Cross Process Is The Color Version Of HC B/W

Super saturated colors and extreme contrast. I’m really loving how ridiculous the colors look. It’s unflattering on skin tones and emphasizes even the slightest of oranges and reds. I think it’s the perfect alternative to high contrast black and whites in the Ricoh. Still abstract and otherworldly but in color. Great for vibrant street photos. I shoot in the same way as I would for high contrast black and whites and loving the results so far. Still working out the white balance. Sometimes the images are too blue or yellow.

Perfect Beach Town

There’s still many SoCal beach towns without many of the Santa Monica problems. Places where you can walk around and feel safe without random hecklers disturbing you. Malibu, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach and Laguna Beach to name a few. There are many more. I’ve been to every beach town from Monterrey to the Mexican Border. Out of all of them, Santa Monica is by far the most rough minus maybe Long Beach. If I were a tourist, I’d skip Santa Monica and go to one of the above mentioned places. You’ll find a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere.

California receives a lot of criticism from the media and rightfully so but the California dream still exists in many parts.

Santa Monica Gets Overwhelming

It’s mostly positive here. The weather is great and there’s so much to do and see. It’s perfect for street photography. But there’s a lot of people with mental illness roaming the streets. Especially in the morning. Overall I still recommend living here but if you’re thin skinned this isn’t the place for you. Heckling is part of the daily routine.