"Turn right here," Mr. Estevan says, directing the driver of his newly purchased 1962 Lincoln Continental into one of L.A.’s burned out backstreets, where the old heart of the city can be traced by following its veins, the streetcar tracks, which once pumped blood in and out of a thriving downtown. Here, too, is where Estevan intends to photograph his subject, Academy Award winner Adrien Brody.

Adrien steps out onto the pavement and click, click, click, in under an hour, the shoot is complete, cover and center spread accomplished, using one or two lenses, no lights, no assistant.

On the second floor of the 12 story faded green, 1931 art deco structure known as the Pellesier Building, in plain view of each of the letters of the world’s most famous sign, located in the heart of Sam Spade’s Los Angeles, is the home of an art enterprise known as Obey/Giant. On the street, bright sunlight casts dark shadows, moving promise just beyond reach, onto the next block, onto the next house, the next room,the next person.