I have a confession to make......
For some odd reason, I have never visited Los Angeles. That’s right folks, I have never been to the city of flowers and sunshine.
La La Land.
The city that gave birth to the G-funk.
The city that is home to the sixteen-time NBA Champions: The LA Lakers.
All of this changed this past February when I took my first trip to LA to visit some good friends from college. I was also on a mission to shoot some street photography.
What better way to get intimate with a new city than to walk the streets capturing shots of people in their daily lives? Now when most people think of LA, they think of the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. I wanted absolutely no parts of that. If I was only interested in the superficial, I would have stayed home and binge-watched Bravo.
I get acquainted with cities by walking the streets, talking to the people, and internalizing the many sights that come my way. I wanted to capture Los Angeles in a way that many people weren’t used to.
This is my story of The City of Angels.
Come take a walk with me.
Downtown L.A.
What surprised me about downtown L.A. was the amount of personality that engulfed each corner. From the Greco-Roman influenced architecture, the abandoned broadway theatres, the artful graffiti that covered their alleys, to the citizens of fashion that roamed the streets; Downtown LA was a historical repository of all things that has made this city great.
Chinatown
I inhaled a sense of community, work ethic, and tradition as I walked through Chinatown.
Venice Beach
The vibrance of Venice Beach was unbelievable. I truly enjoyed the many personalities that I encountered. From the skater boys, to the muscle heads pumping iron, to the street musicians, Venice Beach was definitely one of my favorite places to shoot street photography during my travel!
Lost Angel(e)s
These are the untold stories of the street
These are the people who shall remain nameless
Lost souls wandering the streets aimless
With no hope as to how to find their way
They write their own history and erase its existence in the same day
Accumulating pain and wearing it for their own protection
A mechanism to help cope with society's rejection
Against their will, they have become invisible to mankind
Living in a dark world that would jeopardize the sanity of any mind
With no clear sight as to how they can rinse off this pain
Their memories of a previous life become impossible to maintain
It is at these moments in which redemption seems like an unattainable feat
One day their lives will matter and this will no longer be the untold stories of the street
Obviously, I have only seen a sample of what Los Angeles, and California, has to offer. Which gives me another reason to come back and visit. But I will say that I have gained a greater appreciation for what the city holds.
I hope you enjoyed my street photography. I would love to hear your feedback!
Until the next time!
Ananeya