Round Robin: Garden Portraits

It's been a while since I participated in the Round Robin Photo Challenge.
For you Robins who have not been here since my last challenge from April of 2009, I was a little busy being pregnant and having the most wonderful baby ever.

Now that the dust has settled and we are all finding our footing together (and now that he sleeps eight to 10 hours a night), I want to get back into doing some of my favorite things, including participating in the photo challenges.

It is nice to be back here.

That said, when it came time to pick a garden for the Garden Portraits challenge, I did not look far. I went to my own garden. Or lack thereof.


We are in the process of redoing the yards, front and back, so there isn't much there. But one thing that is left, and that I love, is the bear's breeches.

Maybe I just like it because of the name. Anyway, the plant is pretty cool these days. It used to just be a messy tangle of big leaves. Then suddenly, after years of not blooming, it flowered.
And they are pretty cool blooms.

Once I got my regular shots, I decided to play with the iPhone app, Hipstamatic.
All shots are taken with the John S. lens and the Dreampop flash. I used three different "films."

The next two are with the Ina's 1969 "film." This has been my favorite of the film options so far. But there are some others I have not tried yet since I have not bought all the paks.

These next two are take with the Alfred's Infrared "film." Pretty cool, old-school film look.

These last two were taken using the Blackey's "film." It is very contrasty, which I like. Though I don't think it really works with this subject.

Anyway, as I said, it is nice to be back in the land of the Robins. If you want to see who else played along on this challenge, go to the Round Robin site and check them out.

Round Robin: By the Numbers

It's another photo challenge over at Round Robin.
Since this one was my idea, I guess I have to participate, right?
The topic is "By the Numbers."
Head over to Round Robin to see who else played.

Most of these were taken on the recent seafood-eating excursion to the Redondo Beach pier.
Who knew there were so many numbers involved in eating seafood?


Your orders, 01401 and 18387 will be ready in 20-30 minutes.
(And hammers are available in the beer department.)


Speaking of the beer department... Carta Blanca... 1 quart for each of us.


Hammers. For a mere $3 deposit each.


Our finest table coverings were recent editions of the Asahi Shimbun newspaper.



I saw some numbers here in a few fonts I liked.
Not that I know what it says. But it sure looks cool

And the number that started it all. Nothing to do with seafood here.

This was taken at the parking garage at work.

It was one of the first pictures I took with the new camera, a Canon G9, that I got back in October 2008.

'Tis all.

Hope to see y'all back here soon with some cool underwater photos from my dives at Anacapa!

Round Robin Photo Challenge: Light Moves

I went in on another Round Robin Challenge

(head there to see who else played).

The idea for this challenge is:

Take a picture that shows the quality of the light.

By that I mean the hues of a sunset, water reflected on water,

refracted light, something interesting with light.

I have to confess that mostly I relied on stuff I had already shot.

So let's start with that, then I will give you my new shot at the end.

And here we go:

St. Thomas sunset

Port of Long Beach
a little on the grainy and seedy side


Pepto-Bismol port sunset


Fifty-fifty
sea and sky


Water, light, magic

Shadow play


Moonfright


The water's fine


Just under the surface


I've been on that blimp
(and on that bridge)

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Can you tell I like sunsets?
And water...

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So I really do need to get back into the habit of
taking pictures, pictures, pictures.

I was really good for a while.
I do carry the camera at all times.

But usually everything is such a rush.
Rush to get to work.
Rush at work.
Rush to get home.

Note to self: Slow down. Look at things.

Take more pictures.

Round Robin: Not of this season

My paltry contribution to the Round Robin Photo Challenge: Not of this Season.

I am not sure where exactly he found it since I did not decorate for Christmas. But George turned up with a candy cane. Well AFTER Christmas.

I don't think he was really eating it. I think it was a toy for him.

Round Robin: My hometown

It's Round Robin time. Click on the link to see what the other Robins have to offer.
The assignment this time was my home town.
In my heart, I probably will always think of Joshua Tree as my hometown since that is where I grew up.
But for the moment, and for about the past 15 years, Torrance has been my home town.
So here are some shots of Torrance.
After initially not being very inspired, I think I went a little overboard.
By the way, there are a lot of signs in Torrance telling you what not to do.

If you watched "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" or "Beverly Hills 90210" on TV, this should be familiar. This is Torrance High School. It is the fictional campus in both of those shows.

Next is the Daily Breeze newspaper building.
I used to work here.
This building has always reminded me of the bottom of a swimming pool. The tile work is something else.
Sadly, the paper was sold to one company and the property to another.
So the paper's operations will move to a nondescript office building and most likely this building will be scrapped to become yet another nondescript office building.

Progress, huh?

Up next is Pine Wind Garden at the Torrance Civic Center.

My uncle got married here earlier this year.
It is just a pretty little gem tucked into the middle of the civic center.

Old Torrance has a few interesting buildings. They sure beat those nondescript office buildings.

Really, most of the action in the city takes place at Charles Wilson Park.

It was very quiet on Monday when I was there to wander.
But Tuesdays and Saturdays are busy with the farmers market.
Shopping for produce and having something to eat was a great way to kill an hour before work Tuesday.

There you have it. A taste of Torrance. Which is just a scratch on the surface.