La-La-Land

[Zippy D. Doodah]

I'm a newbie with a Rebel XTi and a Tamron 17-50.
I want to do glamour photos of pretty women, but
since I've only had my camera for a couple weeks
and barely know how to use it, I'll start with some
simple snapshots of where I live:
LA-LA-LAND
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/4017/dpp0013renameuz6.jpg

Across from Burbank Airport, Fry's Electronics is one
of my favorite stores. I built my computer with parts
I bought at Fry's.

I downloaded photos from my camera to my computer
for the first time last night. I played around with some
simple pp for the first time today, using the program
that came with the camera.

The JPEG files are too large for internet use (7.5-11 MB)
so I resized them, using the free Microsoft Image Resizer.
Now the files are a tiny fraction of their original size --
around 100KB.

The resized photos aren't quite as sharp as the originals,
but they're OK, considering how small the files are.

I'm not sure if I did things right. I'm muddling my way
through it. At any rate, the resized photos seem to
post OK.

If you have any comments or photos of L.A. to add,
the more the merrier.

[Zippy D. Doodah]

A boring shot of my bank.

http://img502.imageshack.us/img502/9783/dpp0001resizepe5.jpg


In 1997, it wasn't so boring:

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2014/northhollywoodshootoutmhc6.png


If you haven't seen the North Hollywood shootout on TV,
here's a YouTube VIDEO (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-cMIVNntHs) and ANOTHER VIDEO (http://video.aol.com/video-detail/famous-hollywood-bank-of-america-robbery/2228569384).

Here's the Wikipedia entry: North Hollywood shootout (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout)


http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/7062/dpp0005resizevz3.jpg
BIG BROTHER is watching YOU!
Don't take any photos or we'll call the cops.

http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3067/dpp0002resizexl8.jpg

See the guy in the white shirt standing on the far left side
of the frame? He's a security guard for Bank of America.

He's guarding the (almost empty) parking lot. It must be
the most boring job in the world.

While I was standing on the sidewalk in front of the bank,
taking a few snapshots, the guard told me to stop taking
pictures. I told him I have the right to take photos when
I'm standing on a public sidewalk.

He told me I would have to stay on the other side of the
street if I want to take photos. I repeated that I have
the legal right to take photos on a public sidewalk.

He threatened to call the cops. I told him to "Go ahead,
but if my legal rights are violated, I'll file a lawsuit."

After that, he drifted back to his original spot, guarding
the parking lot. I took a couple more photos, then went
to the grocery store.

I suppose I should have tried to charm the guard with
a smile and a kind word, but I don't like being hassled
for no good reason.

http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/8279/dpp0003resizeml1.jpg

Obviously I went hog-wild on the contrast and saturation,
but I think it adds an ugly, garish quality to an otherwise
boring sign.

[Zippy D. Doodah]

Britney Spears' private street.

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/9053/dpp0011resizejk4.jpg

The guard shack at the entrance.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/2283/dpp0007resizewu4.jpg

The security guard was a chubby black woman. She was
friendly and courteous, but tight-lipped about giving any
information about Britney.

I asked her if any paparazzi hang around the entrance,
waiting for Britney to come out. She said: "Not unless
they want to go to jail."

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/9712/dpp0009resizezn6.jpg

The road running left-to-right (with the yellow stripe)
is Mulholland Drive. It runs along the top of the hills
overlooking Los Angeles. The rich folks live up here,
looking down on the less fortunate below.

Beyond the guard shack is Summit Circle. Britney
lives on a cul-de-sac at the end of the street.

http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/4844/britthesummitpw1.jpg

THIS is Britney's house at 12094 Summit Circle,
but it's not my photo. It's from the Real Estalker (http://realestalker.blogspot.com/2007/04/update-is-spears-price-chopping-again.html).

Apparently it's for sale. You can have it for a measly
7 million. Any takers?



http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4314/dpp0008resizeoi8.jpg

I took this shot from Mulholland, across the street
from Britney's guard shack. None of these houses
is Britney's house, but they're all very expensive.



http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/4060/dpp0010resizers6.jpg

Originally there were phone lines running through
this shot. By increasing the brightness and contrast,
the lines disappeared and the sky was blown out
to a bright white.