Artist Captures Success Stories in Hard Times

Taking a cue from her own experience of losing a job and trying to bounce back, Hollywood photographer Remy Haynes discovered that troubling times often motivate people to make positive changes in their lives.

“I really wanted to do a project where I could connect with other people and talk about what we were all going through,” Haynes said.

And so “Evolve-Ment" was born. Through videos and photos, she is telling the story of people who take risks despite a rocky economy. They take them not for money, but for passion.

She can relate to such transformations. Her photography business had taken a dive last year because of the economy but she kept going by reinventing herself through projects.

Before "Evolve-Ment," Haynes completed "The Currency Project." Last year, she set out to capture images of how people had responded to the recession. She posted the resulting photographs and video on her website.

Haynes said the name for her second project, "Evolve-Ment” came about from evolving to be “more face-to-face and person-to-person.”

Patch went along with Haynes on a recent photo-shoot of a restaurant owner she is profiling, David Puopolo.

Puopolo opened his restaurant, Soda Pop’s, on La Cienega Boulevard near Beverly Boulevard. Despite all odds, he goes out of his way to support his employees and his community while offering affordable, good food to his customers.

He was also able to make the best of the recession by purchasing some of his equipment at fire-sale prices.

Puopolo was on a sales career path back in Boston, but his passion led him to Los Angeles to open a restaurant. Puopolo took the recession into consideration when crafting a menu designed to satisfy the customer for under $15.

“It’s not about the money. It’s about having something that’s lasting–part of the community. I know 60 to 70 percent of everyone that walks in here by name,” Puopolo said.

Haynes believes money isn’t the only currency in Hollywood these days.

Community, inspiration, resourcefulness and supporting others in a bad economy hold value as well, Haynes said. 

For "The Currency Project," Haynes had chosen 18 people whose lives had improved after initially suffering financial difficulties. 

Among the subjects were a barbershop owner, a volleyball teacher, a webcast writer and a beautician. Some of the people found success by changing careers, or spending more time with their children, or discovering resourceful ways to survive.

In addition to putting the pictures and videos up on her website, Haynes wrote a book about the project and held an exhibit at the James Gray Gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica last spring.

More than 4,000 people came to the gallery to look at the exhibit over the course of a month, gallery owner James Gray said. He sold all of the 150 copies of The Currency Project book, an unusual occurrence, Gray said. 

“One word I can say to describe Remy’s project is ‘inspirational,’ and it truly gave hope to so many people that viewed it. [The project] made viewers take a look at their own lives. It made them realize that things aren’t that bad—they could still turn things around,” Gray said.

Haynes said she is excited about her new project and wants to have meet-up groups and create a community beyond Facebook in which members will support one another, both emotionally and perhaps even by bringing in some monetary help.

Haynes said she wants to turn “Evolve-Ment” into something that can generate some money for herself and the subjects she portrays. In the meantime, she's taking freelance photography jobs to make ends meet.

“I’m not worried. I’ve always been a very frugal and resourceful person—I’ve been doing OK and I’m very hopeful,” Haynes said. “I’m meeting all these people and I’m being of service … that’s what’s fulfilling to me."

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