My recent trip in July to Los Angeles for a conference was going to be just another hotel stay, see the same four walls, drink the same coffee and connecting with people from my conference tribe.
I made a different choice this time, I saved one day to be a tourist in the LA area. The small tour bus I got on carried about 9 people and planned to stop at 5 places before calling it a day on the hectic highway. Each location we were allowed to get out, walk around for 45-60 minutes.
This yellow stretch cab 🚕 was not the one I rode in.
I spent 90% of that time photographing all I could between the crowds and in the crowds.
Can you see the HOLLYWOOD sign to the far upper right of the photo ? Our guided tour bus driver said if we walked up the hill we could get a closer look. Not really. You can barely see it unless I mentioned it. He didn’t want to stop at Rodeo Drive since we spent a lot of time driving. I don’t think he wanted to go. Our second option was to see this sign. We wanted to see the sign only to be disappointed with the view. We would only “window” shop at Rodeo, but it would be cool 😎.
A modern star ⭐️ seen everywhere you walk, I was lucky to capture one without people standing all over it. Plenty of artist selling unique paintings and other items like CD’s that they put in your hand as you walk by, and expect you to buy it. I kept my hands on my camera.
One of the old fashioned star squares found closer to the inside of the theatre area.
The Famous Mann’s Chinese Theatre where the walk of stars⭐️ are located. The area has gotten a ton of new Star names along with a makeover of a more attractive landscape and stores nearby. It’s changed for the better in the twenty years since I’ve been there.
I became the unofficial “photographer” for taking other family/ couple photographs. Hummmm, how did they know? Maybe that bigger camera around my neck was the clue. One couple from my bus thanked me for the photos.
Colorful decorated palms on Venice Beach.
Artists selling to whoever walked by them.
A small token bracelet I bought from a persistent seller at a good price. I was just looking from a distance after that so my time wasn’t misused on shopping rather than photographing.
An expensive residence for sure! Would love to photo some real estate here.
A strange looking palm tree on my Santa Monica walk.
Overlooking Santa Monica Beach. A bit hazy at this time of day, you can see the pier in the distance.
My favorite walk was the one in Santa Monica, very pretty, lovely pier and beach. Expensive homes on the hill. Sadly the poor live all along the grassy hill with “what appears to be their suitcases containing their entire belongings.
Lucky for me I drafted this post with the photos because I recently lost my smartphone and some photos that did not make it on iCloud. That will make another interesting blog. I’m going to have to “bite the bullet”, so to speak and buy a newer model once they are released soon. Ouch.
About my business venture….I am working on documenting my project plans for a workshop to help women become more self-knowledgeable, self-confident and speaking their inner voice using photographs as one of the two mediums to accomplish this task.
Stay tuned…I plan to be back more often.
Plenty of unexpected weather around the globe has wreaked havoc, destroyed homes and caused casualties.
Now I’m relaxing from doing household chores or working on too many projects. This week my focus is on brainstorming a new business idea, one that will enrich the lives of others and give them a hand.
I’m excited to be developing details for a program to help transform the overall physical and mental mindset for someone using visual arts.
If you have read some of my past posts over a year ago, many of them reference to the Morton Arboretum where nature meets man. Joy Morton, A man of Salt and trees, yes Morton as in the salt company had spent his later years preserving this beautiful property in Lisle for all to enjoy the trees from around the world.
Recently a Danish artist has been creating his special exhibit which officially opens on June 22. The giant structures of trolls carved by a Thomas Dambo have been slowly crafted at seven locations throughout the park.
Last week I captured a few structures on film as I tried out my new camera. The pictures were not part of the marketing print out which sometimes are so you know what to expect when you locate one. This time the locations were only given. It was a mysterious hunt to locate them only to open the eyes with a wow factor. All reclaimed wood put together, finely crafted on site bit by bit.
