Valzuniga

New pictures!

2011-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my new Eye-fi card, I'm finally uploading new albums to my Picasa albums, check them out.

Also, finally got around to editing the link to the albums, it was broken for a long time, lol.

Backyard Migrants

2010-04-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. All the migrants start showing up in places you expect like, The El Dorado Nature Center (my local birding haunt), and places where you don't expect it too much, like my backyard!

The pictures aren't as sharp as like em', that's becuase I was taking them from behind a windows mask that allows me to see the birds, but doesn't allow them to see me. It's a typical tradeoff, I can't take the best pic's from here, but I CAN see the birds doing things I normally wouldn't be able to.

So there you have it, Orioles, Scrub Jay's, Junco's, and many others adorn this album. As always, thanks for browsing.

Got Bored? Get Pets!

2010-03-27T19:46:00.000-07:00

I got bored last weekend, REALLY bored. So I decided to take pictures of the animals I take for granted in my daily course of living, my pets. Taking pictures of your own pets is hard work! For one, we already think our furry little companions are cute, and because of this, we also think that ANY picture of them is cute as well.

Utilizing my my newfound fondness of Super Macro mode on my canon sx20is, I set out to take a photo of the family dog that would mimic one of those "The Dog" shots, where the head is all huge, and the body, tiny.

For the most part, I think I got it right. The only difficulty was our dog's shyness. She tends to look away when you point a big black camera at her! So yeah, I got bored, but I also got the best picture of the family dog to date!

Anyway, take a look at my album, you'll find cacti, cats, family, hummingbirds, squirrels, pidgeons, and oh yeah, a dog!

Canon SX20is Super Macro Mode

2010-03-08T13:11:00.000-08:00

Set your camera to f/16, find an interesting subject, preferably a landscape, turn your flash to its highest power, and blast the scene with light. Press the shutter release, and ignore what your lcd indicates. Your camera will most likely tell you that all your levels are over, your picture will be whitewashed, and for the most part, your camera is right, your photo will come out over exposed.

What you can do later though is turn your image into black and white, and mess around with the shading levels. This will give your image some of the feel of the old films, and lenses.

In this album is an example of a photo where I employed this technique. It's a path at the nature center that looks like it had its photo taken by a classic camera fitted with Ilford film.

Keep shooting...

It's a new world out there!

2010-03-01T15:00:00.000-08:00

Since I've started, and stopped, and started blogging again. Many things have changed. I'm no longer going to school, I have a new job, and I've given up my DSLR for a point and shoot! What?! That's right, a point and shoot.

As much as I love the control a DSLR gives me in those rare moments where I actually need it, I had to give it up for precisely that reason. A DSLR is a wondrous machine, full of options, and customizability, many options of which, I hardly ever used.

So I found myself in in a puzzling mess, should I give up the SLR for something smaller but more convenient to me? Something I may use more than my precious SLR? I did. I broke down, and traded the old Sony Alpha a300, for a Canon IS20.

The IS20 has 20x optical zoom, and it records in 720p HD, which is something I am becoming more and more interested in. It's a promising little camera, which has fostered a resurgence of interest in photography for me. Something akin to picking up a Holga, and putting down my Bronica 4x6.

I know this isn't the road for many of you out there, but for night now, it's the perfect one for me.

Val

Slow Down People!

2009-04-26T08:04:00.000-07:00

How fast do people have to come down this street? On a Sunday Morning at 7:30am, going for a morning jog, I discovered a broken telephone pole, a power tower cut in half, and a tire strewn in the middle of the street, slow down people!
This is a street that's frequently crossed by children on their way to school! Thank god it was Sunday!
See tha album for more photos, all with the Sony Alpha a 300 and Kit Lens.

The 50th Photo Album, has it Gotten any Better?

2009-04-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

In honor of my 50th Photo album, I give you, a LION! But really, it's been a long while since I started this blog, and presented to you my fascination with photography. I've taken photos of all sorts of local places, shown you many birds, and given you my opinions on a numerous quantity of subjects.

I think the last two albums, have shown a slight improvement in maturity regarding my photography skills, but ultimately I'll let you decide. And what does it matter anyway? I'm having fun not taking this too seriously, and not drowning out this hobby by trying to learn all its techniques from some tenured professor whose experience includes taking 1599 portraits of cans of Mayonnaise for the Kraft Company.

Anyway, the Wild Animal park in San Diego is always fun, and the beauty of the still image is that you don't have to hear all the Octo-Moms screaming two feet from your ear like I did.

Finally, A New Photo Album

2009-04-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I picked up the ol'Sony Alpha a300 for this month's Birdwalk at the El Dorado Nature Center, and I came away with quite a few keepers. Take a look for yourself...

I only used Minolta lenses, and was quite happy with the results they produced. My advice remains, if you're thinking of buying into the Sony DSLR system, only buy used Minolta gear (as far as lenses go), the average consumer stuff being built by Sony is complete rubbish.

Obligatory Cat Photos...

2009-04-11T23:30:00.000-07:00

Sometimes your best subjects are at home. I mean, whom else to test your photography skills other than finicky cats, that are known to not sit still for more than 5 minutes.

This photo has Charm laying on the front, and her boyfriend Woodpecker in the background.

Sony Alpha a300 with a Minolta lens.

Stay Up Tonight & Listen...

2009-04-10T22:16:00.001-07:00

Chances are that you've heard this bird at night, you just haven't paid much attention to it. But if you listen carefully, you can hear this bird singing all sorts of local bird tunes.

The Northern Mockingbird mimics birds around it's area, so in my area you'll hear it's perfect impressions of Red Tail Hawk's, Northern Flicker's, and Downy Woodpecker's.

I took this recording with a stereo digital audio recorder from Edirol, the file was recorded in wav format, but has been post processed to eliminate hiss, and converted to mp3 using Audacity. The end result sounds a little too processed, but being that I'm new to this I'm still experimenting with many options.

Give it a listen...

Rainbow Over Long Beach

2009-03-01T01:46:00.000-08:00

It's not the best picture, ok, not even a good picture. It does however capture a really nice moment in front of my house in February. Looking back, maybe I should have lengthened my exposure, and shot with a tripod. After all, every image stabilizing technology has it's limits.
I used an old Minolta Lens for this photo. It's one of those old style, made out of metal lenses, not the plastic garbage that's on sale at Best Buy these days.
Enjoy the photo, I surely enjoyed taking it...

Eastern Phoebe ? What?

2009-02-07T23:39:00.000-08:00

What in the world is an Eastern Phoebe doing in Long Beach? I wish I knew. Locally were used to the Black Phoebe, that tuxedo clad bird we see evrywhere in parks, and in our backyards. But here is an Eastern Phoebe, a bird that usually resides, well; in the East!

I guess it's kind of funny how our typical park bird, is their rarity, and their typical backyard bird is our oddity!

If you wish to learn ore about the Eastern Phoebe, here is a link:
Eastern Phoebe info...

El Dorado Audubon & the Press Telegram

2009-01-12T14:13:00.000-08:00

It's not everyday that a little project of mine gets mentioned in the local paper. But it's happened! El Dorado Audubon.Org, has been mentioned in an article in the local newspaper, the Press Telegram.

Accompanying the short mention of the site which is maintained by my brother and I , are photos of the monthly bird walk at the El Dorado Nature Center held by the chapter for which we are webmasters.

A link to the album can be found here:

Continue to: Press Telegram

Oh, and the above photo is mine, not theirs!

Raw Format, Liberating, and Frustrating, all at once...

2008-12-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

The possibilities with the RAW format are endless, the "digital darkroom" is tempting in it's simplicity, slide a little triangle, and you shot is instantly a 1/2 stop darker, or lighter, you choose.

Going into places just snapping away at everything is tempting, after all, we can fix it later right? This technology is troublesome, and liberating, freeing, and frustrating, since on one hand we have to be careful, but in other, were allowed to be whimsical and carefree.

The possibilites of a final image are endless, which is the right one? What if I move this slider to the left just a tad? Will that generate a better photo?

I've just begun to experiment with raw, and have uploaded both originals and some mainupaltions like the one you see to your left. Feel free to look.

Is this a time lapse photo, or 3 Pelicans ?

2008-11-11T19:34:00.000-08:00

White Pelicans taking off. Just one of the many cool things we (El Dorado Audubon) saw on a field trip to Sea and Sage today. Overall 17 birders captured more than 60 species while touring the marsh.
By the way, the photo is of three Pelicans, but I liked the "time-lapse" aspect of it.
I took my Gisteq photo 'traqr" but when I uploaded I realized I hadn't changed the time on my camera, so all the GPS positions were off. Anyway, photos are in the usual place, and thanks for visiting.

The Bald Eagle, Again!

2008-11-11T19:27:00.000-08:00

I just couldn't resist going to see the Immature Bald Again at El Dorado Park Area III again. Like usual, I took my Sony Alpha a300, and found better light this time than the last.

This album also has photos of a hawk at the beginning. The pictures were uploaded using higher quality settings than normal.

Thanks for reading,

Eagle + Bad Lighting + ALL My Gear = Wow

2008-10-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

When credible evidence of a Bald Eagle close to your area surfaces, it's time to pack the Binoculars, Scope, Guide, Camera, and extra lenses.

Upon arriving at Area III in El Dorado Park, I walked down to the lake, and saw your usual birds, Yellow Rumps, Coots, and the like. When suddenly out from my left, I saw a giant soaring bird, it was unusual, and it was large. I put down the scope, grabbed my camera and took some shots of it flying through the air.

It was generous enough to perch close to me allowing me to take multiple shots. All the time my GPS device was recording my position, after all if this is a favorite spot, maybe you could go see it?

The lighting was terrible, backlit, dark, sunsetting. So I stretched my gear to its limit, and took iso 800, 400, and even 1600 shots in order to compensate.

Take a look at this album, and if see in what part of Area III I saw the bird.

Bolsa Chica, + 600mm Sigma Mirror + Lots O' Light = Nice Results

2008-10-30T19:06:00.000-07:00

Bolsa Chica is a great place. Just do me a favor, keep your cute little dog away from me!

Anyway, we saw many birds on this field trip, none of them rare, but all of 'em unique in their own little ways.

A major highlight for me was this Western Meadowlark, I haven't had this good a look at one for ages.

Shorebirds are difficult to identify even for experienced birders and I managed to learn about 5-6 of the more common ones thanks to this trip. My 600mm Sigma Mirror lens served well under the bright day. Also used was a 35-100mm Konica lens that also performed quite well, it is so much sharper than the kit lens! Everythign was Geo-Tagged.

Old Photo, New Lessons

2008-10-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

I'm going to revisit some old photos, and tell some stories, or things I've learned since...

How does a person not create when a canvas with so many possibilities exists? Something blank is right in front you and you have the possibility to turn it into whatever you imagine. You can capture a scene from The Grand Canyon into a very sophisticated piece of technology like a camera sensor, and turn what was once an un-exposed moment, something unseen by anyone, into a permanent record of how you envision the world.

We walk around every day seeing the world through our own eyes. But how many times do we share the everyday experience with others? Do you have to make the trip all the way to Arizona in order to share something special with others, or do you see it every morning in the soft light?

So you see this photo isn’t anything special, it’s just a glimpse into my imagination, a place my eye has seen, an image my brain desperately wanted to convey. But in the end it’s no different from a drawing on a napkin, a couple chords played on a guitar, or that blurry photo you took late last evening of that sunset, with your camera phone.

Thanks for reading, val

Photo: Oldy but Goody!
Canon EOS Digital Rebel, 31.0mm 1/15sec, f/10.0, Iso200

LA County Fair + a300 + food...

2008-09-27T20:46:00.000-07:00

I have never taken the same camera twice to the LA County Fair. That means that every year I somehow end up upgrading cameras somewhere in between. This year the fair seemed larger than usual, more people, more booths, and as usual a ton of things to see.

From the spectacle of a man wearing a Super Shammy on his head to pitch his miracle wipes, to the foul smelling animal exhibits, the fair is always an interesting and eclectic mix of culture and just plain weirdness.

My new DSLR Alpha a300 performed beautifully. I can honestly say that out of all the cameras I've taken to the fair, that this has been the one that has been the most enjoyable to use. I can look at my subject as the picture is being taken, thanks to live view, I can preview the white balance before the photo is taken, thanks to the live view, and I can even guess-timate more interesting f/stops to get the desired mood of my shots.

The a300 really gets the live view feature just right. I've included Black and White photos where I thought it was appropriate, and I've made a few adjustments here and there.

Overall what I hope you get from this album is an essence of the fair, a taste of the chili fries, a dizziness from the rides, and an inkling to maybe go next year.

All photos Sony Alpha a300.

B+W With the Sony Alpha a300

2008-09-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

With this album I introduce my new Sony Alpha a300. A ten Megapixel Sony Dslr, with most of the same features as my previous a100, except that it features a flip up screen, live view, and a less noisy sensor.
Also on debut are two new lenses that I purchased, a Minolta 100-200mm f4.5, and a Minolta 35-105 f4.5. Both said to be considered better than the included "kit" lens provided by Sony with the Alpha range. And both, all metal construction unlike the plastic kit lens.
And so it happened that on my first real day out with this camera, the sun decided to peep out for only about 30 minutes at 6pm. So instead of going about my day looking for shots with great color, I turned on my Ansel Adams inspiration, and went looking for interesting patterns and forms.
I came across several possibilities and soon re-realized how extremely difficult it is to shoot in Black and White. Without color, the eyes are less mesmerized, and the brain is left to interpret, something I haven't considered in a long while since I'm usually shooting birds and such.
So I've left for you only a couple of samples of pictures that I deemed worthy of your consideration, all well thought out, and for the most not digitally enhanced.
Thanks for visiting...

You lookin' at me?!

2008-07-08T20:26:00.000-07:00

San Diego, a great place for viewing wildlife… From the Wild Animal Park, to the Zoo, it seems like San Diego has all those animals you see on Animal Planet.
Here is a web album from a recent trip to the San Diego Zoo, and Legoland. I guess this is one of those "only the family will care" albums.

America's Next Top Bird? You Decide!

2008-04-11T18:28:00.000-07:00

Not a very successful photographic day at the reserve today, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Take a look at some Ospreys, a Kingfisher, and multiple shots of an Allens Hummingbird in different poses. It's as though he was auditioning for Americas Next Top Bird. See the series, and pick a favorite!

Sony Alpha, + Sigma 600mm mirror lens, + Gisteq Photo Trackr.

Get out there and DO SOMETHING!

2008-04-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

Does it surprise you? The persistance of nature. That despite everything we could ever think of erecting in it's way, it still persists. A fence, a wall, a testament to our ingenuity, and a testament to natures' perseverance.
In my latest GPS enabled album, I take you again to Bolsa Chica. And you'll see many birds, most of them pretty common to the area.
This album is another example of the great glass this is built into the Sigma 600mm Mirror. All the shots in this album were taken with it, except for the snake. Yep, the snake. I took them all in iso400, at speeds ranging from 800 to 1600.

Sigma 600mm + Sony Alpha = Love

2008-03-31T19:02:00.000-07:00

Show me your Canon L glass on a 2x Teleconverter, and I'll show you my 600mm f/8 Sigma Mirror Lens. I've never been too much a believer in Canon's strategy, with image stabilization built into the lenses rather than the body of the cameras. It's made to rip off consumers, and make it so that you have to purchase super expensive glass just so you can hand hold on a windy day.
Recently, as the title suggests, I bought a Sigma 600mm Mirror lens, and yes, it's stuck at f/8. However I invite you to look at the album of photos that I took using exclusively this lens. The lens is not lightweight, but not too heavy, I used NO tripod, and it was pretty windy out there today! Well thanks to the Alpha, I was able to hand hold this puppy, and get a bunch of keepers.
What hurts the most when I hear the average consumer talking about which DSLR camera they are going to buy is, "Well, I can't decide between the Canon or the Nikon.", I got your decision, get the DSLR that has anti-shake, no it's not a gimmick, and yes, you are getting a pro camera.
When I made the decision to switch from Canon to Sony, it wasn't an easy one, I had alot of Canon gear, but I was tired of blurry photos, and I was tired of having to crank up the iso, and tired of increasing shutter speed for sharp pictures, and by the way, who cares if the Alpha is noisier at higher iso's; if you never have to use them anyway!

For those who don't know, (600mm * 1.5 (Alpha Crop Factor) = 900mm total)/35 = 25.714x Magnification, hand hold that Canon fanboys!

Spring Rising...

2008-03-18T20:47:00.000-07:00

And so is the possibility of seeing, some of the most splendid colors your eyes could ever imagine. Purple flowers, and blue skies, just a couple of the things that we used to take for granted, but now, never even take.
Instead, all day in front of some big screen tv, I'm guilty of this too!

Get out of it! Get out, and take some pictures, draw something, or see something that wasn't made in China.

Photos taken with Sony Alpha a100, GPS info is courtesy of my Gisteq photo trackr.
If youre tethered to your computer, take the virtual tour of this album, with free Google Maps.

Where did you see that bird? RIGHT HERE!

2008-03-02T20:10:00.000-08:00

Step1- Download Google Earth
Step2- Go to my Picasa Photo Albums Dated after Mar 02 '08
Step3- Click the see it in Google Earth Button link on the lower left.

Theres no more guesing as to where we saw a bird, or what places we saw on a particular adventure , all my photos will be Geo-Tagged from now on, with coordinates taken from my new GPS device with Data Logging. The photos are still viewable without Google Earth, but if you really want the full effect, Google Earth offers the best viewing experience.

The device that allows you to log your coordinates as you walk around or drive around is the Gisteq photo Trackr, yes tracker without the "e". The bluetooth model allows for syncing with smartphones or laptops for real time navigation. While the non bluetooth model allows only for logging of trips and locations.

The overall process was pretty easy. Once the correct drivers are installed, and the correct software downloaded, all that has to be done is load the gps data via usb cable into the computer, then copy your images from your digital camera into your usual hard drive folders. After that, fire up the tracker software and point it to the corresponding photos, the software itself will attach the GPS data to your images, in my case, photos taken with my Sony Alpha, a100. Lastly, upload the photos to a Picasa, or Flickr account.

This inaugural trip takes you to Sea & Sage Audubon, where you'll find multiple lakes with a wide variety of birds. From my GPS coordinates you can see that I only covered a small portion of this place today, theres definitely a lot more to see!

FWD: I chose luv

2008-02-27T16:48:00.001-08:00

A Bald Eagle in L.A. ?

2008-01-20T18:15:00.000-08:00

In the midst of the hussle, the tradegy, and the hope that we know as the city of Los Angeles, there are a few reminders that despite everything we do to stifle or otherwise stomp out nature, spectacular animals like this can still be seen in the wild. It's sad that it's not the wilderness that was once to known to them , but something odd, a mix of concrete and wilderness. A juxtiposition of city people out for a day of barbecue with their family, and what looks to the Bald Eagle to be its former home.

We've taken everything and given so little, and so when one of these magnificent birds flew over the top of my nephew and very close to me, the excitement quickly gave way to respect and bewilderment. Respect in nature, in the fact that no matter what man does, it still doesn't cease to impress. Bewilderment in that no one else around us really seemed to care.

Overall, I take from this experience nothing but possivity. A sign that even an old used city such as this still has the ability to attract one of nature's most majestic animals.

More photos inside, all are crops of originals, there is also a Painted Redstart, and some Sapsuckers. All photos taken with the Sony Alpha, Sigma 100-300mm APO lens, iso on Auto.

Please do not take photos from this website for the purposes of e-mail, instead I ask that you point to the website itself; www.valzuniga.com.

A Few Hours, A Big Difference!

2008-01-04T01:08:00.000-08:00

A few hours can change the way you look at the world around you. Just take a small trip, somewhere where you've never been before and challenge yourself to really absorb everything a place has to offer. Such was the case for my New Years Eve vacation. Where I took a trip to San Diego, and realized that even though only a few hours away from home, I was in a whole different world, experiencing things like the photo you see to your left.

I don't think it's enough to tell yourself that you're just going to the zoo, or to a museum. Those kinds of thoughts aren't motivating. I believe it's telling yourself that you're going to experience something different.

That's exactly how I describe my trip to San Diego, ordinary and boring for many, but exciting and full of creative opportunity for me. The Zoo was full of very interesting exhibits, and the animals looked very well taken care of. The main attraction for the day was the baby Panda which could only be seen until 11:30am. My favorite exhibit was the Hummingbird Aviary, where I took the photo to your left. Also while I was there I saw the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were completely amazing.

As usual, there are many photos in the Picasa photo albums.

So

2007-12-26T18:19:00.001-08:00

So thats why the moon map didnt work!

Griffith Observatory & The Perils of Hand Holding at 2 Sec.

2007-12-23T13:08:00.000-08:00

Taking pictures at night is hard! Rule number one, bring a tripod, rule number two, bring patience, and the final rule, bring a coat so your shivers don't shake the camera! You would think that with all the pictures I've taken, I would have learned that lesson already, but it hasn't happened yet. Anyway, this album is all about the Griffith Park Observatory. It's been remodeled, and it's really nice. We got to look through the Zeiss refractor telescope and see some stars in the constellation Perseus. In the album you'll see some pictures of a pendulum in motion. I did my best considering these pictures were timed for about 2 seconds and hand held. Also for the photos of the LA basin, handheld and timed for about 1-1+1/2 seconds. The fact that I got some usable photos is only a testament to my camera, the Sony Alpha.

2007-12-02T08:02:00.001-08:00

Bolsa Chica Reserve

2007-10-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Walking along the reserve is a fun way to spend the day. You may see some Kestrels hovering about, some cormorants, and probably some Brown Pelicans. Pelicans are large birds, with big wingspans, and once you're close, you'll wonder much like I did, how can this thing take off?

Sure enough, its take-off isn't that impressive. It slaps the water over and over pretty clumsily to get lift. Nonetheless, once in flight this bird is breathtaking, as it soars over you, you have an innate instinct to feel anxious, as if you were its intended prey.

Learn more about this great bird here.

And please, don't take your dog to the reserve.

I took this photograph with my Sony Alpha, at Iso 400, and a 300mm, Sigma APO Lens.

It's Good to be Back!

2007-10-28T01:13:00.000-07:00

After a somewhat long hiatus. I'm updating again. For a while my beloved camera was away being serviced in Texas. The autofocusing mechanism decided it was going to stop working, and made it almost impossible to use my camera.

Anyway, I've taken a few photos since then, and have uploaded two new albums to my Picasa photo galleries which you can access the usual way.

Have a look.

Warning! You are Being Watched!

2007-06-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

I’ve never seen a wild owl, so today’s evening bird walk was a special occasion. After crossing a couple barricades (thanks to our Audubon walk leader) we came upon quite a sight. Not one, not two, but three Great Horned Owls. All silent and looking at us pass ever so cautiously. What a sight!

Photos taken with my Sony Alpha a100, Sigma 100-300mm APO Zoom lens, and a Sandisk Ultra II Compact Flash

Gemini and Mom eating a Mango?!

2007-06-21T23:22:00.000-07:00

Gee Dad, Why is Lunch Taking so Long?!

2007-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

Along with summer comes a need to fill time. Some would say with useless musings and interests, others would say with the most important things that we humans will ever create. Leisure and boredom, most commonly seen as a nuisance or sign of lethargy is for me the only time when our minds are idle enough to entertain subjects such as Art, Science, Philosophy, and yes even such silly things as indulging in your favorite UFO novel.

For those who say they have no time, I would say make it, for those who would say indulging is a waste of time, I would say try it.

So here you have it, a summer indulgence; a twenty minute adventure in the backyard taking pictures with my Sony Alpha. I caught a nice moment with one Goldfinch begging feverishly for food from one of its parents, and came away with thoughts about what I’m writing you today. Would you say it was time well spent?

Please view more photos in my album “Summer Musings”, there I have some Digiscoped Images using a Canon IXY 450, and a Celestron Ultima 80 ED scope mounted on a Velbon 550 tripod with a Barska Digiscoping adaptor.

Look Up Every Once in a While!

2007-06-07T11:48:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a find. A very rare Mississippi Kite was found at the South Coast Gardens here in Los Angeles recently. Being the avid birders that we are, we went to check it out. Once we arrived at the gardens and finally came to the area where the bird was last seen there was a huge disappointment because there wasn’t a kite to be seen or any bird larger than a Goldfinch for that matter. Walking back to the entrance led to a chance encounter of a lifetime, the Kite was up in the air performing aerial stunt maneuvers reminiscent of stunt kites you see at the beach, maybe that’s how he got his name?

There he was, diving, twirling, letting himself fall backwards, at times swooping so close, your mind could imagine the constant breeze hitting your back as that of the Kites’ flapping wings. It was great!

Anyway, Kite’s are rare commodities in these parts, and I encourage you to learn more about them here.

As usual my pictures don’t do this bird any justice.

The whole set was taken with my Sony Alpha, Minolta 100-300mm 3.5-5.6, iso 400.

Don't forget your Holga!

2007-04-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish that I had one of my classic cameras loaded and ready to go. This being one of ‘em. Every so often, when you’ve been taking pictures a long time, a moment comes along that you know would be best caught with this camera or that camera, or this film, or whatever. Well when I was taking this picture, I knew that nothing would be able to grasp the whimsical nature of the moment more than a Holga, or my Retina IIa.

I guess it’s only right to feel lucky that I had any camera at all to capture this moment, but when you’ve used the classics, you know in your gut, that there are many situations in which they still just can’t be beat.

Taken with my Sony Alpha A100, Manipulated and Filtered

Earth Day....Gym Day?

2007-04-23T21:34:00.000-07:00

On Earth Day, we went birding to the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. There, we saw many birds but none as magnificent as the one you see in the picture on the left. A Pacific Loon in full breeding plumage. This bird was large and by far the real treat of the day. Before this I had never seen one before.

Walking along the newly paved path we saw Terns diving into the water hunting small fish, a Kestrel hovering in midair presumably looking for prey and all sorts of other activity that never fails to fascinate. Unfortunately, there was also people walking their dogs, kids riding their bicycles, and joggers using this reserve as their own personal gym.

All these beautiful animals, all this great habitat, and people feel that it’s theirs to do with whatever they please. I used to wish that I could understand what is going on in these people’s minds, but now I realize that I don’t. I hope to never understand why these people commit all these selfish acts.

As usual my album contains more photos from this splendid day. All the photos were taken with the Sony Alpha A100.

A Day in L.A.

2007-02-28T21:49:00.000-08:00

Where do we go? Los Angeles is a great city. You can start your day a couple miles from the beach, drive forty minutes to a Chinese New Year celebration, and finally end up in a retro style tiki restaurant establishment. Where else in the world can you do such a thing? Oh yeah, maybe New York or San Francisco, but do you really want to swim in those waters?

Anyway, recently we made the trip to see a Chinese New Year celebration in Pasadena. As usual I took many photos and tried to capture the festivities as best I could. Mainly I felt lucky that I live in a place that allows such diversity and promotes tolerance. The black and white photo of the man writing Chinese calligraphy is actually writing my nephews name. If you would like to know more about Chinese New Year traditions, please click here.

Afterwards we stopped by Bahooka, a retro style tiki restaurant that oozes tropical Hawaiian ambiance. The music, small booth and great food all take you away from the outside world. The colors in the place are nothing short of magnificent. It’s so dark that your first inclination is to take all your shots using flash, however, flash photography kills all the colors. Look for the colorful shot that I took by laying my camera on the tabe and setting it to one second, I think it’s the best!
So there you have it, one day in Los Angeles, imagine what else is out there…

All photos taken with the Sony Alpha. As usual dont forget to view my Picasa Galleries, link is to the right.

2007-02-09T19:08:00.001-08:00

Valentines is coming up. Get your loved one a straw hat pizza.

Island's Burgers

2007-02-05T16:24:00.000-08:00

Islands burgers. Is this love, or just a hideous display of human cohabitation? I had the chili burger and endless chips.

Look forward to some Goofy posts from my phone!

2007-02-05T12:54:00.000-08:00

First post from the comp lab at csulb.

The Huntington Library, Some Digital Thoughts

2007-02-05T12:09:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I started taking photos with the notion that only film photography had true emotion embedded in it. However, I’ve come to the conclusion after a couple years of experimentation that digital does indeed have its place in the photographic world.

I took this photo at the Huntington Library in Pasadena just a couple days ago. I took the same photo a couple years back with one of my favorite classic medium format cameras, a Zeiss Nettar.

After comparing both shots, I can see the more clinical aspect of digital, the cold sharp edges, the need for detail almost more than the eye can see. When I actually took the photo, I don’t think I actually saw all the detail that can be found when I zoom this image on my computer. I’m not getting a remembrance of what I actually saw, or the emotion that was felt upon coming into such a beautiful sight, instead I’m recording reality in all its binary glory.

The conclusion is that digital captures what you see, film, given the right circumstances and talent, captures what you feel. Digital has the advantage in being cheaper more accessible and easy to share. But we must not forget, to keep it in its place.

The library is a wonderful place to spend the day, or even two, there’s really no places to eat unless you fancy paying $20 for a sandwich so eat before. Admission is $15 dollars and the bookstore near the entrance has plenty of great books and knickknacks to buy. Newly opened is a tropical plants greenhouse, with insect eating plants and all sorts of high quality exhibits. Also new is a Chinese garden which one can already walkthrough as a sort of preview of what’s to come.

Visit the Huntington website here.
Learn more about my beloved Zeiss Nettar here.
Don’t forget to visit my full Picasa Photo Galleries here.
All Photos taken with my Sony Alpha A100.

A million shots...

2007-01-15T21:31:00.000-08:00

If you take a million photos, at least one is likely to come out exceptionally well. This is the case with this photo and with many of the photos in the album in which this photo is contained.

The Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher is a fun bird to photograph, mostly because adult male and female Gnatcatchers are known for being conspicuous and easy to find. They flick their tales endlessly and don’t really seem to care that you’re there. Stay still, and you are guaranteed to get a lucky shot as he comes closer and closer.

An interesting fact from Cornell:
“By flicking it’s tail from side to side, the gnatcatcher may scare up hiding insects.”

A link to Cornell about these nice little guys can be found here. If you want to hear this bird’s calls using Realplayer please follow this link.

This photo was taken the Sony Alpha at 300mm, f/9, 1/640 sec., iso 400.

Townsends Warbler

2007-01-11T21:49:00.000-08:00

Sometimes when I look at birds, or take pictures of them, I wonder, what was nature thinking when it decided to put these colors together? The bright reds, yellows, and blue’s. How can such markings and liberal uses of color markings possibly benefit any type of bird species?

That brings me to the subject of the Townsends Warbler, one of my favorite birds to see when I’m on the monthly Audubon Bird Walk. The black and yellow contrast make for visually stunning combination.

Anyway, the answers to the above questions are all very easy. This particular bird that you see a photo of, took about five to ten minutes to spot. He blended in so well that once spotted, we found out he was maybe two feet above our heads.

If you would like to know more about this bird please visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Here. To hear sounds made by this little gem of a bird please click here. Please don't forget to view my complete photo galleries.

This photo was taken with the Sony Alpha at 300mm, f5.6, 1/40 sec. ,iso 400. It has been significantly cropped and manipulated.

Science Center of Los Angeles

2007-01-08T19:39:00.000-08:00

Everywhere we go, we encounter architecture. Man’s idealized perception of what our natural environments should look like. However no matter how beautiful or exquisite a building is made, it still falls short of the natural views brought to us by Nature.

In this photo I submit to you, what I feel is an example of Man trying desperately to outperform Nature in creating something unique and beautiful. And although it comes very close to satisfying one’s need for visual harmony, it falls short of evoking any sort of emotion.

I guess you can tell that I’m not a big fan of “showy” architecture. That’s because to me it seems more like a testament to one person’s ego, rather than an exercise in functionality.

Well, enough of that. Despite it's unwieldy architecture, The Science Center in Los Angeles is a great place to spend the day. A nice, hands on learning experience. My recommendation is to head down there only on weekdays if possible. That way you can actually experience the various exhibits, rather than having to wait twenty minutes to get your turn. Parking is six dollars and admission is free.

Photo was taken with a Sony Alpha, 18mm, f/5, 1/200, iso 100 Raw+Jpeg.

Find out more about the California Science Center here.

Red-breasted Sapsucker

2007-01-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

What happens when you stop, and listen to the sounds around you when birding? You start hearing sounds which lead you to birds that aren't found even on large bird expeditions such as The Christmas Bird Count. The CBC as it is more commonly known, goes from park to park looking and counting birds. Audubon groups race to find the most regulars, migrants, and rarities. However, It's easy to miss out on finds like these, birds that require one to stay in a spot for more than a couple minutes. A mentality of patience and genuine love of nature, rather than worrying about a day list, week list, year list, or life list.

Here we have a Red-breasted Sapsucker. I found it along with my brother and nephew on a birding outing to the El Dorado Nature Center in Area III. I heard tapping but didn't know where it was coming from, eventually I traced it to this tree and found him, or her. More photos are available in my picture galleries hosted by Picasa, there are links to the right and below my Blog posts. A little information about his bird folows:

Often wintering on the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to Baja Mexico, it feeds on sap, fruit and, arthropods. An interesting fact from from Cornell Lab of Ornithology:

“The Rufous Hummingbird is closely associated with the Red-breasted Sapsucker. It nests near sap wells and may follow the woodpecker around during the day, feeding at the wells the sapsucker keeps flowing.”

So there we go, the Red-breasted Sapsucker, beautiful bird. Wonderful Redness, (my favorite color) and from what I observed, somewhat of a quirky attitude. If you would like to know more about this bird I recommend that you visit the Cornell Lab of Ornithology's website by clicking here . Hear the sound of this bird with Realplayer here.