Editorial work in Los Angeles

Los Angeles gets two or three trips from me per year, usually clustered in late spring and early fall when the light is at its best and the schedule isn't fighting Pacific weather patterns. Most of my LA sittings happen on the Eastside (Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park) or on the Westside (Venice, Mar Vista, Culver City), with occasional Mid-City work.

LA's a city where location matters more than studio for the kind of editorial work I do — the architecture, the vegetation, the specific quality of late-afternoon light on a stucco wall. When I'm there I prefer to shoot on location and use studios sparingly, mostly when a sitting needs guaranteed weather independence.

Trip schedules usually solidify two to three months out. I batch sittings during a trip — typically two or three sessions across three days, with one or two open days for scouting and scheduling buffer. If you're trying to book a specific date, the practical approach is to reach out early and either hold one of my upcoming planned trips or talk through whether a trip can be built around your project.

Travel costs for LA run a bit higher than NYC because flight times eat more of the day and trips usually run longer to make the math work. I quote travel as a single line item — typically $1,100-1,500 depending on the season and lead time — rather than passing through individual receipts.

I'll occasionally take on LA-based brand campaigns that need a multi-day shoot. Those conversations work best when there's a clear concept already developed — I'd rather come in with a creative-direction layer that complements what your team is building than start from scratch in a city where I'm a visitor.