San Diego Bay Sunrise

One of the notable advantages of being an early riser is the opportunity to capture moments like the one depicted in this photograph. Kathy and I were staying on Shelter Island, located on the San Diego Bay. We hold Shelter Island in high regard. It is a mere 10-minute drive from downtown San Diego yet offers a serene escape, free from the prevalent urban challenges encountered across the bay. Fortunately, Shelter Island boasts three hotels that cater to our preferences and are reasonably priced.

On this exceptionally early morning, I awoke just before 4:00 AM and endeavored to dress discreetly, refraining from illuminating the room to avoid disturbing Kathy, who was still asleep. Once dressed, I fumbled in the darkness, searching for my cameras and lenses. Once located, I made my way to the door and exited the room. The darkness persisted outside as I proceeded to the parking lot, passing my car on my way.

Crossing the street, I headed towards the water’s edge. A faint pink hue was already emanating from the eastern sky, a harbinger of an exceptional sunrise that morning. I was determined not to miss this celestial spectacle. At this early hour, the streets were sparsely populated. I observed a few fishermen at the pier, their fishing lines already cast into the water.

Selecting a suitable location, I set up my cameras and prepared to await the arrival of the sunrise. A harbor police car slowly passed by, its driver likely observing my activities. There was no indication of any illegal or nefarious conduct here; I was merely a photography enthusiast attempting to capture a memorable moment.

As time elapsed, the eastern sky intensified in brightness, transitioning into a mesmerizing blend of reddish-orange hues. I commenced capturing images. After a while, convinced that I had captured the desired composition, I moved closer to the pier and captured additional shots from that elevated vantage point. 

Azteca Whirl

Kathy and I made the decision to attend the Dia Del Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) festival in Whittier, California last year. The festival features a car show showcasing the types of vehicles we enjoy photographing, making it an event we were eager to attend. As we were busily capturing as many cars as we could, the sound of drums abruptly commenced, emanating from a nearby location. The proximity of the drums was such that they could be felt physically. Instinctively, I turned around to identify the source of these sounds and discovered an individual in Aztec attire rapidly approaching me. I promptly switched cameras and made a poor attempt to capture an image as he swiftly passed by. He was nearly out of frame by the time I took the photograph below. Regrettably, and perhaps fortunately, my camera was not configured to capture rapidly moving subjects, resulting in a vibrant blur that retained the essence of motion while maintaining a pleasing visual quality. Upon reviewing the photographs taken that day, I recognized this particular image as a standout and hopefully worthy of being posted here.

1948 Pontiac Streamliner - Silver Streak

During an early April morning at the Pomona Auto Swap Meet, I encountered a remarkable automobile. Coincidentally, this discovery occurred just prior to the due date for taxes in the United States. Having filed my taxes several months earlier, I was able to devote my attention to this exquisite vehicle, which I believe to be a 1948 Pontiac Streamliner Silver Streak convertible. Notably, some early 1948 Pontiacs were equipped with engines and transmissions sourced from Italy. While I cannot ascertain whether this particular car possesses this type of engine or transmission, I surmise that convertibles were likely relatively uncommon. My research indicates that, in addition to the convertible model, buyers had the option of selecting a sport coupe with a rumble seat, a business coupe, or a touring sedan.

Hood Ornament in a Twist

This is one of the few instances I can recall when I utilized a Lensbaby manual focus lens to capture a full bracket of HDR exposures. The bokeh (out-of-focus areas) that most Lensbaby models generate does not harmoniously merge into an HDR image. Consequently, the typical outcome is that these bokeh areas are rendered rather harshly. However, this was not the case in the photograph below. I employed my Lensbaby Twist 60 lens to capture this exquisite hood ornament, and I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the twisty characteristic of the bokeh was beautifully rendered within the HDR image.

This presents numerous new opportunities for me to utilize the Twist 60 lens, and I eagerly anticipate exploring its potential.

Five Times Around the Sun

Today marks the fifth anniversary of my mother’s passing, and I have spent much of the day contemplating the passage of time. Has it truly been that long since she has been absent from my life? It appears that at least once daily in the past 1,825 days, she has crossed my mind in some manner. Reflecting on her does not cause as much pain as it once did, and most of my thoughts of her these days are filled with fond memories. Nevertheless, I still deeply miss her presence in my life. To assert that she shaped me as a person is a significant understatement. She shaped me in the same way that the Sherwin glaciation shaped the Yosemite Valley. One of the last things she said to me during her final hospital stay and was moments from death was, “I have expectations for you! I expect you to comport yourself.” During our last significant conversation, she instructed me to offer all of her worldly possessions to the family, ‘Don’t hold anything back,’ and to promptly dispose of anything that remained. In her vernacular, I was not to dawdle. I endeavored to follow her final wishes as best I could, but the final disposition of her remaining belongings took several years. She would not have been pleased.

1951 Pontiac Chieftain

Kathy and I had a good time at the Pomona Auto Swap meet in late June. My nephew was in town and told me he and his significant other were planning to join us. Kathy and I arrived at the fairgrounds just after 5 am. It was a bit overcast and chilly, which was perfect for us. We usually steer clear of hot days when we’re out taking photos. We found a parking spot quickly and got our cameras out of the trunk. We made our way into the swap meet and even though it was still dark, we managed to spot around 20 cars of the type we’d like to take photos of. Many more cars arrived in the next two hours.

 I noticed this green 1951 Pontiac Chieftain right away. As always, classic Pontiacs are super attractive to me. At first, it was their beautiful hood ornaments that caught my eye, but as time went on, I started to appreciate the overall style of Pontiac vehicles. So, it’s no surprise that when my nephew arrived, I was taking photos of this stunning green Pontiac. In fact, I was just finishing up the 7th set of HDR images when he showed up. I had already taken over a dozen shots of the hood ornament alone!

 

1941 Plymouth Special Deluxe Coupe

Immediately preceding the United States’ entry into World War II, the automotive industry witnessed a surge in stylistic expression and fervor.

During the Pomona auto swap meet, I had the opportunity to encounter a remarkable 1941 Plymouth Special Deluxe Coupe that epitomized this stylistic expression. This vehicle was exhibited at the show courtesy of the Memories of El Monte Car Club.

I was fortunate to locate this exceptional vehicle relatively early in the morning, before the parking area became excessively congested. Later that day, several additional members of the car club parked immediately adjacent to the coupe. I generally favor uncluttered backgrounds whenever feasible. 

Miss Judy

Here is a Lensbaby Sweet 22 image of a P-51 Mustang located at the Yanks air museum in Chino, California.  I acquired this lens when Lensbaby first offered it at a substantial discount. The lens exhibits a small area of sharp focus surrounded by well-rendered blur. I am still exploring the optimal usage of this lens. I recently discovered that the lens can be tilted to relocate the sweet spot within the captured area. 

Wet Dream

Kathy and I were strolling through the Chino Corn Feed car show when an unexpected downpour commenced. Seeking shelter, we found refuge in the covered parking lot of an abandoned motel. We engaged in conversation about the show, the vehicles we had captured, and observed the rain’s descent. As previously mentioned in another post, despite their high cost, our cameras and lenses lack waterproofing capabilities. Once the rain stopped, we returned to our initial location before the deluge began. In my case, my intention was to resume photographing a green 1951 Chevrolet truck. Upon returning to it, I discovered that it was covered in thousands of minuscule water droplets. While its appearance remained aesthetically pleasing, akin to a dream car, it guess it could be considered a “wet dream car”.

Back to Mac

Over the past two years, I have been seeking a macro lens with an extended focal length but have been unable to find one at a reasonable price. Consequently, I have purchased two high-quality telephoto lenses to use as alternatives. While these lenses have performed satisfactorily, I decided to utilize my dedicated 100mm macro lens on this day at Chicano Park in San Diego to photograph a hood ornament.

My macro lens, dating back to the mid-1980s, not only exhibits exceptional sharpness but also possesses the remarkable ability to render out-of-focus areas in an aesthetically pleasing manner. As I commenced composing the shot, I noticed the vibrant and intricate background. My extensive experience has taught me that this frequently yields favorable outcomes. I took approximately eight exposures and selected the most suitable one to post today.

To expedite capturing images, I typically do not employ a tripod for my macro shots, even when I am capturing those images in low light conditions. Instead, I enable Auto ISO, allowing the camera to automatically adjust shutter speed as necessary to preserve sharpness and avoid motion blur. This is accomplished by adjusting the camera sensor’s sensitivity. While this approach may result in a grainy image, Adobe Lightroom’s AI-driven denoising technology enables me to obtain a perfectly clean image without compromising the image’s details.

Achieving the optimal outcome—an ideal situation indeed!