Manhattan Beach Photog, Techie Brings Photowalks Videos To Tubi

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — After leaving USA TODAY, Manhattan Beach's Jefferson Graham is bringing Photowalks to life for travelers, photographers. Graham left the corporate world behind, intentionally stepping away from where he'd been and casting an eager eye toward the future. That eager eye was always looking, and now, where he's traveled and traveling to, with all his years of experience, has translated into six free video episodes of Photowalks on Tubi.

The six Tubi episodes cover a broad spectrum of places, ranging from the Oregon and Central California coasts to Catalina and Balboa islands to Portugalto Hawaii and of course, to Los Angeles. "We did the entire Oregon Coast, from the top of the state down to Brookings, with stops in Cannon Beach, Newport and Bandon," said Graham. "This is my favorite, because the Oregon Coast is so dramatic and unlike anything you’ll see anywhere. Plus, when it’s not raining, Oregon is magic. We also went to the Central California coast, where I roamed with the local photographer Charlotte 'Ginger' DiNunzio in Morro Bay and Cayucos, Catalina and Balboa Islands, Porto and Lisbon Portugal, one of the great finds of Europe, the Big Island of Hawaii and all over Los Angeles."

The six travel videos on Tubi and how well they are received will determine some of the fate of Photowalks, explains Graham. In 2020, Graham "hooked up with Peter Spirer, who runs the Rugged Entertainment production company. He was interested in Photowalks, but as a full-length TV series. I was all in. And went to work on expanding some of the earlier episodes with additional footage, and creating new ones. We ended up with 6 half-hour episodes, which hopefully will find an audience. If they like it, we’ll get to do more."

Travel videos may seem abundant but Graham imbues his with a style all his own. He notes how input from fellow photographers and videographers has contributed to what he is doing. In 2018, Graham visited Osaka and Tokyo, Japan and made a travel video about the visit. "I really enjoyed capturing the energy and excitement of being out there in two of the wildest areas of Japan and was pretty happy with what I picked up," he explains. "I showed it to a friend, and he said, 'But where are the photo tips? Anyone can do a travel video. But if you do it, we expect to hear tips on how to get great photos with our smartphones.'”

Graham, the author of “Video Nation: A DIY Guide to Planning, Shooting and Sharing Great Video” who also had taught video classes and "done zillions of articles and videos for USA TODAY about how to get better photos with your smartphone" decided the advice was good.

Then, "Another friend, Xavier in Spain, had asked me about visiting L.A.," said Graham, "and where he should go. Like many overseas travelers, he had an ambitious schedule that would knock most of us out. He wanted to do L.A., Malibu, the South Bay, Disneyland, Las Vegas, Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, plus San Francisco in about 2 weeks.

"I wondered if I couldn’t do a YouTube series for Xavier, showcasing the best spots to visit while here, and thus making his planning easier. And throw in photo tips for Bill. So I grabbed another friend, Tony Prince, and asked him to join me at the Hollywood Walk of Fame to try a travel video with photo tips.

"We spent the day in Hollywood exploring and had a total blast. After years of making tech reviews, I was hooked," says Graham. After the Hollywood shoot, he did short episodes on Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, and all the Orange County beach cities — Laguna Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach — and Dana Point, some inland work in Riverside and Orange counties, Las Vegas and Toluca Lake, as well as Pismo Beach.

Says Graham, "As I started making episodes, it dawned on me that fun of these travel shows was including the voices of locals, instead of just the guy who helicopters in for a day or two. And it’s great to be outdoors, and out of the car, with someone who knows the area, because when you’re in a drive-by, you miss so much. Plus, my friend Bill was on to something. Traditional travel shows wow you with beautiful pictures of places you’ll want to visit, but never slow down and show you how you got them. And because I’ve spent so many years reporting about smartphone technology, I could show you how to get those shots, without spending a fortune on camera gear, with an average smartphone." Graham offer is L.A. iPhone gallery as proof: https://www.jeffersongraham.ne...

Tubi, the site that is showing Graham's six Photowalks episodes, is a free TV streaming service that’s available wherever you stream: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Roku, Google Chromecast, smart TVs from Sony, Samsung and Vizio and Comcast video on demand, according to Graham. "If you don’t have it already, just download the app via your streaming player."

For more information, check here: https://jeffersongraham.substack.com/p/8390b34d-7539-4d5d-ab77-60d89cefbd21. And check out http://thebestphotowalk.com.

Graham notes that he left USA TODAY "because I wanted to focus on Photowalks, and whatever else popped up. I felt that 36 years was plenty, and I wanted to be open to new things. Since leaving on January 4, I started a new website, http://thebestphotowalk.com, which is a companion to the show. I interview local photographers for their tips on the best photo locations in their area—everywhere from Los Angeles to Indianapolis, Brooklyn, Yellowstone National Park, Bangor, Maine and on and on. I also created a companion podcast for the website as well.

I’ve written 3 articles for the AARP website on tech, still do tech updates for KNX radio here in Los Angeles, did photography work for clients and am about to embark on a huge video product that I can’t divulge yet. So stay tuned."

Better yet, tune in to Tubi to watch Graham's Photowalk series: Tubi link — https://bit.ly/2ZZ3Nmw and check out http://thebestphotowalk.com.

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