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2013-05-22 03:12:37 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 82 +1s)

He waited patiently, in anticipation of something special.

I've been too lazy to turn on the laptop lately. With staring at a computer all day at work, to the summer heat starting to settle in I just haven't felt like sitting in front of a PC at home. But it has also allowed me to go through my iPhone photos and start processing a few of them finally. Though I don't process as many of them these days, I still take a ton of shots with my phone. With 64GB of memory I have to fill it wi something, right?

I shot this during my last visit to Tokyo. That city provides a never ending well of interesting subjects to shoot, from architecture, to landscapes and of course, to street photography. I have a ton of shots of train doors opening and closing, but the way this guy was standing all by himself, it made it especially interesting to me.

Shot with my iPhone 5,... more »

2013-05-19 12:25:42 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 51 +1s)

I don't know where my feet will take me, but wherever they go, I hope they'll lead me down the right path.

Often times while out in the field when I’m able to have some time to myself, I think about how lucky I am to be where I am at that given moment. “Life is great” I tell myself. But then I wonder if I’m truly maximizing all that life has to offer me. I don’t care about parties or drinking or any of that. But with an entire world out there, am I really content with going through the daily grind all year round with just 2 or 3 weeks set aside to go on a trip? Most days, it doesn’t really feel like I am. Of course, I always feel like this after coming off of a vacation. I always feel like making a change in the direction I’m taking to put myself in a position to truly enjoy more of what’s out there. These thoughts and feelings always last for a month or two after a bigtrip, then they... more »

2013-05-17 13:50:50 (25 comments, 2 reshares, 146 +1s)

Watch your step because the next one could change your life.

It wasn't too long ago when I made my first trip to Japan. To that point, it had been at least 13 years since I had been on a plane, much less left the country. Looking back, my world was actually pretty small. Through middle school, to high school, and then college, I was pretty content with my life as it was. In the same town, doing practically the same thing, day in and day out without much thought about anything outside of my bubble. Japan, however, was always the one place I wanted to visit, but even so, I never made any efforts to try and get over there.

Then my mentality completely changed one day. Friends and family were starting to pick up and set off on adventures of their own, whether it was a trip to an exotic location, or moving completely to another state for job opportunities. They were seizing the moment... more »

2013-05-16 13:10:10 (31 comments, 8 reshares, 129 +1s)

The warmth of her love overwhelmed the barriers of his heart.

I really can't say enough how much I enjoyed the view of the sunset from Enoshima last month. It's a scene I still see quite vividly in my mind and will be a scene I won't soon forget. After the sun finally dipped below the peak of Mount Fuji, me and +Yumi Shoji decided to walk further down to see if we could catch some of the waves crashing into the rocks of the shore. The wind was strong and the tide was high so we hoped to catch some great action. The tide was much higher than we thought and the lower walkways had become completely overwhelmed by wave after wave of fierce ocean water, so we stayed up high enough to keep dry and enjoyed what was remaining of the sunset. It's pretty standard for a seascape I suppose, but it provided me with a memory that will always be with me. 

And with that, keep those #... more »

2013-05-15 03:13:01 (32 comments, 5 reshares, 118 +1s)

You're so near, yet I never seem to be able to reach you.

I absolutely love this view and I haven’t been able to get back there in quite some time, so processing this from the RAW archives was a lot of fun for me. Then again, it’s always nice knowing that I was above the freeway instead of driving on it, because quite frankly I’m convinced that the number of cars on the road around here has dramatically increased. He he. How did I come to that conclusion you ask? Well, here's how I came to my unscientific conclusion. You see, I have an unusual working schedule. One that has me at the office before sunrise and headed home at around lunchtime. Yup, not bad, right? Well over the last year, I’ve noticed that the same route that I always take home has progressively become more and more congested with vehicles. A 30 to 40 minute drive home in, what was once the typical, lunchtimetraffic... more »

2013-05-11 13:37:04 (30 comments, 5 reshares, 155 +1s)

As you were leaving, I found the bridge to your heart.

#SunsetSaturday  

2013-05-09 13:10:27 (34 comments, 5 reshares, 139 +1s)

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.” -Rabindranath Tagore

Though I've recently seen one of the greatest sunsets I've ever witnessed in Japan, our sunsets here in Southern California are nothing to scoff at. Especially on the days when there are actual clouds to fill the sky. With great access to the ocean and a view directly to the horizon like this at White Point in Rancho Palos Verdes, us Californians are certainly treated to a show on most days of the week. While my main camera was setup on a tripod ready to shoot a different composition, I decided to snap this one with my Olympus OM-D E-M5. This is a 5 shot handheld HDR. With an FPS equal to that of my D3S, shooting handheld HDR’s with this little guy has been nothing but cake (on that note, I think I’ll have myself a slice of tasty cake later today. Isure do... more »

2013-05-08 14:20:44 (20 comments, 10 reshares, 85 +1s)

Sometimes there's nothing like hanging with a good friend during prime time.

A few weeks ago during my stay in Tokyo, my good friend +Takahiro Yamamoto took me out one evening to explore the Shimokitazawa neighborhood over in the Setagaya Ward armed with nothing but our 50mm prime lenses. It was a pretty hip area that reminded me of a very laid back, far less crowded and relaxed version of some of the other areas in and around Tokyo. It was my kind of neighborhood so the atmosphere suited me just fine. For this shoot I also decided to leave my D3S on Aperture Priority mode with an Auto ISO maxing out at 4000. Being a landscape guy, it's not often that I need an ISO higher than 800 so I wanted to see what kind of results I would get by letting the camera determine the ISO. Overall it was a fun, chill night with good eats to top it off. 

Post processing was also kept to am... more »

2013-05-05 13:01:32 (39 comments, 4 reshares, 164 +1s)

Things will always look their brightest if you keep your head up.

I’ve never quite taken any photos of the hotels I've stayed in before. I’ve taken photos of other hotels where I’m not a guest before, but never more than a simple phone pic of wherever I’m booked. Not that I intend for it to be that way, but to be perfectly honest, I’ve never thought about it. I’m one of those guys that tends to look at a hotel as a place for sleep and nothing more. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy staying at fine hotels whenever I can, but it’s just never occurred to me to shoot the exterior or interior of the building I’m booked in. Well, that is until my last month in Japan, when I stayed at the Grand Arc Hanzomon in the Chiyoda area of Tokyo. Let me start by saying that it’s a great hotel and I have nothing but positive things to say about the building and the staff, but the last time Istayed there it was... more »

2013-05-03 04:00:54 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

Hey G+

#thirstythursdaypics  time of the week again. Another one of my fave photos i thought i would share for the new folk who have recently followed my work . Taken back in 2011.. Hope you guys enjoy.

Want to get involved in #thirstythursdaypics  ? Its easy no fancy pages, or rules. Just share a photo with water in the shot and tag myself and co-captain +Mark Esguerra .. Looking forward to your submission.

Giu

Buy Sell Trade www.cameratrade.com

2013-04-27 13:35:20 (28 comments, 2 reshares, 157 +1s)

This memory may last a lifetime, but this love will last forever.

With each trip I make to Japan, it gets harder and harder for me to leave such a beautiful country with each visit. I was able to meet up with several friends and loved ones and just had myself a blast on each day of my stay. But of all of the fun times I had, probably the most memorable would have to be witnessing one of the greatest sunsets I’ve ever seen in Japan. More than that, it’s probably one of the greatest sunsets I’ve seen from anywhere on this Earth. Me and the always sweet +Yumi Shoji managed to catch this beautfiul sunset view of Mount Fuji from the small island of Enoshima. By the time we got to a good point of view, we were exhausted, extremely hungry, and the winds were more fierce and cold than they had been all day. But it was all worth it to be able to catch this sight. I have more photos from this day tosort t... more »

2013-04-26 12:59:39 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 66 +1s)

In paradise there's nothing sweeter than a smile that warms the heart.

During my last trip to Japan, several facts became abundantly clear to me. These aren't necessarily new facts, just they decided to make its presence more known in my mind. 1) iMessage kind of stinks no matter what network in the world you use it on. 2) lugging my fstop Loka around fully packed with tripod onto the trains, subways and/or buses during rush hour in Tokyo isn't the best idea. 3) lugging around the Olympus OM-D E-M5 during rush hour was a much better idea. 4) Japan was home to one of the greatest sunsets I've ever witnessed in my life. 5) +Yumi Shoji and myself have an endless love for sweets that probably can't be matched by any other love on this world. 

That beings said, when Yumi told me she wanted to take me to a special little restaurant that could possibly satisfy our sweett... more »

2013-04-25 13:11:44 (44 comments, 15 reshares, 179 +1s)

When I went in search of peace, I found you pointing to eternity.

There are several beaches that I’ve truly come to love in this world. Beaches that I’ve thought were absolutely calming and peaceful. But of all of those beaches, the most peaceful I’ve ever visited has to be Bombay Beach over by the Salton Sea. The ruins of what was once whole simply sit there, aging and will probably still be there long after my time has come. One section of the ruins I found rather interesting (from several angles for those of you that have seen my other shots from here) was what I believe was a pier. What I found so fascinating was how it was pointing out to a never ending sea. To eternity as I like to think of it, especially because of how long this ruins has lasted. I do plan on visiting this area again, but I would love to make sure to visit this area a few decades from now to see what’s left andwhat pa... more »

2013-04-24 13:10:39 (27 comments, 1 reshares, 106 +1s)

In the heart of sin, the center of the Fall never looked more beautiful.

I've been going through and rating the photos I shot over the last couple of weeks, and one thing that came to mind is how much I enjoyed using my fish-eye lens. And then I started thinking about all of the places I've visited since getting into photography that I would love to visit again with the fish-eye lens, in particular places that have beautiful architecture, like the lobby of the Palazzo in Las Vegas. This is actually a shot I took from a couple of years ago, back when I was rockin' my trusty D90 and the Tokina 11-16mm wide angle lens. It's such a beautifully designed lobby so I'm glad to have a shot of it, but I can't help but want to drive back out there and get some new shots of it. Not only with the lenses I own now, but also with the knowledge I've attained since I was last out... more »

2013-04-22 23:38:14 (19 comments, 17 reshares, 116 +1s)

Not all giants in Tokyo play baseball.

I'm back home in the good ol' U.S. of A., and I tell ya, I couldn't be more lazier than I am right now. I must admit that photography wasn't a priority for my latest trip to Japan, but that doesn't mean I didn't bring my gear. I ended up with just under 4000 frames that I've backed up and rated. Now begins the task of processing the winners, trying to save some losers, and just enjoying the memories that come with each shot. 

One of the things I was able to do on this trip was hang with my good friend +Takahiro Yamamoto! Over the last few months, we had talked about going out for a Micro 4/3 only shoot. So one free day, that's exactly what we did. Him with his trusty Lumix and me with the OM-D E-M5, we walked the streets of Tokyo shooting anything that caught our interest. Later, with another mirrorless shooting... more »

2013-04-17 04:40:52 (23 comments, 5 reshares, 133 +1s)

Which path will lead me straight to her heart?

I've been a bit disconnected over the last week or so, but I suppose that's always the case with me whenever I'm on vacation. I also decided to travel without a laptop this time and I must say it's actually been quite refreshing to "get away from it all" as the saying goes. Today I finally have a few hours to rest my feet before heading out to meet an old friend, so I thought I'd process a shot on my iPad (now wrapped in a very classy cover thanks to +Yumi Shoji), using the Snapseed app.

A couple of days ago my good friend +Takahiro Yamamoto took me over to the Bunkyo Civic Center Observatory to check out a view of the cityscape. It's not the tallest observatory but the view was still quite incredible. We also decided to use Micro 4/3 cameras only, so I finally had the chance to use the Panasonic 7-14... more »

2013-04-10 07:25:19 (19 comments, 4 reshares, 157 +1s)

ただいま！

Day one of this trip has gotten off to a slowwwwwww start. I ended up getting to my hotel later than anticipated and I woke up later than intended. Missed a meeting or two as a result so I decided to salvage the day and take my D3S in for a sensor cleaning at the Nikon Plaza in Shinjuku. While waiting around I took a walk through some alleyways next to Shinjuku Station with my OM-D E-M5 for some fish-eye action. Now I'm back at Nikon waiting for my camera so I decided to process a quick shot on the iPad to kill the wait time. I used Snapseed followed by a preset in Camera Awesome.

From here I'll be catching up with a good friend before hitting the sack. I have an early start tomorrow but it'll be fun fun fun leading into the weekend! The weather has been quite interesting as well. It's cool but not cold. In fact I broke a sweat last night on the way tomy hotel.... more »

2013-04-08 14:15:02 (25 comments, 2 reshares, 106 +1s)

When it comes to the cherry blossoms, some people just can't wait.

Last year when I was walking around Tokyo with +Yumi Shoji, this fella walking in front of us made a sharp left turn. He walked fast towards this nice little shrine and headed towards such a beautiful Sakura tree. But was he set to admire it? Did he take out a camera to shoot it? Nope. He decided to relieve himself in the corner right under it. We were a bit shocked because this was a result we totally didn't expect. So what else could I do but take a shot? He he he. 

I'll be a bit disconnected for the next couple of weeks because I'm actually headed over to Tokyo in a few hours. I just can't keep myself away. I would say that I'll try to update whenever I can, but I'm not very good at the live updates. Once I'm gone, I'm usually just gone.  And unfortunately I've already missedo... more »

2013-04-06 13:14:31 (27 comments, 6 reshares, 172 +1s)

Some treasures can be found buried within the clouds.

One thing that I love about San Francisco is, of course, the view of the beautiful city skyline. The other thing I love about San Francisco is the seemingly endless amount of areas where a fella can enjoy the view during anytime of day and/or night. And one of my favorite views of the city was from across the Bay Bridge on Treasure Island. While out there on a photowalk with a bunch of photographers including my pals +Alex Koloskov, +Genia Larionova, +Alan Allum, +Jon Armstrong, and the one and only +Brian Bach Sørensen, we were also treated to some great low fog, or clouds, either way, the sky looked great! So for this shot I decided to get down low to the rocks and shoot the scene as it led out into the bay and across to the city.

P.S. I must say, San Francisco looks incredible with some Dodger Blue painting the scene. He he he.... more »

2013-04-05 13:24:38 (26 comments, 0 reshares, 105 +1s)

You'll have to check your baggage before boarding the Mothership.

If  there’s one place that’s a bit of a pain to go to, it’s the Los Angeles Airport aka LAX. It’s not so much because of the airport itself, but the freeways and roads that lead to LAX are constantly filled with traffic. Surprise, surprise for L.A., right? In fact, over the course of a few weeks, I’ll have had to go to LAX at least 5 or 6 times, all during the peak of rush hour. Bleh. So a few weeks ago when I dropped off my friend at the Alaska Airlines terminal, I decided to relax for a bit and take a seat to give the traffic a chance to ease up a bit before heading home. Naturally, I brought my camera with me because hey, if I’m going to be hanging around I might as well take some shots of the place. So while sitting down across from the check-in counter at the Alaska Air terminal, I couldn’t help but noticethe blue light... more »

2013-04-04 23:14:14 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

The best Micro Four Thirds lenses for Panasonic and Olympus cameras!

Hi everyone, I'm pleased to unveil my new Micro Four Thirds lens buyer's guide, the first I've compiled for a mirror-less camera system! Micro Four Thirds is the most established of the mirror-less formats. Jointly developed by Panasonic and Olympus, it brought mirror-less bodies and native lenses to the market at least one year before its first rival arrived. Being first to market along with having not one but two major manufacturers behind it are two major advantages Micro Four Thirds enjoys over the competition, and it really shows when you compare their respective native lens catalogues. As of early 2013, Micro Four Thirds had over 40 lenses available from Panasonic and Olympus along with third parties including Sigma, Tamron, Samyang, Voigtlander and others.

But with such a choice available, where... more »

2013-04-04 13:07:18 (30 comments, 3 reshares, 143 +1s)

Life never felt more perfect than when her love washed over me. 

Of all the places I’ve been to (so far) in my life, one of the places I always think about are the beautiful beaches of Bali, Indonesia. One beach in particular seemed to stand out from the rest during the time I was there, and that was Dreamland Beach, also known as New Kuta. I’ll never forget getting out there for the first time, so excited that I didn’t even bother to take off my shoes until after they were completely soaked. I stood out there watching the sunset as the perfectly cool ocean water washed over the warm, soft sand. The combination of the two felt like heaven for my feet. Each time the water touched me I can honestly say I fell more and more in love with Bali. I don’t know when I’ll be able to get back out there again. I’m hoping soon but once I do set foot on the sands of Bali again I don’t know ifI’ll ever be a... more »

2013-04-03 13:11:30 (17 comments, 1 reshares, 103 +1s)

Being held in her arms felt like falling into the beautifully warm sun.

Last year when me and the always sweet +Yumi Shoji visited Nikko up in the Tochigi Prefecture of Japan, we weren’t quite sure if we’d get to see any of the beautiful Fall colors. We had heard reports of them already fading away for the season, and though they were around in patches, probably wouldn’t spot any strong colors where we were going. But luckily for us, when we arrived we decided to explore a bit around town before heading off to Lake Chuzenji. Down a typical road in the small town, we spotted some of the most beautiful Fall colors we had seen all week long. We had reds, yellows, oranges, the works! So for this shot I decided to look right up while standing underneath some of the Fall leaves and the way the sun was hitting it just sang to me. So of course, I snapped this shot. I loved the colors so much inthis th... more »

2013-04-03 04:08:47 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

FESTIVAL OF COLORS {The Jarvie Take}
(This is what I see when I think of the festival of colors)
http://youtu.be/1qp7nPQ6xFg

My biggest youtube project yet
2 full days of filming and pictures (first one there last one out)
A day and a half of downloading sorting and selecting 
A day+ of editing and retouching
I figure I have at least 40hrs into this video

Do you like?
I hope it's worth a few views... maybe a reshare... or twenty ;)

#holi  

2013-03-31 13:40:47 (17 comments, 2 reshares, 124 +1s)

She set off in search of love and never once looked back.

#DesertSandDay  

2013-03-30 13:21:44 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 116 +1s)

Even as the color fades, my memories of you will never disappear.

Later today one of the most fun events I’ve ever had the privilege of attending begins. The Festival of Colors in Spanish Fork, Utah. Unfortunately for me I won’t be able to attend this weekend (which is a total bummer because I've been thinking about certain shots and compositions since last year), but seeing posts and updates from my pals that are out in Utah now had me thinking about how much fun I had at last years festival. I remember at first I was hesitant to get in there because of my equipment, but I must say that once I actually was out there it was easy to get lost in the crowd and disappear into the colors without any thought about my gear at all. It was just pure fun and I enjoyed every second I was out there. And I can honestly say that it was a time I won't soon forget!

So to all of my palstha... more »

2013-03-30 03:03:54 (16 comments, 5 reshares, 144 +1s)

"You'll forget the sun in his jealous sky as we walk in fields of gold." -Sting

2013-03-28 13:12:44 (31 comments, 4 reshares, 160 +1s)

I'll never forget our one last morning together as you held me with your warmth.

One of the best morning I’ve had by far as a photographer was during my last morning in Utah. I ended up on the rocky shorelines of Utah Lake over in Provo and was lucky enough to watch the sun rise slowly from behind the mountain range. For those of you familiar with this album and/or my blog I’m sure it’ll be easy to tell that I went absolutely shoot crazy that morning, considering all of the photos I have from this area. I tried several compositions along the shore, trying to get as close to the water as I possibly could. I shot blue hour, actual sunrise, and of course the golden hour that followed. Unfortunately I wasn't able to make it out there this week, but I'll never forget my time there last year and I'll be looking forward to the chance to visit Utah again.

And with my dayjust ... more »

2013-03-27 13:23:56 (13 comments, 2 reshares, 118 +1s)

She was confident knowing that his love protected her.

I’ve said before that it’s very rare for me to take photos at the Meiji Jingu Shrine, well, at least once I get past the sake barrel area on the main walkway through the woods. But just a few yards after the barrel area this woman was walking alone with her very vibrant pink umbrella. It simply stood out from the rest of the scene of that wooded area that I simply had to take a shot. Now admittedly, I tried cloning out all of the people walking around in this shot, but I ended up doing more harm than good. Perhaps I’ll give it a try one of these days so that she’s more isolated on this beautiful walking path. Perhaps I’ll bum around this walkway the next time it rains to see if I can capture a similar scene. Or maybe I can convince +Yumi Shoji to walk up and down this path with an umbrella of her own. He he. But then again, I’lljust enjoy a... more »

2013-03-26 04:26:10 (46 comments, 2 reshares, 175 +1s)

"Moving me down the highway. Rolling me down the highway. Moving ahead so life won't pass me by." -Jim Croce

Today seemed to be a big announcement day for photographers, didn't it? And one of the biggest announcements today was +Nik Software's decision to offer the entire suite of plugins for just $149! Such an incredible deal especially considering that before today, just one plugin could cost up to $200. I had actually purchased the entire suite earlier this month but lo and behold I received an email from them telling me that because I purchased their software within 30 days, they'd be automatically refunding me the difference! Nothing to fill out, nothing to request. They just snapped their fingers and boom, here's some money back! Talk about knowing how to treat their customers! 

So to help celebrate, I thought I'd share a shot I processed with... more »

2013-03-26 01:12:32 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

Welcome to the Stocksy era!

I've never been involved with stock photography in any way, but when the buzz went around about the fair rates that +Stocksy United gives to its contributing photographers, I figured I'd give it a go and see how it works out. I'm very honored to be able to contribute and proud to be a part of a site whose sole purpose is to make sure photographers are treated fairly when it comes to their work. And the guys behind the scenes have also done such an excellent job getting the site ready and what they've produced is nothing short of top notch!

If you're interested in learning more, jump over to www.stocksy.com and take some time to browse through the catalog of photos that are already up. The collection is not only diverse, but beautiful as well.

And also check out +Thomas Hawk's great post about why he opted to... more »

2013-03-24 20:30:35 (8 comments, 4 reshares, 23 +1s)

2013-03-24 12:32:20 (47 comments, 14 reshares, 167 +1s)

"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can't accept not trying." -Michael Jordan

One of the many reasons I love driving out to places like Death Valley National Park is the fact that I can see all of the stars in the night sky. It’s far from the light pollution of the big cities and aside from being a beautiful sight it gives me the opportunity to really shoot them, whether or not I want star trails or juts a regular, decent starry sky shot. So during my last visit to Death Valley, that was exactly my intention. On this night I decided that Zabriskie Point would be an excellent spot for some star shooting, so I headed out there and walked up from the parking lot. It was still fairly early in the night so this shot was actually only intended to be a test shot. You see, I was planning to stay there all night long but because of how cold it was, I wanted to get myc... more »

2013-03-23 13:28:44 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 77 +1s)

Some feelings are quite simply, universal.

No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I always enjoy stopping by the Universal Studios globe as it rotates around and around at entrance of the theme park. And it seems like no matter what part of the year or what time of day it is, whether it's early morning or late at night, there’s always a big crowd surrounding the globe. They pose in front of it, snap pictures of it, and during the summer, try to stay cool under the mist that sprays around it. This time around while I was touring +Yumi Shoji around town, we happened to come across the globe as the sun was setting, so we hung around to enjoy the golden light as it colored this famous logo. I would love to get a shot of this without so many people around, but considering how many people visit the area, I don’t know if I’ll ever get that chance. ;-P

#YumiinLA  #SunsetSa... more »

2013-03-23 02:02:22 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Takahiro Yamamoto is hanging out with 5 people right now in a live Hangout On Air! #hangoutsonair

2013-03-22 13:09:11 (20 comments, 1 reshares, 77 +1s)

"They say if you dream a thing more than once, it's sure to come true." -Princess Aurora

Earlier this week with a friend visiting from out of town, I already knew that a trip to Disneyland was on the itinerary. Aside from the inflated ticket prices (Southern California resident discount was halted) I'm usually up for a trip to the Happiest Place on Earth. The last time I visited the park, I lugged around my D3S and tripod from the second the park opened to the second I was booted off of the premises when they shut down at night. And if there's one lesson I learned from that time, it's that lugging around full, heavy camera gear on a hot day in a crowded area while spending a lot of the day waiting in line wasn't the greatest idea. So this time around I decided to take the Olympus OM-D E-M5 with me. It was light, compact, and easy to stuff get in and out of my camera... more »

2013-03-21 13:07:45 (41 comments, 1 reshares, 137 +1s)

My memories of you feel like nothing more than a misty dream.

One of the places I’ve been thinking about since I was last there is Victoria Beach over in Laguna Beach, CA. And with Spring finally here and the temperature of the weather starting to rise, I’m getting myself ready for another drive out there. But for now, with that beach on my mind I decided to look through and see what other photos I had of the Victoria Tower. This spot provides a really neat scene of the tower with the city lights in the background. The tide was coming in high this night so I wasn’t able, or more accurately I wasn’t willing to that night, to get any closer. There was a spotlight above me that was pretty harsh, so for this wide frame I decided to convert it to black and white. I left my shutter open long enough to give me this nice, misty look. It was quite dreamlike and I enjoyed being out there to try andget sho... more »

2013-03-20 13:08:55 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 47 +1s)

America's Best Warranty? That's great but I don't think I'll need it!

Whenever I take road trips outside of L.A., I usually rent a vehicle. I try to keep it within a budget because I don’t want to blow all of my money just on transportation, so I usually rent something in the compact to intermediate size. So when I was preparing to make my latest drive out to Death Valley earlier this year I decided I’d go with an intermediate sized vehicle. I got a good price on it for a few days, and I figured the price was as cheap as a compact vehicle except I’d have more room to sleep in, so why not? I also didn’t put much thought into any unpaved roads that would be too rough for a non-SUV (silly, silly me), so an intermediate vehicle it was! I’m usually not one to be picky about rental cars, but I always have a bit more fun driving something new, so much to my delight, the carthat was ... more »

2013-03-19 14:22:46 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 29 +1s)

Interview with photographer +Mark Esguerra is now available for reading at the Photo Artists United Blog.

http://photoartists-united.blogspot.com/2013/03/guest-photographer-mark-esguerra.html

Enjoy the reading. :)

2013-03-18 19:20:43 (25 comments, 1 reshares, 121 +1s)

Waking next to you is all I ever dream about.

I really can’t say enough how much I love the Griffith Observatory. Even before I got into photography, I would still drive up that hill and hang around the area. Granted it was slow for me to get back there after they reopened their doors after the several year renovation process, but once I made my return visit I realized how much I missed good ol’ Griffith Observatory. Now as a photographer it’s helped me look at the area with in a whole new light. I visit more often, during various times of day, during various weather conditions. I’ve never tired of it and I don’t think I ever will. Over the last few months there have been times when I’ve gone to the Observatory and left my camera at home. I really do enjoy the area that much.

But on this morning, I made sure to have my camera with me. There were so many clouds in the skyand I was h... more »

2013-03-16 13:37:35 (25 comments, 0 reshares, 123 +1s)

Who will keep me warm once you’ve gone?

#SunsetSaturday  

2013-03-15 13:43:09 (26 comments, 1 reshares, 116 +1s)

Do you think you'd find peace where heaven met Earth? 

I'm thinking the answer would be yes.

I really can’t say enough how much I enjoyed my visit to the Eastern Sierra Nevada up in Northern California. Clean, fresh air. A sweet fragrance of the Fall colors. And even with people around, it was so quiet and peaceful at each and every stop I made. This one in particular was in Mono County. I was driving past Mono Lake to do some afternoon exploring and I couldn’t resist how the clouds looked above the lake. So I pulled over to enjoy the scene. The clouds weren’t thick, but there were enough in the sky to make an interesting scene. As if they had descended from the heavens just to enjoy the peaceful scene of the county. So many places on this planet can easily be described as heaven on Earth, but it was at this moment that I really thought, “This must be where the twomeet”. I... more »

2013-03-14 13:05:21 (51 comments, 5 reshares, 187 +1s)

No matter how much time has passed between us, I promise you that I'm still here.

One of the most surreal scenes I’ve ever encountered was on the waters of the Salton Sea while visiting Bombay Beach in Imperial County. The ruins that still stood tall in the water seemed like something that a person could only find in a movie. When initially arriving at the beach, I had taken a look over the area and decided what sections of the beach and which ruins I wanted to shoot during the golden hour, sunset, and the blue hour that followed. The water was so still, that I didn’t really have to do any super long exposures to achieve that calm look, so I was confident that I’d be able to hit my spots as planned. But admittedly, once I setup for this particular scene I ended up spending most of the sunset standing right here, and waited. I was so caught up in watching the sunset that I was contentwith ... more »

2013-03-14 01:27:09 (21 comments, 0 reshares, 82 +1s)

So what exactly is a fella to do when he shows up at the airport to pick up a friend only to find that the flight was delayed by nearly an hour? Why, get the fish-eye out of the car of course!

I rocked the Olympus OM-D E-M5 paired with my new 7.5mm fish-eye for this one. I then proceeded to eat a cheeseburger from McDonald's which was super tasty. Hunger is the best spice, after all. Now I'm sitting here in the arrival lobby waiting, waiting, waiting. 45 minutes to go. Before going through customs that is. So while waiting I processed this shot using Snapseed on my iPad. LAX wifi has improved significantly since the last time I tried using it so I'm connected and posting this shot. Then again I'm saying that before actually trying to upload this photo. If nobody ever sees this post you'll know why. But actually, you won't know why if this never gets posted. Right? Right!... more »

2013-03-13 13:07:54 (14 comments, 0 reshares, 101 +1s)

“True Independence and Freedom can only exist in doing whats right.” -Brigham Young

While exploring the halls of the Utah State Capitol building in Salt Lake City with the other Jarviewalkers, I came across these beautiful marble pillars. It led perfectly down the hall to a statue of the states first territorial governor, Brigham Young. When I shot this I thought I actually thought I was lined up dead center but silly me was a bit off to the right. Sleep deprivation certainly does weird things to a fella. He he. I also waited for that man at the end to move but he was sure taking his time, so I decided to keep him in there since I figured it would show how big the statue really is in comparison. And besides, as beautiful as this building is I don’t think I’ll be able to go for too long without visiting it again. It’s such a beautiful building with some rich American history so wheneverI’m back ... more »

2013-03-13 00:07:06 (25 comments, 1 reshares, 121 +1s)

You can always rely on the light to show you where to cross.

During my last shoot out on the bridge on 6th Street over in Downtown Los Angeles with +Jason Weddington, I decided to turn some of my attention to shooting the bridge itself. I had spent the majority of the night taking photos of the L.A. River and the Downtown skyline so I figured I’d have some fun with the light streaks of passing vehicles driving by on the bridge. This particular bridge has some classic metal archways so it was already an interesting enough subject on its own, but to have the lights passing through was a fun little bonus! So I setup and took my shots. And believe it or not I liked the various little flares in this image. It kind of feels like the lights were being bounced around as the cars passed by. It kind of completes the fun for me. That or I’m just too lazy to take them out. In either case, I like it. Hehe h... more »

2013-03-11 02:53:49 (20 comments, 0 reshares, 35 +1s)

So I'm thinking it was about time I started trying out some new themes/frameworks for my Wordpress blog. After it's initial setup and launch, I haven't gotten around to updating the "placeholders" on the site, like a header image, background, About Me page, etc. So, 3 years later, now finally seems as good a time as any to try out some new things. 

Anybody have a suggestion on a good Wordpress theme/framework?

I'll probably end up keeping it as simple as it is now, but making it responsive and quicker might be nice. I've read a lot of good things about the Genesis framework and themes, and the price seems reasonable. Plus it looks like it'll give me the flexibility I need in the event I convert my blog into an anime porn and donuts of the world blog later on down the road. Should I have typed that out? Oh well, too lazy to hit backspace.... more »

2013-03-10 13:25:51 (17 comments, 5 reshares, 118 +1s)

I haven't stopped searching, near and far, for something special.

There are two things that are pretty obvious about the Mesquite Flat Dunes in Death Valley National Park, and that it’s incredibly scenic and that it's incredibly beautiful. And it won’t be uncommon to find a ton of footprints in the area. But during my last visit I managed to find a section of the dunes that hadn’t been overly touched yet. All except for this one set of footprints. If I had to do my best C.S.I. impression and guess which way this guy were headed, I’d say he were coming back this way, which was a different way than from where he trekked into the dunes and decided to make a left at this bush. He saw it, and decided to head for one that stretched up a bit higher and was further away. Yup, that’s my guess and I’m sticking to it! He he. In any event I thought it worked out quite nicely, his stepsseemed to b... more »

2013-03-08 13:33:13 (36 comments, 2 reshares, 122 +1s)

I was surrounded by a love that I knew I would always miss.

With Spring just around the corner I’m really starting to yearn for the beautiful colors of the Sakura (Cherry Blossoms) of Japan. I visit Japan often and I must say that one of my favorite times of the year to visit is during the Hanami (floral viewing). There really is nothing like it in my opinion. Being surrounded by the beautiful pink colors of the Sakura, much like this small grouping, always leaves me in such a relaxed frame of mind. Any troubles that might be on my mind simply vanish and a big grin comes across my face. So big that not even my mustache could hide it. He he. And during the Hanami, the weather is usually just right. Not hot, but not too cold. I simply can’t wait to be back there and among the Spring colors again.

For anyone interested, if you'd like to see more of my Sakura shots, you can browsethr... more »

2013-03-07 13:42:14 (57 comments, 10 reshares, 192 +1s)

With her love came a promise that she would never break.

I’m always happy whenever I’m able to enjoy a beautiful sunset from a gorgeous location like White Point in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. The area gives me plenty to please my eye from the foreground and leading all the way to the horizon. And if I can also get a high enough tide with waves crashing into the scene, my smile extends from ear to ear. And this was exactly the case when I was last out in the area. The sky had looked a little bland earlier on, but as the sun started to dip, the clouds came out and danced in the sky for me. So I set up my gear and composed my shot to not just get the sunset and clouds, but to also get this lovely little tide pool and rock formations into the scene as well. As the minutes ticked away, the waves began coming in stronger and stronger, almost as if the sea was determined  to get my feet soaked. Butluck... more »