WePassedThen

var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://ssl." : "http://www."); document.write(unescape("%3Cscript src='" + gaJsHost + "google-analytics.com/ga.js' type='text/javascript'%3E%3C/script%3E")); try { var pageTracker = _gat._getTracker("UA-16040072-1"); pageTracker._trackPageview(); } catch(err) {} a photo enthusiasts effort to share some images and perhaps a little more... unless stated otherwise, all my images are unedited and uncropped; don't know why i don't like to do any processing but im a quirky guy, or maybe lazy is more accurate.

[wepassedthen]

Hawai'i - The Big Island

Apparently my pattern for this blog for the past few months has been an update every month-and-a-half or so. Since my last post in November, I have been busy with work and focusing on a few other projects, few of which have been photography related unfortunately. Somewhere in there, my partner and I worked in a trip to Hawai'i just after X-mas. We've been back for a little less than a week and I already miss it, right now I mostly miss the weather as I work with the heater on bundled up in a sweater, a wasted tan underneath ;)

Here are a few of my favorite shots from the trip. All images were shot with my Nikon D80 and a combination of my Nikon 17-35 f/2.8, 50mm 1.4D, and 18-200mm VR f/3.5-5.6 DX lenses - mostly with the 17-35mm. As usual, all of these images are straight out of the camera with no post-production work...enjoy!

My version of a self-portrait.

At first I was a scrooge when these two girls walked into "my" shot, then I realized how ridiculous that thought process was. They started tossing rocks into the water and I ended up with a shot I really like. Lesson learned - go with the flow!

Something I noticed consistently with my shots from this trip, most of them were not level; you can tell from the curb in the foreground of this shot. I need to figure out what I am doing to get "uneven" shots.

This was one big Banyan tree! I shot this at 17mm (25mm on my DX sensor) from about 30 feet from the subject and could only get the trunk in the image.

I've never shot lava before and while it was exhilarating to shoot within 20 feet of an active flow, it was rather difficult to balance the exposure. Next time, hopefully there will be one, I'll be sure to do a little more research on shooting in this sort of environment beforehand.

Have to love it when people are having a good time while working.

I think I should really look into purchasing filters at some point if I am to continue taking scenic shots; hell, a body with an FX sensor might not be a bad investment at some point as well.

I close with the (cliche) beach sunset of our final night from Kailua-Kona.

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Taiwan, Part 2 - Inanimates

Over two months later, here is part two of a series of shots from Taiwan, shot earlier this year. This post is all about the inanimate objects that caught my attention. As usual, all of these images are as shot with no post-production work done.

I saw this on day two of the trip and when I saw it, I stopped dead in my tracks. Of all places to see this infamous sign, I certainly didn't expect to see it in Taiwan.

Both this and the previous image were taken on top of a department store in Pingtung in the south of Taiwan.

Also taken in Pingtung, this was while we were out looking for some late night dining.

Sunflower field in south Taiwan.

I don't know if this was graffiti or done intentionally by the shop owners, but I came across this while walking around Taipei.

Could have been a sharper image, but there is still something about this image I like.

Close up of a grate I found also while walking around Taipei.

One night I attempted to get to the top of Taipei 101, world's second tallest building, but it was closed due to bad weather. Took this shot at the base of the building.

Could have been clearer as well but this was shot hand-held at 1/40 of a second also at the base of Taipei 101.

Texture shot of an installment at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Taipei.

Shot at CKS Memorial Hall in Taipei.

Shot at Ximending Night Market in Taipei.

Took this while hiking at sunset in the mountains north of Taipei.

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Ahh geez, not again...

So my last post was September 8th, over two months ago, ouch! Besides work being very busy for most of that time, I have focussed on a number of other projects including, playing with a trial of Lightroom 3, doing some work related reading, and reorganizing the office while trying to avoid another important project.

All excuses aside, I will post some additional images from my Taiwan trip in the coming days...

[wepassedthen]

Taiwan, Part 1 - People

This is the first part in a series that feature some of my favorite images from the trip to Taiwan the wifey and I took just after Xmas last year. Today's set is all about people!

What follows below are my favorite images of people; some while working, relaxing, having a drink, posing, and of course a few of the wifey. Enjoy!

Meat, meat, and more meat, this woman from Pingtung (city in the south of Taiwan) was more than willing to take the cover off the counter and give me a chance to take pics of the meats, and of course this one with her.

Snapped this shot while walking around the morning market in Pingtung. Let's just say all the meat was freshly cut.

Could have composed this image better, but there is something about this woman selling mangoes at the morning market I have consistantly been drawn to.

Last of the shots from the morning market and the best shot of many that I have of families on scooters. Coming from an American context, at first this was unexpected, but then I soon realized, it was the way many families got around in Taiwan, it just was. As a kid I would have LOVED this!

Definitely my favorite breakfast spot while in Pingtung. The dumplings from this place were handmade awesome-ness!

Hard to capture in a still, but this image of one of the wifey's cousin's does not even begin to capture the lengths she would go to avoid me. I suppose the long haired American with the camera was a 'lil too intimidating for her. Here she hid on the side of the couch while being fed, my assumption is because this offered the most "protection" from me :D

Conversely, one of the wifey's other cousins and I got along much better; she kept posing for pics and tried to get my attention when she wanted a picture taken, as was the case here.

Chinese sausage vendor at a park in Pingtung.

Another food vendor in Pingtung, she sold BBQ corn on the side of the road.

Workers at a restaurant in a night market in Taipei.

At another night market in Taipei, this guy was "cutting" noodles into a boiling pot of water or oil, I don't remember.

One way to bring customers into your shop, stand at the entrance with a microphone.

Who doesn't love bubbles?!?

Wifey in the park.

Bye bye from Taiwan...for now.

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Wedding Weekend 2009

I took these images the weekend the wifey and I got married, July of 2009 in Carmel, CA.

These first two images I took to supplement the pictures by the hired photog's since, due to scheduling challenges, they weren't going to be able to capture images of the dress and shoes before my wife changed into them.

Having a few of the images I took, like the one above, integrated into our wedding album alongside the pro's work was really cool - it helped to make the album even more personal.

Although there were people everywhere this penguin chose my youngest nephew to keep coming back to over and over; he kept swimming back to the glass in the exact spot my nephew was, and when my nephew moved, the penguin followed. :D

A fairly cliche shot, I know, but there is something about this image I really like.

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Infrared @ The Getty

I honestly don't remember what year I took these shots; I believe it might have been around the year 2000. This was when I was first began to expand upon my growing interest (what would later become a passion) in photography, a time when I shot only in 35mm film because digital hadn't quite made it big yet (not to mention I couldn't afford what was in the market).

I captured these images in infrared using my trusty Canon AE-1 while at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. I remember it being a hot summer day, which of course helped with shooting in infrared. Here are a few of my favorites from my first efforts in shooting in infrared. Enjoy!

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Weekend Getaway, Cambria, CA

Took these shots during the anniversary weekend back at the end of July. Most were taken in the small coastal city of Cambria, while a few others were taken nearby, i.e. Hearst Castle and along the central coast of California. We had a great time and if you are ever looking for a quiet, relaxing, and fun place to visit, I highly recommend Cambria!

Enjoy...

^ Sometimes I feel guilty watching someone's misfortune and laughing, but at least this time I was able to capture the moment while laughing.

I wish I knew why the other folks on the tour decided to stop at this door and take pics of the handle with their phones. ;-)

^ Never knew one could bake bread in a clay pot, let alone two different breads side-by-side. So yummy!

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This just in...

One would almost think that I was on vacation for the past month or so since I haven't posted anything. Oh how I wish that were true; I've been a lazy bum, relaxing as much as possible and attending to other things - an I can only blame Blizzard and Starcraft 2 for a part of it.

Rollei Update

 Back in the end of April I posted that I had sent my Rolleiflex Automat 2 to be serviced; well I finally got it back! Made a stop by Samy's in SoCal on a recent trip and picked up several rolls of 120mm film. I hope to post some of those images and thoughts on the film in the next month or so. The big question is whether or not to shoot in B&W and process my own negatives and scan at home or to send out all of my negatives and have them processed elsewhere...we shall see.

[wepassedthen]

Yosemite Photo Tour

I took this trip to Yosemite back in the beginning of May; what a great trip! I was able to experience snow in the Valley (in May!), strong waterfalls, and numerous rainbows just to name a few of the highlights. Here are a few images from that trip, hope you enjoy!

The image above was taken the same day as the first images with snow in them - it was a beautiful day!

The above image was shot with a 50mm lens unmounted, reversed, and held up to the body of the camera to get this "macro" type shot. If you look closely, you can see me holding the camera and lens.

The above shot was also taken holding a lens, I think in this case it was my 18-200mm, reversed and off the body. You can see in the upper right of the image the "background" of the image.

As usual, these images are as captured straight out of the camera and have not been cropped or edited in any way - although since I am working up the courage to get Adobe CS5, perhaps I will repost a few of these images with side-by-side comparisons for a little perspective.

Thanks again to Dave Wyman and Bill Hartshorn for leading this trip, it was a lot of fun!

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A Cloudy Merced Morning

I took these shots one morning back in October of 2007. I was driving around the country roads of Merced County (CA), stopping wherever my heart desired. I need to get back into the habit of taking random drives, of course, with my camera ;D

I stopped off at a farm just off the road and was talking with a few of the workers who were working on the equipment (and I have no clue what any of them are or do) and was able to take the shot above and the one below.

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Bye Bye Birdie

For the past few weeks, the patio covering in the backyard has played home to a bird and her chicks. It was only yesterday that I was able to snap a few shots (definately, not my best work) since the chicks were very obvious/easy to see and moma bird was coming back to the nest frequently. Well, it was a good thing I captured these images yesterday since today moma bird and chicks left the nest while I was at work.

Moma bird kept a close eye on me when I would get near the back door.

This is the best shot I got of moma bird feeding her chicks, unfortunately, I had to take the shots through a sliding glass door, thus the extra haziness and lack of clarity in the image.

[wepassedthen]

Yosemite (Oct 2007)

Earlier this week I took a trip to Yosemite organized by Dave Wyman (www.davewyman.net) and co-lead by Bill Hartshorn (http://wghartshorn.com). I had a great time on the trip and was able to get a few good shots off in the process.

Unfortunately, I am still sorting through those images and hope to post a few of my favorite images in the next week or so. In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite images from a previous trip to Yosemite the wifey and I took back in October of 2007.

Perhaps one of these days I'll look into getting a graduated neutral density filter, but even without, I still like the above shot.

I am often amazed at how comfortable the deer can be with humans in Yosemite, I took this shot from less than 15 feet away and this buck hardly even moved.

Sitting in a meadow in one of the most beautiful places in the world on a sunny fall day....and the wifey decides to read. :D

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While the tri-tip cooked

BBQ'd some tri-tip tonight with a nice spicy & sweet rub, but while the coals were heating up and while the meat was cooking I snapped a few shots around the house. Here are a few of those shots...

The wifey made these clay figures for valentine's day, and yes, they are of us from our wedding day.

Some miniature roses the wifey is growing in bonsai-like pots.

Recently started a freshwater aquarium, it's a 20 gal. tank populated with a few Black Molly's, Red Platys, and a Mickey Mouse Platy.

Our cat.

Random thought: I had a conversation with a dear friend recently talking about relationships and she pointed something out to me I hadn't thought about really - other than family, for many folks, the longest "relationship" we have had with another is often our pets (this is especially true for couples in their mid-late twenties). There are always exceptions to this, but still, I was taken aback by this thought.

:D

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it's been a minute

Work has been keeping me really busy lately, but finally, that is all beginning to change!

Yosemite Trip

To celebrate the return of a more normal work schedule, I will be taking a photo tour of Yosemite next week with Dave Wyman (here is a link with additional photo tours he is offering for 2010). I am really excited, but truth be told, I am not sure what to expect as I have never participated in such a trip. Nonetheless,  I look forward to sharing some of those images upon my return.

Adobe CS5 To get or not to get, that is the question.

Almost all of my images are untouched and uncropped; in fact, all of the images I have posted on this site thus far have only been modified to reduce the file size. It's not that I have anything against "post production", but I have this quirky mentality about getting the image captured correct using my knowledge of the equipment I use, light, and a "feel" for what and when to capture an image.

However, I am debating whether or not to get Adobe CS5 (or CS4 if there is a great deal out there) so I can begin to play around with, and learn how to do some basic post-production work. I know Photoshop is a very versatile program, but I can't help but wonder if it is overkill, when in theory, I can use programs like Picasa or iPhoto to do some of the basic modifications I have in mind...I guess I am just rambling now, feel free to leave a comment or recommendation if you so desire.

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Rollei Your Heart Out

*Update* Great news, the Rollei is serviceable, but it will take about 10 weeks for the necessary repairs. After all, good things come to those who....I WANT MY ROLLEI NOW ;)

I just got word today from a shop in SoCal that they might be able to fix the Rolleiflex I acquired a few months back. Might the days of reaching a better balance between film & digital be approaching?!?!? I am so excited! Now all I have to do is find some time to get it packed and shipped...

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Mariposa Wild Flowers

If you have never been to the Sierra Nevada's during the peak of the California Golden Poppy blooms (among other wild flowers), then I highly suggest you make a trip when you can! Unfortunately, there is a relatively small window of opportunity to catch the wild flowers at their peak, but time it right and you will not forget the trip. For those of you who are wild flower enthusiasts, yes I am aware that during spring there are numerous blooms of wild flowers across the country, but let's just say that I am rather partial to Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada's.

I took a trip to Mariposa with my partner and some friends back at the end of March, here are a few of my favorite shots from that trip...

If you are looking to take the trip next year, there is a hiking trail (Hite Cove Trail) at Savage's Trading Post along Highway 140 (the Western entrance to Yosemite) that I recommend; it is about a mile past the detour and is not a difficult trail. Perhaps needless to say, these images were taken along that trail.

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Another 2007 shoot

Took these images out at Lake Yosemite in Merced (CA, for those of you who don't know) in late August of 2007. enioy

I could have composed the image above a little better, but in keeping with my no cropping, no editing motif...