The Edge of Cypress Grove Cliff

Point Lobos cliffs, where I often find myself shooting, have been formed by the winds and the waves that kept beating the shore over hundreds of thousands of years.

From geological standpoint, there is a drop in the ocean floor off Point Lobos just few miles into the ocean which reaches levels typical of the mid Pacific Ocean. This results in an usual wave pattern and a bounty of marine life. Just to give you an example, while the waves are very quiet in this image (a bunch of seals hang out just outside of the frame of this image), the waves are raging just a few hundred yards around the corner.

For that reason, the rocks and cliffs at Point Lobos are unlike any you'll see in California. Please see this image in large size to better appreciate it.

The Old Veteran Cypress

Located in the Cypress Grove at Point Lobos, this ancient tree, known as the Old Veteran, is the oldest Cypress in the State Reserve (over 200 years old). It's roots are hanging over 100 feet tall cliff, overlooking the Pacific ocean.

Amgen Tour of California - Stage 3 Begins

I don't photograph a lot of people when I photograph on the streets, but I couldn't pass this one up, as AMGEN Tour of California, Stage 3 started right next to where I work.

I wish I was better prepared with a better lens and a better spot to take the image (I had no idea the race would be here), but I had literally 20 seconds to get my camera out, put up a flash, switch it to TTL mode and pan with the bikers. While this shot did not catch Lance Armstrong, I did catch the pack of leaders as they were taking off in the rain.

Sadly, when bikers were here in Northern California, it rained every day. Once they were gone, the rain stopped.

For great coverage of the race, check out the work of another local photographer Dan Mitchell that he posts in his stream.

Most Random Place I Saw My Photo Used

Of all the places I have seen my photos used, this one of this photo above was the most random.

So we're sitting at today's San Jose Sharks game as part of the work function. During the break they put up a guessing game on a big screen at the top of the arena asking fans to text which player scored the most home goals this season. First time they put it up on the screen I pay no attention, until I see it again and baaam - I recognize a photo of mine. On the big screen. At the NHL game. Of one of my favorite players Devin Setoguchi. That photo above was accompanying the contest.

How did it get there? Last summer I was bored during the hockey off season, so I went through my archives and upload some photos to Sharks' players web pages on Wikipedia. When you put photos on Wiki, you typically have to make sure you are the author and that you put it up for public domain use, meaning that others can use it for non-commercial and at times commercial purposes without getting my permission. I don't do it to very many photos, but I thought, no one is going to buy these Sharks photos of mine for use in the media, so they can either sit on my hard drive wasting space or I might as well put up on Wikipedia where others could use them to promote the Sharks.

For that reason, my photos accompany articles about Setoguchi, Nabokov, Rivet, Clowe and other popular Sharks players.

I've already seen this photo used elsewhere, but to my surprise (and it was kind of fun to feel that I contributed something to an NHL), today I saw Sharks use my photo during the live NHL game. As someone who grew up idolizing the NHL as a kid, and who is still a huge Sharks fan, I was thrilled to be at the game and recognize my own photo.

Now if only I could find a way to convince people I was sitting with that it was indeed my own photo and that I didn't trick them in any way..

Rising Storm and the Tree

February is the time I love in San Jose. For a photographer who likes nature and the clouds, San Jose has always been a challenge since the weather is mostly cloudless during the year. But the storms come in February, and it's been stormy around here for the past couple of weeks, with no forecast of rain stopping.

With the hope of catching a clearing storm, I drove to the park right behind my house and I was lucky to have clouds line up just as I wanted them to behind this favorite oak tree of mine.

Chachos

Downtown San Jose is more interesting than I now think. I been working there for two years now, but hardly taken any shots of it. Most days there is no time as

I am either rushing to work, or rushing home after work, but in the coming weeks I'll make an effort to spend a bit more time documenting and capturing interesting elements of my home town.

To begin, here is a piece of street art on the exterior of a night club. Never been inside, but I found the outside to be eye catching. Artists are Will Richardson and Geoffrey Wood.

Ryan Wilcox - Featured Photographer

It's been a while I had a chance to feature an up and coming photographer, as I have done in the past, but I decided I need to get back to doing that. This week's featured photographer is Ryan Wilcox (you can find his web-site here), whom I met on Flickr forums when I was starting out with my first SLR, just as he was. I love his photography - it is what I would call a happy photography. Not sure what it is, but he has a way of capturing a happy side of people, and I also love the way he works with color and emotion. With that said, below is the interview with Ryan, followed by some of his favorite images.


Your home town?
Portland, Oregon. I've lived all over the west (Idaho, Utah, So Cal), south (Mississippi, Louisiana) and east (Washington DC) and the more places I've lived the more I love it here. The people, the climate, and the culture make this my favorite city of them all. There is a laid back pseudo-hippy vibe and there are so many amazing photographers that are willing to take you under their wing and aren't looking for personal gain. Almost a "pay it forward" or "we're all in this together" mentality.

How did your interest in photography get started?
Back when I was younger my family had these large books of photography. My uncle worked for the associated press and his photography was featured in a book which chronicled a typical day in the lives of Oregonians. I remember sitting down and looking through these photojournalistic pictures that made me feel an intimacy with these total strangers that I'd never experienced. But it wasn't until about 2 years ago that I got serious about my own photography. I was working on my masters thesis when I decided to join flickr. Since then I've had this insatiable appetite to learn anything and everything I can about photography to better my skills. I would eat, breath, and live it if I could.

Why do you do it?

I absolutely find so much satisfaction and happiness from taking a great photo that it's truly euphoric. It fulfills a need I have for a creative outlet from a fairly stressful day job as a marriage and family therapist.

What are the goals you have that relate to photography?

Currently, I'm going to be learning film more in depth (production and development). One of my favorite photographers is a 100% film shooter and there is a quality to his portraits that I've not been able to replicate no matter how much time I spend on an image in photoshop. Plus, I feel like a fraud photographer until I spend a good amount of time in a darkroom breathing fumes.

I also am pushing myself more and more with using off the camera flash. It's really fun for me because as I'm understanding it more and more I look at a photograph or watch a show and my mind deconstructs the lighting of the shot. For example, I was watching "The Bachelor" (don't you judge me :) on TV and in one scene their key light was up way too high and it was causing too harsh of shadows. I automatically recognized it without meaning to. It was kind of a fun moment for me. I also felt like a lighting dork. :)

What recent photo projects have you worked on?

I've really been into creating collages and using more creative croping to tell a story rather than a single image. I'm also scheduling a lot of my shoots in more urban/industrial areas because of the interesting juxtaposition of shooting warm happy portraits in fairly dilapidated environments.

How would you describe your style?

I would describe it has warm and happy while still being artistic and interesting. It's tough to say though because it really varies according to my subject (commercial, wedding, portraiture, etc..)

How did you develop it and how is it evolving?

Honestly, I subscribe to the blogs of many of my favorite photographers and deconstruct their set up and method. MY style is absolutely evolving. I've really only been seriously taking photos for about 2 years and have never taken any formal classes on the subject so in some ways I'm still searching for my unique voice but I have a direction for sure. I'm also really excited to continue to push my style in a new direction. Eventually I'd like people to take a look at a photo and say: "Oh yes. Ryan took that."

What are your favorite subjects to photograph?

For my day job, one of the things I specialize in is seeing premarital couples in counseling so I LOVE engagement shoots. They are usually willing to try just about everything and are wonderful subjects. And, although I haven't shot as many as I'd like, I also love shooting weddings. There is such an energy and excitement there that is almost palatable.

How do you get the inspiration during the creative process?

The families and couples I see in therapy especially after a productive and successful session inspire me. I just love being able to capture that. The genuine connection and emotion that a couple in love feels. Wow, I'm a cheeseball. Other than that, I'd say everything around me. I remember playing a lot of "Tony Hawk: Pro Skater" on Playstation in college. After playing it for a long time I would go outside and look at places in the real world that I could skate in the game. I'd see a building just close enough to another that I could do a wicked awesome transfer. In the same way I look at all of the settings that surround me and ask myself: "If the sky was the limit, What would be an awesome angle to shoot that from? How would I light that area just right? What would make for a creative composition? If I had a couple, where would I place them to make the perfect most dynamic shot?" I'll probably do this 10 times within a given day. I love that challenge.

How do you define a successful photograph?

If it evokes any kind of emotion in the viewer. I also love photos that break the rules of photography (ie rule of thirds, etc..) or that initially look like mistakes.

What is the future for photography?

I think that there is going to continue to be less of a divide between the pros and the amateurs. The amount of accessible information about photography due to the internet and the technology in the cameras themselves make it easier and easier for any one to take amazing photographs. I also am really excited for camera technology to one day be able to simulate the human eye which we are taking large steps towards with HDR (High Dynamic Range).

What has been the craziest act you did to take a good picture?

That's a tough one. Because I take a lot of family photos, I seriously act like an idiot to get a kiddo to laugh or look at me. I don't mean I just say silly things, I really act like scary weird. I think it may disturb some parents but hey I get the shot.

What has been your favorite location to be at with a camera?

I was in Badlands National Park one summer just after a hard rain and it was truly breath taking. I usually don't have the patience for a lot of landscape photography but that moment was amazing.

What's one location you would love to shoot at?

There are so many. I would honestly love to shoot pretty much anywhere in Western Europe. I'd love to go to the various tourist spots and take different angles and compositions of the famous and recognizable landmarks.

PC or Mac?
I bleed shiny black and brushed metal. Mac all the way.

What's your favorite piece of equipment and why?

Currently, it's my Nikkor 17-55mm 2.8f lens. It's the perfect focal length on my D300 and is so tack sharp that I have to wear gloves when I handle it (ok, so I made that last part up).

What are your favorite techniques of processing an image?

I use Apple Aperture for organization and to do minor adjustments and then use Photoshop CS3 for the hardcore stuff.

What are your hobbies outside of photography?

I am a Trailblazer basketball fanatic and cannot watch a game sitting down. I also am a tech geek and a huge fan of my wife and little boy.

What photographer would you love to go out shooting with?

Jonathan Canlas. He sounds like a kick in the pants to hang out with plus his eye is so unique compared to most. He is someone that I try to emulate more than anyone else and love the depth of emotion in his portraits.

What other two photographers you admire?

I love the look and style of a group of photographers in Orange County, CA namely Amelia Lyon and Mark Brooke. I also love Aaron Ruell's stuff . All are seriously different, modern, fun, and more original than anyone out there.

Round of Links and Thoughts

Here is a set of links and thoughts to share from my recent travels in the world of internets.

• One of my favorite places to shoot in Northern California is Point Lobos, a place where Ansel Adams loved to take his visitors for a walk when he lived in Carmel. If you don't know that area very well, here is a good guide published by SFGate to this place.
• Jim Goldstein posted a collection of links to the best images from 2008 on his web-site as part of the project I also participated in. Here is the link to Jim's post.
• I recently came across a concept I have not yet fully explored, eBooks. One of the local landscape photographer, Don Smith, whose work I greatly admire, just published his Guide to the Big Sur Coast in form of a downloadable pdf book, and he borrowed a concept from William Neill's eBooks. Well, I bought a book from William (his Landscapes of the Spirit) and it blew me away. As a result, I am now learning Adobe's InDesign software and will begin with publishing my first portfolio in a form of an eBook, which will be available for free download when it's ready. Please stay tuned.
  
• With that said, I'm off to buy a new eBook that Don just made available (I did not know it was available when I started writing this post). I'll post my review shortlty.
  
• Speaking of portfolio - wow. It's quite a labor to stop and think about which images actually represent my body of work up to this point. I'll share my thoughts on this in the coming days, but I been taking it seriously, and it has not been an easy task by any stretch of my imagination, even despite the fact that I've only been shooting seriously for a couple of years. Sometimes we shoot so much that we lose the meaning and connection between our images.
  

Family

"I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich. " -- Dan Wilcox and Thad Mumford

I typically don't post images like this, but this one has plenty of meaning to it and it is one of my recent favorites, so I thought I'd share.

I do take portraits here and there, mostly for friends that ask. Last Saturday we went to Santa Cruz to take pictures of this family that we're friends with during their family get together. I wanted to find a way to capture their relationship and how close they are, and this is what came out of it.

During these difficult economic and political times it's easy to focus on all the negative around us, but it's remembering what is truly valuable in life is what may help us keep the right perspective.

The Walton Lighthouse

Located in Santa Cruz, California, Walton Lighthouse (named after one of its patrons, Charles Walton) was built in the Fall of 2001, which makes it the newest lighthouse in the Northern California part of the Coast.

For me, this lighthouse is more about the Seacliff Beach that it is located on than anything else. For that reason I wanted sand and waves to dominate the composition here.