Viewpoint

Last Word

Lifestyle photographer Beau Ryan has traveled all over the world capturing compelling sights, but one of his favorite places to shoot is the Valley. A Studio City resident for 17 years, he is known to pull off the road when something captures his imagination. This shot, taken just off Mulholland Drive at an overlook, shows Coldwater Canyon “towards the end of golden hour.”

“Once you look past all the structure, the concrete, the strip malls, there is genuine hospitality here.”

“When I look at this photo, I feel the mood. It’s the way the sun hits the mountaintop, allowing the feeling of solitude,” Beau says. “It almost makes you forget you’re in a city. We are always so focused on the endgame (sunset) that we often overlook what surrounds us.”

Beau views the Valley as a truly congenial place—in an almost small-town way. “Once you look past all the structure, the concrete, the strip malls, there is genuine hospitality here.”