Conversations with Code 3 Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Code 3 Los Angeles

Code 3, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey began like that of any other person with a passion for photographing and documenting emergency services. Ever since I was young, I’ve been captivated by police officers, firefighters, and the impressive vehicles they use. Over time, this interest grew into a hobby, leading me to take a wide array of photos of these services. Eventually, I discovered a community dedicated to this interest and began sharing my work on social media, mainly on Instagram. Initially, I found it daunting, being new to the concept and feeling like a small fish in a large pond. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to compete with others who produced much better content. For a while, my posts and videos only received a few views and likes. However, things changed when I caught the attention of established creators who were larger and more experienced than I was. They proposed a partnership, where we would support each other by promoting one another’s work. This collaboration significantly boosted my visibility, causing a shift from a part-time hobby to almost a full-fledged profession. Over the past two years, I’ve dedicated myself to improving the quality and quantity of my work. Through these efforts, I’ve managed to amass a loyal fanbase of over 800 followers across two social media platforms.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It wasn’t an easy journey and it demanded a lot of time and dedication, which I initially lacked. One major challenge was how to stand out among so many others in the same community, some with better content and more frequent posting. Another issue was my own lack of content that could be consistently distributed. Editing just a dozen photos takes me hours, and since I handle all the posting myself, there are often delays and quality issues with the photos. I also lack manpower, as I do everything on my own with occasional help from a family member. Due to a tight budget, it’s been difficult to consistently produce content for my accounts.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
In general, what I do is photography, but it mostly boils down to photography and documentation of first responders such as police, fire, and EMS; which is exactly what I became known for online, as well as collection patches, especially for those in the Los Angeles area such as LA, Burbank, and even other states. And it’s honestly what I became most proud of because it is something that I have a passion for and have an outlet for to share my work to many others. However, the question of what sets me apart from others is simply who I am. I know I am still rather young, just barely being in adulthood for the last few months; but my experience and how I chose to run things, what I stand by, I feel all makes me unique compared to many others.

We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I think something that would at least catch people off guard is that although I support law enforcement and am a strong advocate for giving them the tools necessary to effectively do their job, I also support some mild/moderate police reform since the system does still have some issues, especially in some places over others, that need to be addressed and changed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/code3_losangeles
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Code3LosAngeles

Image Credits:
Code 3 Los Angeles