WALKING ON WATER
- Aaron Milton
- Jan 1
- 1 min read
A visual collection of days on the Santa Monica Pier.
The Santa Monica Pier has always been a spot for me to enjoy views and people watch long before I knew what 'street' photography even was, I didn't catch wind of this style of photography until 2023. A video of Gary Winogrand fumbling about with his camera setup (yeah, I know you know the one) crossed my path and I just had to know what this was all about.
After consuming much of his work and many others, I needed to see what the hype was all about. I had no clue what I was doing or what to even look for, but I knew what I wanted my images to feel like. That small curiosity turned into a demand and I wasn't just people watching anymore, I was capturing moments that would've been forgotten before they even took their next step.
Perfection wasn't my aim nor would I even call myself a street photographer. The thing is, I felt this formation within my ability that I enjoyed more than anything. My eye became sharper, spontaneity felt right and my confidence grew. Street taught me how to understand light, learn how to use my gear without even looking and most importantly, hesitation is a photographers worst enemy.
These images were taken throughout the full year of 2025.
This small collection is intended to cast light on not just the pier itself but the purpose it serves to the people.
© 2025 Aaron Milton
While I don't shoot street, I understand it's appeal and utility. Your eye and timing are superb and I love the way you capture the energy within these brief moments of time. Looking forward to more of these in the future, excellent format for storytelling.
It’s such a blessing to watch you unveil your Calling and use it to influence a deeper level of awakening. Always remember that Light has never asked darkness for permission to Shine.
What a wonderful collection. A great reminder to appreciate the power of photography, when everything happens so quickly, it’s just as quickly forgotten if not captured. Love your street work; always excited to see more!
The first and last photo are my favorite in the bunch. Perfectly capturing the timeless essence of the Santa Monica pier. I appreciate the phrase “the purpose it serves for the people” - as your photos illustrate, the pier is more than just wooden beams and arcade games, its community, escape, adventure, nostalgia and so so much more. Thank you for sharing. Looking forward to what’s to come!
Happy New Year!
This is my first blog post and one of many. I wanted to keep it short and sweet as possible, so please feel free to leave any feedback and share your opinions of my work, thanks!
Be sure to stay connected as I will be sharing my work is this format much more moving forward.