City Of Angels book cover photo by: Jasmine Benjamin

City of Angels: A Conversation with Jasmine Benjamin

There is a certain kind of light that only Los Angeles can hold. It softens concrete and turns memory into gold. In her debut photo book City of Angels, creative director, photographer, and stylist Jasmine Benjamin captures that light through the people who define the city’s rhythm. Her lens turns toward the born-and-raised locals who shaped LA’s cultural pulse long before the world caught on, alongside the dreamers who came seeking possibility. The result is a visual archive that reclaims the narrative of Los Angeles from its clichés and brings its true essence into focus.

Redefining the Cultural Archive

When asked what pushed her to create City of Angels, Jasmine recalls a pivotal realization. “The turning point was realizing how misrepresented Los Angeles was in the cultural archive. I kept seeing versions of L.A. that were surface, celebrity, palm trees, clichés, but not the real style, the people who shaped the city’s rhythm.” Her motivation came from wanting to show LA as she experienced it: textured, layered, and alive. Through her camera, the city’s subcultures, innovators, and local icons are given the same reverence often reserved for fame. In doing so, she reframes the myth of Los Angeles as not a fantasy, but a living story told by its people.

The Duality of Growing Up in LA

For Jasmine, Los Angeles is not a backdrop but a teacher. “L.A. taught me duality early, beauty and grit coexist here,” she reflects. Born in Northern California and having moved to LA in 2002 to attend college, she considers the city the place where she truly became an adult. “I was fortunate enough to always be part of the beginnings of so many subcultures here in LA which gave birth to many of the impactful forces you see today come out of this city in music, fashion, and art.”

That duality, that blending of beauty and survival, is what gives City of Angels its pulse. The portraits carry both reverence and rebellion, mirroring the complex nature of the city itself.

Rooted and Aspirational

While City of Angels celebrates the authenticity of locals, it also embraces those who came for the dream. “The soul of L.A. is both rooted and aspirational,” Jasmine explains. “It was important for me to highlight the actual residents of LA. Especially because when this style and culture conversation comes up about LA from outsiders the natives are often overlooked, which never made sense to me considering it’s the locals who created this rich style and culture that people globally admire.” Her decision to include a few non-natives reflects the interconnected nature of the city’s creative spirit. “I also wanted to include a few people who are not from here or California but contribute to the zeitgeist of LA.” The result is a tapestry of voices that honors both heritage and evolution.

A Living Time Capsule

When Jasmine revisits her portraits, she describes the feeling as pure gratitude. “Every portrait holds memories. I am reminded about everything that happened that day. It’s like watching a time capsule of a city in motion.” Her excitement is tangible, a testament to the joy of capturing real moments rather than staged perfection. The book, she says, is not just a collection of images, but a diary of connection.

Sara Fernandez (Photo by Jasmine Benjamin)

Seeing People, Not Just Photographing Them

As the project unfolded, Jasmine found herself transformed. “I’ve learned that my eye has always been led by realness. My creative voice isn’t just about aesthetic, it’s about truth, and how people choose to express it is what inspires me.” She speaks of the project as a test of endurance and faith. “Mentors have told me I have a gift for truly seeing people, and once I began taking photos for this book, every shoot reaffirmed that. I’ve always been resilient and focused, but there were moments this project could have broken me. Instead, it became proof that my discipline and my heart are unshakable.”

The Soul of Los Angeles

When asked to define the city’s spirit in three words, Jasmine pauses, then says, “Seductive, Resilient, Sacred.” The words carry weight. They echo throughout every image, every gaze captured in City of Angels. LA is not simply a location, but a frequency, one that invites creation and transformation.

A Mirror for the World

Ultimately, Jasmine hopes the book offers reflection. “I want people to feel seen. I want them to realize L.A. isn’t a fantasy, it’s a mirror. And maybe it makes them look at their own city, their own community, with new reverence.” Through her lens, Los Angeles becomes more than myth. It becomes a mirror for belonging, resilience, and pride. City of Angels invites readers to look beyond the skyline and into the heartbeat of a city that has never stopped reinventing itself.

About the Artist

Jasmine Benjamin was born in Northern California and is now based in Los Angeles. She is a creative director, photographer, stylist, and costume designer whose work bridges authenticity and artistry. A FIDM graduate, she has styled and creative directed for artists including Miguel, Anderson .Paak, Donald Glover, Vince Staples, and Chaka Khan. She has costume designed for moving pictures with Nike, the WNBA, Apple Music, and Google. Her work has been featured in Vogue, GQ, Complex, and Billboard, and she was named one of i-D’s Top Stylists of 2016. Jasmine brings an infallible eye and a deep sense of realness to every story she tells.

City of Angels: An Intimate Portrait of LA Style and Identity