Costume Characters And Tourists On Sunset Boulevard

Over the weekend, I took a field trip to walk around and observe the costume characters working the streets in front of the Chinese theater in Hollywood.  There are several characters walking around hoping that you will take their photograph for cash and plenty of tourists taking them up on it.  At first, it was exciting to be there since I don't think I've ever toured the area or at least I have no memory of it.  Shortly after arriving, the initial excitement wore off and I started feeling a bit sad for the people in the costumes and the children in the middle of the chaos.

I started snapping away as soon as I arrived and I took a photo of the back of "Darth Vador's" head while he was out of the costume and he immediately walked towards me and confronted me about it.  Being true to his character, he was not the nicest of people and I decided just to walk away and avoid any further contact.  He yelled at me and told me to delete the photo.  It was the back of his head and we are in a public place so I told him I wouldn't delete it and I suppose that wasn't what he wanted to hear.  I did eventually delete it once I uploaded the images. I didn't really have any interest in remembering him anyway.

Most of the other characters were a bit nicer.  I saw a lot of money exchange hands throughout the day and started thinking about what tourists spend their money on.  I'm sure it's fun for people to see the star tiles along the streets and hand prints of famous people in cement but I hope that they are also taking their kids to our National Parks.  Perhaps they are.  I'd like to think that at least.

Here are a few photographs from the couple of hours that I was there.  You be the judge.

I Love Birds

As you might have noticed, I love taking pictures of birds. There is something about them that I love. They get to roam around, fly wherever they want, float on the water, and watch us as we go about our day.

Last night I went out to take pictures of the sunset but was more interested in a group of seagulls doing the same. Well, they weren't taking pictures but they get to sit there and watch the sunset each night at the beach.

Throughout my travels, I made sure to take pictures of birds wherever I went. In fact, I put together an entire photo album of birds here.

I might be a litle nuts, but I think they are beautiful.

Huntington Beach Today

I love being by the ocean. There is something magical about it. All it takes is one foot in the sand and all of your worries from the day seem to disappear. The ocean waves, the salty air, the breezes...there is nothing like it.

I took a short drive to walk along the beach in Huntington Beach yesterday as the sun was setting. As you know, I enjoy watching people so the evening did not disappoint.

There were surfers out trying to catch the perfect wave, a little girl playing in the sand, tourists wanting me to take their picture, people out with their cameras and everyone else stopping to seize the moment.

I stood there and soaked up each moment. It's hard to be miserable when you are surrounded by beauty. I suppose you could, but you would have to try really hard.

Here are some pictures from my stroll along the beach yesterday:






MORE PICTURES

Lifeguard Chairs

I love lifeguard chairs.

Maybe it's because I used to be a lifeguard one summer a long time ago. It's not a glamorous job. You sit there hours on end watching people play in the water. At first it's fun, but after a while it can be a bit boring and annoying.

Perhaps I just didn't master the art of making sure people knew how to swim when they jumped in the pool. I figured that they would have some sort of life preserving skills before they took the leap. Not always the case.

I appreciate the fact that the life guard chair is always on duty even though the season has ended. It reminds me of summer days and gives me hope that the warm weather will come back soon. On most of their off duty days, people climb on them to get a better view of the sunset, relax from a run, do a photo shoot, or snuggle up together for a quiet moment. They serve a purpose even during the off season.

It's no wonder that I enjoy taking pictures of them...just sitting there, waiting for the season to start again.

On the East coast, they put away the chairs after Labor Day, but they are usually out all year long here on the West coast. Here is a collection of chairs I've taken on my travels. For more, click HERE