Somewhere in California

Infinite Loop

Once converted to black and white, the picture looks abstract.

Bonsai (SF Flower & Garden Show)

The gesture of the smaller bonsai adds some interesting dynamic to the composition.

I was about to delete these files to free up space on my SD card (the jpegs looked awful), but decided to take a final look at the raw files. To my surprise, there were more details there and they looked much better. I converted them using Adobe Raw and decided to post them because the bonsai were so cute.

Japanese Tea Garden (SF)

Crowded and noisy, plus bad light, I chose a terrible time to visit the Japanese Tea Garden.

Marin Headland (Golden Gate National Recreation Area)

There are trails along the coast, but I was not in a hiking mood since I got a speeding ticket driving here.

A biker's paradise.

I couldn't believe I left my polarizer at home. It was definitely not a good day for me.

Favorite photo of today.

California Poppy, the state flower of California.

This crow did some sort of mating dance in front of me for about 30 seconds, then I realized he probably thought my black Nikon (with the long 24-70 lens) was a female bird. Poor guy, he must be lonely.

Point Bonita. My original plan was to visit the lighthouse. Alas, it was closed today.

On a clear day, the view would be spectacular, but today was not the day.

To the lighthouse.

Flower Arrangement (SF Flower & Garden Show)

Shot with X100

Amazing Lamp Shades (SF Flower & Garden Show)

I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw these amazing lamp shades. They were like out of M.C. Escher paintings.

A Fun Day with D800E (SF Flower & Garden Show)

Rosemary in Chinchih's garden. I love the bokeh of this photo.

A couple of days ago, I slipped and fell. There was no serious damage to me, but I got a bloated chin and a bruised knee afterward. I also walked with a slightly wobbly gait. My daily 10000 steps were stopped temporarily. So when my best friend asked me to go to the annual SF Flower & Garden Show with her, I was not very motivated. I had been there last year (also dragged by her). The flowers were amazing, but the indoor light was not ideal for photography. However, not to disappoint my best friend, I reluctantly packed my D800E and the Zeiss 100 Makro to go. 

As expected, the lighting condition made hand held shooting extremely difficult (I had to use ISO 3200), I knew all the indoor photos I took would directly go to the dust bin (ironically, the cactus photo survived). Disappointed, also thirsty, I went to the food court outside. There were a few cut flowers there for sale. Under the reflected sunlight, they looked just wonderful! With more light, I was able to use a smaller aperture (for more depth of field). I still had to use ISO 400 to make the shutter speed fast enough but I felt the quality was finally tolerable.

Tulips and roses are indeed wonderful subjects, unbelievably photogenic. You can never go wrong when you shoot tulips and roses.

Cactus, shot with X100.

Brief Encounter with Tesla S

On my way back from my weekly bookstore run, something from the corner of my eyes caught my attention. It was a brand new white car, but there was something different about it. Suddenly I realized what it was, it's a Tesla S! I immediately turned my car around to take a closer look. 

After parking Blanky on the road side, I walked toward the car and found the owner was about to leave. I very politely asked the owner if I could take a photo, she agreed. (I am getting better at becoming a street photographer.) After just one snap, the Tesla S was gone. It was like a dream.

What Friendship Is...

Couldn't agree more.

Hilarious Cat Video

Funny cat video shared by a friend on FB.

Self Portrait

A very uninspiring day, even X100 can't save me.

Flower Encounter

Always bring your camera with you.

Neighborhood Cat

A beautiful ginger tabby.

 I made a new resolution to always carry a camera whenever I took a walk. The X100 sure came in handy when I ran into this friendly neighborhood cat. Not only she let me pad her, she kept marking my pants and shoes.  It's extremely hard to take cat photos with X100's slow focus, but I managed to take a few shots while playing with her. Now I have something to look forward to on my daily walk.

This super friendly cat kept marking my shoes. I don't think Miti will be happy when she found it out. 

A (Very Long) Walk Around Home

Cross HWY 85 to the Stevens Creek Trail.

Trail marker. I walked almost 10 miles today.

The Stevens Creek Trail is a rich ecological system.

It's almost Cherry Blossom time.

This tree is really an early bird. It's not the blossom time yet. Or is it global warming?

Reflection of trees in the Stevens Creek. 

A lovely couple I ran into on the trail.

I had an urge to take off my shoes, climb down and play in the water. In the end, I just sat here and ate my lunch. 

Self portrait.

No, it's not a meteor hitting the Bay Area, but an airplane.

The long way home.

Love the pattern.

Still 2+ miles from my home, I was totally exhausted. Taking photos became the best break.

I wish I had my X100 with me, but the best camera was the one you carried with you, in this case, it was my cell phone.