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In the Dark: Los Angeles at Night

Los Angeles Skyline, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
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There is a tranquility that radiates throughout the city after-hours that can be both beautiful and lonely. Places that are normally bustling with people stand uninhabited, creating a surreal landscape that most never see. Inspired by the late night/early morning shifts I worked in the past, these photos hope to capture a sense of the emptiness that envelops the city during the night, but also highlights some of the ways people go about their lives on this nocturnal schedule. By documenting the ways people get to work, their places of employment, and the resources they depend on, this series of photographs aims to reveal a side of the city that is often taken for granted. 

Public transportation is a big part of life for many who work the night shift so I felt that it was important to photograph aspects of a late-night commute. 

 North Hollywood Metro Red Line Station, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
North Hollywood Metro Red Line Station, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Metro Orange Line bus platform, North Hollywood 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Metro Orange Line bus platform, North Hollywood 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Red Line Entrance, North Hollywood 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Red Line Entrance, North Hollywood 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Corner of Wilshire and Western, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Corner of Wilshire and Western, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin

See the workings of the world at night in "Nightshift" and learn more about the people who work while the rest of the world sleeps. Watch now.

Even at night, there are those who need to eat and drink to sustain themselves, or sometimes, to pass the time while waiting for their shift.

Closed Coffee Shop. North Hollywood, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Closed Coffee Shop. North Hollywood, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Diner. Wilshire Blvd. 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Diner. Wilshire Blvd. 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Supermarket. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Supermarket. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Loading Dock Detail, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Loading Dock Detail, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Western near 6th St. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Western near 6th St. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin

Other businesses such as gas stations, 24-hour drug stores and laundromats are critical resources for those who need to go about their lives while most of the city sleeps. 

Gas Station, Vineland and Riverside. 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Gas Station, Vineland and Riverside. 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
24 Hour Laundry. Western Ave., 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
24 Hour Laundry. Western Ave., 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Drug Store, Oxford and Wilshire, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Drug Store, Oxford and Wilshire, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Rooftop Parking. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Rooftop Parking. Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Garage Entrance, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Garage Entrance, Koreatown 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Los Angeles Skyline, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin
Los Angeles Skyline, 2019. | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin

Top image: Los Angeles skyline, 2019 | Kwasi Boyd-Bouldin

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