Wildfires in California

Living in the South Bay area of Southern California, I'm indirectly effected when wildfires rage. The recent Santa Ana wind conditions caused hurricane speed winds ripping through neighboring cities, resulting in devastating fire damage, Today, in the beach cities, we watched the skies become murky with smoke. Ashes fell like snow.

Before the fallout began, it was just another beautiful day at the beach. I rode north on the oceanside bikepath for my usual weekend ride to Playa del Rey.

At that point, as I headed for home, I was shocked to see the smoke eerily rolling in across the sky.

A few wildfires began today about 40 or so miles away. With the Santa Ana winds blowing from east to west, much of the smoke headed this way.

This shot is looking toward Palos Verde with Catalina Island at the end. It highligts the smoke cloud layer that formed this evening.

Veteran's Day

As we celebrate the great sacrifice our veteran's gave this nation, God blessed us with the most spectacular sunset I have seen in a long time.

I couldn't resist photographing this young girl swinging in the twilight.


This one captures the intense colors that painted the sky.

Monday's Gift

Monday afternoon looked promising and I trekked to the pier. Scattered clouds created a beautiful sunset and a splended start to the week.

A Great Season Start

I've waited since early last April for this time of year and it has paid off. The last three days' sunsets have been spectacular. They have overwhelmed me.


Today I headed for 8th Street and shot these people playing volleyball. It made for a nice shot while I waited for the sunset.



I walked to the pier and found a few people fishing off the side. I took a few shots and settled on this one for uploading.

This a great start to the winter sunsets and I know there will only be more ahead of me. I look forward to the daily walk to the beach to capture the moment.

And So It Begins

And so it begins. I have been waiting for the time change and the beginning of November. This marks the start of the sunset photo season for me. Storms and clouds start to add drama to each sunset.

Yesterday, a storm cleared out at sunset but I realized it to late. Tonight I caught the sunset but it wasn't much to brag about.

For the next four months, I should be at beach greeting all the great sunsets ahead. Stay tuned.

Long Pier

I was reading about adding "pop" into your photo. The author suggested adding a new layer in PS CS3 and sliding the opacity level to 50%. I did this to this photo and, sure enough, it did add a little zip. I made another layer and adjusted the Levels also. This photo is a composite of the 3 layers.

Evening for Sailing

The Sunset Season Begins

Finally, it looks like the Fall season has ushered in the sunset season. With storms begins their approach, I am excited to hit the beach each evening and capture the magic on my Nikon DSLRs.

These God Rays were a pleasant rarity.

This afternoon was very cloudy and it looked like a promising sunset. As usual, the clouds began to break up before sunset. With a cresent moon hanging on the horizen, it proved to be a wonderful sunset nonetheless.

Sunset Over the City

IR

This was one of the first IR shots I took on my vacation. It remains one of my favorites.

Migration Season

I recently set out the hummingbird feeder as hummingbirds start their southward migration. This guy hangs in this tree most of the day and doesn't allow others near his feeder.

Summer in Ohio

A summer thunderstorm rose upon the horizen. It was only a matter of time before the storm overtook the area and brought strong winds and rain.

The Old Barn

Before departing back to California, I had one last opportunity to take a few IR shots in the countryside.

After a long, hard, arduos morning carrying, hauling and stacking wood with my cousins, I took this shot beforing heading home. This last shot is easily my favorite of the bunch.

More IR

I like the way this photo is framed. I sat for 10 minutes on the old railroad tracks waiting for the clouds to part. The cloud's shadow provided a perfect border drawing the eye to the center.
A little patience paid off as this is among my favorite shots of the two weeks.

The Annual Pilgrimmage

My annual pilgrimmage to Ohio was extremely profitable this year. I was blessed with spectacular weather. Throughout the first week, the sky was speckled with large clouds, providing me with excellent shots.

I was amazed how 3-D the clouds came out in the IR photos. I decided to travel around the countryside photography good scenes. I soon settled on a subject of old farming building structures. This subject became my theme for the entire journey.

Food Photos

I spent a good part of the summer preparing for a food photo shoot. I never did one before but always admired the art. I was asked to do this shoot for a upcoming website.

I did not arrange the food but I did the lighting and photography. I think they turned out very well for my first effort. The color really pops out and the lighting covered the entire subject well.

Over all, I was pleased with these photos.

Happy Birthday Jon

It is Jon's birthday today. He is somewhere on the 7 seas keeping our country free and safe.

Here are a few more IR photos I captured with the newly acquired Nikon D70. I really dig this stuff.

A New Love

I know I complain often about taking photos in the summer. The sun's angle and light harshness makes it difficult to create nice outdoor landscapes, etc.

I finally found a way to enjoy photography in the summer. Infrared photography is my new love. With the first picture I was in awe. It does take some Photoshop processing to get something I find stimulating, but wow, this is fun.

Winter Sunset in mid-Summer

This winter sunset is a few years old, but in the middle of summer, I await for the shorter days and atmospheric conditions that make those sunsets so special.

Every 4th of July, Hermosa Beach holds a secret event. The only thing is that almost everyone knowns about it. Hermosa likes to combine the two things that it is known for and does best - athletics and getting drunk.
The Iron Man is a short swim, run and surf competition. Oh yeah, you must chug-a-lug a 6 pack of beer and puke at the end. Of course hundreds of people are cheering you on as the police provide protection from unruly crowds.
Well, that is our pathetic excuse of a celebration. Here are a few photos documenting this great city tradition. Bottoms up.

Bird of Prey

I recently was returning home when I heard a commotion. Several bird species swarmed a nearby powerline pole. I quickly found the source.

A red-tailed hawk nabbed a pigeon and landed on top of the pole. Mockingbirds, sparrows and crows dive bomb the hawk as it stood on its prey. I quickly grabbed the camera and tried to get as close as I could for a photo.


This is my favorite of the few pictures I was able to take. Someone walked by and the hawk quickly departed with its lunch.

Longest and Hottest Day

Today was the longest day of the year and, in Los Angeles, one of the hottest days of the year.

These photos represent the farthest north the sun sets in Hermosa Beach. The sun is setting down on the Santa Mountains just over Malibu.

I most have taken over 50 photos of this sunset and, honestly, every one was great. I had a tough job narrowing it down for this blog version.

Rare June Cloudy Sunset

It seems like a couple of months since Southern California has had significant high clouds that create great sunsets. Yesterday was a rare June high cloud sunset. I rushed to the beach to set up for a nice shot.

I picked two photos that represent the best of the evening. Who knows when I will have another good opportunity until late Fall arrives.

Sedona Sunset

This goes back a ways but it brings back fond memories of a trip to Sedona, AZ. My friend, Al Z, held his wedding there and I was privlidged to attend it. This sunset was the photo highlight of the trip.