Self Portrait

Last Day of 2015

People Watching at the Museum

Viewers in front of Hope Gangloff's "Queen Jane Approximately".

Last Judgement (by the Circles of Bosch)

This on-loan painting is the most exciting new work I saw at Stanford's Cantor Museum yesterday. 

The crazy imagination of Hieronymous Bosch. To see his "Garden of Earthly Delights" in Prado is high on my bucket list.

The angel waves a sword to keep the demons at bay, but only a monkey is saved.

Next to the painting are two Diane Arbus photos.

At America's Newest National Park

San Juan Bautista

Christmas turns out to be a wonderful time to photo this town. 

Part of the town looks like an Edward Hopper painting.

This old house used to be the embassy of the "Republic of Texas". My best friend's comment about this photo is: that stair looks dangerous.

A 1954 Chevy truck, still functional. I chatted with the owner for about 10 minutes.

Icon (and Why I Took This Photo)

The beautiful icon inside Mission Carmel.

When I visited Mission San Juan Capistrano last week, my friend YC told me her love of icons. The fact took me quite by surprise. I had known YC for over 20 years and knew a little bit about her taste in art and music. It never occurred to me she would be a fan of Medieval icons. It amazed me to see how her face lightened up when she saw even those souvenir icons in the gift shop. ("It is fetish, I know." She said.)

We saw one in the Basilica. It looked so familiar that I soon realized it was actually a copy of the icon I had seen in Mission Carmel. It was not a good copy. It looked dark and dilapidated. The original one was way more beautiful. (I happened to have a photo of the original in my camera and compared them on the spot.)

However, seeing how much my friend liked it, I made a mental note to take a better photo of the original (the photo I took previously was hand held in ISO 6400) when I came back to the Bay Area and sent her a print. This afternoon, I packed my rarely used Zeiss 135mm, drove to Carmel, and spent some time photographing this icon. Then I ordered a canvas print and had it delivered to my friend. I hope it will make someone happy in Christmas.  

I also did a horizontal shot, but decided to send my friend the vertical one since it's closer to the original.

Mission Accomplished

Looking at the map on the wall of my study, I still find it hard to believe I have visited all 21 California Missions.

Mission San Diego

Elephant Seal Habitat near San Simeon

Mission San Gabriel

Mission San Luis Rey

A not very successful panorama from my cell phone, but it gives you an idea how the three altars look like under the dome.

Mission La Purisima Concepcion