Walton Lighthouse

Last wednesday was pretty interesting. After watching the brutally awesome, "The Expendables", with friend and fellow photographer Phil Richardson, Phil and I decide to grab a bite to eat before heading over to the coast. As we were just about to leave, I spotted a friend that I hadn't seen in about 12 years. The timing was pretty funny. Her car had been disabled by the dead battery in her remote. I spotted her right after she called just about everyone she knew. No one was able to help. So we drove her to a Radio Shack to get a replacement battery and back to the car. Fortunately, the car started. We said our goodbyes, and then Phil & I were off to the coast!

The day was beautiful along the Pacific. There were so many people out on the local beaches. Although we had several tourists blocking our shots at some of the most opportune moments (people really have a knack for that), it was still worth the trip. Phil and I managed to snap off a few decent frames. The breeze was light, and the light was fairly nice. The sky along the horizon was a little muddy though :-( I really enjoyed shooting in this location. I'll have to return soon and capture something a bit more dramatic.

One Night in Zürich

I've had about ten layovers in Zürich over the last 15 years. I never had the opportunity or time to stay. Finally, I got a chance to visit the city. By train, Zürich is just under 3 hours away from Geneva, Switzerland. My girlfriend, Fabiola and I arrived fairly early, so we had plenty of time to check into our hotel and relax for a little while. After catching the tram back to the Bahnhofstrasse, we had lunch @ Cafe Sprüngli. Tasty :) Then, Fabi decided to get her hair done while I went off to go shooting. The light was very harsh, so I didn't take many photos except for inside the train station. Afterwards, we met up with our friend, Franka for drinks and dinner. City Beach, anyone? Franka, was kind enough to show us around the city and a few of the local sites. I took a few night shots that were to my liking.

Before we left, we had the pleasure of eating at a great restaurant called Bianchi's! YUM! I highly recommend it.

Zürich was such a magnificent place! I will definitely return. Though there is so much more to discover, I am happy that I was able to leave Zürich with a few images that pleased me.

Random Photo - Geneva

I missed a great opportunity to capture some great color in the sky. There were deep shades of orange, yellow, and purple. Unfortunately, I didn't make it out in time to capture the intense color in the sky. I was having a bit of fun with some friends, and hesitated for too long. No matter, I still had a great evening! I did manage to at least take one decent capture :)

Lac Léman at Dusk

Since my arrival back in Geneva, Switzerland, the weather has been great! At least by my standards (the locals have not been too pleased). True, it has been very hot. But not unbearable considering that I am from California. The humidity was so high around Lac Léman (or Lake Geneva), that the haze covered the surrounding mountains. Not very nice conditions for the shots that I had in mind.

This was a great opportunity for me to just enjoy this magnificent weather and play the role of participant instead of being the constant observer. Lol. Its a balance that is hard to achieve at times. In this alpine region, consistent heat is always sure to bring rain. Once I started noticing some interesting cloud formations, a slight drop in temperature, I took this opportunity to go out and try to capture a little magic along the left bank of Geneva.

"The Mighty Task is Done" - Golden Gate Bridge

Joseph Strauss, chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge, wrote a poem that is now on the Golden Gate Bridge entitled "The Mighty Task is Done." The bridge opened on May 27, 1937. Celebrations lasted a full week. The day before vehicle traffic was allowed, 200,000 people crossed by foot and roller skate. Sounds like a fun event!

I have always been fascinated by this Modern Wonder of the world. There is no single thing that represents San Francisco, or California more effectively, in my opinion. I suppose that I have always felt this way, but that became even more true for me while living abroad. Movies, photography, commercials, and print ads featuring the bridge all reminded me of home and consistently brought a smile to my face.

Although I've taken photos of the Golden Gate Bridge many times, I never tire of it. Recently, I found occasion to take additional photos after returning to Marshall's Beach for the first time in over 20 years. This is another local treasure that seems to be constantly disrespected by locals and tourists alike who leave without cleaning up after themselves. I find this to be totally unacceptable! Some people don't seem to realize how lucky we are to have such beautiful sites so close to our doorstep. Despite all of this, it was such a great feeling to rediscover this little hidden gem.

Over the course of two days, I also shot from Battery Spencer, Fort Point, Crissy Field, and Fort Baker.

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!