Between, Be Tween

Eleven. I know, right? She's eleven.

Just when I thought I was pretty good at being a parent to little kids...they grow up.

She didn't want anything this year, except a party. A trampoline party. And a limo. And a park. Eleven: Somewhere between little kid and big kid. Between trampolines and stretch limos and climbing trees. Which is a great place to be!





Happy Birthday. Baby Girl. I love you so much.

Better than nothing!

Helleeew!

Man. Sorry I haven't been blogging lately. What have you been up to. I've been up to photography quite a bit myself. I even photographed a wedding. Wed. Ding. My friend warned me not to. And I regretting saying yes the second it came out of my mouth. I don't have the gear...I don't know how to do those standard poses...I don't think I can... Then the couple said that my photographing the wedding would be better than nothing. I know there is better out there, but I will admit that my photography is better than nothing. So there went nothing! And it went pretty well, all in all. I messed up here and there I learned a lot. I think I would do it again.









And just check out this cheeky fellow....



Eyes up, friend, eyes up!



I've also been working on a couple of larger photography projects. And it is better than nothing. Occasionally, a lot better than nothing. More on that later!

Ain't no thing.

My go-to lens is a f2.8 70-200. I've had it three+ years and, if I look at my EXIF data, yup, that sucker has been on the front of my camera more often than not. Today, my tripod tipped over. My tripod tipped over! Tripods don't tip over. That's why they are tripods!

The suspension in the laws of physics and geometry in that brief moment has resulted in one f2.8 70-200 laying in two pieces. I cried. It is just a thing. And I shouldn't cry over a thing. But I need this thing! I need this thing this week! I really, really like this thing. I miss this thing. Such a nice thing. Such a good, good thing.

Can you believe, not one hour after my lens falls to the ground, a piece of driftwood fell off the mantle and broke my favorite vase? Poltergeists! There simply is no other explanation.

I took some pix this week of a young couple. Young love. There are so many folks out there who take, much, much, much, much better engagement photos than me. So I shouldn't really post these like they are super awesomeness. I'm just mourning my lens. Such a nice lens.

LA Boy

LA Boy, a photo by boosegumps on Flickr.

He's being promoted to high school.

I'm so amazed by you, son. Such a joy to watch you become the person you are going to be.


Not so amazing is your "willingness" to let me photograph you wearing your handsome shirt. "Blue Steel." I'll take what I can get.

Turn around bright eyes

Turn_around_bright_eyes, a photo by boosegumps on Flickr.

Solar eclipse of...Redondo Beach!

Flickr Meetup L.A.

OH, what the heck: I'll click "yes." I haven't got anything planned. The Professor is in town and can watch the kids for once. Plus, I am a grown-up and I have a car: If the other Flickr kids don't like me, I can drive away and never come back!

Well, the Flickr Meeter-Uppers (“Meetr-Upprs”?) were very, very fun and very, very friendly and they played with me and we had very, very fun! If there is a Flickr Meetup in your part of the world, I’d highly recommend going. Because I am insecure like that, I brought out a lot of my fancy toys. But there were Meetr-Upprs, who just brought along li’l point-‘n-shooters and had a great time and got great shots. 

From this walk, I have learned, when I am free to photograph anything, anyway, I think I am a two-trick pony: Pictures of people and anything with my fisheye lens. That’s all I got.

Because I am old and grumpy and not entirely cotton with all this new-fangled digital photography hooey, I sort of have a rule when using Photoshop that goes way back to 1980s J-school. If I can manipulate the image in a darkroom in such this way, then I’ll let myself do it in Photoshop. So, I black-and-whited a lot, so it’s arty.

The walk started at Union Station...

Got a light? Backpacking bro?

Last of the Nearsighted Mohican.

Waiting in Union Station

Still waiting.

Union Station magazines for sale.

 Walked across the street to Olvera Street...

Lupe's Candy Shop.

Sweet little seniorita on Olvera Street.

Trés amigos.

Headed over to the area around the The Arts District, a mecca of street art...

 It is not difficult to photograph good street art. But it is difficult to make it. So have a good look...

Mona LisA.

Sticker tag near American Hotel.

L.A. Flickr Meetr-Upprs in front of the American Hotel.

 Ran into (figuratively and, for me, of course, literally...) a parkur club.

PKLA parkur friends.

 And finished up at Wurstküche. The best of the Wurst in L.A.

Got chakra? This yoga pose is called Winter Egrit Waits for Beer.

So...

 ...and Peace Out, friends!

Peace. L.A. Plaza Park.

Whatcha doin'?

Nothin'.

'Cept learning to play guitar.

And dressing up the dog funny.

And prettying up the snails.

(My friend is a fan of tattoos, so I suppose she wants to encourage body art among gastropods. Or maybe she thinks humiliation will work better than poison to rid the critters from the lilies? Very fun to paint snails and does add color to the garden. Fun to play at your house!)