Michael Jackson

Last Tuesday might have been the biggest event in this country, if not the world since 9/11. Of course I’m talking about the Michael Jackson funereal and memorial service. I had to photograph it but knew that I didn’t want to be near the Staples Center and that projected insanity. I scoped out Forest Lawn the night before and after seeing satellite trucks from every media outlet in the free world, decided it wouldn’t really offer up anything interesting or different.

So it was the “compound” in Encino that I headed for early that morning, arriving at 5AM. It was my third stop there in the previous four days and it was comfortable if not outright relaxed. The L.A. Police had a grip on everything, were very nice and extremely accommodating. Despite the early hour, I was surprised at how quiet it was. Besides the several media canopies across the street that had been there since the 25th of June when Jackson had died, there were only a handful of fans milling about.

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