B Coming at Ya!

Took this photo a few months back at the Getty Center in LA. I laugh at this one because it makes me think that the bee on the flower is an LA movie star. It has its own body guard that keeps at arms length, circling the perimeter, attacking if there are paparazzi around! HAHA! I just cracked myself up!

Crashing at the end of the day

Here is another post for today. Came across this picture while looking through the shots from the weekend. I did a little burning and dodging to the photo but nothing else. Amazing!

Northern California Landscape

Here is a shot from the camping trip that the Grammatical Fairy and I took over the weekend. This was taken while standing on a cliff that was shooting out over the water. I love this picture because of the comparison of the calm sky against the rough water. While the web has downgraded the quality of the color a bit, the actual photo is BEAUTIFUL!

More to come from this amazing weekend.

Welcome Home

I look at this picture and I think of my grandfather (Papa). He always looked over us, made us feel welcome, did what was needed, and never said no. He ensured that we were safe and we were happy. Through any kind of stormy weather, he made us comfortable. He showed up in places unexpected, sat in the back row and always gave a cheerful smile, wave and nod, which was all we needed to know his approval. For a man that never asked for help, but accepted it when it was offered. For a man that made us who we are today.

This picture was from the Marin county side of the Golden Gate Bridge. The statue is known throughout the Navy community as the Lone Sailor. It is said that he guides naval ships out to sea and welcomes them home after a tour a duty.

California Sunset

Well what can you say about California sunsets? THEY ARE F***ING AWESOME!!!!! They're definitely one thing about California that never gets old. This shot was taken while camping in Santa Cruz last fall. If you are in the area around that time I recommend watching at least one sunset. I do not, however, recommend camping at that time of year as you will freeze your tuchus off. (For those of you not familiar with the tuchus, it is your bottom. If you need help saying tuchus I would tell you to say it like this: "tukas," with a little phlegm between the tu and the kas.)

Long Jump!

I know that it has been a few days since my last post, so I am bringing some Photoshop fun after a break. Over the weekend the Fairy and I and a couple of friends went camping at Costanoa, a beautiful campground that overlooks the Pacific Ocean.

While we were hiking along the beach we all took turns jumping off of sand dunes. I set up my camera to shoot in sports mode and captured the Fairy doing her jump. This is the first time I have tried to combine this many photos into one action shot. Hope you enjoy!

For today's post I am following up with another long exposure shot. This one was taken while we were staying at a Friends cabin up in Washington State. It was about 5 hours north of Seattle. The cool thing about this shot is that it was really sunny outside and leaving the shutter open for 1 second produced this night style shot. Enjoy!

Long Exposures

Well for all your readers out there (8 total from what I can see) a special treat you way. TWO PHOTOS! I am a huge fan of long exposure shots. I wanted to share a couple with you today that were taken in two different settings (one day, one night), but both had over one second exposures.

For the cat picture: I took it last night while I was wondering around MTV (aka Mountain View). I put my camera on the sidewalk, prayed that the cat would sit still, and set the shutter for two seconds. Luckily it only took one try to get the image right.

For the picture of the rocks: I was on a hike with GF near Juno Lake California. At about two miles up there was this incredible stream that we sat around for awhile and just listened. I perched my camera on a rock and had to try ten different exposures before I was able to get the image the way that I wanted.

For the rest of the week I am going to focus on night shots and long exposure pictures. Let me know what you think each day. Well let's face it, if one person comments on this site I will be more than excited, even if you just comment HI!

DUMBELDORE!

This is a picture that I took last summer while the Fairy and I were on two week road trip. I took this shot at the 3 million year old Mono Lake. The sculptures in the water are formed through a combination of salt and minerals from the surrounding mountains. When the water starts to evaporate, the minerals leave behind these amazing sculptures. The sculptures themselves are amazing, however due to California's constant need for more water, the lake itself is deteriorating. Within a single lifetime the water has dropped over 60 feet. The funny thing is that although Mono Lake is close to Yosemite, the water from the lake is drained for use in Los Angeles.

What was great about being around these mineral deposits was that you felt as if you were standing in a fairytale or a great science fiction novel.

A Glowing Vision

For today's post I wanted to go abstract. Most of my pictures are beautiful landscapes or clear objects, but I was inspired to post this one after seeing a photographer's work in LA this weekend. His work was at a little breakfast nook in Studio City. He took shots of everyday objects/people, and through either photoshop or a trick of the lens, blurred out most of the picture.

The result of this was that he left your imagination in control. Each person can define and build sharpness into the picture. With my picture above, I feel the same thing. It is a picture of the fairy's back while she is wearing a glow necklace, but it offers many more layers that are open to interpretation.

Let's start the comments people! Let me know how you interpret this photo.

Wine Barrels

For this evening's post I found a picture that I took back in September of last year. It is from a winery up in Napa called Lancaster Vineyards. From what we are told it is a very "elite" vineyard, and you are only welcome by appointment only. I mean yes, the wine was good, but I did not leave impressed. I am more impressed when I can buy a 4 dollar bottle of wine and it tastes like one of their $80 (yes 80 dollar) bottles of wine.

The vineyard however stores their wine in a "natural cave." This way they do not need to pay for air conditioning. The temperature is constant year round.

This shot has not been enhanced, retouched, or photoshopped in any way. Look at those colors!

Make 7...... Up yours!!!!

For the first time since I have started the post I missed a day! AHHH THE PAIN!!!

The picture today was taken next to an old deli/ restaurant that was located in the now famous China Camp. It is amazing to see how this metal poster has aged over the years. If you think back to the time when it was first hanging there fresh and new, full of color.

I have to admit I have not had the Grammatical Fairy touch this post, so I am sorry if it is not up to my standards that you have seen in the past.

Car past its prime

Today's post comes to you straight from the broken down town of Bodie California. If you remember from one of my previous posts, Bodie was a true Wild West town. Toward the end of it's era, it started to see the industrial age move in.

Jacob?! That you?!

Next time you are in Northern California take a hike! No seriously. Take a hike...in the Russian Ridge Nature Preserve at the top of Page Mill Road in Palo Alto. While hiking in this area, the Fairy and I stumbled across this coyote (Jacob to all you Twilight Fans). He was about 35 yards away from us just chilling on the path that we were walking on. I was able to snap this shot before he got spooked and ran the other way.

I have yet to stumble across a coyote again this close, but you can often see them in the brush below the trail. This photo is labeled "The Wolf Pack of One"(Hangover Shout out!).

Sonoma Valley

I took this photo back in March of last year. I am astonished that this was not one of my first posts on this blog. Coming out here from New York, this is the image that I had in my head of what Wine Country was all about. The beauty, the simplicity, and the f***ing good wine.

This is a pond that sits on top of the winery itself. The winery is built into the hill. When walking up to the tasting room you feel like you are walking into a WWII bunker. If you were standing on the other side of the hill you would have no clue that a winery was inside. The great thing about building a winery like this is that it is naturally cooled by the earth. There is no need for air-conditioning, which means your wines are being created in a natural environment. Cheers!

Why did you drink all the wine?!?!?!?!?!

For today's post I wanted to have some fun. I was going through what feels like millions of photos and stumbled onto these two shots. The Fairy took both of the pictures while we were camping in Santa Cruz in September of last year. I brought them into photoshop, flipped one of the pictures, removed the background, and presto! I like to call this "The Philosophy of Camping."

Enjoy!

Saturday Evening Post

Well I am soooooooo tired! It has been one heck of a day. Woke up this morning, took the Caltrain into the city and biked for 17 miles. I know for all you hardcore bikers, that sounds like nothing. I HAD FOUR BEERS HALFWAY THROUGH! Add the windburn and sand into the mix and you have one tired New Yorker.

I have not had enough time this evening to go through my pictures from today so I am picking one from a few weeks back. This is the lighthouse at pigeon point. Pigeon Point sits halfway between Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay. This shot was taken from the picnic bench where myself and the GF were sitting.

This picture is a winner in my eyes because it reminds me of Moutauk Point on Long Island. During our trip to this lighthouse our goal was to see the migration of the grey whales. While we did have the pleasure of seeing the whales they come up so fast that I was not able to get a picture of them.

Welcome to another weekend! For this Friday's post I invite you above the clouds. This shot was taken in the Marin Headlands just north of San Francisco.

The original picture is color, but I tweaked the shot in Photoshop in order to bring out the red in the Golden Gate Bridge. Every time I look at this picture I tend to get lost in the clouds...was that the name of a romantic comedy with Keanu Reaves?

Honestly though. How many places have you been to that you get a view like this? The only other place that I have felt on top of the world like this was standing at the top of Rockefeller Center in New York. Even there you are not above the freaking CLOUDS!!!!!!!

I plan on taking some new photos this weekend. Stay tuned.

This blog has been enhanced by the fairy!

MILK MAN!

For today's post lets take a little trip back in time. Picture yourself living in the early 1900s in Olema California. Population of your town rounds out to an even 50. In your backyard you have five chickens that run free, a few cows, and two dogs that look over your land.

Now travel to present time and find yourself in Olema California and you might recognize that nothing has changed AT ALL! All the houses still have chickens running around (who, if you are not carful, know how to break into a house and turn on blenders) population has increased a bit to about 80 and the town has enough of a stockpile of food to last two weeks should an earthquake hit and the only road in and out of town is blocked.

This picture was taken while staying over at a Bed and Breakfast in Olema California. The owners of the bed and breakfast had all these old treasures throughout the yard. This one milk sign was sitting off in the corner and, from the looks of it, it is an original road sign that would signal people to come to that location for their milk and cream. West Marin rocks.

Meat Packing District

Here is an image to go along with yesterday's night photography. While I was living in New York one of my favorite things to do was capture different parts of the city at night. The city turns into a different world when shops start to close and the sun goes down.

This particular picture was taken in the meat packing district just off of 14th street and 9th avenue. During the day the area is full of Posh Boutiques and overpriced restaurants. At night it turns into what it once was as a run down old decaying town. Store front gates reveal art work that you will never find in a gallery and graffiti that will never be matched in any other part of New York.

If any of you have a particular night project that you would like to see done please let me know. I always like a project.

ONE WEEK OF BLOGGING!!!!! Well today celebrates one full week of blogging. YAY!

Tonight I wanted to show off some night photography. Granted it is not my best but I LOVE IT anyway. I took this about three weeks ago on a Friday night. There is a tradition in the Bay Area called San Jose Bike Party. Hundreds of bikers from the Bay Area come together and bike from San Jose all the way up to Redwood City area. Luckily we live on the route. Two times now, we've been half asleep on the couch, and suddenly we've heard tons of people yelling BIKE PARTY!!!

For this shot I set up my camera on a tripod and used a wireless remote to activate the shutter. It was set for three seconds exposure. I like this particular shot because of all the lines that were generated by the different lights going in both directions. Go bike party!

This message has been blessed by the Fairy! WHATUP!

The Hand

Apparently Bart Simpson is running around somewhere with one arm.

This post comes at request of the Fairy's brother. He shall be known as Jobin (real name Kent). He saw this doll hand sitting on a piece of wood by the water and asked me to take a picture of it in an artistic way. When requested, I shall provide.

It reminds me of something that you would see on the back of a skateboard or hanging in a hipster art gallery in Brooklyn.

For this post we return to Point Reyes. Well, I return to Point Reyes. As a reader, this might be your first visit. Long story short... this is a picture from Point Reyes California! It was taken in a rundown old barn that is at the very tip of Point Reyes National Park.

I am a huge fan of taking pictures of worn out and rusty objects and turning them into works of art. For this shot the sun was shining brightly overhead and I was drawn to this horse shoe from across the prairie. It was the only thing standing out on the white barn and as I got closer I knew I wanted to capture it as a close-up.

If you would like a full quality shot to see the true detail, leave me a comment.

Business card

I know that I made a commitment to one post a day. This would technically make two.

I am not considering this a second post since i told all of you (the four that seem to be following) that i would show you my business card.

Here it is!

Did i turn off the coffee maker?

Once a year the elephant seals migrate to anõ Nuevo beach. During this time there are 100's of elephants seals everywhere. To go and see them you have to be guided through the beach in a group. There is no fences between you and the seals and there is nothing protecting you should they attack.

This little guy was at the bottom of the first sand dune that you walk over. While we were standing there listening to the guide tell us about what to do and what not to do this little guy looked at me and started scratching his head. It reminded me of something i would do when i can't remember if I did something.

Trust me there are numerous times that the gfairy asks me a question, and i have not the slightest clue.