“We followed the smoke.” That’s what famed L.A. photographer Gary Leonard told me when I asked him how he and his photographer son, David, covered the 1992 L.A. riots. I think the photos they took show how Los Angeles looked and felt during the civil unrest, a city coming apart at the seams where scenes of violence, destruction and sheer weirdness played out on street after street.
To observe the 20th anniversary of the riots, Gary and David are exhibiting many of their striking photos of that time. They talked to me about how they went about capturing the chaos of two-decades ago. By the way, David Leonard was only 14-years-old when he joined his dad to bear witness to the chaos.
Listen to them talk about their photos:
You can see more photos on display most days at Take my Picture, 860 S. Broadway @ 9th, Los Angeles, CA 90014. More here.
Below, watch a video about the Leonards and some of their photos.
Parker Center from David Leonard on Vimeo.