During my summer break, I visited Venice Beach, California to see my mother. With its nice beaches, skate parks, funky shops, and artful graffiti Venice is a pretty photogenic place. I could have easily just walked around taking photos all day, but of course the purpose of the vacation was to spend time with my mother. As a photographer, I am always trying to find the right balance of documenting versus just experiencing a scene. Looking at the world as though through a camera does help me to notice patterns and relationships I might not otherwise, but I think I'm also getting better at knowing when to put the camera down. Still, I had to get in a few shots.