Is This Room Stretching?

This is the Los Angeles Natural History Museum's Rotunda built in 1913. The statue in the center, "The Three Muses" was the museum's first exhibit. For those who are wondering, this was taken hand held, and consists of 3 vertically stitched shots, each being a HDR image derived from 3 additional exposures. This location has been used in films and TV shows quite a bit.

Way to Go Big E!

This was such a great day! Kathy, my Mom and I all traveled to see the Space Shuttle Endeavour on display at the California Science Center. This building is a temporary structure which will be used until the new museum extension and Shuttle display area are built. While Endeavour will eventually be displayed in a launch configuration, complete with the huge orange external fuel tank and white solid rocket boosters, today you can walk underneath her. This allows very close inspection of the orbiter’s thermal tiles which clearly show the rigors of both launch and re-entry into the earth's atmosphere. If you are in the Los Angeles area I highly recommend going to see this amazing example of American ingenuity and innovation.

The Talon and the Tigershark

On Memorial Day I'll pause to say thank you to the men and women who have served and are serving our country in a dangerous world, protecting our freedoms and keeping us safe. I also want to say thank you to their families who sacrifice so much for us.

These two Northrop aircraft at first glance look quite similar but only the white T-38 Talon saw service as a training aircraft and MiG simulator for our Aggressor squadrons based at Nellis AFB near Las Vegas, NV. The gray F-20 Tigershark was an aircraft without a home. Designed by Northrop at the "suggestion" of the US government, once complete it found no customers. Only three were ever built and this is the only surviving example.

I See Everything

Last June, my niece Alexandra, her boyfriend Josh and I decided to head down to San Diego for the weekend. Neither of them had really spent much time there and I wanted them to see the Midway aircraft carrier museum. We stayed at the Embassy Suites, San Diego Bay which has a spectacular atrium. Since I had my fisheye lens I decided to try a vertorama with it. This consists of 5 HDR sequences each consisting of 3 shots. I didn't really think Photoshop CS6 would be able to stitch it together but it did it without a problem. Pretty amazing!

Hey This Isn't Disneyland!

Hey This Isn't Disneyland!, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

It was my birthday so Kathy and I decided to go to Disneyland but she had already told me there were a couple of car shows she wanted to go to so I went along with her. I don't remember the other show, it might have been a wash out but this one hosted by the Latin Gents was really cool. Lots of nice cars and the weather was really good too. We did go to Disneyland later that day and I'm sure that was fun too. It always is.

When Night has Fallen

When Night has Fallen, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

Recently I drove home from work in steadily falling rain. It hadn't rained in Southern California for quite a while so that was a nice change. I found myself thinking about how amazing the neon lights of Cars Land would look when reflected on the wet pavement of the streets there. I stopped at home just long enough to grab my camera, tripod and umbrella and headed for the Disneyland Resort. It wasn't really crowded and I had fun.

California Dreaming

California Dreaming, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

This was our first visit to Cars Land. We all knew it would be spectacular but it still exceeded our expectations. The big changes started as soon as we walked into the park. The Golden Gate bridge was gone and most of the old entry buildings with them. Kathy said it looked very Disney Worldish. I agree. Very immersive and impressive. Now that summer is over and the huge crowds have gone home I really want to go back and take more images.

In the Still of the Night

In the Still of the Night, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

We all decided to on a whim to go to Disney California Adventure tonight after work to have dinner. My Mom wanted to try out her new camera and Kathy and I were celebrating another month of being married. As of today it's been 4.9166 years but it feels more like 1.4166. It was also my first night time visit to Cars Land and I wanted to check out what I assumed would be very beautiful neon lighting. It exceeded my expectations. I have to go back with a tripod. Sorry for  the short post but it's late and I need to go to sleep.

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine

Excitement rides with you - Now with Turbo Thrusting Engine, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

One look at those saucy lines and you know this new Chevy's ready to shove off for wherever you say. You'll see what we mean the first time you feel the quick-sprinting torque of Chevrolet's new Turbo Thrust V8 whisk you up a steep hill. Excitement rides with you every mile you roll in your new Chevrolet. At rest or on the roads, this sleek style-setter promises you more go, gaiety and glamor - and you'll find it keeps its promises beatifully. Come aboard and take the key to the happiest traveling on the highway!

Automobile advertisements in the 1950's are fun to read. I spotted this 1958 Chevy Impala at the Uptown Whittier Car Show quite late in the day. Kathy and I had taken a couple of walk throughs that day, returning home to escape the heat and to cool off. We decided to visit one more time so I put my fisheye lens on my camera and left my tripod at home.

I don't know how I missed seeing this beauty earlier but I did. Something must have distracted me. Wonder what or who it could have been.

The Phantom of the Midway

The Phantom of the Midway, originally uploaded by big_pixel_pusher.

I decided to take my neice Alexandra and her boyfriend Josh to San Diego for the weekend. We had a great time on the USS Midway aircraft carrier museum in San Diego harbor. I have been to the Midway a few times before, but this time we explored parts of the ship I had never seen including Pri-Fly and the Bridge.

I was sorry to hear the fireworks display in the bay went so badly this year. Nobody hurt but I understand all of the fireworks went off at once and the show was over in 12 seconds. Apparently about a thousand people had paid for viewing spots on the Midway's flight deck.

Pictured behind us in this fisheye / facebook style shot is an F4 Phantom II fighter / bomber which like all of the aircraft on the Midway has been wonderfully restored. A great day and a lot of fun.