The eighteenth issue in Elska’s series dedicated to exploring the world through a gay lens is out now and has put its focus on Los Angeles. Inside the book, readers can get to know a cross-section of ‘ordinary‘ men from this extraordinary city, presented through a blend of honest photography and personal storytelling.
“Since I started my Elska project, we’ve gained a reputation for showcasing diverse and regular guys from around the world, specifically not models and celebrities,” says Elska editor, writer and chief photographer Liam Campbell. “Despite LA’s reputation for perfect people with fake plastic personas, I felt that my work would be perfectly suited to the city, a place full of pre-conceived ideas that I could try to prove or disprove. I found the idea of exploring what real life for regular Angelenos was like quite fascinating.”
“Overall, I found my time in LA surprising,” continues Liam. „On one hand, the men I met showed me that LA does it exist beyond its stereotypes, but at the same time, the cultural impact of Hollywood is never far away. I also found that Elska’s reputation for not featuring celebrities had to be broken here simply because meeting people in The Industry was unavoidable. I realised that this wasn’t a problem, though — celebrities are actually real people too!“
The men in Elska Los Angeles each took part in an intimate documentary-style photoshoot that includes images of them in the streets of their city, dressed in their own style, as well as images of them in their homes, not dressed at all.
Each participant was also invited to contribute a story for the issue on any topic of their choosing. Story highlights include: Drew Droege’s monologue on his typical day in LA; Dylan Rubic’s tale of a hazy morning-after struggle to find his car; Tammie Brown’s stream of consciousness recollections of growing up in Mexico and Texas to drug-dealer parents and being robbed of a lipsync win against Latrice Royale; and Grey Cotton’s oh-so-LA ode to pushing through life’s various setbacks in order to make your dreams come true.
Elska Los Angeles is available in a collectible print book or in a downloadable e-book. In addition, the companion e-zine Elska Ekstra Los Angeles is available, containing eight more men and their stories, plus behind the scenes tales and hundreds of outtake images of all twenty-one of Elska’s Angeleno subjects. The publications are available for order online as well as from a select group of shops around the world. Ordering information and details of the subscription service can be found on the Elska website: www.elskamagazine.com.
