Happy Holidays - Lighting of Sante Fe Square

I was able to get away from work to visit my mother this Thanksgiving in New Mexico. She took me on a wonderful trip to Sante Fe over the holiday weekend. We stayed at the beautiful La Fonda hotel on the town square and it was an opportune stroke of luck that the holiday lighting ceremony was the night we were staying in town. I took my Canon 50D and tripod out as dark set in and braved the huge crowds and very cold temperatures to do some nighttime shooting. I had a lot of fun and it was a magical time to behold. The trees were full of lights, and the sidewalks and buildings decorated with lighted luminaries. I finally called it a night when my fingers would no longer work anymore due to the cold night air. Taken at F 20, 25 seconds, ISO 100, 18mm on a 12-24mm Tokina lens.

Happy Holidays - Sante Fe Holiday Lights

Another shot of the town square. The La Fonda hotel where I stayed is on the corner to the right. At the end of the street is one of Sante Fe's old mission church buildings. Taken with 50d on tripod, F 22, 20 seconds, ISO 100, 24 mm .

Happy Holidays - Southern CA Style

Pictured here is the Christmas Tree at the Fashion Island Mall in Newport Beach framed by stately royal palms. Rhonda and I took a quick stroll through the mall prior to heading down to the harbor to watch the annual Holiday boat parade. Taken with Canon G10, F 3.2, 1/5 second, ISO 200.

Happy Holidays - Southern CA Style

A gigantic present at the foot of the Newport Beach tree. Of course, my wife thinks it is for her! Taken with G10, F 8.0, .8 second, ISO 200.

Happy Holidays - Southern CA Style

One of the big traditions along the harbors of the Southern CA coast is the holiday boat parade. And one of the biggest parades occurs in Newport Beach. Rhonda and I enjoyed this particular parade from the deck of one of our Coast Guard patrol boats stationed in the harbor. The parade was very enjoyable, and the participants really go crazy decorating their boats. Some boats were definitely over the top, a combination of Clark Griswold from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Rodney Dangerfield from Caddyshack. I particularly liked this sailboat, which had a simple but quite pleasing arrangement of holiday lights strong from their rigging.

Happy Holidays - Union Square

Last year we took a quick trip to San Francisco in the days leading up to Christmas. We stayed serveral blocks from Union Square, which really get decked out for the Christmas season. Here are a few photos I took while we were there. This photo features the Union Square Christmas tree, which must have been at least 100 feet tall, with some of the local stores and hotels lit up behind it. At the foot of the tree, was an outdoor ice skating rink. Taken with my Canon G10, F 2.8, 1/2 second.

Happy Holidays - Wreathes of Light Suspended From the Heavens!

One of the shopping malls on Market Street in San Francisco not far from Union Square featured a very large open air atrium with an amazing display of lighted holiday wreathes suspended from the domed ceiling. I thought it made an interesting picture as well as an amazing holiday scene! Taken with the Canon G10, F 8.0, .6 seconds.

Happy Holidays - San Francisco Elegance

I don't remember which hotel featured this dining hall, but it was quite an elegant sight to behold between the marble columns, ornate arched dome roof, stately chandliers and christmas tree. Not seen in this picture is the arched doorway to the dining hall guarded by two six foot tall nutcracker figures. Taken with the G10, F 2.8, 1/6 second.

Evening Rush on the Vincent Thomas

I decided I wanted a shot of the VT Bridge lit up with lights from traffic. After searching around for a while, I found a location with the right vantage point on a hill with the help of a zoom lens to get me closer to the action. Taken with my Canon 50D on a tripod, at F 20, 30 seconds, ISO 100, 90 mm.

Sea Lions in the Port

We often have sea lions making themselves at home on our Coast Guard boat docks at Terminal Island down in the port. I decided to take their picture one day while leaving work to head home. We have a raised pier next to some floating docks. The sea lions love the floating docks, and the raised pier makes for a close vantage point without getting too close. The sea lion photos were all taken handheld with the Canon 50D and 100-400 mm Tokina Telezoom lens. This closeup of the sea lions show them all bunched together like a log jam, growling and barking at each other inccessantly. Taken at F 5.6, 1/200 second, ISO 250, 160mm.

Sea lions in Love?

Sea lions in love? You decide...

A neat photo moment captured on film. Taken at F 6.3, 1/500 second, ISO 250, 280 mm.

What are YOU looking at?

They guys have a lot of character, and are not afraid to show it...

Taken at F 5.6, 1/125 second, ISO 250, 210 mm.

Do Sea Lions Dream?

Asleep at the Flipper? This sea lion was slowly gliding by effortlessly on the surface in what appeared to be blissful slumber, nearly motionless and not having a care in the world.

Taken at F 5.6, 1/200 second, ISO 250, 90 mm.

Cranes at Morning Light

I was driving into work one October morning when I saw a spectacular sunrise breaking. I could not help but stop, jump out of the car, and take a few quick shots. Glad I did, it was an amazing sight. I had seen this setting play out before on other days, but this time I had a camera with me in the car! The cranes in the background are from the APM and APL terminals in LA Harbor, and boats in the foreground are moored in what is locally known as "fish harbor".

Taken from South Seaside Ave on Terminal Island a few blocks from the CG base with Canon G10, F 3.5, 1/3 second, ISO 80.

Fountain at the Port of LA

I spent Sunday evening of Memorial Day weekend taking some pictures at the Port of LA's fountain and reflection pool. My ultimate goal was to get a few pictures of the reflecting pool and palm trees with the Vincent Thomas Bridge lit up in blue in the background. I also wanted to get the bridge lights reflecting in the fountain pool. I had a great time, however, it probably wasn't best night to shoot photos at this site. There were hundreds of families gathered to watch the fountain light show, and people freqently walked through the photos. There were also some foggy marine layer-like clouds behind the bridge, which added some atmosphere. Shot with 50D, F 10, 30 sec, ISO 100, 18 mm on Tokina 12-24 lens.

Now Add a Little Water Action!

I was pleased with this timed exposure which enabled me to add the fountain to the same shooting location. Shot with 50D, F14, 30 sec, ISO 100, 18mm with Tokina 12-24 lens. The fountain show lasts maybe ten minutes and has both music, lights and lots of splashing water!

Walking on Water

One interesting feature of the reflecting pool is a walkway right through the middle of it, with water falling down both sides and under the walkway. When viewing from the side and at a distance, it looks like the people in the walkway are standing in the middle of the fountain. This picture captures a little of the light and water show. In this photo you can see some kids in the walkway who have discovered "the spot" where the wind is blowing all the water spray, giving them a non-stop shower. Kids will be kids! You probably have to click the large version of the photo to see them clearly. You can also see wet footprints going across the wallkway. Shot with 50D, F 10, 13 seconds, ISO 100, 18mm on Tokina 12-24 lens. Not the greatest photo, but lots of action!

Vincent Thomas Bridge

I decided to take a few shots of the VT bridge while I was at the reflecting pool. There is a nice walkway that goes from the fountain area to the foot of the bridge. This photo was taken along that walkway. Taken with the 50D, F 10, 25 seconds, ISO 100, 41mm on Canon 28-135 lens. I switched the white balance to daylight and got a nice warm reddish glow to the photo which I thought made for an interesting atmosphere. I also liked how all the blue lights on the bridge had a star effect to the them, and there was a very colorful mix of light reflecting in the water below. A series of palm trees line the walkway below the bridge.

Merchant Marine Memorial

I recently was invited to be a guest speaker at a National Maritime Day (May 22) Ceremony at the American Veterans Merchant Marine Memorial in San Pedro. I decided to visit the Memorial a day early. The Memorial consists of a series of walls inscribed with all the names of the Merchant Mariners who have died in the line of duty during WWII and later, and a large sculpture/water fountain called the Jacob's Ladder. The sculpture features a mariner reaching down to help pull another mariner out of the water, both hanging from a jacob's ladder dangling from an unseen ship. The light wasn't the greatest, but I took a few pictures anyway. Here is a "Memorial Day" photo with old Glory lit up by the sun behind a siloheutte of the Jacob's Ladder. Taken with my 50D, F 6.3, 1/100, ISO 100, 35mm with my Canon 28-135 lens. Taking pictures at this spot is challenging, lots of background clutter, and the sun set behind the buildings nearby, blocking out the warm light of the sunset on the sculpture.

The Jacob's Ladder

Here is the Jacob's Ladder from a different perspective backlight by the setting sun. Taken with my 50D, F 6.3, 1/200, ISO 100, 20mm with the Tokina 12-24 lens.

Sunset at Laguna Beach

Recently my wife and I took a day trip to Laguna Beach. We mostly walked around the town looking at shops. Before we stopped for dinner, we took a quick stroll down to the beach park at the center of town, where people had gathered to watch the sunset. I took a quick series of photos with my little G10 point and shoot camera (ISO 80, F 4.0, 1/640 second). I liked this photo the best as there was good reflection of the setting sun on the wet sand in the surf zone that silohuetted a young child walking along the beach under the watchful eye of her nearby parents, and just above, a seagull flying overhead. A beautiful sunset followed by a nice thai dinner and some final window shopping. A great day at the beach!

A Surf Shrine at Laguna Beach

We took a casual sidetrip down to the ocean while we were walking around the town of Laguna Beach. We just happened to chance upon this scene: a makeshift shrine/memorial along a painted mural on the staircase wall that lead to the beach. I thought the mural was very interesting and featured a mermaid angel, a dolphin and surfers. Along the wall, several skateboards had been casually parked. Above the wall, was a very ecclectic mix of things that were left there at the memorial, such as flowers, candles, photos, etc, in remebrance to a number of people whose names were painted on the far end of the wall.

Joshua Tree National Park

After a long break from photography due to a busy work schedule, I finally got out to do a travel and shoot vacation--a wonderful day and a half in Joshua Tree National Park. Probably the best mini-vacation I've had this year--great hiking and a feast for the eyes and the lens. As my time was limited in the park, most of my experimentation was with the icon of the park, the joshua tree in its surrounding settings of desert savannah and boulder fields. However, there were other highlights, with many of the cactus still blooming and a fair amount of wildlife visible. The weather also was cooperating, and stayed relatively cool for the desert this time of year with temperatures hovering in the low to mid eighties and mostly sunny.

After arriving in town, we spent some time picking up supplies and a few souvenirs at the local outfitters and gift shops. We also stopped at the park visitor center, where I managed to get some cactus spines stuck in my toes...see picture above if you really want to get the idea. Let's just say...don't wear sandals at the park, not even at the visitor's center! :(

My First Evening in the Park

We did not get into the park until near 4 PM the first day. We had time to visit a short trail called the Hidden Valley. The evening sunset was very subtle, as it was largely overcast by the time the sun was setting. I did experiement with some joshua trees in the evening sky. This session was my first time using my new camera, the Canon 50D along with the new tripod. While I am still learning how to use the camera, I am already loving it and the new tripod is absolutely wonderful as well. The only lens I used in the park was my Tokina wide angle lens (12-24mm). This shot was set at 18mm, ISO 100, F 7.1, and 1/20th second.

Tree Shapes at Sunset

One of the amazing things about the park is the endless variety of shapes in the joshua trees. During years with winter freezes and rainy springs, the tips of the branches of the trees develop blooms. After the blooms die, the branch splits into two new branches. This phenonemon occurs quite randomly throughout the park over time and space. Some trees are shaped as straight as a telephone pole, while others are amazing twisted into many bizarre shapes.

During this sunset, the red light of the setting sun was seen on the bottoms of the overcast clouds, giving this photo an unusually angry looking sky. Shot at 24mm, 100 ISO, F 7.1, and .6 seconds with the 50D.

Sunset Turns to Twilight

The shot features another tree with a great bizarre shape with the twilight colors fading behind it. It was shot on the tripod with the 50D at 24mm, ISO 100, F11, and 6 seconds.

This was the last photo before packing up and heading back into town for some dinner. One of the travel books had recommended an Indian restraurant called Sam's. The guide warned traveler's not to judge the food by the joint's shabby strip mall location and appearance...they were right. The food was awesome and quite economical.

Cap Rock Trail

The nextday we headed out into the park around noon. Being that it was a pretty warm day, we stayed on very short trails. The first trail was Cap Rock. Here is an interesting joshua tree near the boulder outcropping that gives the trail its name...although you can't see the "cap" boulder sitting on top of the rest in this photo. In this photo you can see where the tree has bloomed earlier in the year, as many of the branches still have the dried out remains of the bloom stalks on them. Joshua trees grow at the rate of a half inch or less every year. That would make this particular tree VERY OLD.

I used the 50D with the lens set at 24mm, a warming circular polarizer (used on all photos on this trip), ISO 100, F8.0, and 1/80 second. The polarizer is a must for a digital camera when shooting high contrast scenes during the day. This is one of the huge advantages of a DSLR over a point and shoot...lens and filters. The polarizer cuts the glare and deepens the blue of the sky, while the warming effect in this particular polarizer restores some of the color in the rocks and plants that the rather "harsh" light of the mid day sun can wash out.

The "Cap" at Cap Rock Trail

Just to tie up loose ends, here is a different joshua tree with the "cap" rock clearly visible in the background. Shot handheld with 50D, set to 12mm, ISO 100, F10.0, 1/50 second.

Cholla Cactus Garden

The next stop in the park was the Cholla Cactus Garden. The joshua trees grow in the northern end of the park at higher elevations, in the Mojave Desert. The cactus garden is to the south and significantly lower in elevation in the Sonoran Desert. The garden is an extremely dense stand of Cholla, or teddy bear cactus, mixed in with some yellow wildflowers. It was HOT, HOT, HOT at this site, in the mid nineties and the air was dry as a bone.

Cholla Cactus

Here is shot that gives you a little sense for the cactus garden. These plants ranged from ankle/knee high to nearly seven feet tall. Some were blooming as well with flowers. This shot was taken with the 50D handheld, 14mm, ISO 100, F11.0, 1/60 second. You will also notice that these plants tend to shed balls of spines all over the ground. Try wearing some sandals in here...yeah, I dare ya!

Cholla Cactus and Wildflowers

Mixed in with the Cholla were occassional yellow wildflowers. As it was already May, most of the wildflowers had long withered away from the intense heat of the Sonoran Desert. This shot was again taken handheld with the 50D, 13mm, ISO 100, F11.0, 1/50 second.

Arch Rock Trail

Our next stop was at White Tanks Campground, which I suspect is one of the best places to camp in the park. Here Arch Rock trail forms a short loop to the rock formation that is its namesake and the highlight of the area. The whole area, however, is a fun maze of rock fins and boulders...very much a hiker's playground. Making this hike and photo shoot even more interesting, the moon was in the sky behind the arch...although it was already fairly high in the sky. This photo features both my wife (for scale and to make the photo more beautiful!) and the moon positioned above her head inside the arch. Shot handheld with 50D, 21mm, ISO 100, F11.o, 1/125 second. I probably could have used a larger apeture, but I wanted to make sure I had enough depth of field for the whole picture to be in focus, as I wanted to capture all of the grain in the rock arch.

A Visitor on the Trail at Arch Rock

As we were headed back to the campground and our car, this little fella was creating quite a stir with passing hikers. The snake was quite happy to stay as far away from us as he could. He did pose for his picture quite nicely though...I took this photo with the G10 point and shoot, ISO 100, F4.5, 1/320 second. I was quite happy to completely bypass the snake, as we had heard about it well in advance from other hikers. However, my wife insisted we check it out!

Capturing the Late Afternoon Sun

One of my photo experiments was to try and capture the warm light of the late afternoon sun on the rocks and joshua trees. I didn't have the best composition when the time came, but as you can see, the effect works pretty well. Taken with 50D, 12mm, ISO 100, F13.0, 1/8 second.

A Second Chance at Sunset in Joshua Tree

As our second day was drawing to a close at Joshua Tree, I had high hopes that we might get a good sunset with better colors than the first day in the park. I found a couple trees that had interesting shapes and waited eagerly to see if the colors would appear. This sunset did not disappoint. This photo features an oddly shaped tree silohuetted by the sun setting on the distant mountains...with a sky that even has some good clouds at the horizon to accent the setting sun. This photo was taken on the tripod with the 50D, 24mm, ISO 100, F13.0, 1/40 second. Photo is "as captured" in the wild, with no image editing applied.

A Second Chance at Sunset in Joshua Tree

As the sun slipped behind the mountains, the coulds on the horizon began to light up with a beautiful red glow. As soon as the sun set, I moved my tripod to a different tree, hoping to capture a different sillohuette tree shape in the glowing sky. I think I captured a decent attempt.

I probably could have gotten a more dramatic shot by picking a tree further away and lower on the horizon (so it would have been completely immersed in the glowing clouds), but that would have required my long zoom lens, which unfortunately was packed in the trunk of the car which was too far away to retrieve in a timely manner. As they say, you learn something new each time you get out there and experiment.

This shot was again taken on the tripod with the 50D, 16mm, ISO 100, F8.0, 1/13 second. It is slightly underexposed intentionally to bring out the colors a little more. All in all, I achieved the effect I was shooting for, and was pleased with the result. It was a beautiful sunset that my wife and I enjoyed together in the park.

Twilight Moon at Joshua Tree

My last photo before packing up the car and heading home was shot at the same location as the sunset photos. I simply turned the camera around and picked a spot that would frame up the moon, some high rocks and a joshua tree. Amazingly, I could only find one tree at this location that had the right geometry to produce this effect. Time was also running out, as we needed to get back into town before all the restraurants closed down. The photo was taken on the tripod with the 50D, 12mm, ISO 100, F4.0, 30 seconds. The long exposure gave a good halo effect around the moon, and also a feel of wispyness to the hint of high clouds that were almost imperceptively passing overhead. Unfortunatley, I did not have time to wait for more stars to come out. This attempt was totally experimental and impromptu, as I had not planned this prior to heading out for the sunset shots. I was quite pleased with the result.

Twilight at Morro Rock

Back in February, I made a quick overnight trip to visit the Coast Guard Station in Morro Bay, CA. That evening, I walked down from my hotel to the boardwalk that lines the waterfront hoping to take a few pictures. It was a chilly evening, with the wind blowing so hard it was shaking the boardwalk structure I was standing on. There was a mild cold front passing through, with some good clouds rolling in from the sea. Morro Rock, an iconic geological structure that dominates the local landscape sits at the tideline between the harbor and the open sea. This is the first of three posts which shows twilight turning into night. I used my Canon 10D with a tripod and the Tokina 12-24mm wide angle lens, set to 14mm. The first picture was taken at F 6.7, ISO 100, 3/10 sec exposure. I enjoy taking pictures where the clouds add a lot of character to the photo. Most landscape photographers prefer skys with interesting clouds to a clear blue sky, and I tend to agree. Some will go as far as to combine photos using image editing to add clouds from another photo to a landscape photo that has none. I prefer to stay with the original scene as photographed, which is why often timing is everything in catching those favorite shots.

Twilight at Morro Rock - Part II

Taken with Canon 128-135 mm lens at 28mm, F.5.6, ISO 100, 1.5 seconds exposure. A slightly closer view of Morro Rock framed by twilight clouds.

Twilight at Morro Rock - Part III

Taken at 14mm, F 4.5, ISO 100, 30 sec exposure. The 30 second timed exposure of this shot allowed the camera to capture the blur of the clouds moving in, as well as the rocking of boats anchored out in the harbor. All three of these photos were taken within twenty minutes of each other between 5:05 PM and 5:25 PM, as you can see the light changed quickly.

Sunset Over Wharehouse One - The Day is Done

I tend to work long hours and often the sun is setting or has already gone down by the time I leave my office on Terminal Island. Occassionally I will snap a quick photo of these sunsets. Here the sun is setting over LA Wharehouse One, and you can also see Catalina Island in the background. Wharehouse One also marks the location of the LA Pilots station, and is also the original site for the LA Marine Exchange. This was a very clear evening, as evidenced by the fact that Catalina Island is twenty-three miles offshore, but is clearly visible in the photo. This photo was taken with my point and shoot G10 (F/3.2, ISO 80, 1/2o sec).

Time to go home!

Finding Beauty In Unexpected Places - The Port of LA

I live in San Pedro, and work on Terminal Island down in the Port of LA. This area is an eclectic mix, being solidly blue collar and industrial, but also having many eye-catching spots. One of my goals is to take beautiful pictures in a place many would not normally think of as "beautiful". So far, I have missed the best opportunties to catch some amazing sights in the port, but I will continue to look for opportunities. I took this photo with a very simple point and shoot (Canon SD700 IS) that my wife now uses as her camera for casual photos. It takes pretty good pictures at night for a fairly inexpensive camera you can easily carry in your pocket. This photo shows the Vincent Thomas Bridge lit up in its usual blue lights over the LA Main Channel, and an Evergreen container ship conducting cargo operations at the Seaside Transportation Services Terminal. A dinner cruise boat is also passing under the bridge. This picture was shot while trying to balance the camera on a pier bollard from Pier 87 (f/3.2, 1 second exposure, +2 exp compensation, flash turned off). The VT bridge is quite stunning to see at night, whether you are just looking at it from afar or actually driving across its span. Its blue lights create a calming blue glow on the waters below.

Another Great Photo Spot - Manhattan Beach Pier

Another favorite spot of mine to take photos is the Manhattan Beach Pier. One reason is that Manhattan Beach is such a great place to bump around for a few hours. It has great shops, coffee houses, and restraurants. Taking pictures there is an added bonus. Situated at the base of downtown MB and looking west over the Pacific Ocean, the pier is a nice place for sunsets. This particular moment was a wonderful evening. The colors in this photo are 100% mother nature, I did not increase the saturation here at all. I took this photo with my 10D on a tripod (f/9.5, ISO 100, exposure 30 seconds). My wife was shopping for swimsuits while I took this, a win-win photo shoot! :)

Point Vicente At Dusk - A different Look

On a different occassion, I took my sister Lisa to visit the light. I also took my 10D with me, hoping to take a few photos while we were there. She was patient enough to let me take this photo as darkness set in. It was a windy evening, and we were getting quite chilly while I took this using a tripod and remote shutter cable release (ISO 100, F/9.5, 30 seconds). You can see the wind in the waving flags, branches and clouds.

My sister Lisa in the lighthouse.

One of My Favorite Local Spots - Point Vicente

Point Vicente is one of my favorite spots to take photos. The old Coast Guard lighthouse there is set on a bluff above the Pacific Ocean and is surrounded by palm trees. I took this picture there in the fall the same day that a large brush fire occurred nearby in Palos Verdes. The Santa Ana winds had blown the layer of smoke high into the sky and it made for great color at sunset. I took the picture with my G10 point and shoot. I also used a sunset mode in the camera to intensify the colors a little, and it turned out better than I expected (ISO 80, F/4, 1/320 sec). I caught this "wave" by dumb luck. The real reason I was there was to show my brother-in-law Bret, who was visiting from Virginia, the lighthouse. It just happened to be a great photo opportunity as well.

Bret in the lighthouse. You can see the smoke from the fire high in the sky. Also just barely visible is Santa Catalina Island where the sea and sky meet at the horizon.

Tools of the Trade - Camera Gear I Use

I thought I would quickly list the gear I am using. For the last five years or so, I have been using a Canon 10D digital SLR with a Canon 28-135 mm F 3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens, a Tokina 12-24 mm F 4.0 AT-X PRO wide angle lens, and a Tokina 80-400 mm F 4.5-5.6 zoom lens. The Canon and the wide angle Tokina have been my workhorses. I also have several circular polarizers that I use often with these lens. I have a graduated ND and several ND filters as well, but have used them much less. Beyond that, I have used a small tripod and a remote trigger release.

Recently I upgraded to a Canon 50D, but have not yet taken it out to take pictures, so I have a new toy to experiment with. I also upgraded to a much nicer Manfrotto 190CXPRO4 carbon fiber tripod and an Induro DM-12 ballhead. I am looking forward to working with the new camera, tripod, and ballhead.

Lastly, I have a Canon G10 point and shoot that I take with me all the time for impromptu shots when unexpected opportunites come around. It does not have the same quality as the DSLRs, but you can't beat the convenience, or the advantage of having a camera handy when you would otherwise not. Under the right conditions, it takes excellent photos!

From the post, you might think I am a Canon fanboy. In reality, I am neutral. I got started with a Canon DSLR and never looked back because of the investments in several lens. I know many people who use Nikon (and other brands) that work just as well or better. Its more about the photographer and less about the gear.