Ela Park is located in Lincoln Heights, a suburb that is 100% Hispanic, therefore good Mexican food is available everywhere. From juicy burritos to crunchy tacos and grilled chicken with lots of garlic, East L.A. is the place for all your spicy cravings. I take food into account as part of my plan before I go out to shoot.
During virtual scouting, I found an open space located above Ela. Parking can be tricky in Los Angeles, no matter where you go, and Lincoln Heights can be problematic in this regard.
The afternoon was perfect for my plan: sunny with lots of clouds, no wind, and no signs of rain. The time-lapse photo sequence came out very cinematic.
What I didn’t see while I was checking out the online map was the amount of trash that people have left in this open space. It seems like this spot has become very popular, especially for photography, but I don’t know how someone could have abandoned a truck there, and the fact that city officials haven’t done anything to impound that vehicle is even more incredible.
I counted more than 200 beer bottles and lots of fast food bags just near the area where I set up the tripods.
The truck was also filled with trash, old pieces of clothing, and rotten food. I went there specifically to capture the sun setting behind the L.A. skyline and the tall palm trees but honestly, I left with no intentions about going back. I would say that this is the only spot in the entire Los Angeles Metropolitan area that I wouldn’t want to visit again.
