House of Blues Sunset Soon to Join The King

Hollywood -- I covered a set of a good friend recently at the House of Blues on Sunset Blvd. Sadly, the bouncer told me the building was sold and they were going to be out of a job by July 2015.

RIP House of Blues and BB King.

Girls Pose at Pink's

Hollywood, CA -- Girls put on their best face for a quick shot at Pink's Hot Dogs in Tinseltown.

Since 1939, Pink's sports some of the best hot dogs around. The venerable hot dog stand also attracts millions of out-of-town visitors. On a typical weekend, expect a wait of up to one hour, but ask anyone, and they will attest that the wait is well-worth the dog.

The Glamor of Hollywood Blvd.

Hollywood, CA -- I think most of us know by now this is the real "Tinsel Town."

Capital Records

Hollywood -- A view from The Hollywood Dell looking out at the Capital Records building.

Hollywood Princesses

I found these two during a recent walk on Hollywood Blvd. They were giddy and glossy-eyed at the reality of experiencing "Tinseltown" in person. Although, the only stars we saw that night were firmly embedded in the sidewalk.

Tinseltown Lives

"I want to grow old without facelifts. I want to have the courage to be loyal to the face I have made." --Marilyn Monroe

Of course, the Princess of Hollywood was not only famous for her little quips, but for being an actress, singer and model. In her time, Marilyn was Hollywood. So why not feature Norma Jean on the date of her tragic death on August 5, 1962.

This photo of Marilyn was taken near the famous, Grauman's Chinese Theatre. It is a life-like statue facing Hollywood Boulevard, positioned for tourist to have their photo taken with a star. I was amazed at how real she looked. Yet then again, isn't most of "Hollywood" a big charade?

Amber and I had a "date night" and decided to head out to Hollywood for diner and a walk down Hollywood Boulevard. The street was buzzing with excitement from tourists from all over the world. No stars to be found except on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For a few bucks, you can take a tour and really get to know Tinseltown as shown below (www.ehollywoodtours.com).

Shelter Cove

Lake Arrowhead, CA -- All it takes is money and a little creativity.... Shelter Cove is an exclusive community within Lake Arrowhead, about a 90 minute drive from Los Angeles. On the same street are homes once owned by Hollywood stars Shirley Temple, Patrick Swayze and Lon Chaney.

Cowgirl in Hollywood

Many of the movies filmed in "Hollywood" are in fact in Burbank, California. I guess Hollywood simply sounds better than Burbank.

I shot this photo at a neighborhood horse stable in Burbank, about a mile from Disney Studios. No, that's not Dale Evens, that's my Saddle Pal "Scout." I took a series of shots of her in different locations throughout the property; all reminiscent of the old western do-gooder cowboy flicks of the 40s and 50s.

Keep it Simple

Hollywood -- A while back I worked an evening at a Hollywood movie premier as a demonstration cook for Weber Grills. While I was walking around shooting photos, I had the opportunity to meet Henry Diltz. Diltz is known as a folk singer/songwriter, but perhaps best known as the official photographer for Woodstock and having his photos fill the covers of hundreds of rock albums like The Doors, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jimi Hendrix and scores of other legendary artists.

I asked Henry if he would, in a sentence, give me a tip on what makes a good photograph. He lifted his camera up and told me that he keeps it simple. He typically use one lens: a 50mm prime lens. Sure enough, I looked up his website and marveled at it's simple yet memorible shots of my rock heros.

One tip I've heard over and over again is: "The best camera to have is the camera you have with you."

Hollywood Movie Location Revealed

Part of Hollywood magic is finding film locations that make movie-goers believe the actors are either in a remote, far away land or even another planet.

Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, however, is not all that remote; the park is minutes away from a major highway in LA. Viewers of films like Star Trek, Bonanza, Zorro TV series, Buck Rogers, Batman, Austin Powers, and hundreds more, might think the actors were in another world, but no, they were only on the fringe of “Tinsel Town” know as Hollywood in my hometown of L.A. Click here for more info on the movies shot at Vasquez Rocks.

The Girls of Baywatch, 1917

Introducing the "Keystone Girls" of 1917. The photograph was taken at Venice Beach, about 15 miles from Los Angeles. These lovely bathing beauties, as they were affectionately called, were part of the Keystone Pictures Studio, famous for the Keystone Cops and where Charley Chaplin got his start.

Father of the Bride House

We all have our favorite streets. Whether we are under the tyranny of the urgent or void of a time constraint, it's nice to drive through a neighborhood that makes you proud of where you live.

For those familiar with Pasadena, the arching tree-lined street of El Molino provides a plethora of storybook homes. It's no wonder Hollywood makes this street their "American neighborhood" of choice for so many movies and commercials.

This particular home was made famous in the 1991 and 1995 films Father of the Bride; it has "family" built into the mortar.