Posts by Jefferson Graham
TRAVEL: Time to return to San Francisco Again?
Reading all the recent headlines about the seemingly out of control homeless situation, the smash and grabs, rampant thefts, large retailers closing shop in response and open heavy drug use on the streets, I wondered if San Francisco was really on the “doom loop” that many media suggested. Then the APEC conference was staged in the…
Read MoreSurfing Santa promises to fill grom stockings with sand
Surfing Santa was besieged in and out of the water by local groms when he returned to Neptune Street last week for his annual pre-holiday surf session. The groms all asked for the same thing in their stockings: Sand to build sandbars so they can surf without getting slammed in the shorepound, like they have…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Seal Beach, OC’s smallest beach town is like “Mayberry” by the sea
If you live in the South Bay, there’s usually no need to leave the bubble of Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo Beach–we have it all here, right? But sometimes it is fun to venture south, and see how different beach cities do it. In Orange County, Newport, Laguna and Huntington are bustling, while the first of…
Read MoreTRAVEL: The Great American West for 2024
At this time of the year, we start dreaming about great places to visit in the coming year, and I’d love to share with you a few reasons to start thinking about the great American West. I’ve just completed the #PhotowalksTV episode of the epic 30-day Western travel photography road trip, exploring 9 states from…
Read MoreManhattan Beach Photowalk Sunday 11/19
We’ll be at the Manhattan Beach Pier Sunday morning for a photowalk and tips on how to get pro level smartphone shots on your iPhone or Galaxy. We’ve been doing sunset meetings, but now that she goes down around 5 p.m., we’re moving to the morning for the winter. We’ll meet at the foot of…
Read MoreHow to do a 10-day timelapse
I recently made a ten-day timelapse video on two mobilephone cameras of hometown of Manhattan Beach, California, for multiple sunsets, moonrises, flowing clouds and all sorts of stuff the naked eye rarely gets to see. And since it launched on YouTube, I’ve received so many questions about how the video came to be, what accessories were…
Read MoreManhattan Beach: Epic 10-day timelapse video
Watch Manhattan Beach sunsets, moonrises, flowing clouds and more in this timelapse video of ten days in the South Bay city, from the roof of a local deck. Filmed on two smartphones, an iPhone 15 and a Samsung Galaxy S23+ for the #PhotowalksTV series.
Read MoreAngry parents protest alleged anti-semitic MBMS act to school board
Over 70 parents protested to the members of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District board and its superintendent John Bowles Wednesday night over an alleged anti-semitic incident at Manhattan Beach Middle School and how the officials handled it. “You have shown what cowards you are,” said Manhattan Beach Market co-owner Heather Kim. “It’s appalling what…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Nova Scotia Trip Planner
After 9 days visiting the Canadian Maritime province of Nova Scotia for the first time, I can help you with your planning, and cut to the chase. The province is huge, and for those of us who don’t live there, figuring out where to go, and for how long, was daunting in setting up the…
Read MoreFriendship Foundation raises $24 million in 15 years
Over 10,000 people crowded the Manhattan Beach Pier and Strand area Sunday morning to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the area’s most powerful fund-raiser, the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk. At the event, which raises funds for youth with special needs, Michael Greenberg, the founder of the event and president of Skechers announced that…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Nova Scotia’s stunning beauty & music
I knew something was different about Nova Scotia when the bridge to the northern part of the peninsula flashed a red light, and we had to wait, as the bridge actually turned sideways to make room for a boat. I’d never seen a bridge turn before. And then when we woke up the next morning,…
Read MoreSharpen iPhone/Galaxy Photo skills class Thursday 10/26 5 p.m.
The Apple iPhone is the most popular camera in the world, but are you taking advantage of all its features for awesome photos? Come join me at the Manhattan Beach Pier Thursday for tips on how to get professional photos on your smartphone, and what all those hidden menu tools in the camera app are…
Read MoreTRAVEL: The wild colors of Nova Scotia
Mark your calendars for next September and October. By the time you read this, the top tourist spots in Nova Scotia will be closed for the season, but you really want to come back in 2024. Why? Imagine a short plane ride to Boston, renting a car, driving a few hours through Maine and hopping…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Boulder, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain High for photography
Huge mountains, a creek that runs through town, a funky downtown with cool shops and cafes and historic buildings that date back to the 1800s, and for nostalgia buffs, an easy walk to the home shared by “Mork and Mindy” in the opening credits of the 1970s/80s TV series. There’s lots to photograph in…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Prescott, AZ–the Old West Lives
Prescott, Arizona is just a seven hour drive from the South Bay bubble, and into another world. The old west lives on in Prescott, which was the original Arizona state capital in the 1800s, and a favorite haunting ground for the likes of Wyatt Earp and the Earp Bros., Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate.…
Read MoreTRAVEL: Moab, Utah & Arches National Park
It will take about ten and a half hours to drive from the South Bay to get to Moab, but its so worth it. Leave the beach and you will enter an otherworld, a tiny small town in southeastern Utah, pop. 5,300, just down the road from Arches National Park. This is the place best…
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