The Manhattan Sea Wall, Part 2

Yesterday, I had so much fun shooting the runners and bicyclers trying to avoid the big splash off the rocks, I decided to give the location another go-round.  This time, I was prepare with a longer lens which meant that I wouldn’t necessarily need to be in the impact zone to get a good shot of what was going on.

There were a lot of close calls for bikers and runners alike.  In the pictures below, you’ll see what happened to one unlucky runner and one runner who manages to dodge a big one.

Agony of Defeat

Thrill of Victory

The Jetty

The Jetty.  That’s pretty much how most locals refer to it.  I guess if you want to be more specific you could call it the jetty at Middles, but if you just called it The Jetty, most every surfer from Manhattan Beach to Ballona Creek would know what you were referring to.  This is the biggest jetty between Playa del Rey and Palos Verdes and also seems to get the biggest waves in the South Bay during any winter swell.

There is no convenient parking for this location.  Wherever you park, you’re looking at about a half mile hike to get there.  Maybe that’s the reason why I’ve put off shooting this particular jetty.  Every other place, I was able to park my car and walk across the beach to get the shot.  Now that I’ve shot this one, I can take a break from shooting piers and jetties for a while.

If you want to see this place breaking on a big day, check out this YouTube video of Tyler Hatzikian.

The Jetty, Perspective 1

The Jetty, Perspective 2

The Jetty, Perspective 3

Our Trip to Philippe’s

If you like the French dipped sandwich, there are two places in Los Angeles you need to visit.  One is Cole’s at 6th and Los Angeles St.  The other is Philippe’s at North Alameda St. and Ord.  Both claim to be the originators of the French dipped sandwich.  My personal preference is Cole’s but partly because I like the ambiance more.  Today we went to Philippe’s and I snapped a couple pics.

French Dip Menu

The Counter at Philippe's

Lady behind the counter

Our order!

The Manhattan Sea Wall

There isn’t really a Manhattan Sea Wall.  Usually.  But with the recent surf eroding all the sand, there is a stretch of the bike path where there is basically no sand on a higher tide and the waves break right onto the rocks.  So when you get some bigger surf with a high tide, you can see some pretty big waves explode onto the rocks and send a plume of whitewater onto the bike path.  Right now, there is a sea wall just north of 45th St.

I thought, “Hey, isn’t that cool? Maybe I should shoot it.“  Well, I only had my wide angle lens so without getting really close, the big splashes of whitewater didn’t really look as good in the pictures so I had to get closer.  So, I got a little closer – maybe a little too close.  Luckily, I didn’t get the camera wet, but I did pay the price by shielding it with my body.  My jacket was waterproof.  My sweatpants were not.

I got a major adrenaline rush waiting for the big waves to break on the rocks.  The thunderous crash of the wave against the rock sounds so close that it just sounds like you’re about to get swallowed up by this thing.  I think I’m going to come back tomorrow with a slightly longer lens.

Here are the images.  First a sequence from a safer vantage point.  Then a few from a not-so-safe one.  And finally, a self portrait after getting splashed.

Splash Sequence

Big Splash, Up Close and Personal

Foamy Bike Path

Pieces of rock broken off by waves

What happens when you get too close

The Redondo Beach Pier

I’ve always called this the Redondo Beach Pier or the Redondo Pier.  I guess I never noticed the sign that simply refers to it as “THE PIER”.  I’ve got nothing against Redondo Beach or its pier.  It’s a nice town and the pier is a pretty fun destination every once in a while.  But I think it’s a little lame for the town to call its pier, “THE PIER” especially when there are so many other lovely piers within a short drive.  In fact, if you do a Google search for “THE PIER”, the Redondo Pier isn’t on any of the first few pages of image results.  I think the folks that decided to make the sign should have done some focus group testing or checked Google before referring to their pier as “THE PIER”.

The Redondo Pier, Perspective 1

The Redondo Pier, Perspective 2

The Redondo Pier, Perspective 3

The Sign for The Pier

Santa Monica Sunset

I wasn’t able to do a shoot this morning because I had to be at work early.  Not to worry, I figured.  Since I work at the Water Gardens, if I could get out of work at a decent hour, then I’d be able to head west a few blocks to shoot a nice sunset at the Santa Monica Pier.

Well, I was treated to one of those very vibrantly colored sunsets that just makes you feel so alive and happy to be outside.  The weather was warm and there was hardly a breeze in the air.  It really doesn’t get much better than this – at least not in Los Angeles.

I know the image is a bit cliché but given that I’m only 2 weeks into my 365 and I hadn’t shot anything else all day, I wasn’t about to let unoriginality stall what will be a yearlong project.  I figure I can be more original some other day.  So I plopped my tripod down not too far from a few other photographers who probably walked away with same images I got.

Santa Monica Pier, Perspective 1

Santa Monica Pier, Perspective 2

Roller Coaster and Ferris Wheel