to see larger.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2011

Occupy L.A. Final Slideshow

Occupy Slide Show - Images by Ted Soqui

Occupy L.A. Moves On

The Occupy movement moves on in to a nation wide effort to take over and protect foreclosed homes.
A crowd of a couple hundred protesters from Occupy L.A., clergy, and unions move in and protect a  home in South Gate, CA owned by the Casas family. The Casas family has owned their home since 1975 and now are being evicted by Wells Fargo bank. The Casas stated they have made every payment, but are now facing $3000 per month balloon payments from a loan modification.

The Casas home.

Rebecca Casas.

Occupying.

Occupying South Gate.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

Santa Ana Wind Damage (Updated)

Santa Ana winds gusting up to 100 mph wreck havoc at the San Gabriel Mission.
Statues of Jesus, Mary, and John the Apostle were damaged when a giant eucalyptus tree fell up on them, turning the Jesus statue upside down and hanging by it's feet.
The statues are about 70 years old and are located in the mission's cemetery. The mission has already received promises of repair from an art director in Hollywood.

The Highland Park area got hit hard with the Santa Ana's too. On Ave 57, several large ficus trees fell and crushed a couple of vehicles. Crews were on hand clearing the downed trees and wires. Most of the area is without power, cable, or land phone service. The Stoplights on Figueroa were also without power.

Not 3 wheel motion.

A large ficus tree on top of a Ford van.

Red car and toppled tree on Ave 57.

Jesus and Mary.

Jesus statue.

The right arm of Jesus broken off.

The wind cries Mary.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011

L.A.P.D. Raids Occupy L.A.

The camp at Occupy L.A. located at L.A. city hall was raided by several hundred L.A.P.D. officers. The officers entered the part with lightning speed, carving up the park with lines of officers in riot gear.
I didn't see any incidents between the officers and demonstrators, and very few have been reported so far. Journalist were allowed to report and photograph inside the park for about 20 minutes during the raid, then the pool took over coverage for the arrest and park clean up.
The L.A.P.D eventually took over the streets around city hall, forcing any lingering protesters out of the area.
As the protesters left the area, they chanted and clapped in unison. I heard one officer clap along with them.

The raid.

LAPD officers inside the park.

Demonstrator watching the raid.

LAPD officers looking at the trees in the park for protesters.

A barrier was set up at the park entrance.

LAPD motor officers on 1st street.

A demonstrator sleeping on 1st street.

Protesters holding a candle light vigil during the raid.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2011