Close Encounters Of The Other Kind

 

"Fireworks are skyflowers... dandelions of light.

 They are a visual display of the celebration of life."

~Jarod Kintz

Whenever You're here, I'm Here For You

Last night, the 4th of July, was a lot of fun. The whole day was fun, for that matter. We watched Jaws and Jaws 2. We cooked and baked, and we made Chinese food, ate it from restaurant style boxes we bought for the occasion, and then watched fireworks from the comfort of our bedroom window! Yes, that, bedroom window! I love the pic above, it reminds me of the mothership from, Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. It didn't hurt that I could see Venus, while the fireworks were going off, and I spotted more than one Stockton police drone having a look see, to see if anyone was setting off illegal fireworks, which of course, they were, or couldn't have got the photos, or made a new memory with Alan. But when 7 police cars showed up, yep under our window, I am fairly sure it wasn't for illegal fireworks. 

Okay. yes, yes, I know... don't condone bad illegal behavior under any circumstance, but doggone it, I enjoy it once a year. I can watch the skyflowers from the safety of my own home, eat in, and have the occasional glass of wine, without risking anything. The fireworks being put off last night, were far fewer than in other years, but lovely all the same, and for the most part the noise was cut right at midnight. So, at least they were respectful, in their illegal behavior! Now, as for the shitshow, no, not THAT shitshow, the one I speak off is the fact that there was again, police, fire trucks, and an ambulance right under our window! The ambulance wasn't there long, firetruck and the firetruck left too, all that remained was 5 police cars, and officers walking about with flashlights, apparently looking for evidence of... shrug... something. I heard lots of gunfire in the neighborhood last night, which is nothing new at this point, but somehow, I didn't feel anything about it. I guess I am getting used to it!

Anyhoo, lets just enjoy the illegal fireworks, shall we?

Just another Saturday night in Stockton...

True Patriotism Is Loving Your Neighbor

 

"The land flourished because it was fed from so man sources...

 because it was nourished by so many cultures, and traditions and peoples."

~Lyndon Johnson

At The Statue Of Liberty on 10/3/1965

Feng Shui

 

“The sky
lights up
with fireworks
when you
follow your
dreams.” 

~Avijeet Das

Hubby and I did a little Feng Shui last week, by completely moving our bedroom around. The bed is no longer under the window, it's on the opposite wall. Other than that, it's somewhat a work in progress. But just by doing that one action, we have gained an lot of positivity. For one... there's more light first thing in the morning! I have come to enjoy having a lot of light in the place I used to be a cave dweller, but the old house taught me a lot about light. And all the hard work came with another bonus, you see, the good folks of Stockton love to launch great big illegal fireworks on Independence Day, and that gave us a free fireworks show from the comfort of our bedroom window!

 

 Let me tell you, it was Spectacular! I know, the illegal ones are dangerous, and I really shouldn't praise them, but it was better for us then risking the possibility of drunk drivers, driving through crowded streets, and not to mention the occasional need to drive long distances to see them. Another plus to the new arrangement in the bedroom, it now allows Joey a warm place on the hamper so he can see outside in the window! Sometimes everything just comes together! More on the room later. It feels so good to be so much closer to having our life in the house over, and the beginning of our lives in the condo beginning!

“Are the fireworks over, or just beginning?” 

~David Sinclair

  Without the Mob, There Is No Circus

Happy Independence Day?

 

“Independence day is a reminder for all of us to stop taking our Independence for-granted”

 

~  Anamika Mishra 

 

This might the last Independence Day we see for a while... or ever! 

Organize, Pray,Vote!

 

Happy Independence Day! :)

"We must be free not because we claim freedom,

 but because we practice it."

~William Faulkner

Have safe and happy holiday!

Take lots of pictures!

And if you post them, comeback and leave me a link!

Otherwise just enjoy the day!

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Happy 4th Of July 2014

"May the sun, in its course, visit no land more free, more happy, more lovely, than this our country."

~Daniel Webster

From Our House To Yours... 



                                                    HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

Mood: HAPPY

~Me :)

The Photographers

"Life is a journey, photography is thy shepherd."

~Destin Sparks

It was nice to get in a little bit of photography as the sun went down on the Independence Day! I don't get that opportunity very often, especially in the summertime, but holidays like Independence Day, and the fact that we don't have to be up early the next day means being able to photograph some spur of the moment subjects. Like the one you see above. As the sun was going down, the bright glow turned everything north of Yerba Buena Island a gorgeous silvery/green glow. Alan and I have briefly stopped on the island to see if we could get a good parking spot to view the fireworks, alas it was not to be, but we did pass the photographers lined up on the side of the cliff facing the city. I couldn't pass it up! I had to shoot past Alan, who was driving, but it was worth a bit of a body contortion to get the shot! Oh my... we had a lot of fun! Alan is a pretty good sport! I kinda like that guy!

:) Look at what the camera and I saw...











Everybody was taking pictures. Most just turned their engines off, and turned their cameras on, and enjoyed the fabulous fireworks display! For a photographer like me, life doesn't get much better!

:)

Mood: Happy

Me :)

July 4th, 2013

"What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect, delicate balance between freedom "to and freedom "from."

~Marilyn vos Savant, in Parade

Have a safe, happy, fun, respectful, restful July 4th!


For Your Enjoyment, Here Is A YouTube Report On The San Diego Fireworks Fail Of 2012
And Up Close...



And The Finale Of The San Francisco Independence Day Fireworks Show... 2013



Mood: Hopeful

~Me :)

A Photo A Day For 6 Months: Day 52~Fireworks Photography

"Everything is created moment to moment, always new. Like fireworks, this universe is a celebration and you are the spectator contemplating the eternal fourth of July and your absolute splendor."


~Francis Lucille


Generally speaking, I have had pretty good luck photographing fireworks. The very first time I did so, came about as a bit of a surprise. Alan and I had spent the day in San Francisco and were on our way home by way of Marin County, when we decided to stop at the vista point on the Marin side of the Golden Gate. All of a sudden the sky lit up from the area around AT&T Park, which is south of the Bay Bridge. Apparently the Giants had a fireworks show after the game that night, and I got a great opportunity to do some photography on instinct. The photo above was the first one I took, and while I think I did okay with it, I still wish I would have zoomed in tighter as to not has so much black in the foreground. I have considered doing some cropping, but I always seem to go with the photo as it is. Over all I kinda like the balance of the bright city lights, and the solid forefront. 


With the Fourth of July only a few days away, I am spending a lot of time in my fireworks folders from previous events, to see what I did right, and what didn't work at all. Lets face it, Photoshop is a good tool to have for events like fireworks, if for nothing else, to eliminate the noise and small odd reflection, but my goal is to not have to rely on the editing tool. It takes some work to compose a successful fireworks photo, you have to know your camera and your general surroundings. To tripod, or not to tripod? Relaxation is a good thing to practice, as to not make mistakes by getting anxious or feeling rushed. The two photos below were taken on July 4th, 2007, as Alan and I drove along the Embarcadero in San Francisco. It was the best shot out of about 200 or so photos taken that night. I was happy that at least 1 came out well. It was a difficult shot to achieve, in that every few feet, as we inched along, completely changed the scene and conditions. 


I did have to do a small amount of editing, mostly to tone down glare and noise. The natural lighting had an orange cast to it, so I kept that and did a small amount of back light enhancing. Over all, it was pretty much what I hoped to get from that moment. It had taken me longer than I thought it would to get my focusing set, so it felt good see something good come from the work I put into it. I have tried displaying the photo in both color and black/white and I am not sure which I prefer. So, that's where you come in. I would love some feedback about the three photos in this post. Help me be a better fireworks photographer. Give it to me straight... okay? If you have some fireworks photos, please post some on Monday, and tell me about your experiences with photography in that type of lighting. 


Natural Lighting...



Black and White Editing...



Thoughts? Suggestions? Ideas?


~Me :)

Happy 4th Of July 2010!

Here is an awesome fireworks video I found on YouTube presented for your viewing pleasure!






-Carly :)

Happy Independence Day, July 4th 2009

From For Ellipsis

"What is the essence of America? Finding and maintaining that perfect delicate balance between freedom "to" and freedom "from."

-Marilyn vos Savant

From Our House To Yours...

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!

-Carly

It Wasn't Meant To Be...

"Let us go in; the fog is rising."

-Emily Dickinson

Well, Alan and I knew it would be iffy. The weatherman, and weather woman, said that there would be a low blanket of fog and clouds on the bay, and sure enough, as if ordered especially for the 4th of July holiday, it came rolling in as the afternoon moved toward the evening. It was completely encased around the marina by late afternoon, and then it moved over the Marin Headlands a little while later. That's just life in San Francisco. Fog is a part of life here, and often times it can be unpredictable, that's why we decided to head for Marin anyway, just in case it decided to give us a break. Alas, it was not to be. I did get some really nice photos of the area anyway, and I was lucky enough to be standing in the right place at Vista Point, to get a nice shot of the fireworks, that were being set off around the corner of the bay in Sausalito, at Richardson Bay.

Downtown San Francisco Broadway at Columbus

Approach to the Golden Gate Bridge

Golden Gate Bridge As The Fog Begins To Roll Through

About 1 hour later

Rock Formation Just To The San Francisco Side Of The bridge

Lime Point Lighthouse, which sits just below the Golden Gate Bridge on the north side of the bridge. Click on the link to learn more about it's rich history.

San Francisco Bay, facing the tip of Angel Island, and Emeryville, California in the background

The Fog Looming Over The Headlands

Fireworks From Richardson Bay In Sausalito, California

A spectacular 4th of July on the bay in 2007! Oh well, maybe next year!

:)

All in all it was a good time. We picked up a Round Table All Meat Pizza, with a skinny crust, and some root beer, and had ourselves a little car picnic until time to stand at the wall facing San Francisco. We saw a lot of pretty boats on the bay, all lit up for the holiday, and even caught a glimpse of the Bell of the Bay, and Hornblower yhacts. Someday, I would love to photograph the fireworks while on one of their dinner cruises. Yeah... that would be fun! :) Till next year...


-OndineMonet
"The Golden Gate Bridge In Fog"
Marin County Vista Point
Marin County, California
July 4th, 2008
Late Afternoon/Early Evening