The Leaning Tower of Long Beach

This apartment building isn't really leaning, at least not as far as I can tell. But someone on Flickr observed that it looked like it given the perspective. I like taking shots out the window or moonroof of my car when I'm stopped at traffic lights. It breaks up the boredom that inevitably settles in during that 60 or 90 seconds of red light.

This shot is one of the moonroof variety. I used my Olympus XA and Walgreen's 200 ASA film.

Whippin' & Flinchin'

 

Whippin' (above) at the Oktoberfest at The Phoenix Club in Anahiem, California last Sunday. This lady--one of the dancers--climbed on the table and began cracking her whip in time to the music,...each whiplash sounding for all the world like like a sharp firecracker.

And Flinchin'! (below) These folks sat at the table next to me and seemed to be having a good time under threat of whiplash! Beer helped I'm sure. (It certainly relaxed me.)

Canon F-1 and 28mm Canon FD lens. Fuji Neopan 400 film metered at 3200 with the intent of "pushing" it, and developed in Rodinal. (However, I believe I did not give it enough development time.)

Oil Men

This memorial to the oil men is located atop Signal Hill, in Long Beach, California. I'm not convinced the pose of that oil man on the right would have been typical for the average oil man but who knows? There was lots of oil here obviously. If you saw the film "There Will Be Blood," you may recall that Signal Hill was one of the places it took place. Mostly it's homes on Signal Hill now.

It's called "Signal Hill" because the Indians who once occupied the area could signal all the way to Catalina Island (26 miles out) and other distant parts.

From Signal Hill you can get magnificent views of the Los Angeles area. If you look south from Signal hill you'll see Long Beach, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach and beyond. To the north you'll see the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the inland parts of Redondo Beach, and also the cities of Torrance, Lawndale, Hawthorne and beyond toward LA International Airport. Look to the northeast and you see Culver City, Santa Monica, and Los Angeles. East you get a great view of Long Beach Airport, the Los Angeles basin and the San Gabriel Mountains. This view looks southwest, over Long Beach and in the direction of Catalina Island.

Canon F-1, 28mm Canon FD lens. Can't remember what film. (But I can find that information if someone wants it.)

Relaxing near the Pier

Redondo Beach, California.
Voigtlander Bessa, with Kodak BW400CN film (expired)cross-processed in Rodinal.

Diagonal Shadow and Girl on Wall

I took this shot at the Getty Villa, in Malibu, California. Down below is the path you enter the Getty through.

Canon F-1, with Canon FD 28mm lens.

Peer at A Pelican Peacefully Perched on the Pier

At the far end of the Huntington Beach Pier. Holga 120N with Kodak Portra 160 VC film.

Newport Photo Shoot

I took this shot on a cool and blustery day last Winter with a Contax IIIa and Fuji Pro 400 film. That's Newport Beach Pier. Don't know who the people are.

Snoozing at the Getty

This is at the Getty Villa in Malibu, California. I shot this image with my Kodak Brownie Hawkeye Flash model with flipped lens. I was using Kodak Tri-X 400 film, which I developed in Rodinal.

The McNamara Terminal

Detroit Airport, Romulus Michigan.

Olympus XA. Fuji Neopan 400, pushed to 800. Developed in Rodinal 1:50.

Ritual Post-Game Debrief and Sock Removal (and Occasional Harangue)

American Honda Soccer Club, Torrance California. Vivitar PN2011 with flipped lens. Legacy Pro 400 film. Developed in Rodinal 1:50.

Rosa Parks' Bus

The gentleman is seated in the seat that the estimable Mrs. Parks refused to be budged from.

The Henry Ford Museum, Dearborn, Michigan.

Olympus XA with Fuji Neopan 400 film shot at 800 ASA and "pushed" in development. I developed the film in Rodinal diluted to 1:25.

Tranquility on Terminal Island

The Gerald Desmond Bridge that connects Terminal Island to Long Beach was closed one night causing horrendous traffic and consequent detours. Problem is, once you're on Terminal Island you have precious few escape routes.

So on this evening, finding myself temporarily marooned on the island with few options, I decided to get off the beaten path and explore a little.

To my delight I found a peaceful area with the view you see here. I was trespassing of course, but I was doing no harm and I came away with this souvenir.

I shot this image with my Olympus XA and Memories brand 200 ASA film.

Palm Avenue, Early Morning

This is Palm Avenue in Huntington Beach, California. It's aptly named.

I took this shot about 6am one morning with my Holga 120N and Kodak Tri-X film. I developed the film in Rodinal.

Chac-Mool,...Chillin' by the Pool

The Chac-Mool is an archetypal motif of pre-Columbian Mayan culture. Chac-Mool statues are to be found all over Southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and wherever Mayan culture flourished before the arrival of the Spanish.

This is a photo of my own Chac-Mool, whose head I glued back on one day after a dreadful fall that he endured.

This is a pinhole camera image. (I took my second Vivitar PN2011 and made that into a pinhole camera.) I think the exposure was about 3 seconds.

I Don't Know Why I Like It

Huntington Beach Central Park on the day they had a gathering of Pacific Island peoples. Dancing, food, music, and generally a nice little gathering of folk. But why do I like this shot,...which has no particular draw for the eye? Maybe it's the color and the unfocused areas at the edges of the image that appeal.

I took this shot with one of my Holga 120N cameras and Kodak Portra 400 film.

A View from the Walt Disney Concert Hall

I think finding a right angle at the Walt Disney Concert Hall must be very difficult indeed! It swoops and soars and dips and bends,...but there's nary a 90 degree corner to be found.

I took this shot with my Canon F1 in Los Angeles California.

Old Ford Motor Company Postcard--Not

This is at Greenfield Village in Dearborn Michigan.

Greenfield Village was built by Henry Ford to represent a typical American town, and he imported all kinds of buildings and artifacts to show off American culture, creativity and invention. For example, the original Wright brothers bicycle workshop--the one they built the first airplane in--is here, along with tools and equipment.

I took this image with my Olympus XA and Walgreens 800 ASA film.

The image is an odd one in that it looks as if it has been colorized--like an old postcard. It seems to fit the subject matter. However, this was purely accidental, since I have done no post processing whatsoever. I believe the "look" may be a result of me leaving the lens aperture too wide for the amount of light coming in, thus requiring the camera's smart little brain to work hard to find a suitable and complimentary shutter speed. I like it!

The Villa Riviera

Long Beach, California. Built in 1929. It must be well-built because it stood through the 1933 Long Beach earthquake with little damage. According to Wikipedia, the first Miss Universe Pageant took place here in 1952.

I took this shot through the sunroof of my car while stopped at a traffic light. I had no way to compose the image through the camera's viewfinder, and apparently I failed to set the focus to infinity too, but I am pretty happy with what I got.

I used my Olympus XA with Fuji Neopan 400 film that I developed in Rodinal 1:100.

On the DFW Monorail

I was in the monorail at Dallas-Ft.Worth Airport traveling from Terminal A to Terminal D. It's quite a haul, but gave me an opportunity to observe other travelers and also to get this shot, which I took with my Vivitar PN2011 with flipped lens, and Memories brand 200 ASA film.

Win, Place or Draw?

Gentlemen checking the racing form between races at Santa Anita Park.

Image captured on October 7 with my Vivitar PN2011 with flipped lens and Walgreen's 400 ASA film.

It was Photography Day at Santa Anita and the press later reported that I was one of some 390 or more photographers there on the day. From what I could tell I was the only one shooting film. (One photographer, spotting that I was using a film camera, asked to take a picture of my camera!)

It was a good day. The weather was delightful. The air was clear and the mountains vivid. And the Park authorities laid on a good breakfast for the photographers.

Congregation Alehouse

That's the Congregation Alehouse there on the corner on the right of the photo. Good selection of beers in this place.

I took this shot on the evening of September 30, 2011 with my Olympus XA and Legacy Pro 400 film. Processed in Rodinal 1:100 for 90 minutes.

Hey,...You're Not Supposed To Do That!

Old bearded fellow had his motorbike up on the sidewalk at the local supermarket.

Vivitar PN2011 with flipped lens. Fuji Superia 400 film (expired).

The Middle Reading Deck

Huntington Beach Public Library, in Huntington Beach California.

I used my Olympus XA and Legacy Pro 400 film. I developed the film in Rodinal, diluted 1:100, using a "semi-stand" technique. By semi-stand I mean that I agitated the film for 30 seconds at the beginning of the processing, then for another 30 seconds after half an hour in the developing tank. The total developing time was one hour.

John's Philly Grille

Huntington Beach, California.

Having just concluded a wonderful afternoon of exploration at Crystal Cove with Sadie, Meg and I settled into a pair of luxurious seats in the patio at John's Philly Grille and prepared to dine on what turned out to be a very fine philly cheesesteak sandwich.

Sadie settled under the table and devoured the odd meaty scrap that rained down with uncommon frequency.

The wait staff were friendly and offered Sadie a bowl of water. Good people!

I used my Vivitar PN2011 with flipped lens and "Memories" brand (actually Fuji) 200 ASA film.

Sadie Sunbathing

Sadie loves to sunbathe. Apart from reading in the car I do believe it is her favorite pastime. I took this shot in late afternoon when the sun beats down through the windows in my living room and casts these strong shadows of the window frames. Actually it was the shadows I had spontaneously thought to photograph, but Sadie's presence was a bonus.

Olympus XA, Legacy Pro 400 film, Rodinal 1:100.

Huntington Beach High School at Night

Huntington Beach High School is one of the older--if not the oldest--high schools in the district and the designs of the various building reflect a delightful 1920's architectural sensibility, with arched hallways and a commanding clock tower.

I took this shot of a common area within the campus just as Parents Night was coming to a close. I used my Olympus XA and Legacy Pro 400 film. I balanced the camera upon a wall to steady it.

I developed the film in Rodinal 1:100 for an hour and thirty minutes using a "stand" development technique.

Sardine Street

Terminal Island, California. For this shot I steadied the camera on top of a block of wood I found lying on the corner of the street. (I really ought to carry a tripod around in the car.)

I used the Canon T50 and a Canon FD 28mm lens for this shot.

Zoetrope

This is the zoetrope at the California Museum of Photography in Riverside, California. (Its the black cylindrical object in the left foreground.)

By the way, a zoetrope is a device with a series of vertical slits in its wall and on the inside wall there are a series of still photos. When you spin the zoetrope and look into the slits you see the illusion of motion pictures.

I took this shot on January 31, 2010, using my Canon T50 and Canon FD 28mm lens. I believe I used Kodak Gold 200 film.

The result was unexpected. Moments before setting up and taking the shot I had been investigating the zoetrope, and in fact it was still spinning when I actually took the picture.

Only after I got the film developed did I see that I had captured a series of stills from the inside of the zoetrope. (They are a set of the famous images by Eadweard Muybridge, "Horse in Motion.")

Pondering Pirates

Piratical Pair Ponder Pillage and Plunder! Backstage between rehearsals at California State University in Long Beach.

I took this image with my little Olympus XA and Legacy Pro 400 film. I developed the film at home using Rodinal.