Exploring with a Camera|Downtown LA

I love being in the city. Doesn't matter which city, they are all intriguing. I love how things change from block to block. I love that there are so many different people there for all different reasons. I love the grittiness of the streets and the character of the buildings. I love the hustle and bustle that surrounds you. And, yesterday I loved exploring LA with my nephew, Justin and my daughter, armed with cameras and a sense of adventure.

I don't know that I would want to live in the city forever, but I do believe I wouldn't mind living in the city for a year or so. What an adventure it would be.

Within the first block we walked, we ran into homeless. They are a part of each city I've ever seen. But this was the first time I've ever taken a picture of a homeless person before. We walked in a giant circle, past the LAPD building which I had no idea was so beautiful, past the LA Times building which looked to be showing its age, past an art gallery with an incredible display which unfortunately was already closed, and up to the edge of what looked to be the end of all time. 

It was incredible to me that we crossed one side of astreet, filled with cool restaurants and sidewalk cafes and looked down the block to see what appeared to be a scene from an apocalypse. We walked down to the edge of "civilization" and stood there, my camera up to my eye as it reached out to the place I didn't dare walk any closer to. It felt like there was a line drawn and short block we were on was a neutral zone.

Then there was the parking lot we crossed that was against a building with a giant mural filled with graffiti. As I took a picture of the wall, I noticed a tagger had written, "you gonna pay!" I wondered, was that a figurative or literal statement? If literal, what was the cost going to be? In the block we were on, I would not want to know. In the daylight it didn't frighten, but at night would I feel different? Most likely, yes.