A Short Stay in the Windy City

Now when I say my visit was short, I mean it! The train pulled into the Union Station around 3:30 PM. and I left at 9:30 on a different train.

Late last year, I saw this incredible time travel movie called Source Code. The main characters were on a Chicago bound train that had a bomb on it. Well, at the very end, it showed the main characters visiting a giant metal structure that had an incredible view reflecting off of it. So I started up the Google search and finally found the structure which looks like a giant metal bean sitting in the middle of a post modern designed city park called Millennium Park.

I did a hell of a lot of research on where to go on my 6 hour stay (probably more research than I did for New York), but I still managed to not have enough time to see everything I wanted. Another killer place to check out is Buckingham Fountain, which was seen on the into to Married With Children. the water shoots up in the air damn near into space! Well, maybe not that high, but its still amazing. And watch out if you walk near the Hilton on Michigan Ave. There was some pointless protest going on that blocked off every street in the area, and apparently, they happen ALL the time over there.

Jay Pritzker Pavillion at Millennium Park

View down Monroe St

A reflection off of the "Cloud Gate" sculpture, AKA The bean

Three monuments in front of Buckingham Fountain. The one in the middle really looks like the Headless Horseman until you get up close to it.

The skyline just north of Millennium Park

I always look for an opportunity for a self portrait.

If you go check out Cloud Gate, You'll get a view similar to this. I think you can see yourself about 543 times (not that many) from the odd concave shape underneath.

The Greatest City in the World Part 2

Here's Part 2 from my five day trip to New York. These are all mixed up from different days and don't really follow a specific order.

Times Square, Broadway and 6th Ave

Central Park, Near 5th Ave and 59th St

Central Park

Washington Sq Park, 5th Avenue and Washington Sq North

Enjoying a nice Sarachi Ace at the Brooklyn Brewery. The circles are tokens to get more beer.

Rockefeller Center

Skyline from the Brooklyn Bridge. That Freedom Tower looks more bad ass when you're standing next to it.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Brooklyn Bridge

The Greatest City in the World Part 1

I came back about a week ago from probably the best vacation I've ever taken. I went out to what still seems to be the hub of America, New York City. Over the next few posts, I'll bring to you some of my best vistas from my eight day trip, including my train ride to this magnificent city and my short visit in Chicago.

One of my biggest goals for this trip was to hit some of the views and locations that were less tourist trap and  played better to my imagination and my extreme eagerness. I do have several shots of well known landmarks, but they are more of an accidental nature. So, Sit back, relax and have a nice trip to the Big Apple.

Tom

The Chrystler Building, seen from near United Nations.

Third Story look inside The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)

The 911 Memorial (South Tower)

the Statue of Liberty, seen from the Staten Island Ferry

A tour helicopter just after takeoff, Near the Staten Island Ferry Terminal in Battery Park

A guy fishing from just below the Brooklyn Bridge

A small police substation in Times Square

New York State Pavilion Observation Towers 

Central Park Near 5th Ave and 59th St

Red Bull Soccer Stadium, Harrison, NJ

Get the Point?

801 Tower on Figueroa, Downtown LA

I thought this was the outside of a nightclub in Downtown LA, but it seems to be a cool courtyard outside of a building that could be an apartment or an office building.

Little Devils

Alpine Village January 2012 - Shot with Canon Rebel XT, Canon 50mm f1.8,  Fujicolor Superia 400

I'm not sure what is the point of these guys but they look like they would make some interesting decorations. I wouldn't want to wake up to one of these guys on the table next to my bed though. Talk about Nightmares!!

Do the Brew!

Orange County Brew Fest - Irvine Lake, May  2012

This beerfest is always an interesting event. Unfortunately it's starting to get littered with hipsters and drunks. These events are for several beer companies to get together and introduce their beer to the public. They give you a meager 8oz plastic cup at the entrance for you to hold your beer. Now the point of this event is to try the beer and not drink it all. Unfortunately nobody knows that rule and the drunks come out of the woodwork.

Beerfests that I would recommend are

Noble Ale Works Anniversary in February
Bootleggers Brewery Anniversary in April
Brew Ha Ha in September
Brew Ho Ho in December

Another great one I went to was the airshow at the Riverside Airport. Packinghouse Brew Co held an event at their brewery, right across the street, where you could watch the airshow for free.

Enjoy your beer. Cheers!

Walking the Line

Shot with a roll of generic Fujifilm 100 ISO

Today's photo takes us into enemy territory. My cat Kyookii is walking on the edge of the neutral zone while taunting all of the enemy combatants (feral cats). My cat only would patrol the back yard and kept it pretty damn empty of the feral cats during the day. I remember one night leaving the door open and she saw a feral cat coming up close to the door and my cat zoomed off and chased the other one right outta there.

Bit the Dust

I might have posted this shot before, but oh well. I took this picture mid repair. Well, it was more like no repair because I had just found out that the shutter was permanently frozen and wouldn't go anymore. These old Yashica Mat cameras are some of the most inexpensive and easiest cameras to learn with. I love how the viewfinder shows everything flipped backwards.

Did He Save the Cheerleader?

Arco Plaza, Downtown LA - Shot with Canon 10D, Canon 50mm f1.8, ISO 400,1/640 @ f7.1

You might recognize this sculpture from Season 1 of Heroes. I'd been looking for it for a few years now and it turns out that I've walked past it several times. It's right across the street from the LA Public Library on 6th st and around the corner from the First Interstate building (The tallest building in the city). It has a couple of "it looks like" the main ones I think it looks like are a strand of DNA and the Cobra logo from GI Joe. 

Around the Bend

San Gabriel River Trail, Azusa January 2012 - Shot with Canon Rebel XT, Canon 50mm f1.8,  Fujicolor Superia 400

These mountain roads are very fun to drive. Just watch your speed around the corners. There are a couple of interesting dams up here as well as the bridge to nowhere.

Fractured Tree or Fractured Existence?

Sorry for the delay this week. I was on a travelling delay. I have a boatload of shots I took on my travels that I'll be showing pretty soon. Hope you all are having a good week thus far.

Tom

Walt Disney Concert Hall, Garden on the back of the concert hall - Shot with Canon 10D, Canon 50mm f1.8, ISO 400,1/1250 @ f9

I shot this on my last visit to the concert hall after I ditched a convention because it was a real snoozer. There was a couple getting their wedding pictures done here. Was very interesting to watch for the few minutes that I did.

I always go back to the same places to see if I can find anything new or creative to shoot. If you think you have nothing to shoot or you live in a boring area, I'll tell you that you're wrong. I keep going back to places like this because it forces me to think out of the box and to push myself to see something I might have missed before. Pushing the limits in these ways flourish creativity.