Donut Construction Site
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 200mm ISO 250 3-bkts f/11 Lr4, TpzSim; PsCS6
Long before there were McMuffins there were donuts for “healthy” Americans to start their day. Back in the day Winchell’s was a favorite stop for me when I was craving a crumb cake donut, and no construction barriers would have kept me from getting to a dozen donuts. (I have been paying the price for that behavior ever since.)
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Taken To The Cleaners
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 48mm ISO 250 3-bkts f/11 Lr3, TpzSim; PsCS6
Whether to get dirty cloths clean or to undergo a fleecing, we all know what “taken to the cleaners” means. I am certain that in this case it has always meant getting your fashionable clothes cleaned in Pasadena, California. I don’t know where the locals take their unfashionable clothes to be cleaned, though.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
The Dog House
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 27mm ISO 800 3-bkts f/8 Lr4, Tpz Sim; PsCS6
Hungry, but a hamburger from In-N-Out does not appeal to you, just head next door to Big Daddy’s Fire Grill Pasadena, California in for wood fired burgers, dogs and sausages. I recommend the chili dog, a quarter pound hot dog slathered with a full bodied, lightly spiced chile.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Burger Queue
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 27mm ISO 800 1/100 f/8 Lr4, TpzSim; PsCS6
The always present line up of cars waiting their turn at the In-N-Out drive thru in Pasadena, California. I recommend the “Double Double”, hold the spread and add mustard and ketchup.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Pie ‘N Burger
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 200mm ISO 250 3-bkts f/11 Lr4, HEP2, TpzSim; PsCS6
Pie ‘N Burger has been a locals institution seemingly forever in Pasadena, California. It is practically next door to Caltec and likely a lot of science and engineering students and teachers have had either pie or burgers or both there during its tenure. I ate their once, years ago when Judy introduced it to me, my recollection, however, was one of feeling underwhelmed with both the pies and the burgers. But it’s a cozy little embodiment of a certain genre.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Hot Nings?
Roadside Americana
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 24mm ISO 320 1/160 f/16 Lr3, TpzSim; PsCS6
No, ”Hot Wings” is behind the shadow. Found on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town, Pasadena, California.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Orange Duo
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 40mm ISO 125 1/80 f/16 Lr4; PsCS6
A treat for orange lovers at the Pasadena Police Department Classic Car Show, June 17, 2012.
To view in high resolution or to purchase this or similar prints please click here: http://goo.gl/DDUfc
Reminds Me Of Chocolate Milk
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 32mm ISO 125 1/60 f/16 Lr4; PsCS6
It must be the color scheme of this 1940 Chevrolet pickup truck, the cream and brown tones make me think of chocolate milk, and I can see in my mind milk crates with old glass bottles of chocolate milk stacked in the bed of the truck. This beautiful machine was captured at the Pasadena Police 2012 classic car show in Pasadena, California on June 17, 2012. This year’s Pasadena Police show was a bit of a disappointment, though, not as many cars as last year, and fewer, in my opinion, distinctive vehicles. I also thought last year’s venue on Colorado Boulevard was a better showcase in front of Paseo Pasadena rather than this year’s venue on Green Street, behind Paseo Pasadena.
Prints available here: goo.gl/iPFsg
Cadillac Dream; Improving Past Performance
Nikon D7000 19-24mm @ 18mm ISO 800 1/1250 f/20 Lr4; PsCS6
One of the most important attributes of Adobe Lightroom is the fact that it is not an image editor, but an image data base application. Unlike tasks you perform in Adobe Photoshop, which permanently alter files, tasks you perform in Lightroom that are related to editing your image are non-destructive, you are not altering your image, you are simply attaching a series of descriptive attributes to the image file. No matter what you have done to an image file in Lightroom, you can always return it to its original, raw file state. This means that Lightroom allows you to travel back in time, and “re-do” any image in the catalog.
This has proven very useful to me as my skill levels have improved over time and my self-critical eye has become more discerning. The original rendering I made of this image last year used the HDR process, and that processing resulted in a muddy image with no additional dynamic range other than the range of tones that are present in this rendering. The other outcome of my original HDR rendering produced an incorrect color tone on the body of the Cadillac. Today’s image was processed in a straight-forward manner, with minimal adjustment to overall exposure, highlight and shadow detail. Minor boosts in contrast and clarity of the car and a boost in brightness of the chrome and white walls were brushed in. A virtual copy was made of the entire image and that second image had clarity reduced and was darkened. The two images were then composited together in Photoshop, producing the bright, sharp foreground image of the car with a subdued background. I am very happy with the final body color, which to my recollection matches the actual body paint color of the car in life. Suffice it to say, I am now moving in a steady direction away from HDR processing of my automotive images.
Prints are available at: http://goo.gl/tC10m .
Urban Study #70; Old Town Traffic
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 16mm ISO 320 1/400, 1/100, 1/30 f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PSCs5
Colorado Boulevard in Old Town, Pasadena, California during a late afternoon in January. I really enjoy capturing images of the Pasadena urban scene, the variety of architecture and what I can produce using the lines, shapes and colors and textures that I find.
Tucking In To An Early Supper
Nikon D7000 1-24mm @ 24mm ISO 800 3-bkts f/20 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PsCS5
A spring evening just off of South Lake Avenue in Pasadena, California and four compatible souls tuck in to a quiet supper under a clear sky. The interloping photographer unnoticed.
Please click on the image to view in high resolution.
Church At The End Of The Lane
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 24mm ISO 400 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PsCS5
Lincoln Avenue Methodist Church had its cornerstone laid on September 21, 1897 at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and North Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena, California, which was surrounded by orange groves at the time; a U.S. Postal facility now stands where the church originally stood. In 1981 the church was cut up in to six pieces and moved to Heritage Square in Los Angeles.
Please click on the image to view in high resolution.
The Stone House
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 18mm ISO 200 1/40 f/16 +2EV -2EV, Lr3, HEP1, ASSA3; PsCS5
La Casita Del Arroyo, Pasadena, California. Oil on cardboard treatment using Alien Skin Snap Art 3.
Please click on image to view in high resolution.
Furniture Corner; Variations On A Theme
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 26mm ISO 640 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PsCS5
This scene is looking east on Colorado Boulevard, from the corner of Columbia in Pasadena, California. It is just across the street from Le Cordon Bleu (pictured in Wednesday’s post) and just a block north of Le Cordon Bleu on Green Street (featured in last Monday’s and last Friday’s posts).
The first image (above) is another exercise in my emerging painterly/illustrative style. With the the style I am practicing I am working to achieve flattened three dimensional objects, flattened and smoothed textures, a simplification of structural elements, and an exploration of muted, but rich color tones and saturation. The end result is intended to be more of a representation of the image, rather than a purely, precise, documentary photo-realistic rendering.
The image below is a variation of the first image. For this image I applied the same post processing actions as the first image, but then I applied an impasto, painterly texture to the final image. I wanted to see what would result from adding a paint brush stroke effect to my baseline image. I like both variations, but I don’t anticipate that this experiment will lead me towards producing any more than an occasional rendition using the brush stroke technique.
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 26mm ISO 640 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim, SnapArt3; PsCS5
Please click on either image to view in high resolution, which I recommend for viewing the second image.
Side Entrance
Nikon D7000 18-200mm @ 18mm ISO 640 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PsCS5
This is another angle on Le Cordon Bleu at the corner of Green and Oakland in Pasadena, California. This is a side entrance on the Oakland side of the building. I like the framing elements around the doorway and the windows and the reflection of the church in the window. While we were capturing these images culinary students were scuttling between this building and an adjacent campus half a block away, up on Colorado Boulevard.
Please click on the image to view in high resolution.
“And the sun shall shine upon it.”
Nikon D7000 17-200mm @ 32mm ISO 320 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1, TpzSim; PsCS5
The quote in the title is not from the Bible, as far as I know, I just made it up as it seemed to fit the image. The is the First Church of Christ Scientist in Pasadena, California. My intent in capturing the building from this location on the south side with the sun illuminating the dome and from this angle was to convey how monumental this building feels to me. The odd thing is that while this is a landmark building, it has been real easy to miss. It is situated on the corner of Green Street and South Oakland Avenue, a block south of the somewhat larger thoroughfare, Colorado Boulevard. Green Street is also lined on both sides with mature tress, so while we have frequently passed by here as we have traversed Green Street, this gem of a building had gone largely unnoticed to me, until we got out of the car and were walking the street.
It was almost 4:00 P.M. on a November day when I captured this image and the light from the sun was turning golden, still lighting up the dome while the lower structure was in shadow. The golden tones on the dome together with the orange tones on the row of trees in the right foreground are probably indicative of the only hints we get of a fall season in Southern California.
Please click on the image to view in high resolution or to order a print through my gallery.
A Boy’s Passion Is Born
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 19mm ISO 800 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1; PsCS5
For a change of pace we are back to automotive images in the blog this week. This image was captured at the Pasadena Police Department Classic Car Show in June of this year. One of the issues that impacts the images that I capture at these events is the fact that all the cars are so close to each other, it can be a challenge when you are trying to capture an image of one specific car. I like to let the viewers of my images appreciate one car at a time. In quite a few cases I resort to employing post processing techniques, and then the likes of Topaz Simplify and Photoshop, among others, come in to play.
Another element that can be distracting in these scenes is the people usually “loitering” around the vehicles. Sometimes I try and wait them out to get an unobstructed view, sometimes I find that if I am patient, the people may position themselves where they can become a part of the narrative of the image. This was one of those times.
To view in high resolution or purchase a print, please click on the image.
Silver Ghost
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 17mm ISO 800 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1; PsCS5
Another classic Chevrolet at the Pasadena Police Department Classic Car Show, June 19, 2011. A reminder of how inspirational art objects of the past can be for artists of the present.
Hard Charger
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 15mm ISO 800 3-bkts f/16 Lr3, HEP1,ASSA3; PsCS5
Whether the car or its owner, you get the idea that once they start driving forward, they will not be slowing or stopping until they have reached their objective. A Dodge Charger (circa 1968) on display at the Pasadena Police Department Classic Car Show, June 19, 2011, Pasadena, California.
Chevy Front Quarter
Nikon D7000 10-24mm @ 24mm ISO 800 1/320 f/16 Lr3
This image is for my friend Sheila Creighton who is a photographer and an automotive lover, Sheila blogs at Imagery of Light. This classic piece of automotive art was on display at the Pasadena Police Department Classic Car Show, June 17, 2011 and was parked on Colorado Boulevard where the Rose Parade takes place every New Years Day.
Del Mar Building Trio
Interpretive Digital Imaging
Nikon D7000 18-135mm @ 35mm ISO 2000 3-bkts f/13 Lr3, TpzSim; PsCS5
These buildings stand on the north side of Del Mar Boulevard between South Raymond Avenue in the foreground and South Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena, California. Coming up Raymond from where we parked I was attracted by the bold colors of the buildings which reflect the re-urbanization of Pasadena, they were constructed after the beginning of the new millenium and are primarily housing units with maybe some business activity on portions of the first floors; there is an interurban rail line that passes through the red building in the center. This block of buildings is situated on the southern edge of Old Town Pasadena, adjacent to many Pasadena historic structures.
I started with an HDR processed image, used Lightroom to flatten some of the detail, then went further with Topaz Simplify. Then masked back in some of the detail at varying opacity; then hand painted in all of the white building in order to get the color and texture where I wanted it.
Chill’n At The Equator
Street Life
Nikon D7000 18-135mm @ 26mm ISO 2500 1/6 f/3.8 Lr3; SEP2
The Equator was originally a stable in the 19th century, and since the revitalization of Old Town, Pasadena, California that began in the late 20th century the building has hosted various hospitality based businesses. They bill themselves from what I can gather from their web site as a restaurant/club featuring Asian fusion food and of course a full bar. Equator is located on Mills Place which is nearly just an alley in Old Town, adjacent to Mills Alley, which is a real alley. This short street is much more typical of the North End in Boston, than of some Disneyfied entertainment venue typical of the greater Los Angeles area.
No special post processing here, just some selective tone adjustments to bring out more clarity of all the human images, particularly of the fellow actually inside the building. I was intrigued by the elaborate chandeliers that are visible through the windows and I like the image of the hairless guy leaning against the wall.
Valet Ballet
Street Life
Nikon D7000 18-135mm @ 120mm ISO 200 1/160 f/8 Lr3; SEP2
Parking valets and their clients after lunch on Colorado Boulevard, Old Town, Pasadena, California. I captured this image looking east from in front of the Pottery Barn at Fair Oaks and Colorado, which is a good location to capture the passing parade of daily life. Particularly on a hot day, when you park yourself in front of the open door way of the Pottery Barn and they are blowing all that cool air out the open doors.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Shop Windows
Nikon D7000 18-135mm @ 18mm ISO 2500 3-bkts f/3.5 Lr3, HEP1; CEP3
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at the corner of Mercantile Place and Fair Oaks Avenue in Old Town, Pasadena, California is our bivouac for hot and cold coffee drinks when we are doing a photo walk in Old Town. This shot was captured just after closing time on a recent weekday evening.
