Tuesday, April 5, 2005
Lily Curves

Another of the beautiful things as close as the back yard. This was right after the sprinklers went off, on a foggy morning. The dim light made the background dark and everything a little softer. But this shot was one of only a few taken as the fog parted a little which made the drops a little brighter and sharper. To see the difference in the light you can see another shot here, taken only minutes earlier.

Monday, April 4, 2005
Laguna Beach Sunset

I was enjoying the sunset with a good friend, talking about cameras and snapping pictures. It was a really good day!

Sunday, April 3, 2005
Bird of Paradise

This is another shot from a recent walk at the Santa Barbara Harbor. The setting sun made the colors on this beautiful flower stand out even more.

Saturday, April 2, 2005
Santa Barbara Harbor

Sunsets and water are a great combination. This shot was from an evening walk by the Santa Barbara Harbor.

Friday, April 1, 2005
Sunset Palms

I particularly like the texture of the clouds in this one.

Thursday, March 31, 2005
Cactus Blossoms

This cactus lives in an interesting place. A spot in Lotusland where you can stand in the middle of the street and see an incredible example of parallel evolution. On one side of the street are Cactus, from the deserts of the Americas. On the other, there are plants that most would mistakenly call cacti too. However, if you look a little closer, you will see some subtle differences. For example, thicker thorns rather than thin "needles" and a sticky white sap, which incidentally is at least a little poisonous. These plants are Euphorbia. Their most common relative, one that you would probably recognize, is the Poinsettia. They are from the arid areas of Africa. Although they appear similar to Cacti, they have been separated by a half a world for most of their evolutionary history. An interesting statement on the influence of environment in evolution.

Wednesday, March 30, 2005
Storke Sunset

This is the view from the top of the building I used to work in at UCSB. There were some particularly beautiful sunsets last winter and I tried to make a habit of going up to watch.

Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Birthday Girl!!

Well I can't believe it has been a year! One year ago today, we brought Zoe home from the Ventura animal shelter. That would have been her last day, instead here she is, happy and healthy, a year later!

I have to tell you it was the smartest way to go if you want a dog. She was housebroken, and well trained. She did not chew on the furniture. She did not bark or whine all hours of the night. In fact, being a Basset Hound, she is about as close to the cartoon image of a dog you can imagine!

Don't get me wrong, I think we were exceptionally fortunate to find such a wonderful friend waiting for us. Most dogs will need an adjustment period moving into a new home. Although she was a great dog from the start, we are still seeing Zoe's personality blossom as she realizes she is no longer going to be hit or punished for everything she does. But getting a dog from a rescue can really help reduce the trauma on you, the dog and your favorite shoes. There are rescues for all types of breeds. We were watching the Shelter for hounds for the Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California when Zoe popped up.

You can see more pictures of Zoe here and you can read about her antics on her site and in the Newsletter of the BHRSC.

• Ventura Shelter
  This is where we found the hound!
• Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California
  The rescue where I volunteer, A good place to find dogs that have been tested in a more natural environment than a shelter. Many of their dogs are in foster homes and they can tell you a lot more about what you would be getting into with any particular dog.
• PetFinder.com
  Bassets not your breed? Not in Southern CA? This is the best place to find a rescue, and even a specific dog, near you!

Monday, March 28, 2005
Santa Barbara Sunset

Like I said before, we don't get a lot of clouds around here, but when we do it is quite a show. And I'm very thankful to live in such a beautiful place.

Saturday, March 26, 2005
Mission Gate

This is a gate in a wall around La Purisima Mission in Lompoc California. You can see another of my images of this mission here and read more about the mission itself. I really like the archways and shapes of this Mission.

Friday, March 25, 2005
Floating Pads

The thing I like the most about this picture is the refraction happening at the edge of the lily pads where they touch the water. the surface tension of the extremely still water is grabbing the bottom edge of the pads. Which is causing the surface of the water to bend. This creates a refraction, like light going through a lens, giving you the bright edges around the shadows in the bottom of the fountain.

Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Abstract Lily

Well this was one of the few days I missed posting. So I'm trying to go back and put something nice in these little holes. This photo was taken at the same time as this image.

Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Zaca Lake

It is amazing how many beautiful places can be right around you without you even knowing it. Even after living in Santa Barbara for years I am still finding more photo opportunities.

This is Zaca Lake. I didn't know it was there until my friend and I took an adult education nature hike there.

Monday, March 21, 2005
First Blossom of Spring

I thought this was a fitting image for the beginning of spring. Of course, with the crazy weather we have had, it looks more like the middle of spring here. Most things are already in full bloom.

Sunday, March 20, 2005
Stearns Wharf Dolphin Fountain

I like the fact that this exposure was long enough to get the red, green and amber lights on the traffic signal. The people were waiting for an evening tour bus so they were there long enough to be visible in the photo.

Saturday, March 19, 2005
Spring Daisy

The intense colors of this photo are partially from the fact that it was a particularly beautiful flower. But, it was made more striking by the color of the light at sunset.

Thursday, March 17, 2005
Santa Barbara Courthouse Sunset

The Spanish Style of the Santa Barbara Courthouse makes a beautiful subject at any time. But in the evening the lighting makes it spectacular.

Wednesday, March 16, 2005
State and Anapamu

A little rain and lights at night make for some nice pictures. This is a great spot on State Street in Santa Barbara. I was right in front of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Diagonally across the street is a great restaurant called the State & 'A'.

Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Swirling Sunset Petals

Another print from my first show at the Santa Barbara Public Library, Townley Room. Flower close-ups are one of the first things I started to tinker with when I got a real camera. But, by real I don't mean expensive or brand new. I got a manual Canon AE-1 and some cheap lenses off of eBay. (This was back when I could look through all of the items in the photography section on eBay in one evening) Because of working with anything I could find a good deal on, the combination of lenses I put together causes a slight halo at the edges. Rather than giving up on the lenses, I found the softness makes for beautiful flower close-ups. My friend and I dubbed them my "Fuzzy Flower Filters."

The important thing if you want to get into photography is to tinker and have fun. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars on the latest equipment. You don't need digital this and auto-focus that, I have the most fun with my trusty, all-manual AE-1. That's not to say I don't have an auto-focus camera and a small digital for quick shots. But, I find myself more inclined to carry a cheaper camera all over the place with me than I would an expensive top-of-the-line camera. If you don't have your camera with you, you can't get the cool spontaneous things you see on a daily basis. And the combination of an $80 AE-1 from eBay and a high quality slide film will result in sharper images than all but the most expensive digital cameras.

In the end you have to find what works best for you personally so you can have the most fun with it.

Monday, March 14, 2005
Stearns Wharf

This is another of my favorite local spots, Stearns Wharf. The Wharf actually has a section that branches off and points back to shore. That is why it looks like this is not connected to the shore. This was taken near sunset which gave it a nice evening feel that I really like. This print has been in several shows.

Sunday, March 13, 2005
Flaming Poppy Close-up

It was a wild weekend getting ready for a show, that is my only excuse.

This is the first day I missed a post since I started the site. But, I thought I should put something nice in this place for those of you that have come back to look.

Thanks for your dedication!! :0)

With a little luck you will soon be able to give me feedback on my images too. I'd love to hear what you think!

Saturday, March 12, 2005
Morning Light

Well it's a very late image of the day. I have been preparing for tomorrow, my first time at the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts Show (more commonly known as the Sunday Art Walk on the Beach) in Downtown Santa Barbara. So I am a little behind.

This leaf is one of my earlier photos and it is just one of the prints that will be available for sale at the show and soon on my main site.

Oh and, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to... well, you know who you are!!! :0)

Friday, March 11, 2005
Sunset Palms

I guess this is why they call it Palm Desert!

The bright thing in the sky is a sliver of the moon. It appears small in the photo because it was taken with a wide angle lens.

Thursday, March 10, 2005
Chinese Lantern

One if my favorite day-trips is to San Luis Obispo. There is an old mill there that has been converted into a hotel they still use the water wheel to make small batches of Ice Cream. Right by the water wheel is this beautiful plant. It is called a Chinese Lantern, Chinese Bellflower or Flowering Maple. The latter because of it's Maple shaped leaves, although there is no relation.

There is another plant [Physalis alkekengi] that is also commonly called a Chinese Lantern, it's closely related to the Tomato and the Tomatillo. It's lantern is closed at the bottom, rather than open like these.

• www.thegardenhelper.com
  More info about Chinese Lanterns.
• www.extension.umn.edu
  Physalis alkekengi and friends