Every great trip has a first photograph — the moment when the world sharpens into focus after the long haul, when curiosity finally wins the battle against jetlag. For me, in 2006, that moment happened on our very first day in Beverly Hills, wandering through Rodeo Drive in a daze, trying to stay awake long enough to reset the body clock. It would later become one of the earliest images in my Los Angeles photography collection.
This image of the Escada boutique became the unofficial opening frame of an eight‑week, eight‑country, west‑to‑east journey around the globe. We had left Melbourne on 25 June, crossed the Pacific, and landed in a city that felt like a movie set brought to life. Even through the fog of travel fatigue, Rodeo Drive was impossible to ignore — polished, theatrical, and unmistakably LA. For anyone who loves luxury storefront photography or urban architecture, it’s a dream.
The Escada storefront stopped me in my tracks. The ornate façade, the deep burgundy awnings, the sculpted topiary lining the footpath — everything felt curated, almost cinematic. Flags fluttered overhead, cars rolled past in that slow Beverly Hills glide, and shoppers drifted in and out of frame. It was a scene that practically composed itself, the kind of moment that defines Los Angeles street photography.
There’s something about photographing while jetlagged that strips away overthinking. You’re too tired to fuss, too wired to stop noticing. You just respond to what’s in front of you. And what was in front of me that day was a perfect slice of California travel imagery, glowing in the afternoon light.
This is the first post in a new series marking the 20th anniversary of that epic journey — a chance to revisit the images I captured along the way and share the stories behind them. Some of these photographs are available on my website as fine art travel prints, and others can be requested if they’re not currently displayed.
From here, the journey would take us across continents and cultures, all the way to Singapore on 15 August. But this photograph marks the true starting line: Day 1, Beverly Hills, still shaking off the jetlag, camera in hand, ready for whatever came next. It remains one of my favourite early pieces of Los Angeles wall art, a reminder of where the adventure began.
#LosAngelesPhotography, #BeverlyHillsCalifornia, #RodeoDriveLA, #EscadaBoutique, #LuxuryFashionPhotography, #TravelPhotographyArt, #FineArtPrints, #PhotographyForSale, #BuyArtOnline, #WallArtDecor, #UrbanArchitecturePhotography, #VisitCalifornia, #ExploreLosAngeles, #LAStreetScenes, #TravelPhotoSeries, #AroundTheWorldTrip2006, #20YearAnniversaryProject, #TravelPhotographyCollectors, #ArtCollectorsCommunity, #PaulVisscherPhotography
Add comment
Comments