Objects on the Beach

Crab Shells on Driftwood (no, I didn't put them there)

I just wanted to sit here and watched the sun set, but alas I had photos to take.

Passage to Unknown

Last shot of last weekend. It was the first time I was able to go out and take photos on both Saturday and Sunday since I joined my current company. Something must be wrong.

The Golden Hour

From the two photos, you can see why the hour around sunset is called "the golden hour" by photographers. (Most of the landscape photos are taken during this time. You can tell from the warm and saturated colors in those photos.) However, it's less predictable on the California coast. The temperature can drop very fast on the coast, fog appears in no time, and before you know it the weather becomes so depressing you wish you had stayed home. Today is really a special day.

* Same applies for sunrise.

Bean Hallow State Beach

Sunrise Watch with Mitty

Morning Street, Sunnyvale

Awoken by the cat, is it another hot summer day?

A cat's life is never dull.

A Few Snaps of 24mm

Self Portrait

The lens is extremely sharp at f8

The September Issue

The documentary is way more interesting than "The Devil Wears Prada". In fact, it focuses more on Vogue's art director Grace Coddington, than editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. The most interesting part (to me) is to see how Coddington works with photographers and how photos get retouched on fashion magazines. (A replacement for my failed attempt to go to photography school I guess.)

As for Wintour, she reminds me a very driven manager who really knows how to push her employees to go beyond their limits. This kind of boss you sometimes hate, but sometimes you are also grateful. The working dynamic between Wintour and her Vogue team actually reminds me situations in my current company.

P.S. looking at those fashion models doing cat walk, I suddenly had a vision of seeing real cats (all the cat families, including tigers, leopards, cheetahs, etc) doing it. Too bad we cannot herd cats. Otherwise that would be quite a sight. Even super models look pale compared to those real cats.

First Try of Nikon 24mm 1.4f

People who buy this lens mostly intend to use it for low-light portraits. Though it was not the reason I bought it, I decided to give it a try. It was very dark in my room and I could hardly see Mitty (very soundly sleep in her "bed", the only time she would tolerate some shooting). I set the camera to ISO1600, aperture f1.4; the camera basically did all the work. I was a bit worried about the auto-focus capability of the lens (there were some reports from the field that the auto-focus was not accurate), but found it was way better than my eyes in the dark.

Best Purchase of the Year (Noise Cancellation Headphones)

Being a start-up, my current company is a quite noisy working place. From my cubicle, I can hear engineers discussing issues, sales making cold calls, support talking to customers, and the ever-lasting buzz from our lab. It is an interesting vibe, full of life, but I also find it hard for me to concentrate sometimes.

"I wish I could have a quiet zone", I told myself. Then it dawn on me: why not try the noise cancellation headphones? My best friend Chinchih highly recommended them. (On the airplane, she puts on both noise cancellation headphones and ear plugs.) After some research, I decided to take the plunge and ordered the Bose QuietComfort 15. My headphones arrived yesterday. Quite excitedly, I brought them to my company to try. What a difference! It's like day and night. All the disturbing background noises are gone. I feel like in a empty cathedral when I listen to my classical music CDs. Though I can still hear people's talking (which can't be fully cancelled), it doesn't bother me that much any more. Finally, I get my quiet zone.  

Evelyn Glennie Teaches You How To Listen

My Nikon 24mm f 1.4G Is Coming

The lens was out of stock everywhere so I didn't expect my order from Amazon would be fulfilled in time, But I was wrong, it's shipped today. (No more shopping for camera lenses this year!) I can hardly wait to try my hand at this new lens. Though there had been some reports about the auto-focus capability of this new lens, I was more interested in its color rendering, especially compared to the Zeiss lenses. We will see how it goes when it arrives.

The Most Expensive Point Lobos Photos I Ever Took

I got a ticket for "staying out of trail and stepping on plants" for these photos. Don't know how much fine I will have to pay. I wonder if I can ever afford to go to Point Lobos again!

Mitty in Her Throne

And don't ever think you can mess with up me. The seat is mine.