San Francisco
Science Is Super
After attending Megan’s wedding in Florida, I flew to San Francisco to spend the rest of Thanksgiving week with my parents and my brother’s family. We stopped at my uncle’s for a few days, during which my mom and I visited the California Academy of Sciences.
The Academy (the name is a little misleading, since its focus is definitely more on the life sciences than anything other areas) underwent a huge series of renovations a few years ago, and it’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the Bay Area. They’d just started their winter programs, which included bringing in a couple of reindeer, installing a snow machine in the main pavilion, and putting up a Geodome for watching the Borealis. I was surprised by how crowded it was—the line to get into the rainforest exhibit was ten minutes long—Bill Nye would have been proud.
Now. Here is a question for other photogs out there. There is a photo in here (guess which it is!) that I like now and liked when I took it…but I didn’t get any names because I didn’t know what the best way to approach it is. I’m not on assignment. I’m not in a class. I don’t want to be creepy and say “I am a stranger and took your photo and might like to put it on a website some day,” despite the fact that…that’s what I’m doing, basically. Has this ever happened to you? How did you phrase the request?
Anyway, these were all shot with the 7D and my 20mm (which, as I’ve mentioned before, is my favorite lens in the arsenal). Enjoy!
You can just barely see the anaconda’s head in this one.
This picture has probably never, ever been taken before. 😉
And, because they’re just so cute (and a lot smaller than I thought they’d be!)…here are the holiday reindeer!
Down by the Bay: Fourth of July Parade
I wish I had this girl’s socks.
Down by the Bay: Baseball + Fireworks
I’m procrastinating writing a paper for Qualitative, and figured now was as good a time as any to post the penultimate entry from my San Francisco trip.
On Friday, July 3, I went with my family and my friend Seth to see the San Francisco Giants play the Houston Astros. I wouldn’t call myself a hardcore Astros fan, but I did go to school in Houston for four years, so I’d probably err on their side when picking an NL team to root for. However, the Astros of 2009 are nothing like the Astros of a few years ago–the team that went to the World Series and had the power trio (the Killer Bs) of Berkman, Biggio and Bagwell. They ended up losing 9-0. Ouch. To be fair, San Francisco’s pitcher was absolutely brilliant- and it was only his second start!
There was also a fireworks show after the game, which rocked. I’m already excited for the fireworks in Oak Bluffs next month, but that’s partially because I’m really excited about going back to the East Coast for a couple weeks.
Down by the Bay: Nom nom nom
I toned everything here to fix the white balance up- except for the next three photos (well, I made one black and white. But the exposure is as is). Those are the result of GORGEOUS and absolutely perfect natural light. I’d never seen anything like it. Maybe I should move to San Francisco just to get that sky-as-a-softbox effect all the time…
Down by the Bay: Independence Day 2009
As per family tradition, I went to San Mateo, CA for the 4th of July to visit my brother and sister-in-law, and their two daughters (Liza, 3, and Molly, who’s only ten weeks old!). My parents, fresh out of a trip to Vegas for my mom’s 50th birthday, also came. Angus and Lori just moved to San Mateo after several years living in San Francisco (it’s about 25 minutes north of where they are now; Angus still commutes to work in the city); the town is, as far as I could tell, close to the epitome of Suburbia. The neighborhood and community seemed great, and I’m so glad the family’s all settled in there…even if I did kind of miss their little SanFran apartment.
I also got to meet up with a few people from Rice (hooray!), go to a Giants/Astros game (Houston is so terrible this year. It’s hard to believe they were in a World Series four years ago), visit Berkeley for the first time (I prefer San Francisco, but then I was only on the other side of the bay for about an hour and a half), go to the BEACH for the first time in more than a year (that’s just sad) and eat oh so much excellent food. I got very carried away taking food pictures, so those are all going to get their own post.
Oh! On the way home, I bounced through Salt Lake City, and flew right over the lake on the way out. I couldn’t get any pictures of it), but wow. I’d fly through Utah again just for that sight. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that color blue before, and the salt flats around it were beautiful. No wonder LG’s friends got married out there.
Anyway, I have so many photos to upload here (I’m still behind on my Missourian assignments, but I keep meaning to make a Soundslides for all of them…eventually…) that I broke everything down into separate posts:
Foul Balls and Fireworks
Fourth of July
Food (nom nom nom nom)
San Francisco
Down by the Bay: Pacifica
I like Missouri just fine, but the lack of ocean here drives me crazy. It was quite the sight for sore eyes to see the Pacific in all of its glory. Beautiful. 
Bean Hollow State Beach
Liza and Angus roaming the shore.
Liza at the beach makes for a super high-key portrait.
A dolphin! I love my telephoto lens! Now I need a 400 and a monopod, so I can get even closer next time.
Liza’s sandy sandals.
Down by the Bay: Family Time
Daddy and little Molly. Shot this at 1/6 of a second, and Molly the squirmy moved her head just enough thather bow has motion blur. Sigh.
I love all of the open spaces and giant windows in Angus and Lori’s house.
Miss Molly! I didn’t have time to frame this the way I wanted to (I wish Molly were more in the photo), but I looked up, saw the reflection, and made one image. Oh well.
Pretty afternoon lighting in Angus and Lori’s backyard.
Liza, Daddy, Mom, and pretty indoor lighting. Also, balance flash! Woohoo yay!