Aspiring Chefs

Aspiring Chefs, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I had been working really late night after night and found myself once again sitting in front of my computer at work, feeling really sleepy. I thought that maybe a walk around old town Pasadena might wake me up so I headed out camera in hand. I decided to have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and upon walking out, I saw four students from the Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts College walking side-by-side. I couldn't resist taking this shot. I walked back to work in the fading light.

The Sea of Love

The Sea of Love, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

California Academy of Sciences, Steinhart Aquarium, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, Saint Valentines Day: I was waiting for Kathy and just sitting across from this large glass viewing window, thinking that the lighting in the room was very beautiful when this young couple walked up to the glass. I thought they were framed pretty nicely by it. Seemed kind of like a first date type situation. After taking the sequence of shots, I went in search of my own beloved girl.

Impressive Wingspan

Impressive Wingspan, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Wow I just couldn't take enough photos of this super fine '59. In an era of tall fins being very popular on cars, Chevy designers went for the wide stance. Good decision I reckon.

Jump in, the water's wine

Jump in, the water's wine, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This photo conveys California's amazing weather better that any other image I have ever made. This was taken in early October, the sun was so warm and the cobalt sky was completely devoid of clouds.

Kathy and I were on our second Hearst Castle tour of the day and when we climbed the steps that led to the extraordinary Neptune pool, I was once again overwhelmed by the grandeur and beauty of this place. I reflected on how wonderfully situated it is on the "enchanted hillside". Architect Julia Morgan once said she drew inspiration from the pools she saw in Mediterranean villas and Roman baths while studying in Europe.

Two curved colonnades and an ancient Roman temple set the stage for the beautiful mythological statues carved by Charles Cassou.

Holding 345,000 gallons of spring water, this is one of the largest and most expensive pools built for a private residence in the world.

Make mine a '39

Make mine a '39, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I saw several 1939 Chevy's at the 2009 Uptown Whittier Car Show but I think this was one of the nicest. Only HDR seems to be able to reveal the high gloss reflectivity of the paint on these customized cars. If you look just to the left of the license plate you can clearly see my rolling backpack, tripod and me taking the photos used to create this composite image.

Glory Days

Glory Days, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I was a little shocked to see the condition of this seemingly famous experimental aircraft. It was rotting away in the boneyard at the Chino Planes of Fame Museum in Chino, CA. It turns out this is just a television prop. It was built and used for a show called Quantum Leap in 1989. The actual X-2 became the first aircraft to fly higher than 100,000 feet with pilot Iven C. Kincheloe at the controls. It was lost after becoming the first aircraft to fly in excess of Mach 3. The pilot Milburn G. "Mel" Apt was killed and the test program was ended.

Freedom is not Free

Freedom is not Free, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

They fought a war to help people they had never met and were largely forgotten when they returned home. This is the Korean War Memorial in Washington D.C.

It was raining fairly hard when I took this shot. Manny was holding an umbrella over me and the camera but some water still got on the lens.

The Lone Sailor

The Lone Sailor, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This moving and evocative statue is located at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. We sleep well and safely because there are soldiers, sailors, marine and coast guard men and women keeping watch or walking a post for us. Our laws grant us our freedoms but we need to remember it's the men and women who serve in our armed forces who defend those freedoms.

One Nine Five Nine - Impala

One Nine Five Six - Impala, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Ok so why can't modern car manufacturers make anything even approaching the coolness of a car like this? Kathy was going to the Ruby's car show and asked if I wanted to go. Well now, any chance to hang out with my beautiful wife is great and if we can take photos of cool cars too it's a win, win. I last photographed this 1959 Impala at the Uptown Whittier Car Show about a year ago. I reintroduced myself to the owner who was nice enough to move the car to a more open space so I could get better pictures. I took a lot of shots which I will post in the weeks to come.

A Game of Cat and Mouse

A Game of Cat and Mouse, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Friends and co-workers Tom and Geri (not to be confused with the cat and mouse characters that inspired the ultra-violent Itchy and Scratchy cartoons) and I decided to bring our cameras and tripods to work and walk over to Pasadena's California Mediterranean style City Hall during our lunch hour. As planned we took a few HDR sequences. The weather was partly sunny with a strong overcast building as the lunch hour progressed. By the time we were walking back to work we could feel rain drops beginning to fall. I never mind cloud cover when I shoot HDR images. Clouds act as a big soft box and look very interesting in tone mapped images. The building was completed in 1927 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.