I just completed the first month of my 2014 photography project, and I have to say, it is NOT easy to take pictures every single day. You will see that I missed quite a few days this month. However, I don't feel that bad considering I still took around 1000 pictures in January with my Canon.  I also missed a few days when I was sick with the flu. This is only the first month, and I need to remember that integrating photography into my schedule at such an extreme level is not supposed to be easy; it's a complete lifestyle change. 

However, I do want to try to get better about consistently being more creative regarding the subject of my pictures. You will see I got pretty lazy on some days, and as a result there are a LOT of pictures of my cats. I think my sub-goal for February is to take pictures with more variety.  So for next month I am enforcing a rule where I can only take pictures of items within my home once a week.

There are a few pictures I am especially proud of from January:
01/02/14 - This was my first action shot with this lens. I caught Lucy mid yawn as she is rubbing her head up against the wall. Plus it evokes an emotion in me every time I look at it --- pure JOY!
01/06/14 - This was one of those days that I realized late in the evening that I still hadn't taken any pictures. I looked around my house and wasn't feeling inspired... until I looked up and saw the old Christmas lights. I had to stand on my counter to get the picture!
01/11/14 - This painted cave was completely in the dark because the entrance was blocked off by a gate. I sneaked just the lens through one of the openings, and used all the Manual settings I could think of to increase the light in the picture. I didn't have to adjust the picture in post at all!

Anyway, without further ado, here are January's photos...

In case you missed it, and if you are a rock climber in this city my only conclusion is that you've literally been living under a rock... or living in your car without internet access (another feasible option)... Anyway, in case you missed it, there will be two brand new climbing gyms in Downtown Los Angeles by the end of winter 2014.

It seems to be a neck-and-neck race for the opening, with LA.B, a bouldering-only gym, slightly in the lead. Both are scheduled to open in Winter, but I think that Stronghold will have a significantly larger challenge with the construction schedule for multiple reasons, but mainly because of the added amenities (lead and top rope) and because they started a couple weeks later than LA.B.  Additionally, Stronghold chose to set up shop in a historic building, specifically, an old steam power plant within the *now* LA Brewery Arts Complex.  A little birdie told me that they ran into some issues with permits, however it seems to be resolved now.

For me, the decision is going to be easy. I prefer sport climbing, so Stronghold is where I will spend my money. After the precursory visit to check out LA.B, it is unlikely I will spend much time there.  They had an open house yesterday, October 8th, and I heard pretty great things about the space. So, by all means, I could be proven wrong. It's been known to happen before.

So the big question on my mind is: can both gyms survive downtown? The even bigger question, can these two gyms survive in the land of Rockreation West LA and Costa Mesa, Sender One in Orange County, Boulderdash in Thousand Oaks, Hangar 18, and more?  The gym that faces the largest threat is undoubtedly Rockreation's West LA location, as many climbers are currently commuting from the valley and downtown.  I can't imagine that those commuters will continue to pledge their loyalty to Rockreation when newer and, in the situation with Stronghold, TALLER gyms are closer proximity.  

My climbing partner, Mollie, and I visited Sender One a few weeks ago. It was really, really fun. What makes a climbing gym more fun than another? Well, if you are new to climbing, potentially nothing. But for those of us who spend time in the same gym, week after week, year after year... just a simple change of terrain makes a big difference. New and textured holds make a big difference. Taller walls, whether you are a sport climber or boulderer, make a big difference. It's just fun to get out of the comforts of your regular gym.

More information on both gyms can be found online:
LA.B - https://www.facebook.com/laboulders
Stronghold - https://www.facebook.com/StrongholdClimbing (AND) http://www.strongholdclimb.com

See below for a preview of what we can expect from both gyms (click on any image to enlarge). I truly can't wait!

I'm having one of those wishful/wanting moments. Sometimes I just want STUFF.  In addition to wanting a nice house with a large yard (something rare in a city like Los Angeles), I think it would be cool to have a home climbing gym.  In reality, this would probably never happen.  Can you imagine the chalk EVERYWHERE? No thanks. Perhaps my home climbing gym would be better suited as an outdoor home climbing wall.  Maybe leading up to treehouse for the kids or as a feature in the yard (both shown below)? I don't know. Like I said, it's just wishful thinking.  But I started Googling "home climbing wall" and I found some really cool pictures and a couple videos.  Enjoy!

Home Wall Building Resources (Because I want you to be inspired but safe!):

The Metolius Guide to Building a Home Bouldering Wall
Chockstone Instructions to Building a Home Climbing Wall
WikiHow (please don't solely rely on this source!)