Hole In The Wall Beach

In California, May is typically a month that brings great weather. Although we've had some great days of sunshine. It hasn't been consistent. Recently, I heard an announcement that May (2010) is on track as one of the coldest in history here in the Bay Area. I don't recall having this much rain in May during my childhood. On the upside, there have been some great scenes for photography as a result! Moody clouds, crashing waves, and bright bursts of sunshine during the sunset.

Yesterday, I made it over the hill to get to Hole In The Wall Beach. As the name suggests, you must go through the hole in the wall, to get through to the beach. So the tide does need to be on the low side. Getting swept out to sea isn't shouldn't be on anyone's bucket list. This location is quite fascinating and full of energy. Its a bit easier to understand the power behind the ocean when seeing all of the large formations of rock that have been carved away over time. Absolutely gorgeous.

While my goal is to capture the best photo I can, my time is well spent if I can capture even a small fragment of the natural beauty in front of me. It saddens me to see the litter people leave behind after having the privilege of visiting. Key word being privilege. Places like this need to be preserved!

Point Lobos

Landscape artist Francis McComas called Point Lobos “the greatest meeting of land and water in the world.” Anyone would have a difficult time disproving this statement. I will say that Point Lobos is certainly one of the most beautiful places on the planet! I had the pleasure of spending the entire day at Point Lobos today. I've been to Point Lobos on several occasions. However, its never been for more than a couple of hours. It was great to just sit back and take in all of the beauty. Of course, I got a chance to shoot a bit. The sunset was pretty amazing. As always, the window for great light was short, but I still managed to walk away with some photos that I really liked :) I will add that I am quite grateful to have spent this great day amongst friends and fellow photographers, Edward Chuck, and Michael Duarte. I also got a chance to hang out with another amazingly talented photographer by the name of James W. Baker. Thanks for the invite fellas!

The Rock: Alcatraz Island

It has been some time since I've visited Alcatraz. I haven't been very many times though. As a native of San Francisco, most people are surprised that I haven't visited repeatedly (in my defense, prison is usually the last among my thoughts. lol). Typically, my visits take place when I show visiting family & friends around San Francisco. I'd never actually taken any photos on the island. That fact kept the idea in my mind for several weeks. So when my friend Thomas Barclay suggested we go shoot on the island, I just laughed and agreed right away. Great timing. Its always interesting to shoot something new. New for me anyway. Visiting with my camera was like seeing it for the first time. Overall, it was a great day. I got to take several photos, hang out with a great friend, and eat at Blondie's Pizza!

San Francisco - Part 2 (Alamo Square)

These images were taken by Alamo Square this past Saturday while hanging out with fellow photogs, Mike Duarte, Edward Chuck, and Kevin Ash. Our initial plan was to shoot the "Painted Ladies". As soon as we parked, a cool guy named Peter started talking shop and asking about Mike's Nikon D90. After speaking for a little while, he asked us if we wanted to shoot from his roof. Of course, we jumped at the chance. Its not every day that you get an opportunity to shoot from someone's roof. We all got a few very interesting shots. Although, I think Ed might not have gotten all the shots he wanted since he got yelled at by some lady in a neighboring building. Lol. Apparently, she thought he was taking images of her apartment. Never mind the fact that he was not shooting anywhere near her direction. Its always the people that no one is paying attention to that seem to have a problem in situations like these. After we finished shooting, we thanked Peter, and made our way over to the "Painted Ladies"!

San Francisco Pt. 1

Throughout the course of three days, I've found myself moving around all over the place. I got a chance to see Iron Man 2, which was quite entertaining (Yes, I'm a bit of a comic lover). I also went to a wide variety of locations across San Francisco and shot with many different photographers. Its always a pleasure to venture out with folks that are motivated by the same passions. People that you can learn from and share technique with. Photographers will not only tolerate, but spend endless periods of time waiting for the right light in a certain location (and actually enjoy it), and will do their absolute best to create their own luck with the same determination as you. I had a great time shooting with photographers, John Maruoka, Kristin Munday, Andrew Munday, Mike Duarte, Edward Chuck, Thomas Barclay, and Kevin Ash. I met some really warm and genuine people, saw someone get arrested, and spotted a police officer texting while driving! Overall, a very busy, yet extremely fun week. Here are a few recent images. More to follow!