San Francisco To Tiburon

My friend Katy was in town so we revisited a favorite bike ride of ours, from San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge to Tiburon and back on the ferry.


This lucky guy was waiting for his turn in the three person elevator to the top of the south tower. Apparently: (A) It is possible to get a tour if you know someone...and are willing to wait two years for one of about four tours per year. (B) There are elevators inside the towers. (C) Robert will try his darndest to talk his way up an elevator for a tour.

The hand painted sign on the inside of the door says:
bridge towers footage
746 - height
500 - sidewalk to top
246 - sidewalk to bottom
4,200 - tower to tower
1 mile 8 tenth - length of bridge
2 miles - south parking lot to north parking lot


south tower


north tower


The San Francisco Bay
random facts:
400 square miles - surface area
14 feet - average depth
360 feet - depth at the Golden Gate
67,000,000 tons - annual cargo passing through the Golden Gate
1/3 - amount the bay has shrunk over the last 150 years
1/4 - original wetland, riparian, and tidal mudflat habitat remaining
40% - California’s land mass drained by the bay-delta watershed
<50% - fresh water flow coming into the bay compared to 1930


Photographic proof that Katy can ride no hands.


Another beautiful day in the Bay Area.
(l-r) Katy, Laura and Helen

note: All photos in this post taken with my GOPRO Wrist HERO camera mentioned in the previous post.

Sea Otter Classic

My buddy Rich called the other day and suggested going to the Sea Otter Classic in Monterey and snapping some pics.


We recruited Adam (lower left with camera) and Rob and had ourselves a guys photo safari complete with burrito stop on the way down at some random Mexican dance club/bar in Morgan Hill.


Found a nice little spot by the downhill event. I was able to get some action closeups with my 50mm and taste some dust when this guy landed.


After the events we wandered through the sponsor induced tent city. I commented that all I really wanted to check out was the GoPro tent to get a free t-shirt. I have several of their older cameras and love them. Some random nice guy walking next to us said he would show us where it was. Turns out he was their Managing Director. Adam bought one of their new cameras and I got my free t-shirt.

Random Quotes

Katherine to Sara, regarding fresh vegetables: I like my green beans more processed than you do. I like my green beans eaten by a cow, then I eat the cow.

Planet Granite Friction Series

Planet Granite presented their first annual Friction Series roped comp tonight at their Belmont location. My co-worker Kate had a table set up representing our Palo Alto The North Face store. I grabbed my camera after a nice trail run in Foothills Park then headed up to help represent and snap some pics. I randomly ran into a fellow photographer buddy that used to live around the corner from my family. I've run into him in some truly random places.

Image #23,000

A fun image from a fabulous photo shoot!

Last Photo Class - Round One

The teacher's pet award this week goes to Veronica for her truly original piece entitled "Gray Steel" In her artist's statement she says, "Notice the not-so-subtle use of the rule of thirds" used to frame her subject.

photo credit: Veronica Schindler
post processing: me

Special mention goes out to Mike for this sweet shot. Nice example of narrow depth of field and a fine looking strat!

photo credit: Mike Knippers

Random Quotes

me to my photo class: "So, your homework tonight involves this cool looking window of a little tanning salon down the street..."
Jessica and Veronica in unison: "Oh, Ingrid's!"

I Love My Professional Modeling Gig...

...and if it helps my photo students understand camera controls and lighting concepts, then I say all the better!






photo credit: Adam Findley
post processing: me

Random Quotes

Overheard at the local bookstore.
Man with dog: "Hey Paula, you should get a dog."
Paula: "I can't afford a dog."
Man with dog: "They're cheaper than a man."
Paula: "I can't afford one of those either."

Random Quotes

Bobby, as I handed him a guitar: "I'm no Robert...but I am because my name is Robert."

My Latest Addiction

I tried crack today, and I liked it.

My Gig As A Photo Teacher/Professional Model

During tonight's photography class I reviewed setting the ISO, talked about figuring out a usable minimum shutter speed and discussed more about how aperture affects the final picture. I decided I wanted to give my students some hands on experience with setting these controls on their cameras as I explained it. I needed a subject for them to photograph and I needed enough light for them to use a fast enough shutter speed so as not get blurry pictures due to camera shake. I recently purchased some used hot lights for $20, so I fired one up and sat myself down on the hot seat...man that light was seriously bright.






photo credits: Adam Findley
post processing: me

I seem to be drawn to a type of abstract photography where it takes a moment to realize what you are looking at. So naturally I was drawn to the picture I received below in response to homework I gave out last week dealing with shutter speed. Aside from showing what a tenth of a second shutter speed can do to a speeding train at close range, I really like the diagonal lines fanning out from the right side of the frame with hits of red color against the gray background. And what I think is super cool here is the perfectly still tree branches reflected in the speeding train's window. Well done Travis.


photo credit: Travis Cripps

Another Photo Shoot

Helped Candi out on another photo shoot today. Candi and I scouted out a sweet location near a stream at the Stanford Dish, while Enma took care of Teria's hair and makeup. We debated whether a sign saying "no fishing" constituted "no trespassing" or not. Our location did make for quite the show to dish walkers on the bridge overhead and our answer on trespassing came soon after when some guy in a white unmarked Chevy Suburban claiming to be Stanford Police told us we were trespassing and needed to pack up. We had already nailed the first shot so a location change was in order anyway. We headed over to Lake Lagunita and found the perfect spot for shots two and three.


scouting out locations


setting up the fake sun


Enma the stunt double


"That's a wrap" - time for Teria to get warm

It's a Boy! It's a Girl!

Bryan and Tauna announced they are having a boy and a girl due August 11th. They already announced twins at Christmas but only recently found out the sexes of the twins. I am so excited for them! I will now soon have two nephews and two nieces and will surely be a serious contender in any cutest nieces/nephews contests!

Random Quotes

Candi, for no apparent reason: "By the way, do cows attack?"

Rob & Adrienne

Photo Shoot - Behind The Scenes

My friend Candi needed a few models last minute for a fashion photo shoot in Santa Cruz because her scheduled models had bailed. I recruited Joanna who recruited two of her roommates, Brianna and Keena. Andy and I were recruited for the two jobs every guy wants: grip and gaffer on a fashion photo shoot.


Candi scouts out locations


Picking out clothes




The girls get ready


Candi in action




Outtakes I took with my Holgamod lens


photo credit: Andy Bradshaw
Modeling can be very tiring



Image #22,000: Andy gets his model face on

Random Quotes

Jessie, while being seated at Chile's: " I hate sitting with my back to the room...I feel like I could be ambushed...I grew up in Wyoming."

Random Quotes

Bailey: "I'm not really much of a broacher."

Random Palo Alto

Random Quotes

Maret: "Is anyone here talented at writing me songs?"

Cataract Falls

Cataract Falls is a series of approximately nine separate waterfalls on Cataract Creek in Marin County. These two pictures are only a small part of two of them.

Random Quotes

me: "I know why I'm so tired - it's because I fell asleep on my bed last night."
(In my world this comment made perfect sense...I was still dressed, the bed was still made and the lights were still on. It was not the best night of sleep.)

Image #21,000

Taken while doing headshots for Tim Hawkins's landscape design website.

Kayaking Half Moon Bay

Rayne, Sara and I had ourselves a well rounded Half Moon Bay adventure: Loaded the bikes into Rayne's truck. Biked from Venice State Beach to Pillar Point. Watched surfers at Mavericks. Rented kayaks. Paddled the harbor. Interacted with the one of the indigenous sea lion population. Identified various waterfowl. Dodged fishing boats. Trespassed on an abandon pier. Surreptitiously flipped Sara's rudder up with my paddle then successfully blamed it on Rayne after she noticed it a good 20 minutes later.

photo credit: Sara Smoot