David Cruz | :: Summer Imperfect ::

Geeky Tech Info: Holga 120n with Fujiiflm 800z, developed and scanned at Indie Film Lab.

Chinatown serves as my rendezvous point whenever my pals and I have no specific place in mind to hang out at. However, my usual sleepy Saturday afternoon walk through Chinatown was flipped upside down when I noticed not only heavy traffic for a Saturday afternoon, but half naked young women walking around with half their tukis in the air! I put two and two together and realized a rave was being held at the Los Angeles Historic State Park down the street. Call me old fashioned, but it made me feel uncomfortable seeing these young women displaying themselves in that manner. Especially because Chinatown is a tourist trap and families with children are target audience. I understand its norm fashion for raves, but please, keep it in the rave, not on public streets where children are around. Just my two cents.

Unfortunately because of the rave, the usual free or cheap parking was jacked up to twenty bucks! Forcing me to park a few blocks away from the action. Which wasn’t bad because, after so many years of hanging out in Chinatown, I finally explored the Yale street side of town. No, these images aren’t from the ‘new’ side I explored, as Yale has nothing of interest to photograph. These are from the Old Chinatown Central Plaza, I took ‘em while waiting for my friends to show up into this traffic catastrophe. On a site note, this was my first attempt to reintroduce the Holga into my personal work again. I realized on the last few shots of the roll, the slide pointer on 16 and not 12, giving me double exposed images, completely wasting my first roll; a common Holga mistake. I was bummed because these were my last two rolls of Fuji 800z, which is no longer made. Thank goodness Kodak makes Portra 800 to supplement my Holga dependence.

Geeky Tech Info: Holga 120n with Kodak Tri-X film, developed at Color Services and scanned at Camera Color.

Geeky Tech Info: Holga 120n with Fujifilm Provia 400x film, developed at Color Services and scanned at Camera Color.

Geeky Tech Info: Holga 120n with Kodak Tri-X film, developed in coffee and scanned at Color Services.

Geeky Tech Info: Holga 120n with Kodak Ektachrome 100vs film, developed and scanned at Color Services.

The Short Story: A visual blog of my quirky adventures around Los Angeles and the novelty cameras that make mundane objects, seem extraordinarily interesting. The blog will also play host to images that can't make it to the Little Bundles of Joy blog, a purgatory if you will for my personal work. Though it’ll be story that’ll bore ya’, you don’t necessarily have to read it as a self-proclaimed writer I am not.

The Long Story: Contrary to the name of the blog, I despise the summer. As a winter baby, I’ve grown to love and embrace the cold weather. I’ll go far enough to say I’m most happy when it’s cold and think pea coats add a touch of class and sophistication to the people who wear them. So why do I despise the summer? Let’s start with the basic summer activities. I don’t know how to swim, ride a bike nor fly a kite and sun screen is icky! The lack of swimming skill, my winter bod and dark skin which can’t afford further sun burn, prevent frequent visits the easily accessible mediocre beaches that populate our city. I avoid anything west of La Cienega for that matter. I’d dread when I’d crank the heater on high to prevent my 89’ Mercedes from overheating when idle. I especially loath the summer when the 110, 101, 5 freeway intersections congest with traffic because of a Dodger game and prevent quick runs to Queens Bakery in Chinatown. The congestion also prevents my access to a short cut I take while driving to the hood. ARGH! So why name the blog after the summer?

During my back and forth pondering on the crap I’d write about as content fodder for this blog, I slowly recollected memorable moments that unfolded during the last five summers. I love to micro travel, so when it comes to the neighbor hoods in L.A., a handful of them look best during the golden glow of a late summer afternoon. When I think of the notorious summer golden glow, I recall my frequent cruises through Koreatown, Echo Park, MacArthur Park, Glendale, Chinatown, Los Feliz, North Hills, Van Nuys, Panorama City, Pacoima and Arleta during a hot Southern Californian afternoon. I think of a long afternoon spent at the O.C. Fair with friends who aren’t petrified of a 1,500 calorie deep fried Twinkie. I think of an outdoor She & Him concert. I think of the self-guided walking tours in Chinatown and other historic areas, finding new buildings to photograph at every turn. I think of the wonderful friends who accompany me during these dreadfully bland field trips. I think of an afternoon spent at a local coffee shop with friends who smash their head with a mallet as they listen to my rants of this and that. Most of all, when I think of the golden summer glow, I think of a peculiar date I had at the Griffith Observatory with a summer love, that never was.... here’s to a great summer....

:: photo taken by my pal Rosie G ::