Fireworks and "Snow"

The beauty of having an annual pass to Disneyland is being able to go for a few hours, just for the fireworks on a random Sunday night.  There are so many interesting things to photograph and it's constantly evolving.  I love being able to head there whenever with a DSLR in tow... though I may try a series with just an iPhone or normal point & shoot just to test my photographic eye.

Lights during the candle lighting ceremony

Shooting stars... do you believe?

Soap snow!!!

Sleeping Beauty castle... iced out.

Active Shooting Hours: 2
Review Hours: 2
Total Hours to Date: 96 - almost to the first 100 hours!!!

Christmas, Christmas Everywhere!!

I really enjoy attractions that decorate for various holidays, particularly Halloween and Christmas.  The Long Beach Aquarium had Christmasy decor in the various exhibits and even a diver dressed as Santa - although I would argue he was much too skinny to be Santa and more like the Elf on a Shelf terror.

The lorikeets also had several Christmas trees at their disposal for hiding and pecking at.  Those little buggers bite quite readily - I didn't chance trying to buy food and taking pictures of them at the same time.  I can't wait to go back to feed them though!!

The challenge du jour was really learning to work in completely manual mode.  Since most of the exhibits are in the dark and behind shiny acrylic, I couldn't use flash and had to focus with the manual ring since there's an absurdly bright focus light that the autofocus employs.  As a result, a lot of the pictures came out pretty horrifically blurry.  In some cases, it was pretty frustrating since I know the shots would have been great had they been in focus.

In such cases, the law of large numbers to the rescue and I got some pretty awesome pictures anyway.

A nautilus, floating about its exhibit

Seahorse

And a lorikeet in a Christmas tree - long lost mysterious 13th day of Christmas gift?

Giant Pacific Octopus

Active Shooting Hours: 3
Review Hours: 3
Total Hours to Date: 92

It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

I love Christmas... there's something about the cold bite in the air juxtaposed with the spicy scents of nutmeg and cinnamon.  Not to mention all of the shiny things - ornaments, lights, gift wrap...

To make this season extra special, I got myself an annual pass to Disneyland - not only the happiest place on earth, but also the singular place that turns me into a fantastically giddy five year-old princess.  This also gives me a new venue to take photos, so I'm looking forward to the new inspiration!!

I traipsed around the park all day with only my 35mm lens in tow with a polarizing filter since I knew I would be distracted by jumping on my favorite rides.  I still managed to capture some decent shots, despite the throngs of people.  The lighting was also a hindrance for most of the day - it was incredibly cloudy over half the park and the other side was sunny blue skies.  Looking back through the shots, I could have used a neutral density filter to adjust for some of the blown out skies.  Hilariously, a Christmas gift arrived in the mail when I got home with a ND filter in it!!

I'll be headed back soon, hopefully on a day with fewer people stepping into my shots, although that's doubtful given the holiday season.

The man and the mouse

Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse

Sleeping Beauty Castle, all decked out!

Even more impressive by night.

Active Shooting Hours: 6
Review Hours: 3
Total Hours to Date: 86

Fourth Quarter Fumble

Fourth quarter has been busy.  Like really busy.  Like crazy busy.  I've been all over the place either preparing for meetings or actually in meetings.  I'm really glad I got some shooting time in this past weekend at the San Diego Zoo.  

As it turns out, the animals are way more active in the morning and I got several great shots of animals actually up and about.  And in many ways, I found a lot of humanity in their expressions and mannerisms.  Hopefully, I'll have some more time to clock some hours in the coming weekends even amidst big meetings.

An indignant owl

Koala!!

A glorified kong toy for a panda... cinnamon biscuits are inside!!

Gorilla daydreams

Water drops on a green mamba snake - probably my favorite shot of the day

Active Shooting Hours: 4

Review Hours: 3
Total Hours to Date: 77

Some Days and Some Places are Just More Inspiring than Others

I've felt a certain photographer's block for the past month - images just didn't manifest for me and what I saw didn't translate to what was captured.  I've come to find that the largest discrepancy between what I see and what my camera sees generally occurs when the lighting is poor.  My favored light is just natural sunlight - it's not too yellow and not too blue, both of which just mercilessly  flatten interesting contrasts and focal points.  Part of it was also due to the fact that I've been busy in suburban paradise (hell?) lately and the cookie cutter nature with tract housing isn't exactly conducive to interesting photos.

In any case, when I found out I needed to travel for work, I immediately took the opportunity to tack on a side trip to Philadelphia to practice looking for interesting subjects.  I've never been to Philadelphia before, so I took the opportunity to learn some Jeopardy-esque factoids:

• The city is actually quite literally called "Brotherly Love," from the Greek philos (loving) and adelphos (brother). 
• It's the 5th most populous city in the United States, behind New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston.  Also fun factoid, I've now been to all Top 5 cities.
• Founded by William Penn, a Quaker, as a colony of religious tolerance.  Despite having a charter from the British, he actually bought land from the local native tribes to maintain their good will, which actually helped the colony flourish more quickly than others during the time.
• Best known regional foods include the cheesesteak and soft pretzels - largely from German influence and roots.

Of course, as luck would have it, I ended up in Philly amidst the federal government shutdown, which meant that every national park operated landmark (i.e. Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, and the homes of Edgar Allan Poe and Betsy Ross) were all closed and in some cases, barricaded.  To add insult to injury, it was raining, so I traipsed about negotiating an umbrella, a smart phone based map, and my actual camera.

Still, Philadelphia is a fascinating city with Old World and New World feel - I do love my Federal & Greek Revival architecture and in a city with the history of Philadelphia - these are intertwined with the newest and shiniest of high rises.  In some ways, that was a challenge - to capture the character of buildings without the noise of people, cars, and other buildings intruding on an otherwise interesting shot.  I wonder if long-time Philadelphians (or other big city dwellers) rush past these buildings and monuments because they're so everyday for them.

Photographically speaking, I think I made some real progress with this trip.  I actually shot many of the photos with a circular polarizing filter, which was moot since it was shrouded in a cloudy and drizzly haze the entire time I was there, but at least it protected my lens from the wet.  Also in the review time, I actually experimented with some digital editing to punch up the qualities of the photo like color and contrast to better evoke what I felt in the moment.  I'm sure there are purists out there who would argue that that digital manipulation and filters is cheating, but I would rebut that photography is about capturing the mood and visually interesting aspects of a scene.  After all, it's a form of art.  And even Ansel Adams, one of the photographic greats, was known for using filters and developing processes such as dodging and burning to enhance the mood of his images.

Contemplated jumping this barrier to the Liberty Bell (which is outside) until we saw a guard posted, probably to prevent us from doing just that.

So close, yet so far.  Focal B&W filter applied.

The Signer - to commemorate the courage of those who signed the Declaration of Independence
and put their names to their words.

Chinatown gate, with lomo effects applied.

The menu at Tommy DiNic's in the Reading Terminal Market

City Hall through the urban jungle

This T. Rex was animatronic, with a motion sensor - a fact I discovered when I went to take a shot and nearly dropped my camera when it roared at me and started moving.  I wonder if there was a hidden camera feed into the Academy of Natural Sciences... that would be amusing to watch because I was definitely startled.

Active Shooting Hours: 6
Review Hours: 4
Total Hours to Date: 70

Wake Me Up When It's All Over

I am completely and totally obsessed with the new Avicii track "Wake Me Up" - it's the perfect eclectic blend of indie rock and EDM.  Also, because the lyric is entirely relevant to the last two weeks of my life.

I've been uncharacteristically quiet and also not at all active with this project in the last two weeks largely because I sustained a minor concussion and a small cut in the most ridiculous of ways involving samurai swords falling onto my head (seriously, I can't even make this up).  Given that, I've spent a lot of my free time relaxing and also doing various mental exercises (words with friends, jigsaw puzzles, etc.) to try and regain some neural connections.  I can't even imagine taking hits like the guys in the NFL do, because even with a minor concussion, I was wobbly the first day and then had trouble recalling common sayings for the next several days.  I definitely felt dumber than usual. 

To add insult to injury, just as I was feeling better and more myself post concussion, I started developing a kraken of a head cold and spent the better part of the last few days sleeping an inordinate amount of time... so much for the four-day weekend.  In any case, I think I've finally beaten the cold into submission just in time to clean, cook, and do laundry for the upcoming work week.

I have done some reading on the subject of filters and I think I'll be ordering some soon, will post about my learnings later.  More adventures to come in the next few weeks, just felt like the silence merited a post.

Kentuckian Cuisine

Prior to my trip out to Louisville, I never really thought extensively about the food of Kentucky beyond Harlan Sanders's Kentucky Fried Chicken.  I found foods of Louisville to be a wonderful balance of southern decadence sprinkled with international influence.  Not so southern that I felt like a stick of butter was about to lodge itself and harden in my arteries, but southern in that there were fried elements, collard greens, and cornbread.  And while there is some component of Midwestern influence (since Kentucky borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north), it wasn't obnoxious like the previous run-ins I've had with Midwestern food (cheddar cheese melted on apple pie really doesn't work).

Unsurprisingly, between San Francisco and Louisville, I managed to gain about 7lbs.  Luckily, 2 of those were just water weight as a result of increased salt intake.  I've managed to whittle down the remainder and am almost back down to pre-drinkcation weight by getting runs and weights in and getting back onto the low-carb wagon.

I am not usually one to take pictures of my food, but I really felt compelled to, despite the fact that I'd be fulfilling the cringe-worthy Asian tourist stereotype.  As far as picture quality, the restaurants were all a little dark so I had to open up the aperture and ended up with less than optimal focusing... good thing I didn't go into this aspiring to be a food stylist/photographer.

The bourbon balls were left unguarded at Woodford... little dark chocolate truffles with chocolate bourbon filling - definitely took home a couple boxes for gifts and bad mood pick me ups.

Tournedos topped with sweet potato curls and sweetbreads, cooked rare, of course.

Hands down the best eggs benedict I've ever had with avocado, chorizo, and topped on a corn cake.

More Noms
Hours to Date: 60

The Urban Bourbon Trail

The clinking of glasses and sparkling laughter echoing off wood-paneled walls, caramel liquor in shining decanters, and wisps of smoke from a lit cigarette - these were the ghosts I imagined about The Old Seelbach Bar as we began on the Urban Bourbon Trail - similar in conception to the Bourbon Trail, but localized about Louisville.

The Seelbach Hotel has certainly seen its share of celebrities during its storied history and contributed in its own way to Americana - in fact, it served as the inspiration for the hotel where Tom and Daisy Buchanan got married in The Great Gatsby.  I love the Rathskeller Room too - one of their banquet rooms that is modeled (and named) after basement restaurant/bar spaces found under German city halls where council members and other people would congregate to discuss business, politics, and the shenanigans of the day.  For all the progress that has been made, I do love some of the old-world luxury feel from the Art Deco period.

Anyway, from The Seelbach, we wandered to the Maker's Mark Lounge at 4th Street Live and Asiatique.  On Sunday we also made it to Corbett's and Limestone.  I finished out my trip just one stamp shy of a free t-shirt for the Urban Bourbon Trail, a little bit intentionally so I'd have to go back!

Very Art Deco.  Not surprise F. Scott Fitzgerald drew inspiration from this place.

Got some practice with portraiture!  Ashley, rocking her model face, as usual.

Stamp in my passport!

An overhead light in the Rathskeller Room

<3 Maker's, did not <3 the bartender who stamped my passport upside down and made a crappy recommendation for my bourbon tasting flight.

Go big or go home: Pappy Van Winkle, aged 23 years, neat.  Easily the most expensive 2oz I've ever had.

More of the Urban Bourbon Trail
Hours to Date: 60

So What is Bourbon Anyway? And There's a Trail?

Bourbon is a type of whiskey, which is an umbrella term that generally refers to a distilled beverage made from a mash of cereal grain that has been fermented (read: sugars -> alcohol) generally aged for some time in some kind of wooden barrel.

Bourbon is an American whiskey (there are other varieties like Scotch, Irish, Canadian, etc.) specifically made from a mash that consists of at least 51% corn.  In addition to that, there are a number of other technical requirements like being aged in new, charred oak barrels and how much alcohol can be present in the liquor in each stage of the process.  Bourbon actually derives its distinct caramel color from the charred oak barrels - it's clear when it goes into the barrel (aka: moonshine).

The color comes from aging in charred oak barrels

The Bourbon Trail is essentially a tourism program (read: clever marketing strategy) by the Kentucky Distillers' Association to promote bourbon - as if it really needs any help, there's currently a bourbon shortage due to its increasing popularity as a beverage and time needed to increase supply (due to aging).  In any case, the Bourbon Trail consists of 7 major distilleries in Kentucky and if you visit each and get a stamp in the passport, you can return to the visitor's center and get a free t-shirt.

I made it to 2 of the 7, but I made them count since I was most interested in these two - Maker's Mark (my favorite bourbon) in Loretto and Woodford Reserve in Versailles.  Unlike Napa wineries, these distilleries aren't situated just one plot of land over... some of these distilleries are almost 2 hours from the next and on windy back country roads - largely because good bourbon hinges on clean and pure water, which is what really determined the location for these distilleries.

Photographing and adventuring on the Bourbon Trail was the entire impetus behind the trip to Louisville and besides the hours I already posted spent in Downtown Louisville, I managed to get in another 11 active shooting hours over 2 days and another 3 hours reviewing photos, bringing my grand total to 60 hours!!

The name Maker's Mark was inspired by the trademarks on Marjorie Samuels' pewter collection

I dipped a bottle of Maker's White, only available at their distillery, and it survived my checked luggage!

En route to Woodford Reserve in Versailles... pronounced by locals as "Ver-saylez," which made me cringe.

Sour mash... yeast + cereal grains + water = fermentation.  Sugar being converted to alcohol!

Peering into one of the copper stills

Barrels of bourbon, aging quietly

Hours to Date: 60

More Bourbon

Post-Drinkcation Diet

I still have a lot of photos and adventures from Kentucky to post, but I'm going to blog this one as encouragement for my now diet, detox, and restoration mode post-drinkcation.

I definitely gained 5-7lbs after the 2 weeks of eating all the things in both the Bay Area and Louisville... while I'm hopeful some of that is water weight from salt bloat, some of it is definitely just fat from eating literally everything.  I'm getting back to the gym today as well, but since weight is 85% diet, I'm getting back on the wagon with a yummy recipe: spaghetti squash via two prep methods.

Spaghetti squash is named such because once it's cooked, the flesh shreds into strands that look very similar to spaghetti... and it's a great substitute.  A little crunchy, but takes on sauces just like spaghetti, with a fraction of the calories, carbs, and glycemic index.  1 cup of spaghetti squash runs you about 42 calories on average, compared with 1 cup of spaghetti, which can easily be around 200.

Glycemic index is a measure of a food's effect on blood glucose levels - particularly how quickly it rises in response to consumption of a particular food.  Foods with low GI release sugar more steadily into the bloodstream, whereas foods with high GI spike sugar into the bloodstream quickly.  The basic (very, VERY basic) theory is that by releasing sugar more steadily, the body releases insulin more steadily.  Insulin is the hormone that allows for various cells within the body to absorb glucose for conversion to either glycogen (immediate energy in muscles) or fat (long-term energy storage).  A few studies have correlated high blood sugar levels with increased fat storage, so the theory goes that if you keep more steady levels, your body will be less apt to store more fat.

In general, the GI ranges are as follows:

Low: <55
Medium: 56-69
High: 70+

Some examples: Waffles (109), White Bread (101), Kidney Beans (42), Mac & Cheese (72), Potato (93), Broccoli (<20), Spaghetti Squash (<20), Tomatoes (23)

In any case, I tend to do spaghetti squash with some kind of protein, like turkey meatballs or shrimp or whatever just because the fiber with some protein helps keep me full.

I was hungry tonight - this is roughly 2 servings of spaghetti squash, Trader Joe's bolognese sauce, parmesan cheese, topped with turkey meatballs.  Total: 424 calories

Oven-Roasted Spaghetti Squash:
This is definitely my favorite way to prepare it, but prep work and waiting time can be annoying, so below this, I included the lazy way of preparing spaghetti squash too!

Prep: 15 min / ~45 min bake time
Tools: sharp chef's knife, cutting board, dish towel for stability, fork

Spaghetti squash
Olive oil (to coat)
Salt, pepper, parmesan cheese to taste
Sauce of your choosing (I like marinara)

1. Set your spaghetti squash onto a bunched up dish towel on the cutting board to prevent it from rolling around while you cut it open.
2. Carefully & slowly cut the spaghetti squash in half.  I usually stick the knife point into the squash vertically to get the tip into the cavity inside the squash and then slowly push the knife down to horizontal on the non-stem side.  By then, enough of the squash has been split to generally crack it open.
3. Scoop out the seeds and discard.
4. Coat the inside of the squash with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper.
5. Bake at 375 for ~45 minutes (longer if you've got a bigger squash).
6. Let cool and use the fork to shred the squash into strands.  I like to sprinkle parmesan cheese on at this point to give it some extra flavor.  Mix in your favorite sauce to taste!

Spaghetti Squash!

On a dishcloth for stability, knife in point down

CAREFULLY push down

Once you split it open, it looks like this.  Scoop out the seeds and discard.

Coat with olive oil & seasonings.  Bake at 375 for ~45 or until the flesh is soft

Microwave Spaghetti Squash
Let's face it, there are all those days where it's a struggle to eat healthy if you're running late and starving.  So here's a quicker way to make spaghetti squash:

Prep: 5 min / 6-8 min bake time
Tools: sharp chef's knife, dish towel, cutting board, fork

Spaghetti squash
Salt, pepper, parmesan cheese to taste
Sauce of your choosing

1. Place squash on bunched up dish towel on the cutting board for stability.  Take the fork and pierce the squash deep several (10ish) times all over the squash.  You should get it all the way to the central cavity.  This is to prevent squash explosions!!
2. Put the squash on a clean paper or dish towel in the microwave (it will leak a bit after it cooks).
3. Microwave for 6-8 min, depending on the size.  I did 8 for the one pictured below.  Better to have to re-microwave than to have an exploded squash, which will probably also ruin the microwave.
4. WAIT for it to cool.  Steam burns are not fun.  Carefully cut open the squash - it will be HOT.  Scoop out and discard the seeds.
5. Use the fork to shred the squash.
6. Salt and pepper to taste.  I drizzled in some olive oil as well for additional flavor, but this can be skipped.  I also sprinkled in parmesan cheese to taste.
7. Coat in favorite sauce!

Pierce with fork in several places so steam can escape

Microwave 6-8 minutes, I did this one for 8.

Be careful, when cutting open... it's hot!  Don't forget to scoop out the seeds.

2 spaghetti squashes' worth!

In terms of photo quality... I'm no food stylist and I don't get natural light in my kitchen, so these really ended up being more snapshot-y.  I'll have to work on that... it's hard to be artistically minded when hungry, which is kind of ironic given the whole "starving artist" stereotype.

Active Shooting Hours: 0.5
Review Hours: 0.5
Total Hours to Date: 46