Last weekend, I joined a photo group led by Chris Foley of The Ambulant Photographer. Seven of us made our way from Santa Monica to the Venice Pier, seeing what we could find on a very pleasant afternoon.
I had in-mind the idea to photograph “wheels”, but as you’ll see, I snuck in some other types of pictures as well.
My first opportunity was a couple (watch for this theme!) struggling with a tandem bike. I’ve had experience with these and they can be a bit tricky when you first get started.
The Scourge of the Scooter
Electric scooters are everywhere these days. They are really handy and fun. I used one to park on-street near Venice and then scooted over to Santa Monica – where parking is difficult and expensive – to meet the group to start the walk. Many many locals hate the scooters. Riders just drop them on the sidewalk, blocking the path, or they don’t stick to the lanes. It’s a mixed blessing, and maybe with a bit more regulation, some type of grudging acceptance will be possible.
Venice Beach = Muscle Beach
In the location of the original Muscle Beach, there is a lot of action that takes strength – yes – but is more about balance, coordination and acrobatics. There are many groups of people practicing acrobatic performance art and just having fun in the sun.
He was balanced like that for a good 30 seconds. (Yes, there are wheels in this picture – but I know I’m cheating)
No-man’s Land
There’s a long stretch of the boardwalk that seems to go on forever that doesn’t have a ton of visual interest. At least, that’s a first impression that’s easy to fall into. But I think we found a few shots of wheels (and some wheel-like things).
Getting to Venice
Once you get to the Venice side of the boardwalk, there is a plethora of art, graffiti, musical performance, hawkers, t-shirt shops and just a wide assortment of SoCal flora and fauna.
As the sun set over the Pacific, we concluded our walk from Santa Monica to Venice. Wheels of all types were everywhere and people – alone, in couples or in groups – enjoyed the environment and the soaked up the scene.
