El Matador State Beach and too many *$&#(! people

Mjollnir

So we decided to go to El Matador State Beach for sunset yesterday evening, and things started to go off from the minute we hit the sand down the roughly 1/4 mile walk w/stairs.

A. LOTS of people all about. No biggie, we've all got a right to be there.
B. Group of about 10 people all shooting video of three teenage girls posing with red balloons and chasing them around the beach. Looked like a project of some sort. Annoying and getting in frame all the time.
C. My g/f forgot the little grommet thingy that screws into the bottom of the camera and then clips into the tripod for her rig. I had mine. So I gave her mine and proceeded to shoot the rest of the evening by hand, something I haven't done in forever.
D. People were letting their kids run AMOK and get into what were clearly photographers planned out angles, areas, shot, you-name-it.
E. As darkness descended, and long exposure happiness set in, not only did I NOT have a tripod, people on the far end of the beach were using point and shoots with, of course, flashes.

That said, the LX5 has really impressed me with what it can do W/OUT a tripod. Speaks well for the camera.

That said, there are numerous rocks, arches, and massifs up and down the beach, which are nice, but I grew up in the Big Sur/Monterey area, so I've had a lifetime of seeing them

Right as one gets off the last steps, immediately to the right.



This happened a few times, and I have no explanation for it. The sun showed....green. Ruins an otherwise acceptable shot.



Not this time.



Of course, there are a lot of gulls around, too. These guys seemed very used to people poking around.





Even under the rocks, one cannot escape the footprints of other people



Then, for my last shot of the evening, I get my tripod back but, this being L.A., w/LAX, contrails seem unavoidable.



Finally, just for screwing around purposes, I took one shot and tried to make it look like something from a 1970s rock album in the days of vinyl and vans with sunsets on the side.

Dig that heavy trip, man. And no HDR!

magicbastarder

Mjollnir wrote: »

D. People were letting their kids run AMOK and get into what were clearly photographers planned out angles, areas, shot, you-name-it.

welcome to the human race.

Effects

Mjollnir wrote: »

D. People were letting their kids run AMOK and get into what were clearly photographers planned out angles, areas, shot, you-name-it.

This is disgraceful. I can't believe people bring children to a beach and then let them run around and enjoy themselves.

Mjollnir

Effects wrote: »

This is disgraceful. I can't believe people bring children to a beach and then let them run around and enjoy themselves.

Oh, I don't mean to come off sounding like Scrooge but, for example, two photographers were both up on the same outcropping of rock, already set up to shoot some birds the next rock face over, and while some kids climbing up, through and past the photographers (literally going between their tripods and then forward into frame), two others were throwing rocks at the gulls in question.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

magicbastarder

i had thought you were taking the piss, hence my neutral response.

you should have put up signs saying "SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHER AT WORK" indicating which areas of the beach were off limits to others.

Jim

Mjollnir wrote: »

Oh, I don't mean to come off sounding like Scrooge but, for example, two photographers were both up on the same outcropping of rock, already set up to shoot some birds the next rock face over, and while some kids climbing up, through and past the photographers (literally going between their tripods and then forward into frame), two others were throwing rocks at the gulls in question.

Sorry, I should have been more specific.

Personally I would have the total opposite view. If I was a photographer shooting that I'd feel like the one who was bothering people by basically cutting off a corner of the beach to shoot where people then might feel intimidated if they went.

Throwing rocks at gulls is not on though.

Nice pics though. First and forth are probably my favourite.

Mjollnir

magicbastarder wrote: »

i had thought you were taking the piss, hence my neutral response.

you should have put up signs saying "SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHER AT WORK" indicating which areas of the beach were off limits to others.

I would, but I'm not a serious photographer nor would I associate w/any ;-)

My tripod is, after all, covered in Hello Kitty stickers to piss off any serious photographers I do happen to run into.

The Snipe

[QUOTE=Mjollnir;70010492

My tripod is, after all, covered in Hello Kitty stickers to piss off any serious photographers I do happen to run into.[/QUOTE]


I love that idea! I might do that with mine! :P

whyulittle

Jim wrote: »

Throwing rocks at gulls is not on though.

They were probably just trying to scare them out of the frame so as not to ruin the shot.

smelltheglove

XiledSniper wrote: »

I love that idea! I might do that with mine! :P

Haha Id say me too but since I dont use one often I only have a cheapy that screams not serious about lanscape pics haha.

kelly1

Nice shots!