Mountain Sunset

To love beauty is to see light.

- Victor Hugo

      

Santa Barbara Shoreline

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

--Anonymous

Memorial Day

     Today's post is in honor of all the men and women who have served, are serving, and have lost their lives serving our country. This is a photo of Senior Airmen Duane Kelley Jr, one of the many people that I know serving today. Thank you to all that serve.

Hoover Dam

 Facts about the Hoover Dam:

• the dam is 726 feet high, 45 feet thick at the top and 660 feet at the bottom, making it larger than the Great Pyramid of Cheops.
• the lowest paid dam worker was .50 cents an hour and the highest was $1.25 an hour. 
• it was named for the 31st president, Herbert Hoover. When he left office, the names “Boulder Canyon Dam” and “Boulder Dam” were used.
• During a dam tour, tourists will see gleaming terrazzo floors imbedded with Southwestern Indian designs adapted from baskets, pottery, and sand paintings made by Italian craftsmen.

Love Park

    Love park is one of the main attractions in downtown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Love Park was built in the 1960's and became a great place for skateboarders due to the curved stairs and ledges. Some of the world's top skateboarding professionals call Philadelphia home. Philadelphia has also been the only city to hold the ESPN's X Games twice in a row. 

Battleball Tournament

    These are photos of the Battleball Tournament sponsored by Salt N' Light Youth Ministry. The Battleball Tournament is held in the gymnasium at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania. The Battleball Tournament is an event where numerous youth groups form teams to play dodgeball to determine a champion. After the tournament, all the teams come together for some praise and worship. 

Orchid

"When two friends understand each other totally, the words are soft and strong like an orchid's perfume."
 - Martin Luther King Jr.

Paintball

    Paintball is a sport that both my family and I really enjoy. As soon as you get the "GO," adrenaline starts rushing as your running through the field to find the best place to take cover, as well as be effective to get the other team out. In this fast-paced sport you will hear the rushing of feet against the leaves and branches, the pops of the gun firing, and the whizzing of the balls flying past. This photo was taken during a game that was played on a paintball field that we created in the woods.

T-Spong

    T-Spong is a clothing company founded by my cousin, David Spong that is geared towards the sports action lifestyle. This is one of the photos taken during a photo shoot to advertise the products.

Spiked Chandelier

     This chandelier was modeled after the racks that butchers used to use to hang the meat after it was chopped up.

Shed

      This is a shed that was attached to an abandoned house in West Virginia. I could tell that it had been sitting there for quite some time by the way the grass and ground seem to have grown up around the inside and out.

Sculpture

      This is an image of a sculpture that I found to be interesting while photographing a house in Santa Ynez, California. It's so simple, yet unique and beautiful. Its sleek appearance and curved structure is emphasized by the lit fireplace in the background from the highlight being cast upon it.

Cliff May Inspired Home

   This is a living room that was inspired by the architect Cliff May. Cliff May is a Californian architect that designs homes that are built with easy access to nature and allows lots of light in using floor-to-ceiling glass. A fellow photographer and friend, Kelly Slezak and I photographed this house located in Santa Ynez, California.

Abstract Chair

     I really enjoy photographing architecture because of its lines, shapes, and uniqueness as a whole. Along with photographing the overall design and scene of the architecture, I rather enjoy shooting details. Details are commonly overlooked and can sometimes be the most interesting. This detail that I shot while photographing a house in Santa Ynez, California is of a kitchen chair next to a table. 

Pool

       As summer is rapidly approaching, kids of all ages are anxiously awaiting to take their first jump into the pool. I photographed this pool during an architecture photo shoot in Santa Ynez, California. 

Sunset

"When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator."

- Mahatma Gandhi  

Door

'Prayer is the key to Heaven, but faith unlocks the door." 

- Anonymous

Mallard

"Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath."

- Michael Caine

Governors Suite

     This is the Governors Suite at the Union Hotel Restaurant and Saloon located in Los Alamos, California. This is just one of the many rooms that myself and a fellow photographer and friend, Kelly Slezak, photographed for the hotel.

Decayed Pier

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

- Plato

A Rose for Lily

      "A Rose for Lily" at the public garden of the Walt Disney Concert Hall is dedicated to the initial donor of the hall. Frank Gehry and his team used 200 broken vases and 8,000 broken tiles to organize and construct this fountain.   

Interior Design

    This is a detail shot of a living room that was decorated by Linda Adams Interior Designs. I was accompanied by four other photographers for this assignment, Kelly Slezak, Jerry Chen, Michael Fan, and Stephanie Munguia.

Books

"Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom."

-Thomas Jefferson 

Mirror Image

     I was inspired to take this photograph by the way the building was reflecting within the glass of the other building. I also liked how the building in the background and the rocks are seen in the glass creating a symmetrical feel.  

Nimes

      This is the inside of the Arena of Nimes, in Nimes, France. While visiting, I could imagine what it would be like to witness one of the two bullfights held here annually: the sounds of a cheering audience, the bullfighters whistling at the bull, the grunting of the bull, and the vibrant colors of the pageantry.

Portrait

     For this image I used a green gel to cast a highlight around his head. I achieved this by using a Alien Bee strobe with a green gel over the light and directed it at the back of his head.

Lock

"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart."

- Anthony J. D'Angelo

Farm Equipment

“Burn down your cities and leave our farms, and your cities will spring up again as if by magic; but destroy our farms and the grass will grow in the streets of every city in the country.”

- William Jennings Bryan

                                                              

Pink Flamingo

Pink Flamingo Facts:

• Average life span is 20 to 30 years
• 15 to 30% of their day is spent preening 
• They eat with their head down in the water so they can both drink and eat at the same time using the front of their bill. 
• Their wingspan can range from 3 to 5 feet 
• Can live in either hot volcanic lakes or icy lakes

Chess

     Here is a close-up shot of chess pieces ready to be played. Chess became popular in Europe and has been played since around the 15th century. Two people play this game with the goal of trapping the King. This is called checkmate. Checkmate occurs when the opponent's King cannot move to another location on the board without being captured.

Mixed Drink

 

     This image is of an apple martini made with Smirnoff and an apple drink mix. I used an Alien Bee strobe with a softbox and fill cards to light this. I added depth to the image by including all the ingredients and items used to create the drink.   

Abstract

     Can you name the building this is a part of?

Gas Pumps

    I stumbled upon these old gas pumps while walking around Los Alamos, California. By the way the faded paint was peeling and the metal was rusting, you could tell these gas pumps had years of use and wear.

Jaguar

Random Jaguar Facts:

• The largest of South America's big cats
• Life span in the wild is about 12 to 15 years
• They are good swimmers
• Cubs are born blind
• They have the second strongest jaw amongst cats; can bite through a turtle shell
• They hunt mainly at night
• Jaguar means, "a beast that kills its prey with a single bound."

Shadows

      The harsh shadows on the pavement from the fence posts caught my attention while visiting the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The contrast and repetition led me to photograph it.  

Row Boat

    “One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.”

Henry Miller

Fountain

      This water fountain is one of the main attractions located at the Morris Arboretum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not only did I want to capture its overall appearance, I also wanted to capture the fountain's simplicity and beauty.

Flower

"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature."

Gerard De Nerval

Cake

     This is a photograph of a red velvet cake. Photographing food can be both a challenge and a pleasure. The challenge with photographing food is styling and lighting it to make it look appetizing to the viewer. For me, the pleasure of photographing this was being able to eat it, since red velvet is my favorite kind of cake.

Lobster Trap

     This is an image of a lobster trap I found while walking along the harbor in Province Town, Massachusetts. Lobsters are lured into the trap using bait such as fish or chum and each cage can hold several lobsters.  

Reflections

“Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is beauty, admire it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

Life is a challenge, meet it.

Life is a duty, complete it.

Life is a game, play it.

Life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight for it.”

― Mother Teresa

Rusted Barbwire

     Growing up on a farm in Maryland has given me such love and joy for the country. I love the smells, the sounds (or lack there of), and the views. While driving around one day enjoying the scenery, I found this fence that bordered the road and someone's property. The old, rusted barbwire caught my attention the way it was wrapped around the worn fence with dry, mangled leaves.

Sheep

    Just a few facts about sheep:

• Their life expectancy is between 10 to 12 years. 
• Sheep raising is the oldest organized industry
• There are approximately 900 different breeds around the world
• They produce 8 pounds of wool in one year
• Sheep have poor eyesight but excellent hearing

Billiards

      This is a Billiard table set up and ready to be played. This table was found in a local hotel and bar in Los Alamos, California. The bar was very interesting on the inside, it was covered with signed dollar bills tacked to the ceiling, animal heads on the walls, and had a western/country vibe. The locals were very friendly and welcomed me in to explore and photograph their local hangout.  

Walt Disney Concert Hall

   The Walt Disney Concert Hall is known world wide for its concerts and its structural appearance. This detail image of the building shows only a portion of the unique architectural design envisioned by Frank Gehry. 

Drawer

     This is a detail image of the drawer to an end table. The vintage look of the table and the handle which appeared to be rusted on the drawer caught my attention, giving me the desire to photograph it. I really wanted to emphasis the handle, which is why I made it the focus of the image. I later desaturated it to give it more of a vintage feeling.  

Boat

     This is an image of a fisherman's boat that passed by me while photographing some people surfing. It appeared to have been a good day for these fishermen, for there was a flock of seagulls hovering over and following the scent of dead fish.

Hearst Castle

     This image is of the outdoor pool at the Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California. The Hearst Castle is a great place for both tourist and photographers. It is also still frequently used by the family members.

Seals

     These are just a few of the seals that I saw while visiting the Carpinteria Seal Sanctuary in California. These seals seemed to stop and pose for me right before flopping back into the water.

Bench

     This is a detail image of an old rusted bench in Los Alamos, California. The antique feel and design of the wrought iron arm rests, were the first aspects that caught my attention. Even with the rust, its beauty still shines through with every curve and delicate detail.