The Glow of the Metropolis

Looking down on the metropolis of Hong Kong as it glows in the night sky. 

Behind Open Windows

A lone man waits in the Star Ferry terminal as the metropolis of Hong Kong towers over him in the background. 

The Metropolis - II

In my previous post, I showed some images of Hong Kong from the rooftops. The images in this post were taken over the same couple of days... but from a different perspective (at sea level). All of the shots were taken while on the Star Ferry or while waiting to board the Star Ferry. Looking back at these images, I'm still shocked to see how crisp/clean the air is. There will be days when you can barely see across the harbour.

The Metropolis - I

During a trip to Asia last year, I had a layover in Hong Kong... and was lucky enough to be there on one of the clearest days of the year! Therefore, I made my way to some of my favorite rooftop bars and took some photos. I don't think I will ever get sick of looking at these views.

Man Mo Temple - Sheung Wan

I was looking through some of my old photo albums and noticed these photos I took while traveling in Hong Kong. I was wandering around the streets in Central and stumbled across a temple on Hollywood Rd - Man Mo Temple. My primary reason for going inside was to escape the dreadful heat. However, once inside, I found a very inviting and peaceful environment. Pausing for a moment under the giant hanging incense coils was a pleasant contrast from the hectic pace of the surrounding area.

SB Winter Sunset

 Enjoying a "winter sunset" in Santa Barbara...

An Evening at Butterfly Beach - Chapter V (the end)

As I made my way back to the warmth of my car, I took one last glimpse at the ocean. The sun only showed itself for about 45 minutes this day... but it was a memorable 45 minutes. I hope you enjoyed the slide show! 

An Evening at Butterfly Beach - Chapter IV

The sun has retreated behind the clouds... but the sky and ocean continue to glow. I loved the silhouette of the palm trees in the background. At this point, I was getting quite cold and was looking forward to joining my surfboards in the warm car. 

An Evening at Butterfly Beach - Chapter III

This was my last glimpse of the sun that evening... it looked as if the sun was shooting rays of light into the ocean as the clouds forced its retreat. As quickly as the sun peaked out, it disappeared again. 

An Evening at Butterfly Beach - Chapter II

After I saw the sun peak out from behind the fog, I walked back up the beach. Everything started to turn gold as the sun neared the horizon. For this shot, I was trying to show the reflection in the water... and the cold ocean water surged forward as I approached it (my feet felt like ice blocks). However, I think the photograph was worth the temporary pain. 

An Evening at Butterfly Beach - Chapter I

I went for a late afternoon surf at Rincon several weeks ago. The waves were small, the water was cold, it was windy, and I was surrounded by fog... definitely not the best conditions. I only stayed out for about an hour (had just wanted to go for a paddle). As I was leaving the parking lot and getting onto the freeway to head north, I noticed a clearing in the fog... It seemed to be getting pushed out to sea. Since I had my camera with me, I decided to head to another beach and take some photos (hoping to see a sunset). I parked my car and started to walk down the beach. As I neared the end of the path, I noticed that the sun had peaked out from behind the clouds....

An Afternoon in the Clouds

During my last trip to Chicago, my mom and I went for an urban hike in downtown (during the start of the polar vortex). I was proud of myself for making it a few blocks before I started complaining. We found ourself at the top of the John Hancock Tower. The sun had already gotten quite low in the sky... it created some cool shadows and provided a high contrast for these photos. I forgot what a nice view it was from up there. Although, I'm still not a fan of the Trump Tower (thought about photoshopping the building out). Enjoy!

A Hike Through the Utah Backcountry

Before heading back to California, we decided to go on a little hike through the backcountry. I had planned to climb to the top of a ridge to take a photo of the surrounding landscape... however, the snow was much too deep and I did not have proper equipment (needed snowshoes and pants!). Therefore, I was limited to taking photos from the trail. Next time I will plan better. Utah has a very beautiful landscape!

And the Light Shines Down Upon Us

Pulled off to the side of the road on our way up to the Brighton Ski Resort... and this is what we saw. The Wasatch Range is very beautiful.  

Sunsets Over SLC

Salt Lake City is one of the most polluted cities in the United States during the winter months. It's unfortunate, because there are some incredible views that get covered in haze. The reason for the pollution is not because of factories or cars... but rather a "Winter Inversion". Inversions occur during the winter months when normal atmospheric conditions (cool air above, warm air below) become inverted. Inversions trap a dense layer of cold air under a layer of warm air. The warm layer acts much like a lid, trapping pollutants in the cold air near the valley floor. The Wasatch Front valleys and their surrounding mountains act like a bowl, keeping this cold air in the valleys. The snow-covered valley floors reflect rather than absorb the heat from the sun, preventing the normal vertical mixing of warm and cold air. Fog exacerbates the problem, facilitating chemical reactions that create even more particles and higher pollutant concentrations. The longer the inversion lasts, the higher the levels of pollution trapped under it. The warm inversion air layer is usually displaced by a strong storm system which restores air quality to healthy levels.

One positive effect of the inversion is that it makes for some unique sunsets! The air almost glows... and it makes it seem like you're looking at an abstract painting. These are a few photos I took just as the sun had dipped below the mountains.

Sunrise Over SLC

I traveled to Utah for the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow... and instead of staying in one of the downtown hotels, I opted for a "Luxury Ski House" that I found on airbnb. The house was very well designed and was within a short distance of both the ski resorts and downtown. However, the best part about it was the view from the balcony. The house was perched on top of the foothills in Salt Lake City... and you had an incredible view of the entire valley. Unfortunately, the pollution was so bad that we could barely see the mountains the first few days (the smog did make the sunsets glow a bit more, but kind of ruined the sunrises)... luckily, a wind came through later in the week and pushed the smog away. These are a couple of photos I took on the last (and clearest) day just as the sun had risen.