Tag: Photo on Flickr

Sunset in the Corner

Sunset Silhouette

When I have time to compose a scenic photo, the rule of thirds is usually on my mind. Even if I’m not putting an object off-center, I’m trying to line up visual borders with the 3×3 grid — a horizon, or the top or side of a building, or a treeline. Sometimes symmetry works better, though…and sometimes I’m just trying to get a snapshot of someone or something.

In this case, I stopped by a store after work and arrived just as the sun was about to set, at the top of a hill, giving me a clear view to the west. When that happens, you don’t go inside, you stop and watch!

(What I really wanted was to catch a nearby farm-style windmill silhouetted against the sun, but unfortunately the best place for that was in the middle of a crosswalk across a busy street, and I wasn’t going to trust in my ability to stop, aim, take a few photos, and get back to the side.)

Photo challenge (WordPress): Rule of Thirds

What a glorious feeling…

What a glorious feeling...

So I had this big plan to set up a still life with J’s tap shoes for the Singing In The Rain theme. Let’s just say that didn’t work out.

Then it started to rain, and of course four-year-olds love walking in the rain, so we went out, and on the way back I noticed he was twirling his umbrella, totally unprompted, so I pulled out my phone.

Sometimes the off-the-cuff moments trump the planned ones.

One-color version

Icy Hot?

Icy?

It’s hard for me to really pick a photo that says “warmth.” Perspective on cold is different in Southern California, where winters approach but rarely drop below freezing, and the winter rains make December through April the greenest months of the year. So we don’t use fires much, and flowers and greenery make me think of the cool winter/spring weather instead of the hot, dry, brown summers. Even beaches make me think of late afternoon ocean breezes.

So I thought I’d pull out a shot for irony: An “Icy” warning sign somewhere in the San Gabriel Mountains, seen during the warmth of spring…when it most definitely isn’t icy!

Carpet of Yellow Flowers

Blanket of yellow flowers

There are a lot of jacaranda trees near where I work, lining the walkways through the business and hotel parks and lining the sidewalks along the street. There are also a lot of these trees, which look so similar that I assumed they were more jacarandas until the first spring I was here, when they bloomed bright yellow instead of light purple. From what I can tell, they’re Tipuana trees, also known as Pride of Bolivia trees, and despite the similarities, they aren’t closely related.

The flowers act the same, though, dropping in thick blankets as spring turns to summer.

This particular tree, sadly, is no longer there. It was ripped out this fall, as part of a massive landscaping project to convert one of the office buildings into a hotel.

Ivy on the wall

Ivy on the wall.

Outside the Costa Mesa location of Surfas, a high-end kitchen-supply store.

Update Sep 27: Woo hoo! Logged into Flickr & discovered my photo of ivy on a wall was featured in Explore!

Update: Funny thing: I posted this photo to Instagram and meant for weeks to re-crop it and post it to Flickr. When I finally got around to it, I decided I shouldn’t redo it all, and just posted the same version. It ended up on Explore, and in a matter of days became my 8th-most-viewed-ever photo on Flickr!

There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland cosplay…

There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland cosplay out there, so here’s a feature post on my wife’s Alice costume from Comic-Con International.

She made the necklace and the vest, and beaded together two narrow belts to get the right look. Blouse, skirt, tights, belts and boots (plus material and beads) were obtained through shopping trips and online searches. Katie’s aunt helped adapt the pattern for the vest and do fitting. I helped with finding the pattern, sewing, transportation, and keeping our three-year-old son from melting down on those many shopping trips looking for just the right pieces.

Check out our SDCC 2014 photos to see pictures of her with other Wonderland characters, plus our usual collection of sightseeing and cosplay photos.

Comic-Con International – Collage

A sampling of photos my wife and I took at Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. The full set is at flickr.com/kelsonv #sdcc #sdcc2014 #comiccon #sandiego #cosplay #doctorwho #rescuerangers #hawkgirl #aliceinwonderland #onceuponatime #skyline

Photo taken at: San Diego Convention Center

A sampling of photos my wife and I took at Comic-Con International in San Diego this weekend. The full set is at flickr.com/kelsonv #sdcc #sdcc2014 #comiccon #sandiego #cosplay #doctorwho #rescuerangers #hawkgirl #aliceinwonderland #onceuponatime #skyline

Two night shots from after WonderCon

Two #night shots from after #WonderCon. The lower image is a #fountain outside the #Anaheim Convention Center. The upper is a corridor of the well maintained but nearly #empty Anaheim Garden Walk mall. The anchor restaurants at the front look like they’re doing fine, but behind them, the mall is barely occupied.

Two #night shots from after #WonderCon. The lower image is a #fountain outside the #Anaheim Convention Center. The upper is a corridor of the well maintained but nearly #empty Anaheim Garden Walk mall. The anchor restaurants at the front look like they’re doing fine, but behind them, the mall is barely occupied.