Cat and Mouse

I'm slowly learning the ways of an LA photographer.  Quickness is not a virtue, it's a necessity.  Almost everywhere I have gone, I would classify as photographer unfriendly.  Asking the shopkeeper over by Santee if I could take a picture of his incredible shop of shiny middle eastern trinkets, "No."  The polite but insistent guard at a church on Broadway, converted from a glorious old movie house, "Sorry."  I can't even count the lobby's I have been turned away from as soon as the guard see's me swing around business end of the D600.

Today I went to visit my mom, and take a walk around her apartment in Korea town.  She's a block away from the historic Whilshire Bullocks, which is now a law library, but still holds a great deal of it's original charm. We worked our way around the back and went through a gate that didn't have a sign, towards what was once the entrance royale for the rich and famous of Los Angeles. Built in 1929, this place was the premier shopping destination for Hollywood legends like John Wayne, Clark Gable and Greta Garbo.  "I bet they kick us out within 30 seconds"  I was wrong, it only took 20 seconds for the guard to come up from the stairs below.  I got off two shots before being shown the door.

LA is awash in security guards.  Every lobby, every jewelry shop on Broadway, every hotel or micro-loft has a doorman with a walkie talky and a scowl.  Lets face it, the're bored and 99.9% of the time they have nothing to secure.  When they see me coming with a camera they salivate at the chance to earn their pay.  Finally, I can stop someone from doing something.  "Please pull out a camera, punk."

It's a little frustrating, but I'm going to approach it as a game of cat and mouse.  If I can get the shot from outside, I'll take it until I'm chased off. If I walk into a lobby, I'll have to work fast and get shots before being pepper sprayed.  Asking is out of the question.  I will need to work on changing my camera settings with ninja moves and cat like quickness.  The game is afoot!

One ninja shot, seconds from being ejected, the other the exterior on Whilshire