A webcam offering worldwide viewers real-time looks at the Strand and Pier Plaza will go dark Friday for the first time since it went up 14 years ago.
The HD webcam, mounted at Hennessey’s Tavern by web designer and photographer Daniel Sofer of Hermosa and viewable at Hermosawave.net, is looking for a new home as Hennessey’s undergoes some construction. Sofer hopes to find another spot on the Hermosa Strand within a few weeks.
Meanwhile, hungry eyes can feast on other seaside views through webcams such as those operated by Good Stuff restaurant (eatgoodstuff.com) and at lifeguard stations (watchthewater.org).
Sofer’s webcam is peeped by area residents who want to see whether it’s sunny at the beach, tourists who have been to Hermosa and want to reminisce, idlers goofing off at work, and folks who just like to gaze at sunny places. In addition, people often position themselves in front of the camera as they talk on the phone, so they can be seen and heard at the same time by far-flung friends and family.
Police officers sometimes express interest in the camera’s-eye view as well, just as they do with private security video, although Sofer has saved the images from the webcam only for the past year.
“People all over the world contact me,” Sofer said. “A lot of people contact me to clean it when it gets dirty. With the salt and fog, and wind blowing everything around, I have to clean it all the time.”
Sofer figures the webcam gets anywhere from 25,000 to 50,000 page views per day, but he said the figure could be misleading, because the page frequently refreshes, and some people leave the camera up on their computer screens all day. The webcam drew 45,000 page views during Monday and a bit of Tuesday, from 1,500 “unique people.”
Sofer first put the camera up when a Japanese business was promoting e-greeting cards with images of worldwide landmarks. The company made use of the webcam for about six months, then Sofer decided to keep it up and running.
