A flashy kickoff for Photo L. A.

The din of Photo L. A.’ s opening night gala on Thursday was a raucous mix of more than 3,000 people who streamed into the cavernous exhibition space that is downtown’s the Reef/ LA Mart. Guests pored over works by Elisabeth Sunday, Larry Clark and Paul McCartney’s personal photographer, MJ Kim. This year’s Photo L. A. consists of more than 80 exhibitors from around the world as well as lectures, tours and panels touching on collecting, photography as activism, and new developments in printing technology and includes a curated installation showcasing photographer James Welling’s work. Photo L. A. is open to the public through Sunday at the Reef, inside the LA Mart building.