This year, one of my goals is to have more destination photoshoots. Since I have a couple clients that live in Southern California, I took to opportunity to go down to Los Angeles this past weekend.
Since moving to CA 9 years ago, I’ve only visited LA twice. Usually we just go to San Diego. So this trip worked out perfectly. Not only did I get to visit some of my friends, I got to do some work while at the same time got to see this gorgeous city.
On Friday, I got to see the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I wished my little sister was with me because she would have loved it. The hall was designed by the famous Frank Gehry. The first time I saw his design was at the MIT Campus in Cambridge (when I visited my sister last November). True to his style, the building has lots of clean lines, lots of curves, is so unique and is so, so aesthetically pleasing .
All steel on the outside and wood + steel on the inside. What contrasting materials and yet it still flows together to be so clean and modern?






Since I could’t get into the Broad that Friday, I went to the Fashion District for lunch instead. It was fun just to walk through because everywhere there were people selling, people browsing, radio singing and man yelling out different prices.

I had to ask to take a picture of this man because he kinda blended in with the clothing. I couldn’t tell whether he’s the owner or he’s just waiting for his wife to finish browsing on the inside.
This children bridesmaid show was just magical!!!! If only I have a little girl that I can dress her up in one of these. She can pretend that she’s a fairy and we can meander through flower fields after flower fields just to take pictures.
The tacos at Jesus Hot Dog stand was BOMB!!! I would think twice about getting the hot sauce though because they are not playing when they said it’s HOT!!!!
And of course what trip to the fashion district without getting some fruits mixed with chili. They are on every corner.
After the fashion district, I had some time so I walked back to the car instead of taking UBER. I was really excited because when you walk, you get to see so much more of the city.
For example, this guy on his skateboard with his luggage was really interesting. I wonder if he just came into town and this was his source of transportation or did he choose to use a luggage instead of a bag to go shopping because the luggage has wheels and would allow him to move around more easily? Even if it is just to go to the grocery store.
The Grand Central Market.
On Friday afternoon, I had a shoot at the Santa Monica pier. Since this was my first time there and the shoot wasn’t until 6PM, I came early to scope out locations.
Across from the pier, there is a beautiful park with these really unique [pods?]. There were also lots of plants and flowers that were blooming too.
Of course you can’t forget about the ferris wheels at the pier.
SATURDAY MORNING HIKE AT SOLSTICE CANYON
This place is just so beautiful. We got there around 9AM and already the sun was beaming on our back. But that view though, was so gorgeous!
EL MATADORE BEACH in MALIBU, CA
After hiking, we went to El Matadore Beach for a picnic. My friend, Laney, packed us all sorts of healthy snacks and lunch. She was on a no sugar and no carbs diet so everything was delicious and light: caprese salad, meatball, humus, etc. Chilling at the beach with a picnic spread underneath an tall beach umbrella, it felt like a scene out of a vacation movie.
This is Laney. Isn’t she gorgeous?

SUNDAY BRUNCH IN MANHATTAN BEACH
On Saturday afternoon after the beach, I went to the Griffith Observatory to photography Tien and Teresa’s Engagement Session. On Saturday night, I got to visit and stayed over at my friend Emily and her husband’s home in Manhattan Beach. On Sunday, we got up early and headed to brunch while David went to a car show.
Lots of surfers were out catching waves.
Lots of people were at the beach, the pier. There were lots of opportunities for people watching. We saw a guy running on the beach with no shirt, suspenders, and long khaki pants. He ran to his wife to get a hat, ran into the ocean to fight the waves, got knocked over and end up losing the hat after that. Really? Why? I looked around several times to see of someone was filming a secret clip somewhere. LOL..
I mean, it is LA after all.
“You had me at pork belly benedict.”
THE BROAD MUSEUM IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
After brunch, we tried our luck at the Broad Museum. I went the day before and the line was way too long.







Takashi Murakami’s massive 82-foot long painting, In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow, reflects on the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Japan. It was so wide and impressive. Starting from the left, you can see the chaos. Then to the right, you can see the transition to what reminds of me of heaven in the movies we watched while growing up.














Close up and you can see all of the copper wired used to hold up all of the bottle caps.
This concludes my 3-day adventure in Los Angeles. We just got back from Toronto and Chicago so those photos are coming soon. So stay tuned.Tra
www.twotwentyphotos.com | Sacramento-based, travel worldwide for weddings and special photoshoots.
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