Ron's Photo World

My photo blog has moved

2009-01-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

To view the newest photo blog posts, please click here.

Please update your bookmarks.

Thanks.

Time for an updated self portrait

2008-12-30T21:36:00.000-08:00

12-29-2008

It's time to update my self portrait. It looks like the beard is going to stay awhile, so here goes.

This portrait was shot with a three-light setup. The main light was a 24"x36" softbox positioned camera left . There was a large white reflector just outside of the frame camera right. I also had two small reflector umbrellas on either side as hair/kicker lights. I used a radio remote to trigger the camera, the camera was on a 2-second delay self timer so I had time to press the trigger, drop it and then the camera would fire.

And just to prove that this was a true self-portrait and nobody else was taking the photo, check out this actual setup shot:

- + -

Working Anywhere

2008-10-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

10-19-2008

Technology gives us the ability to work anywhere, anytime. All we need now is the desire.

This image illustrates how we can work from any location. The light on Laura's face comes from a small strobe placed on the keyboard of the laptop. The strobe is pointed at a piece of white printer paper that is taped to the screen (the laptop was turned off for this photo). The strobe was set to 1/8 power and the light bounces off the paper and casts a soft glow on her face.

The camera white balance was set to tungsten, to match the very warm ambient light in the coffee shop. I placed a CTO gel on the flash to match the tungsten WB setting. I set the ambient exposure to make the room darker, so that the dark contrasts with the glow on Laura's face.

The camera was on a tripod to steady it during the 1/2 second exposure. I waited until the coffee shop employee was moving around behind the counter, knowing he would be blurred. Again, this blurring provides a little more contrast with the sharp detail of the laptop and Laura's face.

- + -

Help wanted - spelling skills not necessary

2008-10-15T06:26:00.000-07:00

10-15-2008

It seems like you should at least make sure you spell your employer's name correctly, especially when it's right in front of you.

- + -

Getting There on Two Wheels

2008-10-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

10-12-2008

It's getting easier to get around town on a bike. With more cyclists hitting the road to beat the gas prices, auto drivers are getting used to bicycles maneuvering through traffic. This photo is meant to give the viewer the sense of relative movement between cars and bikes. Even in a bike lane, it's a little un-nerving when a car whizzes past my shoulder with a speed difference of 25-30 MPH.

This photo was taken with a remote setup. My Canon Digital Rebel XT was mounted on a bracket attached to the rear axle of the bike. The camera was remotely triggered with a radio trigger in my right hand. The bracket was made from a shelf bracket I picked up at Home Depot. I drilled out the holes so I could attach one end of the bracket to the bike axle and the other end holds a ball-head for adjusting the camera. (You can click on the photos to see a larger image.)

I set the camera to manual exposure with a slow shutter speed (1/30 sec.) in order to gain some motion blur from the moving car and roadway.

- + -

Light from an earlier time

2008-10-06T13:42:00.000-07:00

10-06-2008

This still life depicts a soft moody setting, with the viewfinder lit much more brightly than the rest of the scene. Naturally, your eye will go the brightest part of an image, so make sure that the brightest part of the image is the most important part.

This image was taken in a very dark room with a 20 second exposure; the lens was set on f/22. Using a technique called Light Painting, the entire scene was "painted" with a small LED flashlight. I kept moving it around the center of the scene to give a brighter center and darkened, vignetted edges. I also held the light on the glass viewfinder for a couple of seconds to make sure it glowed brightly.

- + -

Goofy wine glass

2008-10-05T22:04:00.001-07:00

10-04-2008

Lighting glass objects can be tricky. It seems like the glass wants to reflect everything around it, in fact, that's exactly how glass reacts to light. So the trick is not to light the glass itself, but rather you need to light the surfaces that the glass reflects.

In this example of dark field lighting, the wine glass is sitting on a sheet of tinted glass, the background is black foam core board attached to a white wall. In a darkened room, there is very little for the glass to reflect. Two speedlights illuminate the sections of the white wall on either side of the black board, this illumination is what the glass reflects, giving it a clear shape.

Check out the lighting diagram below for basic dark field lighting. (You can click on the image to see a larger version.)

Once I had this lit correctly, I added the Goofy Pez dispenser. I had a friend hold a speedlight with a gridspot a little behind Goofy's head to give him a rim light, and I held a white card to the right of the camera to reflect some light back into his face.

- + -

Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival Photos

2008-09-23T22:59:00.001-07:00

09-22-2008

The Sacramento World Music and Dance Festival is a celebration of world cultures, ethnic dance and musical performances. The Saturday performances were at the Memorial Auditorium on Saturday, September 20. The above group, Fishtank Ensemble, presented an incredible array of Romanian folk and gypsy music. Each of the performances brought out a rich experience of ethnic and cultural brilliance. Performers showcased the native dances of Africa, China, Egypt, India, Ireland, Japan, Mexico, Peru, the Philippines, Scotland, Spain and Ukraine.

To see more photos from this event, go to my gallery here.

- + -

Break dancin

2008-09-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

09-16-2008

I was invited to join a photoshoot arranged by fellow shooter, Scott Fischbein, a photographer out of Davis, CA. Scott had arranged to take some dance shots of local breakdancer, Vince Horiuchi.

We met up with Vince and his girlfriend, Linh, in Old Sacramento. Vince was great to work with, he kept us on our toes with his fast moves. The photo above was taken near the historic railroad yard in Old Sac.

This photo was taken in an area off one of the alleys in Old Sac. Vince has an amazing energy level and gave us a full 90 minutes of mind-blowing photo opportunities. This photo was lit with two speedlites, cross-lighting Vince from the right and left sides. We used the speedlites to freeze Vince's movement and add some drama to the scene.

The last photo of Lihn was taken in the same area. The lighting was changed to provide better dimension to her face.

You can check out a news report on Vince's school, Flexible Flave, on Youtube.

- + -

Passionately Pink

2008-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

I recently shot some images for a promotional campaign for the Sacramento Chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation - the campaign is called Passionately Pink. I photographed a few prominent legislators at the State Capitol; they are showing their support for the Komen campaign by wearing pink ties, boas, whatever.

These are some of the final images chosen for the campaign. On all photos, I used a single speedlight with a white shoot-through umbrella. I needed to move quickly so as not to interfere with their busy schedules. In some cases, I had less than 5 minutes to move into the office, pick out a setting, establish rapport with the subject, set up the light, test exposure, move them into position and get the right expression, take some shots, then grab everything and get the heck outta there. (Click on the images to see a larger version.)

Senator Darrell Steinberg's office had this great old brown leather couch, so I asked him to sit on his couch. I positioned the main light to the left of the camera and attached a white reflector to the door that is just out of view on his left shoulder. Senator Steinberg was very relaxed and quickly jumped into the picture.

Assemblyman Dave Jones was a lot of fun. He was busy that afternoon, he was literally putting on the pink tie while he was walking around his office discussing things with his staff. There was not a lot of floorspace in his office, so I set up the light stand on the center of his conference table and let the reflective wood paneling on the wall take care of filling in light on the dark side of the image. (I used three business cards as coasters on the table to insulate the light stand feet from the surface of the table.) When I was ready, he stepped into the photo and was immediately relaxed and present as I shot away.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (top photo) was very receptive, in spite of her busy schedule. I set up the main light on camera right and let the window light provide fill and nice ambient light for the scene. This photoshoot was the fastest, yet we had time to include Assemblywoman Patty Berg (right) in some of the shots. Both women were very down to earth and the images show their genuine support for the Komen mission.

This assignment was a lot of fun. It's always a pleasure to shoot for the Komen group, they are very committed to eliminating breast cancer. These images will be shown on video screens in restaurants, in movie theaters between movie screenings, and on websites. The final video presentation required that all images be taken in a horizontal format; usually portraits are taken in the vertical format. It's always important to understand the final usage of the images before taking them.

- + -

Swing Time

2008-09-06T10:54:00.000-07:00

09/03/2008

Laying in a hammock can be very relaxing and soothing. You feel almost weightless while suspended between two large trees. This image makes a hammock look more like a thrill ride.

I slowed down the shutter speed to 1/2 second and panned the camera in synch with the swinging motion. It took several attempts to get the image of Laura sharp enough to tell it was a person inside all that motion.

- + -

Night Fountains

2008-09-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

09/01/2008

Downtown Sacramento has a pedestrian mall that connects Old Sacramento with the Community Center. Some of the blocks in between are a little under-developed, but at the end of the mall near the Community Center, several restaurants and outdoor venues provide a nice open area for quiet time. These fountains have a nice calming effect among the city traffic. I also have a daytime shot of these fountains, for a different perspective.

This photo was a 15 second time exposure, which allowed the flowing water to take on a very silky look. It also converted passing cars into white and red light streaks. Time exposures require a very sturdy tripod and lots of patience.

- + -

Self-portrait, from 75 yards away

2008-09-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

08-24-2008

This photo was taken while on vacation in the Sierra Nevada mountains. We were floating on a lake, the camera was located on an island and the flash unit was resting on an old tree stump about 20 feet on our right. I used Pocket Wizard radio triggers to fire the camera and flash.

Check out the video for the whole story on how this photo was taken...

If you have a high-speed connection, you can view the video in higher quality by clicking here.

- + -

Portrait with two lights.....and an ice chest lid.

2008-09-05T14:36:00.001-07:00

08-15-2008

Every once in a while you have to make use of whatever is laying around. In this case, I took a portrait of Kenny in a small space in a cabin. I used the bookcase to hold a black fleece backdrop and a hairlight on a clamp. I had two lights and wanted to use the second light as a hair light to keep the top of his head from disappearing into the black background. When I took a few test shots, I noticed the right side of his face was too dark. I looked around the cabin for something to use as a white reflector to add a little bit of light to the dark side of his face. I spotted a large white styrofoam ice chest on top of the refrigerator. I used a large rubber band to attach the lid from the ice chest to the back of a chair and placed it just to Kenny's right. See the setup photo below.

(You can click on this setup photo to open a larger one in a new window.)

Main light: I placed a Vivitar 285 on a light stand, at camera right, with a white shoot-thru umbrella. This flash was set to 1/4 power and was placed about 3' from him. I set the light stand on a table.

Hair light: I then used a Home Depot squeeze-clamp to mount another Vivitar 285 to the bookshelf behind and above Kenny. This flash was set at 1/16 power and had a gridspot on it to localize the light just on Kenny's hair and right shoulder (opposite the main light).

Reflector: I attached the white styrofoam lid to a chair and placed it to Kenny's right side.

Camera Position: I placed myself about 5' away from Kenny.

- + -

Soaring High

2008-09-05T14:34:00.001-07:00

07-26-2008

A mature bald eagle soars overhead. This was taken while standing on the dam at Meadow Lake in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

- + -

Northern California Blues Festival - 2008

2008-09-05T14:33:00.001-07:00

06-21-2008

Yup, that's Elvin Bishop on the right.

- + -

Ken in black and white

2008-09-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

06-17-2008

This shot was taken at dusk. I used Photoshop to convert it to black and white, then added some grain to it.

In the old days, we used to push Tri-X to 1600, then over-develop it in Dektol to get this look. Of course, we ended up with that look on every frame on the whole roll.

- + -

Squaw Creek

2008-09-05T14:26:00.001-07:00

06-16-2008

The water in Squaw Creek moves smoothly during this still warm evening. The only thing faster than the water was the mosquitos.

I kept the shutter open for three seconds to create the silky smooth look of the rushing water.

- + -

Natural curiosity

2008-09-05T14:18:00.001-07:00

05-31-2008

When you're three years old, a ladybug can be pretty interesting. I wonder at what age we stop caring about the little mysteries of nature. I remember burning things with a magnifying glass and what a fascinating trick that was.

I think we can all learn something if we stop moving long enough for a ladybug to want to spend some time walking around on a leaf for us.

- + -

USA Today used one of my photos!

2008-09-05T14:16:00.001-07:00

05-13-2008

USA Today recently ran an article about the Strobist blog, run by Baltimore photographer, David Hobby. I've been following David's blog for about 18 months and the amount of information on his blog is incredible. He takes the mystery out of photographic lighting and explains, in very simple terms, how to take amazing quality photographs with minimal equipment. A couple hundred thousand(!) readers follow this blog and his techniques have truly changed the photography community around the world.

The USA Today reporter asked blog readers to submit photos that demonstrate the Strobist lighting techniques. If you look at the article (see link above) and open the link for the Photo Gallery, this photo is the second one shown.

- + -

End of Another Era

2008-09-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

04-28-2008

This is the inside of Alta Plating located at 18th & S streets. The business has moved, the property has been sold and the demolition has begun. Located along the R Street corridor, this property will be rebuilt as a mixed-use project in downtown, consisting of retail and residential units.

- + -

Lazy Day at the River

2008-09-05T14:12:00.001-07:00

04-14-2008

There is nothing like a nice warm spring day to inspire the best relaxation possible. Take a nice bike ride down to the park by the river, and kick back and watch the river action.

- + -

Flying Low

2008-09-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

04-06-2008

This is Rod, a flying instructor from Executive Flyers at the Sacramento Executive Airport. I had a client who needed some aerial photos of their facility so I contacted Rod and rented his airplane and his time.

It was a bit bumpy that day, since it was pretty windy. Nonetheless, Rod kept us steady and I got the photos I needed and then snapped this one, from about 20 inches away from his head.

- + -

Last One Standing

2008-09-05T14:07:00.000-07:00

03-08-2008

More and more people are removing their rooftop television antennas. With the access to cable and dish-type services, the old antenna will become another piece of historical technology, similar to the drive-in movie.

In just a little more than a year, analog television will be a thing of the past. On April 7, 2009 TV broadcasters will turn off their analog signals and transmit only digital ones. If you get your TV signal with rabbit ears or one of these rooftop jobbies, then you'll need to either purchase a new digital TV or get a converter for your old TV set.

- + -

AMGEN 2008 Tour of California

2008-09-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

02-19-2008

AMGEN's 2008 Tour of California came through Sacramento today. The rain arrived just before the cyclists reached the edge of town. They rode three two-mile laps on city streets before sprinting to the finish line for Stage 2 of the race.

This shot was taken with my camera clamped to the end of an extended painter's pole, about 12' above the ground. It's like a miniature aerial view.

- + -

AMGEN Tour of California

2008-09-05T14:04:00.001-07:00

02-19-2008

This shot was taken along L Street after the last turn. The finish line is about eight blocks away.

- + -

Redistributing Dust

2008-09-05T14:01:00.001-07:00

02-12-2008

"Let everyone sweep in front of his own door, and the whole world will be clean." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

I don't think Goethe had leafblowers in mind when he penned that quote above.

There are few things in this world that are louder and messier than leafblowers, except, perhaps, my neighbor's cat. Granted - leafblowers are really powerful tools, but only for the purpose of moving the debris, rather than removing it. Even worse, after all this debris is moved, the next person's cleanup crew will use their leafblowers to move it back. Unless, of course, the wind moves it down the street to someone else's front door.

- + -

Environmental Portrait Using Three Speedlights

2008-09-04T16:04:00.001-07:00

02/02/2008

Does the background in this photograph tell you anything about the person?

An environmental portrait shows a person within a context that explains something about the person. Usually, the image includes elements of the environment and these elements are visual clues about the subject matter.

In this case, I took a portrait of a Lutheran Minister (Pastor Bill) and wanted to include some parts of the back wall of the church altar. This required that I light the background on a completely different plane than the minister.

(You can click on this lighting diagram to open a larger one in a new window.)

Background light: First, I placed a Vivitar 285 on the floor near the back wall and placed a snoot on the flash to localize the light on the wall in a small area. This flash unit was set to 1/4 power.
Pastor Bill was positioned in the center aisle of the church, about 40' from the back wall.

Main light: I placed a Vivitar 285 on a light stand, camera left, with a white shoot-thru umbrella. This flash was set to 1/4 power and was placed about 3' from him.

Kicker light: I then used a Home Depot squeeze-clamp to mount another Vivitar 285 to the top of a pew behind and to the camera right of Pastor Bill. This flash was set at 1/16 power and also had a snoot on it to avoid lens flare. This light provided enough separation to keep Bill from blending into the background.

Camera Position: I placed myself about 20' away from Pastor Bill and used a longer lens to compress him with the background, yet leave the background slightly out of focus.

- + -

Moon and Half Dome

2008-09-04T16:02:00.000-07:00

01-30-2008

With apologies to Ansel Adams, this is my interpretation of the famous image, "Moon and Half Dome".

- + -

Macro photography - do it yourself!

2008-09-04T13:00:00.000-07:00

01-20-2008

I took this bee photograph with a Do It Yourself macro lens. I bought an old used wide angle lens at a camera store's junk bin. The lens looks like it was originally made for an older Minolta 35mm camera. The filter size on this lens is 55mm, so I also bought a used filter step-up ring from the same junk bin. The filter ring fits on the front of the lens and has a flat area for a larger round filter. I then took a plastic body cap that fits my Canon 30D camera. I cut out the center part of the body cap and used some JBWeld to glue the body cap to the step up ring. This makes a "reversing ring adapter".

This adapter lets me mount the wide angle lens backwards to the front of my 30D, thus making a very powerful macro lens. I also bought a used 50mm lens with the same size filter mount; this lens is a little less powerful, but still very useful for close-up photography.

Total investment: $22 for two lenses and one adapter.

- + -

Portrait with Two Lights

2008-09-04T12:56:00.000-07:00

01-15-2008

I took some photos of Stephanie and Jeff on New Year's Eve. This was a simple two-light set-up using Vivitar 285HV speedlights. These flash units have been around for about 30 years and they are still my favorite workhouse. The 285HV has a zoom and tilt head, and allows for some manual settings that allow you to reduce the flash output to 1/2, 1/4 and 1/16 power, thus giving much more control over the light. I added some velcro to the flash head to make it easy to attach a snoot or gobo.

(you can refer to the lighting diagram below as I describe the setup)

Backdrop: I placed Steph and Jeff in front of a black fleece backdrop. Black fleece is light and easy to store. Just stuff it into a bag - when you pull it out, there are no lasting wrinkles! It is easy to use a few pieces of blue painter's tape to attach it to a wall. And you can light it with a color-gelled-flash for some extra "pop" behind the subjects. In this session, I left the fleece unlighted.

Posing: In this pose, Steph is sitting on a short stool in front of a white posing table. Jeff is kneeling right behind her. I wanted to bring their faces close together to give the sense of closeness between them. I also wanted to be sure that their eyes and mouths were not horizontally aligned. It gives a little more dynamic look to the image when the subjects' faces are not at the same height.

Main light: The main light was a Vivitar 285HV at camera right. Notice the placement of the little catchlights in the eyes - this gives you the first clue about light placement. I shot the flash through a 43" white shoot-thru umbrella to soften the light on their faces. The flash was set at 1/4 power - this gave me a working aperture of f/8 at ISO200- just about right for this image. The umbrella was about 1' above their faces, slightly pointing downward.

Hair light: The second light was a Vivitar 285HV placed high on a light stand above and behind Stephanie. This light was pointing downward at the tops of their heads to give their hair some rim-lighting and separate them from the background. I placed a gridspot on the front of the flash to localize the light on them without lighting the rest of the scene. This flash was also set at 1/4 power. Both flash units were triggered with Pocket Wizard remotes.

Reflector: I placed a large white reflector just on the outside of the frame at Stephanie's right shoulder. This adds a little bit of light to the opposite side of their faces, away from the main light. Since the main light is still stronger, it gives nice modeling to their faces.

Results:

What went well:

With the flashes set at 1/4 power, the recycling time was about 2 seconds. This allowed for quick shooting without long pauses.

The main light provided nice soft light on both faces. The subject placement gives a nice close feeling between Steph and Jeff.

The white posing tabletop reflected a small amount of light up into the faces. This slightly lightened up the areas under the eye brows and below the chins.

What Needs Improvement:

I noticed that the hairlight did not illuminate Jeff's hair as much as I would have liked. This does not give a strong separation between his dark hair and the dark background. The existing separation is passable, but I would have liked it to be a little more prominent.

Overall, I am very happy with the results. This was a simple lighting setup and demonstrates that a minimum amount of portable equipment can support the creation of nice portraits.

- + -

Made to Fly

2008-09-04T12:55:00.001-07:00

01-04-2008

Sacramento was hit with some serious stormy weather today. The winds were reaching velocities of 60-75 miles per hour. It was no Katrina, but still did lots of damage. One of the airplanes at the local airport was not tethered very well, so it taxi-ed and took off on its own. It pretty much cleared the chain-link fence on the right, so it must have been cartwheeling...that would have been something to see.

- + -

When it rains...

2008-09-03T22:25:00.001-07:00

01-03-2008

...the drains back up and make driving really interesting. We are supposed to get hammered with wind and rain the next couple of days. This is just the beginning.

- + -

Happy New Year

2008-09-03T22:23:00.001-07:00

01-01-2008

From our house to yours...may 2008 be better than ever.
- + -

Preparing for take-off

2008-09-03T21:31:00.000-07:00

11-17-2007

This crew member prepares for boarding of the helicopter in the background.

◄ ♦ ►

Sunrise on the Sierras

2008-09-03T21:30:00.000-07:00

11-15-2007

The sunrise begins to light the Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. The high desert area offers very dramatic scenery.

◄ ♦ ►

Work Crew

2008-09-03T21:29:00.001-07:00

10-29-2007

Twenty-four of us spent a week rebuilding a home in New Orleans. The owner, Verna Mae Martin, stands in the center in a red shirt. She has lived in this neighborhood all her life and wishes to stay here.

◄ ♦ ►

Rusty slide

2008-09-03T21:28:00.001-07:00

10-28-2007

An elementary school in New Orleans is boarded shut, with no indication of ever re-opening. Very few of the original neighborhood residents have returned to the area, so schools and stores are still closed, too.

◄ ♦ ►

Ghost town

2008-09-03T21:26:00.001-07:00

10-27-2007

Many of the low-income neighborhoods in New Orleans are still in bad shape. About 90% of the houses are abandoned and there are still a lot of trash piles all over.

◄ ♦ ►

How about those new pumps?

2008-09-03T21:23:00.001-07:00

10-26-2007

It rained heavily on Monday in New Orleans. The newspaper said they got 8 inches of rain in one day. The brand new city water pumps could not keep up with the rainwater, so many of the streets flooded. The residents were a little uneasy...no doubt.

◄ ♦ ►

Mule bouquet

2008-09-03T21:21:00.001-07:00

10-25-2007

Even with a pretty head-dress, it's still a mule. The French Quarter has numerous carriage rides available.

◄ ♦ ►

Sweet ride

2008-09-03T20:58:00.001-07:00

10-24-2007

Parked along the streets of the French Quarter, this little scooter seemed like a time traveler transplant.

◄ ♦ ►

Tuba time

2008-09-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

10-23-2007

This guy was playing in a street band in the French Quarter - he has a great face for a tuba player.

◄ ♦ ►

Honey, would run to the store for me?

2008-09-03T20:54:00.001-07:00

10-22-2007

"Sure, just let me warm up the swampboat first."

This was in the marshland just outside of New Orleans.

◄ ♦ ►

Chicago skyline

2008-09-03T20:52:00.001-07:00

10-21-2007

On the way to New Orleans, we changed flights in Chicago. It was a clear day so the view was great.

◄ ♦ ►

Windmill farm

2008-09-03T20:51:00.001-07:00

10-20-2007

While flying to New Orleans, we passed over this field of windmills. Compared to some of the farm buildings, these things look pretty large.

◄ ♦ ►

Looking down on Yosemite

2008-09-03T20:49:00.001-07:00

10-13-2007

While flying to San Diego this week, I glanced out the window and noticed a couple of brightly-lit mountain formations. I suddenly realized I was looking at El Capitan and Half Dome, and Mono Lake was in the background. From 35,000 feet up, they do look smaller, but no less majestic.

◄ ♦ ►

Quiet time along the river

2008-09-03T20:48:00.001-07:00

09-29-2007

◄ ♦ ►

Chalk It Up! Sacramento

2008-09-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

09-03-2007

The Chalk It Up! Art Festival happens each year on Labor Day weekend at Fremont Park in Sacramento. Check out last year's blogpost, too. Local artists use chalk and pastels to decorate sidewalk squares - businesses sponsor the squares and the proceeds benefit Children's Art Education in the Sacramento Region.

◄ ♦ ►

Chalk It Up! Sacramento

2008-09-03T20:45:00.001-07:00

09-02-2007

The Chalk It Up! Art Festival happens each year on Labor Day weekend. Check out last year's blogpost, too. Local artists use chalk and pastels to decorate sidewalk squares - businesses sponsor the squares and the proceeds benefit Children's Art Education in the Sacramento Region.

◄ ♦ ►

Gold Rush Days

2008-09-03T20:38:00.001-07:00

09-01-2007

A saloon shoot-out is re-enacted at the Old Sacramento Gold Rush Days.

This photo was selected to be used in the 2007 Downtown Sacramento Partnership calendar.

◄ ♦ ►

Gold Rush Days

2008-09-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

08-31-2007

A stagecoach rolls past a modern day motorcycle in Old Sacramento. The 2007 Gold Rush Days run all Labor Day Weekend in Old Sacramento.

◄ ♦ ►

Around the campfire

2008-09-03T20:34:00.001-07:00

08-26-2007

When camping, every night ends with a warm campfire and s'mores. It's the law.

(In case you're wondering how this photo was taken, I placed a small flash unit on the opposite side of the fire ring, near my foot. It has a CTO (orange) gel on it to simulate the warm light from a campfire.)

◄ ♦ ►

Wheeling Downhill

2008-09-03T20:33:00.001-07:00

08-25-2007

It can be very refreshing to ride a bicycle along a quiet mountain road. The only sounds you hear are the buzz of knobby tires on asphalt and the wind in the treetops.

◄ ♦ ►

Two Beemers, Really

2008-09-03T20:31:00.001-07:00

07-16-2007

The Del Paso Boulevard merchants celebrated Experience the Boulevard on July 14, 2007. Several public art pieces were dedicated and plenty of the businesses opened their doors for the event. A few classic automobiles were on display, including these two Beemers. The Beemer in the foreground is a 1960's era BMW Isetta.

To see more photos of Experience the Boulevard, check it out here.

◄ ♦ ►

Old School Police

2008-09-03T20:30:00.001-07:00

07-15-2007

The Del Paso Boulevard merchants celebrated Experience the Boulevard on July 14, 2007. Several public art pieces were dedicated and plenty of the businesses opened their doors for the event. A few classic automobiles were on display, including this 1950's era police cruiser.

To see more photos of Experience the Boulevard, check it out here.

◄ ♦ ►

Life Imitates Art

2008-09-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

07-14-2007

The Del Paso Boulevard merchants celebrated Experience the Boulevard on July 14, 2007. Several public art pieces were dedicated and plenty of the businesses opened their doors for the event. At the Dose Coffee Shop, a small band was jamming and the sax player was positioned directly below this piece of art.

To see more photos of Experience the Boulevard, check it out here.

◄ ♦ ►

Hanger Danger

2008-09-03T20:27:00.001-07:00

07-05-2007

Hmmm, spelled the same, but pronounced differently.

ESL = English is a Strange Language

◄ ♦ ►

Ornamental Era

2008-09-03T20:25:00.001-07:00

07-03-2007

The hood ornament of a 1956 Chevrolet BelAir probably weighs about nine pounds. Even 50 years later, this looks pretty modern.

This was a time when cars were made entirely of metal (what else?) and auto manufacturers decorated them with emblems, tail fins, and hood ornaments. I imagine someone spent many weekend hours polishing this hood ornament.

I wouldn't want to be the unlucky pedestrian who gets impaled by one of these.

◄ ♦ ►

Evening Light on the Mall

2008-09-03T16:53:00.001-07:00

06-30-2007

The last bits of daytime cast a soft glow on Sacramento's K Street Mall.

◄ ♦ ►

Capitol Garage

2008-09-01T23:51:00.001-07:00

06-29-2007

Traffic blurs past a local hangout.

◄ ♦ ►

Seema

2008-09-01T23:49:00.001-07:00

06-28-2007

A bridal shop display window - at night, this scene evokes a certain solitude.

◄ ♦ ►

Building Reflections

2008-09-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

06-27-2007

Another cityscape.

◄ ♦ ►

Strawberries - 2 for $4

2008-09-01T23:46:00.001-07:00

06-26-2007

Those had better be some darn big strawberries!

◄ ♦ ►

Night Owl

2008-09-01T23:45:00.001-07:00

06-11-2007

I stayed up late and played around with different ways to light glass objects - this is one of the results.

◄ ♦ ►

Air Force Thunderbirds

2008-09-01T23:43:00.001-07:00

06-10-2007

The Air Force Thunderbirds performed at the California Capital Airshow this weekend. To see more photos from the airshow, click here.

◄ ♦ ►

Falling out of favor

2008-09-01T23:41:00.001-07:00

05-25-2007

Does anyone watch broadcast television anymore? If an antenna fell on a rooftop and no one heard it fall, would anyone care?

◄ ♦ ►

Lunchtime concert

2008-09-01T23:40:00.001-07:00

05-24-2007

The Westminster Presbyterian Church offers Music at Noon, free lunchtime concerts in downtown Sacramento. Here, Tanya Plescia plays a Chopin nocturne for a very appreciative crowd.

◄ ♦ ►

Music and brews

2008-09-01T23:39:00.001-07:00

05-22-2007

The music was flowing almost as fast as the beer. The West Coast Brew Fest attracted over 3,000 guests at its 2007 event at Miller Park in Sacramento.

◄ ♦ ►

Pouring the brews

2008-09-01T23:38:00.001-07:00

05-21-2007

The West Coast Brew Fest attracted over 3,000 guests at its 2007 event at Miller Park in Sacramento. Among the several dozen breweries in attendance, the Placerville Brewing Company kept pace with the demand of thirsty visitors.

◄ ♦ ►

Deep frying the goods

2008-09-01T23:36:00.001-07:00

05-20-2007

The West Coast Brew Fest attracted over 3,000 guests at its 2007 event at Miller Park in Sacramento. This food vendor was cooking the deep-fryed fish and chips at a lightning pace. Their food was absolutely amazing - the fish melted in your mouth and the seasonings were outstanding.

◄ ♦ ►

Presenting the colors

2008-09-01T23:35:00.001-07:00

05-15-2007

The Sacramento County Sheriff Color Guard presents the US flag at the beginning of the Survivor's Ceremony at the Komen Race for the Cure.

◄ ♦ ►

Young Runners

2008-09-01T23:33:00.001-07:00

05-14-2007

The Mercy Hospitals sponsored a kid race event at the Komen Race for the Cure. This little guy made a grand finish to a short dash - and every child who participated won a medal.

◄ ♦ ►

Ready to run

2008-09-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

05-13-2007

A runner stretches out her legs prior to the start of the Komen Race for the Cure. Over 25,000 participants ran and walked in support of breast cancer research over the weekend.

◄ ♦ ►

Lonely poppies

2008-09-01T23:30:00.001-07:00

04-13-2007

A wild poppy plant adds golden color to an otherwise barren landscape.

◄ ♦ ►

Sam's Market

2008-09-01T23:27:00.000-07:00

04-12-2007

Sam's Market has been serving lunch-time sandwiches for decades. I had my first sub sandwich in the late 70's - back when it cost about 75¢. Even today, the prices are very low and the friendly banter at the sandwich counter is still warm and comfortable.

◄ ♦ ►

Dogs behind bars

2008-09-01T23:26:00.000-07:00

04-10-2007

◄ ♦ ►

Flowers behind bars

2008-09-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

04-09-2007

◄ ♦ ►

Building arches

2008-09-01T23:23:00.001-07:00

04-08-2007

An exterior breezeway follows a new building's design.

◄ ♦ ►

Cleaning your clock

2008-09-01T23:21:00.001-07:00

04-07-2007

A maintenance worker puts some finishing touches on a clock repair.

◄ ♦ ►

I hate it when that happens

2008-09-01T17:00:00.001-07:00

04-06-2007

You order four big vinyl signs to announce your big event, you hang them up for the world to see, and then realize there is a big typo (peddle) on it. Actually, it's not a typo, it's a word-o. It's spelled correctly, just the wrong word. I think this is what they wanted...

ped'-al, noun 1. a foot-operated lever used to control certain mechanisms, as automobiles, or to play or modify the sounds of certain musical instruments, as pianos, organs, or harps. 2. a leverlike part worked by the foot to supply power in various mechanisms, as the bicycle.

And, when you consider the number of possible other word choices, maybe this isn't so bad...

ped'-dle, verb 1. to carry (small articles, goods, wares, etc.) from place to place for sale at retail; hawk.2. to deal out, distribute, or dispense, esp. in small quantities: to peddle radical ideas.3. to sell (drugs) illicitly.

pid'-dle, verb 1. 1. to spend time in a wasteful, trifling, or ineffective way 2. to urinate (esp. children and pets).

pet'-al, noun 1. one of the often colored segments of the corolla of a flower.

pet'-tle, verb 1. to fondle, pet.

pet'-ty, adjective 1. of little or no importance or consequence.

Pet'-ty, Tom, person 1. musician, songwriter

If Tom Petty was gonna be there, I'd probably peddle something so I could buy a ticket.

◄ ♦ ►

2D/3D

2008-09-01T16:59:00.001-07:00

04-05-2007

A pedestrian walks past a store mural - I think the guy on the right is checking her out...

◄ ♦ ►

Picture This

2008-09-01T16:57:00.001-07:00

04-04-2007

Dad's Deli makes some excellent sandwiches and salads. And the friendly atmosphere is better than any condiment. It's no surprise that the customers want to connect with the cafe in other ways. This local artist is sketching his impression of the storefront.

Dad's has a big event in May including local musicians and lots of great food and drinks. It's called BFD, which stands for Boil 'n Fry Day. All proceeds go to Make A Wish Foundation.

◄ ♦ ►

Morning Walk

2008-09-01T16:56:00.001-07:00

04-03-2007

A couple of local residents enjoy a peaceful stroll along a shaded street.

◄ ♦ ►

Seats a plenty

2008-09-01T16:55:00.001-07:00

04-02-2007

I liked the woven pattern on these stools, lined up for the endurance of the day's clientele.

◄ ♦ ►

My Cart runneth over

2008-09-01T16:54:00.001-07:00

04-01-2007

Looks like the ivy is winning this tug-of-war.

◄ ♦ ►

Ready for Spring

2008-09-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

03-31-2007

These umbrellas are huddled off-stage, waiting for Opening Day.

◄ ♦ ►

Cactus Octopus

2008-09-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

03-30-2007

This cactus looks like a jumble of octupus tentacles.

◄ ♦ ►

Single Occupant Vehicle

2008-09-01T16:51:00.001-07:00

03-29-2007

Not sure who manufactures this one, but it would be cool to see a lot more of them around. Funny, it has just one headlight. Maybe this model is called a Cyclops.

◄ ♦ ►

Rusty Schwinn

2008-09-01T16:50:00.001-07:00

03-28-2007

This is an original Schwinn bicycle with a rusted spring fork. These old bikes have made a comeback in the midtown areas and the value of an old rusty Schwinn bike has skyrocketed. Note the extra-strength U-lock. I wonder how many of these old bikes are coming from farm auctions in the midwest.

◄ ♦ ►

Super size it

2008-09-01T16:49:00.001-07:00

03-27-2007

When I want a nice cold Coke, give me the jumbo size, the one that is taller than a building.

◄ ♦ ►

Graffiti up high

2008-09-01T16:48:00.001-07:00

03-26-2007

Somebody went up a long way to leave their mark. Judging by the whitewashed windows near the fire escape, this is probably not the first time.

◄ ♦ ►

Above the farm

2008-09-01T16:47:00.001-07:00

03-25-2007

Another aerial shot - this one looks down on a small farm near the river.

◄ ♦ ►

Another one bites the dust

2008-09-01T16:46:00.001-07:00

03-24-2007

Sacramento is the City of Trees. Apparently, next to Paris, France, Sacramento has the most trees per capita in the world.

In this case, another large tree has been removed, due to sickness or infestation. This photo may not show it very clearly, but the inside of the large trunk has been hollowed out by some sort of infesting insect. It's probably better that they brought this one down gracefully, rather than wait for it to come down on its own.

◄ ♦ ►

Through the doorway

2008-09-01T16:44:00.000-07:00

03-23-2007

Local street art frames a cyclist. In all the years that this artistic structure has been standing, I realize I have never actually walked through this doorway.

◄ ♦ ►

Sticker shock

2008-08-31T22:37:00.001-07:00

03-22-2007

I never knew what I was supposed to do with all those promotional stickers people hand out - until now. Just find a nearby light pole and decorate it.

◄ ♦ ►

Pepper Plant

2008-08-31T22:36:00.000-07:00

03-21-2007

Pepper likes to snooze in a vacant plant pot.

◄ ♦ ►

Prancing Chrome

2008-08-31T22:35:00.000-07:00

03-20-2007

This sculpture sits outside a local grocery store and it is made from recycled chrome car bumpers. I guess they had to use old bumpers, because new ones are plastic - and that would not make a very interesting sculpture, now, would it?

◄ ♦ ►

It was a very Good Year

2008-08-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

03-19-2007

The Goodyear Blimp paid a visit to town this weekend. Apparently the College basketball March Madness tournament was the event that drew the Blimp's presence. I don't understand the whole idea of a blimp at an indoor event, but it was cool to see it fly around anyway.

◄ ♦ ►

Racing to the finish line

2008-08-31T22:33:00.001-07:00

03-18-2007

The Land Park Criterium bike races were this weekend. This is the front of the pack on the last lap of the ladies race. The racers are about 100 yards from the finish line. To see more photos from the Criterium, go to this link.

◄ ♦ ►