Text from my original event post:

The crux of Los Angeles history and the merging of two distinct cultures, this Hidden LA walk will combine urban walking and photography with historical Olvera Street and Chinatown.

I still can’t believe how much work I put into this event, how much drama happened behind the scenes and the sheer madness that is life that came together to make this such a successful event.

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The crux of Los Angeles history and the merging of two distinct cultures, this Hidden LA hike will combine urban walking and photography with historical Olvera Street and Chinatown.

The oldest part of Downtown LA, Olvera Street is a hubbub of Mexican American artistry, stories, craft works and social space. Day of the Dead creations will more than likely be on display, making an even richer cultural experience. We will walk through the Paso de Los Angeles and among various shops of Olvera Street before making our way to North Broadway. Walking up through New Chinatown, we will pass a large collection of colorful Chinese herb, seafood, stores and curio shops before stopping at New Chinatown Plaza. Infamous in various movies, the main plaza is a haven of color – and one of the oldest neon signs in Los Angeles.

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(Photo of Watts Towers taken from Wikipedia page)

Watts Towers, photography, music and the African American soul of Los Angeles. Come join fellow music lovers for a great opportunity for urban performance photography. This historic outdoor jazz festival will feature performances from seasoned and upcoming musicians in the surrounding area. Paying homage to the different musical inspirations of Latin, Jazz, Gospel and Blues scene in Los Angeles, this event will offer urban and live event photography. Also, if you’ve never seen or explored the famous Watts Towers, this festival will offer a great opportunity for some fantastic photographs.

More information @ The Great Outdoors Photography Group Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/outdoorphotos/calendar/11415078

Over 300 people voted. One winner was selected. Winning with 42% of votes, congratulations and advancement to the international final round of the Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk contest goes to….

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Ever wished that your vote counted for something more than selecting the President of the United States? Well, this time, it kind of does.

As the producer / leader of the recent Hidden LA: Silver Lake photo walk, I get to choose the winning group image that goes toward the international Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk competition. I have selected the final four. Now, it’s time for your vote.

The winning image will be selected by public votes only. Polls will close at 12pm, Thursday, July 30th. The winning image and poll stats will be posted by end of day and submitted to the WWPW main site for the international competition.

The premise: Capturing the vibrancy, beauty and diversity of Silver Lake, California and excellent execution of urban photography.
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Wow!

To say that this was a fantastic event with a great turn out, dynamic people, great food and diverse photographic opportunities is an understatement.

When Carla first emailed me about the Scott Kelby Photo Walk event, I thought it was great. Plus, when the date of the photo walk lined up with the planned date of my next “Hidden LA” photo walk (what can I say, I’m a planner), it was like the stars in the heavens aligned for a very obvious “Duh.”

I took a deep breath, submitted my application and bio to the national site for a proposed photo walk of Silver Lake, California. The next day, I was accepted as a photo walk leader. And on July 18th, I led one of my the best photo walks to date.

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Image taken from Los Angeles Magazine's photo essay, "Sign Language".

On a recent visit to the House of Brews in San Fernando (In Library Plaza, next to San Fernando branch of the Los Angeles County library), I flipped through a discarded June 2009 issue of Los Angeles Magazine.

After reading  well written articles about Farrah Fawcett and the high price of the celebrity spotlight to an eye opening piece about Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s failing as the mayor of Los Angeles as he makes himself ready to run for governor of California, I found a gem of a photo essay entitled “Sign Language“.

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Register NOW at: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/silverlake-ca-usa/

Originally named “Ivanhoe” after the 1819 Sir Walter Scott novel of the same name and the site of one of the first of Walt Disney’s studios, the Los Angeles neighborhood now known as Silver Lake is home to diverse art, a thriving independent music scene, fantastic coffee and bistros and great photography opportunities.

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The next Hidden LA themed photo walk, Hidden LA: Eclectic Silverlake, will now be incorporated with Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk on July 18th, 2009.

This event will be cross posted with the Los Angeles Hiking and Photography Meetup as “Hidden LA: Eclectic Silverlake”  – or whatever clever and descriptive phrasing I can come up with before I meet a friend for late lunch.

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There are some experiences in life that are so rich in detail that you can’t wait to share with others. My fascination with  historical Downtown and greater Los Angeles started last year through the  Smithsonian Magazine’s National Museum Day. Excited with the concept of visiting a  museum for free, I chose the one that had eluded me the longest: The Museum of Neon Art. Little did I know that less than a year later, that choice would result in one of my most successful photography events to date.

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