Hollywood is a tough town. Home means something different for everyone. I have a thing for cheap, sleazy motels. I love shooting at them. Unfortunately, with each passing day they’re going the way of Radio Shack, Toys R Us and malls.
The old roadside motels are a dying breed. The cheap lodging staples of Americana are being torn down for cheaply built apartment buildings, dull retail outlets, and soulless office space. But the Harvard Motel in Hollywood is still alive!
Together along with model Austyn Vovos, we set off to shoot at a couple of the last remaining old motels in Hollywood that are located within a couple of blocks of each other. Harvard House and the Hollywood Premiere Motel are the kind of motels that one gets hit immediately with a sense memory smell of day old cigarettes and stale booze just from looking at them.
You gotta love the honest of the Harvard Motel. They let you know exactly what they are with “Adult Motel” and “Water Bed” prominently displayed. No beating around the bush. Notice they say “water bed” and not “beds”. Not just any old schmuck gets a water bed. Those are reserved for the big shots that fork over an extra $14 a night for the penthouse suite featuring a water bed with padded sides to prevent injury when lumbering in and out.
You also know you’re at a special place when they advertise “color tv” and “AM/FM” radio in 2026.
Related: Home is where the ah… panties are
One of the photos from the session titled, Home Sweet Home (above) was featured in the 4th B&W Athens Photography Festival 2026 exhibition in Greece and the Celebrating Photography 2026 exhibition at the MVA Gallery in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Home Sweet Home was also a winner in the Muse Photography Awards 2026 in the People-Emotion category and was an Honorable Mention in the Monochrome Awards 2025 in the Portrait category.
So many great shots came about from this session. If they ever tear down these motels, at least I’ll have an historical document to remember the way they were.
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