"This is Africa - No.1, Life everyday in Post-Apartheid S. Africa"
I am humbly beginning the preparations for my first foreign project, which will involve traveling to the young and brash democracy of Post-Apartheid South Africa on my own buck. Now some 26 years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is finding itself in the midst of a growing racial division. I plan to visit several towns to study both the white Afrikaners, many of which are now finding themselves out of work, and luck due to new economic employment policies laid down by the Post-Apartheid government, and the Native South Africans, who claim the power and money is still strictly held by the Afrikaners. Murders of white farmers, and radical claims of land redistribution again threaten the stability of the country. This division, some say, is leading to what could become widespread civil unrest in the country. It is the legacy of European Imperialism that put the majority of the continent into the state it finds itself today, constant conflict, and battle over ideology and natural resources alike. This legacy has effected nearly everyone on the continent, so I plan to learn about the life of the average Afrikaner and native South African alike in the scope of today. This project is costing me significantly out of pocket, so the date is not yet set, but I am hopeful that I will be finished preparing in the next year. This is just an early announcment to make clear my plans, and enthusiasm I have for my task. . Thank you for reading! (Title photo taken from and belongs to @rhodesianarms on Instagram)
May 27th, 2016 - Donald Trump visits San Diego, California
(I am a reporter, and do not openly disclose my personal views on this site)
Of the many photos I took at The San Diego Donald Trump rally, there are few I am now sharing. I arrived at the convention center around 4 pm, unable to enter the rally due to my "professional camera" and revoked press credentials. At this disappointment, I decided to wait outside patiently as hundreds of law enforcement officers from several departments arrived, in their bulky, protective crowd control gear. Some chaos did follow later, at the end of the Trump rally, and these are my humble images that I was able to capture in the midst of the fear fueled unrest.
May 23rd, 2016 - Bernie Sanders visits Vista, California
Sunday, May 22nd, 2016 has been considered a historical day in the California Primary voting process, as the Democratic presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, spoke at our local high school to hundreds of his supporters. This was an event that was heard of widely in the area, hundreds, perhaps even thousands of followers and critics alike drove to Rancho Buena Vista High School, in North County San Diego, to hear the man speak. I too went to the event, as a politically neutral photographer with the aim to capture the essence of what Mr. Sanders, and his young followers stand for, as well as what the few stand alone protestors, who support Republican front runner Donald Trump, had in counter of the Democratic Socialist. The air was hot, and full of optimism as I entered the stadium, preparing for a day of enthusiasm, policy, and controversy, that would ultimately decide the future of Mr. Sander's campaign.
Pictured below is Shaun, who wasn't comfortable giving out his last name, one of the first protestors to appear at the Sunday rally. He believes Donald Trump is the best bet for the United States, offering his opinion at listing the candidates off as "Bernie, the commie", "Hillary, the criminal", and "Trump, the honest guy". His concerns were primarily with our Constitutional rights being infringed on, and the current state of our foreign policy. He stood by his sign politely, talking to whomever wanted to talk of, or debate on the subject.
The lines to enter the stadium, where the rally was held, was made up of excited and opinionated individuals, frantic campaign volunteers pressing everyone to register for the primary, and salesmen, slinging Bernie gear at every turn, even several hours before Mr. Sanders was due to speak.
As the stadium began to fill, and the guest speakers warmed up the crowd, there was a sense of confidence among the Bernie supporters. I kept up in constant movement, looking for shots of Bernie where I could, but mostly looking toward his diverse supporters who surrounded me.
As I left the stadium, 15 minutes early to avoid the crowds, I stumbled on a surprising situation. Three people leaving the Bernie rally, who said they all were from Mexican families, stood in opposition to three people across the road holding Trump campaign signs. They asked the Trump supporters why they thought they were better than them, and just what gives them the right to demand things such as the deportation of all undocumented immigrants. And I stood by long enough to hear the young Trump supporters answering back by calling the three Bernie supporters "Beaners", the three didn't even flinch at this insult. I tried to ask the Trump supporters for pictures, but they refused and left. Bernie is quite a ways behind Hillary, and may not be able to catch up even with the California Primary, but his supporters are still supporting him all the way.
May 1st, 2016 - Vans at The Bay
These were the photos I took at the local "Vans at The Bay" show on May 1st. Vans at The Bay is a car show on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay, San Diego. But this isn't a car show in its normal sense, Vans at The Bay is a show made up entirely of Old American Vans, and the people who own them. This is a meeting of friends more than anything, the show is put on by several dudes in the vintage van scene, who encourage anyone in the area to show up with their van to have a good time. Everyone there are either friends, or new friends, connected mutually in their ownership of old vans or, motorcycles. Unfortunately, this year my Ford Econoline wasn't running, so I hitched a ride down to the island with a friend, where I bought some parts for cheap prices, and took some photos of the people and their machines.
March 17th, 2016 -
My website here will be the primary portfolio for my photographs, I also plan to use this website as the hub for the local documentary shots, in and around San Diego, and coming essays.
May 16 - June 20, 2015 - "Exploring place through documentary photography" This is my photograph that is currently featured in the Harvard Westlake gallery show, "A Sense of Community", a showing of the works of young documentary photographers of Southern California, and abroad. This is the first gallery that a piece of my own has been featured in, I'm very proud of the photos reception, and thankful for the opportunity. 2525 Michigan Avenue, Suite J1 Santa Monica, CA 90404. - D&J Gallery