CicLAvia San Fernando Valley

Shot these for my work blog. CicLAvia is L.A.'s version of an open streets event in which roads are closed to motor vehicles and opened up to bikes, pedestrians and skaters. They're a lot of fun and a nice sign that the L.A. area is evolving into something beyond a constant trafficpalooza. 

My employer -- Metro, the county transit agency -- sponsored the event, as they have in the past. I've taken my camera to a few CicLAvias but spent most of the time riding my bike instead of shooting. This time, I parked my bike most of the time and really worked on my photography, especially trying to find shots that were original and focused on people as much as the bikes and big crowds (tens of thousands of people turned out). 

Grand Avenue skyscrapers

A few quick snaps taken along Grand Avenue in downtown Los Angeles one evening this week. Didn't have much time so put on the wide-angle lens and looked for a few interesting shapes. I converted to black and white since there wasn't much color in any of the scenes -- and, as my friend Jeff says, "everything is better in black and white." Jeff is Very Old School :)

Man waiting for a train

Shot this one for work. I wait for the train home at L.A. Union Station in the same spot each day, so this scene is familiar. But yesterday was a little different -- a lone man waiting near the end of the adjacent platform and some really nice light about an hour before sunset.