Taste of Morgan Hill

Click on any photo to see larger images.

"Taste" is a street festival held in downtown Morgan Hill.  I had an appointment at noon, so I arrived early and strolled the street looking for color....

 This is my favorite.

And that appointment I mentioned was with 

Marty at El Toro Body Shop.

This may be my last tatoo.

Mirror Macro

Click on a photo to view larger images.

The September project for members of the Macro Focus Group (a sub group of the Morgan Hill Photography Club), was to photograph ordinary things found around the house.  I decided to place my ordinary things on a mirror.  The mirror and objects were set up on my dining table next to a window which provided a nice side light. 

The "clouds" in the reflection are from an overhead chandelier.

On this gold turtle magnifying glass, 

I used a small flashlight to add highlights.

I painted this amethyst crystal with a little extra light it make it glow.  I changed the color of the background (a bouquet of bamboo leaves hanging over the mirror) to better compliment the purple amethyst.  The same bamboo leaves provide the background for the last two photos also.

Can you tell which of these succulent blooms are real 

and which are reflections?

The highlights I added in post-processing (Lightroom) 

made the screwdriver look like it was floating.

I had fun with this project. 

From now on,  I'm going see how I can incorporate a 

mirror reflection in more photographs.

September Full Moon

Click on a photo to view a larger image.

I was not going to photograph the full moon this month.  I was determined to stay home and kick the addiction.  And then 45 minutes before sunset/moonrise, when I saw that the sky was clear, I quickly grabbed my camera bag and drove to Almaden Lake Park in south San Jose.  

Some habits are difficult to kick.

 Maybe I won't photograph the moon in October.  

Maybe...

Classic British Cars

Click on any image to see larger views.

Photographing cars is unusual for me.  Cars don't usually interest me whether I have a camera in hand or not. I went to the British Car Classic in downtown Morgan Hill with a specific list of photographs to find: Reflections, Details, Perspective, Shadows, Sunbursts & Faces.  With over 200 cars parked along Monterey Road, my list really helped keep me focused.  

Do you see me in this picture?

 Inside an MG

 Jaguar

This is my favorite photo of the day. 

 Rolls Royce

 This is the only whole car portrait I took (while sitting on the curb).

More photos from this shoot are on my Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton

Guglielmo Winery

Click on a photo to see larger images.

The Guglielmo Winery was founded in 1925 when Emilio Guglielmo and his wife bought 15 acres in Morgan Hill.  Now with 70 acres of vineyards, the winery is owned and run by a third generation of the Guglielmo family (pronounced "gool-yell-mo").  On an early Sunday morning, just a week or so before the harvest, ten photography club members met at the winery and meandered through the rows and rows of vines.

 

 I had to lie down in the dirt to get this shot.

I have more photos on my Flickr page, 

including the beautiful morning sky over the vineyards.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

Big Sur

Click on a photo to view larger images.

I had two open days; no commitments, no plans.  I packed a bag, loaded by camera gear, and headed south down Highway 1.  My goal was to explore the Big Sur area south of Garrapata State Park.  Specifically, I wanted to see Pfeiffer Beach and McWay Falls.  I have seen many photos from these two places, but I had never been to either. Before leaving I downloaded onto my iPad, "The Photographer's Guide to the Big Sur Coast" by Don Smith (from whom I have taken several workshops). www.donsmithphotography.com I would not have gotten this view of Bixby Bridge without Don's digital help.

 I was delighted to add the Point Sur Lighthouse 

to my growing collection.

 

I heard many people comment on the "perfect weather."  Perfect for tourists, but I wanted clouds.  A plain, blue sky is the bane of photographers.  I wanted dramatic storm clouds, or at least some rolling fog, but alas, I got neither.  Only thing to do is minimize the sky in the composition...

or leave it out completely, as I did here at McWay Falls.

In the winter, the light from the setting sun shines through this and another arch at Pfeiffer Beach, turning the breaking waves a glowing gold.  In August the angle is off, but the wave action was still spectacular. 

Not a wisp of a cloud to add interest to the sunset sky, but this large rock did provide an opportunity to create a star burst, the first time I have ever gotten one without huge sun flares to spoil the picture.  I am very pleased with this photo.

For  the 5 minutes before the sun mushed into a thick fog bank,  the glowing sunlight set the crest of every wave on fire.  As this one hit the rock, the light broke into a rainbow. This more than made up for the lack of clouds in the sky.  

 

This was a good birthday.

I have more Big Sur photos on my Flickr page 

(including Naked Ladies at McWay Cove):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/

I

August Miscellaneous

Click on a photo to see larger images.
I always have my iPhone with me on my morning jaunts Morgan Hill.  I spotted a few cows, crossed the street and moved up close and held my phone just above the fence.  Bessie walked right toward me and I thought she would stop at the fence, but...

 

she lifted her head over the fence and LICKED MY PHONE!  

It was iSlimed

I hate to miss photographing a full moon, and conditions for August were perfect, but by the time I got back to Morgan Hill, it was already up.  No time to get my Nikon set up, so I grabbed my trusty iPhone, walked out to the street in front of my house and...

 

August 15th was Lexie's first birthday, maybe.  She was rescued so her exact date of birth is unknown, but TownCats assigned the 15th, so that is the date we will celebrate.  We've been together 8 months now.  She spent the first week hiding behind the washing machine,  then the next four months under my bed.  She darted away any time I came close.  Then suddenly she decided I was OK.  Now she hangs out in whatever room I'm in, chases the laser pointer endlessly, and snuggles on my lap. 

 

Life is good with a cat.