D'oh-nuts

Despite their appearance, these are actually bagels with cream cheese "frosting" made pink with food coloring, and decorated with sprinkles. This was my birthday breakfast, lovingly prepared by my wonderful fiancee.
Why would one make bagels look this way? Homage to a special movie poster.
And of course I couldn't pass up the chance for some tight macros shots. It was a tasty and inspiring meal.

27 Jan 2009

After the bubbles

After the cascade of bubbles (see previous post) subsided, the semi-frozen slush of sparkling cider could be seen down the neck of the bottle.


14 Dec 08

Bubbles

What seems to be a recurrent theme with my photos: Carbonated beverages left in the freezer too long and what happens when the container is taken out.

With a bottle of sparkling apple cider... it's lots of bubbles.




14 Dec 08

All right


Okay, it's been a great party, but now it's time to get to work...

(Photo taken April 25, 2008--long before we knew this day would come.)

Tooting my own horn

(Pardon the rare non-photo post.)

I submitted a few of these Urban Light photos to a contest being conducted by LACMA, and I was recently informed that they are being considered an "early finalist" (which means they may be included in an online exhibit).

Click here to see the Urban Light group on Flickr
.

Urban Light 6

Continuing with shots of the Urban Light sculpture at LACMA. (For the explanation, see this post.)

The night these were shot, the moon was full (or very close), so with these that gets the focus.


Urban Light 5

Continuing with shots of the Urban Light sculpture at LACMA. (For the explanation, see this post.)

Tight shots of the dimpled ball of the lamp.

Urban Light 4

Continuing with shots of the Urban Light sculpture at LACMA. (For the explanation, see this post.)


This shot I share because of the difficulty in taking it. Not that it required great physical exertion, or placing myself in danger. No, all I did was climb some stairs.

Next to this exhibit is the multiple-story Broad Contemporary Art Museum building. On the side facing the exhibit are stairs running along the side. So to get a higher angle on the lamps I strolled over to their base, noticed no sign nor chain nor barricade, and then climbed to the first landing. I made no effort to be surreptitious in my approach to nor in my ascension of the stairs, but only after I was already up there did some men in sport coats from by the building on the opposite side of the exhibit come running and telling me I had to come down.

However, before they got close and I had to comply, I snapped off this one. Had to get something for my trouble. (Apologies for the settings--no time to make adjustments.)

Urban Light 3

Continuing with shots of the Urban Light sculpture at LACMA--this time focusing on the non-lamp parts of the posts. (For the explanation, see this post.)



Urban Light 2

Continuing with shots of the Urban Light sculpture at LACMA. (For the explanation, see this post.)



19 Apr 08

Urban Light 1

Just outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), on its south piazza, artist Chris Burden restored 202 vintage cast-iron streetlamps in a project he called "Urban Light".

Since February of 2008 this exhibit has featured the lamps lighting up each night at dusk and staying on until dawn. (I am told they are powered by solar cells that charge during the day.) And there's no fee to walk among them; they're accessible from the sidewalk, all night long (even after the museum is closed).
How did I find out about this? On a Saturday night last April, about 9:30 at night, my fiancée told me to put on my shoes and bring the camera. She offered no details about our destination as we got in the car. We drove to the Mid-Wilshire district, parked, and voila.

(Yes, she took me there not just to look but with the express purpose of taking pictures. Egad, I love this woman!)
(Yes, it took me all this time to get to posting these. Yeesh, I know. More shots coming soon.)
19 Apr 2008

Pod

At the orchard in Yucaipa, beneath some trees the ground was littered with these spiked pods, which had opened, presumably releasing some kind of seed.

Update: An astute viewer identified this as a chestnut seed.


28 Nov 08

Bark with no bite

One of the trees at an orchard that wasn't used for fruit.