Everytime I cruise down Venice Beach Boardwalk (and I lived there 3 years, mind you), I see the most interesting, crazy, funny, weird, disheartening, and beautiful things! Today was no different. It's such a colorful place (literally) with so many interesting people and animals. It never ceases to amaze me. I missed it as I visited today, as I haven't been back since I moved several months ago. I had a blast just walking around and shooting everything. You don't have to walk too far before you see something that catches your eye.
This girl actually frequently dyes her dog's fur different colors. She said "Wow, I forget when I come out in public that people think it's odd to see a dog with green fur." Go figure.
This street performer stands so still that you literally think he is a statue. His sign said "don't even think about pointing that camera at me unless you will tip me." Zoom lenses are great for this type of pushback.
My former neighbor. A little strange, but a good DJ nonetheless. Not sure if he actually makes a living doing this or if it's just a hobby on the weekends.
Ahh, the infamous Venice Beach drum circle. Like clockwork, every Sunday afternoon, the circle begins on this grassy knowl as the crowd develops..then, towards early evening it moves onto the sand. In the summer, you'll see upwards of 200 people there; drumming, dancing, and doing illegal things. But it's a trip to watch for sure. Just ask my Dad.
It really is such a diverse group of people.
How cute is he?
Now I feel bad for not tipping the guy.
Legal graffiti. So, I developed a new appreciation for this art today. The colors are so pretty and great to photograph. The painters actually have to get a permit to paint, which makes it cooler because it means they are really serious about their graffiti passion ;-) Especially love the fishy!
I used to always walk by the Venice Freakshow and think, "now why do I need to pay to see freaks, all I have to do is walk the boardwalk. HA! But seriously, check out the 2-headed turtle. Apparently, they really do have some "freakish" things in there.
This following image was definitely a first for me on Venice Beach. Firetrucks driving down the boardwalk? What?!? Sorry for the woman's cleavage, but I think it actually added to the awkwardness of the picture.
"I bet you $1.00 you just read my sign." Clever. It's amazing what people will come up with for a buck.
Alas, no VB trip would be complete without seeing this guy..his name escapes me at this point. But he is famous. Well, to VB at least.
Fun fact for closing: Venice Beach is the second most popular tourist attraction in California, behind Disneyland.
