L.A. Smorgasburg Photography

     A few weeks ago, I discovered 626 Night Market's cousin, L.A. Smorgasburg.  From what I saw, it felt like a similar concept, but with less emphasis on Asian or Asian inspired/fusion food - and minus the entry fee!  L.A. Smorgasburg also throws in a sprinkling of shopping and musical performances set in a renovated industrial area.  The parking (in a large structure) is affordable and ample.  

Despite the temperature being in the low 80s, it still felt scorching hot outside.  Thank goodness for these umbrella-covered picnic tables!

     The food prices rival that of the 626 Nigh Market.  Most things will run you around $10-12, such as this pork belly banh mi sandwich from Bahn Oui.

     This tri-tip sandwich from Stoked BBQ was small, but tasty..

     What was even better was this cantaloupe juice.  I don't know if it was the heat, but this stuff was just so refreshing and downright delicious.

     This strawberry lemonade slushy from Lade Slush Co. was also really good.  I've never heard of most of these businesses, and it did make me wonder if they operated only at events such as L.A. Smorgasburg, or if they actually had a storefront or food truck.

     The rest of the food is not mine.  I did, however, enjoy taking pictures of other people's food.

     Oh wait, this was mine, too.  A pastrami sandwich from a vendor (whose name I can't recall - sorry!)

     I should've taken a picture with this lightbox, I know. 😏

     I still remember the moment I took this photo.  It finally dawned on me what this place reminded me of.  Okay, all you Walking Dead fans... doesn't this look like TERMINUS!?!?  Right?!  For some reason, once I realized this, I didn't want to eat any of the meat anymore hehe...😮

     The parking structure looked very hip and green. 

     What we all hope is true.

     I knew this picture would come in handy!  You can visit L.A. Smorgasburg every Sunday at the Alameda Produce Market grounds.  The address for the parking structure is 785 Bay Street, Los Angeles, CA  90021.  Bring a hat and sunscreen - it gets really hot out there! 😊

Big Bear Lake Photography

     After years of putting it off, on a lazy weekend, I decided to go where I'd never gone before in SoCal - Big Bear!  It is about a 1.5-2 hour drive depending on which route you take.  I had gone up to Lake Arrowhead before for a wedding, and that turned out to be the moment I discovered I get very dizzy on winding roads.  The only other time I recall ever getting that ill on a winding road was waaaay back in 2001 when I went to Yosemite National Park.  We decided to take an alternate route up to Big Bear, and unfortunately, it did not make a difference.  :(

     I brought my vintage Canon 5d with me for this one.  I decided it hadn't gotten any use in so long, and I wanted to see what I could get with it.  Boy, this is when you are grateful for all the improvements in digital cameras!  While it left much to be desired in terms of focusing, it didn't feel that different than using my mark III.  

     We weren't there during the best light.  We got lucky when this gentleman came walking by and my friend was gutsy enough to ask him to pose for us.  It was like seeing Santa Claus when he was off duty.  He made for a good subject, and we deemed our pictures of him the photos of the day.

     The water level was pretty low.  There were some areas where we were able to walk out onto some mushy earth, beyond where the docks extended.

     We didn't do much planning for this, and weren't going to stay until sunset.  Luckily, we found a photo gallery and got some ideas for what was cool to shoot in Big Bear.  I remember passing by Boulder Bay on the way in, and was glad to at least have this interesting subject to shoot on the way out.

     I bet this place is nice during the winter.  We decided it may be worth a trip to come back after it has snowed. 

     We stopped at the Lake Arrowhead McDonald's for soft serve and to relax a little bit before the drive home.  Unfortunately, it was down the winding road that made me ill. 😢

The Annenberg Space for Photography :: Cuba Is Exhibit

     At the start of 2017, I jokingly started using the hashtag #nospend2017 as a semi-joke as I tried to focus on spending less money on things that I didn't need or added value to my life.  Needless to say, I got a lot of crap from my friends who follow my personal Instagram account that are privy to some of the spending that throws #nospend2017 out the door!  I firmly believe that even when you set goals and have a fail, you can either quit or keep going.  I always (okay, sometimes) decide to keep going.  I wanted something cheap and interesting to do this weekend and found The Annenberg Space for Photography to be the perfect pick!

*All photos taken with my Canon G7x.

     For those of you who are not familiar, the Annenberg Space has ever changing photography exhibits that showcase a myriad of photography styles and subjects.  A few that I remember off the top of my head were sports photography, National Geographic (really loved this one), and even one of consumerism (and rich kids' lifestyles - I know, weird...but interesting). 

     The parking is $1.  That's right, parking in L.A. (Century City to be exact!) for ONE DOLLAR!  When I first discovered this, I was so thankful to the crazy wealthy family who must own this gallery space, and allowed the rest of us to enjoy it for a nominal fee.  Admission into the Annenberg is free. 😊 You park underground and take a few escalators up to ground level.

     Once you reach ground level, you'll be greeted by this very clean lobby.

     When you see that building on the left with the cut out in the middle, walk out the glass doors, and you'll see the frosted glass panels of the Annenberg to your upper left.

     I really wanted to see their "Cuba Is" exchibit, and since this was opening day of the exhibit (which runs until March 4, 2018), I decided it was best to get there early and beat the crowd to the Porto's Pop-Up see all the photography.

     There's a small space set up to look like a Cuban cafe.  It was done really well as someone clearly took the time to curate some vintage finds to decorate the space.  I wish I had taken more photos, but knowing they don't allow you to take photographs in the gallery area, and they seemed to allow it in the cafe, I didn't want to push my luck.

     I loved this neon sign!

     There is a little faux bar area set up with virtual reality glasses and headphones so you can take a little "tour" through Cuba.  It was interesting, but it gave me a slight headache (which I'm assuming I got because I'm not used to anything VR.)  Here's my friend using it.

     This little tray of sweets set me back $4.75.  They also had slices of some Porto's cakes as well as a small tray containing two cheese rolls and one guava roll (also for $4.75, I think).  If you've been to Porto's, then you know these are astronomical prices.  *Throws #nospend2017 out the door again*

     I wanted these little photo holders sooooo bad.  But y'know, #nospend2017. 😏

  
     Upon entering/exiting the building, you'll be greeted by a few stands filled with (mostly) photography-related items that are oh-so-cute.  I pretty much squealed at all the things.  I really wanted all the things (especially that "Editing Day" mug and this cute bento box that looked like vintage camera).  I walked away with nothing, but would be lying if I said I didn't regret not buying something hahahaha...

     As for the photography gallery itself, since you can't take photos in those areas, you'll just have to venture out to Century City and see for yourself!  One of the interesting things I found was a collaboration between this photographer and another photographer by the name of Tico Torres - of Bon Jovi!!!  I do recall seeing a documentary on Bon Jovi where Tico said he was into photography, but I certainly didn't expect to see anything from him at the Annenberg.  It was so cool to see.  Here's a picture for proof.  I can't disclose the origins of the photo since you're not supposed to take photos inside. 😏

     Afterwards, I went to see "It" and grabbed lunch at Bruxie.  *Waves to #nospend2017* 🙋 

     Thanks for stopping by! 💓