Bob Kent Bob Kent

Sunrise to Sunset in Southern California

My brother and his family come home every holiday season. He is a photographer too, so we look for some time while he is here to go out to shoot. I enjoy his company and it forces me over the rest of the year to get out and to check out places in Southern California for his next visit.

Now I am a 3rd generation Angeleno.  I have lived in Southern California all my life. Between work and exploring I get around a lot and considered myself a seasoned local.  I thought I had been to most of the interesting places we have here. Wow was I wrong. After a few years of checking sites out for our shooting day, I have realized there is absolutely no way possible you could ever see all that is interesting in Southern California.

My brother and his family come home every holiday season. He is a photographer too, so we look for some time while he is here to go out to shoot. I enjoy his company and it forces me over the rest of the year to get out and to check out places in Southern California for his next visit.

Now I am a 3rd generation Angeleno.  I have lived in Southern California all my life. Between work and exploring I get around a lot and considered myself a seasoned local.  I thought I had been to most of the interesting places we have here. Wow was I wrong. After a few years of checking sites out for our shooting day, I have realized there is absolutely no way possible you could ever see all that is interesting in Southern California.

This year's photo shoot happen to be on a day where we also had a lunch planned in Marina del Rey with one group of friends and a dinner with family in Calabasas. So we figured we would find a place to shoot the sunrise down south and work our way up to catch the sunset at El Matador State Beach. This way the social engagements were in sync with our photo shoot.

Sunrise from the Observatory

We chose to do the sunrise at the Griffeth Park Observatory. I have been to the Observatory many times at night. I had never even thought about going there for sunrise. It was awesome. It was a clear day and Los Angeles in the golden glow of the morning is beautiful.

Golden Arches looking over Downtown

Curved Vanishing Point

 

After a while it was time for breakfast. Since we were close to downtown and my brother wanted to shoot the Bradbury building I suggested Philippe. Most people know Philippe for their French Dip sandwiches; usually before a Dodger game. What most don't know is Philippe has a great breakfast. My favorite is their Pork Chops.

After breakfast we headed over to the Bradbury building. For those of you who aren't familiar with the Bradbury it is a historic office building at the corner of Broadway and 3rd. It was built in 1893 and has this incredible 19th style century interior with very intricate ironwork ornamental railings and a glass ceiling. One of the building's claim to fame is being used in the cult classic movie Blade Runner. That is only one of the many movies and TV shows shot in the building. Others including Pay it Forward, Marlowe, Outer Limits, and Chinatown. It is free to check out the lobby and the first staircase platform. Well worth the time to visit and there is a host of other things to see within walking distance including the Grand Central Market, Disney Concert Hall, and the new Grand Park.

From the Staircase

Looking Up at the Glass Ceiling

All Decked Out for Christmas

Right across 3rd street from the Bradbury is one of my favorite building murals. It is called the “Pope of Broadway” and is a painting of Anthony Quinn dancing. Eloy Torrez painted the mural in 1985. He portrays Anthony Quinn as a Christian icon. The image of Quinn has the traditional posture of Jesus on the cross; outstretched arms, slightly bent knees and head tilted to one side. The small enclosed parking the mural is behind gives it a church-like setting to view the mural. The religious theme is reinforced by crosses under Quinn's arms. These crosses are painted in arched doors which mirror the design of the door in the north entrance to the Bradbury building just across the street. I was so excited when I saw the mural this time. Over the years it had gotten pretty worn down. It was faded and the paint was flaking off. Viewing it this time I was overjoyed to see that it had been restored to its original glory.

Pope of Broadway

So after the Bradbury, we went to our lunch and then headed for El Matador State Beach. It was suppose to rain later that day and there were these beautiful high clouds heralding the storms coming. It looked as though they would not block the horizon. This would set up the possibility that they would turn that nuclear red you sometimes see just after sunset. Alas, that was not going to be the case. We had the wonderful subdued pastel sunset instead. What gave the soft sunset some character was the fact that there were 20+ commercial fishing boats just off the shoreline. There must have been one hell of a big school of fish off the beach because they were all still there well after sunset.

Subdued Sunset

Reflections

Time Lapse of the Last Light

Time Lapse of the Last Light

Big Stopper

We then headed off to dinner. It was a great way to spend sunrise to sunset and a reminder that Southern California is a treasure trove of beautiful places.

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Bob Kent Bob Kent

Dia de los Muertos 2016

Over the last several years I have become big fan of Dia de los Muertos. I look forward to it every year. The celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the reason this celebration of the Dead has won me over. At the Hollywood Forever Dia de los Muertos; the alters are awesome, the stories of the particpants are heartfelt, the costumes are off the chart. If that is not enough they have great food, beer and margaritas! Hell one year one of the alters had a full Mariachi Band! What a great way to spend a day.

Top Hat and Merigolds

Over the last several years I have become big fan of Dia de los Muertos. I look forward to it every year. The celebration at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is the reason this celebration of the Dead has won me over. At the Hollywood Forever Dia de los Muertos; the alters are awesome, the stories of the participants are heartfelt, the costumes are off the chart. If that is not enough they have great food, beer, and margaritas! Hell one year one of the alters had a full Mariachi Band! What a great way to spend a day.

Color coordinated beer!

Lively Crew

Awesome Food

 

Just once in your life you should go to a Dia de los Muertos celebration. If you live in Southern California you should go to the one at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. If you get bored at Hollywood  Forever you can hunt for the graves of the famous: Cecile B Demille, Jayne Mansfield, Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power, Rudolf Valentino, Peter Lorre, Mel Blanc, Clifton Web, John Huston, Johnny Ramone, and for good measure Toto the dog from the Wizard of Oz.

I digress, back to the Dia de los Muerto here is a little background:

Brilliant Use of Eyelids!

Before the Spanish arrived the Aztecs believed that the deceased preferred to be celebrated, rather than mourned. I did not know the Aztecs were Irish! Annually they held a festival celebrating the death of their ancestors, while honoring the goddess Mictecacihuatl, Lady of the Dead. The celebration was held in the Fall and lasted for an entire month!

Love the Flying Monkey

True Love

When the Spanish came to the Americas they attempted to convert the native population to Catholicism and to end the old rituals. They were not totally successful in ending some of the old rituals. 

The end result was more of a compromise, a blending of the two cultures. The celebration of the deceased was shortened to two days and moved to already Catholic celebrations: All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, which are celebrated on November 1 and 2 of each year.

Beautiful Senora

Time has continued to evolve the Dia de los Muertos celebration into what is today a vibrant commemoration of our ancestors. With its new found popularity it has begun to seep into other countries to become an international celebration.

What happened to the Goddess Mictecacihuatl? She morphed into the new identity of "Catrina" the skeletal female you see depicted at the celebrations. She is a reminder to us that death is a fate for all of us, poor or rich.

Catrina

You will also notice marigolds everywhere.  Why marigolds? It is believed that the spirits of the dead visit the living during the celebration. Marigolds guide the spirits to their altars using their vibrant colors and scent. Marigolds, or flowers in general, also represent the fragility of life.

Marigolds guides the Spirits to Their Alter

When you go don't be shy.  Talk to the people who have built the alters.  They want to tell their stories.  That is why they came and put so much effort into their alter.  I heard a great story from one participant about the alter dedicated to their Mom.  She wore Mumu's and had enough that they were able to make ten plus quilted blankets using square patches out of her Mumu's.  Mom will be immortal as folks snuggle those into those blankets.  

I Hope you get a sense of the celebration from the post and the pictures!

For those of you that are photographers three tips for taking pictures at Dia de los Muertos:

  1. Get close. Most participants dress up to be seen so they don't mind having their picture taken. Be polite and ask first but then get close up. You want their face to fill the image.
  2. If you do post processing you want their face to be the center of attention. The celebrations are usually crowded with a lot happening in the background. Crop tight and use a heavy vignette to put all the focus on their face.
  3. It's the eyes that make the picture. This is the most important tip of all. For the maximum input you need their eyes looking directly at you not gazing off to the side. It is amazing the difference this will make in your images.

Get Close for Maximum Impact

The Eyes Make the Image and Remember Use a Heavy Vignette to Minimize the Confusing Background

 

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Bob Kent Bob Kent

Some Things Age With Grace

It was a Dodger game on a warm evening early in May and they recognized the fact that Vin had been broadcasting since before most of the folks in the stadium had been born.  

In this image there are two icons that have aged gracefully and become part of the culture of Los Angeles and Baseball.  Dodger Stadium, the third oldest baseball stadium, and Vin Scully, the longest serving baseball broadcaster.  Both have become beloved icons of Baseball and Los Angeles.

As the song goes “I love LA.”

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