Yellow Rose in my garden

Today is an interesting day at work. Someone "whispered" something to me and it somewhat changed the way I thought of her all along.
I remembered telling her that things don't seem to be what they appear to be. Deep down inside, I know I told myself that she doesn't seem to be the person she appears to be... interesting.
If she sees this rose, it is my way of saying that I hope things will get better from here. My best of luck to you, cheer up.

Crane in downtown San Jose

I took this shot downtown San Jose when I was trying to find a unique angle for the challenge in which the composition has to emphasize the power of a titled angle.
I ended up not using this photo for the challenge because I don't think it is powerful enough. However, the red crane breaking through the blue sky still makes me think.

Sexy photographer Santa

Well if you think that photographers are non-sexy, or even ugly people hiding behind the camera lens... think again. hahaha
And this is also in line with other Santa photos I posted from Santarchy 2004.
Merry Christmas !!!

"Color" Santa

I took this shot at the same Santarchy 2004 in San Francisco.
In the spirit of Christmas, I decided to post some Santas' photos. Even the frame is green to emphasize the red-green color of the Holiday.

New brushes

This shot is taken at home when I try out my new Canon 24-70 mm F2.8 L lens.
I am quite happy with the lens and the solid feel of it.

Santarchy 2004 in San Francisco

This photo is also taken in San Francisco during the Santarchy in San Francisco.
It was quite an event because the whole area was so red, so many Santa Claus at the same place. A closer look will reveal some interesting Santa characters.
I decided to not do any cropping so it can be a event shot on the street in which perfection is not the objective. If you have never been to an event like this, I suggest you find the chance to go.

Almaden Lake

I took this shot at Almaden Lake as a lens demonstration for a friend in Boulder, Colorado. I bought the Canon 17-40mm F4 L and he wanted to know if it is a solid and sharp lens to buy. Funny thing is, we spend an average of 5-10 minute every day telling each other what Canon lens to buy ... and non of us get any commision from Canon.
Now I look at it and realize how blue the sky is and how all that blue reflects on the water. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Another Santa character at Santarchy 2004

It is getting very close to Christmas and I can feel in everywhere, on the way to work, at work, on the way home, at the shopping center ...
As it is getting closer and closer to Christmas day, I will try to post some photos that helps waking up the spirit of the Holiday in your. And the real reason is I shoot many photos at the Santarchy in San Francisco and it make no sense posted them after Christmas.
This Santa character is very friendly, he poses for me to shoot. And the Canon 17-40mm F4 L lens is very sharp and fast.

Flower under the Winter sun

Everyone is out for Christmas shopping and so I took my brother's camera out to the front door and play with it. Under the bay window, the flower bed is dying in the cold of Winter. In the sun light, it is one of the 2 - 3 flowers left in the bush.
I have no idea what flower it is, I just feel the power of life behind it.

Take off

My friend show me her new photos she took in Santa Cruz. She is a photographer and those photos are for her business website.
One of her photo is a nice black and white bird photo. As soon as I saw the photo, it reminds me of a photo I took in Santa Cruz.

San Francisco Santarchy 2004

I found this "the Grinch" Santa Claus in the crowd of Santa Claus characters in San Francisco Santarchy 2004.
To find out what Santarchy is about, please visit www.santarchy.com . I am not a member of that but I happen to be around when they march the street of San Francisco.
It is very close to Xmas, I will be posting some Xmas photos in the next few days to bring out the Holiday spirit in all of us.
P.S. A friend of mine in Austin told me today that I should call-out that the character here in this photo is "the Grinch", so to make him happy ... I edited the words here

Beautiful dove

Tonite, I called my little friend in Los Angeles again to see if I can find any suggestion for what to post. She went on and on about the description for the photo I had posted the night before, yet she still claims :"... it is so funny ... but I don't know why ..."
Anyway, during the trip to the San Francisco Museum or Arts I photographed a few doves but I don't want to post them all at once. And since it's been a while since I posted bird, I asked her if she likes to look at another bird and she seems to be OK with it. Even though as usual, it is hard to know if she really likes it or just doesn't want to hurt my feelings.
If this photo reminds you of "Resting dove" then it is because it is on the same trip, different bird.

New rose after the rain

Tonite, I called my little friend in Los Angeles and she is not happy. She told me :" ... the past few days, I felt like the sky is full of dark clouds ... except when I am too busy studying to think of it ... "
To make it short, I found this vigorous young rose in my garden after the heavy rain the night before. You see, it is not only surviving the heavy rain, it seems to be growing strong and promises to be a beautiful rose in the garden. I hope you understand what I am trying to say.
For the rest of us... this is hand-held with the Canon 70-200 f4 L lens and the small moving target is not making it easier. I had to hold my breath to photograph it.
On the full size photo, the drops of water on the rose are so clear and sharp that I was blown away with the quality of the lens.
The frame is sort of cheezy but I thought since this is for my little friend, I might just add something a little girlish.

Santa of Santarchy 2004

I found this Santa Claus on the side of the street in Union Square during Santarchy 2004.
To understand what Santarchy is, please visit www.santarchy.com . I am not a member of that but I happen to be around when they march the street of San Francisco.
Among other wild and active Santas, this Santa seems to be very shy and quiet. And that uniqueness caught my eyes as I walked by. Her mysterious smile makes me wonder if she knew I photographed her or if she was just smiling at the crowd of Santa Claus marching the street.

Lonely leaf

It is interesting that when I was preparing this photo to post on the web, it reminds me of the other photos I posted before in the series of "Lonely ...", and so I name it Lonely Leaf.
The secret about this photo is that when I took it, it was a little bit out of focus, little out of focus but noticable. However, I decided to work on this photo to try out my newly learned technique of sharpening. Anyone who likes to sharpen a photo should definitely give Michael Soo's sharpening tool a try. Alternatively, this high-pass technique that I use is not that bad.
P.S.1 I am not trying to advertise for Michael, just give reference to useful stuff.
P.S.2 I worked on this Sunday but ended up holding the post til later so I just put in the correct time for record keeping purposes.

Night over Bay Bridge

This is for the guys in Michael Soo's group.
Saturday November 6th 2004, I went out to shoot the sunrise with this group at Fort Point, San Francisco. I made the first attempt to shoot a series for panorama.
After I told them that I try to shoot so that the photo can be barely touch the edge of the next one, they showed me how it should be done.
This is the second attempt at panorama and I think it is a little better than the first. It is a combination of 4 photos and yes they are each overlapping each other 1/3, just as you told me. Enjoy !!!

Rose and Vase

My little friend in Los Angeles called again and this time she said that she loves the rose photo I took in the kitchen. She keeps saying :" I like it... "
Well, Thi here is a shot of a different rose with a vase. The stale rose contrasts highly with the vase with a shape like a blossomed beauty.
I like the shadow on the counter even though some might think I should wash the shadow completely.

Napa through a bay window

I took this photo through a bay window of the tourist information center at one of the winery in the middle of the rolling hills of Napa valley.
I win a photo contest at work with this photo and it is on the company calendar for May 2005. Needless to say my calendar will be May for every month of the year next year ... hahaha. Eventually, I may get sick of it and change to something else but for now, that is my plan.

Indian American pot

One morning after the heavy storm, I woke up and about to take a shower when my dad says :"Check out the backyard, there are a few things to photograph"
And among a pile of green leaves from the neighbor's tree falling down after the rain, I found this pot on the ground. My parents brought it with them from Salt Lake city, Utah when they come over.

Winery in Helen

This photo is taken on the Napa trip. This winery is actually in Helen.
Helen is the next area up North from Napa. From what can tell, Napa Valley has more rolling hill wineries versus Helen with more flat-land wineries.
This old winery castle caught my eye with a little last sun light before dusk.
With this photo, I also try a new type of frame that looks like wood frame.

Rose at nightfall

Today, I took this shot in the kitchen. This is the first time I shoot with the present of my parents and so it is quite interesting for all of us because they finally see what I do with all the equipments I paid for. And I have a chance to shoot with the familiar smell from mom's cooking and dad's quiet support.
My mom keeps going around and asks me :" ... show it to me, show it to me ... why don't you shoot it when it was fresh ... ". So I decided to dedicate this shot to her.
Noone should be asking why ... but in case you wonder. I am sure we are all guilty of creating interesting things for lovers (yours or others), clients and heroes... but have you created anything for your parents? Maybe you do and I envy you, may be you don't and hopefully it is not too late. Well I may have done something for them, but I can not remember photographing anything dedicating to them. And it is so coincident that my mom's name is Rose in Vietnamese (Ho^`ng). I think this rose is beautiful even when it is no longer fresh.
Almost everything about this photo is bad: bad Photoshop work to remove the background; bad setup that causing the reflection of light on the sterm to be much lighter than if it is a real black background, bad composition that leave the object very much in the center ignoring the rule of third... but who is gonna be so forgiving to a person's work than mom and dad. My mom looks at it as a real work of art, not because she has no taste but because it is HER SON's work. I am not dedicating this photo to her because it is a bad photo, I do that because it is HER SON's work and to me it is shooting around them that is fun.
Therefore, this is for her... and for this many words on 1 photo, I think I love my mom even though I may not know it and may not act like it.
All the sudden, I remember an ode to my mom that my brother wrote a few years back and never present it to her... well, this will be the second.

Bixby Creek bridge

This bridge is amazing. Just to list a few things about it:
1. It is over 100 years old and still is still holding up strong. I heard that in South America, the similar effect was attempt and the ocean waves quickly washed away the bridge that stands in between the ocean and the mountain.
2. It is one of the most photograph highway/locations in California.
I am not trying to compete with many many photographers but the scene is truly breath-taking. I can not resist but to take a photograph.
For those who never saw it, enjoy it.

Mexican Dance

Mariachi Festival is one of the most colorful annually event in Mexican culture.
I went to this event in 2004 and got some nice shots.
This particular photo is probably not perfectly cropped... well they danced so fast, I have a small window of time to react.
However, the communication between the dancers that I feel like I captured here makes me very happy with it. I hope you like it too.

Rose in my garden

Last night, my dear little friend from Los Angeles called again and told me
"... anh Nhan, you don't post any photo of flowers... humm the tangerines, but it is not a flower ..."
Well, Thi this is what I came up with.
I would much rather photograph a tulip field than roses. However, I have not found a tulip garden in San Jose.
Therefore, if anyone knows anywhere near the Bay area that I can photograph tulip, please let me know.
The last time I shoot a tulip field was on my business trip to Seatle in the middle of Tulip Fest. I was shooting with a Canon film camera.
Too bad I have no idea where those photos are to scan them... so for now enjoy my rose.

Painter's palette

I took this on a photo trip to a winery in Napa Valley.
The colors was the effect of light and color on to canvas with parallel stripes of glass.
It is a brilliant work and amazingly when I shoot this photo, I did not quite expected that it turns out like this. No matter what I hope you enjoy it.