Go On A Photowalk And Capture The Beauty Of Manhattan Beach

MANHATTAN BEACH —Have you ever wanted to capture those gorgeous Manhattan Beach sunsets or sunrises but don't know how to do it correctly? Thank goodness, Manhattan Beach resident and professional photographer Jefferson Graham is here to help.

This Saturday, April 3, Graham is inviting members of the community to a socially-distanced "Photowalk" at the Manhattan Beach Pier at 6:30 a.m.

"It's open to anyone who wants to meet like-minded photography enthusiasts at any level," Graham told Patch. "I'll be there to answer any questions people may have about their cameras or shooting. It'll also be a lot of fun."

Graham adds that you don't need to bring fancy cameras or equipment. "Just come with your smartphone," he said.

During the free session—which should last an hour to an hour-and-a-half—Graham will take participants to his favorite locations to photograph. Afterward, he's inviting those in attendance to go out for a "socially distanced" breakfast.

As for his best photographic tips, Graham offers 10 in a new blog but says the most important one is "time of day."

"Most great photos are taken early in the morning or during the 'magic hour' of pre-sunset and sunset because that's when the light is softest and shows off the best colors," he said. "Yes, you can get great stuff during the day as well, but trust me, you'll do better if you adhere to these two rules."

Graham's video television series, "Photowalks with Jefferson Graham," debuted last month on Tubi, a free TV streaming service. On the show, which is geared toward the smartphone crowd, he takes viewers to fun and exotic locations all over the world and teaches them how to get better photos. The first season features half-hour episodes that take place in Oregon, Catalina, Moro Bay, the Big Island of Hawaii, Los Angeles, and Portugal.

Graham is a former columnist for USA Today, where he wrote about technology, often offering smartphone photo tips. He left the outlet in January after 36 years and moved onto the Photowalks series.

"In 2018, I made a travel video of my trip to Osaka, Japan," he said. "When I showed it to a friend, he told me that I forgot one thing...to add photo tips. He was right, so I shot additional footage to include photo tips."

From there, Graham posted similar short videos to YouTube. "I got a call from a producer who told me if I could expand my videos to half an hour, I could get my own show."

Graham is currently editing his second season and says it should air sometime in June.

Register for the Photowalk on Eventbrite.

Catch episodes of “Photowalks with Jefferson Graham”on Tubi.

You can also subscribe to Graham's weekly newsletter.