STREET SHOOT: Hollywood Blvd.
By Darwin Nercesian
If you are looking for a target rich environment for a little street photography, there are almost always those local spots where we all know we can go to strike gold. Is this cheating? No, not really, but it certainly helps get the creative juices flowing. For me, well, I have the distinct pleasure of being both close enough and far enough from the famed Hollywood Blvd, home of Mann’s Chinese Theatre, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and of course, millions upon millions of locals and tourists that flood the street daily to get a glimpse, or perhaps just feel like they are in the thick of it. So when I got the call to accompany a few photographer friends into this jungle for a day street photography, it was simply an offer I could not refuse.
As always, I hit the street with my companions of choice, my trusty Leica M-P 240 an M246 Monochrom, and my 3 go to lenses, the 35mm Summilux FLE, 50mm Summilux ASPH, and 50mm Summicron APO. Ultimately, however, it was the M246 and the 50mm APO that saw the most action.
While Hollywood Blvd is thought of as more of an adult’s playground, apparently it can be fun for children of all ages.
This kid was having a blast, the the Globetrotter could not be more entertaining to the little guy. This went on for some time andwas a joy to watch. Lets just hope he doesn’t grow up and take advice from this guy.
And speaking of less than stellar advice, here is one I wouldn’t recommend, but then again, I take sides with Indiana Jones when it comes to the slithery in nature. Too bad this isn’t sin city because the symbolism really struck me here.
But giant reptiles were not all that was lurking on this day, and something march larger, and perhaps much more sinister was afoot. It is always great to be aware of your surroundings, lest you be caught off guard…
But no matter where evil lurks, there is always a watchful eye keeping the people safe. One need not look too far on this stretch of the boulevard to find a hero, and in this case, the calm fell over me when I noticed that we were under the protection of none other than…
And so it was that people celebrated the day, paying tribute to the arts, each in their own way.
While people from all walks of life shared common distractions…
Because who doesn’t like a slice of pie?
But in the end, after a long day amongst the stars (the ones embedded in the sidewalk), we found our true calling. In the midst of the glitz and glamour (not really), we learned that the lesson to take with us was, “Defend Democracy in Poland”.
My name is Darwin Nercesian. I am an architectural, street, and travel photographer based in Los Angeles, CA. You can see more of my work at: www.dna-image.com
Like the image of the ball player catching the attention of the child.
Shoot, I hate to be the rain on this parade but, honestly, the only interesting image in this group is the guitar player portrait.
Great post, great shots!
Fun. Thanks!
I love Hollywood – never been there, but there is a magical pull about it. Thanks for a presenting a personal take.
I have seen very film-like results from MM files, but it depends which tone curve you apply. Maybe I’m being too critical but it isn’t quite there in these shots.
The Batman shot got my attention because you took care to keep the camera straight. This was no accident, I knew, and it all made sense when you mentioned that you also shoot architecture!
There is one question I really want to ask you: what equipment works for shooting architecture? I mean, shift lenses don’t apparently always work well with digital sensors. Not only do you have to stop them down (not a big deal) but there is a risk of CA which is not always easy to correct. 4×5 film seems to be the best tool, but I’m curious as to what you would recommend.
FWIW I have used a shift lens on an A7, but not for architecture.
Nice work! Looking at these true digital monochrom images shows so much more depth and richness than the B&W settings on the just reviewed Olympus Pen (as it should for 6 times the cost!)
I agree, nice work. IMHO, I don’t agree that the output of these monochrom images have more depth/richness than the output that Steve has shown from the Olympus Pen. I actually feel the output from the Olympus Pen looked more film like than these images. Considering the cost differential, I would not have expected this. I do very much like the images that Darwin has shared though.
To be 100% honest, I feel the same as you Scott.
A brilliant setDarwin, and unlike most I have seen, your commentary really lifts the story you are telling. Congratulations; excellent.
Nice shots, real street spirit!