Have I mentioned that I've had a Welsh penpal for almost 30 years? I do. Her name is Sian, and she's in LA with her mate Gina, and she is stupidly photogenic.
I rounded up my two best local partners-in-crime to entertain The Brits with some Atwater/Echo Park/Silver Lake shenanigans. I got the idea from one of my favorite bloggers, Bri Emery of DESIGNLOVEFEST. If you don't follow her, you should.
You'll notice that the photo strips get more creative as the evening progresses. There was a learning curve. Please use the tips below for your own adventure.
We discovered that you can't really fit five people into a booth if you want to capture something other than asses and elbows.
If you are switching subjects between the shots, you better be fast as hell getting in and out of there.
Also important to note that you can change the height of the stool inside (or slouch) to align yourself with the suggested eye line.
Closing the curtain is key -- otherwise the photos get blown out.
A word about props: Turns out the singles in your hand that you are feeding to the machine can come in quite handy. Also lipstick, sunglasses, cigarettes, or whatever drink happens to be in your possession. My daughter handed Emily a flower on our way out the door, and you'll see below how it became the star of the show as the night went on.
Bring a business-sized envelope for photo strip storage. It was referred to as "The File" all night, and it was treated LIKE GOLD.
Let the games begin.
Meet the players
Left to right: Penpal Sian, Gina the Ginger, Tokidoki Emily, Valentina "Chola" Garcia, and Moi (AKA "White Bread")
Location # 1 and #2
Golden Road Brewery - 5410 W San Fernando Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
The Short Stop - 1455 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Location # 3
Mohawk Bend - 2141 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
Location # 4
Cha Cha Lounge - 2375 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Nothing really compares to the moment when that photo strip drops, and you all figure out that IT'S IN COLOR HERE! I was sold on this place when I saw the hundreds of sombreros on the ceiling and the ATM that said "EAT ME", but shit got real when I took in the vending machine. It housed pregnancy tests, SPAM treats, Ghostbusters Trading Cards, and home drug testing kits.
Location # 5 - The finale
Edendale - 2838 Rowena Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039
Used to be a firehouse, and truffle fries that do you no good if you arrive after the kitchen has closed. Bonus points for naked flesh and random guests popping into the session... And a lovely outdoor patio, where you can plan trips to Tokyo and review "The File".
other locations to hit if you start earlier than we did (or are willing to leave the east side)
Moonlight Rollerway - 5110 San Fernando Rd, Glendale, CA 91204
The Satelitte - 1717 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
The Churchill - 8384 W 3rd St, West Hollywood, CA 90048
The Darkroom - 7302 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Backstage Bar & Grill - 10400 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
The Ace Hotel - 929 S Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015
Blurry Bits in bad lighting for your viewing pleasure
