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.

Sunset With An Angle

I found this protruding off the Hermosa Beach Pier. I think its angle adds a different dimension to my usual sunset shots and a nice addition to my collection.

Evening Sail

This evening the pier was full of sunset admirers. I waited patiently for this sailboat to reach the last glimmer of sun. It arrived just in time before the sun passed into the Pacific.

Palms at Sunset

2nd Street in Hermosa Beach lends itself well for sunset shots. As Spring rolls along, less clouds hang in the sky for photos. While it looks like I will have to wait until mid-Fall before sunsets are again photo-ready.

Cresent Sunset

These two palm trees break up a barren beach near Playa del Rey. I thought they might make an interesting composition and provide a different location of beach from my usual travels.

Photo For A Friend

A few moons ago I told my friend, Joni, that I would do a double exposure type photo for her. I have finally come through with my promise.
This experiment started after a photo seminar I attended. The speaker only took film shots but mastered double exposing them. His photos are frequently published in calendars and postcards. Digitally, the same technique is quite easy to master. No years and years of failed experimentation here. Simple Photoshop knowledge trumps years of trial and error.

Flowers with Flash

I do enjoy photographing flowers but never used my flash to fill in light. Since I took the Wireless Flash class from Nikonians, I thought it might be wise to put that knowledge to good use.







These two pictures represent my first attempt. I like the results but realize I have a lot to learn. Nothing like learning from your mistakes.

Back to My Roots

I recent spent the past week back in my old Ohio home town. In addition to catching up with family, old friends and odd jobs, I was able to take a few photographs.

Originally I had hope to capture the opening of the spring flowers, I found that my trip was a week or two early. I was unable to photo them but I did catch a few beautiful sunsets.

An April Sunset

As spring comes to southern California, it marks the end of storms and cloudy skies. I try to introduce interesting subjects to offset the sunset. On the above photo, I framed it to provide as much symmetry as possible.

As I looked back at the city, I noticed the sunset's glow reflecting off the building windows. I thought it made an interesting shot. Sometimes I find my favorite shots just after the sun has set.

A rain event approaches tomorrow and maybe offering one last visit before its long absense until late fall. I hope it provides for a few shots for my next blog.

A Parrot's View

Southern California has a significant population of wild parrots. Over the years they have either escaped captivity or were set free.

They usually gang up in flocks of 15-30 and fly noisily through the neighborhood. I don't recall a bird that makes as much noise.

I captured this one sweeping in for a quick breakfast at the neighborhood bird feeder. As usual, the three of them were loud.

Easter Morning In The Wetlands

A beautiful and warm Easter morning drew me into the wetlands to photograph a few shorebirds. I was quickly disappointed to find few birds in the waters.

Unsure whether spring migration began, or whether it was a bad birdwatching day, a few American Coots were about the only thing to be seen today.

The Visit

I was blessed this past weekend with a visit from my brother and my nephew. While the trip was short in duration, it maximized in fun.

We headed out to the desert and photographed the Union Pacific. Here is a picture of them shooting a passing container train.

Tony passes the time finding rocks to throw and finding ant holes to demolish.

Supercat

I never fancied myself as an animal photographer but I couldn't resist taking out the camera for this scene.
I find him curled up in the flower pot and composed the shot.

The cactus provided a nice frame and I waited patiently for the right moment. I found two shots I liked for uploading.

Daylight Saving Set

Daylight Saving Time usually signals the end of great sunset shots in Southern California. Soon even the slightest of clouds will disappear until Standard Time returns in November. Generally, we get either gloomy marine overcast or cloudless sunny days.

Tonight produced a magnificent sunset unlike any I have witnessed in quite a while. I took 50 shots or so and found it difficult to narrow it down to a few to upload. I thought about posting 5 or 6, but the reality is they are all very similar. It is still hard to choose "the best" of them though.

Sailing Into the Sunset

Every photographer finds it quite satisfying to be there at the right moment. I was fortunate enough to find this sailboat cross the sun just before being swallowed by the vast Pacific.