Shooting Los Angeles
Peruse the work of photographer John Humble and it's obvious the man knows this city. While some of LA's famous perspectives (the Hollywood sign, Santa Monica Pier, Venice Boardwalk) have become international icons, Humble's work largely focuses on equally distinct, but far from iconic, images of the city and its people. The globetrotting photographer has worked for Time, Newsweek, Harper's, Esquire and others. His upcoming exhibit (and companion book), A Place in the Sun, opens at the Getty Center on Tuesday and runs through July 8. Visitors will be able to check out about 40 of Humble’s most interesting cityscape photos, divided between his LA landscapes and a series he shot on the LA River. Humble talked to LAist (via email) about finding beauty in even the ugliest parts of his adopted home.
Are you originally from LA?
I grew up all over the world, my father was career military. When I began teaching, there were a lot of opportunities to do that part-time and still have the time to make photographs here in L.A. My first wife moved here to take a job and I came along. We were only going to stay a year or two; that was 1974. And, I hated winter and never wanted to see another.
What was your first impression of the city?
My first impression of the city was that the air was unbreathable, there seemed to be chaos everywhere, and no culture at all. The air is now cleaner, I've learned to wend my way through the chaos, and I've also uncovered the culture, which I think is a very unique one. And you can bet I love L.A. I love the sunshine, the opportunity of experience cultures from all over the world, and I have the opportunity to eat authentic cuisine from just about anywhere by just taking a short drive. Real Korean, anyone?
Photo by John Humble
Where do you live now?
I live in Santa Monica. I knew when I came here I had to live as close to the beach as possible, because I love it (lots of bodysurfing), and because of the weather near the beach.
You’ve photographed for a wealth of magazines, but what made you start taking pics of LA?
I got a grant from the NEA in 1979 to do the L.A. Documentary Project. I hired seven other people and we documented L.A. for a year. That work is now part of the Smithsonian Institute collection. I had been photographing on the streets with a 35mm camera, in black and white, and I decided to do a 180º turn and use color with a large-format camera. I just never stopped doing the work when the grant was done.
How did the Getty exhibit of your work come about?
I guess someone up there decided that my work had been pretty much overlooked and deserved some attention. The Photographs Council of the Getty decided to make the book, and that led to the show. At least I think that's right.
A lot of people consider LA an ugly place, yet you’ve got an entire show dedicated to pics of Los Angeles. Do you think the city is beautiful or ugly?
I think that the city is both, and you will see that in the pictures. I tend to photograph that which most people don't even bother to look at, the most common places you'll find in L.A., but they are, seen properly, and in a certain way, quite beautiful. I transform the banal into the beautiful. As the Grateful Dead said, "Once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places, if you look at it right."
How photogenic is LA compared to more popular cities like San Francisco or New York?
Not really a relevant question, given the way in which I depict things. I think the word, "photogenic," implies some kind of innate beauty waiting to be plucked by the camera. My pictures come from me, not the city.
As a photographer, what do you think are some of the most distinct features of the city?
The River, freeways, smog, cacophony of cultures, races, religions. The sheer magnitude of it. The transient nature of it. The lack of history.
Tell me some of your favorite places in town to shoot photos.
Wilmington, San Pedro, Long Beach, Vernon, but I've shot
everywhere in the L.A. area. I only have some least favorite places, not favorite.
Is there a particular LA photo that's your favorite?
No, I really like a lot of them. I do like the cover of the book, the headwaters of the L.A. River. It is a really powerful image of the River, and was very difficult to make. I originally saw it from the bridge near it, but knew that the image had to be made dead-on. There was no access to the river there, so I had to go up the River a way to find a place where I could drop my equipment over the fence, then get down on my back and get under the fence. I then walked up the River (in the River) and made the image standing in the middle of the River. I'm glad I went to all that trouble, since I've seen may images of the River taken from that bridge, but never one like the one I made.
Is there any aspect of Los Angeles you have NOT been able to capture on film that you wish people knew about?
Sure, there are always things left to do and, as I evolve, I even have different things to say about it myself. I've never been able to capture what I feel about places like Beverly Hills, Brentwood, etc. There's a kind of lack of humanity and joy in those places (and others like them) that I cannot seem to capture on film.
A taste of Humble’s unique LA eye can also be found at his website.