Master Brick Masonry of Fort Point
February 3rd, 2010 | Author: albert
The magnificent Fort Point is located right under the Golden Gate Bridge, on the South side. It was built to protect San Francisco harbor from Confederate and foreign attach during the and after the US Civil War.
While its many arched walkways are considered to be a great showcase for the art of master brick masonry, it is also great for some powerful photography.
Here is a great example of the “feel” of this place. I just LOVE these corridors that disappear into the distance, no distractions or decorations other than the brickwork, arches, faded colors and those wonderful lines. This is agreat place for a weekend visit (the place is only open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday). There are superb views of the Golden Gate Bridge from the rooftop, which is easily accessible.
This is a 3-shot HDR, each shot is 2 stops apart.
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Visiting the CIA
February 2nd, 2010 | Author: albert
The CIA, in this case, stands for Culinary Institute of America, which has a campus in Napa Valley (St Helena to be more precise). Linda and I visited there this last weekend and this place has some great opportunities for HDR photography.
This front view of the institute for example, shows up really well with the dramatic clouds above it. Gives it a bit of a spooky look.
Inside was great for HDR shots. The lobby (I assume that is what it is called) has this staircase that leads up and forms a great contrast with the brick walls, both in color as well as in look. The stone giving an old and majestic feel while the steel staircase is modern and utilitarian.
There were some renovations going on and they were putting up these really interesting wall designs, two contrasting colored wood panels. A great subject for some abstract shots.
Yosemite – In-between Seasons
December 19th, 2009 | Author: albert
Early December in Yosemite – color was well past it peak, but no snow yet. Clear skies, soft, even light, but cold. Those were the conditions we found in Yosemite. Disappointingly, Glacier Point road had been closed for the season, but we were determined to take advantage of all that Yosemite Valley could offer us.
The Cube Homes of Rotterdam
November 23rd, 2009 | Author: albert
These shots are of a series of 39 homes built in the Rotterdam area called the Blaak.
They are quite spectacular to look at and every time I see them I wonder what they look like inside. Each cube is a home and the interior is split into 3 sections. The lower section being the living space, the middle section the sleeping area and the top creates room for an office, family room or a spare bedroom. While I have never been inside them, I read they are quite comfortable to live in, although owning bulky furniture like a piano is somewhat out of the question.
The architect is Piet Blom and the creative spark behind the design was to build a series of homes where each home represented an abstract tree, the cluster of “trees” forming a forest. You can see this concept in the first image below.
I visited Rotterdam in 2008 with my brother in law (who lives in nearby Gouda) who needed an excuse to go out and shoot with his new Canon 40D. We both had a blast shooting these cubes and many shots ended up being quite abstract. The angles are just phenomenal and so much fun to look at.
I hope you enjoy these unusual buildings.
Old City Cemetery of Sacramento
November 22nd, 2009 | Author: albert
Visited the Old City Cemetery recently for a photoshoot.
The Sacramento City Cemetery was established in 1849 after a donation of 10 acres by Captain John Sutter (who was later buried there himself). The cemetery follows the Victorian Garden style, popular throughout the mid and late 1800’s. It is perhaps no wonder that this cemetery provides some wonderful photographic opportunities.
The gardens are maintained by volunteers and the 150 year old place is kept in immaculate shape. It has character, in so far a cemetery can have character. It is a place for reflection, remembering lost friends and family and sadness, yet it is beautiful and makes for a great place to go for a quiet walk, with or without camera.
The shot below was taken in November, towards the end of fall color, but the way the sun hit this tree caused every last bit of remaining color to blaze out in all its glory. Published here as an HDR.
A drive through Hope Valley
November 20th, 2009 | Author: albert
It was one of those Saturdays, nothing planned, not wanting to sit at home, kind of strange weather, not bad, but not particularly good either. What to do? So a friend and I decided to drive towards Lake Tahoe and see if there was anything worth shooting.
Rather than taking the freeway, we decided to go the back roads and took the Emigrant Mormon Trail and then Hwy 88 through Carson Pass and Hope Valley. The higher the elevation, the colder it got. At 8000 ft it was 37 degrees and this was only October!
In many ways it was kind of boring. Fall color was gone and no snow yet, that in between kind of day.
We spotted an area with interesting trees and rocks and decided, considering we’d come all this way anyway, to get out and shoot something, ANYTHING!
This is the result of that outing, kind of cool actually and I am quite happy with the results and it shows that there are photo opportunities hiding almost everywhere.
Alcatraz
November 7th, 2009 | Author: albert
Everyone knows Alcatraz, it’s the old high security penitentiary on the island near San Francisco. It was where Al Capone was put in prison. The island is also famous due to films like "The Birdman from Alcatraz" and the more recent film "The Rock".
Today, the island is a tourist attraction, reachable by ferry. The ride takes about 30 minutes and you are free to roam the island. It is a great place for photography, with wonderful views of San Francisco, that is . . . if the weather cooperates.
I find it particularly good for HDR as I really like what the tonemapping process does to brick walls, concrete floors and the like. So here are a few different views of the place. A variety of applications were used, in particular: Topaz (a Photoshop plugin), PhotoMatix and Dynamic Photo HDR.
California Gold Rush
October 27th, 2009 | Author: albert
Here are some shots of Coloma, in California, the very location along the South Fork of the American River where James Marshall first found gold in 1848. This of course was the start of the famous Gold Rush of 1849.
This site was where John Sutter and James Marshall built a sawmill and re-directed the water from the river to power the mill. The water washed away sand and dirt, exposing the gold. The rest, as they say, is history.
Seen here are the sawmill and some details of the structure. The little building is Marshall’s first cabin.
Coloma is only about 45 minutes drive from Sacramento, where I live. It is a great place for an afternoon outing, a stroll and a picnic. One of the old buildings there used to house a cafe and served awesome coffee and peach pie, but it seems that budget cuts have not left this place unaffected and the park is in fact in danger of being closed altogether. Such a shame…
Exclusive Wine Tasting
October 25th, 2009 | Author: albert
This is the area to go taste Robert Mondavi’s exclusive wines. The open door leads into the cellar where the wines are poured and you can take your glass and wonder around the gardens. This is of course, Napa Valley, where outdoor activities are possible almost all year round.
Linda and I visited here mid October and the weather was nothing short of wonderful and a perfect day to go exploring the valley and vineyards. Some great photo opportunities too.
This shot is an HDR, comprises of 3 shots, each 2 stops apart.
Another shot comprised of 3 images is this next one. Linda and I were quite impressed as there is a photographer selling prints similar to this one, at $250 a pop, non framed. That is quite a lot of money for a photo, a good shot mind you, but we couldn’t help but wonder how many were actually sold at those prices.
Pow Wow – Indigenous music, dance, food and art
October 17th, 2009 | Author: albert
Attended a PowWow today, held in Auburn, California.
What a colorful event this is! While some tribes do not allow you to photograph them, many do and, with a bit of patience, you can be rewarded with beautifully vibrant pictures of Native Americans in traditional costume.
The music is basic, but with an amazingly catchy beat. It is hard to sit still and before you know it, your feet are tapping in sync and you start moving your head and body to the beat. A look around at the crowds and you see you are not alone with most people moving some part of their body to the beat. The main drummers were “Northern Eagle” and “Red Buffalo”
The event was organized by the Auburn Big Time Pow Wow Committee, celebrating Native American art and Culture.
Tribes represented included: Cree, Choctaw, Blackfeet, Miwok, Apache, Shawnee, Kiowa, Shoshone, Lakota and Aztec.
