Santa Monica: Hollywood, Running, and Photography
the Santa Monica beaches, Lined with enormous Palm trees and skyscraper size mountaintops that framed picture-perfect sunsets that were glistening like a spiritual feeling of Nirvana.
My camera lens gave me none forgettable views of a memory-less Pacific Ocean.
Life in Santa Monica must be good.
I was fortunate enough to live in San Francisco at the time of my visits. Santa Monica was a close enough drive to explore this California oasis on weekends.
There was no shortage of Landscape images to capture with my camera. But, I chose to focus on beach images of Santa Monica. It was simply too good to pass up.
Only having limited time on my weekend getaways the subject that I chose to appreciate was easily accessible and offered interesting contrasts at varies times of the day.
This choice also gave me time to enjoy my time spent doing other things with the limited time that I did have.
I was running the LA Marathon, for one, which added an exciting and convenient choice for my photo explorations.
I figured if I was going to make the trip from Northern California, rent a car and hotel room. I should take full advantage of my two favorite hobbies.
The Marathon started at Dodgers Stadium in LA, which was where registration took place. I like to pay at the door when I can.
It gave me a chance to take a photo of the Stadium. The Marathon started at Dodgers stadium, pre-race we were allowed access to the stadium to sit in the seats and use the restrooms.
In my opinion, it was a great perk giving by the owners of the Dodgers. The jumbotron screen played pre-recorded good-luck type motivational speeches from some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. I found that to be so “Hollywood” in a super- cool way.
The Hollywood effect didn’t stop there.
At several points in the race I was running in the same group as Flea, from the Red Hot Chili Peppers- yes, he’s a prolific and accomplished Marathon runner. Gordan Ramsey the Chef, and Frodo Baggins sidekick, Samwise Gamgee, Sean Austin, also a runner and Tri-athlete, like Gordan Ramsey. And getting “high- fives” from Henry Winkler- Fonzie – as I ran through the Park wasn’t too shabby either.
He was standing along the curb in almost a people free area of the race with a few friends or family members. It was pretty surreal. I grew up with Happy Days being one of my go-to sitcoms.
The race finished along the Santa Monica Pier, which is where I was staying at the time. I was able to shower, eat, and break the camera out before nightfall.
I mentioned in one of my earlier posts; it’s times when your tired, hungry, and your legs hurt is when the magic of the perfect images happens to come.
I think that’s exactly what happened for some of my sunset and dusk images of the Santa Monica Landscape.
Perched above the Palisade Highway gave me time to meditate and reflex on the LA Marathon.
It was a small but satisfying accomplishment. Being able to participate in such a well organized and fun-filled social event gave me an everlasting memory of my trip to Santa Monica.
The photographs that I share with you today added to that memory. It gave me the perfect ending to a long and eventful day.
I hope that you enjoy them as much as I do.
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