fstopandsee

The old Cadillac was very cool, but I wanted to focus on just the hood ornament. Going for a macro shot meant I could really make it look like she was flying.

The First Family of California really knows how to decorate for the holidays!

In my opinion palm trees look just as festive with lights as a Christmas tree does!

The Space Shuttle Endeavour makes one more pass, this time over the California Capitol.

This morning’s final flight of the Space Shuttle Endeavour included this Sacramento flyover. The impressive crowd came prepared with cameras and binoculars. The Endeavour has now landed in Los Angeles, home to the California Science Center which will soon be the shuttle’s permanent home.

Even in the city of trees, it is rare to find one that has been standing for 126 years. Sadly this one is sick and needs to come down. If any Sacramento tree fans want to see it one more time be sure to swing by 18th and Capitol before Aug. 22nd.

There is nothing more American than watching fireworks after a baseball game. This is exactly what I did last night in celebration of Independence Day!

This…is the super moon. Tonight the moon reached perigee, the closest it will be in its orbit to the earth all year. It appeared 14 percent larger than any other moon of the year and dwarfed the traffic on the highway. Enjoy!

A friend asked me to check out his 8-16mm lens and see what I could do with it, claiming I was some type of “wide-angle expert.” I decided to try shooting Sacramento’s Tower Bridge. In a perfect world, there would be a safe place in the middle to stand, but there is not, so I settled for the sidewalk. I learned a couple things. First, 8mm versus 10mm isn’t as much of a difference as I thought. Second, I shouldn’t be so lazy and need to bring my tripod next time.

In addition to experimenting with 8mm, I took the opportunity to try out DNG files. I’m not sure I’m sold on the benefits yet, but the space saving is going to come in handy pretty soon!

I saw a massive moon rising over the highway on my way home recently. Of course, I didn’t have my camera with me. By the time I got back to this spot, the moon had risen further and become smaller in the sky. The sun continued to set behind me, so the sky did become more colorful. Overall I like the lights of the traffic, the sky, and of course the way the moon turned out!