I’m a nostalgic kind of guy and when I find a place that was built back in 1895, I start to drool. And Old Town Irvine is one of those places. I’ve done a few street fashion shoots here and it feels new every time I visit. The ancient wood, that appears to be original, keeps my mind wondering about the history of this place. I love old stuff.
If you’re going to do a photo shoot in downtown Los Angeles, you definitely have to get some murals in the shot. This place is filled with some of the most amazing graffiti murals in the artist district. To me, downtown LA equals urban art. This is where I go to be immersed in it. And if you take a moment to appreciate the art, you’ll realize how massive some of these pieces are. It blows my mind away. Kudos to all those artists who run the streets looking for the perfect canvas to express their soul.
I enjoyed this shoot a lot and hanging out in downtown Laguna Beach is a blast. It’s interesting how certain things will give you flashbacks, specifically this photo shoot. I started to reminisce about the time I moved to a new school during 7th grade. Moving = New city. New school. No friends. Medieval times. Yeah, it really sucked. And it didn’t help that I had the classic comb over and looked like a dork. However, my path as a loner changed during lunch period.
It’s really awesome to setup a fun shoot like this. I enjoy experimenting with different props and ideas. I believe the most important aspect of shooting is being able to listen to the model and share her vision as well. After all, no matter how you look at it, it’s a team effort. It’s about having fun, laughing, and being productive at the same time.
The art scene was difficult to find in Long Beach. I thought it was similar to the art district in LA. Does LB even have one? I asked around and was given a wide range of places. I’m still searching for that place. I’ll know it when I see it. On the positive side, it was a relaxing Sunday on a recon mission for some locations to shoot.
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I called Venice Beach home once. Right on Cabrillo, one block from Abbot Kinney. It was so different back then. It wasn’t built up with high-end shops and stores. It had a more artistic vibe. But if you’re looking for great places to shoot, Venice has them. My advice, you better start early in the morning before the crowds hit and traffic builds and parking spaces disappear.