Happy Seal

I took this photo a few days ago when I went to my Brother's graduation (Law School) in San Diego.
I initially just wanted to get a close-up of the seal's face with the shadow on the sand but after reviewing the pictures I noticed the sleeping seal had a sort of smile on its face. I'm sure it's just how they normally look but I always find it interesting how we give human charactistics to animals.
Also it reminded me of how nice it is to lie out on the beach when the weather is nice.
This is one a large group of seals that lounge on the protective coves around La Jolla, which is about 20 minutes north of San Diego.

Canon 20D, 70-200 f/4.0L, AV 4.5
[click photo to enlarge]

Nice Hand

I took this photo mainly to play with shallow depth of field. For anyone who has played Texas Hold 'Em poker, this is a very welcome sight.
I tried to simulate what a person playing poker would focus on in this situation. By using a 4.0 aperture, I was able to keep only the A of the cards sharp while blurring the rest.
I also set up the scene so that only poker chips were in the background.
Setting up still life scenes is a good way to exercise your photography habit when the weather isn't so great (I think it was raining on this day).

Canon 20D, Tamron 28-75 2.8, AV 4.0
[click photo to enlarge]

Criminal Squirrel

The strange title for this photo comes from the story behind this shot. I took this photo while staying in my Aunt's home in India last summer. The netting you see on the window is to prevent mosquitos from flying into the room.
Apparently this squirrel picked up the scent of choclate in my room, pulled back the velcro that held the edge of the netting down, crawled on the netting and into the room. From there he opened a closet door and climbed up a shelf, opened a bag of choclate, took a piece and ran off.
I walked in on a seperate occasion to take this photo of him trying to break back in.
I like how the soft diffused lighting creates a sort of glow behind the squirrel and how he breaks up the symmetry of the window and screen.

Canon 20D, 50mm 1.4, AV f 2.0
[click photo to enlarge]

Two Windows

I took this photo in Valley Forge National Park earlier this year. I noticed the two similar windows of this small building near George Washington's base during the revolutionary war.
I managed to get image of the old Valley Forge train station reflected in the glass while keeping also capturing the light from the opposite window.
I used the frame of the window to split the image up into elements. The put the fence in the bottom two panes, the train station in the top left and the other window in the top right.
Overall the interplay between the reflected and real images and the light make an interesting image.

Canon 20D, Tamron 28-75 2.8, AV 5.0
[click photo to enlarge]

Bridge Out

While I generally like to convey a sense of peace and balance in my photos somtimes it's nice to take a different approach.
This shot of an old bridge out sign near Valley Forge National Park is an inentionally cluttered and confusing image. The strong colors of the sign combine with the tangled mess of vines and graffiti to create a visual overload.
I bumped up the contrast and saturation in order to emphasize the grittiness and visual confusion of the shot. I feel the photo is an interesting combination of natural and artificial vandalism (vines and graffiti) that is strangely interesting.

Canon 20D, Tamron 28-75 2.8, AV 5.0
[click photo to enlarge]

Bubble Tuna

I took this photo of the deep water exhibit at the Monterey Bay Aquarium from the upper viewing area. This huge tank holds big tuna and other fish found in deep ocean water. It's the same tank where the first great white shark to survive in captivity was displayed.

The bubbles you see in the photo are created near the glass so that when the aquarium is empty or not that busy, the fish know there's a barrier and don't run into it.
I like this photo because it conveys the immense size of the tank and how it draws viewers in.

Canon 20D, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5, AV f3.5
[click photo to enlarge]

Seeing Red

I took this shot in January when Robyn and I were walking around San Francisco.
I noticed this sign because of the intense red colors in it which were further enhanced by the bright direct sunlight. In order to focus on the intensity of the image and to capture the woman's gaze I framed the ad with a crosswalk sign.
As a result the darkness of the 'frame' make the center image pop out of the dreary and dimly lit background. It also has a strange quality as if the model in the ad is actually looking through the traffic sign.
I am always looking for ways advertisements interact with everyday life and things as you can see from this previous shot.

Canon 20D, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5, AV f5.0
[click photo to enlarge]

Hill Tree

This is a simple image I took last winter near my parents home near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was taken in a small local park made so migratory birds had a place to land.
I took the photo near sunset so the grass would have a nice glow and look like it was on fire. Also I liked how the diagonal of the hill played with the diagonal of the snow near the bottom. The only tricky part was making sure I didn't get my shadow in the frame.

Canon 20D, Tamron 28-75 2.8, AV 4.5
[click photo to enlarge]

People Watching

I took this photo in San Francisco earlier this year. At first I just thought the man sitting and looking out of the window would make an interesting photograph with the strong reflections in the window. After noticing the woman walking up the hill I set up the shot so that having her in the corner balanced out the image.
The white wall behind the woman simplifies that side of the image in contrast to the business of the left side. Also the strange and varied light throughout the frame gives the photo some depth.
Overall I was happy to capture a simple but interesting slice of everyday life.

Canon 20D, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5, AV f5.6
[click photo to enlarge]

City Symbols

I took this photo in New York last year. I set it up to include the three distinct symbols of a traffic cone, the American flag and the neon sign for Radio City Music Hall.
Although it isn't a 'traditional' composition I think the similar color of the elements within the rough city background makes it an interesting shot.

Canon 20D, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5, AV f4.5
[click photo to enlarge]

Finding Peace

Well I'm back to posting after about a month long break.
Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it. I'll probably be posting once every few days or so, daily posting was a bit too much. Law School is going well and I put a few more links to my newspaper articles at the bottom of the page.
I took this photo on a rainy day in Big Sur on the Northern California coast. I liked how the rain and the soft overcast sky created a peaceful scene for the Budha statue. Also the sense of scale and depth seemed to fit nicely with the 'Zen' of the image.

Canon 20D, 24-85mm 3.5-4.5, AV f8.0
[click photo to enlarge]