Supermoon

Supermoon
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

There was so much hype about this Cinco de Mayo full moon that I had to figure out a way to get some sort of shot as it rises or sets. Using the Photographer's Ephemeris, I found a spot in the Oakland hills which would have a clear view of the rising moon - so here's the shot. It looks much like other full moons I shot so there you have it.

Park Gate

Park Gate
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

I frequently walk the dog at Serpentine Prairie in Redwood Regional Park, and this spring offered up a few wildflowers to make the journey more memorable. Spring clouds gave me mottled lighting for this scene; and I was hoping for a ray of direct sunlight on the flowers, but alas a tug of the leash pulled me along on my walk.

Chapel

Chapel
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Julia Morgan designed this chapel at Chapel of the Chimes, in Oakland. I've wanted to shoot this panorama ever since visiting the site at a Summer Solstice event. The Gothic section is quite lovely, and the other more modern areas are interesting as well.

Avalokiteshvara with Hindu Deities

Avalokiteshvara with Hindu Deities
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Residents of the Bay Area are spoiled by the wealth of cultural activities available to enjoy. A recent visit to the Asian Art Museum with a knowledgeable guide proved to be fascinating and inspirational. This is a collage of several items I photographed during my tour.

Acorns

Acorns
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

I took this photograph in a museum in San Diego. The lighting was very poor and mono-chromatic. I did manage to produce a reasonably good black and white image but I thought something was still lacking. So I decided to try to hand tint the image; and here's the result. Overall I'm very pleased with the result, and I may try other images which I thought were lost causes.

Low Low Tide

Low Tide
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

We get low low tides frequently, but this one occurred in the afternoon just before sunset. It was the perfect occasion to explore the coastal areas and tidepools. This the pier at Pillar Point just before I hiked out to the exposed reef near the Mavericks, site of famous surfing competitions.

Dead Indian Trail

Dead Indian Trail
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

My annual hike on Thursday morning followed Dead Indian Trail eastward toward an oasis tucked among large boulders. The sandy trail was enclosed by these beautiful walls of stone and flora. There is so much to see if you can just stop to notice.

Fall Colors

Fall Colors
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

This time of year presents us with a wide gamut of warm yellow and oranges in contrast to the chilly fall air. Since we don't have the maple and elm forests of the east, we have to find our fall colors elsewhere; these at a farmers market.

Steamers

Steamers
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Every once in a while I attempt to play a tourist role in San Francisco, to see things with beginner's eyes. Grant street and the Chinese district seemed too tourist oriented, so I headed up to Stockton Street and was pleasantly surprised by all the small shops which were selling a variety of Chinese food stuffs. The crated chickens of times past were missing, but the experience was still fascinating and these steaming containers are a part of the scene.

Cannon Balls

Cannon Balls
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Ah, a day in the field shooting whatever comes into view at Fort Point under the Golden Gate Bridge. I've been here many times and see many of the scenes captured so well by others. Yet everything seems fresh to me as though my lens was misfocused before, or was too wide and confusing. Here there is only light and texture and shape.

Morning Road

Morning Road
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

August in Grass Valley provides quiet country respite and strolls along fallow roads adorned with hemlock and wild peas. Stand, watch, and enjoy as an insignificant bystander to nature's morning.

Quaking Grass

Quaking Grass
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Sometimes the most ubiquitous things come into focus and you can see them for the first time. While walking at Sea Ranch along the bluffs over the surf, you are surrounded by fields of this quaking grass. It blends together with foxtails to make a vast plain of yellow and green; but on closer examination the true beauty of this plant is revealed.

Dancer

Dancer
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

As I explore the possibilities afforded by black and white printing, I found this old image that didn't work in color, but works well here. I love the dynamics created by the contrast between the tree and the background.

Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

The Bay Area is such a great place to live, because you can serendipitously stumble across wonderful scenes. As I returned from the deYoung's Balenciaga exhibition, I passed the Japanese Tea Garden which was in full bloom with cherry blossoms everywhere. Had I had more time, I would have explored the arboretum across the street - maybe next time.

Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship

Raygun Gothic Rocket Ship
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

I've been doing hyperbolic projections for quite some time, and I enjoy the little planet effect. Then I got to thinking about the Raygun Gothic Rocket which is an art installation on the San Francisco embarcadero. This could make a really cool little planet - complete with rocket ship - so I picked a time when I thought there might not be too many people and shot this panorama in HDR and it became a perfect little planet!

Sugimoto Print - Pier 24

Sugimoto Print - Pier 24
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

There is a well kept secret gallery in San Francisco which is home to a massively extensive photographic collection. Visiting Pier 24 is a special treat since only a small number of visitors are permitted at any given time, by reservation. It is well worth the effort to plan a 2-hour visual feast.

Concrete Wall

Concrete Wall
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Roses are an easy subject, but hardly dramatic. This arrangement caught my eye as a mini-drama with an interloper drawing near an established stem. I see the tension, do you?

Tree

Tree
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

When I'm lazy and need to walk the dog, I go to Montclair and take the pedestrian path along the old railroad grade at the top of La Salle Avenue. It ends halfway up Shepherd Canyon Road and along the way it traverses the hillside quite high above the roadway. The trail has a wonderful canopy of trees and the canyon affords a backlight which is interesting in its own right, so you can see the forest and the tree.

Mt. Diablo

Mt. Diablo
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Recovering from Thanksgiving dinner usually involves a hike in the hills, and this year is no exception. With a phalanx of family, friends and dogs, the East Ridge Trail was mobbed by holiday repenters. As we returned home for seconds and thirds, a weather front joined the sunset and colored the dusk in pinks and oranges.

Walk before the dusk
Settles the day silently
Coloring our skies

Smoke Tree

Smoke Tree
Originally uploaded by SdosRemedios.

Every year I go to Palm Desert and take the guided Thursday morning hike into the surrounding desert, and every year I marvel at the sights to be discovered along the way. This smoke tree is displaying its signature colors along with other glorious trees in Carrizo Canyon.