old; classic; movie theatre; theater; palace; opened 1931; movie theater

If I am asked to photograph something, I will often say yes, especially if it is an opportunity to shoot a person or place I wouldn’t normally have access to. I will do my research before arriving with my cameras. Researching the history and stories gives me the confidence to talk to the gate-keeper who would let us in. The place was a grand old movie palace in downtown LA, called the Los Angeles Theatre, on Broadway. All the elaborate movie theatres lit up Broadway just as if they were in Times Square in NYC. It was slowly being fixed up and made to look like it was new. In 1931 Charlie Chaplin premiered his movie “City Lights” at the Los Angeles theatre opening.   I thought how could I make my shots different. I tried to visualize how it would look if I was an actor standing on the stage looking out at the audience. The lights only allow you to clearly see the first ten rows or so. After you get used to not being able to see all the faces, you will probably notice how the glaring lights create lots of flare. I broke a lot of “rules” with this image. Don’t shoot looking straight into pinpoint light sources because they create flare that obscures true color, shifts the color densities, and lowers overall contrast. It was fun photographing their ballroom, fancy restrooms, grand staircases, crystal chandeliers, murals, and trying to match how it feels to face an audience and hear the guests but for the most part you can not see them.