lbc photos

Taking photographs of animals can be tricky, because more times than not, they run off or fly away before you can snap off a shot! Even our own pets seem to turn their heads at the last minute.  The key to taking great photographs of animals is having great patience and time! This photo, taken on Catalina Island, is one of those times where the photo gods were on my side! I saw the composition, waited for the perfect moment, and snapped off this shot. You can view this shot or vote for it at National Geographic’s World in Focus Photo Contest here! Thanks!

Shooting at night offers such a different perspective and feel of places than it does during the day.  It often tends to create images that are surreal or eerie.  This photo was taken in Rainbow Park in Downtown Long Beach. And although it looks as if it was taken at dusk or dawn, the photo was taken somewhere around 10pm.  Some of my favorite night photography is done with large format cameras, using super long exposure times.  Nevertheless, you can take some pretty sweet night photos on your dSLR using 15-30 second exposure times.  Set your camera to Tv mode, put your shutter speed as low as possible, then find some dark corners! Bring a tripod!!

I love art! I frequent different museums and exhibits to not only see what else is out there, but to gain different perspective and inspiration from other artists and photographers.  This photo is from a trip up to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA). I snapped this picture of a photo-collage of sunsets (yes, a picture of a picture!), because I loved the color and the geometry of the piece. I set a large aperture on my camera, with a focal point near the center of the frame. This created a nice depth-of-field shot which blurred the edges to make it seem like it goes on forever.

In what may have taken days to shred hundreds of old documents containing personal information, I collapsed time frames and destroyed all evidence in under an hour!  This excursion to Bolsa Chica State Beach in Orange County, California not only got the job done quickly but also provided juvenile entertainment by setting things on fire! It also made for a great photo opportunity! By slowing the shutter speed down on my camera, I was able to capture trails off the popping embers. Fire!

There is nothing like sailing on the ocean with some friends and some cold cervezas! It also provides some great photo opportunities, so don’t forget your camera! I snapped off a lot of shots this day, but I really liked this one.  The lines, the composition, and the depth-of-field really do it for me! ha!  How can you take a great photo like this? Just remember your “Rule of Thirds.”

Sometimes drinking at home by yourself just isn’t fun anymore, so occasionally i will go out in public to satisfy my thirst with a barley pop.  This shot was taken at the V-Room on 4th Street in Long Beach.  I hate using a flash, so I don’t.  Even if you are indoors, you really don’t need to. Adjust your ISO to 1600 (or 3200 if you have a really spiffy DSLR camera) and utilize the lighting in your environment.  *Sometimes you may have to use a tripod. The bright, direct light above the pool table in this shot acts the same way a flash would if you angled it at 90 degrees…lighting only the subject, and blacking out subjects in the background.