Tonight marked the halfway point for the summer concert series on the Santa Monica Pier. I’m lucky enough to have been asked to photograph each concert again this year. It’s a real highlight of the year for me, and makes my summer so much more summery. Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited soothed us softly into midsummer. I like to do a mixture of stage shots and long exposures of the pier scene as the night goes on. To see more photos from tonight’s concert, please visit click here.
Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited rocked from before sunset until well after dark.
Thomas Mapfumo & the Blacks Unlimited rocked from before sunset until well after dark.
I love the glow of the churro cart against the backdrop of the Pier.
Estimates were that more than 2,000 were on the beach enjoying the concert tonight. It seems to get more popular every year.
Press ‘Play’ to see a slideshow of photos from last week’s concert, when the Pier was transported back in time for the La Monica Ballroom Redux. You can see the gallery of photos from the slideshow below by clicking here.
I was on my way to meet TSNY's Jonathon Conant for the first time when I saw this scene. Taken from behind the school, looking toward Malibu.
This was taken on the night of TSNY LA's opening celebration. Taken from the roof of the Arcade next door.
This is Poptart Sprinkle. She would 'fly' (as trapeze folks call it) at TSNY LA often when I first started taking pics there. Poptart's drive, energy, and creativity make her a force to be reckoned with. She's pushed me to new heights as a photographer.
Poptart on the rings, a shot from our most recent shoot on the beach in Santa Monica.
July 27, 2009…I’ve chosen these photos for my first post as a reminder that sometimes you should just listen to that little voice inside. Don’t question it. Don’t reason with it. Just do what it says.
Like so many photographers starting out, I used to have a lot of angst about what I was doing, what I should be doing, what other people thought I should be doing. Even the simplest of projects felt like an enormous challenge in some way or another. When I wasn’t struggling to overcome my shyness to put myself out there and meet new people, I was stressed out because I had to apply a technique under pressure for the first time - or both. Sometimes I’d wonder why I put myself through it.
I’ve always loved the Santa Monica Pier. The iconic status, the beach atmosphere, the history…It’s also one of the most photographed places in LA. I spent a good deal of time thinking about unique projects I could do involving the Pier, but none of them pulled strongly enough. Then one day about a year and a half ago, I heard that Trapeze School New York was going to be opening its Los Angeles location right next to the arcade. How cool! I didn’t know anything about trapeze, but I knew that I wanted to photograph it. A quick email later, I was in touch with Jonathon Conant at Trapeze School New York, and he invited me down. It was a pivotal move for me - and believe me I was nervous. But after one day of shooting at TSNY LA, I thought to myself ‘this is what I’ve been practicing for all this time. And it’s fun!’
That’s what it comes down to. Photography and all it entails can be an incredible pain in the butt. At the end of the day, if I’m doing this right, it should still be fun. So far, so good.
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