Today, Art Levit led our camera club expedition. Art has some beautiful and intriguing work of aged buildings and graffiti. Where I scout out landscape work, Art looks for interesting and nearly extinct buildings. We went to Hercules to visit an old gunpowder(?) factory that was being actively demolished as we were worked. I was anxious to go on the field trip and anxious that I would not make any interesting images. After getting home and reviewing, I feel creatively charged and am anxious to try further images in this genre. Thanks Art!

This is my one of my first vertical panoramas. The stitching program has errors merging but I think that adds to the abstractness of the image. Therefore, I consider the errors a happy accident. You will probably see more of these types of images on my blog.

One more from Sunol on Saturday nite. Chip did not like this one but I did. I will admit that I like the color version better.

Found this one taken last month at Little Yosemite. The sharpness was not as good as I would have hoped.

Trying out making the mid-tones much darker. Think it gives a more painterly feel. For this shot, tried with and without the tree branch arcing over the top. Decided for the tree branch version for now.

After the terrible events of this week, I think my friend, Nona, has the right idea. “Practice acts of non violence everyday.”

One more from my 4th of July mini-vacation.

One more from last nite’s Sunol adventure. I spent quite a time on this one deciding how to crop. Not sure if it is perfect yet but better. If you are wondering, the orange color in the water is reflection from the browned up hillsides that was cropped out.

To celebrate the last of my four day weekend, went out to Sunol by myself for a quick visit. Tonite, decided to crawl around under the bridge. The grasses were beautiful and I will have to return.

One more that is similar to my recent work…

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Chip and I had plans to go out to the coast with the dogs for the holiday. Unfortunately, Bocifus developed a very upset stomach. Instead, we went out without the dogs to Sunol. Already the water level in Alameda creek has fallen significantly so that I can wade out to the middle of the creek. I had a difficult time deciding how to crop. I was looking for controlled eye movement that I learned in the Michael Seewald workshops.

Here is one more shot from the Berkeley Botanical gardens, a Matilija poppy. For this one, I needed three hands. One to hold the flower given the slight breeze. Another hand to hold the reflector to reduce the harsh light, and a third hand to trip the shutter.

Even though I was leaving, I stopped for the tiger lily…

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