Local Exposure

New Jersey-born and LA-raised Benjamin Hoste's list of photographic exploits reads like a who's who of the local scene -- from Castledoor to the Airborne Toxic Event, and everyone in between.  Some of his recent live photos include NOFX at the Henry Fonda (which he names one of his favorite venues to shoot at) this past January; the Mae Shi at the Echoplex in December 2008, and a photoshoot with San Francisco-turned-honorary-LA indie band Rademacher.  In the first two months of 2009 alone, Hoste has done publicity shoots with Local Natives, The Voyeurs and The Henry Clay People; next month he'll be heading to Austin to photograph the yearly South By Southwest music/film conference.  Hoste's work can be found on all of the top LA music blogs, including Web In Front, Buzz Bands, Rock Insider, Radio Free Silverlake , Classical Geek Theatre.

Jeff Koga is a contributing photographer and videographer for LAist.com; his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times.  You'd probably never think that the music scene and the adult industry go hand-in-hand, but Koga is an ambitious man.  Aside from shooting the likes of local heroes The Ditty Bops, The Airborne Toxic Event, and Castledoor, he recently took a leap into something a little sexier, shooting at the Adult Movie Awards and the Adult Entertainment Expo in January of this year.  Those photos won't be around for your viewing pleasure on Friday night, but you can still take the opportunity to ogle pictures of scruffy, bearded hipsters and indie girls playing guitar (hey, whatever floats your boat).

Silver Lake-based Simon Cardoza is no stranger to rock music, having played in various bands before switching his focus to photography.  When he's not on the floor of a club taking pictures, Cardoza directs music videos for local bands; he has worked with many of the same bands that he photographs -- Death To Anders, The Happy Hollows, The Henry Clay People, and The Mezzanine Owls among them.   In addition to these prominent LA bands, he counts big-name acts such as The Foo Fighters, Flaming Lips, Arcade Fire, New Order and Coldplay as part of his growing portfolio.  Cardoza will be displaying both live and promotional photos at Exposure, along with stills from music video for The Movies'  "When I Was In 'Nam." 

"I think the Silver Lake music scene is underappreciated in the industry," he says.  "I hope by spotlighting the scene for a month, [it will] help change that." 

Exposure is a must-see for music lovers, fans of LA's burgeoning indie rock scene, and just about anyone who appreciates the skill of capturing and preserving such a fleeting moment as a live rock show.  Doors open at 7:30 pm every Friday night, but make sure to get there early to mingle and meet the photographers (now that you know a little bit about them), and purchase a print.  Then stick around for exclusive acoustic performances from Le Switch, Manhattan Murder Mystery, and Divisadero, who comprise the first of 4 lineups. 

Upcoming performances include The Monolators on March 6, Evan Way of the Parson Redheads on March 13, and The Movies closing out the exhibit on March 20.