



RJ Shaugnessy has been sending his book, Your Golden Opportunity is Comeing Very Soon, to bloggers around the globe and I was included in this one. RJ is a bit of a joker, I'm guessing he can't spell for shit (I know, it was deliberate), but he does take a mean picture of a chaotic house share (aka his first book DeathCamp), and double mean pictures of dinged railings (aka Your Golden...).
It's a little Japanese but very LA, with a whole lot of Ruscha, maybe some Sunset Boulevard and, oh yes, maybe some Walter Mosley thrown in for good measure (that falls into the what else can I think of that has to do with Los Angeles category).
RJ was kind enough to answer a few questions - his reply for how he got into photography is a step up from the usual "I got dropped on my head when I was a baby" the rest of us give as our excuse.
1. In 1998 I was an 18 years old just messing around with photography, not taking it too seriously. One night changed everything. I was taking photos of lightning and ended up getting struck. After being hit by lightning I knew that I wanted to devote my life to photography.
2. I didn't have the idea for making a book of Deathcamp until I moved out of the house
3. Living at Deathcamp was the most fun I have ever had in my entire life. At one point there were 9 people living there. Having that many people in a house would drive anyone crazy, except us. We loved each other intensely.
4. Why did I choose to make "Your Golden Opportunity is Comeing Very Soon" ? The answer to this question might frustrate or annoy some. There is no why. I'm not interested in asking the "why" question to myself, I just had to make it.
5. The title & spelling have a similar answer. They are perfect. Why? Because they are. Why? They just are.
6. Where did the idea/ influence come from? Me
7. What does it all mean? Good question.
8. I'm currently preparing for the release of my third book in September/October 2009. The title is "These Photographs Will Heal Your Soul." They are a collection of the most beautiful photographs ever taken. You will love them.
9. My favorite photo books are Corrine Day's Diary & Larry Clark's Teenage Lust.
10. My favorite film is Burden of Dreams.