Saturday Night Nitro

This spring's Saturday Nitro event ran a complete gamut of emotions for everyone involved. 

There was Mendy Fry emerging again with her Funny Car the Darkside win and setting a PR in speed. 

Joe Walla was there entertaining the fans and race teams. 

Sadly a great driver and stalwart of the sport, "Rapid" Roger Garten of the War Horse Top Fuel Funny Car, died last night from injuries during a wreck at the track. 

May Roger rest in peace.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2015

Mendy Fry and the Darkside Funny Car.

Big show car with header flames.

High Speed Top Fuel taking the hit.

Nitro Harley trying.

Joe Walla and Da Kingz.

Track worker overcome with emotion after helping to clear the Garten wreck.

Nitro Nick Top Fuel body in the pits after the wreck. Matt Bynum, the driver, was not injured.

Big show funny car taking the hit.

...For All

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Marriage Equality Act and thousands of West Hollywood residents approve.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Freedom.

Confederate Flag Burn

Activist in South Los Angeles burn a likeness of the Confederate flag today. The flag likeness was burned in solidarity to those who were killed in a shooting in South Carolina earlier this week.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

The new south.

Fire Moonset

The fire in San Bernadino is providing the atmosphere in Los Angeles with some amazing sunsets.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Fire moon.

Beverly Hills Concours d'Elegance

Beverly Hills held a "Concours D'Elegance" on Rodeo Drive last Sunday. It was ok, a true Concours d'Elegance surely wouldn't have displayed an Opel, otherwise it was ok.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

An Ok Pantera.

This is a concours car. A 1935 Bugatti type 57 Ventoux.

A concours car too. A carbon fibre Bugatti Veyron.

Evil Knievel's motorcycle. Councours?

Jermaine Jackson.

Carroll Shelby's signature on a real Cobra.

Moon Jupiter and Venus

A crescent moon, Jupiter and Venus setting in the skies above Los Angeles.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Heavenly bodies.

Obamajam

Got caught up behind President Obama's motorcade on the 10 freeway yesterday.
Gonna be lots of red lines on Google maps again today.
Good luck LA.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Jammed solid all the way to d'town.

Wild Indonesia

Here are some images from my latest trip to Indonesia.

Visited the islands of Java, Bali, and Lombok.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2015

Tangkuban Perahu, the Queen's Caldera in Java.

Thunderclouds over Jakarta.

Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in Java.

Bimo Horsemen on Bromo's caldera.

Milky Way galaxy over Java.

Black Cockatoo from Papua.

Ornette Coleman RIP

Free jazz artist Ornette Coleman passed on the other day.
Shot this image of him playing both a trumpet and sax during a performance at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles.
He played with the best and was truly GOAT.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 1990

Ornette in LA 1990.

Griffith Park

Griffith Park on a Sunday afternoon.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 2015

Park sleeper.

Chris at the drum circle.

Church in the park.

Kite flyers.

Walk Of Fame

Hollywood Darth Vader spoke to the media today at the site of BB King's star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame. He was a fan of BB King's music and is also a fellow blues player.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

LAPD Memorial

A memorial to fallen law enforcement officers out front of the LAPD headquarters in downtown.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Tribute to those who served Los Angeles.

Chris Burden Artist RIP

Chris Burden, a legendary Los Angeles artist, has passed on.
His most iconic work, Urban Light, can be found in front of LACMA on Wilshire Blvd.
Chris's light will continue to glow and inspire Los Angeles.
RIP Chris.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Chris inside his giant studio.

Griffith Park Coyote

A pair of coyotes, got my camera out when I saw the second one, were strolling about in Griffith Park near the Greek Theatre yesterday.
Griffith Park is home to lots of apex predators including "P-22," a California Mountain Lion.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

LA coyote.

Rain Day

A lily pad in Echo Park Lake collects some rain drops from a May storm.
Big flowers soon.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

EP Lake.

"Dozer"

"Dozer" the dog waits sadly and patiently next to the spot where his master, Brendon "Dizzle" Glenn, was shot and killed by a LAPD officer.
Glenn was unarmed and a homeless youth that lived in the Venice Beach area. The shooting on Windward Ave. in the heart of Venice, has sparked outrage by the community and LAPD Chief was "concerned" by the officer's use of force during the shooting.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Dozer waiting.

Spring Moon

A full spring moon.

Photo by Ted Soqui © 2015

Spring moon.

Paris Photo LA 2015

Paris Photo LA is back.
This year's exhibit showcases some of the world's best photography.
I really like the rediscovered work of R. J. Arnold. He was a portrait photographer who shot some amazing photos of Californians back in the 1880's.
Leica sponsored a strange exhibit, "Silenzio" by Francois Fontaine, consisting of out of focus images that defy logic or reason. Maybe irony is the best way to feature how sharp their camera's are?
Thankfully Paris Photo LA will feature 78 other exhibiters, many of them with sharp and wonderful photography.
Check it out this weekend at the Paramount Studios backlot.

Photos by Ted Soqui

Paramount's backlot

Walk that way.

Silenzio by Francois Fontaine.

Edward Sheriff Curtis.

R.J. Arnold showcases his retouching skills back in the day.

Glass plate negative by R.J. Arnold on display.

R.J. Arnold's negative reversed.

4-29-1992

Downtown Los Angeles 23 years ago today.

First night of the Los Angeles riots of 1992.

Photos by Ted Soqui © 1992

LAPD cruiser on fire on Main Street.

A thin blue line at Parker Center.

Next to Parker Center.

Security Pacific Bank.

Metropolitan Newspaper Building.

Wolcotts.