Eternal Vigil

Eternal Vigil, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

It was early morning and the rain had slowed down a bit by the time Manny and I arrived at the statue of the three Vietnam soldiers in Washington DC. Located just across from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, they seem to have emerged from the trees and have paused to stare at the black wall of names. They are extremely realistic and detailed. The overall feeling there was one of sadness.

Stepped into a Painting

Stepped into a Painting, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

When Manny and I got out of the taxi that dropped us off at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C., the sun was so bright and the sky was so blue it felt like we had stepped into a dream or a painting Mary Poppins style. After exploring the place and taking about a thousand photos, we decided to walk back outside and take a photo of both of us in front of the Cathedral. One day I hope he brings his kids here and remembers being here with me.

Under one roof

Under one roof, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

San Franciso's Crocker Galleria has an amazing glass atrium that stretches the full length of the building. I was thrown out of the shopping center by the tripod police (security) just after taking these shots. I'm glad I had already eaten lunch before breaking out my camera gear.

La rue n'est pas doux, the street is not kind

La rue n'est pas doux, the street is not kind, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I had worked a very long day and was heading for some dinner and then back to my hotel room for some much needed sleep. I was waiting for the light to change so I could walk into San Francisco's ferry building when I spotted good old no. 1007 heading my way. I very rapidly setup my tripod and mounted the camera. By the time I had attached my off camera shutter release and took 5 of my 10 shots she was moving out of the frame. So what you see here is a single shot psuedo HDR, something I rarely ever do.

Chicago Blues

Chicago Blues, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Located in Millennium Park, the Crown Fountain's glass block towers pour an amazing amount of water down their sides while projecting video of the faces of common Chicago citizens. If it's windy, like it was when I took this HDR sequence, the water tends to fly around everywhere and seems especially attracted to expensive DSLR's!

Freedom in Golden Light

Freedom in Golden Light, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Manny and I were walking to the National Mall from our hotel in Chinatown. As we crossed Constitution Avenue we looked to our left, and were amazed to see the U.S. Capitol Building covered in golden light. There was a concrete island in the middle of the street, so we setup our tripods on it and started shooting. This was shot at 250mm which provided a nice view of the Capitol dome and the statue of freedom at the top.

The long and winding road

The long and winding road, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The architecture of the multi-level rainforest exihibit inside the California Academy of Science Museum has a lot of non-linear shapes and even curving elevated pathways. If it wasn't so hot in there I'd take photos of it for hours.

Port of San Francisco

Port of San Francisco, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I'll be the first to admit this isn't my best work but I loved the view. The problem was that the wind was blowing so hard off the bay it was literally shaking my tripod even though I had hung my backpack from the center column to weigh it down. Chicago the windy city? Try San Francisco!

Love knows nothing of rank or river bank

Love knows nothing of rank or river bank, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The miracle of technology! Kathy and I decided to stop at Muir Woods on our drive up to San Francisco. I programmed our GPS to take us to the National Park and it easily directed us there. The problem was finding parking. We had almost given up when Kathy decided to drive through the parking lot one more time and we found someone pulling out of a space just across from the park entrance. Score! Anyway it was fun walking around and taking photos of the big redwood trees and the streams that flow through the park.

San Francisco's Historic Streetcar Service

San Francisco's Historic Streetcar Service, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

San Francisco's F line street cars are amazing. All manner of Vintage street cars, discarded by other cities have been restored and now run from Fishermans Wharf to the Castro district, mainly along Market Street. The next time you are in the city, I highly recommend you ride one. Early mornings are best. They get very crowded in the afternoon.