STORY 7- DISNEYLAND

Hi everyone!

Hope everyone is enjoying this nice Cali weather! Man, this year is going by so quick- It’s been a productive year for me so far…I got my life back in order and am ready to make some big moves- Stay tuned!

In February, I purchased a 3-day pass to Disneyland and California Adventure. I had my third visit last month- it was very laid back and had time to use my Nikon camera to snap a few pictures inside the park. I really wanted to bring in my Nikkor 70-200mm lens, but I didn’t want to take my chances of bringing it because if they didn’t allow it inside the park, I would be screwed. I started the day at California Adventure around 10am- The 2 rides that I wanted to ride before taking my camera out was Goofy’s Sky School and California Screamin’ rollercoaster.

Once I finished that, I walked around and had breakfast while waiting for Brian and Wade to arrive. To test out my FPS (frames per second) settings, I hung out near the California Screamin’ ride. It took me some time to figure out where I wanted to stand and shoot….but once I settled in, I was happy with the results at the end.

For those who have an annual pass and have extra time to walk around to take pictures, I highly suggest it! There were a lot of cool spots, especially at night, that I wish I had the time to capture. Fortunately, I was able to get one last good night shot of the park before heading home.

That’s it for now, have a nice day!

-JT

STORY 6: Photoville LA

The “Body Issue” Gallery for ESPN Magazine-Culver City, CA.

This past Saturday, me and the homie Andy went to the Annenberg Space for Photography in Culver City. There’s an event called Photoville LA, which originated in New York and has made its way to LA for the first time in 7 years! This was perfect for me, since I haven’t been to a photography exhibit in many years and could use some inspiration. The event was outdoors and cold that day, so bring a blanket and dress warm if you do visit. The cool thing about this event was the representation of Los Angeles and its culture- From the classic lowriders to the family hardships of living in the ghetto to the success stories of overcoming life’s battles, it is very inspiring for anyone to visit.

Also, there’s a featured exhibit called Contact High: A Visual History of Hip Hop. This is inside the Annenberg building and if you’re a fan of hip hop, I strongly recommend visiting this! There’s a short film that includes the behind- the- scenes stories of the most iconic pictures ever taken by photographer.

Visiting this place was definitely worth the drive. I’m planning on visiting again so if you want to join me, let me know!

Peace,

JT

“Contact High Project” at Annenberg Space for Photography- Culver City, CA.

STORY 5: WHITTIER

GOOD MORNING EVERYONE!

It’s been a while since I last posted on Insta or this website. When I do this, re-evaluate my work and think about what I need to adjust….I remove styles that I’m bored with or use too much of. I pat myself on the back for the things that I feel that I have been doing well on, and try to step out of my comfort zone when possible.

My doctor’s office is near Uptown Whittier. I have only hung out in Whittier once in my life and that was about 15 years ago. So, instead of driving home after my appointment, I cruised around with my camera to scout the Uptown area. I went inside a few stores, had a small breakfast, and walked down a few alleys. The area was quiet and pretty nice, but nothing impressed me enough to photograph. On my way to the freeway, I drove past Whittier’s historical museum mural. I had to stop and take a picture- this was just the thing I was looking for!

I also wanted to set a different mood to the edited version, so here ya go!

The whole meaning to this basic story are my reasons of why I love photography- I walked around for an hour and a half to only take 8 pictures. It reminds you to remain patient, get out of your comfort zone by visiting somewhere new, and to always be camera- ready when it is time! Shout out to my professional photographers out there hustling and putting in that time and hard work- remember that nobody can take that away from you!

Peace and love,

JT

Story 4: National siblings day

I guess 4/10 is national sibling day…so today I’ll write about my 2 brothers!

I honestly don’t know where I’d be without these 2. I’m thankful to have them as my mentors and constant support for answering life’s challenging questions. On December 30th, 2014, we had breakfast at Twisted Sage Cafe in San Dimas. After we finished eating, I wanted to drive by our old house and take a picture in front of it.

The 2nd and 3rd picture is of us visiting Mom at Forest Lawn. I remember the conversation I had with my brothers that day and why we were all laughing in it. These two pictures are sentimental to me because its one of those reminders to constantly laugh and smile often. Having lost both parents at such a young age was tough for all of us. Thankfully, I have a great family and friend support system to get me through dark and cloudy days.

Although it is up to me to post about my personal life, it’s still hard for me express myself, but it helps me cope and stay positive. So as you’re reading this, I hope that with some of my darkness that this can shed some positive light in to your own life.

Peace and love,

JT

story 3: GRIMES CANYON

Haven’t been night shooting since my last trip to San Francisco, and I can’t remember the last time I’ve had one in Los Angeles….so I went with my homie Andy Trujillo-the best person I know for night shots! The cool thing about me and Andy is our style of photography- artistically, we’re both very different but are able to share different ideas and help each other out when needed.

We went to Grimes Canyon in Moorpark, about 50 miles west of LA. This is a cool spot for night shooting because of the horseshoe shape and the long stretch of road that you can see from afar. We were there on a Monday night around 8:30pm, so there was still a decent amount of cars driving home from work.

It was the first time that both of us have been to this place. With a little research on the way to the location and some light scouting, we parked at the bottom and started our hike up. I had a rookie moment and forgot my flashlight at home. Luckily, Andy had an extra flashlight for me, so we were able to climb up with a fairly clear view. The climb was a little steep and we lost site of any main trail, so we had to spend some time figuring out where to safely set up. About a minute in to setting up, a sheriff started flashing his light at us from afar. He asked what we were doing and told him that we were taking pictures. The guy was really cool and said, “Alright, just be careful,” and left. I thought for sure he was going to kick us out for trespassing.

It was nearly 9pm by the time we started taking our first pictures. We shot in 2 different spots very close to each other. This shot was at my first location. Now that we know where to park and set up, we’re definitely going to go back to get more and better captures. I always suggest to people that when going to a location alone, try getting there while there’s still sunlight so you can study where to go and not go. This location was pitch black with steep areas. The good news is at the end of our session, we found a much easier way to park and walk, so if you need some information on this location, let me know!

I edited this picture to make the red stand out. It’s a vibrant color that I love enhancing and it reminds me of the hot Southern Cali weather. Hope you like it and thanks for reading!

-JT

Story 2: Mom and Dad

I was trying to figure out what I wanted post for my next blog. As I was looking through recent pictures to post, I knew that I wouldn’t be able to keep writing until I posted one about my parents.

This was taken in the mid- 80’s at a San Diego Naval Base. My dad is holding 2 cameras wearing his infamous camera vest, which means that he was carrying around 3 different cameras, including the one used to take the picture. On top of that, most cameras weighed double the amount of today’s modern cameras- That’s a lot of work and dedication to have that many cameras ready for shooting. For those that knew my dad, he rarely left the house without having at least 1 camera on him. 8 times out of 10, he would take at least 1 picture.

As a kid ( and still as an adult) I was a wonderer and it was difficult for me to stay in one place. I’ve been told that I was a momma’s boy. If this was true, my mom was probably paying attention to me and where I was at all times in this picture- which might be why she wasn’t looking directly in to the camera. I love her matching color outfit and 80’s hair and sunglasses. This picture is how I typically see her when she visits me in my dreams.

The picture is a little crooked and below the average eye level, which means that this was most likely taken by one of my brothers. If you look closely in the background, that’s my Grandpa Freddy in the background! Whatever the authentic story was on this day, it makes me smile looking back at it.

Anyways, that’s it for today- Thank you as always for taking the time out to read about my life.

Have a nice day!

-JT

story 1: Los angeles Lakers

The other day, I had time to absorb just how bad the Lakers sucked this season.

I woke up earlier than usual that day and decided I wanted to read a book or an article. I looked inside my closet and saw my old Laker newspaper from when they won game 7 against the Boston Celtics for the 2009-2010 NBA championship. I brought that newspaper downstairs and read a few articles while eating breakfast and sipping on coffee.

This is another frustrating season with all of the player injuries. The latest one is for Brandon Ingram- He’s only 21 years old and has a blood clot in his right arm. Him and Ball are out for the rest of the season. Honestly, I don’t know what to believe when the Lakers were trying to trade for Anthony Davis. On one side, you have the entire media saying that they want to give up their entire laker roster for AD…then on the other side you have Jeanie Buss saying that it was all a lie and that they were not trying to trade that many players and that it was just the media lying…Regardless of what is true, it affected how they played for the rest of the season.

Its tough to see the Lakers miss the playoffs again since 2013. This was the first season in a long time that I was able to watch almost every single game. Right now they are at 36 losses. That’s a whole lot of losses. But I was still a fan when they were the worst team in the NBA. I was still watching them when Robert Sacre was the bench warmer and Swaggy P was our hype man- Swaggy, the same guy who would make back to back 3 pointers and celebrate down the court as if the game was really close and they were going to win. I was a fan when the team ended with their worst record in franchise history 17-65 record on Kobe’s final season, which was the same season that the Warriors made history with a 73-9 record, the best regular season record in the NBA.

Did you know that there are 7 NBA teams that have never even made it to the Finals (Clippers included) and 12 teams that have never won an NBA championship? The Lakers have 16 titles- That’s 10 more championships than the Warriors, which, before 2015, they only had 3. People forget how consistently good the Lakers have been as a franchise. Face it- you love the LA drama when they’re on TV. Instead of changing the channel, you keep watching what the media has to say just so you can talk trash to any Laker fans. FYI, if you don’t even have a team of your own and talk trash to me, there’s a name for people like you- and that’s a Laker hater.

I wrote this story as a reminder to everyone that I will always remain a die hard Laker fan, no matter how good or bad in the season. So unless you’re a Celtics or Warriors fan, good luck to the loyal fans out there in the postseason. Enjoy it while it lasts… because soon it’s gonna be the Lakers at the top again.

Your faithful fan,

JT