THE VENICE PIER AT NIGHT. Photos and write up by Matthew Smith

The Venice Pier at Night.

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Photos and write up by Matthew Smith.  Date:  January 5th, 2011

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It was cold out, so I put on my blue sweater before I left my apartment. I drove south on Pacific and turned right onto Washington Blvd. Usually this street is packed with cars, but that night I lucked out. Right after I turned, a white Toyota Corola was backing out of a non-valet spot. I was stoked. Free parking is extremely hard to come by in the city of Venice, let alone a spot near to your destination. I grabbed my Ipod and set it to the True Democracy album by Steel Pulse, then proceeded to cross the street to the Cow’s End to grab a cup of hot coffee and a delicious peanut butter cookie. I poured half and half and 3 packets of sugar into the cup and headed back to my car. The smell of the coffee reminded me of my father. (He always insisted on grinding his own beans at home.)

I opened the back window and grabbed my camera bag, my tripod, and, of course, my skateboard. The end of Washington has very rough asphalt, and the vibrations from my wheels hitting the bountiful cracks tickle my feet. I avoided all the sand and wet patches to the best of my ability, but my fifteen years on a skateboard cannot over come the darkness of the shadows of 10PM. The zipper to my bag was sticking , probably due to all the wear and tear I put it through at the beach. Its January and I’m virtually alone tonight except for the person laying by the restrooms drinking his Steel Reserve in a brown paper bag. A feeble attempt to conceal his addiction, as nothing looks so much like a can of beer in a brown paper bag as a can of beer in a brown paper bag.

I make my selection, my cheap 18-55mm to start. I twist it gently onto my friends old Canon 30D. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my birthday evening after working 8 hours of retail in the valley. Being alone by the ocean was what i needed to decompress my nerves. I was free that night of January 5, 2011. I was happy.

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NOTE: Double right click on image to see larger version. Enjoy!

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1. The bustling restaurant area at the end of Washington as seen from the pier. (photo: site 1-1, 2)

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2. Manhattan Beach to Palos Verdes, with the marina rocks in the foreground. (photo: site 1-1, 3)

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3. The Venice boardwalk between Muscle Beach and the Venice pier. A portion of pavement reserved for the jet-setters of the community. (photo: site 1-1,4)

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4. The wood railing and cement pier combination reminds me of Bob Marley’s famous song “Concrete Jungle”. (photo: site 1-1,5)

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5. With a heavy police presence due to the high rate of tourism in this sector, the Venice pier can be pretty safe at night. (photo: site 1-1, 6)

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6. Coin operated telescopes are great for the amazing views from the pier. (photo: site 1-1,7)

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7. That line in the top left is a helicopter. Motion blur just seems to happen when you leave the shutter open for 20 seconds. (photo: untitled 1-1, 1)

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