Urban landscape
My new journey has been that of a commuter. Driving to LA can be strenuous, especially in the early morning. This morning, I was very tired. I was thankful I didn’t have to drive.
Traveling by train has fascinated me since I went to college. Where I grew up, there were no train services. When I attended college, there were train services that went everywhere. I loved not getting stuck in traffic, and the seamless ride. I wondered why the entire country was not equipped for train travel. It’s efficient, environmentally conscientious, and it decreases stress levels.
Riding a train gives you such a unique vantage point of the cities you are traveling through. Today, I felt especially inspired by the urban landscape I was viewing on the way to work. Driving, there is never time to notice the changing landscape around you. I felt inspired to photograph different fleeting moments I found to be beautiful and interesting. While the industrial landscapes may be unappealing at first, there is something quite extraordinary about the creativity and genius of modern man.
Take a moment to enjoy the photographic journey:
Entering LA. I really liked all the different angles present in this coposition. I also like that the window frames the scene, giving you a sense that you are in the train, too.
There it is, downtown LA. The famous sky scrapers have ominus clouds over them. Is it smog? Or is it coincidence?
I love the muted colors. It almost looks like a photograph from the 70s - faded and a pared down color pallete. It makes me thing of Jurgen Teller, the photographer that does shoots for Marc Jacobs. I wonder if he'd like it. The dirt covered train tracks make me think of dress trimming.
The tracks are easier to see. The lines give a sense of expansion - they're getting bigger. Even though the photograph itself is static, the image is moving. See the second track on the left? Notice the secondary track that makes a triangle. Is that how they manuver and change direction?
An unglamourous shot of the city. I think about all the the ugly things we do to the environment to create beauty and modernity. Why don't we think more about what we do? How many times have I ridden a train and never taken notice?
This is one of my favorites. The rusted bridge is kind of romantic - it looks so out of place in the concrete jungle. I think you're seeing a lot of geometry in my shots. The bridge has support triangles, the concrete wall creates an expansive horizon, and another bridge breaks the image flow.
Graffiti! Personally, I enjoy graffiti - when it is done well. It's such an expressive attempt to beautify the landscape. The vivid colors affront you, saying: "Look at me!!!"
I wonder how challenging it is to make graffiti on this scale. Isn't it risky? What happens if you get caught? Some of the colors are so interesting. Using spray paint is difficult, let alone blending the colors. I like the excitement, the rebellious spirit.
This has so many great colors. Look at the oranges and blues. If you look carefully on the left side, you can see a person's face painted on the other wall. I'rs right above the orange pipes.
Less artistic graffiti. Maybe this is the practice wall? Or the wall of initiation into the Graffiti clan?
My friend, Gil, takes photos like this all the time. I like how tilting the camera in this way changes the orientation of the photo. Its fun and unexpected. Do you find yourself wanting to tilt your head or computer to see it straight on?
Those cars look like models for Christmas train sets. I think I had one like that as a child.
I LOVE THIS PHOTO. There are so many different lines it makes my eyes go crazy. Where are they all going? What shapes are made from the lines crossing? How many plans are there?
Suckers! You should be riding the train. You could be writing and photographing instead of stressing out. :)~
A bucolic scene
I like how the support structer looks like a contemporary sculpture. Silent, solid, strong. It has a nobel character to it.
I once read that 80% of all the world's crains are in Dubai. Thank goodness, there are some still left in America.
Great division between barren earth and shrubery. The tracks are like the Berlin wall . . .
I love the orange roof and tiled walkway. It's got an exotic feeling to it, nothing at all like a Californian train station.
It looks like a never ending matrix of wire, electricity, and consumption. What is it that we are creating?
