Saturday, July 31, 2010

Smart and blue


Sometimes the world takes you places you don't want to go, no matter how well you've planned the trip.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Billie Holiday

The Library of Congress has a great Golden Age of Jazz set of images available now on flickr. Great stuff!

Can't find my way back home


You've stopped praying for a better tomorrow,
you're eyes shed no more tears of sorrow....

Hope is an unemployment check,
dreams dying, the world a wreck....

Roll the dice


Chance reflected in blue...

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Big Catch


This was just one of those things that I HAD to photograph. It captures the essence of the area, fish and fishing.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Google Chat

I've been having the oddest issue with Google Chat lately.... I can't see my chat list on my iGoogle main page. I can see it in Gmail, just not on the main page. I don't have this issue on my computer at work, just my computer at home.

As best as I can tell, this issue began when I updated Firefox (which I haven't done at work). I've posted the issue on both the Google and Firefox forums. I've yet to get an answer, but when I do, I'll share that info.

It seems like such a small issue, but I've grown to love Google Chat.... So, when it's not on my main page, it's like losing an old friend.

If anyone is having the same issue and found a solution, let me know. In the meantime, I guess I'll just keep searching for an answer and hope to resolve this soon.

Update: 8/1/2010 - for reasons unknown, my Google Chat list reappeared, and fixed itself.

Rear View


The fog was a blessing, providing some nice, soft, even light...

Monday, July 26, 2010

The best laid plans

Why is it that we must always cater to the lowest common denominator? A lot of time and effort goes into web development, which seems to be continually undermined by Microsoft and their inferior browser.... It gets infuriating.

My advice to Microsoft.... if you can't keep up, get out of the way!

There's a reason why Firefox (and others) are eating Internet Explorer for lunch....

Morning Light


Morning doesn't always bring sunshine and singing birds. Along the coast it often brings fog, especially during the summer. You just have to make due with what nature offers.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

at the edge


I know that the horse is at the edge of the frame, but for some reason I really like this shot.

I was shooting at really fast shutter speeds (1/3200) to capture the action. This meant that I had to crank up the ISO to 1250. Makes for a bit of a grainy shot....

Just trying some new things, folks...

as the day begins


You just never know where events are going to take you.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Friday, July 23, 2010

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Wild Color


I took advantage of the opportunity to go back and shoot the cancan dancers. Even though they posed, the harsh summer sun proved too much for my fill flash.

Monday, July 19, 2010

After the recovery


It doesn't take much to see that the economy is still on the skids. As I drove around yesterday, each street had something new to offer up to the crop of businesses never to return.

Broken dreams fill nameless streets... mile after mile after mile.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

They Dance


Every year there's a local French Festival (though it looks like this could be the last one) and one of the main events is dancing. Ballroom, tango, and, yep you guessed it, cancan.

The dancing takes place on a very crowded stage that is partially tented so that the audience can have some shade.

Needless to say, due to the extreme contrasts from the shade and bright July sun, the dancing is difficult to photograph.

This year I tried using flash, it helped some, but I'm not happy with the results.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Summer Clouds


It's been ages since I've been able to break out of urban captivity. Circumstances don't allow for much real freedom lately, so when the opportunity came up to spend a day in the mountains I took it.

Nature, solitude, and summer rains can do wonders. They clear the mind and stir the soul.

Friday, July 16, 2010

State of Failure

California isn't going to recover anytime soon, in fact, the state is completely ignoring the economic crisis that it created for itself.

The State has been sinking into the abyss for years. My advise to the rest of the nation, don't do as California has done.

Things are getting worse... If the State is expecting a bailout.... let's hope the answer is NO!

Obsticles


Sometimes the things in our way look harder to get around than they really are.

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Strong Foundation


Our family and friends are the foundation upon which we build our lives.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Media Spin

We've become a culture that likes to punish success, and I'm tired of it. I'm not buying into the hype that the new iPhone is a faulty product and needs to be recalled.

There are over a million of these units out in the wild now, being used everyday. People are very happy with them. In fact, they love them.

I can't understand the media obsession. These things work, and they work well. End of story.

If you want to talk about failure, look no further than the old media and/or government.

It's sad when you think you make yourself important by tearing others down.

When the world makes sense


When the world makes sense,
you don't need words to explain things...

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Under the Bridge


I've been swamped with distractions lately. Lots of things that need to get done, and once done should free up my time to get back to pursuing photography.

Take me away


down the back roads of my memory...

Monday, July 12, 2010

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Feeling Blue


You've changed so much,
your face in mine
as decades doubled,
a blurring of time,
I know not your reflection.
Roads grew bends,
that changed our direction.
Along our paths, we stumbled.

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Friday, July 9, 2010

Coming Undone


I got some of my best fireworks shots ever this year, but they came at a price. A sore back.
There's no parking anywhere near the event. In fact, most of the streets are closed in the area. That means parking uptown and walking down to the place I wanted to shoot.

That's a little over a mile each way with a bunch of gear. Yours truly is no spring chicken, so I've been on the mend longer than expected.

But, really, having shots that I'm happy with make the effort worth it!

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Old Ford


In this photo it's a little more obvious that I used a flash. You can actually see the driver, and detail in the wheel wells. Without the flash, those areas would be a lot darker. Now the question is: Does this improve the photo?

Big Wave


You just have to love that nice even light of an overcast day.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Red Vespa


It was very overcast during the parade, so I used my flash at full power to see if it would help with my images.

I think it did, and am glad I started using flash more. Now, I've just got to start doing off camera flash work.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Big Blast


I used the widest lens I have to shoot the fireworks. My intention was to capture the reflections of both the City and Fireworks on the water, so I started shooting horizontal.

This wasn't working out well. I felt that I had too much negative space, and they were shooting the fireworks very high in the sky. I wasn't capturing the whole display. I would soon have to switch to a vertical format to capture all of the light show.

Monday, July 5, 2010

All lies in jest


Ok, I managed to shoot another parade and fireworks display. There's only one more major event before summer is over. Time passes so quickly.

Sunday, July 4, 2010

So goes the Nation


Happy Independence Day. As you can see by this photo from last year, here in California there isn't a lot interest in celebrating the founding of the nation.

I'll be photographing what I call "the parade no one goes to" and giving thanks for the freedoms we still have left to enjoy.

Lets hope the fog clears before the parade starts.

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Making some noise


The parade gave me an opportunity to shoot people, an area that I need to improve in. Though you have to work quickly, the lesson is about learning to be aware of the light. What works, and what doesn't.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Light the skies


The next big challenge is photographing another parade and some fireworks.... that is if I can find a place to park...

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Street Moves


I used to try and capture as little of the crowd in parade photos as I could. Unless you're in the middle of the street, this isn't an easy thing to do. My current thinking is that the crowds make a nice background and add to the context of the photo.