Thursday, December 31, 2009

Better Days Gone


Given the state of the world, one has to wonder if the better days are gone.... Here's to wishing for the best in the days ahead...

Wait for it.... Happy New Year! (almost)

The only constant


Nothing better than a simple composition.... and a sunset!

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Pushing my ISO


I was showing someone how you can squeeze in a few more shots by pushing up the ISO. This was taken at 1600. Though the sun had gone down, I was able to pick up the detail in the darker areas.
This image looks a bit flat to me, it probably would have turned out better using a lower ISO, and longer shutter speed. In which case I would have needed a tripod, and subject matter that wasn't moving around.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Surfer Sunset


All I needed was a few minutes of time and the right setting....

Monday, December 28, 2009

Modern Times (redux)


Ten months ago I used this photo as a statement, to sum up what I thought about the economy. Nearly a year later, and things have gotten worse. I'd say let's hope 2010 is better..... At this point I think it best for us all to tough it out as best we can.... the bumpy ride is far from over.

We three walkers


It didn't take long to sum up things and put the situation to rest...

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas at the Mission


I wanted to take advantage of the fact that the Mission was decorated for Christmas. The lights, people,and manger all added to the festiveness the image.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Friday, December 25, 2009

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Additional Parking


Sometimes the sole purpose of a photograph is to document something. In which case, you can't dictate the time or place.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Punker


Animals make great subjects and are a good reason to use long lenses.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Enjoying some freedom


There's nothing like being completely free, if only for a little while...

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Before things fell apart


There are times when the light is just perfect.... The trick is being out with your camera when it is...

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Looking up

A change in perspective can do a lot for a person!


-- Post From My iPhone

Empty streets

And the empty streets speak volumes. These are different days.


-- Post From My iPhone

What's on your mind?


Looking at thing a little more closely, and spending some time doing so, can reveal a lot....

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Lights on Water


Well, I gave it another go... but as you can see, even with my ISO set at 1,600 and a slow shutter speed, it's just too dark to get much of an image of moving boats on the water...

Monday, December 14, 2009

Catching Hues


Does the sun still set in the west when there's no one around to watch?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Chance of Rain


Who says you can't take photos in the rain? It's simple enough.... Camera on steering wheel, wipers on low...

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Heartbreaker


I've been seriously considering leaving California for a long long time... It's a beautiful place that I love dearly, which makes it so hard to watch it fall apart.

If/when I do go there's so much I will miss.

The trick is to not look back...

Emotional Rescue


Interesting how the smallest things can raise our spirits...

Friday, December 11, 2009

Putting things in perspective


Our place in the scheme of things isn't that big, really...

I used to live across the from the beach and found that when I needed to put the weight of the world into perspective, it was as simple as standing on the shore listening to the waves break, gazing up at all the stars in the middle of a moonless night.

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Surfs Up


Something I've not been able to get a handle on, photographing decorated boats as the move about in the dark. Sure, I can crank up the ISO.... but the noise.... grr

The lights reflected on the water looks cool... just so hard to shoot!

Nautical Silhouette


Its shape tells us a lot about its purpose and function.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Walking off


It's very easy to get lost in the moment as the sun sets over the sea...

Christmas Cutter


Lights and water make a good combo. Around the holidays it gets even better.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Once, no more


The number of closed down businesses is shocking. A once vibrant downtown has taken on a new life. One that reflects the times.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

The way it's supposed to be


These days I find that I'm limited on the amount of shooting that I can do. I don't lament this fact, and actually have been trying to embrace this limitation.

I more or less made a decision to keep going back to the same beach and practice beach shots, and play with lighting conditions.

In the process I've been building up a story. Sort of, "A year in the life of a beach".

Singular images wouldn't say much about the beach, but put them in some sort of chronological order and you'll begin to notice things.

The most obvious being the position of the sun. This alone could tell you the time of the year, but then you throw in things like tides, amount of rocks on the beach, and what the people are doing (hint there are more surfers in Fall and Winter) and wearing, as well as weather patterns and you get a more complete picture.

So, a series of pictures becomes an essay... and the sum of the parts becomes a much bigger picture. Another aspect of photography.

Once last thing, for those who don't think California has Seasons... it does, they're subtle, but even the beaches have them....

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Like days of old


Sitting quietly off in the distance as the new day fills the world with light.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Abandoned Road


It's not always a bad idea to take a different direction in life. Like they say: The road is full of surprises.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

With her friend


The right lens and lighting conditions make it a rather simple task to capture some silhouettes. The trick is getting people to walk in front of the camera without knowing it.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Just about the break of day


It's peaceful in the morning. The madness of the day has yet to begin and you've got time to collect your thoughts.