Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

  

Archive 2016 · Los Angeles

  
 
Kulig00
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Los Angeles


Im going to L.A. June 3rd-8th. Can anyone help me out with some good photo spots? I want to shoot skylines and architecture. Also some good hikes or "secret" spots? Thanks


Apr 30, 2016 at 01:37 PM
Craig Gillette
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Los Angeles


One of the best late afternoon/early evening locations is the Griffith Park Observatory - for overlooks of the greater Los Angeles area and downtown skyline. During the week, I'd think, would be less crowded and arriving early is always a good bet as it crowds up for sunset, especially on weekends. OTOH, on weekends, that can be a good time to shoot the area around downtown because parking is less ridiculous and the business crowds are gone. The Disney Concert Hall, Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels, and the Broad Museum are quite close together and an easy walk - as are a variety of other potential architectural spots (and it's not too far from the older historic downtown area which is getting some gentrification) in the vicinity of Pershing Square, a busy diverse shopping and retail/wholesale area, the old theater and financial districts as well..

The "Arts" district is located kind of south and east of downtown nudged up against the L.A. River. The bridges/viaducts over the L.A. River, like the 4th St. Bridge can over good views back to downtown. I'd think also a better opportunity on weekends, while grimy, the district is still very busy during the week and often sees filming of various sorts. The district is also gentrifying some and offers a lot of current urban expressive activity and traditional gang graffitti, too. It's also adjacent to some of the larger concentrations of homeless, not offering this as a suggestion but something to be aware of.

The Getty Museum overlooks the west side and is a massive architectural masterwork as well as popular museum.

It's kind of hard to be too specific in some ways as it's a huge area and getting around while not necessarily difficult can be very time consuming and "good" spots may or may not be convenient depending on where you are and what your schedule is like.



Apr 30, 2016 at 11:39 PM
GroovyGeek
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Los Angeles


Santa Monica mountains has some of the nicest hikes in the area. But that is quite a drive from the city. The hike to the Holywood sign is not terrible, but google it before you go. There are no signs to guide you.

As for skylines... LA does not really have much to show in that department, especially relative to the size of the city. I often joke that LA is an endless collection of low-rises and strip malls. Not much of a character to it. And while they have cleaned up the downtown area quite a bit, there really is not much to do there. The view of the LA skyline is decent from the Getty Museum and the museum itself is worth a visit, but you will be limited to their operating hours. Abbot Kinney is a place where rich people go to pretend they are hipsters.



May 01, 2016 at 01:04 AM
gdanmitchell
Online
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Los Angeles


GroovyGeek wrote:
Santa Monica mountains has some of the nicest hikes in the area. But that is quite a drive from the city. The hike to the Holywood sign is not terrible, but google it before you go. There are no signs to guide you.

As for skylines... LA does not really have much to show in that department, especially relative to the size of the city. I often joke that LA is an endless collection of low-rises and strip malls. Not much of a character to it. And while they have cleaned up the downtown area quite a bit, there really is
...Show more

From my (less than gigantic) experience with the area, with the exception of some of the areas described above, LA isn't so much a geography of huge, stunning subjects as it is a place to look for something more intimate. Yeah, that sounds ironic, but while you don't have the spectacular skyline of New York, Chicago, or lots of other metropolitan centers, you do have scores of wonderful little unique enclaves and getting out and wandering in them can be photographically productive.

Dan

http://gallery.gdanmitchell.com/gallery/var/resizes/HumanWorld/Cities/UnitedStates/SouthernCalifornia/GettyUmbrellaPeopleFogGardenBW20091230.jpg

http://gallery.gdanmitchell.com/gallery/var/resizes/HumanWorld/Cities/UnitedStates/SouthernCalifornia/HuntingtonJapaneseGardenPathBW20141128.jpg

http://gallery.gdanmitchell.com/gallery/var/resizes/HumanWorld/Cities/UnitedStates/SouthernCalifornia/ManAtRailingBW20150328.jpg

http://gallery.gdanmitchell.com/gallery/var/resizes/HumanWorld/Cities/UnitedStates/SouthernCalifornia/VeniceBeachBuildingsBW20160401.jpg

http://gallery.gdanmitchell.com/gallery/var/resizes/HumanWorld/Cities/UnitedStates/SouthernCalifornia/ObservationDeckGriffithObservatory20151128.jpg



May 01, 2016 at 07:25 AM
Craig Gillette
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Los Angeles


If you are close in to the central area, Griffith Park and the adjacent Hollywood Hills offer a lot of hiking opportunities, note that one of the main areas, Runyon Canyon, is currently closed for repairs to a major underground water pipeline. Lots of searchable info on these areas, of course. If willing or able to expand your area, the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains (and national forests) present a wide range of opportunities from casual to extremely rigorous trails.

Off hand, I don't have any L.A. "secret" spots to speak of, living off to the east just into San Bernardino county. Along with the Observatory (Planetarium), there are views overlooking the L.A. basin from several spots in the mountains along Mulholland Highway and some well known businesses (check Yamashiro) but these can be crowded. If you take Mulholland Highway west from the middle of the Cahuenga Pass (that's the primary route between downtown and Hollywood into the San Fernando Valley, the first overlook sports a view of the pass, Hollywood Freeway, Hollywood area, downtown, the Hollywood Bowl facility (not a great view of the bowl itself) and is near a well-known celebrity home. It's not a secret, there will be tour buses popping in and out. Lots of tourists and along wiht the sounds of the urban jungle, you will likely hear local birds and coyotes howling, especially as you get to the evening hours. Something that comes as a surprise to many of the out of area tourists.



May 01, 2016 at 11:41 AM
Greg Campbell
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Los Angeles


"LA" is a huge area. Given that it takes over an hour (at best!) to get across the basin, it would help if we knew what city / region will you be in.


May 01, 2016 at 03:12 PM
Kulig00
Offline
• •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Los Angeles


Thanks everyone for your input. I looked up some of the places mentioned and have a good idea of where im going to go.

I will be staying in the Glendale/Pasadena Area.



May 02, 2016 at 11:36 AM
Craig Gillette
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Los Angeles


That's not too inconvenient to the Griffith Park area nor really to downtown. But it also has opportunities of it's own. Descanso Gardens (in La Canada Flintridge), the Arboretum (in Arcadia) and the Huntington Library and Gardens (in San Marino) are worth considering, depending on the times you might be available, they are pretty much day time locations but each are well worth considering if formal/informal gardens interest you, with the Huntington having world class library and art galleries as well.

It's close to the Angeles Crest Highway which is the main road into the Angeles National Forest and there are a number of popular hiking areas leading up into the mountains from the foothill communities as well. There are a lot of on-line resources dealing with hiking the Angeles, etc.

There are a number of accessible architectural areas in the greater Pasadena area, lots of craftsman and bungalow homes, and some Victorians as well as a spattering of modern architecture as well. The Gamble House is a classic. The Pasadena City Hall and Old Town Pasadena are examples of civic architecture and regenerated older business districts. The various bridges over the Arroyo Seco, especially at Colorado in Pasadena are great opportunities and one can access portions of the walking trails along the Arroyo - with hiking up the Arroyo Seco from the Hahamonga Preserve (sp? - it was easier when we all called it Devil's Gate).



May 02, 2016 at 10:39 PM
fotobandi
Offline

Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Los Angeles


While not a secret spot, Echo Park Lake is a gem! Especially in early June, you may get a lot of lotus blooms and water lilies. The skyline of L.A. (yes, there is one) is a nice backdrop to the lake and the very tall fountain mirrors the verticalness of the skyscrapers.

Another spot, less well known, to see the skyline, is from Elysian Park, up above Dodger Stadium. Just don't go if there is a Dodger game going on...too much traffic.
http://www.laparks.org/dos/parks/facility/elysianpk.htm

If you are Downtown, do not miss Union Station. And get a french dip sandwich up the block at Philippe's Original. The best!

Pasadena City Hall is a copy of The Duomo (more or less) in Florence and very photogenic. The Huntington Library grounds are world-class, but pricey. Try Descanso Gardens in LaCanada Flintridge for a smaller version of botanical gardens.The Brand Library is a Moorish gem in Glendale.

L.A.: really better than people say. I've lived here 39 years and still find new things to shoot.



May 27, 2016 at 03:09 PM





FM Forums | Trip Location Advice & Meet-ups | Join Upload & Sell

    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.