Pacific Coast Highway Reopens

On January 7, wildfires erupted in the Pacific Palisades, quickly sweeping through the region and devastating large swaths of land, including parts of Malibu along the Pacific Coast Highway. The blaze took weeks to fully contain, leaving behind a charred landscape and forcing the closure of an 11-mile stretch of the PCH.

Abandoned vehicles were reduced to skeletal frames, haunting reminders of lives once lived there—of commutes, routines, and homes now reduced to ash. Even with the highway partially reopened, traffic moves slowly, restricted to 25 miles per hour. As of today, westbound traffic past Topanga Canyon was relatively light.

Checkpoints remain in place for access to local neighborhoods, but the highway is now passable, offering a sobering view of the fire’s aftermath. Some oceanfront homes stand miraculously untouched, while others lie in complete ruin.

In the wake of such destruction, many residents are left questioning the long-term risks of living along this beautiful yet volatile coastline. With the threat of future wildfires, mudslides, and floods ever-present, few will forget the harrowing scenes from earlier this year—and many hope nothing will rival the devastation left behind.

A change of pace

It’s so nice to get a break from Los Angeles. A change of pace is necessary now and then. I was in Virginia for a couple weeks and it was so nice to slow things down a bit. This shot is kind of a representation of that slower pace and eye-pleasing scenery. I have shot this before, but I feel like there are so many shots that need revisiting, sometimes I need multiple attempts to capture it the way I see it in my head. Sometimes I will photograph a scene even though it’s not exactly what I want, knowing that I could do it better. Sometimes I get to go back and make it better, and other times I have to accept what I got. I’m mostly happy with this, but I wish I had allowed more room on the left side of the frame, and snapped about 10-15min earlier. That’s part of photography, learning what you did and how you can improve it.

A slice of time

I have bee meaning to photograph this place for some time. I had passed by it months back, registered that it was a cool older pizza establishment with a cool sign, but then kinda forgot about it. I happened to be driving by it the other day in the rain, and snapped a photo with my phone while waiting for the light. Then I did some research on it and made a point to try and make a photo on the weekend when I would have some time. Early Saturday morning I went by to scout it out, even though the lighting was not what I was looking for. I was more curious about the lens choice and spatial issues. The lot is small and there are a lot of sign poles that obstruct clear views at least from the sidewalk or street. So the scout confirmed my camera and lens choice. I wanted to shoot it with my medium format camera as I really appreciate the quality, and how it handles the overall exposure. So Sunday evening during twilight I went over and set up my tripod and snapped three angles. Originally I wanted the front, flat head on shot, sign lit up, ideally with no cars blocking the front facade. But there were cars parked, the sign was missing some bulbs, and I could only move back so far without cluttering the frame. But I ended up getting two angles that I was happy with. The one I had entertained in my head is the one posted here. It actually worked out that a greeter opened the door or someone which allowed some nice motion into the shot. I would like to eventually shoot another version with the sign fully lit and no cars. But the experience of planning the shoot, scouting and finally executing the shot is so enjoyable to me, and the most rewarding part of photography.

I’ll be DAMNED

The park and public areas around the Sepulveda Dam is a quite large open area to roam around, and explore. The site of the Dam has had cameos in many music videos and films such as Escape from New York, The Italian Job, and Iron Man 2. The expansive flat cement area just west of the 405 Freeway is frequently inhabited by BMX bikes, motorcycles, e-bikes, content creators looking for a unique backdrop. And the dam has been coated with so much graffiti that you’ll see large 20-30 ft rectangles of paint covering up the colorful messages. The cycle repeats over and over. If you have never been, it’s fun place to spend a hour or two. And you never know what you might see when you do.

A BUG’S LIFE

This 1973 or ‘74 VW Beetle has not moved in the few years I’ve lived in the neighborhood. It’s just parked on the street, baking in the sun, collecting dust and dirt. Its history is on display for everybody to question what the backstory is on this bug. The seats suggests it’s been through quite a lot and has some stories to tell. I wish I could hear some of those stories.