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Indie Imagery
Getting to know Bakersfield's faces of photo and film





By Matt Muñoz, Bakotopia editor

There are only two other occupations in Bakersfield that outnumber musicians and tattoo artists - photographers and filmmakers.

The city is packed with creative minds full of enough cool gear to film at least 20 “Citizen Kanes” on a shoe string budget, thanks to new technology and the ability to reach audiences quickly via the Internet.

Walk down a quiet downtown street on any given weekend before the party crowd hits and you might see someone aiming a lens at some inanimate object on a concrete canvas of cracks and street signs. We share this world, and it’s an interesting notion to think that one could become so consumed by the act of taking photos - but it can happen.

Like the phantoms they are, the local photo film and photo community of Bako is growing day by day, especially with the youth. Busy minds have unlocked the mystery of Photoshop to turn their best friend’s goofy smile into a major ad campaign by adding a couple of squiggly lines. Voila! The Mona Lisa is reborn with a simple click of the mouse.

If the amount of e-mails I receive daily about someone looking for photo work and promo is any indication, cameras will soon outnumber guitars buy ‘09.

To appease the photo and films gods, Bakotopia asked locals to come out from behind their lenses and characters, and greet readers firsthand through their personal stories and images.

The following five individual talents are just a tiny segment of the Bako indie image community, but their creations have been seen by thousands. And while some have managed to turn their hobby into careers, they all do it for the love of the craft.

Like a song, movies and photos have the ability to hype your senses, but also give your life a sense of direction should you be open to the experience....

From Fire to Fashion: The Art of Eric James
Everyday’s an adventure for veteran photographer/filmmaker


By Eric Swearingen, Bakotopia.com contributor

Bakersfield’s Eric James Swearingen of the Art of Eric James Studios is a photographer, filmmaker and motion graphics artist. He has been in the industry for over 25 years and has accrued a vast repertoire of innovative and imaginative techniques that have awarded him international acclaim.

Eric James has had the great fortune of working with some of the most elite within the performing arts, special effects and computer science industries, including George Lucas, Frank Marshal, Rod Stewart, Ray Bradbury, Whoopi Goldberg, Bill Gates and many others. Eric James (because no one could remember Swearingen) has worked on projects for TLC, Cirque de Soleil, Microsoft, Silicon Graphics and NASA.

All of his past experiences give him a unique perspective when approaching new assignments.


Die Hard: Photographer Eric Swearingen during his days as a KC Fire Department training film producer.

For several years Eric James has been in the employ of The Kern County Fire Department  were he was producing videos for the training division, some of which can be seen by visiting:

http://www.youtube.com/arto...

“The fire department was an adventure everyday,” said Swearingen of his fire fighting training projects. “I’d be shooting for helicopters and from inside of burning buildings or swimming in the raging rapids of the Kern River where some of my footage made the national news just recently on CNN. But, I’m moving on with my career.”

Eric James is currently working on producing documentaries about the rave/techno dance and clubbing scene in the Los Angeles area. With Sony Entertainment as a prospective financially backer, production of a weekly podcast is one of his latest projects.


"Jaz," by Eric Swearingen

“It’s been a fantastic change of pace for me as an artist, to shoot with people like DJ Reza - producer of the largest events on the west coast like Monster Massive, and other big New Year’s Eve raves,” he said.

In Bakersfield, Eric James was commissioned as a design consultant for the new ‘50s-style salon, Norma Jean’s Atomic Kitten at 2507 F St. Inside Norma Jean’s you'll find some Swearingen’s fashion, glamour and pin-up photography on display.

“Ramona Potts and Kresa Winters (owners of the Atomic Kitten) have been great to collaborate with,” said Swearingen. “The graphic designs I created for their advertising campaigns, Web site and building marquee, are based on the Googie architectural movement of the late ‘50s. I have the utmost enthusiasm for their business venture, not just as an awesome place to get your hair done, but also as a cultural hub from which the neo-Bakersfield art scene can springboard. For the longest time my catch phase has been ‘Welcome to Bakersfield, where Art is just a guy’s name.’ I hope to change that soon!”

Many Bakotopians may be familiar with Swearingen through the local band “KROTCH” for whom he produced a mockumentary titled “Behind The Seams,” a hilarious movie about a band of nutty displaced musicians who reunite after a string of bad luck. The film also stars “MeatHead” of KRAB Radio, along with hundreds of local extras.

“We shot scenes all over all over Bakersfield and Kern County in a ‘Run and Gun’ hybrid documentary style,” said Swearingen.

Swearingen also continues to shoot a line of fine art photographs, fashion, model portfolios and television commercials, and can be contacted anytime.

On the web: The Art of Eric James

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The journey of photographer Angela L. Torres
Bako native finds guidance through the power of her lens


By Angela L. Torres, Bakotopia.com contributor

My journey into the world of arts began for me as a very young child.
Being the granddaughter of a local musician - Al Garcia of Al Garcia and the Rhythm Kings - I was exposed to constant creative energy and sheer determination. To me it was perfectly normal to work hard at what you love, what ever that may be. I was a very talkative child, continuously getting into trouble at school for talking, not paying attention and simply not following along with the class. It seems as though school never understood me. I was bored out of my mind.

I can’t tell you how many times I heard any number of my teachers tell my grandmother the same story: “Angela is a very bright child, she is just not applying herself” or “Angela is smart but she is a lazy student.”

It was horrible to hear these painful remarks and they severely damaged my self-esteem. If only in those early years of my childhood one of those so-called professionals would have recognized my artistic nature.

Luckily, someone very close to me was paying attention, my grandmother. She knew that I was different. On my seventh Christmas she purchased a very unique gift for me. Now, I was no angel, and on top that I was a latchkey kid. I opened my gift while she was slaving away at work one day. I was very pleased to see a hot pink 110mm Barbie Camera. I quickly rewrapped my gift and counted the days until Christmas when I could finally play with my new toy. I photographed everything in sight… I was completely fascinated with this toy!

Looking in the camera and composing an image allowed me to forget about my troubles and create my own world. It was a great escape for me and I fell in love with photography right away. Something started to emerge very quickly from my countless rolls of 110mm film. My pictures were far better than most adults, and my grandmother made sure to point this out to me. In addition to my grandmother’s encouragement I also have a very loving aunt who was an amateur photographer, and seeing her impressive 35mm SLR further encouraged me.


Universal Records artist Anthony Edwards in 2007. Photo by Angela L. Torres

I continued to dabble and experiment into my pre adolescent years, organizing pretend catalogs and modeling shoots among my peers (they played along, but never really understood my passion).

Eventually I became more interested in boys and trouble. My teenage years were extremely challenging as I was emotionally troubled and very rebellious. I felt misunderstood and accepted very minimal guidance due to my lack of trust for just about everybody. During that time I spent nearly two years on the streets as a runaway and school was out of the question.

It was about my 15th year of life when I met my saving grace. His name was Tom Wilson aka T.C., a local photographer who owned a shop on the east edge of downtown. I was at his studio with a fashion merchandising class, which was sheer luck since I rarely went to class. As all the girls in the class were very excited to be in front of the camera, I was far more interested in being behind the camera. All of his studio equipment really impressed me. T.C. noticed this and later asked me if I would be interested in working in his dark room. Of course I jumped at the opportunity! I learned how to print pictures, arrange lighting, load film and the basic operations of a professional photography studio.

Years later as I look back on this experience I realize something: T.C. never needed by help. I was chosen by this wonderful person.

I will always be grateful for my talents and I will nurture as many young artists as I can, including my 11-year-old son Isaiah who already shows a great deal of potential. Recently I’ve been teaching photography to many at-risk youth, including foster children and economically challenged youth by donating my services to Project Night Light, an organization that deals with child abuse. I find sharing my talents to be beneficial for others as well as myself.

My photography tends to be emotionally-based, and almost everything I shoot is in a very natural environment. I am inspired by emotion and existing light. Rarely do I set up strobe lights, as I hate to be confined to studio conditions. I love for my subjects to be as comfortable and as free to express themselves as possible. It has been extremely challenging to make my mark in the highly competitive field of photography. I have no formal education in photography - unless you consider the “School of Hard Knocks” masters degree I earned over the last 12 years on my own. I have networked and hustled my way just like many other talented artists.


Angela Torres

It’s not just an occupation, it’s a way of life. I see things differently than most people. Two people walking in the park may look very common, but I may see that same scenario and come up with a print ad. The world looks different to me - I see beauty in many things that most wouldn’t look twice at.

I have been published in magazines such as Ms. Magazine and CTS. I’m currently working on consignment projects such as a billboard campaign for the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, and hope to do more work in my hometown of Bakersfield!

On the web:  www.angelaLtorres.com

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Joseph Gomez' Still Life Sensation
Up and coming talent knows patience and commitment are the keys to success


By Joseph Gomez, Bakotopia.com contributor

My name is Joseph Gomez. A lot of you might recognize my work around town. With a few years of experience under my belt, I consider myself a well respected photographer here in the great city of Bakersfield. What a lot of people don’t realize is how hard it is to be a working photographer and to stay as busy as I have.

I picked up photography when I was 17 during an internship for Teen Mania Ministries in Garden Valley, Texas from ‘03 to ‘04. During that time, I became friends with several people with mutual interests - namely photography. During my first two years of experimenting with photos I concentrated solely on still life images - things like the sky, cars, buildings, grass, and my dog.

These were my early days, so my photos were not the best at all, but I was determined to accomplish all things I put my mind to. As I progressed, I wanted to learn about vanishing points, symmetry, lighting, contrast, black and white, color - all the basics plus the fun photo lingo that goes along with being a pro.


Model: Sarah Slowcum. Photo by Joseph Gomez

As a student of photography, I wasn’t using the most advanced camera by any means - it was simple Brica Digiart 5 mega-pixel camera, no cool XLR camera like everyone has nowadays.

Like so many artists, my inspiration came courtesy of the most common of dramas - the bad relationship. At 19, I went through an intense break up and the only thing I wanted to do to keep me occupied is to photograph the world around me. I spent a longtime alone just taking photos.

Although it was a difficult time for me, that period really helped kick start my photography into high gear.

I found myself doing still lifes at Jerry’s Pizza downtown of bands setting up and things around the room. I was on the Internet, too, posting a lot of my photos on MySpace to get noticed.


Photo by Joseph Gomez

Once I became recognized from my online pieces, people and friends started asking me to do cool photos for them. At first quality wasn’t there, but the more practice I had the better my photos became - I began understanding the composition of a photograph.As my confidence grew, I started to help friends with their submission shoots for Web sites like www.SuicideGirls.com, band promo shots, clothing companies, marketing and most importantly being the family photographer for every holiday get together. I tried to stay busy and always had my hand out for donations for a better camera.


Photo by Joseph Gomez

Today - five years after I shot my first photo - I still love what I do. My style has started to lean towards the fashion industry - sexy but modest styles for girls. I also still do a lot of work for bands (posters, CD covers and merch).

Right now, I’m trying to get my name out by working with anyone looking for a good photographer. The only downside is that I work in the oil fields as a training coordinator. It pays the bills of course, but that cuts my photo time in half.

Networking is a key to succeeding in the photo industry. The passion and strive to be good at what you do is the ignition, dedication is the fuel. Put it together and you are destined to go places - trust me. I haven’t reached all my goals yet, but I will get there someday.

Special thanks to Bakotopia for supporting us local photographers!

Joseph Gomez FAQ:
Do you charge? Yes, but I’ll work with you.
Do you do prints? No, But I give you a disk with all the photos so you can print yourself
What kind of camera do you use? Nikon D80.
Did you go to school for photography? No, just experience and dedication.

On the web: Joseph Gomez

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No Right or Wrong
The payoff value of personal expression makes extra work seem like a bargain


By Alex Crespo, Bakotopia.com contributor

There are moments that occur in time when everything seems to be perfect.

These moments can be brief and fleeting, and they can also last long enough to be captured in a photo. This is the wondrous world of photography.

Capturing moments and emotions to share with the world is just another form of personal expression and of archiving events. The best part of it all - it can’t be right or wrong.


Photo by Alex Crespo

When I look through the viewfinder, I see the world in a different way. It’s as if I am looking at another world that exists on a parallel plane. I am left to focus on the subtle nuances that exist within a subject. Things seem to slow down all around me and I can feel the steady beat of my pulse. My breathing slows to a stop until I finally push the shutter release and the moment has passed.

I’ve always been creative, growing up a musician. Photography has been another outlet for me and it’s grown into a passion I have transcended into a business. My local company Vision Media incorporates photography with graphic design to provide marketing material and promotional advertising.

When I have the time, I am finding new subjects to shoot and spend a great deal of time working towards becoming a better photographer.

In 2007 I combined my incessant need to create and my need for marketing my company.

The result was the “2008 Bakersfield After Dark Lingerie Calendar,” currently available exclusively at Kosmos Restaurant & Sports Bar in Bakersfield. However, like all my projects, I took some time to enjoy what I did and have moved on. The calendar project was a learning experience and something I can look back on to see what I did right and what I did wrong, applying those experiences to future projects.


2008 Bakersfield After Dark Calendar Model: Tanesha Barrow

My style is very raw. I try to stay away from touching up pictures as much as possible and do so as a matter of personal preference. Processing done to a picture will many times sterilize it. Some of the emotion is lost and with heavy touch-up, it becomes a different photo altogether. My clients have responded positively to the more “natural” look of my photos, and I take great care in making sure that everything is just right, even before a photo is taken.

I’ve expended a great deal of time, energy and expense to making my business successful. Yet it isn’t lights or backdrops or countless hours spent working on my craft that makes each photo special. It is capturing that one brief moment in time that makes it all worth it in the end.

On the web: Vision Media

Story originally printed in
Bakotopia Magazine, issue 20, 1-24-08