santa monica pier
“The forest is essential, the trees incidental”
I love trying new things, experimenting with what the camera can do. But every few months, I find myself returning to the initial love - Impressionism. I love how it captures the essence of things. The forest rather than the trees.
New ideas are born. Would I dare to print and hand-paint these? Something to explore now that I start making friends with my printer....
Golden grasses by Amy Kanka Valadarsky
Two women by Amy Kanka Valadarsky
“Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes a radiance.”
There is a very special connection between photography and time. In my case, what this means I start forgetting about time when I am with the camera.
The other day, I arrived at the beach at 7 am (still working on that early wake-up to catch the first light) and the next time I looked at my watch it was 11:15.
Then there is the ability of capturing time. Who knew that half a second can be so long? Who knew that stillness is an aggregate of so much motion?
Sitting still and photographing time. Understanding visually what stillness is all about and how it complements motion.
Morning sun basks everything in an out of this world radiance.
Just sitting still.
Santa Monica - Under the pier
“In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality.”
Back to Santa Monica pier. There seem to be endless points of view for photographing it. The more I come to this place, the more it allows me to see it.
Perhaps experience it would be a better word for this.
Last time, a few months ago when I was here I took a photo of the underside of the pier. It was not perfect, the camera moved a bit, so I thought I would try again this time.
Armed with my camera and my new tripod, came to the pier an hour before sunset and started photographing on the beach, getting under the pier when the sun was still up in the sky, but not for long. This time I was not alone there, a man was taking pictures of a young girl, some girls passing from one side to the other.
I was just sitting there, camera focused on the view, when I saw that moving the camera just a tiny bit - revealed the light streaming in. Turning a place which is dark and foreboding into the center hall of a temple. Then, as a perfect touch, a little boy came and started playing in the sand. click. and another. and another.
The closest I have ever been to understanding how the Temple in Jerusalem must have looked like.
My temple by the sea.
The temple by the sea
“You can see a lot just by looking”
Back to Santa Monica. The joy of jet-leg - waking up at 04:15 in the morning, reading, thinking, watching the light.
At 6:30 it's still dark, at 07:00 light is on. Now I know when I need to go for some morning shooting. Today, I tell myself, today it's just for fun.
Grabbing the camera, selecting 2 lenses and off to the pier. On the way, I already see the light. it has a luminescent, whipped cream like texture. When i get to the pier, I am almost running. I never shot from the pier towards the east in the morning.
Looking for the exact angle that will let me catch the wave. I have the wrong filters with me, the light is burning the colors. But lying on the stomach on the pier, I see it. I really do.
Liquid silk. The sea is like a vast undulating shaft of silk, floating in the wind.
Barely believing my eyes, I click and click and click.....
You can see a lot by just looking. Indeed.
Liquid silk 2
“The camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.”
Santa Monica pier early in the morning
After 3 weeks of courtship, the pier and I start to know each other.
I watched the sunset lighting the sea while sitting under it. I know how confident the birds are, perching on the pier benches, watching me as I watch them.
I start understanding the relationship between the waves and the pillars. Trying to look at them from a small bird's point of view.
Really looked at the pillars, saw the inclination angle carefully calculated to bear the weight of the structure. From certain angles, the columns looked like a multi-legged elephant walking into the sea.
I saw the reflections in the wet sand and sparkling water.
I'm yet to feel the fishermen's joy when catching a fish. Understand their patience while waiting.
To see the pier really early in the morning, on a foggy and rainy day.
I need to take a closer look at the sea shell colonies on the foot of each pillar.
The best is yet to come.
From a bird's point of view
Man and nature. A glimpse at the pier feet in the morning sun
Reflections in the wet sand
Who is watching who?
Morning sun reflections - Nature abstract art
“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.”
Under the Santa Monica Pier
The Santa Monica pier is one of the most well known and photographed places in the city.
The first time I saw it with a tourist's eye. I saw the colors, the restaurants, the too many tourist shops and attractions. I remained unimpressed.
My second trip to Santa Monica was for a few weeks, the beginning of a 3 years relocation period to this new and promising place. And between looking for apartments, furniture, and the rest of daily chores - I started going out with the camera. Walking on the beach towards the pier.
Sitting under it, with the sun on the horizon, looking at the waves crushing in - provided a whole new way of looking at the pier.
Feeling secure yet a bit dwarfed by the boards above and the giant pillars surrounding me, I kept looking at the waves through the lens. A struggle (or duet, I could not decide) of man made engineering and nature's force. The power of men ingenuity and the power of nature. The static and the dynamic.
Enclosed yet open.
Dark yet lighted by the setting sun.
Alone in a crowd of people enjoying the beach and people walking just above my head.
Under the pier - a different point of view.
Sunset as seen from under the pier.