Occupy L.A.

* Other than this shot

These photos and videos are the raw files.  No cropping, enhancing, editing etc*.  Typically I at least tend to look over the shots and perhaps crop a bit or color correct.  Not so this time as I used a small camera rather than my cellphone camera.

More below...

Piles of money - heaps of need

This is one of my shots that I have in my collection which I took downtown in Los Angeles.  This is the Gas Company Building. 

This is the area of Los Angeles where there is so much financial wealth in the companies, buildings and many of the individuals in the buildings mere minutes away from areas with the highest number of highest need individuals in any single city in the United States of America.

The Southern California Gas Company provides good service from my own experience.  They make a lot of money but in my mind it might not be out of line as some banks and other corporations.

Everytime I look at this building my eyes move to the top of the building which reminds me of a classic hull form or wing cross section.  If it were a boat the points are east and west in direction.

If one stands on 5th Street in Downtown Los Angeles and follows the direction of the right point in this photo as a reference you will be walking east.

Walk for about ten minutes.  It is an easy walk.  It is even slightly down hill.

Glance back over your shoulder at the building as you walk.  The taller building you see next to this one?  That is the U.S. Bank Building.  Those folks have a lot of money as well, perhaps even more than the Gas Company.

As you walk do you notice a change?  Look at the cars, the people, the buildings.  You are walking from one of the most wealthy areas in Los Angeles to one of the most poor areas of Los Angeles, Skid Row.

In ten minutes the landscape will change and the mood will change. 

A minute can make a difference.  In celestial navigation being off one minute in your calculations will put you off your destination by one mile at the equator.  In a fraction of a minute a tragic accident can occur ... or be avoided.  In less than a minute a life can change.

In less than a minute to can feed a family of five people by helping the folks at Union Rescue Mission where $10 will feed five people.  It takes seconds to donate from your cell phone.  To donate $10 to Union Rescue Mission, text the letters URM to 85944. You will receive a confirmation text message. Reply with the word YES to complete the transaction.

If you want to learn more about Union Rescue Mission, the largest establishment helping the homeless in Los Angeles, which is the city with the largest homeless population in the nation you can read more at http://www.urm.org/ and learn many other ways you can help and learn other methods in which to donate.

http://www.urm.org/



The architecture of the city

Yesterday I changed my routine a little. Normally I go downtown in the early afternoon and then go back in the later evening. Last night I had a music show to attend so I altered what has become my daily routine.

I went downtown in the late afternoon to take some photos as the sun was setting. With the modern glass buildings and their reflections things can get quite interesting. When there are two glass buildings reflecting in each other you almost get a mirror in a mirror effect. With the heat of the day rising from the street below there can be waves in the image as well.

The architecture - the old and the new, classic and modern, run down and rebuilt, torn down and in the process of being torn down or in the process of starting a new life as a changed structure.

Everywhere one looks there are stunning sights to see with not only a visual component but a historical one as well. I never cared for history when I was a child. Perhaps as we get older the desire to understand more of the past ... or what I walked by without taking more than a quick glance?

I was born and raised in this city. My grandfather owned an industrial laundry and uniform company on Grand Avenue. When I was a teenager I worked in the laundry in the summer to make a few dollars. When I was very young my grandfather would take me to places like the Central Market and the Toy District. The Toy District is now primarily skid row. Both of my parents were also born in Los Angeles. Between my parents and grandparents I saw a lot of the city with my eyes but did not process enough of what I saw with my mind. Perhaps as we age we traverse a process. Blind to apathy to what in the hell did I miss?

These days I try to open my eyes a bit wider as I walk a bit more slowly to take in the sights and sounds of the city. I try to think more and take moments each day to become involved for a few minutes in the lives of others, giving help where I am able.

Below are some of the shots of the city, Los Angeles, which I took yesterday in the afternoon. If you click on any of the photos you will be redirected to where they are kept where larger format sizes can be seen.





















The contrasts are so strong.