Jewel of the Missions

Mission San Juan Capistrano is known as the the Jewel of the California Missions. This was because of the beautiful locale as well as the beauty of the mission itself. The mission is in ruins now but to my eye that makes it even more appealing. It is one of my favorite places to shoot. Here are just a few samples.

Paradise (part 2 - the harbor)

Dana Point Harbor is one of my favorite places for taking photos. Just before sunset and very early morning are of course the best time for that. This first photo is the Dana Point Yacht Club just before sunset. I love the way the water and the almost night sky are the same color.

This is a training ship used by the Ocean Institute at the Harbor. One day I will get aboard and take some up close photos of the gear.

There is always something passing by in the protected area before getting out the the open ocean. Kayaking is very popular right now. Notice the "audience" on the rocks.

Hooray for Hollyweird

Right outside the famous Mann Chinese Theatre (star's footprints in cement) are these impersonators. They pose with tourists for tips. The impersonations range from big plastic/rubber masks of cartoon characters to true look-alikes who use costume and makeup for an impressive image.

"Another fine mess"

"The Force is with us"

"A pirates life for me"

"This is NOT Peter Parker"

Coming around a corner into an alley we came across this guy putting on his Spiderman costume. He didn't really seem the super hero type but you know the old saying, "the clothes make the man".

Playing with Motion

In the following photos I used techniques to create or amplify motion. In this first photo the train is just leaving the station and barely crawling. By holding the aperture open for close to a full second it gives the illusion of tremendous speed.

Again, by keeping the aperture open this carousel appears to be going so fast that the carousel horses are blurred to invisibility.

In this photo the prayer candles are stationary. The motion is caused by zooming in and out while the aperture is held open. This gives an interesting set of squiggles in the flame. Notice the Mary figure and the cross in the background.

I live in Paradise

The Dana Point/San Clemente area of south Orange County in California is one of the most beautiful and scenic areas around. The climate is mild all year long. Around every corner there seems to be a terrific view. Here are a few of my favorite in and around the water.