This photo essay was produced by Capital & Main, which is an award-winning publication that reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. L.A. Taco is co-publishing this article.
By Ted Soqui
[dropcap size=big]2[/dropcap]020 yielded a collection of photographs that many photojournalists would be satisfied to capture in a career, let alone in one city and year. It was a time of amazing turmoil, sadness, and danger to capture on camera. I generally use wide-angle lenses and tend to work close and capture the emotion of my subjects. COVID-19 changed that. This year I switched over to telephoto lenses and drone photography to create a buffer to avoid contracting the coronavirus or getting attacked during the turmoil. Here is a small selection of images I photographed this year in Los Angeles County.
There was more than one L.A. champion crowned this weekend; one headed to the World Series, and the other to immortal birria fandom. Hundreds came out to enjoy lucha libre and the city's best birria at Santa Anita Park.
Ray was released by LAPD Sergeant Delano Hutchins without being cited or charged. Upon releasing Ray, Hutchins explained that our reporter was “detained” and not “arrested” because Hutchins determined he had not violated the law, due to Ray’s “media first amendment status.”
Los Angeles has the best pan de muerto scene in the country, from sourdough and vegan variations, to recipes that have been passed down through generations. Here are fifteen panaderías around L.A. where you can find the fluffy, gently spiced, sugar-dusted pan dulce that is as delicious as it is crucial to the Dia de Muertos Mexican tradition.