One Second Moments

Life in big cities moves so fast that it can be difficult to take a moment to catch your breathe. Hong Kong is no different... sometimes moving so fast that it cannot be captured in a still image. In these photos, I  focused on a stationary object and did a one second exposure.. and then watched as taxis, cars, buses, and people rushed by. The second photo (black and white version) had about 100 people on the elevated walkway... but the majority of their silhouettes disappeared as they were moving too fast to be captured in the photo.

Star Gazing at the Planetarium

When I was young, I went on many field trips to the Planetarium in Chicago. I remember enjoying the trips and being excited about them... but don't remember too much from inside the building. Therefore, I'm not quite sure if I was actually interested in the Planetarium... or if I liked just not being in school? 

Swimming With the Fishes

Looking towards the aquarium in Chicago. Apparently, it's one of the better aquariums in the world. However, I wouldn't know... I was never a big fan of aquariums (or zoos). Although, I went through a bit of a "zoo phase" when I was younger. Going inside places like that always seemed a bit depressing to me... especially if you've been around the same animals in the wild. Being a surfer, I see dolphins, seals, whales, and all sorts of sea life (hopefully not sharks) swimming freely in the ocean. It's difficult for me to imagine what their life is like locked up in a small pool or cage. Anyways, it still makes for a pretty picture at night! 

Chicago Panorama

I recommend clicking on the image to expand it. One thing that I think is really interesting about this photo is that you can see a striking contrast between the old and new buildings. The old buildings are out in front (along Michigan Avenue) and have a brownish/yellow tint to them... the new buildings tower in the background and have a greyish/black tint. The older buildings almost look like they are fortress walls protecting the city behind it.

It's really interesting to look back at old photos of the Chicago skyline and see how much it has changed over the years. 

An "Eery" Skyline

I like how this photo of the Chicago skyline came out... makes it feel dark and mysterious where I'm standing... while the safety and bright lights of the city shine in the background. The wind was blowing hard this night... and the moving branches created a "blurred" effect as I took the photo. 

Chicago Dreaming

The city of Chicago has one of the best skylines in the world... and there is no better place to enjoy it than from the park in front of the Planetarium. When I was young, my parents used to take me and my brother for picnics here and we would watch planes fly overhead. The park is still there (as is the beautiful view of the city), but Meigs Field has been gone for a long time.

This photo is a self portrait of me enjoying the view (it was a bit chilly that night). 

Stockings Hung On the Chimney With Care

Waking up on Christmas morning, the first thing I would do was run down the stairs and look at all presents that had been "delivered". It was definitely one of the most exciting times of the year. This was the first view I would get of the Christmas tree and fireplace in the background. My brother and I were allowed to open up any presents in our stockings... but had to wait until later in the day to see what was under the tree. It definitely helped build up the excitement. 

Oh Christmas Tree

The Christmas Tree is the centerpiece of a house during the holidays. However, when I was young, it was my least favorite item to decorate (which is probably why I've never gotten one for my own apartment). We would spend hours putting the tree together, hanging lights, replacing broken lights, unwrapping ornaments, hanging ornaments (there were hundreds upon hundreds). My brother and I would actually go in shifts. Each year I tried to convince my mom to reduce the amount of ornaments... but each one had special meaning to her and brought back memories. Therefore, I was never successful.

These are a few photos I took of my parent's tree this holiday. Can you see the tree underneath the ornaments?

Lighting Up the Christmas Spirit

When I was young, one of my favorite things about this time of year was looking at all of the houses decorated with lights. It always felt kind of "magical". My family never went overboard with the decorations on the outside of the house (maybe went a little overboard on the decorations inside the house)... but it always looked quite nice.

These are a few photos I took of my parent's home this year... my mom and dad are still keeping the tradition alive.
(wonder how much power is wasted during this time of year?)

Neon Nights in Lan Kwai Fong

Hong Kong is a very interesting city... densely populated, modern, efficient transportation system, delicious food (except Mexican), fun bars, great shopping, and some of the most incredible urban views you will ever see. People that live here seem to move a mile a second... however, if you take the time to get to know the locals, you will find that they are extremely friendly and genuine.

On this particular night, I had finished eating dinner at Lily & Bloom... and decided to walk around the streets of Lan Kwai Fong. These are a few photographs I took as I tried to document the urban scene.

Fireworks Abstract

I almost deleted these photos immediately after I took them. The first two were taken without a tripod and the third one was taken by accident as my camera was facing up. I'm glad I didn't delete them though... because when I viewed them on my computer, I thought they were pretty cool. Everyone always sees fireworks in perfect focus... or with the long exposure lines. However, the fact that these came out blurred made them more interesting to me.

The top one looks like little birds flying to a red flower. The second one looks like a hundred little fishing rods getting dipped into a black sea... and the third one reminded me of a abstract sunset painting (really liked the gradient effect). Hope you enjoy!

Happy 4th of July from Santa Barbara!

So I had the brilliant idea to hike up into the mountains in Santa Barbara to watch the 4th of July fireworks celebration from on top of Inspiration Point. The best thing about this idea was that you would be able to see fireworks in multiple towns. You're literally above Santa Barbara. It's a beautiful view. UNFORTUNATELY... the fog decided to role in and kind of ruined my plans (Damn you June Gloom!!). We could barely see 30 feet in front of us and definitely could not see the ocean/fireworks (was pretty upset). Therefore, we were forced to hike back down while it was still light outside... and about halfway down we found a little vista that overlooked the Santa Barbara harbor. The view wasn't perfect, but it was still really cool to see the fireworks from above. I thought it was interesting that the "boom" from the fireworks didn't get to us until about 4-5 seconds after it happened (the speed of light truly travels faster than the speed of sound). It was nice to hang out with new/old friends, drink wine/beer, eat vodka infused gummy bears, and watch things explode... that's what the 4th of July and America are all about!

The 30 second finale captured in one long exposure image.

Peruvian Gold - "Beer O'Clock"

Every night around 6:o0PM, the guests at Chicama Resort would gather on the deck area for "Beer O'Clock". The second (or third) surf session will have just finished, the sun is about to set, everyone is in a good mood (but exhausted), and beers/stories start flowing. It was one of my favorite times of the day because you could relax and reflect on a day of surfing amazing waves with new friends. Also, you just happened to have an amazing view overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

These are a few sunset photos I took... I don't have anything else to say other than "ENJOY!" & "VISIT PERU!"

(recommend to click on the photos to view in full size)