Saturday, December 10, 2011

Fourth Street Bridge, LA (part 2)

I wanted to share a few more photos taken on and around the Fourth Street Bridge in LA.  A couple of people commented on my 'Part 1' post that they avoid downtown LA at all costs (a good time to pause and say thanks for the comments, always appreciated!).  I tend to agree and I usually avoid large urban areas.  However, once I get in this environment, I must admit it gets really interesting.  LA's such a weird mix of people, architecture, decay, and over-the-top display of wealth (with skid row right around the corner), my head is spinning and it's hard to take it all in!


A word about the photos.  I took triple exposures (+2, normal, and -2) for many of these images and used merge to HDR in Photoshop.  I'm finding that sometimes the photos look too surrealistic, but other times I like the effect, so bear with me.  It's a learning process, and I'm really enjoying trying to learn the ins and outs of Photoshop!
 Fourth Street Bridge architecture can be seen in this photo, along with cool old light fixtures.  One website I found refers to this area as "LA Noire" because of the building style dating to the '30s and '40s.  In the background is the Sixth Street Bridge.  For those of you who know LA, Whittier Blvd. turns into Sixth Street at the bridge.
The manufacturer and seller of ribbon wire must be wealthy, because it is omnipresent in LA!
Above is a view of the Sixth Street Bridge spanning railroad tracks and the LA River.  The LA River is defined as an "urban river"... looks more like a cement drainage area to me!
Looking east on the Fourth St. Bridge
Railroad tracks under the east side of the bridge.
Unfortunately, there are many signs of decay and urban blight in the area.  Some areas are downright disgusting.  I tried for a sepia tone look on this image.  It came out a little light, but I like the effect so I left it
Iphone photo of an old building and fire escape just at the west end of the bridge.  I really like the way this one came out.
One big change I noticed in Downtown LA from years ago is the acceptance, and even embrace, of street graffiti.  It's seems to have grown in popularity in parallel with tattoos in the younger generation.  If you can view it with an open mind, it really is very interesting and artistic!   
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10 comments:

  1. John @ Beans and I on the LooseDecember 10, 2011 at 1:33 PM

    Now that I see these train track views I do remember this bridge. I guess being a young lad at the time an image of trains and tracks down below would stick in my mind. Isn't a amazing what thse Iphone cameras can do? My wife uses hers quite a lot but it will never take the place of her Nikon.

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  2. desertsandbeyondDecember 10, 2011 at 2:09 PM

    Wow~! Your photos made me realize how much I really do miss LA!

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  3. AlDecember 10, 2011 at 2:20 PM

    Nice shots. I like the street art, it's not like simple tagging. Although I wouldn't necessarily want it on the wall of my house!

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  4. KMDecember 10, 2011 at 2:43 PM

    nice photo effects. that Iphone shot looks very good, you wouldn't think that it was taken from an Iphone :)

    thanks for leaving me a comment in my blog.

    have a great weekend!

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  5. Red Nomad OZDecember 11, 2011 at 2:07 AM

    The first photo looks almost post-apocalyptic! As does the 4th - I quite like that effect!! I've never seen downtown LA for real, but despite the squalor you describe, you've made it look quite beautiful!

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  6. Dutch GirlDecember 11, 2011 at 7:04 AM

    IDK. It does NOT look like a fun place to live or visit. Thanks for the pics. It reminds me that I like where I live.

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  7. Icy BCDecember 11, 2011 at 11:40 AM

    You did a fantastic job showcase these architectural buildings and things. Thanks for visiting.

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  8. CarlettaDecember 15, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    I love your processing. It's unique and you do it well.
    LOVE the IPhone image!!
    This kind of graffiti is more like art to me.

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  9. LadyD PianoDecember 17, 2011 at 5:40 PM

    Awesome perspective of some great images. Do you sell your work? If not, you really should! :=)

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  10. blessedMarch 9, 2012 at 11:36 PM

    Lovely work! I live in LA now and I find I'm learning to look past the obvious to see the beauty here. Also, many of these same sites were in some of my favotite movies.

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