Foggy Harbor...

The glow of sun on a foggy day, the damp decks, the fog horn… the call of the sea.

Living Conditions...

From a time where if you served on a cargo ship, this is the type of accommodations you were going to get.

Valentines Day...

Although it's become more a commercial day - restaurants, flowers, candy, jewelry, etc....  Take this day a do something special for that important person in your life.  You don't need to go overboard and spend tons of money.  Do those little... personal things... and enjoy and spend time with those you are lucky to be in love with !!  Don't take things like this for granted.  Believe me, you'll miss it !!

From Sail to Steam...

The contrast at play

Dark Skies...

Considering the weather our fellow Americans are facing in the Northeast, I think I can live with the change of weather.   (Polaroid 195)

Ready to Set Sail and Instant Photography...

It's time for some changes.  Time to set sail to a different direction.

If you want "the rest of the story", click on the link and read the whole thing.  http://www.journey-into-photography.blogspot.com

The Big Dance...

Perhaps in a few short hours, the words - CHAMPIONS - can be added to this banner.

Angel...

Ship at dock...

Although this ship set sail long before the Golden Gate Bridge was built, you can just imagine that this scene could have been from yesteryear.  Take a look at http://www.magicallyinstant.blogspot.com to see the Polaroid version of this shot.    http://www.magicallyinstant.blogspot.com

Ready for a new season...

Go !

Shot 3 of 3 - The end.

Set...

Scene 2 of 3

Ready?

Scene 1 of 3

Your Majesty...

This statue of a pelican with a crown has some significance to the members of the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Also, a new posting at Magicially Instant http://www.magicallyinstant.blogspot.com

Old Boats...

These old boats that once served the Bay Area has a new role of educating people today.

By the way, if you want to compare this shot taken with a modern camera vs. old Instant Technology, go to the Magically Instant site at:   http://www.magicallyinstant.blogspot.com

Another Blog Site - MAGICALLY INSTANT

Welcome to a new site!  MAGICALLY INSTANT (http://www.magicallyinstant.blogspot.com)

The idea to do this comes from a renewed interest in Instant Photography.  

As you know, Instant Photography images are not perfect in terms of color accuracy, sharpness, etc... Instant images have a look that is all their own.

Since I now have a collection of instant cameras from Polaroid and Fuji, I plan on using them more and more.  

I've gotten more smiles and conversations from using these great old cameras. 

It's a piece of Americana... Yankee ingenuity

Steve Jobs even wrote that Edwin Land and Polaroid is one of the great inventions of all time.  Some have speculated that the original Apple logo with the rainbow colored Apple was done intentionally to honor Dr.Land

My desire is to share my images with you and to get them on the web so they will live on long after I am gone.

The image above is of my modified Polaroid 110a and shot with an Olympus OMD E-M5.  By the way, it's going to be the ONLY non-instant image posted here.

Your feedback, comments, complaints, critiques is important.

If you wish to receive updates to when this site is updated, please let me know.

I hope you'll enjoy this site and the future postings!

Just another shot...

Talk about being spoiled and getting dependent on technology.

A boring shot like this would take perhaps a second to shoot today.
As I get older, I find something very satisfying in having to do things myself.  The camera had NO automation.  No zoom or macro.  Fixed focal length.  Heck, not even any sort of light meter.  Used a handheld light meter to do several zone meter measurements.  Thought about what I wanted.  Figured out what aperture and shutter speed to use.  Had to take into account that I was stuck to just one film speed (ISO), physically cock the shutter, stand and breath correctly, squeeze the shutter release, pull out the film, wait and ta-da.... result.

Instead of 1 or 2 seconds.  5 minutes.... and it feels sooooo good!

Protected by above...

This band of light seem to have been following this woman.  Perhaps a bit of divine intervention or security??

Time to say goodbye...

As the Exploratorium moves to it's new home, the expression of sadness on one of the two original statues that stood inside the museum seems a fitting way to say goodbye.

The Last Image...

All through our lives, we witness and experience things where we know it's the last time.  Being somewhere, being with someone, etc... those memories are recorded in our minds and rarely is it captured on film.

Upon my departure on the Exploratorium's last day at the Palace of Fine Arts, I turned 180 degress when I approached the extrance (that's an entrance and exit) way.

Thought about everything that happened to me during my time there.

Got teary eyed, raised my camera, took this final shot, said Thank You under my breath and walked away.

Wow...

Higher Dad.... Higher...

This little one wanted to see the top of the vortex that was being created in the chamber.

Favorite Old Spot...

Everyone has a special place.   Most of us probably have many "favorite old spots".  A special table, a place to go, a secret fishing hole, etc... This is one of mine. I use to just hang over this rail at the mezzanine level to be able to see most of the museum floor.  The paint has started to wear down after 30 years.... including this author.

A World of Wonder...

Frank's dream was to create a place where people will have fun and will hopefully leave with a better understanding of the world around them.  Watching these kids, some of them were not only fascinated but wanted to know what and why.  The basis of learning.  Frank would have been proud.

Light Painting...

A skylight on the top of the building and a parabolic mirror focuses the white light towards a series of reflectors and prisms.  From there, the light waves are directed towards a sheet of nearly transparent plexiglass to create this image which changes freqently as the light in the sky changes.... looks like once an "Explainer", always an Explainer.

Explainers...

At the Exploratorium, orange vested people (Explainers) roam about helping visitors and answering questions.  A new exhibit is being tried and this Explainer is showing a staff member how this exhibit is going to work and how the Explainers were to.... explain it.  Don't know what science or human perception theory was being taught with this.

Frank J Oppenheimer

The creator of The Exploratorium, the 1st Hands On Science and Human Perception Museum.

Soft spoken but will seriously debate you over science was a kind and wonderful man.

He believed in having high school and college students (not necessarily science majors or even having an interest in science) to come in, get trained in various science and human perception topics and then turn them loose and "Explain", demonstrate and encourage the visitors to play with the exhibits.

He believed that science should be easily understood by the masses but has never been properly presented or taught.  That science and human perception is interesting, fun and important.

Frank has long since passed on but his legacy has touched thousands of former employee's - "Explainers"

By the way, Frank was not only an educator but was a world renowned physicist and is considered the  "Uncle of the Atomic Bomb".  You see, his older brother was Robert J Oppenheimer.

My final memory of Frank was seeing him walking his Black Labrador in on hand and a walking cane in the other as he observed everything around him.

Parting is such sweet sorrow...

After 43 years, the Exploratorium is temporarily closing to move to their new home at Piers 15/17 on the waterfront.

What makes it so sad is that 33 years ago, a shy and awkard kid got his first job there. Meeting Frank Oppenheimer was a thrill and working for perhaps the best boss ever, Darlene, is more than any kid can hope for as their 1st real paying job.  Friends made and seeing old friends was touching.  To see it move away is emotional.

Take time and pay them a visit at their new home in April.  You be surprised how much fun and how much science you will learn.

I'm Waiting...

Birds are smart !!!

Mothers and Daughters

Sitting in my car, this pair walked by.  The little girl wanted to be in her mom's arms.  She picked up the girl and walked on.  They weren't looking at anything in particular.  Just the looks on their faces - a look of contentment and happiness can make your day.

A Hair Tale...

There's a TV Commercial for the US Postal Service - "...all this stuff to make coffee".  That thought came to my mind when I saw all this stuff on my hairdresser's work table.  Just thought the colors and shapes were interesting.

A Touch of Sinatra...

The hat, a man's wrist watch and bracelet.  Just seems to work well with her.

Frosty's Going Fishin'...

You too...

Work with steaming crabs long enough and you too can have a bright orange thumb.

Special...

This beats any high tech do dad that I could have received or bought.  It falls in line with my thing about simple pleasures.  Easily tops one of most thoughtful presents ever !

Merry Christmas...

Serious...

Simple, right to the point and looks damn serious.  Book covers no longer has the sense of quality about them.  Today's books have the look of a billboard.  Granted - to stand out from the rest.... but just like album covers, a certain amount of care, craftsmanship, art and professionalism once was the name of the game.

Memory Lane...

The iconic yellow bag with the red letters.  Bring up Tower Records in a conversation and you hear stories about how a portion of their lives were spent in the stores.  There was a time where stores closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.  Tower was always open and typically were jammed pack.  It was a place to take a date when you were just killing time together.  It was a place of wonder, excitement, adventures, etc...  It was more than just a store - 234 stores in 9 countries and millions of people experienced it.

Vapor...

Books and a Rant...

Technology is wonderful.  A whole world of knowledge is available at your fingertips.
Hell, I love the amazing things technology can do.

However, there's nothing more satsifying than getting information from a book.

We have too many people caught up in the technological gee-wiz and are quickly becoming slaves and idiots to machines.  Anyone remember how to use a card catalog in a library?

For the younger viewers.... a card catalog is like a search function on the web.  It's used to find information in a library.  A library is a building that housed books and other....

Do yourself and your kids a favor.  Take that stupid electronic device away from them once in a while and teach them to use their brain.  You can teach a Monkey or Pavlov's Dog how to interact with a machine.  Being good at using a machine is NO indication of inteligence.

If you want to be seen...

You certainly aren't going to miss seeing him on a bike.  I would give him the nickname Starbucks.

Always discovering...

A bit different posting tonight.  

Earlier in the week, a friend asked me to take a few shots for him.  Not the shots below.  One beautiful thing about doing something that you have interest or love is that you will push yourself to learn, discover or re-learn things related to your interest.

Smaller sensor camera tend to have the inability to produce wonderful bokeh (shallow depth of field).

Thus, I wanted to try some stuff and here's the results.  

 Shot with the Polaroid 110a.  Wanted to see how it would handle depth of field.  Verdict... OK.  It's a Polaroid.  At least a rangefinder Polaroid.

Shot with the Nikon D3S and a 50mm 1.4G.
Verdict - much better.  Full frame sensor.  Still the best "Swiss Army Knife" when it comes to cameras.  As long as your body can handle it.

Shot with the Olympus OMD and 20mm (40mm equiv) f/1.7
Verdict - not much bokeh here.  It's a small wide angle lens.  Crisp, clean and nice but not much on the subject isolation.

Shot with the Olympus OMD and 45mm f/1.8
Verdict - much better, no wonder this lens is good

Shot with the Olympus OMD and 75mm f/1.8
Verdict - I love this lens !!

So... what did I learn?
The bigger sensor does make a difference when it comes to getting a bokeh and shallow depth of field.

Zoom lenses are wonderful - no wonder the favorite portrait lenses are typically long focal ranges (85mm+)

Make up any lack of shallow depth of field with focal range OR just shoot with larger sensor cameras.  Nikon, make me a pro body full frame DSLR with the 24 megapixel sensor, high ISO and 9fps.

End of discovery.

Happy Holidays...

Taking a break...

Just playing with the new lens from a distance.

STUPID !!!

It's cold, wet and tons of bad drivers on the road.  This moron, with his macho extended cab pickup, which was empty, put his dog in the bed.  This jerk get's the STUPID AWARD of the day !

I've got my eyes on you...