The Sun

I love the sun because it melts away all of my popsicle-cold worries, turning them into a puddle of nonsense.

Pulchritudinous Smoke

I've always been fascinated with taking pictures of smoke, fog, or any other type of vaporous gases. And yet I have never quite been able to put my finger on what it is about smoke vapors that appeals to me. Perhaps it is the evocative feeling of intrigue and mystery that one feels when surrounded by it. Driving through dense early morning fog is like ice-skating on a frozen lake. Aside from the crisp stroke of blades beneath ones feet, nothing else seems to be moving. The water droplets appear to be suspended in time and space, forming an ethereal atmosphere above, behind, beneath, and on either side of oneself.

The boy in the red coat is as frozen as the pixels in this photograph. Entangled in a veil, suspended in mid-air, immortalized by a backdrop of water vapor. One moment the boy seems to be running away from danger, but when one glances a second time at the image it seems to exude playfulness and ingenuity. Similarly, the nature of water, multifaceted as it is, is portrayed in this image as drama-inducing and as a harbinger of mystery.

Union Square, San Fransisco

The Decisive Moment

Shot @ ISO 1250, 1/1600sec, f/3.5

     "Photography is not like painting. There is a creative fraction of a second when you are taking a picture. Your eye must see a composition or an expression that life itself offers you, and you must know with intuition when to click the camera. That is the moment the photographer is creative. Oop! The Moment! Once you miss it, it is gone forever." - Henri Cartier-Bresson, 1957.

 H. Cartier-Bresson coined the term "The Decisive Moment." This phrase contains the quintessential difference between the masters of photography, and the mere hobbyists.

     If a sports photographer is shooting an LA Lakers basketball game, and he clicks the shutter a second or two after Kobe dunks, the photograph might as well be deleted. That is how important seizing that golden moment can be. 

   
     One way that I have been able to sharpen my skill of capturing that instantaneous moment is taking photos in the passenger seat of the car. This simple visual and mental exercise trains my mind to see a few seconds into the future, thus allowing me to imagine the image in my head before I see it on the LCD screen of my camera. More often than not, I smack on my 18mm lens, and either roll down the window, or I open the sun roof, depending on the environment. Sometimes, if the window is dirty enough, and I am trying to capture a grungy or morbidly urban image, I keep the window rolled up, to add to the grotesqueness.

Trumpets of San Francisco

     One of the things I love about cities is the creative and talented people 
who inhabit them. I feel that a single image of a native does more justice in 
portraying the vibe of a city than a plethora of snapshots, void of people, could ever bring to the table.

     The bright colors of this trumpeter's outfit caught my eye, and the festive noise that ensued from the combination of his trumpet skills and his tap dancing hit my ear-drum. I talked with him for a bit, and he seemed very mature for his age. He's going to go far, and already has (Apparently he's playing the trumpet at an upcoming Giants game!).

Check out his blog @   gabrielangelotrumpet.blogspot.com 

Library of the Mind

My Uncle Cy has a plethora of knowledge. He's got a fantastic taste for literature, evidenced by a wide range of books spanning from classic novellas, to quintessential American writing, and beyond. Every conversation we enjoy together is catalyzed by his wealth of wisdom. Not only does he know a thing or two, but he also possesses some mad handball skills. And this isn't your everyday tiddlywinks handball league.

Over Spring Break 2012, I visited some colleges up in the Bay Area. My Aunt and Uncle happens to live up there, so I got to stay with them for a few days, which I always really enjoy. 

During my stay, I wanted to capture one of his 2 libraries in an image that implies a sense of reverence. I got my image by using my wide-angle lens and holding the camera up against the ceiling. With live-view mode I was able to frame the image correctly, and thanks to the Canon 7D's insane ISO, I was able to expose properly. And voilà!