The Carousel

I've been to Paris only once, and it was completely addicting. The architecture, the people, the mix of ancient and modern, the food, the museums... to me it felt like the real-life version of disneyland. Just as glittery, but a little more real. It's definitely a place I'll revisit one day with someone special.

2015... Aaaaaaand we're off!

Back when I first got into photography maybe seven years ago or so, the only thing I had was a tiny little point and shoot digital camera and I loved that sucker. It went everywhere with me. If it wasn't in my hand it was in my purse ready to be whipped out at a moment's notice. I had so much fun shooting and sharing everything I came across -  animals, leaves, sunsets, puddles on the sidewalk... to this day, a photo I took years ago of my Christmas Starbucks cup is one of my most-purchased photos on RedBubble.com (apparently it makes a popular holiday card)! I was constantly looking for new subjects and trying out new things and having a blast doing it.

Then, somewhere along the way things changed. As I got more and more into photography and eventually bought my first DSLR, all of a sudden instead of just composing a picture and showing it off, I was worried about my camera body, switching back and forth between a bunch of different lenses, lugging around a ginormous camera bag, did I have the right accessories, learning post-processing, and on and on.  

And don't get me wrong, I have had a lot of fun with it. I still love my big camera, and post-processing is one of my very very favorite activities. But this past year I really started noticing every photo that I missed because I never had my camera with me unless I was specifically out on a photo excursion of some sort. Every time I'd see a gorgeous sunrise on my morning walk from the office to the coffee shop, I'd get horribly nostalgic for the days when I could just pull my camera out of my back pocket and capture the moment.

So, I decided to do something about it! I've been needing a new phone anyway, so late last year I specifically purchased one with a great camera, with the intention of actually using it for photos on a regular basis. For a long time I was hung up on taking photos with my camera, lest someone mistake the horrible grainy out of focus snapshots for real attempts at good art. 

But no more! My new phone has a lot of customizable camera options and the photo quality is actually good enough to make me happy. 

Last night, I got my first chance to really use it and I was so happy with the experience. I was scheduled to meet up with my friend Ryan and some other folks to take photos at Pike Place Market. Since this was meant to be a real photo shoot I loaded up my camera bag my tripod and all of my gear into my car and headed out. And once I got there, I promptly realized the only item I had left at home was the battery I needed to make my camera work. 

A hearty forehead slap ensued.

But then Brilliant Ryan, as he is now known in my head, reminded me that I had a brand new phone for this purpose and turned my epic fail into a perfect opportunity to try out my new gear.

I had an absolute blast taking photos with my phone, and loved not lugging around a tripod. I fully intend to make this a new habit! 

2015, here I come!

Daybreak on the Seattle Waterfront

This was shot on a very coooooooooold winter morning recently. Temperature aside, winter mornings are ridiculously gorgeous in the Pacific Northwest. I love this season!

Blue Tower

Blue Tower
I completely understand why the Eiffel Tower has been declared the most photographed location in the world - it's captivating and beautiful and sparkles like a diamond in a way I hadn't quite expected.

Click the picture to purchase a fine art print!

Silver City

Silver City
I really enjoy the view from Kerry Park in Seattle during the Winter. Most often, the Seattle skyline is only shown from the top of the trees up, but for me it's a real treat when the trees lose their leaves and all of a sudden the skyline becomes so much more interesting. The house in front always feels so warm and homey to me, and the city feels a bit more energetic when your looking at all the extra city lights near the base of the Needle.

Now if I could just get this shot with some interesting clouds in the frame...

Seattle Street Photography and Santarchy 2011

Seattle Street Photography - a Meetup group
I had a blast today hanging out with a Meetup group I recently joined - Seattle Street Photography. We met this afternoon to spend the day photographing the Christmas sights of downtown Seattle. We walked from Westlake Center down 5th Ave, over to Pike Place, and back around to Westlake. Everything was just beautiful... the weather could not have been more perfect, there was a lovely sunset, and best of all, the evening ended with Santarchy 2011! I was so pleased with all the great shots I came away with today.

I am normally really hesitant about taking candid photos - I worry that I'm going to make someone unhappy if I get caught taking their pic, and I'm usually too shy to ask. But spending the day with the SSP group was so great - There weren't so many of us that we scared off all the potential models, but there were enough of us that one person taking photos didn't really seem strange or intrusive in context.

I got some great shots today that will make excellent HDRs, but in the mean time, here are some of my favorite candids and non-hdrs of the day...

Southern Sunset

Southern Sunset
This was shot from the base of the Greater New Orleans Bridge in... you'll never guess... New Orleans!

The Capitol

The Capitol
A shot of the State Capitol that I took during a recent visit to Olympia, WA. I loved the color bouncing off the clouds from the government buildings.

Seat at the Fountain

After work yesterday, I was in the mood to just get in the car and drive somewhere new to look for some night-photography subjects. Am I the only one who takes little impromptu trips like this on a regular basis? I certainly hope not. I feel free and relaxed and happy, nothing much bothers me... I just adopt a leisurely pace and enjoy the scenery and watch for photogenic stuff. Taking these little drives is one of my very favorite things to do. I hope that other people out there indulge their whims as much as I do. Everyone should have as many of these happy little moments as they can.

Seat at the Fountain
I spent yesterday driving around on what us Seattleites call the "Eastside" - I went across I-90 to Issaquah and up through Redmond. I was driving around on some little Issaquah side roads and came across this scene in the middle of a residential area. It made me think of a little fairly tale scene of some sort. It's the little moments like these...