Saturday, October 8, 2016

Catalina Island Photography

     When my friend Mike asked me to second shoot a wedding for him in Catalina, I jumped at the chance.  I hadn't been there in about 5 years, and remembered that I had a good time.  It involved me getting up earlier than I would normally want to, but luckily the excitement of taking the boat over to Catalina gave me some adrenaline to push through the morning.  I knew we were there for work, but still managed to enjoy a little time photographing the island for my own photography pleasure.  

     We arrived super early at the Catalina Island Terminal.  Apparently we padded our travel time quite a bit.  That was okay though, since it gave us time to relax and grab some breakfast.  I barely remember what the experience was like before even though I left from this same terminal.  




      Mike kept saying it felt like we were really going somewhere different.  I don't know if I'd fully agree, but it definitely did feel like we were traveling - except instead of luggage, we had rolling bags of camera gear.


     They have an Express Grill (and also a small restaurant that operates out of the same kitchen) at the terminal.  We decided to share a breakfast burrito which was actually quite good!  If I weren't supposed to work later in the day, I would've definitely opted for a bloody mary!




     I think they allow you to bring two pieces of luggage with you, just like at the airport on a flight.  However, I saw some people with a crap ton of stuff going onto the boat.  Some people looked like they were gonna be gone for months!  




     I liked how the boat ride gives you different vantage points of some iconic things in Long Beach such as the Queen Mary.


     Look at how this cruise ship dwarfs the Queen Mary!  


     Probably the most iconic building on Catalina Island - the Casino!  It's not really a casino, but I heard that it used to be a long time ago.  Oh, and did I mention that when people say they don't get seasick or dizzy on boats, that they  usually end up becoming seasick and dizzy on boats?  :o/






     And we're here!  Luckily it only took me about 10 minutes to regain my composure from feeling absolutely ill. 




     Bad hair day, and Mike in the background.










     I had forgotten all the cute things there are to photograph on the island.  At one point, I made a mental note to come back for my birthday.  On your birthday, you can ride the Catalina Express for free round trip (as long as you purchase a regular fare with it).










     We had a little bit of time to kill, so we decided to get fish and chips on the pier.  Mike had heard that it was the best fish and chips on the island.  


     The fish was actually quite good and tasted fresh.  My only complaint was that they looked like fish sticks.  Normally, when I've had fish and chips, the pieces are flat.




     Funny tip jar I saw at Scoops Ice Cream.


     This ice cream rivaled that of McConnell's Ice Cream.  No joke.


     This was the last picture I snapped before we had to get to work at the wedding.  If you want to check out some shots from the wedding, you can check it out here!


     We were on the last boat out of the island.  I was super tired!


     The boat was quite empty when we left.  I'm sure all the people that came over with us were staying for the weekend or the week.   I spent the boat ride back telling Mike how tired I was as I nursed my Diet Coke and planned out how I was going to spend my birthday on Catalina. :) 

2 comments:

  1. New FLICKR tradition, we all go to Catalina for people's birthday dinners.

    ReplyDelete