I had visited LA a few random times throughout my life before my last visit - each time quickly and inadequately. It was my first taste of the West Coast the first time I visited and the palm trees and the cars on the wide fancy boulevards and Venice Beach and all the sunshine was thrilling to me then having only ever known the East Coast, but overall, as time went on, LA put a weird taste in my mouth. Kathy & I visited in the spring of 2007 for a few days to visit our wonderful friends Sam and Steve and I was hoping a few days in the city would turn my opinion around, but it was only kind of confirmed. It seems just too big, too spread out, too many cars. I am used to compact, walkable cities; I am a fan of efficient public transportation. Yet so much of the surrounding landscape is still so beautiful, and I still find myself intrigued by the place - it is such a huge cultural force of our country, and not just entertainment wise, that it's hard not to be intrigued by it. It is also, of course, the home of In N Out Burger, and that's a hard thing not to love. Most of the photos in this gallery are either from Hollywood or Malibu, with just a few mixed in taken in Van Nuys, where Sam and Steve live.

april 2007

31 pictures; 35mm & digital