1904 Photography

New Home

2010-11-01T11:31:00.000-07:00

I've moved the blog over to:
www.1904photographyblog.com

Look for New posts there!

Product Shots

2009-10-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

So I worked on some product shots for a class project and a friends shoe company. The Nikon gear was shot in the studio using a light box and a single strobe with a beauty dish. The shoes were shot in 2 different set ups. The first set up was in my garage because the class I had planned on using the studio got canceled so I went with the next best thing. I set up my black back drop (thanks Belinda and Peggy!) and clampped it to the railing for the garage door. I was using a 580EX II and a SB-800, both triggered via Pocket wizards.
This was the set up shot for the shoes:

Some of the Nikon shots:

Some finished shots of the shoes:

Event Packed Weekend

2009-09-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

So I get up late on Saturday, pissed I missed the LCAC landing in the Oceanside Harbor. Hustled out to the mountain and started shooting. A friend wanted me to test out the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 up on the mountain. First thing I notice, this thing is a beast. I zoom it to 400 because I have never used a lens with that far of a zoom. Its too much for shooting on the mountain, at least for the turn I was on. Since it had a significant zoom, it was the first time that I needed to zoom out to follow a rider through the turn. Doing this made me notice that the zoom is rather tough and caused me to shake the camera as I tried to pull out. The lens extends to gain that 400mm, so the F stop is variable along the focal length, which I find frustrating. In the end, I recommended the Canon 70-200mm F/2.8 that I shoot.

One of the shots with the Sigma:

One of the shots with my Canon:

After Palomar, I decided to check out North County House of Motorcycles' Fall Expo. They had a ton of stuff going in. They had Stunting exhibitions going off, Tons of vendors, inside and out, DJ playing music, and food provided by RBV High School Football. I met another photographer, Check him out at his myspace, he has some awesome stunt shots.

Some of the shots from the stunt demos:

Krazy Kyle busts a rolling burn out

Clint Ewing was pulling wheelies left and right

Clint Ewing showing the camera love with some circle wheelies

I didn't go up Palomar on Sunday because I got tickets to the Chargers game. I took a few shots from the parking lot and an HDR panoramic from inside.

Here's the HDR panoramic shot from inside:

For more Photos you can check out:

1904Photography.com

My Flickr

Camp Pendelton Paintball Park's New Turf Feilds

2009-08-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

Camp Pendelton Paintball Park opened its new tournament turf fields in style with the RPL - Regional Paintball League - Oceanside Event. The fields looked great and the turf and nets were sparkling clean.

Some of my shots from shooting on Sunday:

The field are staying where they are after the event. This seems like its going to be the new so-cal mecca for paintball.

The Fields are located at the back gate of Camp Pendelton by the rodeo grounds.

Palomar Mountain - July 5, 2009

2009-07-08T16:08:00.001-07:00

Went up Palomar today for a few hours after shooting yesterdays drift event.

It was a pretty uneventful day for me. But the turn I used to shoot on had a spill and I missed it because another photographer thinks its his spot, like hes some gift from god.

A few guys stopped to talk for a few seconds and get my card.

The second time I have seen an Ariel Atom on the mountain. Didn't get a chance to talk to this guy, but there were two of them a few weeks ago on the mountain and these ting can haul.

I always like shooting riders with reflective visors. It add a nice little element to the photo.

Its getting warmer and warmer out this summer so more and more people are heading out to the mountain. Some people aren't wearing proper gear so keep it safe out there.

2009 Megan Racing Invitational

2009-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

The First Megan Racing Invitational was held at the National Orange Show Speedway on July 4, 2009. It was a hot day for media and spectators, so it must have been hell in race suits and track cars.

Brian from Team Rush Crew came out to the event with me to shoot video for the site. I've been thinking about incorporated video into the site for sometime now and he got to be the guinea pig. Thanks man!

Once we get into the event I run into some old friends and stop and shoot the shit with them for a few before going to find our little orange media vests. It's hot, the sun's beating down on us like its the middle of Death Valley. We try to retreat into one of the little cave like indents under the stands to find out that a nest of wasps have already claimed that spot. Its still practice so we sit back and find some good shots to shoot once the action gets going.

The competition starts and everyone is throwing down their best. There are a ton of cars competing. A couple LS powered cars, some corrollas, S-Chassis' gallore and a R33.

One of the LS powered cars. Mike Essa, who took home 2nd place, and his LS6 powered FC qualifies for the next round.

Matt Powers drove his S14 like a mad man and stomped out the competition for first place.

When it came time for the tandem rounds, people really started to step their game up. and Matt Powers showed he was "a tandem god"

In the end, the rankings came to:
1st: Matt Powers - $2009
2nd: Mike Essa - $1009
3rd: Tommy Roberts - $509

Video shot and edited by Brian Cuison.

FD Atlanta Video by: Will Roegge

2009-05-29T10:44:00.000-07:00

Check out this sick video of Formula D Atlanta by Will Roegge!

Formula D Atlanta 2009 from Will Roegge on Vimeo.

Palomar Camping and the CHP

2009-05-19T10:38:00.000-07:00

After our first camping trip to Palomar Observatory Campgrounds, we decided we needed to do it again. Second verse was better than the first. This time a friend of mine and her boyfriend joined us. We saw Saturn again, this time WE were the drunks walking around looking in thousands of dollars worth of telescopes. We also saw some star clusters that we just breath taking. The only problem we had this time was the mosquitoes. They were horrendous, and of course we forgot to get bug spray because they weren't bad last time. I feel bad for the ones that bit us because they must have got a little contact drunk.

On the way up the mountain there was a Tundra and a Xterra in front of us. Half way up the Tundra lets us pass, I throw up the peace and keep on trucking. I end up behind the Xterra and soon they pull off, and I repeat the process. We get to the top and the spot I want is taken, AGAIN. I thought we were leaving early to get this spot, but due to certain circumstances (people) we left a few hours later than I wanted. So we drive around and find a pretty nice site. As we empty the car, the Tundra pulls up and then the Xterra stops and I can't help but chuckle because later I found out they were shooting for the same spot as us and then we took their backup spot. Thanks for letting us pass guys!

Finally, the other couple gets there, we get the tents set up, get all situated and let the festivities begin. The mosquitoes were just eating us alive. So we try to go to the general store to get bug spray. But, of course with our luck, they are out of spray and only have the mosquito coils. Those will have to do for now. We get back to the site being the bearer of bad news and start to get diner started.

The next morning I get up earlier than everyone else as usual. Get the mess from the night before cleaned up, start thinking about heading down the mountain and wait for everyone else to wake up. We end up getting to a turn a little late, but its ok because I didn't like the first turn due to a patch in the pavement that made me uneasy sitting on the outside of the turn. So I switch up the turn a few times, which might have thrown some guys of because every time they come up, I'm shooting on a different turn. But at the end of the day, I got some nice shots.

Once we made it back to camp, I decided to try and get a shot of the little creek behind our camp. It was a little tough to get because the mosquitoes just made it unbearable. The end result was nice for the little stream it was.

Sunday was pretty much a bust for shooting the mountain. As I head past Mothers on my way to South Grade its packed. Looks like its gonna be a good day! A few turns in we pass a group of guys heading up the mountain, still looking good! Then there is a guy cruising up the hill, as I pass, he taps his head... DAMN! CHP! There goes my day. I head down to the big turn-out and see a cruiser talking to a few of the guys. Not good. Then at the turn-out I usually shoot from, Rick and Jared are sitting there with a CHiPer while he shoots radar on guys coming up from the bottom.

More MINIs than you can shake a stick at... West Coast Mini and Palomar Mountain

2009-05-09T23:01:00.000-07:00

Went up Palomar Mountain Today instead of tomorrow because its mothers day tomorrow and I have a mother, therefore, I must spend the day at home with the mom. Actually I went today because the West Coast Mini club went for a run today that went on Mesa Grande Road. Which is a little further east than Palomar Mountain on the 76. So I thought I would shoot it for my folks and everyone else part of the club.

I start making my way to Palomar, but it looks pretty nasty. get out to the 76 east of the 15 and a CHiPer is cruising behind some guy with his lights on. This goes for a few miles and then finally, in a turn, the CHP turns on the sirens and passes the truck over a double yellow. A few miles we find what the CHP was going to. They were shutting down the road that heads out to Harrahs. I later found out that a Sheriffs deputy went head on with a car around Harrahs. After that, it was pretty smooth sailing to Mesa Grande.

There was a nice turn out of about 30 Minis and not one looked the same as another. Shooting was a breeze except the first few cars were real close to each other so I had to let the camera buffer which made me miss a shot or two.

After the Minis made their way off Mesa Grande, around 11:30, I headed off to South Grade Road. Went to the usual sweeper to turn out. Shot for a few hours, gave out a few cards too. Towards the end of the day, a guy stopped to get my card, and decided to stop and wait for his friends. They ended up all meeting up on the turn and it was a couple of guys I met at Mothers Kitchen a few weekes ago. They were all pretty cool guys. One of the guys, Stacy, had a mean R6 that he had just put some new parts on and was letting the other guys test out his bike. It was definitely a good end to the day watching these guys run this bike through the turn a few times.

Jacob riding Stacy's R6

D1GP Anahiem, CA

2009-05-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

Anaheim, CA was the grounds for the D1GP USA 2009 season opener. The weather had a forecast for slight showers, so the sky was looming with clouds, but the sun prevailed. The Extreme AutoFest car show was packed with all sorts of cars from low riders to Lexus'. Some of the things they are doing to cars now is just insane. There were cars with no roofs, but still had the frames for the windows and windshield.

Then it came time for what everyone went to Angels Stadium to see, the drifting.

The top 32 qualifying drivers made their runs in front of the judges, which scored their style and overall line, while the "Drift Box" scored the other 75% of the run which included speed and angel. Most of the fans did not like the idea of the drift box, but at the press conference the drivers said they liked the idea of it, but they need to learn how the thing ticks and drive accordingly.

Kumakubo and Saito battled it out in the end to see who would take home top honors that day. Kumakubo was a favorite with his RWD Subaru STi, but Daigo Saito was the returning champion in his Toyota Chaser.

But in the end Daigo Saito takes first!

Palomar on Two Wheels

2009-04-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

So thanks to Blurb I have created my first publication.

Palomar on Two...

By Phillip Baker

Book Preview

The book is titled Palomar on Two Wheels. It consists of photos of motorcycles that I have taken on my weekly runs up Palomar Mountain. If you are interested in checking it out, click the box above and have a look. The book is for sale from blurb at the same link.

Palomar Mountain

2009-04-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

Went up Palomar again as usual. Was supposed to have a friend come up with me, but things went south and he didn't come. It was ok because it gave me a chance to sit and think about stuff.

It was a beautiful day for a ride that is for sure. The road was busy, but not too bad. Motorcycle's were rolling through in little packs today rather than the usual one or two guys riding together. I don't know if it was the good weather or what, but there were quite a few guys riding on South Grade.

I tried a bunch of different spots today. Went to a turn I shot at before, but found a new spot shooting down on riders as they go by. Also tried a new turn just a few above the big half way turn out.

On other news, I just found out that I will be shooting D1 this year in Anaheim. That should be fun. Have a few guys going with me so it should have some goods shots in the end.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

So I wake up this morning, eat breakfast, and call Sean. Of course, he doesn't answer, he's still asleep. Pack my gear up, head out to my car, try one more time. Nope, still asleep. And I'm off.

There is a fair amount of traffic for being Easter. Maybe the mountain actually has people on it today. Passing Pala casino, I pass the slow Mini Cooper S and look at the mountain. There some clouds on it, but it seems to be a nice day for Palomar Mountain. Coming up on the Taco shop, I look in the rear view mirror and see some biker right on my ass... I slow down to let him pass even though grandma in front of us won't even think about letting him pass. He pulls up next to me and throws the peace up, I wave back without really looking and keep on slowing down. He keeps looking back as he passes and then I notice its my buddy King as he gives me the bird. He lets me pass, only to pass both grandma and I on the next straight. I finally pass her and catch up to king, he lets me pass and we turn on South Grade.

First thing I notice is road is slick. Then I notice Rick parked on the outside of the first turn, I look down in the shadow at nothing but wet road. Looks like its gonna be a bad day for riding. But, I get up to the turnout and Its probably the only dry turn on the mountain. I break out my gear as King rolls up and get ready to start shooting.

Turned out to be a pretty good day of shooting. After getting there, the guy from JPimagery shows up and starts to shoot all dressed up in his Sunday best. This guy is one lucky guy. His wife came out with him and hung out in his car while he shot. I don't know many women who would sit in a car all dressed up. Guy definitely found a keeper there. A guy in a Ferrari rolls through a few times and stops to talk. Of course it got the attention a you would think a Ferrari would get parked on a turnout on Palomar Mountain. Turns out a few of the guys I know where up on the mountain. Noon rolls around and Sean shows up in his new A4. He shoots for a little while and we leave. Overall, the day was a pretty good day that resulted in this nice little number.

Thurs Knights Drift Event - April 5, 2009

2009-04-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

April 5, 2009, time for another Thurs Knights Drift Event. Now, last time I thought they didn't treat the media people very well, and this time, they made everyone shoot from the grandstands. I managed to get some decent shots, but I could have had better stuff if I had access to the grounds around the track.

Mike from Jimmy Up Was killing it all day. It came close, but he kept his bumper on all day.

The rush guys were hitting it pretty good. Ron hit the bank for the first time today. Was a little scared at first, but who wouldn't? Ended the day with some nice runs. Brian is Tearing it up as usual and Josh actually brought his wheel key this time!

There was only one casualty all day and no one was hurt, so it was a good day. A little black Corolla came off the bank and tried to transition and hit the other bank, but ended up going nose first into the wall. Staff and the EMT's came to him right away. Once they towed him off the track, it was back to drifting.

More Photos at:
1904photography.com Thurs Knights Drift Event

Flicker

Palomar Mountain

2009-04-04T20:11:00.000-07:00

Went up Palomar Mountain today. Its turning out to be a regular thing for me. I really like it. At first I was always going with someone, but the last few times I have gone by myself and Its a great chance to kind of sit back and sort things out while I do something some-what productive.

The only problem with today, it was pretty dead. I don't know if getting there at 9:00 is too late, or the CHP infestation from a few weeks ago scared everyone away. There were only a fews guys in full leathers, but a majority of it was guys just going for a ride.

I tried to get a little bit of a different perspective and go up the hill on the outside of the turn. I don't know if I like it or not, but I'll probably try it again from a different turn.

Well it's time to start the process of getting ready for tomorrow. Rubber, asphalt and smoke in the face sound fun?! Well it tastes just like it sounds... But I decided I would try out Thurs Knights event again. So it'll be another early morning for me with a bit of a drive. Hope it doesn't rain this time.

Illegal Police Check Points and Nate Harrison Grade

2009-04-02T16:50:00.000-07:00

So I had the idea to drive up Nate Harrison Grade Rd. yesterday. My photography teacher says she goes up every month or so and likes the ride and opportunities for photography. I always like to have a co-driver on new roads so I have a reason to drive slower and if something were to happen, there's a supply of food for me (cause no one is gonna eat me, they can, but there ain't much to eat there.) So I pick up my co-driver and head out. On the way out we drive by a Police checkpoint, and then about half mile down the road, I see him.

Meet Brian, he says hes from far away, that "they" drop him off from Pluto. Or at least that's what he tells the cops.

He was warning drivers of the "illegal" police checkpoint that was ahead and to detour. Even though he was attempting to disrupt their check point, the police assigned two motorcycle units to watch him and the traffic. They said it was for his and the drivers "safety"

This is what he was warning people about. Cops were out in force that day. Spread out around the check point, motorcycle cops were watching both sides of the road, ready to jump on an offending driver.

Now I don't want to get into how I agree with him, because I still see it from the "law abiding citizens" view because they are checking to see if everyone has a license and registration. And judging from the amount of car already on tow trucks, and tow trucks on hand, they were expecting to tow a lot of people. In this photo, you can see the car got impounded because the drive had no license. You can also see the other trucks in the background waiting for their next victim. Over the 30 or so minutes I was shooting photos there were probably a dozen or so tow trucks there, either coming or going.

One last thing. If you are shooting police and you think you can get that quick shot thats a little sketchy, listen to the little voice in your head and don't. I didn't listen to it, stepped out between and behind the motorcycle units to get them both in the frame, and before I could even snap off a frame, the cop was on me. He was extremely cool about it compared to all the other police and photographer stories I've been hearing about. Just told me that they were there to ensure the safety of "Brian" and everyone else, including me, so stay on the sidewalk.

Another little funny photo op was this tow truck driver that forgot to relase the parking brake on a pathfinder and drove from what I'm guessing as the check point to where the Motorcycle units were, which was about a half mile. I heard it before I saw it, but when I looked up from my viewfinder, one cop had started his bike and made a move for the tow truck, but the driver realized what he was doing and pulled over.

After all that, we didn't have enough time to go to Nate Harrison, so we saved it for today. The road is pretty fun. Good range of surfaces from paved road to loose sand in some parts. The only gripe I have with the road is that on the paved parts, the pot holes are horrendous, and the ruts are just as bad (although, I have been told that they grade it on a regular basis, so this can just be a rare thing after rain and before the grading.)

AMVIV VI: A Mini Vacation In Vegas 6

2009-03-30T17:43:00.000-07:00

A Mini Vacation In Vegas 2009, or AMVIV VI for short. Its a huge gathering of mini enthusiast, or Miniacs as they like to be called, in Las Vegas, Nevada at the end of March. This year had a nice turn out, not as good as last years, but decent taking the state of the economy into consideration. The overall turn out was 300+ with groups for the runs in the hundreds.

Me and my co-driver left for Vegas from Oceanside on Thursday Night around 7. The drive went pretty easy. We got into Vegas around 11 or so, checked into our room at The Palace Station. The view from the room was right down onto the top of the parking garage. Normally this wouldnt be a good thing, but this was our view for the weekend.

Woke up Friday with a lot in plan, but most of it never got executed. All I ended up shooting was The drive over the Hoover Dam and out to Temple Bar Marina. It was a little frustrating shooting the drive because there were so many unannounced changes to the schedule that I had trouble going ahead of the pack because they may regroup somewhere else, or not everyone leaves and goes to the same place at the same time.

Hoover Dam:

Temple Bar rd:

After The drive there was a little Meet the Miniacs Mixer that I checked out because there was supposed to be a photography show, but that turned out to be one piece of foam core with some photos of minis stuck to it.

After the mixxer we made our way to the strip for "A Mini Trip to the Strip" There were over 230 Mini's to make it to the strip this year. Although you cant really tell whos who, or that they are Minis, Im fairly happy with the turn out from the shot. It was a merge of 3 or 4 photos for different parts. The lights and buildings were their own photos. Then I had one of the Mini's Sitting in traffic and one while they were rolling. The last shot was the left side of the roads traffic to even out the photo. With a little bit of layering and masking I came out with the final product.

One thing I was glad about attending AMVIV was actually not even part of AMVIV. I was on the Strip during Earth Hour. It was pretty cool cruising down the strip and seeing all the casino marquees turned off and all the decorative lights out. The luxor beam and the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign went out.

Club Red Circle - March 14, 2009

2009-03-16T17:44:00.000-07:00

I dont know how it worked, but I got suckered into doing some nightclub photography. I went shooting with my friend King on Palomar as usual and he asked if I wanted to shoot a nightclub. Sounded like a cool idea so I said sure. Then, throughout the day, I start to get the idea that I'm shooting the club alone. And of course, in the end, I am shooting the club alone.

I tell you right now, I am not a club person. I have gone "clubbing" maybe a handful of times in my life, but this was pretty fun. Just goes to show you, doing anything with a camera is more fun than without.

The night went by easy and smooth aside from one incident that ended up leaving me thinking I broke my foot (its ok, I think its just bruised in the end) but I automatically went to protect my gear as soon as the little shove match/cat fight started. I never knew how hard heels hurt when a girl stomps on your feet.

More photos can be seen or purchased at:
1904Photography.com
or
Flickr

Drift Spirit Media

2009-03-07T20:51:00.001-08:00

Drift Spirit Media
Originally uploaded by 1904 Photography™

Sweet... Just got put on the Drift Spirit Site as media

Joshua Tree

2009-03-03T11:51:00.000-08:00

So, this is what, my 4th time in a years time that I have gone camping in Joshua Tree. This time it was for Sean's birthday. We tried to get a bunch of people to go out with us this time but as with most plans over a long period, everyone says they'll go, till a week before, then it's "oh, I have to work." "I don't have a ride." Or straight out no call back. We had the plan to make a little tent city, but this is the best we could get:

This trip is one of the ones you realize the type of people you want to go with you and the type you don't. All in all, the trip was fun and a good time. we didn't get to make it out to Salton Sea or Salvation Mountain due to poor planning on all the other guys part.

another weekend, more events

2009-02-25T11:12:00.001-08:00

So this weekend we had a lot on our plate and had to decide on what to do. As usual, we wanted to shoot a day at Palomar, but then this weekend had two special events lined up on the same day. AMGEN, which is the tour of California, or shoot a drift event at a venue Ive never been to, hosted by a team I don't know, in San Bernadino.

We ended up shooting Palomar on Saturday because South Grade Rd. was closed on sunday for the AMGEN race. On our way up we drove past the usual photographer. We got up to our spot and started shooting. I was testing out a 10-22mm Canon lens and it had its pros and cons. One thing I should have expected, but didn't because I shoot so much with my 70-200 is how wide 10mm really is. I had to practically get on top of bikes to get a photo of them. About half way through the day, one of the guys that has been going up and down the mountain comes past me going to the top, I pan and snap a shot of him as he passes. Right after I take my shot I turn and then hear the sound of scraping. I turn back to see his motorcycle sliding towards the guardrail with him in between. The guy knew what he was doing and was well prepared wearing full leathers and his bike was equipped with extended sliders. After it all slowed down we helped him up and off the road, he gathered his thoughts, started his bike and he was headed home. It was a first for me, but Im just glad everything worked out and the only things damaged were his leathers and a little bit of scraping here and there on his bike.

More Photos can be seen and purchased at:
1904Photography.com
or
Flickr

Right after Palomar we had to start getting ready to go to San Bernadino. We had planned to stay the night in a hotel and watch the free fight on Spike. When we get to the La Quinta we made reservations for, we see that they don't have Spike TV... so no fight for us. Instead, we sat around and watched Taking Chance, which is a fairly good movie if you are into military movies. We Get up in the morning and head out to the track for the drivers meeting that is supposed to start at 8:00 but doesn't happen till some time around 9:00 which made staying in a hotel pointless cause we didn't need to get up there as early as they said. Once the drifting actually started, the day started to move along nicely. Then the rain kicked in and started making it hard to shoot and not get wet. once I got a hang of the track I tried to move to a different spot, but it seemed everywhere I tried to shoot from, there was someone saying I can shoot from there. This was a quote from a thread on Zilvia about why the Thurs Knights events sell out so fast:

"9. probably the best media coverage around now that media crews have the ability to take a full 360* angle of the cars on the track by shooting from almost any location we have designated, making pics and videos look awesome."

If by "... any location we have designated..." they mean the straights of the track and that's all, than wow do they have an awesome media section. Any time I tried to move to the beginning or end of the bank, I got asked to move. My favorite was when I was shooting from the beginning of the straight on the dirt mound that supports the track wall, I was asked to move down, but 10 feet further down the straight, was a camera guy hanging over the wall, but no one ever said anything to him.

All in all it was a good event. Thanks to Steve and all the Thurs. Knights guys

More photos can be seen and purchased at:
1904photography.com
or
Flickr

Salton Sea again!

2009-02-17T12:23:00.000-08:00

But this time we found SALVATION!... Mountain that is.

After our trip to Salton Sea, and my little knowledge of what was out there, we decided to make another trip out there and find Salvation Mountain. Boy is it a trip. It is built by one man, Leonard Knight. It has taken him the last 2 plus decades to make his masterpiece. this is his second try at spreading the word of god. He initially spent 15 years building a hot air balloon with god is love on the side in big red letters. In 1984 he had to admit defeat with the balloon and decided to leave his mark on the desert in Niland, CA. What started as a small cement "monument" turned into a mountain after a few years of a little cement here and a little cement there. This is what has become of his "mark" on the California desert.

We were trippin'

2009-02-03T00:56:00.000-08:00

So on fairly short notice we decided that we wanted to go camping. So Sean and I start looking at where to camp. We end up settling on Angele's Crest. But seeing that neither of us have ever been up there and know if the campground is even open, we decided to change up the plan last minute to go camping at Joshua Tree National Park.

We didn't do much shooting because it was Sean's first trip out and we just did a lot of hiking. We did find a spot that had a intense view.

Other than a few photo stitches and some shots of our campsite, we did not shoot much.

On the way home, we decided to follow my GPS which had us going a way I have never taken. It pulled through in the end, because as we come around a bend we see the Salton Sea and figure we have to stop and shoot some stuff since we were there. We end up driving around the north shore and then back down the east side to Bombay Beach. The whole area is just so different than what I'm use to. But it did have the opportunity for some great shots.

Classes start!

2009-01-24T00:14:00.000-08:00

So classes at MiraCosta started this week and it seems like a good semester for me. The two classes that should help me the most are Digital Photography and Web Design 2. I noticed that MiraCosta is offering a certificate that is now an 18 unit certificate, it used to be 15 but they added a class this year. I have already taken one class towards it, Photoshop 1, and now Digital photography adds to it. That leaves like 3 classes to take and then I can get the certificate. I don't know how much this will help me later, but i think its worth the try.

Palomar Mt.

2009-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

So everyone has been telling me i should shot Palomar on a weekend. A few of us decided to go pick a turn and shoot it for a few hours before the chargers game on Sunday (what a disappointing end to a good start of a day) We end up leaving a little later than i wanted to, and on the way up we see a sweet spot to park, but there is already a guy with a camera just getting out of his car. But we trek on and find a spot to stop and shoot.

After shooting for a while, I decided I want to get a different shot so I find a spot on the inside of the turn to shoot from. By inside of the turn, I mean the rock face that is half a foot from the asphalt. It was really hard to shoot from that spot because you are blind to riders coming from both directions, so you only got a sec or two to set up the shot. I ended up moving to the inside of another turn that produced a few better shots, but had a very sketchy incident. Sitting on the inside of a turn, I hear the great sound of a twin coming from around the bend, so i get my camera up and ready. As he makes the bend, I start to pan and follow him, but he gets out of frame. I drop the camera to see where he is, and his knee puck about 6 inches from my face. Sean got the whole sequence on his 30D. Pics will be up as soon as he finishes them.

As for my pics, Here is a taste:

1904Photography will be up on Palomar again Sunday morning, Jan. 18.

More Photos can be seen at my:
Flickr

Or all the photos I took can be seen and purchased at:
1904Photography.com

Mt. High

2009-01-13T01:31:00.000-08:00

So on short notice I went to Mt. High with my neighbor to snowboard for the first time. I really just wanted to take some pics, but I've never been snowboarding, so I figured why not kill two birds with one stone.

Speaking of killing two birds, this is the second thing i have never done before so far this year. I have to say I am off to a pretty good start for this year.

After I fell a few times snowboarding and had one good hit on the head, it was time for me to start shooting. I have never shot snowboarding either, so there was a little bit of a learning curve as always. Didnt have to much trouble besides the fact that the playground at Mt. High is right below the ski lift and people like to kick off their skis and board on you.

I shot all of the shots with my Canon XTi and 70-200 F/2.8L

More Photos can be seen at my:
Flickr

Or all the photos I took can be seen and purchased at:
1904Photography.com

Ocotillo Wells

2009-01-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

So I finally swiped my desert V-card as my buddy Sean would put it. It was a blast hanging out in the desert with a few friends and seeing an out of town friend for the first time in forever.

Everyone was riding a dirt bike or quad but me. I tried to keep up in the Jeep, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon. Sometime during the first day I was trying to follow the guys through a wash and a set of whoops came up and it was verrryy surprising how the Jeep handles them. Not well, we'll just leave it at that. I ended up breaking a Sway Bar end link, which isn't that bad.

Didn't get as many photos as i wanted because it is hard to shoot at the places out there without worrying about getting clobbered by some guy on a bike or quad.

Ill post up some photos that i got once i get them edited and up on the web.

EDIT: Photos are up

365 Photo Project

2009-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Even though I am writing this after I have started my project (What?! I was in the middle of the desert, how am I supposed to blog there?) I just gotta say, I started a 365 project that worked out perfect to start on the 1st of the year.

Lets see how this sucker turns out! Should see some progress in the photo's hopefully.

New glass!

2008-12-18T17:07:00.000-08:00

I just picked up a 70-200m f/2.8. The thing is awesome. Low light, Super FAST and too quiet. It's ridiculously sharp. It is a little heavy but its ok since it comes with a tripod collar. Picked it up from Oceanside Photo and Telescope and couldn't be happier. Ask for Vince, guy is a great salesman, very helpful!

Over the past few day I took it out and about to take some test shots. This thing comes through. The lens is not best suited for skateboarding shots, but it turned out a few good ones.

Check out more of my photos at my flickr:
flickr.com/photos/1904photography/

Or my websit:
1904photography.com

NPPL SD 2008

2008-11-20T10:05:00.000-08:00

So it turns out that my first time shooting a paintball tournament will be the last NPPL I will ever get to shoot. Seeing that NPPL's parent company just registered for bankruptcy. But it was a fun event. Got to meet a lot of folks.

Thanks to Gary at paintballphotography.com for the tips (check him out, probably the only photographer in the industry the longest) and Shelle from Shellesworld.smugmug.com. Also thanks to Mike from Rockstar Rebels. Had a good time shooting your games, you guys ran a clinic at the event!

Here are some of the photos from the event.

I'm a Blogger now!

2008-08-11T14:52:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to create a blog. This is the first blog I have ever done and will be oriented toward my photography, but still may have some of my daily life in it.

Well lets see how this goes!