Moving to Our Own Site!

Moving to http://www.5pmlight.com !

The Fan Ho Light

I have written about Fan Ho a couple times. Upon studying his photos, it is clear that he loves the backlight, it’s really lovely stuff the way he utilizes them. My guess is that most of his photos are taken between 2 to 5/6PM. The ability for Fan Ho to find the lights and the right subject is remarkable.

My wife with her her chai tea latte in one hand, and the Droid in another, what more does one need?

Another one:

New Portfolio and “Fractal Branches”

Also a new portfolio here:

http://www.dragonsgate.net/pub/richard/PICS/AnotherCalifornia

Joshua Tree National Park

10 years ago, my wife and I went to the Joshua Tree National Park and spent a magical few hours there. It’s a barren desertscape with joshua trees standing in rows like a Christmas tree farm. The trees are spiny, seems to be more like a study in geometric lines than botany.

10 years later, the sight is even more magical with the oncoming storm:

My main love is of course, B&W photos:

And here is the full set:

http://www.dragonsgate.net/pub/richard/PICS/JoshuaTree010/

Enjoy!

Salton Sea, 2010

Salton Sea is like nothing else. A ring of towns becoming ghost towns. Dying fish lined the shore, RVs being swallowed up. The smell is different. The sight is different. It is like nothing else.

Yet life goes on. May be from a NYC band doing a music video, or the local kids who are never tired of the yet another sunset.

The full set is here:
http://www.dragonsgate.net/pub/richard/PICS/SaltonSea010/

I hope you enjoy it.

It’s The End of The World As We Know It…

What do you do when the World ends? Why, shoot a music video of course:

And here’s a rainbow for you:

http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/richardman/L9993473.jpg.html

The End of Time, Bombay Beach, Salton Sea

Salton Sea was dotted with vibrant communities a mere 30-40 years ago, but now the sea is dying, and so are fish, birds, and the communities. Each beach, each community, has a different story to tell. Today I only a few hours spent at the Bombay Beach. I even took a couple pictures of a rock band doing a music video in a decayed house, and a couple local kids driving a dune buggy, but those pictures have to wait until I get home and develop the film etc.

Meanwhile, enjoy some cell phone pics. I think it’s a Megapixel camera? Don’t know how to zoom though. These fancy phone/camera is too smart for me 🙂

More pics here:  http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/richardman/BombayBeach010

I hope to get up at godawful hours to catch Sunrise at the Joshua Tree National Park.

Photos That Span Two Years…

Crossing over a year is a funny thing – my last set of photos spans two years! 🙂

We were taking photos of the lights on Christmas Eve. Then I took photo of our daughter taking photos…

(click MORE to see more photos…)

The Eye In The Woods

I collected the Big Basin photos as a mini-photo essays. Check it out. Click: http://www.dragonsgate.net/pub/richard/PICS/BigBasin09/

Teaser pic 🙂

Grokking the Trees

To be  a successful photographer (or painter, illustrator etc.) of a particular subject, you must grok the subject. You must see from the viewpoints of the subject, as well as the viewpoints of the viewers who will look at the photograph later. What are you trying to say, besides that you have brought a camera?

I don’t think I grok trees yet. I spent 5 hours hiking in the Big Basin State Park, often “petting” the trees, trying to get them tell me their secrets.

But they are mysterious. Their life is their own. One day, I hope to grok it.