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!

Overpass Gathering

Chicano Park, situated beneath the freeway overpasses leading to the Coronado Bay Bridge in the Barrio Logan neighborhood of San Diego, holds a rich history. After occupation and protests by the residents of the neighborhood, the site was reclaimed from the city. Today, the park is adorned with numerous murals and artworks that proudly showcase the unique cultural heritage of its inhabitants.

On car show days, the overpass transforms into a vibrant gathering place for automotive enthusiasts, where a multitude of exquisite vehicles converge beneath its structure. This spectacle visually embodies the duality of a hidden space that simultaneously serves as a sanctuary. This duality is particularly poignant given the contested nature of this land.

In the 1970s, simply driving a lowered car, like those displayed at the car show, was sufficient grounds for law enforcement to detain the occupants, suspecting them of committing an unknown crime.

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This image is a composite HDR vertorama composed of four sets of images, each containing ten high dynamic range exposures for a total of forty images. During the initial photography session, I experimented with both horizontal and vertical compositions. However, the horizontal shot failed to capture the overpass entirely, even with a wide-angle lens. Conversely, the vertical shot provided a glimpse of the overpass, but excessively cropped off the cars which necessitated the creation of a vertorama.

While capturing forty 61-megapixel shots did consume a significant amount of hard drive space, the I feel the resulting vertorama is worthwhile in this instance.

The Phantom of the Midway

The Phantom of the Midway, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I decided to take my neice Alexandra and her boyfriend Josh to San Diego for the weekend. We had a great time on the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum in San Diego harbor. I have been to the Midway a few times before, but this time we explored parts of the ship I had never seen including Pri-Fly and the Bridge.

I was sorry to hear the fireworks display in the bay went so badly this year. Nobody hurt but I understand all of the fireworks went off at once and the show was over in 12 seconds. Apparently about a thousand people had paid for viewing spots on the Midway's flight deck.

Pictured behind us in this fisheye / facebook style shot is an F4 Phantom II fighter / bomber which like all of the aircraft on the Midway has been wonderfully restored. A great day and a lot of fun.

The House Across the Street

The House Across the Street, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Right after Manny and I dropped our suitcases off at our hotel in Washington DC, I asked him where he wanted to go first. He answered "Ford's Theater". Knowing that he had recently been studying Abraham Lincoln in school, I asked if he wanted to go to the White House first and walk the route that President Lincoln took to the theater on the night he was assassinated and he agreed.
Once we got to the White House we took some photos and video as well as checking out the secret service agents on the roof who were keeping a close eye on us tourists. I remember Manny saying "Wow, I can't believe I'm standing here!" I could definitely relate to he how felt, as I often feel the same way when walking around our nation’s capital.
We then decided to walk across Pennsylvania Avenue and explore Lafayette Square. While there, we were asked several times by other tourists to take photos of them with the White House as a background. I think they were fooled into thinking we knew how to use a camera based on the DSLR's we were carrying. We asked one these folks to return the favor and this is the shot they took. I think it turned out pretty nice. I like how you can see the Washington Monument rising behind the executive mansion.

Step into the Light

Step into the Light, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Sony SAL70-300G Lens
3 exposures -2ev, 0ev, +2ev blended with Photomatix
Strobist: 2 HVL-F56AM off camera flashes left and right, 1 HVL-36AM hairlight with Gary Fong whale tail studio and blue gel.

Yes I like the theater, wanna make something of it?

In front of the OC Performing Arts Center's Sign for the Phantom of the Opera

Yes I like the theater, wanna make something of it?

Me with the Scooter

This A4 looks like it's been sitting outside for quite a while. Given the current state of the economy it could be quite a while before the talented folks at Chino California's Planes of Fame Museum get around to restoring it. This was a really nice day and a good time to be outside. It's days like this that remind me how good it is to live in California.

Me with the scooter

Me with my beautiful bride, Kathy

After we got married we rode a bus (yes a bus, easiest way to get around San Francisco) to city hall to file the paperwork. We got a lot of stares, smiles and congratulations when we got on and a big cheer when we alighted. I figure people thought we are on our way to get married but if they looked carefuly they would notice we were already wearing our rings. What a wonderful day!