To Live & Cry in LA

To Live and Cry in LA is a definitive visual record of a movement. As Creative Director, I led the design and curation of this collaborative project, transforming raw community voices and frontline photography into a systematic, high-fidelity publication that serves as a permanent cultural archive.

Role: Publication Designer

Deliverables: Photography Book, Editorial Design, Art Direction, Typography, Print Production

Tools: Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Lightroom

As a designer, I saw this book as a way to hold space — to let the streets of Los Angeles speak through image and emotion, and to design a platform where solidarity becomes visible.

To Live & Cry in LA is a tribute to the resilience and unity of Los Angeles during the Black Lives Matter movement. This book aims to amplify the city’s collective voice, a powerful counter-narrative to mainstream media, by showcasing moments of solidarity, protest, and community. Through a curated collection of images from both professional and amateur local photographers, the project centers the lived experiences of Angelenos, allowing their stories, pain, and strength to be seen and felt.

    • Adobe InDesign for book layout and typographic systems

    • Adobe Photoshop for photo editing and tonal consistency

    • Adobe Illustrator for vector assets, iconography, and visual motifs. Curation prioritized emotional authenticity, spatial balance, and narrative rhythm across the book's 180+ pages.

  • Every page was designed to hold space — for pain, solidarity, and reflection.

    • Modular grid systems support flexible image groupings

    • Whitespace offers moments to breathe and feel

    • Full-bleed spreads bring protest energy directly to the reader

    • Section breaks use bold typographic moments and visual anchors to guide flow

  • Typography serves both as voice and volume:

    • Headline font: Strong, sans-serif to reflect urgency and clarity

    • Body text: Clean serif or humanist sans-serif for legibility and grounded tone

    • Pull quotes & captions: Set apart using handwritten-inspired or mono fonts for intimacy and contrast

  • The emotional core of the project lives in the imagery.

    • Features work from 66 Los Angeles-based photographers

    • Mix of DSLR, film, and mobile photography

    • Prioritizes honesty over perfection — the blurred, the overexposed, the tear-filled moments are all kept

    • Images are unfiltered testimonies of protest, grief, love, and power in public space

    • Prepared with precision to bring the design from screen to paper flawlessly.
      This stage ensures all files meet print specifications—color accuracy, bleed, margins, and resolution—so that every image and typographic detail translates with sharpness and vibrancy, honoring the integrity and power of the work in its physical form.

  • This project is inseparable from Los Angeles — its geography, its people, and its contradictions.

    • Visual nods to Crenshaw, Boyle Heights, DTLA, and South Central

    • Language includes English, Spanish, and localized slang

    • Cultural cues like murals, signage, and LA streetwear ground the visuals in place and identity

    • Every image is a small act of resistance and remembrance

  • “To Live & Cry in LA” would not exist without the community.
    We honor and thank the 66 photographers who opened their archives and trusted us with their stories.

    • Adali Schell, Amina Cruz, Ana Peralta- Chong, Andrew Diego, Annie Guan, Anthony Cruz, Beau Ryan, Bernard Kojo Essiful, Bing Guan, Bryan Octaviano, Carl Pfirman, Chance Roberts, Christian Palencia, Daniel Agre, Daniel Devincentis, Daniel Orona, Darren ’Outrage’ King, Elena Kulikova, Emroumainphoto, Filmdotorg, Isabelle Lesh, Jasson Bautista, Jaylene Mendoza, Jeff Mercado, Jenifer Becerra, Joe Trevino, Joseph Angel, John Travis, Joshua Powell, Juliet Wolf, Justin Gaar, Kalif Fuller, Kanya Iwana, Karolina Cabrera, Kemal Cilengir, Kenny Chan, Kevin Gomez Toad Lanza, Kevin Lee Smith, Kristina Cuza, Manuel Gomez, Marco Arredondo, Monica Orozco, Morgan Lieberman, Ms. Yellow, Natalia Ucros, Nathaniel Perales, Paolo Panlilio, Pascal Shirley, Quinn Mason, Rachel Scalera, Ramona Sharkurry Mia, Ricardo Marenco, Rodney Campos, Rollence Patugan, Santino McNaughton Jr, Sara Swaty, Sean Barclay, Shalae Madison, Stephanie ‘Anieva’ Valencia, Susan Kemp, Thouly Dosios, Trevor Trimm, Virisa Yong, Yousef Khamies, Yulia Tregub Morris, Zariya Allen

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