BLK MRKT ALCHEMY for AirBnb Experiences

A tattooed man with a bald head wearing gloves and a beige shirt preparing food at a bar counter, with bottles on shelves in the background.

Small brown and white bowls filled with a dark liquid, garnished with pink and white flower petals, on a metal tray.

A peeling poster with repeated black Gothic font text reading 'BLK' and 'MRY' on a white background, attached to a weathered wooden board against a brick wall, with some tears and burn marks on the paper.

Ornate fireplace with a fire burning inside, surrounded by intricate metalwork, and a green tiled wall in the background.

A person's hand placing a cigarette on a glass ashtray on a wooden table in a dimly lit setting.

A bartender preparing drinks behind a wooden bar in a warmly lit, vintage-style bar or pub with dark wood furnishings.

People sitting at a bar counter in a dimly lit pub with vintage decor, pictures on the brick wall, and hanging lamps.

I shot a stills & motion project for the LA-based omakase cocktail experience Black Market Alchemy. The project was for submission to AirBnb Experiences which had some specific requirements: Everything must be vertical, and it must be lit with existing ambient lighting, I couldn’t add any. It was a fun challenge to do a project with those parameters even though I really enjoy lighting. The stills were easy enough to capture vertically, and I ended up filming the video with vertical guides on my camera monitor so I could end up with standard footage for my portfolio. The tapas-like experience is 10 courses over an hour and a half of chef-created cocktails with bespoke food garnishes and some fun surprises. I would highly recommend it if you are in Los Angeles on a Monday night.

Sol Search Jewelry for AirBnb Experiences

Woman in a green apron and leopard print shirt adjusting her hair in a creative workspace with crafting tools and a colorful poster in the background.

People participating in a crafting workshop at a table in an industrial-style space with a large sign that says 'HAND MADE' and @CRAFTEDPORTLA.

A handheld magnifier with a black frame and a white light, resting on a paper with the handwritten words 'Head Magnifier'.

A person using a hammer and chisel on a piece of jewelry, sitting at a wooden workbench.

A woman is conducting a science experiment with a torch flame over a small white tile, while another woman looks on in the background.

Person hammering metal parts on a workbench, with other tools and equipment in the background.

Two people working with metal tools at a workbench in a workshop.

I did another AirBnb Experiences project with Marisol of Sol Search Jewelry. She offers a jewelry-making class catered to beginners out of her space at Crafted in the Port of LA in San Pedro and soon at her secondary location in Atwater Village.