Originally from the Mojave Desert of Southern California, Jiro Schneider moved to Los Angeles when he was 22.  And six years later, the celebrated portrait photographer says he still likes it there. “It’s like anywhere I suppose,” he says. “you gotta find something that drives you or you’re liable to hate it after a couple years.” Schneider’s drive came from photographing L.A.’s less exposed underground scenes- music, culture, and nightlife.  “In my eyes, photography is about meeting people,” explains Schneider.  “If you don’t like that, then you can’t be a portrait photographer.  Doesn’t matter if you speak the same language or not, if you can connect on some level, even for an instance, it’s a beautifuil thing.” -Paper Magazine