#Photowalks

Jefferson Graham

Dec 13, 2021
3 min

How to get great photos in the rain

The latest Photowalk is a little different–it’s a #Photowalk in the rain. Because let’s face it, Los Angeles looks better wet than dry, right? And it’s not always going to be beautiful and sunny outside. (Despite what the song says about it never raining in Southern California.) Sometimes it actually does rain and we can get some pretty cool shots. #Photowalk Los Angeles, scenes from a rare day in the rain, in Venice Beach. What do I like about “Snapping in the Rain?” I’m no

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Philippe the Original – Los Angeles Photowalk

Jefferson Graham

Oct 14, 2021
1 min

Philippe the Original – Los Angeles Photowalk

The crowd at Philippe the Original in downtown Los Angeles on a Sunday afternoon. One of the oldest restaurants in L.A., Philippe still draws a hefty collection of customers. Philippe the Original is said to be where the French Dip sandwich was first seen back in 1908. Some 110 years later, it’s still thriving, as you can tell from the crowd shot above. Yes, it’s that way often. Behind the counter at Philippe the Original in downtown Los Angeles. Part of the DTLA Photowalks s

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Hollywood Sign Photowalk: How and where to photograph

Jefferson Graham

Oct 14, 2021
5 min

Hollywood Sign Photowalk: How and where to photograph

Photographing the elusive, hard to reach Hollywood sign in Los Angeles is not easy. Neighbors in the hillside district of Beachwood Canyon don’t want tourists traipsing up here, so city officials have done everything to keep people away. The Hollywood Sign, up close and person You will see signs telling you not to be here (but not true) and “no hiking,” signs which mean–don’t get off the path and hike to the H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D letters. They don’t say you can’t take the Griffit

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How to photograph San Pedro’s “Sunken City”

Jefferson Graham

Oct 14, 2021
2 min

How to photograph San Pedro’s “Sunken City”

The most popular spot in San Pedro, California is also the toughest ticket in town. It’s closed off, behind a gated fence, and clearly marked with “no trespassing” signs. So how did the “Sunken City” become an online phenomenon? Take away the access, and this collection of hiking trails that overlook the Pacific Ocean, with Catalina Island some 22 miles away directly across, is now a must-see ticket. There’s several Sunken City Facebook fan pages, over 50,000 #SunkenCity has

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Jefferson Graham

Dec 15, 2020
1 min

Hermosa Beach Sunset Photowalk 12/14/20

Those super colorful light shows from last week have died down and returned to normal. Tonight I dashed over to Hermosa Beach to check out the action, and was most impressed with the low tide and big wide beach full of strollers and beach folk, even in a pandemic. I had fun going black and white on this shot of the Hermosa Beach Pier from the other side, on the left. So which do we prefer? Black and white or color? Both shots were taken on the iPhone 12 Pro Max, and dodged an

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Jefferson Graham

Dec 15, 2020
1 min

Redondo Beach Meets DTLA

Stand in the right spot in Palos Verdes Estates, look out towards Redondo Beach, and on a clear night you can see the downtown Los Angeles skyline right behind Redondo. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it pays to have a camera by your side, one with a long lens. In this case, it was the Sony RX10IV, which has a 24mm to 600mm lens. The giant telephoto plays optical illusions on you, compressing the image a bit to bring the background seemingly closer. From my Photowa

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The week in Photowalk beach sunsets 12/7-12/11

Jefferson Graham

Dec 12, 2020
2 min

The week in Photowalk beach sunsets 12/7-12/11

This was one of those weeks with one awesome sunset after the next, a December phenomenon that’s all about the position of the earth to the sun, as we approach the Winter Solstice on 12/21. Such clouds and colors! I spent Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in Manhattan Beach, either because I’m lazy and live here, or that we have the best sunsets anywhere in Southern California. I also love taking walks at the end of the day, which is way preferable to getting in the car fo

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Manhattan Beach Sunset Photowalk Friday 12/11/20

Jefferson Graham

Dec 11, 2020
1 min

Manhattan Beach Sunset Photowalk Friday 12/11/20

And the sunset hits keep coming. Friday night capped off one incredible week of sunsets, although when she began, it seemed she would be just a plain Jane rendition, starting with a drooping orange sun and sky. Then about ten minutes after the 4:44 p.m. drop, the sky turned blue, the clouds dark red and it was just more magical with every moment that passed by. I began shooting the sunset, as always, on the left side of the Pier, with my friends Chris and Patricia, but they e

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Manhattan Beach Sunset Photowalk 12/10/2020

Jefferson Graham

Dec 10, 2020
1 min

Manhattan Beach Sunset Photowalk 12/10/2020

12/10/2020 The magic colors and wild cloud formations of the past few nights are but a memory. Tonight, Thursday, was a classic, orange tinted Manhattan Beach sunset with some nice clouds on the side. Did I get lucky with my Yoga enthusiast who just happened to be in perfect position or what? Manhattan Beach is known for having some of the most awesome sunsets in the world, especially in December. Check out the action this week: Wednesday: Palos Verdes Photowalk Tuesday: Manh

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Palos Verdes Sunset Photowalk, 12/9/2020

Jefferson Graham

Dec 9, 2020
1 min

Palos Verdes Sunset Photowalk, 12/9/2020

Post sunset in Palos Verdes Estates on a sunset photowalk, for the Photowalk series by Jefferson Graham Tonight’s sunset was more subdued than we’ve been seeing in Manhattan Beach the last few nights, but what a sky! This is from my favorite spot in Palos Verdes Estates, at the top of Via Del Monte. From here, you can see Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Hermosa, Manhattan, Santa Monica and a chunk of Los Angeles, including the downtown skyline. For a different perspective on the

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Jefferson Graham

Dec 7, 2020
1 min

“The Red Sunset of 12/7/2020”

Another amazing December sunset in Los Angeles. This was the scene in Manhattan Beach, California, down by the Pier, where surfers were still at it in the water, the waves were crashing, some 5 drones were flying in the skies, and photographers lined the sand by the Pier to get their shot. Here’s how it looked as the sun was setting, before the skies turned red and the city turned on the holiday lights. The photographers were out in full force! Friendly reminder: in Los Angel

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Jefferson Graham

Dec 7, 2020
2 min

Red Glow over Hermosa Beach, 12/7/20

An amazing red streak in the sky behind Hermosa Beach at 6:30 a.m. on 12/7/2020. By Jefferson Graham for the Photowalks series From the “We Get Up Early, So You Don’t Have To,” series, pre-dawn in Hermosa Beach on 12/7/2020 at 6:37 a.m. As I was approaching 28th Street, I saw the red glow, which had been faint a few minutes earlier, start to get brighter and brighter, so I dashed over to the lifeguard tower and tried the shot from every angle. Another angle on the red sky beh

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Magical November sunsets —It’s Photowalk season!

Jefferson Graham

Nov 8, 2020
3 min

Magical November sunsets —It’s Photowalk season!

It happens every year like clockwork. Consistent, amazing beach sunsets out here in California every November and December. Life moves on, and we forget about them. Then, when the next to last month of the year comes back into our lives again, we remember. Again. #Wow! Just a friendly reminder today to our readers to step outside, grab your phone and take a moment to experience one of the great free wonders of the world: the multi-colored November sunset. Specifically, in Lo

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Day of the Dead on a Palos Verdes Photowalk

Jefferson Graham

Oct 31, 2020
1 min

Day of the Dead on a Palos Verdes Photowalk

Up on “the hill,” in beautiful Rancho Palos Verdes is the world’s greatest Starbuck’s and Subway. Simple reasoning: they both have an amazing ocean view from their decks, one of the perks of dining in PV. There’s also, within this Golden Cove shopping center, a wonderful little find of a family run Mexican restaurant called Tomatillo. All the fantastic food is “made with love,” and by hand, per Rosa De Alba, who runs the place with husband Carlos. The Ruthtalksfood blog recen

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Jefferson Graham

Aug 16, 2020
2 min

About Jefferson Graham

I recently gave a talk to a group on Zoom, and my friend Mimi Bliss had a great idea–why not shoot a little video intro about yourself to break up the monotony of the virtual talking heads? Thanks Mimi! I did indeed have a blast making this, so figured I’d share here–especially since many people go to my website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter for the basic bio details. Now they can live on, direct from the sands of Manhattan Beach! (And look for great cameos by Kermit the Fr

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Meet Josh McNair from California Through My Lens

Jefferson Graham

Jan 27, 2020
2 min

Meet Josh McNair from California Through My Lens

Josh McNair, from the California through my Lens website, poses for Jefferson Graham in downtown Riverside, California, for an edition of Photowalks Talks Count Photowalks as one huge fan of the California Through My Lens website and YouTube series, which explores the Golden State with informational blog posts and incredibly well-produced videos about what to do when visiting. So when I had the chance to meet up with the fellow photographer and traveler Josh McNair, who runs

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Jefferson Graham

Apr 10, 2019
1 min

Daily Photo: Surf City USA

In Huntington Beach, surf is everything. There’s the Surfing Walk of Fame, the International Surfing Museum, the world’s largest surfboard and of course, folks are “either out surfin’ or they got a party growin'” per Jan & Dean. And when you bring your camera to document Surf City for a #Photowalk, gee, everybody’s got a surfboard under their arms, even at the local Subway. Huntington Beach is about an hour’s drive from Los Angeles, the second of the Orange County Beach Citie

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Jefferson Graham

Jan 5, 2019
3 min

How to photograph Griffith Observatory

Our #Photowalk today brings you to Griffith Observatory, the no. 1 tourist spot in Los Angeles (yes, it attracts even more people than the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the city tells us) where you can get the best city views anywhere, and a decent selfie of the Hollywood Sign. Watch our video below, to see all about it. Here’s what you need to know before making the trek: Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, by Jefferson Graham for the Photowalks series. —Parking is rough up there

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Fly Me over a Manhattan Beach Super Moon

Jefferson Graham

Jan 31, 2018
1 min

Fly Me over a Manhattan Beach Super Moon

January 31, 2018 was one of those great historic days, when the moon turned bright, blue and red, and many of us photographers ran out to capture the beauty early in the morning. We were on the sands of Manhattan Beach at 4:15 a.m., even though the main event wasn’t supposed to really kick in until 5:30. You never know, right? And the funny thing is, the best shots happened around 6:45 a.m. Oh well! It’s hard to top this Southwest flight that just appears to be flying over th

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Manhattan Beach Photographer -Morning Time-lapse

Jefferson Graham

Sep 26, 2017
1 min

Manhattan Beach Photographer -Morning Time-lapse

We love capturing time-lapse shots, and watching the world fly by at super fast speeds. Click below to see our beloved Manhattan Beach Pier at 6:30 a.m. on a recent Saturday, from the water, above ground and beyond, in a YouTube clip. We threw in a slo-mo clip at the end as well, because, well, we couldn’t help ourselves. The Manhattan Beach Pier, at 6:30 a.m., so early that we could catch her reflection in the water. We photographed the Pier on the new iPhone 8 Plus smartph

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