defocus·blog

Flight Deck

I have no idea what this guy was doing on the flight deck of the USS Midway.

They were preparing for what looked like a pretty large event, but what this statue had to do with it is beyond me.

This image is another example of what I won't miss about Kodachrome: it's almost impossible to scan with good shadow detail in a high-contrast shot. Those shadows aren't completely black on the film – Kodachrome has pretty amazing dynamic range. Color negative film doesn't present this problem, as it compresses the range into something that's easier to work with.

Color Guard

On the flight deck of the USS Midway, the color guard was practicing for an event that was taking place in a day or two.

The Midway is a decommissioned aircraft carrier, docked in San Diego Harbor, serving as a museum. It's definitely worth a stop. You can tour the ship, above and below decks, on your own; and take a guided tour of the bridge area, which is too small to let people try to pack in by themselves.

I never did find out what exactly they were practicing for, but people were setting up for what looked like a pretty major event, and I think I heard someone say the Secretary of the Navy was going to be there, so it was probably to award medals or something.

Play Fun Win

All the amusement-type stuff was closed when I visited Santa Monica Pier. They have much better boardwalk amusements where I come from, so all I really cared about was getting some pictures.

This is, literally, the end of Route 66. After this, it's just a parking lot.

So… once you get to The End, what's next?

Men

As you can tell from the little icons I put in the corner of my posts, I like universal symbols. If I can use one in an abstract design, I'm all over it.

Kodachrome, from Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Pier

Now that I've manually cleaned up the scratches, here is some Kodachrome from Santa Monica Pier, the western end of Route 66.

I was there in the spring; it wasn't particularly warm, and was very windy, so the amusement rides weren't running and the crowd was thin.

I grew up at the Jersey Shore – which, for the record, bears no resemblance whatsoever to the stupid TV show of that name – so I know boardwalks, and to me, this was a lame attempt at a boardwalk. At the final stop on the nation's most famous highway, I expected more.

They do have Zoltar, though, to tell your fortune. This being California, he will even do it in Spanish. Who knew Zoltar spoke Spanish?

End of the Trail

For the dedicated Route 66 explorer, visiting the Santa Monica Pier is a must. Little of the history survives once you get into Los Angeles – Route 66 passes right through Beverly Hills, after all – but this is the end of the old Mother Road, so you'll get here eventually.

Of course, the traffic is perfectly insane, and the parking isn't free, but that's L.A. for you. Santa Monica isn't part of the City of Los Angeles, of course, but that doesn't help the traffic situation any. If you've ever thought you'd been in a place with bad traffic, L.A. will give you new perspective: it's by far the worst I've ever seen, on a whole other level from places like New York City or Washington.

The arcade even has Skeeball. Remember Skeeball?

It has a few old video games, too, from back when video games were good. Sadly, Tempest is not among them. On the other hand, if it were, I might never have left.

These images are Ilford XP2. I'll post some Kodachromes from the Pier next.

Rebel

The only reason I wanted to go to Griffith Observatory was Rebel Without A Cause. Heck, that's probably the only reason I knew it existed as more than a random L.A. background for TV shows.

I guess I'm not the only one: lo and behold, this bust of James Dean sits out front. I guess he turned this place into a tourist attraction.

What I Won't Miss About Kodachrome

I sent twelve rolls of Kodachrome off to Dwayne's for processing; Dwayne's, of course, is the only place in the world that can still process Kodachrome, so there's no real choice in the matter.

Much of the returned film is badly scratched, mostly horizontal scratches running length-wise along the film, with other scratches thrown in for good measure. Infrared cleaning in the scanning process is troublesome with Kodachrome and often does more damage than it cures.

In a sky area like this (where the scratches are most visible) it's relatively easy to clean up in Photoshop. In areas with actual detail, it's a real pain. If I'm going to spend a half hour processing each image, I might as well be shooting digital.

One thing I won't miss when Kodachrome is gone: not being able to do my own processing.

Beverly Hills Cop

Ilford XP2. Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills.

I knew what I was going to call this picture before I even released the shutter.

As I waited for him to walk up the street into the right position for the shot, I had it all in my head.

At the risk of mixing '80s references: I love it when a plan comes together.

Down Rodeo

While in Los Angeles, I had the opportunity to do something I've wanted to do for years: roll down Rodeo Drive with Rage Against The Machine’s “Down Rodeo” pumping out the stereo. If you’re of a certain age, I know you’ve always wanted to do that, too; just admit it.

I'm rollin’ down Rodeo with a shotgun
These people ain't seen a brown-skinned man
Since their grandparents bought one

Before you congratulate me, no, I didn’t have the nerve to do it the way you always envisioned. The windows were tightly closed. And, I was driving an Audi, which I’d just washed. And, well, I’m white. I actually blended.

I drove into the residential area of Beverly Hills, to see what it was like: it looked pretty much how it looked in Beverly Hills 90210. (If you’re of a certain age, I know you watched 90210; Just admit it.) People smiled and waved at me as though I were their neighbor.

Rodeo Drive’s shopping district, a mere three blocks in length, is lined with astonishingly expensive, pretentious stores, many with names you’d recognize. The thin crowd is mixed between shoppers and tourists.

I saw the place in black-and-white, so I shot Ilford XP2.

Overdressed store employees lurk just inside or just outside the empty shops, passing judgement on passersby, deciding whether they are worthy.

On Rodeo Drive, the guy washing the windows wears a suit and tie.

This statue stands in the middle of the road at an intersection.

I’ve posted more Rodeo Drive images in this Flickr set.