Martini Party, August 4th

I’m not really a big drinker but I think I just found my favorite drink(s). I got to try quite a few kinds at Michael and Bally’s martini party. Many brought their favorite mix but the one that I really liked was the mojito. Then again, the apple martini was really good. And if you mixed it with the green tea martini, well you get something else. The guava wasn’t bad with a bit of mint. And last but not least, watermelon. Yeah, watermelon martini. A concoction by Dao, the martini mixing machine. She whipped up quite a few recipes on the fly. Thanks again for inviting us and especially thank you Lillian for letting Shepard and Harrison play with your Thomas the Tank Engine train. You really showed some restraint and generosity.

Martini Party
Martini Party at Michael and Bally's

Posted in Blog, Social Events | Leave a comment

Regional Chamber Mixer, July 26th

I attended my first Chamber of Commerce mixer sponsored by the Regional Chamber of Commerce (San Gabriel Valley). It was held at the Pheasant Ridge Apartments in Rowland Heights on July 26. Our host that evening was Edward David who is the leasing director for the apartments. There were great gifts that were raffled off; Connie and I won a gift basket. On top of that, I got to meet a lot of wonderful people like Heidi Gallegos who is the Executive Director for the Chamber. I also got to talk with Mike Shay, Claudette Willhite, Tammy Caliener and Yvonne Yen. Some of them are pictured below. I want to thank everyone for an enjoyable event and look forward to our next meeting.

The Raffle Chamber Members

Host Edward David with the Diamond Bar Princesses. Left to right: Nef, Heidi and Edward. Bottom Claudette, Maurice and Tammy.

Posted in Blog, Business | Leave a comment

Nicholas’ 1st Birthday, July 28th

Last Saturday Shepard and Harrison had loads of fun at Nicholas’ 1st Birthday Party. It was held at the home of Justin’s sister in Pasadena. If was loads of fun because there were lots of kids to play with. There was a big jumper, large yard with a swing set, party balloons, and lots of games. This was a great way to capture really memorable moments especially for Justin and Selene’s birthday boy, Nicholas. At the end there was even a water fight which Shepard enjoyed. To see the full slide show, just click on the images below. Then click on the “view slide show” icon view slideshowto start the show. Thanks for looking.

Nicholas' 1st Birthday Bash
Nicholas' 1st Birthday Bash

Posted in Blog, Social Events | Leave a comment

Seeing Black & White

It’s tough to find the right shot that can make a perfect black and white photo. As I look through my work, It’s not so easy to find one to convert to B&W. I guess I’m not seeing in black & white when I take pictures. As an exercise, I dug through some 2000+ photos and found this. And with some tweaking in Photoshop, I came up with this. Well, whadaya think? Well at least it’s a start.
Summer of 2007 with Shepard and Harrison

Posted in Blog, Family & Kids | Leave a comment

Japan, circa 2001

Sometime in the Spring of 2001, before Shepard and Harrison were twinkles in their mother’s eye, we took a trip to Japan. Hamamatsu, Tokyo, Kyoto, and Atami were some of the wonderful places we traveled to. Atami is a beautiful seaside resort area which I highly recommend. We stayed in a ryokan style hotel where the atmosphere was very traditional Japanese. We slept on tatamis – mats made of woven straw. Actually very comfortable. Our bedroom served as dining room where we were served by a geisha. Here are some photos of our experiences.

Kyoto, Japan

Posted in Blog, Landscape, Places, Travel | Leave a comment

Aztek Dancers, circa 1991

These are a few of my favorite images. These dancers performed in Balboa Park around when I was going to college in San Diego. I like these images because of the subject matter and the intricate details of their costumes.  I also like the way the sun was setting low at the time that gave the dancers an amber glow.  Shadows have a strong presence which gave the dancers definition and form.   The colors are more vivid in this type of lighting and draws out the rich gold tones of their skin and headgear.  Late afternoon when the sun starts its decent to the horizon, is one of my best times to photograph.

Aztek Dancers, Balboa Park, San Diego

Posted in Blog, Social Events, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Random, July 17th

This photo was taken on Pismo Beach near San Luis Obispo. I used an Asahi Pentax 67 with a 90mm lens. This is a medium format film camera. The film was Ektachrome 120. I really liked the way this camera was designed because it feels like a 35mm SLR, only bigger. This camera renders beautiful pictures with great detail and brilliant colors. I wish I could have kept it.

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Random, July 17th

You ever heard some old foggie say “I remember when gasoline was just a nickel a gallon”? Well when my kids grow up have their own kids, I might say the same thing (with inflation factored in). Of course I have proof. This photo was taken in the early 90’s when I visited San Luis Obispo to participate in the architectural competition at Cal Poly. I never really gave it any thought when I took this photo that it could serve as a historical reference point.

Posted in Blog, Places, Travel | Leave a comment

Random, July 17th

I’d like to try something different this time. I’ve recently come across some old photos I took back when I was attending college in San Diego. I was visiting Balboa Park when I came across a man preaching the gospel and behind him you see his followers. I was young and really didn’t have interest in his speech although this is what I remember. He was an intense orator and loud enough to capture the attention of passersby. I was intimidated by his presence. I got a few shots of him in mid sentence so that I can capture the intensity. If I recall correctly, my equipment at the time was a Minolta Maxxum 9000. I was using a 100-200mm f/5.6-8 with an 2x extender. The film was Ektachrome.

Preacher in Balboa Park (circa 1990’s)

Posted in Blog, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Descanso, July 13th

Today is Friday the 13th but Shepard and Harrison were in luck. The fridge was empty so off to McDonald’s we went for breakfast. Then a visit to Descanso Gardens was a surprise treat. And for lunch, chicken nuggets and soda. Yep, a second trip to Mickey D’s. Please visit my Descanso Gardens Photo Book Gallery at: https://picturejournals.com/slideshows/descanso/index.html

Descanso

Descanso

Posted in Blog, Family & Kids | Leave a comment