At an early age, Jamie Stoker wanted to be a cryptozoology, which is a the study of animals whose existence or survival is disputed or unsubstantiated, according to Oxford English Dictionary. Creatures like Bigfoot or the Loch Ness monster. Stoker found out early on that he did not excel in biology and science, two traits that are essential in this line of profession. Instead, he went on to become a photographer. Still, his fascination with these mythical creatures did not end as an adult. So he set out to Loch Ness. At this point, Stoker’s goal wasn’t to photograph the creature itself but the life and people surrounding the legendary lake. His photo series reveals a group of fascinating individuals that were drawn to the area and the beautiful landscape that is Loch Ness.

Photographer Brian Ferry recently traveled to the U.K. and shot twenty-two rolls of film, an incredibly rare feat in this digital age. He has compiled these photos for a show later this month at St&ndard Goods in Los Angeles. Ferry will be teasing out the concept for his exhibition on his site in the coming weeks leading up to the show. If you’re in LA be sure to stop by for “This Is What Was Once All Yours” on Saturday April 21st at St&ndard Goods, 7151 Beverly Boulevard.

The controversy surrounding hunting can be divisive. One man’s sport can be another man’s livelihood. Dutch photographer Isabella Rozendaal is on a journey to examine the complexities of this culture. She is working on a photographic series called The Hunt, where she embeds herself with hunters from Northern Europe, Africa and the US. Rozendaal’s photographs will eventually be published into a book but for now she’s posting photos in-between hunting seasons on her site.

Photographer, film maker, and Chinatown Soccer Club’s defender, Peter Sutherland is showing at Half Gallery tomorrow evening. Light and dark is explored in Sutherland’s exhibition, Victory over Darkness. Half Gallery explains:

“The title of the exhibition is taken from a sign Sutherland saw at a church in the California desert. For him, this combination of words is open to interpretation but can also stand as a type of global slogan about politics and war, sex and love, violence and peace, beauty and ugliness, struggle and freedom – with a tinge of Gothicism and romance. Imagery and situations that reflect these type of opposites is a strong aspect in the work; in fact, the 1970 documentary film “Gimme Shelter” by Alfred Maysles, which chronicles the last weeks of the Rolling Stones 1969 US tour, is the blueprint for Sutherland’s art. “Gimme Shelter” is the culmination of everything – an uncontrolled film with strong poetic visuals."

Victory over Darkness will be on view until October 15.

Evan Hecox is known by most as a painter and illustrator but he also has a great eye for photography. It may be surprising at first until you look further and realize that many of his photographs resemble his paintings. Telephone wires, trucks, beaten up cars, signs, and crushed beer cans. These are all potential reference materials for his work. The composition in some of his photographs are similar to the paintings. Have a look through not one, but two photo sites he has, (Journal & Photography) and you will see an artist’s eye, framing moments that many might not have noticed.

It’s uncertain how long Ari Marcopolis has had his blog, EXFED. The earliest date is somewhere around June of 2007. He’s best know for photographing the youth of downtown New York, the Beastie Boys, and any sport involving a board. It’s a stream of consciousness, a random sort, a mixture of portraits and moments in life. It’s mundane and profound all at once. Many of the photographs are time stamped, something we rarely see these days, but emphasizes the “of-the-moment” quality. Dive into EXFED now and get lost. Ari Marcopolis will be showing at Ratio 3 in San Francisco starting this Friday, September 9th.