1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner

1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Whenever I see one of these classic cars, I wonder how and where the owner finds spare parts. They would have to be next to impossible to find wouldn't they? I can't seem to find replacement arm rests for my van and it's not anywhere close to 55 years old. How do you find critical engine parts that are needed just to keep the car in operation? I guess that just makes it all the more wondrous to see one of these beauties glide into one of the parking spaces at this classic drive in. If you are ever in the Downey area on a Wednesday evening don't miss it.

Chicago Blues

Chicago Blues, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Located in Millennium Park, the Crown Fountain's glass block towers pour an amazing amount of water down their sides while projecting video of the faces of common Chicago citizens. If it's windy, like it was when I took this HDR sequence, the water tends to fly around everywhere and seems especially attracted to expensive DSLR's!

Freedom in Golden Light

Freedom in Golden Light, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Manny and I were walking to the National Mall from our hotel in Chinatown. As we crossed Constitution Avenue we looked to our left, and were amazed to see the U.S. Capitol Building covered in golden light. There was a concrete island in the middle of the street, so we setup our tripods on it and started shooting. This was shot at 250mm which provided a nice view of the Capitol dome and the statue of freedom at the top.

The long and winding road

The long and winding road, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The architecture of the multi-level rainforest exihibit inside the California Academy of Science Museum has a lot of non-linear shapes and even curving elevated pathways. If it wasn't so hot in there I'd take photos of it for hours.

Port of San Francisco

Port of San Francisco, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I'll be the first to admit this isn't my best work but I loved the view. The problem was that the wind was blowing so hard off the bay it was literally shaking my tripod even though I had hung my backpack from the center column to weigh it down. Chicago the windy city? Try San Francisco!

Love knows nothing of rank or river bank

Love knows nothing of rank or river bank, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

The miracle of technology! Kathy and I decided to stop at Muir Woods on our drive up to San Francisco. I programmed our GPS to take us to the National Park and it easily directed us there. The problem was finding parking. We had almost given up when Kathy decided to drive through the parking lot one more time and we found someone pulling out of a space just across from the park entrance. Score! Anyway it was fun walking around and taking photos of the big redwood trees and the streams that flow through the park.

San Francisco's Historic Streetcar Service

San Francisco's Historic Streetcar Service, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

San Francisco's F line street cars are amazing. All manner of Vintage street cars, discarded by other cities have been restored and now run from Fishermans Wharf to the Castro district, mainly along Market Street. The next time you are in the city, I highly recommend you ride one. Early mornings are best. They get very crowded in the afternoon.

Where troubles melt like lemon drops

Where troubles melt like lemon drops, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Colored light beams find a resting place on one of the giant columns that support the roof of the National Cathedral in Washington DC.

Antipodes

Antipodes, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

American artist Jim Sanborn is into cryptography. There's a message hidden in this piece of artwork which is located just outside the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshorn museum. Although Manny and I stared at it for the better part of a minute, we didn't solve it.

Waiting and watching

Waiting and watching, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Washington D.C.'s Union Station is an amazing place with a long rich history. Although it opened to great fanfare in 1908, by the late 1970's it was deemed structurally unfit and was almost razed. Restored in the 1980's this grand train station is now considered a wonderful addition to the District of Columbia.

The tripod police are in full force here. We were told that no tripods were allowed to be setup on the floor of the station so we climbed a flight of stairs to an elevated restaurant and had a snack while taking HDR sequences.