2014 Photography Challenge- A Moment in Time (3:00 p.m.)

For this photo, I hopped on my bike and traveled the very busy bike path from Santa Monica to Venice to capture my 3:00 p.m. photo. What a difference from when I was there at 3:00 a.m.. I remember at 3:00 a.m. questioning whether it was a safe decision to wander alone in Venice. Apparently I couldn't have been too concerned since I returned to a different, equally unsafe and questionable area of Venice at 4:00 a.m.

At any rate, it really was like a completely different scene and I knew this would be a place where the contrast between a.m. and p.m. would really come alive. There were several photos to choose from that I snapped immediately at 3:00 p.m., but I went with this one because it was the least chaotic of the three to choose from. (Although scroll to the bottom to see the two I didn't choose).

Here are the two photos side by side (remember to click on the photo to see it bigger):

5 things I noticed between the two photos:

• Similar to 2:00 a.m., at 3:00 a.m., if you weren't from around here, you may not know there's an ocean out there!
• The sign from 3:00 a.m. is nowhere to be found several months and 12 hours later at 3:00 p.m.
• The Venice Pier at 3:00 a.m. is actually closed off, but at 3:00 p.m., you can walk all the way to the end (1,310 ft. in length)
• The fog is so dense you can't even tell that there is a lifeguard tower or lights lining the length of the Pier
• Like my own personal game of Photo Hunt, the trash cans have been placed closer to the entrance of the Pier at 3:00 p.m.

Sarah's photo (thanks for the shout out)!

Cyrena's photo 

My 3:00 p.m. outtakes which paint a perfect picture of the complete chaos of a sunny summer afternoon in Venice. Tourists. Surfers. Tourists. Segway Tours. Strollers. Bikers. Tourists:

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2014 Photography Challenge- A Moment in Time (3:00 a.m.)

At 2:32 am, my alarm woke me up from a restless few hours into my sleep and told me it was time to get up for my next photo excursion. I had an idea in mind, which required me to get dressed in real clothes, get in my car and go for a short drive. I know that at 1:00 am and 2:00 am, I need to be careful about people who have had too much to drink being out and about and on the road. So I wasn't sure what I'd experience at 3:00 am.

It was quiet. Not many people out and about. Nearly every place was shut down as I drove through Santa Monica to Venice. And it was very, very foggy. Like high beam worthy.

I parked right near the Venice Boardwalk and had to look around twice to make sure there wasn't any weird overnight parking restrictions since there were so few cars parked around me. I'm so used to having to fight for a parking spot in that area that it was weird to see that I had my options of practically any space I wanted. I only heard the murmurings of a few drunken men standing outside The Whaler waiting for their taxi to take them back to the Marina to continue their party. I was otherwise alone.

I had a few minutes to spare to decide where exactly I wanted to capture my moment in time. And below is what I ended up with.

I didn't even realize that they lock up the Venice Pier for any amount of time, so I was surprised to see the gate closed. But it also explained why I was practically alone walking around at 3:00 am. The fog added a nice touch to the early morning atmosphere. And I really wish you could have heard the sound the ocean was making. You'll just have to imagine.

And now...back to bed for me to take a middle of the day nap!

Updated with Cyrena's photo

And Sarah's

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