Hollywood by Day
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As Sunset took me west…
… I encountered a Hollywood unlike what people imagine from the movies. It’s gritty. It’s got its own share of grafiti and razor wire, reminiscent of what I photographed in East LA and Boyle Heights. But unlike those neighborhoods with their strong identities, this part of Hollywood felt culturally abandoned.
Sure there are a few tourist spots, an ocasional studio or “industry” related business and the giant KTLA Channel 5 tower and CNN building to remind you that you are in TV city. But in between all of that… It’s a bit rough around the edges and in transition. Transition to what though remains to be seen (or scene.)
A couple blocks north of Sunset is Hollywood Blvd.
While Sunset gives a truer picture of what Hollywood is today, it is Hollywood Blvd. that connects the neighborhood to its cinematic past and present.
The Walk of Fame is located in large part along Hollywood Blvd. as are some of its most iconic sites: The Mann’s Chinese Theater, the El Capitan Theater and the Dolby Theater which is home to the Academy Awards. In addition, the towering Hollywood and Highland shopping center helps provide a place for tourists to spend more time and money.
The subway runs beneath Hollywood Blvd for a stretch - which helps if you need a quick escape from walking among the crowds.
The crowds, however, offer an amazing chance to people watch. It was here that I pulled one of my favorite street photography tricks: pretend to be a tourist when you are really there for the tourists themselves.
For some reason, I only took one photo of the Walk of Fame with the stars as my subject. The star that caught my eye: Billie Holiday.
