A hotly debated topic in recent years has been the slow but steady migration of creatives from the Big Apple to the west coast—Los Angeles to be exact. While there isn’t one particular reason for this exodus, a large part of it can be attributed to the sheer amount of moneyed interests turning New York into a sterile playground of unaffordable rents making it extremely difficult for up-and-coming talent to spread their wings and prosper.
Enter photographer Lloyd Pursall, who, with the help of The Creator Class and Canon, has made it his mission to document the ambitious young go-getters currently in the midst of this creative renaissance in LA. Pursall’s upcoming exhibit titled ‘To Live and Try in LA’ is the culmination of a year’s worth of work with the brightest musicians, actors, dancers, and athletes looking to make it in the City of Angels. “People have these amazing stories to tell that I wanted to kind of bring that together and create a portrait series,” Pursall explains.
But Pursall’s story isn’t so different from the subjects he chooses to photograph as he himself is still growing and learning from his LA experience. “I’ve definitely been able to use this city as a platform and a catalyst of creativity to kind of make something happen for myself. It’s got such a collaborative nature that you can come here and really work with the people to create a career that you’re really passionate about.”
Pursall’s big break came when he met actor Ashton Sanders of Moonlight fame during a screening in Downtown LA. It was a classic case of right place, right time, and the pair eventually connected over a campaign that he’d been tapped by Calvin Klein to shoot right before the Oscars. Needless to say, this is was the big break that Pursall needed to finally turn his aspirations into reality.
The Creator Class, powered by Canon, is a channel for creators by creators meant to showcase unique projects and collaborations by their community of visual storytellers. Without this outlet Pursall’s documentary project wouldn’t have been possible so make sure you check out the full video above to see his creative process and how it all came to be.
If traveling and photography is your steez, take a look behind the lens into daily Indian life with Canon and The Creator Class.
