KEVIN KENDRICK'S LOS ANGELES PHOTO BOOK
I HAVE KNOWN KEVIN KENDRICK FOR A LONG TIME, AND HAVE HAD THE VERY GOOD FORTUNE TO BENEFIT NOT ONLY FROM HIS INCREDIBLE FRIENDSHIP, BUT HIS AMAZING PHOTOGRAPHIC SKILLS AS WELL (ANYONE WHO CAN MAKE ME LOOK HALF DECENT IS NOTHING SHORT OF A MAGICIAN). AS A MOSTLY FAMILY AND PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHER, HE HAS A WAY OF BRINGING OUT THE VERY BEST IN HIS SUBJECTS, AND AS A TRANSPLANTED LOS ANGELENO, HE HAS A WAY OF MAKING ME FEEL VERY MUCH AT HOME WHEN I GO TO VISIT. SO IT SEEMED ONLY NATURAL THAT WE MARRY THE TWO, AND ASK HIM TO SELECT HIS 7 FAVORITE PLACES TO TAKE PHOTOS IN LA. EACH PLACE IS WORTH A PHOTO AND A VISIT. IT'S A GREAT TOUR OF THE CITY.
1. MANN'S CHINESE THEATER
6801 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood
+1 323 461 3331
Located in the heart of Hollywood, Mann's Chinese Theater is steeped in Hollywood history. The Academy Awards took place here in the 1940s and it's part of the infamous Hollywood Walk of Fame (15 blocks long with 2500 inlaid stars commemorating countless entertainers). Today, the theater shows first-run films and plays host to some of the most important movie premieres (the most recent being Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and is filled with Hollywood nostalgia.
2. THE HOLLYWOOD SIGN
The Hollywood Sign has been a symbol of the entertainment industry since 1923, when it was built as an outdoor ad campaign for a suburban housing development called "Hollywoodland." By the end of the 1960s the weather had wreaked havoc on the Sign, and while the City of LA declared the Sign an official landmark in 1973, but the damage to it was so great that the top of the D and the entire third O fell down Mt. Lee, and an arsonist set fire to the second L. Clearly the Sign needed a complete overhaul, but with a price tag for a renovation at a quarter million dollars, it seemed unlikely the sign would ever be rehabilitated. Fortunately, at the end of the 70s, Hugh Hefner stepped in and hosted a gala fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion, where individual Sign letters were auctioned off at $27,700 per letter. Everyone from Alice Cooper (he bought an O in honor of Groucho Marx) to Gene Autry (L) and Andy Williams (W) helped the effort. It was a success and the sign was rebuilt.
Today The Sign, located at the top of Bronson Canyon, remains one of the most iconic symbols of Los Angeles. And while you can't get close enough to touch it, you can hike around it and above it. There's no specific address for The Sign, but you can find all of the hiking trails here.
3. BRONSON CAVE
Trailhead Address: 3200 Canyon Drive, Griffith Park, Los Angeles, CA 90068
Trailhead coordinates: 34.124448, -118.314226 (34° 07′ 28.01″N 118° 18′ 51.21″W)
Created by the Union Rock Company to extract rock for street construction during the first quarter of the 20th century, this man-made tunnel is now one of Hollywood's favorite film locations. But for most TV buffs, it's best known as The Batcave, where the Batmobile exited Bruce Wayne's manor and headed out into Gotham city. Today it is easily accessible by a quick 2/3 of a mile roundtrip hike.
4. THE GRIFFITH PARK OBSERVATORY
2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles
+1 213 473 0800
The Griffith Park Observatory, on the south-facing slope of Mount Hollywood, opened its doors in 1935. As an Observatory, it has incredible views of the Hollywood Sign as well as housing a number if space and science-related displays. What it's probably most well known for, though, is its starring role in James Dean's 1955 film, Rebel Without A Cause, which made it one of the most recognized institutions in LA (in fact a bust of Dean was subsequently placed at the west side of the grounds).
The view from here on a clear day reaches from downtown all the way to the Pacific, and is the perfect spot for an unmatched sunset selfie.
5. THE HAPPY DAYS HOUSE
565 N Cahuenga Boulevard, Los Angeles
While they were supposed to be living at 565 North Clinton Drive in Milwaukee, the Cunninghams famously friendly house was actually located in the Hancock Park neighborhood of LA. Today it's just a private house on a beautiful tree-lined street, but a walk by will bring up all kinds of memories for those of a certain age. And if you're lucky, you just might catch a glimpse of Richie, Joanie, Chachi or The Fonz.
6. LOS ANGELES STREET ART
New York has graffiti, but LA has true Street Art. From Downtown LA to Venice Beach, and from artists such as Banksy and Shepard Fairy, the search for street art is the best kind of scavenger hunt. It's ever-changing throughout the city, and when you find it, you MUST take a photo with it. It's sort of an unwritten LA law.
7. THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY MUSEUM OF ART (LACMA)
5905 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles
+1 323 857 6000
Celebrating its 50th birthday this year, LACMA continues to be a wonderful place for art and exploration.The "rain room" exhibit which runs through March, Chris Burden's light installation, Michael Heizer's "Levitated Mass" and James Turrell's "Breathing Light" are all incredible examples of what LACMA has to offer, and the views from the galleries offer extraordinary vistas as well. This campus is filled with permanent and changing exhibitions that will delight all ages.
