PhotoSensei Blog

Fireworks

2010-07-04T15:02:00.000-07:00

I set my tripod up on the top floor of Petaluma's downtown parking garage to capture some of the Fireworks set off from the Sonoma-Marin Fairgrounds. Surprisingly, only one of my 3-second exposures turned out. The rest were taken at 1/3 second exposure. View the rest of the gallery here.

My Little Girl is Growing Up

2010-06-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

May, 2008 @ 5 months

July, 2008 @ 7 months

September, 2008 @ 9 months

November, 2008 @ 11 months

January, 2009 @ 13 months

March, 2009 @ 15 months

May, 2009 @ 17 months

August, 2009 @ 20 months

December, 2009 @ 24 months

March, 2010 @ 27 months

June, 2010 @ 30 months

Moonrise

2009-08-04T19:24:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Costco, I captured some images from a colorful moonrise in Sonoma County. View the rest of the gallery here.

Sonoma County Fair

2009-08-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

The garden display at the Sonoma County Fair featured indoor waterfalls, pools and statues of all sorts. We visited the petting zoo, the race track and the baby races, as well. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma at Dusk

2009-07-08T11:59:00.000-07:00

I treated myself to some Thai food and then shot some photos until the Sun dropped out of the sky. Here is an interesting shot of curved neon at our local theater. View the rest of the gallery here.

Fireworks on 4th of July

2009-07-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

Pulled out the 200mm f/2 on a tripod to capture these Fireworks while standing in a parking lot. View the rest of the gallery here.

The Many Greens of Savannah, GA

2009-06-11T11:54:00.000-07:00

The master plan of Savannah, GA placed a public park in nearly every major intersection in the city. Very civilized. View the rest of the gallery here.

Cake Destroyed at First Birthday Celebration

2009-05-16T11:50:00.000-07:00

Kiera's buddy, Aiden, encouraged by his parents, destroyed his first birthday cake, much to the delight of everyone else. View the rest of the gallery here.

Happy Mother's Day: Free Day at the SF Zoo

2009-05-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Zebras and Tigers and Chimps, Oh My! Kiera enjoyed her first visit to the San Francisco Zoo. View the rest of the gallery here.

Butter & Egg Days Parade Action Shot

2009-04-25T11:43:00.000-07:00

Martial Arts is just one of the many interests represented at our annual parade. View the rest of the gallery here.

Landing Gear

2009-01-31T11:40:00.000-08:00

Birds in flight is a difficult genre to master, but capturing the landing process is even more fun. View the rest of the gallery here.

Weathered Piers in the Petaluma River

2009-01-14T11:36:00.000-08:00

OK, so it's not so much of a river as it is a brackish slough that connects us to the San Francsico Bay. But it is the reason that Petaluma settled where it did back in 1858 and the river classification gets us federal dollars for dredging. View the rest of the gallery here.

Sabi Lounging in the Sunshine

2009-01-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Our indoor cats have it rough. All the food, naps and self-made fun they can stand. Except for the occasional oops-who-left-the-door-open outside experience, they live their days inside in ignorant bliss. View the rest of the gallery here.

Lake Tahoe and Sacramento

2008-09-23T11:30:00.000-07:00

Susie, Kiera and I took a quick trip to the mountains and visited our State Capitol on the way back. View the rest of the gallery here.

Celebrating Father's Day with Carnivorous Plants

2008-06-15T11:26:00.000-07:00

Sebastopol has an entire shop dedicated to selling Carnivorous plants. What a great place to spend Father's. Oh, Boy! View the rest of the gallery here.

Pelicans

2008-06-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

We get all kinds of birds visiting Shollenberger park. View the rest of the gallery here.

The Dancing Egrits

2008-05-16T11:09:00.000-07:00

This is a wonderful series shot at Shollenberger Park, as the sun was dropping fast. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma's New Theater District

2008-05-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

About seven years ago, our town's only movie theater closed and was converted into a Kohl's department store. This made Petaluma the largest city (55,000+ residents) west of the Mississippi without a movie theater. Fortunately, Basin Street Properties included a new multiplex theater in their recent downtown development to correct this problem. This shot was taken late at night, the only time this area is not packed with people. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma's Butter & Egg Days Parade

2008-04-26T10:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a detail of the float from our local NBC affilliate in Petaluma's annual parade that celebrates our town's agricultural roots. View the rest of the gallery here.

Cutest Little Chick in Town

2008-04-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

We placed third in this year's Cutest Little Chick in Town Contest, but she's number one in our eyes. View the rest of the gallery here.

New Lens: Voigtlander 58mm f/1.4 ZF

2008-02-26T10:52:00.000-08:00

Just took delivery of this new lens. I can already tell that this lens will become one of my favorites along with my Nikon 180mm f/2.8 and, of course, the legendary Nikon 200mm f/2. View the rest of the gallery here.

Tour of CA Time Trials

2008-02-17T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Tour of CA time trials were held on the Stanford Campus this year in Palo Alto, CA. The world's best riders screamed past us in all-out sprint. A great chance to practice panning with slower shutter speeds. View the rest of the gallery here.

The River House

2008-02-15T10:43:00.000-08:00

This building has had a turbulent history - across the Turning Basin from the main part of downtown Petaluma. Many a restaurant has failed and it has recently been converted to an office building (and painted a boring off-white). View the rest of the gallery here.

Snow at 500 feet!

2008-01-28T10:38:00.000-08:00

We don't get much snow here in Petaluma (just 20 miles from the coast), but had a light dusting on Sonoma Mountain this morning. View the rest of the gallery here.

HDR Rainbow

2008-01-21T10:34:00.000-08:00

California's rainy season brings many treasures, including rainbows. View the rest of the gallery here.

Lambies in Bakersfield

2007-12-31T10:35:00.000-08:00

Just across the street from Costco in Bakersfield, I found this great flock of lambs basking in the late afternoon sun. View the rest of the gallery here.

Hi, My Name is Kiera. I'm New Here.

2007-12-13T10:29:00.000-08:00

The miracle that is Kiera. I was there to watch the birth of our beautiful daughter. Utterly amazing! Our lives have now changed forever. View the rest of the gallery here.

San Francisco Bay Bridge at Midnight

2007-12-02T10:22:00.000-08:00

It was a cold, clear night at the highest point of San Francisco, where Sutro Tower broadcasts to all of the Bay Area. View the rest of the gallery here.

Bokeh with an F/2 Telephoto Lens

2007-11-28T10:15:00.000-08:00

Bokeh is the Japanese term that describes the out-of-focus areas of an image. Yes, I love available light photography at night - made possible by wide aperture telephoto lenses and high ISO cameras. I have tried all three of Nikon's f/2 variants: the 105mm f/2, the 135mm f/2 and the 200m f/2 . . . and kept the 105mm and the 200mm lenses. View the rest of the gallery here.

Strange Chemistry of Yellowstone

2007-09-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Researchers from around the word flock to Yellowstone to study the primordial concoctions residing in the strange ponds at Yellowstone. The colors are fabulous. View the rest of the gallery here.

Long Exposures At Midnight

2007-09-28T10:03:00.000-07:00

We took advantage of a full moon to capture some amazing 30-second exposures at midnight. Those ghost-like figures in the foreground are some fellow Nikonians who shifted their positions during the time my shutter was open. View the rest of the gallery here.

The Steaming Caldera that is Yellowstone

2007-09-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

A weeklong trip to Yellowstone National Park with the Nikonians was my first vacation in a while. I learned that real phototgraphers get up early to catch the sunrise. I much prefer my sleep, the sunset and shooting at night. To each his own. View the rest of the gallery here.

Swans Impersonating a Musical Note

2007-09-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

One of the treasures of Petaluma is Shollenberger Park, a wetlands/bird sanctuary just East of 101 at the first (southern most) Petaluma exit off of 101. View the rest of the gallery here.

Sunset at Sonoma Coast

2007-08-15T09:45:00.000-07:00

I drove up the coast with Josh Sommers for the sunset and captured this beautiful silhouette. View the rest of the gallery here.

Happy 4th of July

2007-07-04T09:40:00.000-07:00

A rare post of an image shot with Canon -- the venerable 200mm f/1.8 lens, that I rented for a week. I returned the lens and the Canon body and plunked down a few thousand for Nikon's 200mm f/2 have have never looked back. View the rest of the gallery here.

Safari West

2007-06-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

A little slice of African big game animals in the wild right here in Sonoma County: Zebras, and Cheetahs and Horns, oh my! View the rest of the gallery here.

The Many Faces of Joe Cool

2007-06-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

Santa Rosa was the home of Charles Shulz of Peanuts fame, which was the inspiration for a local artists' competition to paint and adorn statues of Snoopy and place them all over town. View the rest of the gallery here.

Rural Splendor

2007-06-09T11:59:00.000-07:00

.Just west of Petaluma, I witnessed yet another amazing late spring sunset. View the rest of the gallery here.

Birds In Flight

2007-05-23T11:36:00.000-07:00

Lots of flying wildlife that any camera would love. View the rest of the gallery here.

Sabi's Glamour Shot

2007-05-13T11:20:00.000-07:00

Kimo and Sabi lounging in the sunshine and mugging for the camera. View the rest of the gallery here.

Shollenberger Park Blooms

2007-05-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Our local wetlands/bird sanctuary is one of the best spots for an evening stroll.
View the rest of the gallery here.

Cutest Little Snooze in Town

2007-04-28T17:08:00.000-07:00

37799 - Snoozing Chick
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Petaluma at at one time claimed to be the Chicken Capital of the World. We still have the decaying chicken coops to prove it, but thankfully the chickens have flown the coop and taken their smelly chicken poop with them. We honor our town's heritage once a year during Butter & Egg Days, which includes a contest to honor the Cutest Little Chick in Town. Parents dress their infants and toddlers in costumes that match the theme of the year. This year was the 150th anniversary of Petaluma's fire department, hence a Super Hero theme to recognize its heroic work. This chick was riding on the parade float, but found a nap preferable to the traditional beauty queen wave. View the rest of this gallery here.

Vineyards, vineyards everywhere

2007-04-16T17:05:00.000-07:00

36344 - Vineyards, vineyards everywhere
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Yup, it's true. Vineyards and stuck just about everywhere in Sonoma County - even as landscaping in parking lot islands. This vineyard is on a private road just off of 116 on the way from Petaluma to the town of Sonoma. View the rest of this gallery here.

Circle of ? at McEvoy Olive Ranch

2007-04-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

36321 - Circle of ? at the Olive Ranch
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

This is a detail shot of the western edge of the McEvoy Olive ranch in West Marin, about ten minutes from our house. This set includes some very wide panoramas, thanks to Photoshop CS3's amazing photomerge and blending automation. View the rest of this gallery here and check out these panoramas: here, here, here, and here.

Lavender at Dusk

2007-04-14T16:57:00.000-07:00

36209 - Lavender at Dusk
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Beauty right outside my office window. We enjoy many a California sunset from our hilltop perch in Petaluma that is populated with fruit trees and even a small field of poppies and lavender. View the rest of this gallery here.

Wanna Adopt Me?

2007-04-14T16:54:00.000-07:00

36193 - Wanna Adopt Me?
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

This is a nice series of puppy and kitten photos at our local pet food shop. These animals are from Lakeport and Kelseyville in Lake County. All shots are hand-held with natural light. View the rest of this gallery here.

MMM! Juicy Nectar at BV Vineyards

2007-04-10T16:51:00.000-07:00

35921 - MMM! Juicy Nectar at BV Vineyards
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Just outside the front door to the BV tasting room in Sonoma, I found this butterfly drinking his fill. This is a hand-held shot using Tamron's 90mm Macro lens - which is a great choice for either Nikon or Canon bodies. View the rest of this gallery here.

Aphids Anyone?

2007-03-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

33944 - Aphids Anyone?
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

My first day with my vintage 1960's Nikon F Bellows attachment. This is a closeup of a rose bud before it blooms. These aphids were not visible to the naked eye, but 10x magnification brought them into clear view. Later photos with a reversed 20mm lens can get magnifcation greater than 20x? Not bad for good old 60's technology working on a modern DSLR. Long live the Nikon F Mount. View the rest of this gallery here.

Sonoma Mountain at Sunset

2007-03-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

09-33283.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Once a year, Northern California is rewarded with a month of green rolling hills and warm days. At this time, it looks like Ireland and most of the Happy Cows commercials are filmed for the California cheese campaigns. This set celebrates the views from Sonoma Mountain on the East Side of Petaluma. View the rest of the gallery here.

33532 - Parker ball point

2007-03-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

33532 - Parker ball point
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Old Technology still works: Nikon Bellows II (from the 60's) with a manual focus 35mm lens (from the 70's) reversed gives one quite a bit of magnification, as you can see. I am waiting for my manual focus 20mm lens (from the 60's) to arrive this week to get even more magnification. Reversing a 20mm lens will give me 20X magnification with my D200! Since Nikon has not changed their F- mount for their cameras since the 60's, the D200 and D2 series cameras can take advantage of all the legendary Nikon lenses from earlier eras. View the rest of the gallery here.

33308 - Rawlings Ball and Glove

2007-03-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

01-33308.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Little League baseball is a bond that connects many boys and some girls in our culture. In the earlier days of TV, when there were only three main networks, we all shared a common reference point. One could use a line from All in the Family and people would get it.

No longer. Our media so fragmented (hundreds of cable channels, thousands of video/audio podcasts, millions of web sites), it is difficult to find universal bonds today.

The feel of a scuffed baseball in our hands and the smell of a worn baseball mitt is one of those universal bonds for many Americans. The ritual is repeated every Spring from sea to shining sea.View the rest of the gallery here.

Camelia at Rest

2007-03-19T20:40:00.000-07:00

Camelia at Rest
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

I love my Nikon D200 camera for many reasons. One great reason is that the camera works (and meters!) with legendary Nikon AI and AI-S manual focus lenses. This is one of my first photos taken with a 25-year old 35mm f/2 AIS lens that I purchased on EBay. The color and sharpness speaks for itself. Another upgrade to my lens collection. View the rest of the gallery here.

Japanese Maple New Growth

2007-03-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Finally our maple added some leaves and buds to its red branches. Here is a macro shot of some new entries to the world. View the rest of the gallery here.

Opening Day!

2007-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

12-31547.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

It's amazing how much Little Leaguers can sometimes look like Big Leaguers. I am capturing the budding Little League Season in Petaluma at XPortraits.com.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Poppy Closing Up at Dusk

2007-03-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

20-30966.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

We took a nice walk through Helen Putnam Park, on Petaluma's West Side. There are some nice panorama shots here, here, and here.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Blooms

2007-03-09T09:38:00.000-08:00

05-30777.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

All the trees are now flowering, including this beauty in my neighbor's yard.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Calla Lilly Showing Off

2007-03-05T09:36:00.000-08:00

07-30671.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Our garden is starting to bloom. These guys are among the first to greet us in the Spring.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Richmond High Wins District Championship

2007-03-03T09:35:00.000-08:00

27-30545.jpg
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

Richmond High's talented point guard was carried on his teammates' (much larger) shoulders to celebrate their victory over Montgomery.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Train Depot at Sunset

2007-02-28T09:32:00.000-08:00

30348 - Train Depot at Sunset
Originally uploaded by PhotoSensei.

In this set, I was looking for patterns, texture and framing at dusk. For all the budding photographers out there, I would recommend Bryan Peterson's Books, Learning to See Creatively and Beyond Portraiture. Both are short reads with great example photos.

See the rest of the gallery here.

Lighting with Gels

2007-02-27T20:00:00.000-08:00

Tried some strobist lighting techniques on my dining room table/studio with my four Nikon CLS-capable flash units (SB-800, SB-600 and two SB-R200's). View the rest of the gallery here.

Lighting Calistenics

2007-02-25T22:03:00.000-08:00

Tried some lighting options with two different still lifes. View the rest of the gallery here.

Moments Before the Crash

2007-02-19T22:02:00.000-08:00

The First Stage of the 2007 Tour of California started in Sausalito, passed through West Marin and Sonoma Counties before ending in Santa Rosa. There was a photo-finish between first and second and a large pile up of all cyclists in the main pack just after that. View the rest of the gallery here.

From Dawn to Dusk

2007-02-18T22:01:00.000-08:00

Caught the sunrise and sunset at Shollenberer Park Wildlie Sanctuary. View the rest of the gallery here.

The Golden Gate

2007-02-17T22:00:00.000-08:00

This panorama stitched together six separate shots which can be fully appreciated here. To fully appreciate this panorama, you need it view it in its original size. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma Panorama

2007-02-13T21:53:00.000-08:00

To fully appreciate this panorama, you need it view it in its original size.

View the rest of the gallery here.

Ultrawide at Starbucks

2007-02-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

This is a 12mm shot of the customer cafe at the new Starbucks on the East Side. View the rest of the gallery here.

New Macro Flash

2007-02-08T21:41:00.000-08:00

A new pair of R200 flash units extends my wireless flash count to four - which will help with macro shots like this one. It also gives me five different light sources (including on-camera flash) when shooting portraits. View the rest of the gallery here

Rejected!

2007-02-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Shooting college sports is about capturing action despite challenging light. Here, off-camera flash was required for this facial in the paint. View the rest of the gallery here

Now, where did I put my dinner?

2007-02-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Egrit foraging for a snack before retiring for the day. View the rest of the gallery here

New Growth on Our Japanese Maple

2007-02-03T15:30:00.000-08:00

Why the new branches are bright red is a mystery to me, but some warm weather in mid-winter is causing our plants to bloom a bit early this year.

Sabi, the Sphinx Pose

2007-02-03T15:29:00.000-08:00

Kimo is not the only cat in our house that resembles an ancient statue at times. View the rest of the gallery.

All Hands on the Ball

2007-02-02T15:27:00.000-08:00

A loose ball attracts a lot of attention during this high school game between Casa Grande and Analy. View the rest of the gallery.

Downtown Color

2007-02-02T15:23:00.000-08:00

Found these colorful shots wandering downtown after my Starbucks break. View the rest of the gallery.

Santa Rosa JC vs. Sacramento City

2007-01-30T13:37:00.000-08:00

tbd

Kimo, the Sphinx Pose

2007-01-29T13:35:00.000-08:00

tbd

Downtown Dusk, 6-7pm

2007-01-28T13:33:00.000-08:00

tbd

Downtown Dusk, 5-6 pm

2007-01-28T13:32:00.001-08:00

Downtown Dusk, 4-5pm

2007-01-28T13:32:00.000-08:00

tbd

The Color of Money

2007-01-25T13:30:00.000-08:00

The US Mint has been introducing new bills to make them harder to countefeit. Can you tell to which bill these eyes belong?

Watching Fish at Rubio's

2007-01-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

Do these fish realize how lucky they are?

Flotilla and Flight

2007-01-20T10:29:00.000-08:00

My Tamron SP AF Teleconverters give me a 280mm f/4 and 600mm f/8 for this kind of work. Once Nikon ships its new 400mm f/2.8 VR, I can then enjoy a 400/2.8, 560 f/4 and 800mm f/5.6 - all with VR - the ultimate nature lens. View the rest of the gallery here.

Aviary Senior Portrait

2007-01-17T10:19:00.000-08:00

With enough light, the Nikon 300mm f/4 + Tamron SP AF 2x Teleconverter is a worthy combination. I think I caught his best side. View the rest of the gallery here.

Watchful Hawk at Shollenberger

2007-01-15T10:16:00.000-08:00

Nikon 300mm f/4 + Tamron SP AF 1.4x teleconverter on a tripod with electronic cable release. Proper shooting technique and Capture NX gives great results with modestly priced lenses. View the rest of the gallery here.

Nikon at MacWorld

2007-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Both Nikon and Canon were prominent exhibitors at MacWorld. I took this photo of Nikon's 400mm f/2.8 lens with my 105mm f/2 DC lens with ambient light (no flash)

Nikon brought every lens in its line, so I was able to test the coveted $3,500 200mm f/2 VR and $4,000 300mm f/2.8 VR lenses. I had already put the $5,000 200-400mm VR lens through its paces in October at Keeble & Shucat in Palo Alto. Here are my conclusions.

Nikon's 105mm f/2 DC ($750 used) is the best value in the line (equals the 200mm f/2 VR).
Nikon's 300mm f/2.8 VR is probably the best lens in the line, but the 300mm f/4 ($600 used) is just one stop slower, 1/2 the weight and optically identical, when there is enough light.
The Tamron SP AF teleconverters (1.4x and 2x) work great with all of these lenses.
I will wait until Nikon updates to its 400mm f/2.8 lens, before buying my one exotic Nikon lens. Nikon should add VR and nano-crystal coating (to match its 300mm little brother) and shave a bit more weight off this behemoth.

View the rest of the gallery here.

Apple's iPhone Under Glass

2007-01-12T10:00:00.000-08:00

There were only two iPhones on display at the MacWorld Expo and they were under rotating-stage, bell-shaped glass display cases. Not much Mac news this time around; the show is becoming iPod World. View the rest of the gallery here.

New Year's Day Sunset

2007-01-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

The top of the hill in our neighborhood offers stunning views of the green hills that surround Petaluma in the winter time. This was taken while USC was kicking Michigan's butt in the Rose Bowl. Happy New Year! View the rest of the gallery here.

San Francisco's Cliff House

2006-12-28T13:31:00.000-08:00

After the Zoo, we shared a drink at the recently remodeled Cliff House on San Francisco's Pacific coast. I don't need no stinkin' lights. The setting sun provides all the rim lighting here. View the rest of the gallery here.

Fun at the SF Zoo

2006-12-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

Winter is the best time in Northern California. The tourists stay away, the grass is green and the days are still warm and sunny. Here are Tatiana and Tony (trying to sleep) in the late afternoon sunshine at the zoo. View the rest of the gallery here.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T13:26:00.000-08:00

Candle light service at Sausalito Presbyterian Church. View the rest of the gallery here.

Patented!

2006-12-19T13:25:00.000-08:00

Simple ideas are sometimes the best. A handblower that rockets a blast of air to remove dust from your lenses - or anything else for that matter. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma Turning Basin

2006-12-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

This was the first day with my Nikon 105mm f/2 DC lens. DC (Depth Control) allows one to fine-tune foreground or background bokeh. Pretty nifty design from the early 90's that still works with nearly all Nikon digital DLSR cameras today. View the rest of the gallery here.

Scanning for Dinner

2006-12-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

This lovely fellow seem to emerge at dusk to the same spot looking for a nosh. He stays along the shorline looking for a quick wetlands salad or a few insect delights. View the rest of the gallery here.

Petaluma Visitor Center

2006-11-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

Yup! Our fair city spent a few $mil to restore this old train station into a visitor center. It was lovingly restored: moldings and details were all hand-crafted to their original splendor.

The problem is that there are no more trains and I'll be damned if I ever saw a visitor drop by. It's on Lakeville and Washington, the best looking buildng on the block, so give it a try. View the rest of the gallery here.

Lens Test

2006-11-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

Mark and Mary have this Geisha Doll that Ken and Pat acquired in Japan in the mid-60's. To burn off the caffeine from our late night drive, I set up a lens test on their kitchen countertop.

Four different lenses were used for this test. Once again, the Nikon AF 180mm f/2.8 wins. This is a great lens that can be found used on EBay for under $500. Not all good things are expensive. Click the title above to view the rest of this gallery.

Petaluma's Veteran's Day Parade

2006-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

We live in a Parade-happy town and always take time to honor the men and women who serve and have served in the armed forces. Let's hope that we can get our troops home from Iraq, soon. Click the title, Petaluma's Veteran's Day Parade, here or above to view the rest of this gallery.

Cougars Slay the Dragons

2006-11-10T17:40:00.000-08:00

It looks like it will be a showdown between Windsor and Casa Grande for the SCL championship. Casa Grande beat Windsor during the season in an overtime game, but Windsor finished with the better record. This night, Windsor handily defeated Sonoma Valley on the road at Arnold Field. The Cougars are primed for the playoffs. Click the title, Cougars Slay the Dragons, here or above to view the rest of this gallery.

Late Autumn Sunset

2006-11-06T18:07:00.000-08:00

View the rest of this gallery, if you enjoy bright colors and glassy reflections.

Pelican Brief

2006-11-03T18:04:00.000-08:00

A brief visit from a pack of Pelicans brightened the waters at Shollenberger Park in Petaluma.

Kimo Sabi Gallery

2006-11-01T17:59:00.000-08:00

I interrupted our cat, Sabi, mid-scratch, to take this rather flattering portrait. There are much better photos in the rest of this gallery.

Friday Night Lights

2006-10-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

High School Football in California (a blue state) doesn't take on the same proportions as it does in Texas (a red State), but we also play under the lights every Friday night. Here are some shots of the Casa Grande Gauchos (one of Petaluma's two high school teams) defeating the Healdsburg Grey hounds 20-19. Click the title Friday Night Lights here or above to see the rest of this photo gallery.