I started this whole site to showcase a portfolio. Yet what I've learned over the past months is that it usually takes a lifetime to compile one's best images. So now I'm in no hurry to display my mediocre work. And not only that, one of my real goals was to show the different neighborhood of LA, especially the one's that are usually overlooked because they're either not glamorous or not run-down enough. So starting today, I'll be creating blogs with a collection of photos from the various neighborhoods I visit. The common theme I am aiming for is that my photos show something that one could either say "that's definitely in Koreatown", "that's only in Koreatown" or "I didn't know that was in Koreatown".
I was at Vegas for the most part of last week including the weekend. Our company held a convention at the MGM Grand and it was a really busy schedule. As an enthusiastic street photographer, I brought along my Canon Point and Shoot originally to shoot the convention but I knew at the back of my head that I was going to take at least a few street shots.
What I've learned from my recent "Eric Kim Street Photography Workshop" was that shooting would be so much easier if I at least had an idea of what I wanted to shoot. So I decided to just capture cinematic moments, particularly of couples even if it was their backs. By the word cinematic, I mean the cropping size of my photos would be would be 3x8. So there I was exhausted after Thursday's events but I still decided to hit the streets. It took me 10 minutes to get to the strip and 10 minutes back. The whole time I spent shooting was approximately 30 minutes. I simply went the fountain at the Bellagio. I remember my first time in Vegas and all I wanted to do was look at the fountain and spend a moment with a better half. I knew it was both cliche and cheesy yet there's no denying that sometimes, those simple memories would last a lifetime. So I decided to capture a few couples enjoying the man-made spectacle that is the dancing fountains of Bellagio. Surely next time I come back to Vegas I'll be shooting real street shots with my real camera, not to put down my trusty little point and shoot but seriously, my EP-1 is a beast compared to that thing. Anyway, I was really happy with the convention and the little cherry on top that motivates me to do the business is my passion of street photography. Think about it. How will I be able to fund my future Leica M9 without it? :) This past weekend was definitely the best time I ever had shooting the streets. This would probably serve as quite a long testimonial too. It was about a couple of months ago that I ended up on one of Eric's video interviews on YouTube. It was quite ironic that I was originally searching for "John Free" a Los Angeles based street photographer who had a few videos about street photography. On first impressions, John was this seriously intense and experienced photographer while Eric was this overly enthusiastic young guy. Eric had this genuine personality that made me look up to him as a mentor. Perhaps like every other participant's story, it snowballed into following his tremendously helpful blog and being a part of the "streettog" community he had built on Facebook.
Regardless of what you do, there's always gonna be times that you'll feel uninspired. Street Photography is no exemption. Today I had absolutely no idea where to go so I decided to go westbound, as far as the Pacific Ocean. I thought it was gonna be a great idea to shoot at a place that's definitely full of people. The possibilities were endless, so endless that I got frustrated with the fact that it was overwhelming.
Downtown Los Angeles, undeniably my favorite neighborhood in all of LA. Everything about this place shaped how I ended up becoming a street photographer and it's almost amazing to me that it took me so long to come up with a blog that features it. A couple of months after I moved to LA over two years ago, I saw the movie (500) Days of Summer and I'm not shy to admit that this movie introduced me to my own city. I knew nothing of the place I had moved to aside from the common misconceptions of a tourist. After that, I made it a point to know everything I can about Downtown LA and actually get to walk the streets that people who live and work outside downtown don't normally visit. I pity the people who live around LA and never set foot on downtown. There really is so much character that this place has to offer. Maybe it's because of it's shady past and unflattering stereotypes.
Like so many before me, all I really want to accomplish is shed some light on Downtown LA. This is my way of returning the favor to a place that has been so good to me and my old Canon Point and Shoot. After all, it has always been my personal oasis. Anaheim California, almost as synonymous to Disneyland itself. It's a place where anyone even vaguely familiar of it would associate to anything that contains the word "Disney". Disneyland Resort, Disneyland Park, Disney California Adventure and Downtown Disneyland to name a few. I think you get my point.
This past 4th of July weekend, a cousin of mine was visiting from Canada and what better way to spend the day than in the happiest place on earth: Disneyland. We went to Anaheim the night before because we came from Newport Beach and it was senseless to drive all the way to LA and back again. So we stayed in a town suite about a block from Angel Stadium, where the Anaheim Major League Baseball team plays. I was told that Downtown Disneyland was a mile away so as the enthusiastic Street Photographer that I am, I decided to take this opportunity to shoot outside my comfort zone of Los Angeles. Honestly, I literally have no idea. Each and everyday is an adventure. I take the LA's public transit to go to the different neighborhoods. So far it's been both convenient and inconvenient but none of that matters when at the end of the day, I have that one shot that makes sense to me. For me, having good photos means that the images strike people's thoughts and emotions. If I accomplished that then my work is done. I do this not for monetary gain but for personal growth and satisfaction.
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