Screen Print

Japan's beautifully arranged gardens in the fall are easy pictures to take. This shot is a favorite of mine. Seeing the garden through the bamboo screen makes it look as though it is a picture of a garden on a screen.

Sailing

Taking pictures on a sailboat is great. You get to view San Francisco from a totally different perspective. I like the colors in the is picture - even though they are a similar blue and grey mix, those are my favorite colors. I also like the how the sailboat and the Transamerica building both have matching shapes.

Ryokan Zen

It is hard to take a bad picture in Japan. They have such an interesting mix of dense urban environments with beautiful nature interspersed. This was taken at a ryokan in Kyoto. The inn is designed so that each room has a private view of the garden.

What a House!

When my wife and I visited Brazil, we were invited to stay at the house that a cousin's husband grew up in. I couldn't believe it when I saw this place; it is just beautiful - wood inlays, interesting architecture (it is supposed to resemble a hang glider), large glass windows. And the hospitality of the family was amazing. They welcomed us into their family. But as for this picture, I was having trouble capturing the beauty of the place. The overhanging roof and patio caused shadows that showed up black in the pictures. The sky was too bright. So I used HDR to make the sky more dramatic and also include detail for the shadow areas.

Blinds

This shot was taken at dusk. The sunset is being reflected from a window with blinds behind it, which I think is a cool effect. The blinds make the color gradient from the sunset look posterized.

Late Night Conversation

I was in a bar and saw these two chatting. The situation is typical Japanese; two salarymen drinking in an empty bar after work. I snuck the shot without them noticing (or at least without them acknowledging me.) I hope to take more shots like this in Thailand.

Birds on a Line

Here's another puddle reflection shot. I really like these type of shots because they look like a double exposure - you can see a little below the puddle to the metal cover and the gravel. The asphalt also works as a frame. Finally, I think that the sun bouncing off of the rocks end up looking like stars in the sky.

Sunrise

I have a bad habit of taking pictures while driving. I'm pretty sure that's even more dangerous than talking while driving or texting while driving. On the upside, there are some really nice things to see on the freeway. This shot was taken as I was exiting. Lots of clouds, blue sky, and an overpass. I missed the shot of the overpass being closer (which is what I was going for), but overall, I'm happy with how this one turned out. It's obviously hipstamatic'd like crazy - overdone really. The sky was dramatic enough to not need the extra contrast and the borders are a distraction. I should drive with my x100 in the passenger seat.

Autumn

As I was walking back from the coffee shop, I saw a beautiful tree with blue sky and clouds behind it. I put down my coffee to take a picture, but no matter what angle I took, the picture was no good. As I went to pick up my coffee to get back to work, I saw a leaf on the ground with dew on it. I liked the different textures; the rough gravel, the organic veins of the leaves, the glassy clarity of the water drops. I ended up taking a few pictures that I liked but couldn't decide which to post so I cheated and posted all three.

Reflection

Another shot of the sun coming out in between rain. I'm a sucker for clouds, reflections, and blue sky.

Rain Drops on Railing

I take my Fuji x100 with me almost everywhere. I even take it with me when I take a walk at lunch. Whenever I take it with me, I never get anything interesting. And the few days I leave it behind, I end up with something I wish I had a better camera for. Today was another one of those days. I took a walk in the rain. The sun broke out of the clouds and blue sky was peaking through. Since I only had my iPhone on me, I grabbed this shot.