Recommendations for Santa Monica photo spots?

[mkendzierski]

Hi,

I'm going to be traveling to Santa Monica & staying at a hotel right on the beach & imagine that there is going to be a lot of opportunity for some great photos with my M8

Would anyone be able to recommend some other great spots within biking distance (5+ miles) that shouldn't be missed?

I've looked through the forums & am probably going to check out the Getty Museum, Disney Concert Hall & the various beaches close to Santa Monica...but would love any recommendations for good landscape shots (will try Mulholland Drive, etc). Many thanks to "Iron Flatline" for his post too.

Are there any "must sees?" I'd rather ask then miss out on something special!

Thanks a lot everyone...

-Mike

[mr_big]

Try the freak show at Venice Beach. It's an easy walk south of your hotel.

[cometsoft]

I don't know about must-see's but within 5 miles I'd probably check out

Venice: (just south of Santa Moncia, ride your bike down on the bike path on the beach)
1. The Canals,
2. The Venice Speedway and muscle beach (where everyone takes pictures, kind of a zoo to me),
3. The Abbot Kinney area (a lot of architects live in Venice, so it's a good place to ride around and see fairly recent LA architecture
4. If there are waves you can get pretty good surf shots from the Venice Pier. For most LA surfing the early morning is best. Also the Venice Breakwater can be good with a non-telephoto lens.

Santa Monica
1. The swinging rings (for acrobatics and people stuff) just south of the Santa Monica Pier.
2. You can ride your bike all over Santa Monica to take architectural photos.
3. Sullivan Canyon, (for hiking or Mountain biking) in the Santa Monica Mountains, or Will Rogers State Park (sometimes there's polo there)

Those are few things that come to mind.

[philipotto]

Mike,

Last October me and some friends from the forum got together for the Uno Challenge. We met in Santa Monica. Here are the resulting photos all (presumably) taken in the vicinity.

Suggestioins
Third Street Promenade
Santa Monica Farmers Market (Arizona Ave and Second Street / Wednesday 8:30—1:30 and Saturday 8—1)
Lake Shrine (17190 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA)

I work for Tutti Frutti at the Wednesday market, so if you check it out, be sure to say hello.

[jrc]

There are two strips of beach -- the one generally north of the freeway, and the one south. You're probably north. If you look south of the freeway, you'll see, running parallel to the beach but a couple of blocks east of it, "Main Street." This is one of the most fascinating photographic opportunities in the LA area, IMHO. Doesn't have the beach stuff, which I think is overdone, but has this very funky older vibe that I find fascinating.

JC

[SJP]

The main unanswered question is what lenses you plan to bring to this part of the world. Let us know what you have and we will tell you what lenses you should bring (usually these are ones you don't have yet), Ultimately the thread will deteriorate into a slagging match but that should not be a major concern (you will be AWOL at the time anyway).

More seriously, I was intrigued by the "Venice Speedway and muscle beach" photo opportunity. What a strange world we live in. Weird but interesting.

[cometsoft]

Originally Posted by SJP

More seriously, I was intrigued by the "Venice Speedway and muscle beach" photo opportunity. What a strange world we live in. Weird but interesting.

I'm sorry to puncture the "Weird but interesting" bubble, but the Venice Speedway is just an alley/street that parallels the Ocean Front Walk (the people zoo, which apparently attracts more tourists than Disneyland). I meant to suggest the Ocean Front Walk.

About the only the interesting about the "Speedway" are the little walk streets that run perpendicular to it.

Sorry for the confusion.

[Michael Tyler]

I just spent a month in Venice. On the weekends it's crazy, crowded, and filled with color. There is a man named Lionel who gets up on stilts with a specially made costume to resemble a walking tree. He told me to have an in-tree-ging rest of the day after he let me snap some portraits of him (I tipped him, it's his living). People like that are everywhere. Also, there's a spot on the sand with a few walls of great graffiti.

The Getty museum is beautiful, and has gorgeous views of LA from on high. Definitely bring a telephoto for some compressed landscapes of the towers and the coastline.

I have some Santa Monica shots on the California section of my site, the orange sunsets and the "vote Obama" shot. Wedding Photography by Michael Tyler | California, New York, Nationwide

[hnaa]

Hi,
I definately agree about the Getty Museum, it's a bit of a must see, especially if the weather is clear, then you'll get a breathtaking view of LA sprawl. For another, less glamorous art scene, i recommend Bergamot Station. It is the name of a number of galleries located in old industrial buildings, outside Santa Monica. It's a little bit difficult to find, and you definately need a car. But I find the assortment of art, both photographic and otherwise, to be quite astounding. And ofcourse you'll usually find any number of interesting people to photograph around the galleries. And equipment-wise, I find the M8 with a 50mm is just about the perfect setup for people photoraphy.For me Bergamot Station is a sure stop every time I visit LA (which I'll be doing again in November).
Also I would keep an eye out for some of the interesting street art around Venice and Santa Monica. It seems that dumpsters attract a lot of street artists who display their work there. Some of it is quite good, and it makes for excellent photographs.
If you venture outside the Main Street area of Venice, and enter the somewhat less glamourous area, you'll be able to find big, colourful murals here and there. I think it is mainly the latino(I hope I'm not offending anyone with this term, I'm from Denmark, so please don't take offence if the term is derogatory, it certainly isn't intended that way) population of LA that makes these, and they are BEAUTIFUL. I have half a mind to make a photography project about these murals, when I get the time, and finances
Well, that really became a longish answer, sorry abut that. But if you have the chance, you should definately visit the Bergamot Station. Have a nice trip!!

[stnami]

.........I hear the city fathers have banned cameras .......................

[mkendzierski]

I just wanted to thank everyone for all of their great advice! I will post my shots when I'm back in NY but really wanted to send out a sincere thank you. I brought with me my three lenses...35mm Summicron, 15mm Heliar (I just love this lens) & 75mm Voigtlander.

I'm always so impressed by all of the knowledge here

Thanks again!

-Mike

[mkendzierski]

Here are my Santa Monica pictures...

Santa Monica

I'd like to send out a special thanks to Philip (philipotto) for lending me his 12mm Heliar. I am now in love with this lens & am definitely going to pick one up.

I have a 15mm, but his 12mm made me a convert & most of the sunset photos are with his lens. I met him at the Santa Monica Farmer's Market & he's a great guy.

Thanks again for everyone's advice...I hope you all enjoy the pictures!


-Mike