ellen l. shaylor photoblog

words of advice

2011-03-23T15:39:00.000-07:00

one of my favorites. taken with my iphone a while back at SCRAP...

frameline34

2010-06-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

in addition to attending many excellent films at frameline34 last week, i was also one of the volunteer photographers. it was a blast shooting parties and panels, and i hope to do it again next year. the above shots are a few of my personal favorites.

SF loves a parade...

2010-06-02T14:11:00.000-07:00

if there's one thing i've learned living in san francisco, it's that we know how to throw a party! san franciscans don't need a reason to put on a costume and dance, so when there is a reason, you'd better believe folks show up full force. i've attended quite a few parades, festivals, and other such events in the city, and SFCAT's annual Carnaval Celebration of Arts and Culture is definitely one of my favorites. and now that i live in the neighborhood, it's great to have such a cool parade only blocks from my house!

from the set of the insomniacs... two years later

2010-01-15T17:25:00.000-08:00

a couple of years ago i had the good fortune to shoot stills on the set of a great little indie short, the insomniacs. the film was shot on super 16mm, so i shot film as well, to match the look. this was the first time i shot stills on a movie set, and i instantly fell in love with it, despite the fact that my camera broke mid-production and had to be literally held together with gaffers tape. ah, good times!

the insomniacs showed in several festivals, both national and international. it has continued to garner accolades from the press and is now out on dvd in a collection of lesbian shorts. all of this means that i am suddenly encountering the above photo of skyler cooper and jenoa harlow in magazines and on websites, which i have to say is pretty cool! you can view more photos from the set of the insomniacs by clicking here or on the photo above. and don't forget to order your copy of this great short film from altcinema.

just an old faded photograph?

2010-01-04T16:54:00.000-08:00

of course one of my favorite photographic subjects is my nephew. i know i'm biased, but he is one cute kid. recently, i've been playing around more with processing and effects in the lightroom 3 beta. i added some grain and vignetting and desaturated this one a bit to give it a faded film look.

way down here you need a reason to move...

2009-12-14T15:44:00.000-08:00

i was lucky enough to spend a few days in puerto vallarta, mexico. i unfortunately wasn't there long enough to spend much time in puerto vallarta itself and didn't get to shoot any there. however, i was able to take some snapshots around the hotel and the nearby village and beach, la jolla de mismaloya. the 1964 john huston version of the tennessee williams' play night of the iguana was filmed here. it is amazingly beautiful, but unfortunately much of the film location has eroded away.

trees grow in manhattan

2009-11-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

when most people think of new york city, and manhattan in particular, they think of traffic, busy people, honking horns, excitement, hustle and bustle. when i was there last month, i experienced all of that, but i also managed to find a different new york. i was strolling through central park on a beautiful fall sunday when i came across this vacant bench surrounded by a gorgeous display of the changing season. such a quiet, peaceful place in the middle of one of the busiest places on earth. i almost managed to forget where i was!

...all is groovy

2009-10-24T20:22:00.000-07:00

i've been in new york city for the past few days attending the photoplus expo & conference. because new york is the city that never sleeps, i am actually able to pretty much stay on my west coast schedule while here. of course, this means shooting a lot in the dark! the first photo is of the queensborough bridge from roosevelt island, looking east. the second is 42nd st outside of grand central station.

at pebble beach

2009-10-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

2009-10-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

lately i've spent lots of time on design sites (such as apartment therapy) looking for ideas and inspiration while setting up our new space. they always have such great photos to accompany their examples, so i gave myself the challenge of photographing some of the elements in our home. i am very much a details person, so that's mostly what i ended up focusing on.

09.09.09

2009-09-10T14:53:00.000-07:00

i participated in the worldwide moment project event on september 9. people all around the world, at the exact same moment, took a photo for peace. it's kind of a cool concept, to have lots of people thinking about peace at the same time. anyway, this is my shot. i've photographed toy soldiers with anti-war messages in the past both in san francisco and washington, dc. to see more of those images, click on the photo. to learn more about the worldwide moment project visit worldwidemoment.org.

mission snapshots

2009-08-25T15:33:00.000-07:00

i've been super busy unpacking my new house and setting up my new studio, so i haven't gone out "officially" shooting in my new 'hood, but i wanted to share a couple snapshots i took with my phone.

it's all in the details...

2009-07-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

my partner and i just bought a condo in the mission district of san francisco (thanks to the tireless efforts of the best agent ever). i am so excited about all the creative opportunities that setting up a new space entails, and especially the fact that i will have a dedicated room for working, as opposed to a corner! the new place, besides being in a great neighborhood, is full of big windows with amazing views, lots of light, and wonderful period details. i feel very inspired there, and can't wait to get everything moved so i can start creating in my new space.

street snaps

2009-07-07T14:30:00.000-07:00

just some snapshots from a couple of weekends ago.

wishful thinking...

2009-06-23T14:28:00.000-07:00

mmm... there's nothing like red velvet cake!

on vacation with action jack...

2009-06-09T10:29:00.000-07:00

i'm on vacation with my family in south carolina, so i'm of course taking a lot of snapshots of my almost one year old nephew. he doesn't stop moving, so capturing a shot of him can be challenging. this is his first time at the beach, and he has absolutely no qualms about the sand or surf. as you can see here, he is rushing right in to the next wave.

WAR IS OVER (if you want it)

2009-05-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

let's bring our troops home from unnecessary wars. happy memorial day. imagine peace!

bay to breakers 2009

2009-05-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

i can only report on what i observed on my corner of the race route, but i think yesterday's bay to breakers race went off pretty well. i blogged earlier in the year about all of the rule changes to the event, many of which i was unhappy about. as someone who lives on the race route, i can appreciate the uproar about some of the issues of public drunkenness. i am not a fan of folks using my driveway, house, and car as a toilet, for sure. however, i was not in favor of stripping the event completely of it's originality by outlawing floats, costumes, nudity and alcohol. not to mention the fact that it is absurd to think that the authorities would be able to keep 65,000+ participants in check.

the addition of more portable toilets along the route was a huge help, at least at my corner, in curbing some of the problems of the past. it was an amazing day in san francisco - sunny and about 90 degrees (not a high we crack very often). as an observer and photographer, i was kind of bummed about the loss of the floats. one of the things i love about living in this city is that people go all out when it comes to creative pursuits, even if they are really just a cover for transporting kegs through the city! i was at least glad to see that many people still went all-out with their costumes.

and in my mind, it shows some real commitment to dress up in full suits as secret service and push a presidential podium complete with keg up the hayes hill in the kind of heat we had yesterday. i think if you are willing to put that much effort into it, you should get to keep your keg! but, hey, i don't make the rules. the guys in the top picture were pretty good sports when the police ejected their keg. they went and dropped it at a friend's house and then came back to join the party, er, race.

overall, in my small corner of the world, i'd call the day a success. of course, there are other reports, but i'm keeping my fingers crossed that in the future compromises can continue to be made to help keep some of the spirit and originality of san francisco intact.

instant gratification

2009-05-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

before there were digital cameras, instant gratification came in the form of a 3.5" x 4.25" rectangle that, like something out of a harry potter novel, popped out of a camera only seconds after the shutter was clicked and developed right there in front of your eyes. i acquired a polaroid camera for $5 on a recent shopping trip to SCRAP (Scroungers Center for Reusable Art Parts) and was delighted to find that it actually works! unfortunately, the film is being discontinued despite a resurgence in popularity of this type of photography. there is hope out there, however, for analog geeks like me. a group of folks, among them a former polaroid employee, are in the process of collaborating to invent a new instant film pack. check it out here.

let me take you down, cause i'm going...

2009-05-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

i woke up this morning, very happy to see the sun had reappeared, and decided to drive out to the beach with my camera. i sat out there for over an hour, shooting kids playing and birds flying, but as i was on my way back into town, i noticed this guy on the corner and i just knew i had to shoot him and his wares. i loved how tasty the strawberries looked in the morning sunlight. in fact, they looked so good i bought a whole bunch. now i can't wait to eat 'em - yummy!

...reachin' out to capture a moment, everyone knows its windy...

2009-04-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

it's been pretty windy here in the bay area for the past few days. thankfully, the sunshine has helped to make the chilly breezes more bearable. i hadn't been out shooting in a couple of weeks, and my camera was staring at me, so i did some shooting in and around my house. the backyard is covered in weeds at the present moment, but they have lovely little flowers on them, so i kind of liked how they looked swaying in the wind. despite the abundant sunlight, a low ISO setting, and a wide open aperture, the really short exposure i chose in this shot managed to technically underexpose the photo, but i liked the effect.

...it's a wonder i can think at all...

2009-04-21T13:45:00.000-07:00

fo•cus:

noun

• a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity

• the clear and sharply defined condition of an image; the position of a viewed object or the adjustment of an optical device necessary to produce such an image

verb

• to bring into focus

• to concentrate

as a photographer, all of these definitions are applicable. however, given the current heat wave in the bay area, i'm finding it quite difficult to focus on some of the more mundane aspects of my work, such as organizing and marketing. oh, who am i kidding, blaming the weather. i never enjoy focusing on those aspects, i'd rather just go out and shoot!

in your easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it

2009-04-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

yesterday's 30th anniversary easter celebration in dolores park was a grand affair complete with egg races for the kids and an easter bonnet contest. it was tough trying to pick just two photos to post here, as in true san francisco fashion, there were lots of creative costumes, bonnets and picnic spreads. thanks to the sisters of perpetual indulgence for this great sf tradition. to see more shots from the day, visit my flickr feed.

hangin' with my peeps...

2009-04-10T11:20:00.000-07:00

happy easter/passover/spring!

LA photoshoot

2009-04-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

while in LA, i had the opportunity to do a photoshoot for some actress friends, shannon mcmanus and nicola singer. we shot at a beautiful rooftop location in marina del rey overlooking the ocean. unfortunately, however, because it was a natural light shoot, as the day wore on and the sun rose higher in the sky, we had to move inside. a stairwell inside the house ended up working very well and actually formed a sort of giant softbox, so we got some really great shots there. these are just a couple of my favorite shots. you can see some more by clicking on the above photos.

"yes, this is sunset blvd..."

2009-03-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

i spent the weekend in L.A. while there, i did a rooftop shoot of a couple of actress friends in marina del rey and did a bit of sight-seeing. while i prefer the public transportation and walking options san francisco affords me better than being in all that traffic, i did enjoy my trip. i was able to visit the getty, (which i totally recommend - it has amazing art, gardens, and views of the city and the best part is, it's free), griffith observatory, (also free and very cool), the watts towers, and (of course) hollywood. on my way to LAX to fly home, my friend marina insisted i try a mocha from intelligentsia in silverlake. though not the fabled section of sunset boulevard, i thought the street sign framed with the shopping center sign made a good photo. to see more photos from my trip to L.A. go here.

"that hoodie scarf sure is cute!" ............ "sew is your face"

2009-03-19T20:02:00.000-07:00

now that the sew is your face etsy shop is up and running, michelle is busy cranking out new hoodie scarves and tie bracelets, which means i get to be busy shooting them. we were back up on the roof on a really warm day for this shoot. there was plenty of natural light up there, probably not the best light truthfully as it was midday, but sometimes you have to work around everyone's schedules. when necessary, i used a reflector to bounce light into the shadows to show off the products. these are a couple of my favorite shots.

playing around...

2009-03-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

i've recently been working on a self-assigned "project." i shot some 300 photos of marshmallow peeps and other easter candy to create easter and spring cards for my new etsy shop. setting up the shop actually took much longer than i had anticipated, but i am happy to say i now have 6 easter/spring cards for sale and will hopefully have some other cards to offer in the very near future.

i had a lot of fun shooting this "project", and eating the candy afterwards! (in the end, i'd always rather be shooting). i shot many with a blank or solid colored background, so i thought it would be fun to play around with them in photoshop. this is a very crude mash-up of one of the peeps photos with another of my photos of the painted ladies, which i've phlogged about in the past. just a silly thing to make me smile. please check out my cards on etsy and check back for more peeps photos later this spring.

"where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars"

2009-03-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

here in san francisco, we are blessed with many different types of public transportation. it can get a little confusing at times, actually. in addition to the popular cable cars and streetcars, we have electric-powered buses, biodiesel buses, underground trains, and BART. though the cable cars are a main tourist attraction, they are also used by locals who live along the route and are operated by muni. the F-line of historic streetcars is also used by commuters, but is gaining in popularity with tourists, as well. many tourists don't know the difference between the cable cars and historic streetcars and lump them all together into the category of "trolley". (a bit of a sore spot for many san franciscans, i'm afraid.)
i found myself on the F-car the other day and went to the back to take a few shots through the window of a rainy market street and the ferry building. when i turned around, i realized the inside of the streetcar was the interesting shot. this particular car is from milan. as i was riding and looking around at the others, it was easy to imagine myself in another place, another time.
the shot of the toy cable cars is from a store down at pier 39. i just liked how they looked all lined up on the shelf. it would have been interesting to use a tilt-shift lens for this shot. i ended up cropping it quite a bit, and may still play around with it some in photoshop, though i'm not big on creating effects in post - i'd rather do it while shooting.

golden gate park

2009-02-27T17:10:00.000-08:00

we are well into the rainy season here in san francisco. for the past week, it's been clear during the day, only beginning to rain in the late evening and continuing through the night. this works out quite nicely, as you can imagine. i was in golden gate park on one such clear day earlier in the week. it was actually the first really clear, warmish day of the stretch, so there were lots of people out enjoying it.

on the lawn in front of the conservatory of flowers, my friend and i happened upon an impromptu band. there were at least 10 folks there jamming, with everything from an electric guitar to a clarinet to an alpenhorn. one of the drummers had even thought to bring some maracas and tambourines for the kids.

the other shot is from the japanese tea garden. i wanted to get a shot with the tea house in the background, or at least a pagoda, but it was midday and the light just wasn't cooperating. i like this one, though. the blue of the teapot stands out against the brown of the table and greens of trees in the background. i missed snagging a shot of the cheeky squirrel that leapt on the table just as i clicked the shutter. before i could fire again, he was gone.

up on the roof

2009-02-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

i had another product shoot for sew is your face on monday. it was lots of fun, as always, and this time we used the roof for some of the shots. san francisco scenery made a pretty dramatic backdrop for the photos; definitely not your normal, boring product shots. i think we've decided that we are going to have to go back up there to shoot everything from now on! thankfully, neither of us has john "scottie" ferguson's issues.

i felt a little like i was the photographer on a reality show. this shot probably isn't the best for showing off the product, but i just loved the sassy attitude. click on the photo to see more from monday's shoot. and check out the sew is your face storefront on artfire.

happy valentine's day!

2009-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:00

originality purge of san francisco... bay to breakers goes dry edition

2009-02-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

i'm adding my two cents to the recent chatter about Bay to Breakers, the foot race/citywide-in-the-streets-keg-party held every year in may. this is a snap i made after the race a couple of years ago, before the street sweeper hit divisadero. i live right along the race route, and i'll confess, things got a little out of hand last year. there was a record turnout and drunken revelers were unable to handle the turn off of hayes street onto divisadero. this meant a lot of sloppy drunks ended up spilling up hayes leaving a lot of trash in their wake. there were also quite a few who felt the need to relieve themselves on yards and houses. it was a mess. however, i do not think the "solution" put forth by the corporate sponsor (ING), the neighborhood association, and the city is the way to go. for years, this race has been not just about who can make it from the bay, up the hayes hill, and to the ocean, but about how creatively they can do it! the frat party atmosphere can be a bit trying at times, but it's all in good fun, and san franciscans who are not participating come out in droves to watch the fabulous costumes and floats, and to party with their neighbors. unlike halloween in the castro, there hasn't been any violence to threaten this event, and it irritates me that the NIMBY's and corporate sponsors are going to do away with yet another thing that makes sf unique. why not come up with better solutions like more garbage/recycling cans and porta-potties. we can deal with a little trash once a year. everywhere gets a little trashy, sometimes. what we can't deal with is the continual purge of the things that make our city unique.

ladybug, ladybug fly away home

2009-02-03T18:35:00.000-08:00

it was another gorgeous day in the upper 60's here in the bay area, and to take advantage i went hiking with my sister at redwood regional park, in the east bay. we happened upon this swarm of ladybugs also basking in the sunny day. i had the 20mm lens on the camera, but luckily had my 50mm macro along as well, so i was able to change the lens and get some close-ups. i have to admit, had these been any other type of bug, i'm not sure i'd have wanted to get as close. i'm not really insect squeamish, but there were so many it was borderline horror movie freakish.

of the people, by the people, for the people

2009-01-26T15:31:00.000-08:00

i'm finally back home from washington, d.c. and able to sort through my photos. though i did shoot a lot while there, i have to admit that during the actual inauguration, i had to put my camera down for a minute and really soak in what was happening. to be a part of something like that was truly a once in a lifetime experience. i tried to capture some of the excitement in the city and just the sheer magnitude of the event through my photos, but i'm sure i didn't come close. it was really nice to be happy for a change in d.c. (i use to live there and most of my photos from that time consist of protests- of the war, of bush, etc)

the most open inauguration in history, attended by more people than any other event on the national mall, was a great start to a presidency that promises a lot. most importantly, it was a good sign that perhaps people will once again want to become engaged in their government. let's hope it continues.

(click on the photos above to see more of my images from the inauguration)

obamania

2009-01-20T20:03:00.000-08:00

obama ice sculpture outside of ben's chili bowl on martin luther king, jr. day, a.k.a. inauguration eve.

...dancing on the head of a pin...

2009-01-05T11:45:00.000-08:00

i did a product shoot for sew is your face on saturday. michelle is super creative and between the two of us we came up with some pretty interesting ways to make things like pin cushions and yards of fabric look pretty awesome, not to mention the hoodie scarves and tie bracelets. i just love doing shoots with people who are excited about their work because it helps me to stay excited about mine, too. i'm looking forward to working with sew is your face some more. be sure to check out michelle's blog and look for her products on etsy in the very near future, and click on the photo to see more from saturday's shoot.

just jack

2008-12-27T17:41:00.000-08:00

i went to south carolina for the holidays, along with my siblings. my brother has a 6-month old, so of course jack immediately became my portrait subject. he's used to the fame, however, as he was on television and in the paper at one day old (his dad is a producer on good morning america).

deserted desert building

2008-12-13T11:43:00.000-08:00

on a recent trip to palm springs, i visited indian canyons. there were clay roof tiles stacked in two different little buildings by the road, and i couldn't resist the afternoon light and shadows. i took some black and white film, too, but haven't had a chance to develop it. once i do, there will be more desert and palm springs photos posted in the places section of my site.

sharing a park bench

2008-12-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

overlooking dolores park from the corner of church and 20th on a recent sunny day.

on set

2008-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

working as motion picture stills photographer is one of my favorite things. i'm currently working with reid gershbein and the royal baronial theatre on their latest project, "here. my explosion...". i was on set yesterday for the first time. sometimes shooting stills on a movie set can be really stressful, (you can't shoot when sound is rolling b/c the shutter click will get picked up, you have to maneuver around all the equipment, the AD throws you out of the room) but these guys are totally laid back and a lot of fun to work with. you can see more of my motion picture stills photography here.

initially a film shooter...

2008-11-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

i started out as a film photographer, and i still love to shoot film. i recently shot some black and white film around town and even just in the garage. i had my 50mm macro lens mounted, so i concentrated on a lot of extreme close-ups, as well as working on estimating correct f-stops. these type-set letters were outside of an antique store in piedmont, and i couldn't resist shooting my initials...

happy halloween...and vote!

2008-10-31T17:41:00.000-07:00

Since I couldn't get indie, my black cat, to get excited about participating in a halloween shoot, I'm using a shot from last year. And of course I couldn't pass up an opportunity to get political with my pumpkin this year. Don't eat so much candy that you can't make it to the polls on Tuesday!

my cake is dough (at least i wish it were)

2008-10-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

i've always had an unhealthy obsession with eating cake. i blame heredity. when i was a kid and my grandmother would bake us a cake, it would always arrive minus at least one piece. she claimed she had to "make sure it tasted okay." as an adult i am not very fond of baking cakes, but i sure have no problem making sure they taste okay. that goes for cupcakes, too, which have become quite trendy in the last few years. in fact, i'm certain i am single-handedly keeping the cupcake specific bakeries of the bay area in business. whenever the cupcake fairy makes a delivery to me - which happens really quite often - i try to show some restraint. i generally pull out a camera of some sort, and take a few photos (usually to make friends jealous) before digging in. today however, i went a little further. i pulled out the cupcakes that arrived last night from sprinkles (the popular l.a. bakery which now has a palo alto location), set up some lighting and reflection right there in my kitchen, and started photographing these yummy concoctions. this is one trend i have no problem being part of. so, cupcake bakery owners of the world, hire me! i'll even take cake as dough!

friends of photoworks show

2008-10-17T09:46:00.000-07:00

just thought i'd post this for those of you unable to make it to tonight's friends of photoworks flickr group show at photoworks. it was taken earlier this summer at muir woods.

lights, camera, another blog post...

2008-10-15T14:57:00.000-07:00

haven't posted in a while because i've been extremely busy. had another shoot for my cinematography class which, in addition to including loads of math, turned into an all-nighter. unfortunately, i didn't have a chance to shoot any photos. instead i thought i'd share this one with you. it is from a shoot that i worked on (as the stills photographer) a while ago for a local movie, batgirl. the editing is finished, so i'm working on delivering the almost 500 photos from the multi-day shoot to the directors and thought i'd share one of my favorites. this was taken during a break and actually has nothing to do with the movie, but i loved the light on that creepy doll and couldn't resist. i feel like the light stand and cord in the background of the shot somehow ties it into my life of late since the recent all-night shoot was a lighting exercise.

new angle on an old standard

2008-10-05T22:46:00.000-07:00

i have a friend in town, so we've been doing the tourist thing. she was just as fascinated by the golden gate bridge as i am, so there was plenty of opportunity to get a fresh angle, as we walked out on the span, stopped at the vista points on either side, drove up into the marin headlands, and walked around in the presidio, too. there are so many places in the city that you can see the bridge and get different takes on it; i have tons already. this was just my favorite from today's outing.

A is for abolition...

2008-09-30T14:58:00.000-07:00

i attended the CR 10 conference over the weekend, at laney college in oakland. i didn't shoot as many photos as i might have liked since i was volunteering, but i did have my little canon point and shoot with me. after a long day of strategizing ways to fight the prison industrial complex, activists gathered on the steps to soak up the last bit of the sun for the day. i found it fitting that they gathered at the "A" section of campus. for more information on fighting the PIC, visit critical resistance.org.

auspicious autumn...

2008-09-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

autumn signals a lot of things. back to school. football season. halloween. harvest time. fall stirs in me a feeling that pretty much anything is possible. i suppose it is left over from all those first days of school, when what the new year would bring was still left to the imagination. and in most places, fall also means better weather. although we don't ever have really bad weather here in the bay area (at least not if you've ever lived on the east coast), fall is the time that the fog lifts and we get some of the most amazingly clear blue sky days possible. i live a block away from one of the most photographed places in san francisco, but instead of avoiding it, i walk up the hill from time to time looking for something new to shoot, some new way to see it. here's today's shot, in celebration of the first day of fall.

change is good!

2008-09-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

change is good in a lot of ways. as a kid i remember watching mr. rogers, who came in every afternoon and changed his shoes and sweater. i didn't really get why, but he seemed happy to be doing it, and the background music seemed to denote that it was a good thing, too. change can also be hard, or even scary. there is a lot of hard, scary change going on in the economy right now. we may all need to soon be counting our change (and looking under the sofa cushions for more) if things don't get better. the change i am most looking forward to is the one that will happen in january, when we change administrations. i believe the best change will come from barack obama. well, that's my $0.02 anyway...

focus, focus, focus (oh, and do some math)

2008-09-16T16:05:00.000-07:00

i'm currently taking a cinematography class at CCSF. we shot our first 16mm film assignment this weekend - a 25 second shot with a rack focus. i actually had my camera there for a prop, but was hoping to get some shots of us working. there wasn't much time for anything other than setting up each shot and shooting it, but i managed to snap a few at the end of the day (9 hrs later). kids, i was once like you, questioning why in the world i would ever need math in real life, but i'm here to tell you, if you have aspirations that in any way involve a camera of any type, start paying attention in class. especially the day they cover fractions. i'm just sayin'...

forget it, jake, it's chinatown

2008-09-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

i went by the fortune cookie factory to pick up some chocolate fortune cookies for my uncle, who is apparently addicted, and figured i'd take my camera along. i got a few shots at the factory, but liked this one that i took outside one of those stores full of, well, junk made in china...

right to pass

2008-09-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

i was out the other day and spotted this placard in the sidewalk at a very busy corner. i couldn't resist sitting at the scene and grabbing a few shots of passers-by. it reads: right to pass by permission, and subject to control, of owner. section 1008 civil code.

sun shines through

2008-09-08T18:23:00.000-07:00

we've had a pretty foggy summer here in sf. personally, i'm a fan, because while the rest of the country is languishing in the heat, we stay nice and cool. anyway, after two anomolous weeks of heat and sun, we got back to normal. this was a mostly cloudy/foggy day, but also windy, so the sky would clear for seconds at a time and the sun would burst through. luckily, i had my camera out and ready!