Getting Ready

I was working on the computer as Grace was getting ready. The lighting looked great, but I didn't have my camera on hand and I knew that by the time I did, I would've lost the picture. Iphone time! So another hipstamatic. I guess it's because the phone is always there and so inconspicuous - it just seems like the pictures I take with them are just timed better.

Above the Clouds

This was taken at sunrise in Maui. We were at the peak of Haleakala Volcano and the clouds up there were amazing. The clouds and the colors are both soft and gentle. It's a contrast to the last post of the powerlines against a harsh HDR sky.

Power Lines

Foster City has power lines running all along the main road. I see them at all times of the day, and they have really grown on me. Their geometric patterns are interesting. The problem is that all of my pictures of them turn out really boring. Either it's too zoomed in and so I only get a part of the tower, or it's zoomed out but I can't find a composition that works. I resorted to HDR to add visual interest to what was a relatively less interesting picture. HDR brought out the foreground detail and added extra drama to the sky.

A Day in the Park

I watched a game with my co-workers at AT&T park. It's a beautiful field. I didn't take the time to go after shots; I could have walked around more and gotten closer to the actual players, but instead I drank with my friends and had a good time. I ended up with not too many shots I liked. I think I need to find a better balance. Maybe if I planned ahead on a few angles I wanted to take, I could have gotten those shots and spent the rest of the time drinking.

Fractal

Another shot from Angel Island. It was a foggy walk and the trees were barely visible. I actually had to pull them out with photoshop.

This way

This was shot in Angel Island. It was a foggy hike. I thought it was odd that the trees were bent in what looked like a tunnel or path, even though it wasn't part of the trail.

Edit: I converted the picture to b/w because the color wasn't adding anything.

Alcatraz

Hipstamatic, my secret shame. Man I love this program. I actually took this same picture with my real camera, but the timing on this one was better.

Jam

Frame

A friend of ours is building a house. How do people do that? I can't imagine. But the inside of a house being built is a fun place to shoot pictures.

Point of View

Twin peaks has such amazing views that I have trouble focusing on what to take. I end up cheating by taking panoramas because I can't decide. Right before we left, I saw these telescopes, and grabbed a shot of them pointing at the view. I like the final result, although maybe I should have kept the city a little more in focus.

Twin Peaks

I liked the original shot of this picture, but the lighting was off because the clouds were making shadows on parts of the city, and other parts looked over-exposed. I used the dodge and burn tools in lightroom to fix it. Truthfully, I didn't really have a vision of how I wanted the final picture to look so I just went back and forth until I got tired of using the tools. I ended up liking the final product though.

Still Creeping

I wanted to get a picture of the night sky with the gazebo centered. A couple was using the gazebo, so they got included in the picture. I felt a bit creepy sneaking shots of them, but it wasn't my original intent. I wonder if I'll get used to taking pictures of strangers; I think that having people in the shot makes it much more interesting.

Little beam of light

Another shot of the San Mateo Bridge. This was taken early in the morning and was the first shot I took that morning. I took the shot right as that beam of light was fading away. No more rays of light showed up the rest of the time we were shooting there, so I was glad I grabbed this shot.