And finally, in my two-hour walk around this area, after leaving Olvera Street I had to walk towards city hall. By now I had already used up my roll of slide photos and was shooting with JCH Streetpan 400, and I was determined to finish the roll today because I wanted to return home to develop it. As I write this, at 9:20 p.m., I can say authoritatively that I will not develop that roll today, but I did finish it by taking eight exposures.
I walked along the sidewalk towards city hall, and saw police cars riding in groups around the area. I think they are concerned about protestors arriving to protest, for or against, the election results. They were making sure to keep traffic moving and they were watching, and I heard one driver yelling abuse at them. I don't know if she was pro or anti Trump.
They have barricades in the square fronting city hall. We can't forget that they had a march yesterday to "protect the vote", that is, to resist Trump's efforts to challenge the vote. We all know Trump will never concede, but it is a given that he lost, and he will not get away with highjacking this election.
I walked up to the next plaza, and it was still open. I tried to find compositions but had difficulty. I think the trees would bring out the IR light, but the problem is, so many of the buildings are white,so white trees do not stand out against white buildings. I need to look for dark objects that will give shape to the white IR-lit vegetation. However, it was getting close to 3 p.m. and I was getting tired. I did not want to go to Little Tokyo, I just wanted to hurry up and find a few compositions here and walk back to my car and head home.
These are the cellphone photos, the black and white infrared photos will have to wait until I develop and scan them.
The iconic Union Station, the train station that serves as a regional traffic hub and terminus for rail traffic. Inside the building is very elegant and ornate, but once again, I am not venturing inside enclosed spaces to risk catching a respiratory disease during a time of pandemic. I tried this shot as an IR shot, I hope it came out.
The iconic city hall. Wouldn't you know it, in this direction, not a cloud in the sky to break up the emptiness. Just blue, pure blue, although the trees at the base would be interesting, but only if I could pick up other shapes.
I hate to say it, but I committed a no-no. I tried this composition in IR. I know it will not be successful, there are only a few trees in the middle, and they will not be set off by the white buildings. I know, this is what a lack of patience produces. I should have walked to the music building to see if I could find an angle there, but I wanted to walk back to the parking lot, not away from it.
Walking back to Chinatown and across the street, you see LA's enduring contribution to city architecture, the ubiquitous strip-mall. How I hate seeing those eye-sores, but they are everywhere, not only in LA, almost everywhere I go in settlements out where I have or continue to live. One thing I can say, though, is that they reflect the diversity of LA. One finds Filipino, Hawaiian, Thai and, in this case in easy memory, a Peruvian food place. I didn't even check if that place was still open. Businesses at strip-malls are all fly-by-night operations, here today, gone later today.
On the walk back down to Chinatown. These are living spaces, but I wonder who can afford them? Are they public housing?
Almost back. I used my last IR exposure here, trying to zoom in on the hills, the clouds and the buildings. That white building near the center will be no help, though. I should have been more patient.
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