May and June 2009 ~ Very busy months

(Faces in the rock - Natural Bridges State Beach)

(The three sisters)

(Pigeon Point Lighthouse)

Where did the time go? It's been a very busy month and a half since my last posting in early May. I took a few days away from Valley life and went along the Pacific Coast (from just south of Morro Bay up past Monterey and a short stop at the mission at San Luis Rey (that was May 20th through 22nd). I guess I needed to get back to the coast as it was starting to warm up in the Central Valley of California. Just a couple of weeks later I was back again, this second trip started just south of Santa Cruz and meandered up past Half Mood Bay along Hwy. 1. Just a couple of days. Beautiful weather and great views!

(Natural Bridges State Park - Santa Cruz)

(Morrow Bay Rock)

(Natural Bridges)

(Just another stop along Hwy 1 north of Morro Bay)

(Beach head)

(Fox tacks in the sand)

(Elephant Seal Beach)

(Warm glow at a cold sunset)

Is it the East Coast or the West Coast?

Black and White photos can be interesting and bring a different perspective.

(Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk June 2009.... looks like the 1940's)...

(Small boats along the Monterey Bay pier)

(Under the Boardwalk near the cement ship)

Well, rather than just ramble on; here are some of my photos... I hope you enjoy.

Also look at the next post of the Lake Tahoe and Virginia City, Nevada area)....

IS IT "STILL LIFE"..............

As the picture stated.... you don't take still photos, at least not
in the conventional meaning of photography. Being able to create
still life photos is having the ability to - yes; first of all be able to
take a photo; however, it's also an art form all by itself. It's a very
demanding art form where the person taking the photo is also
expected to look at the inanimate subject matter and form
the final photograph based on the photographers sense of lighting,
compositional skills, and the relationships with the objects to each other.

You don't take still life; you make it and then allow the camera
to capture the photograph. It's more than just taking a snap
shot of what has already been created, it's the full expression of
the photographer and their view of what they see and feel
while taking the still life. It's much like the painter or composer,
only this time with the use of a camera (digital in this case).
You're only restricted by your own mind and the limits you
place upon yourself.

With a change in light and filter, a silver serving set suddenly
becomes pitchers and goblets of gold... fit for a king.

Wooden strings and tarnished horns become old or new
with just the right lighting.




You control the form, the light, the tone, the mood.

Christmas ornaments transform any season.....

You can even change your still life photo into a still life

work of art....

Something plain and simple can catch the eye and create

the illusion of something unique and different.

Adding a cloth can make the simple - eligant.

And it can make something new seem old and as if were

painted by the Masters.

Background change the mood... and you have control...

It's all up to what you'll let your creativity try....

Still life photography can be simple or very complex. Your

choice! It's fun - try it...

More Pics from Washington D.C. (Part 2)....

(Photo: Congress opens it's doors to the public)
In the first part of my photoblog of Washington D.C., you probably noticed that there were very few people in the pictures. Most of the photos I take have few people in them. For some reason, when you take a photo with people in it, immediately the photo becomes dated. Clothing, hair, accessory styles change, however, usually the basic subject matter changes little over the years. Here are a few of the pictures I shot where it was impossible not to have people in the picture. I try to either keep the distance or find a way to obscure the faces so they are not recognizable. After taking a photojournalism class by a well known photojournalist (Al Golub ~ retired former head photojournalist for the Modesto Bee newspaper) I find it easier not to have people indentified without their permission. Well, anyway, here are some additional pics:
There were thousands of young children and older youth on the Mall in front of the Capitol for a chroal group singing contest. These tents in the background were where the groups warmed up and got ready to go on stage to be judged. Along with the main stage, there were an additional ten or so large tents to accomodate the singers. You could tell who the competitors were as they all wore red tee-shirts with the organizations name on them (sorry, I didn't write the name down).... From what I had heard, these groups had compeated to get to this Washington D.C. event... great sounds.
While walking the underground passage from the Longworth Congressional Office Building to the Capitol, I passed by a gallery of art. I was told the art work was from across the Nation and was the result of the 2008 Congressional Art Contest. My Congressional Aide host pointed out the works of a local high school artist (local to the 18th Congressional District which is represented by Congressman Dennis Cardoza)… The artist name is Mercedes Martinez and is titled “Stanislaus Live in Color”. (Here is a link to all of the California winners for 2008:
http://www.publicgov.org/art2008/gallery.php?File=California.xml - this photo is listed as "CA18".). I can tell you that because of the multiple lightings, it was difficult to capture this pictures beauty. Ms. Martinez did a great job representing the Stanislaus County area.


This last picture just had to bring me back to my roots... back to where the view is the subject. This shot is the view I had outside my hotel window looking West over Thomas Circle in Washington. In a later posting I will show this scene in the daylight with color and a night view. One location had dozens of views (rain soaked streets with shimmering light, cloudy skies, bright sunlight... morning glow or evening ambers, if you didn't like the shot, you only had to wait a short time for the picture to change.

That's it for this posting.

A WEEK IN WASHINGTON D.C.

During the week of April 15 through 19th, I had the opportunity to go to Washington D.C... The following were some of the photos I took while in Washington. Over the next week or so I will be posting more photos of some of the sights I visited while at the U.S. Capitol. These photos were taken in the usual lighting of Washington. If I didn’t like the lighting I only had to wait a few hours and I could go from dark, heavy rain soaked days (and nights) to bright (almost too bright) days where the rays of the sun bounced off the many marbled and glass buildings and monuments which made the contrasts in the photos different from what I usually take. New experiences with each shot. That's a lot of what I like in photography... no two photos are alike.

I was very fortunate to have been provided a tour through the office of my local Congressman (Dennis Cardoza) on my very first day in the Capitol. In several of the photos I’ll be presenting, you’ll notice that there are some locations you’ll see only with a pass and guide from an assistant to Members of Congress. I was very fortunate have been assisted by a very bright staff assistant to Congressman Cardoza. So, rather than bore you with the details of how I got from point "A" to point "B", I’ll just post some of the over 900 photos I took during my stay. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I did taking them.

Over the next few days I'll be adding more to this section of photos and then there will be a section for Mount Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery, and other sights within Washington, D.C. Thanks for joining me on this photo trip and please feel free to comment or make suggestions.

During my trip I would have to say that Arlington National Cemetery was the most beautiful and restful place of all the places I've visited. There were several thousand people on the grounds at Arlington, yet it was peaceful and quiet. The beauty of the cemetery was only eclipsed by the respect the visitors showed those who are buried there. This was my first visit; it will not be my last. The changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was more than I had expected. Each step of the twenty-one steps that were taken by the military person on guard could be heard, and every movement made ~ you could tell was being made with purpose and honor. Those who serve should be proud of the heritage of their actions. Arlingon is a great reminder of what sacrifice really is. If you can't get to Arlington, make a point of visiting one of the many National Cemetery locations.