Broadway Ave, Los Angeles Theater District

Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
edited August 23, 2006 in Landscapes
Broadway is a large street the runs north and south in downtown Los Angeles.
This was the original theater district of Los Angeles at the turn of the last century. All the movie houses were grand edifices with facades themed after grand buildings from around the world.

Now at the turn of this century, the movie teathers are mainly gone, the first floors have been converted to shops that cater to the primarily Hispanic population that now dominate much of LA. Nearby are the homeless of the skidrow that spill over to Broadway. However the grand facades are still there and there is a slow movement to renovate the area.

Orpheus, one of the remaining working theaters. Theater goers and the homeless on the bottom left mingle in the night.
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A man casually chats on the phone as a homeless man sleeps in the intersection next to him.
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Homeless settle for the night as the streets clear out.
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Happy street vendors
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Street Preacher
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Urban cowboy
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waiting for the bus
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Homeless man bangs on the door of a money mailing place the sends money to Mexico
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Man with a cart full of cans and bottles that he picks from the trash cans.
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C/C welcome

Comments

  • Aaron BernardAaron Bernard Registered Users Posts: 169 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    Excelent work Tee! Subject matter and B&W conversions! love it.

    Tell me about your experience shooting down there. Ive been once and really didnt feel safe in a lot of the places. I actually got hassled by a guy who walked across my shot and then yelled at me for take a photo of him. Id like to go back though as the area is rich in subjects.
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    I shoot from the hip as I find that when you compose your shot, people either get mad at you, get shy and turn away, or act up for the camera.

    I prefer to capture the things as they happen with minimal influence by my presense so I shoot from the hip while walking. I also go with another shooter for company. I've gone with more than two, but that creates a crowd and people notice those things like a bunch of photogs and it causes them to get shy.

    I've been asked for change a few times but not much more than that. At times it's a bit unsavory, but I've never felt threatened.
  • saurorasaurora Registered Users Posts: 4,320 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    Great series of shots....very gritty! I haven't had the opportunity to cruise the sidewalks of L.A. for a long time, but these shots bring back memories of doing so. You can catch just about all this action in one city block!!! Preachers and visionaries on every corner! Actually, that would be a fun self-assignment...to shoot all you can in an hour. You wouldn't have to look far. I hope they can keep the old movie houses in tact, they are such a part of what draws people to L.A. and Hollywood.
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    saurora wrote:
    Great series of shots....very gritty! I haven't had the opportunity to cruise the sidewalks of L.A. for a long time, but these shots bring back memories of doing so. You can catch just about all this action in one city block!!! Preachers and visionaries on every corner! Actually, that would be a fun self-assignment...to shoot all you can in an hour. You wouldn't have to look far. I hope they can keep the old movie houses in tact, they are such a part of what draws people to L.A. and Hollywood.
    Ah, my next post will be on Hollywood. It's already on my webpage if anyone wnats to see it under "Street Scenes."

    Here is a link to the page
    http://tomyi.smugmug.com/gallery/577044
  • SystemSystem Registered Users Posts: 8,186 moderator
    edited August 21, 2006
    Beautiful series. Great conversions. Thanks for posting em up.
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    truth wrote:
    Beautiful series. Great conversions. Thanks for posting em up.
    thanks for looking
  • Awais YaqubAwais Yaqub Registered Users Posts: 10,572 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
    Beautiful series thanks for sharing !
    Thine is the beauty of light; mine is the song of fire. Thy beauty exalts the heart; my song inspires the soul. Allama Iqbal

    My Gallery
  • DavidSDavidS Registered Users Posts: 1,279 Major grins
    edited August 21, 2006
  • erich6erich6 Registered Users Posts: 1,638 Major grins
    edited August 22, 2006
    TY, yet another great series. I really like the way you composed these shots...good work from the hip! These are all good but I was specially taken by "waiting for the bus". How did you get the background motion blur? Is this a Photoshop effect?

    76272384-M.jpg

    Erich
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited August 23, 2006
    erich6 wrote:
    TY, yet another great series. I really like the way you composed these shots...good work from the hip! These are all good but I was specially taken by "waiting for the bus". How did you get the background motion blur? Is this a Photoshop effect?

    76272384-M.jpg

    Erich

    Nope, as you walk you focus on the guy and rotate the camera as you pass by. The guy is in focus and the background is blurred from me walking.
    A bit of luck helps a lot as well.
  • wxwaxwxwax Registered Users Posts: 15,471 Major grins
    edited August 23, 2006
    Outstanding work, Tee, you really have your technique down. I love the bench cowboy shot, can't believe that's motion blur, super work. clap.gif
    Sid.
    Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
    http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
  • Tee WhyTee Why Registered Users Posts: 2,390 Major grins
    edited August 23, 2006
    wxwax wrote:
    Outstanding work, Tee, you really have your technique down. I love the bench cowboy shot, can't believe that's motion blur, super work. clap.gif
    Thanks, lot of it is trial and error. It's 99% persperation and 1% inspiration.
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