Switchfoot Bro-Am 2010
June 29, 2010
This past weekend Bryan and I went to the Switchfoot Bro-Am. We first went to to this event four years ago but haven’t been able to come back until this year. The Bro-Am takes place in Encintas, the home town of the band Switchfoot, at Moonlight Beach. We got there around 7:30am during the start of the surf competition. As with most mornings at the beach it was very overcast and cold during the first few hours we were there. We watched multiple teams compete in heats. Teams included Hurley, Jedidiah, Billabong and other surf related retailers. The main heat between the guys of Switchfoot and the editors of Surfrider magazine was by far the most popular. While Bryan took a lot of photos of the other teams I grabbed the camera to shoot some closeups of the band getting ready for their heat. While all the press gathered around the Switchfoot guys I couldn’t help feeling like paparazzi. Although we didn’t stay for the whole event this year there was still lots to see. There are many vendors on the beach selling food, band memorabilia and giving out free samples. The best part is that there is a concert that goes on most of the day which includes many different artists with Switchfoot being the main performer at the end of the day.
Besides the fact that this event is put on for the local charity Standup For Kids, this is a family event for the guys of Switchfoot. I saw the whole Switchfoot clan gathered around cheering for the guys, from wives to kids to grandparents and local friends. It just shows how down to earth these guys are and that they have never forgotten where they came from, after all Moonlight Beach is the place they grew up surfing at when they were kids.
Tim, Jon and Chad from Switchfoot
Rob Machado
Jon Foreman of Switchfoot
Chad Butler of Switchfoot
Moonlight Beach
IVHS Dog Walk 2010
June 1, 2010
Last weekend was the 9th Annual IVHS Dog Walk which took place at Bonelli Park in San Dimas. We have participated in this event on and off for the last five years but this year was really special for us because this was the first year we were officially dog owners. As with previous years we joined Team Natasha and began fundraising very early in the year so we would again be the top fundraising team of the event. Our team ended up being quite large with over 20 walkers and of course our team leader, Natasha was also celebrating her 4th birthday at the event. Our plan was to bring both of our dogs to the event however the weeks leading up to the walk proved that Maxx and Pearl could not possibly behave together when presented with the opportunity to meet so many new dogs. Although it saddened me we decided to leave Maxx behind and only take Pearl to the Dog Walk. Without Maxx around Pearl significantly relaxed and was mostly a good dog for the entire event with the exception of when she tried to fit The Wizard’s face in her mouth, but no dog is perfect.
Natasha's Team minus a few people
Natasha painting her own dog bowl
Bryan and Pearl
Ready. Set. Walk!
Natasha's Team
Pearl met another White Shepherd named Rose
Mark took this photo of Bryan, Pearl and I.
Aisha, The Wizard and Super Tramp
Puppies should no be allowed to be this cute
Yes, someone actually did this to their dog
Birthday cupcakes
Party favors made by Sarah
Pearl enjoying her cupcake
Yet another group shot, it was the end of the day and we could not coordinate anymore. This was shot by the IVHS photographer with our Mark II.
Julian, California
May 10, 2010
About a week ago we visited the splendid little town of Julian. If you remember from our blog on Anza-Borrego we drove through Julian accidentally a few weeks ago. This time my friend Sarah and I planned a trip to Smith Ranch to take the Julian Train and Gold Mining Tour. Sarah brought along her husband and her two daughters and Bryan joined us as well. We met up in Escondido and we rode in their minivan along the 78 to get to Julian. The 78 is very much like a mountain rode, very windy and vomit inducing, especially in the third row of a minivan. Finding the actual ranch was a slightly confusing since there are no real signs. We drove down a tiny rode and found the distinguishing landmark that the website said it was near, the Mormon church. The ranch entrance was right off the parking lot. We had arrived early so we decided to go back into town and get some coffee and pancakes of course. After our quick breakfast we drove back down to the ranch which was lush and green on this beautiful spring day. We were greeted by an over sized yellow Lab named Honey Dog. Our tour guides were a couple dressed in what can only be described as pioneer clothing named Mr. and Mrs. Smith. They led us to a small mining train which was being pulled by an electric mule. We were lucky enough to only have two other families join us on the tour so I group was pretty small. This tour is generally geared toward kids but nevertheless I was super excited to ride around on a train. On our way around the ranch we stopped at various spots while Mr. Smith explained the history of the area.
OC Pet Expo 2010
April 19, 2010
This past weekend Bryan and I attended the OC Pet Expo at the fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. This was the first year we have gone to this event since this is the first year we are officially dog owners. About ten years ago my dad and I went to a similar event at the LA County fairgrounds and we left the event with tons of free stuff for our cats. We didn’t pay for a thing except admission, I thought this event would be similar. The admission to the expo is $12 per person, this is insanely high but I was willing to pay it as long as I got a plethora of free samples. Well the free samples were few and far between, we ended up paying for a majority of the “free samples” that were being offered. We started out in the dog buildings and were almost instantly drawn into the Alaskan Malamute rescue booth. Since we have our own Malamute mutt at home I had to drop a donation to them because Mals are just so darn cute. Along with the many doggy related vendors that lined the building each breed of dog had their own booth. Breeds such as Dachshunds, Bulldogs, Mastiffs, German Shepherds, Newfoundlands and breeds that I had never even heard of were on display. One breed that Bryan and I particularly fell in love with was the Anatolian Shepherd. The dogs that they had at their booth were very large and were the color of sheep, they had the sweetest faces. This is definitely a breed I will look into if we ever adopt again.
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
April 13, 2010
After reading online about the incredible wildflower bloomage that takes place at Anza-Borrego Desert Park every year around April I knew we had to check it out. We decided to go this past Saturday for a sunrise shoot. Anza-Borrego is about two and a half hours away from our house so in order to get there at 6:20am for the sunrise we had to leave at 3:30am. I can assure you, this is the earliest I have ever left my house to take pictures, I felt like a real dedicated photographer. Google Maps told us to take the 15 freeway to the 79 and to continue on the 79 until we reached San Felipe Road and make a few turns after that. If you are not familiar with the 79 you really don’t want to be as it is a one lane highway with zero street lights. Of course we were trying to beat the sunrise so it was pitch black on this windy little highway. We drove most of the way with our high beams on wondering to ourselves if we would actually ever see the turn off for San Felipe Road. We continued driving, we passed through a quaint little touristy town called Julian and ended up next to a lake called Lake Cuyamaca. The sun was just starting to come over the horizon so we stopped by this little lake and took a picture. We then continued on, but the sun was rising fast, we decided to turn into a camp site and see where we were at. Since Google Maps had obviously led us astray we punched the address into our GPS. We ended up being several miles off course, in fact we had to drive back the other way so we could get on the 78, which was not shown on our Google directions. As we drove back we stopped again at a place called Vista Point which overlooked the valley below. On top of the hill there were three large crosses which looked totally epic in the golden morning light. We finally started heading back so we can get to Anza-Borrego and we finally got there around 7:30am. That’s right, it took FOUR hours to get there. We ended up at the visitor’s center and stayed for about half an hour taking pictures of various flowers and cacti. You would think after that long drive we would have wanted to stay awhile but unfortunately due to park rules prohibiting dogs from going on any of the trails we had to leave our dogs at home. We knew we could not leave them all day in the house so after that initial thirty minutes of photographing we headed right back home. We didn’t get to see a lot of the wildflowers that were advertised on the parks website, but just as we are dedicated enough to wake up at the crack of dawn and drive for hours to take a few photos, we are even more dedicated to our dogs. On our way back we got to see how beautiful the scenery was off the 79, we even pulled over to take a few pictures. When we got home we were exhausted from all the driving but at least we have some great pictures to show for it.
To see more photos from our trip to Anza-Borrego check out our GALLERY.
Lake Cuyamaca put through Photomatix and made into an HDR
View from Vista Point also made into an HDR
Cross on top of the hill at Vista Point
Barrel Cactus in HDR
- These yellow flowers were everywhere
- More Cactus
I love shooting at F4
Blooming Cactus
Yes I was trying to be the tree
Bryan and I at the Visitor's Center
I loved this barbed wire
Wildflowers off the 79
Heading for home
Dirt Devil 5K & 10K Race 2
March 28, 2010
YOUR PHOTOS ARE HERE!!!!
Check out your photos HERE IN OUR ZENFOLIO GALLERY.
To purchase photos just mouse over your photo and click on ADD TO CART in the top left corner and choose what size you would like your print. You also have the option to crop your photo, frame it or get it mounted on foam core.
You can also purchase the high-res digital file of your photos by going to the DOWNLOADS link after adding your photos to your shopping cart.
Thanks for participating in the race and thanks for shopping at Shez Photo!
Dirt Devil 5K 1-31-2010
January 31, 2010
YOUR PHOTOS ARE HERE!!!!
You can check out your race photos here in our new Zenfolio Gallery.
To find your pictures you can click on the SEARCH link and type in either your name or bib number (ex: Bib 156). Then click the PHOTOS tab to see all your photos in the Dirt Devil 5K gallery.
If you can’t find your photos under your name or bib number please use the search term UNKNOWN BIB as there is a possibilty your bib was not clearly visible.
To purchase photos just mouse over your photo and click on ADD TO CART in the top left corner and choose what size you would like your print. You also have the option to crop your photo, frame it or get it mounted on foam core.
Thanks for participating in the race and thanks for shopping at Shez Photo!
Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival 2009
October 18, 2009
We just got back from the Pumpkin Festival at Cal Poly Pomona. I normally do a longer post about this event but since it never really changes from year to year I will just post the photos we took. Check them out below.
Zion National Park
October 15, 2009
We recently got back from our five day, four night trip to Zion National Park. This was our first time visiting this amazing place so we made the most of our time there. The cheapest way to visit Zion is to camp so we packed our car full, and I mean it was really full, of all of our camp gear. Everything we could possibly need was stuffed into our little hatchback; tent, sleeping bags, clothes, a stove, propane, blankets, food, cameras, the kitchen sink. Okay not the last thing but we were pretty well prepared. We left Orange County at 6am, we stopped in Las Vegas for gas and Dunkin Donuts, because if you are leaving California you have to stop at a Dunkin Donuts while you are out of state. We ended up getting to Zion at 1pm mountain time which means we managed to get to Utah in six hours which included a one hour stop in Vegas. Not bad. We used the rest of our day to set up our camp site. We also discovered the excellent shuttle system that is provided by the park.
- Our whole house in a hatchback
- Our campsite
Because Zion can get really crowded the park does not allow cars to drive up in the canyon during March through October. They provide a free shuttle that starts at the Visitor’s Center and goes all the way up the canyon and stops at various trails and scenic spots along the way. The other shuttle also starts near the Visitor’s Center and goes through the little town of Springdale which is just outside the park. Mostly Springdale is full of gift shops filled with useless trinkets. There are a few restaurants, a gas station and other specialty shops. Just outside of the entrance into Zion is a little market where we bought firewood. We didn’t use our fire pit to cook but we did build a fire every night and roast marshmallows. We ended up using our little propane stove to cook our meals, which were mostly soup and foods that required us to add water. It was pretty high class. The temperatures in the canyon did dip down during the night to low 50’s to high 40’s but it was the high winds that were the worst. Other than being cold at night we also have an air mattress that looses air so in the morning we were pretty much laying on the ground. Good times.
- Plane contrails next to cliff
Tripod shot: Set the camera to Bulb, ISO 2000, F4, 30 seconds.
The weather in Zion was perfect during our whole trip. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the clouds were puffy when they were present. It made for absolutely stunning scenery. The mornings, however, were the worst part of the day. Not only was it still freezing, and by freezing I mean in the 40’s because I’m from California and anything below 70 degrees is freezing, the winds had not died down yet so doing anything was nearly impossible. We could hardly boil water to make coffee or open bags of cereal because our fingers were too cold to have any sort of dexterity. I couldn’t wait to start hiking so I could warm up.
The Virgin River
For our first full day at Zion we decided to go to the Emerald Pools trails. We hopped on the park shuttle and made our way up the canyon. We stopped at the Zion Lodge which is where the Emerald Pools trails start. When we got off we saw a bunch of wild turkeys hanging out by the lodge. I proceeded to do a photo op with them and tell them how delicious they looked. I’m sure that’s the kind of compliment you give a turkey. We then made our way to the trail head just across a bridge that overlooked the Virgin River. As we hiked up the trail we made our first stop at the Middle Emerald Pools. They are called the Emerald Pools because of the amount of algae that grows in them. We then hiked up some more to get to the lower pools. That’s right you hike up to go lower, I’m not sure exactly how that works but it does. We ended up at a small waterfall which had a walkway just behind it. We stopped just after the waterfall for a snack and then headed back the way we came from to go to the Upper Emerald Pools. The trail for the upper pools was much steeper, full of rocks, narrow at points with drop offs. More good times. We took many breaks, mostly because of me but also because the trail was pretty crowded. After arriving at the pool we rested a little longer. The pool was in a nice shady area and the breeze felt really nice after the sunny ascent. After a while it was time to go back which was much harder for me. I’m really good at climbing but I’m horrible at descending. Bryan had to help me a lot by holding my hand and guiding me down. When we finally got down the trail it was time for lunch so we walked across the street to the lodge and ate at the Red Rock Grill. I find food is even tastier after you just hiked 2+ miles. Bryan decided after witnessing how difficult it was for me to hike down a trail that I should get trekking poles to help me with my balance. So after lunch we took the shuttle back down the canyon and got on the other shuttle into Springdale. We found an outdoor sporting store and found some really great carbon fiber trekking poles. They were a bit pricey but totally worth it as they were light weight and easy to carry. We decided to use the rest of our day visiting the famous tunnel. There are actually two tunnels on the Zion-Mount Carmel Highway but the largest is the 1.1 mile tunnel which was completed in 1930. It is one lane in each direction, has no lights but does feature a “gallery” which is just a large opening that looks out to the rocks. It is so narrow inside the tunnel that most of the time, due to RV’s and tour buses, they will stop one direction of traffic so a few cars can go on one side and vice-versa. After passing through the tunnels we stopped at Checkerboard Mesa Overlook and took a few shots before turning around and driving back to the campsite.
- Emerald Pools Trail
- Waterfall from the Emerald Pools
- Zion-Mount Carmel Highway Tunnel
The next day we started out another freezing morning by taking the shuttle all the way to the end of the scenic drive. The stop was called the Temple of Sinawava and the trail was called the Riverside Walk. The trail was two miles round trip, it was completely paved and it paralleled the Virgin River. At the end of this trail the river continues up the canyon. There is a very challenging hike that goes up the river to a place called The Narrows which is one of the most frequently photographed places in Zion. You have to get back country permits to do this hike and they recommend you do it as a day hike. I hope to one day come back and do that hike so I can get a look at The Narrows. Even if you don’t do the full hike you can still walk up the river and we wanted to try it too. We weren’t prepared at that time but we vowed to buy some water shoes and return the next day. Since the Riverside Walk was fairly short we decided to take the shuttle down the canyon and stop at all of the shorter trails. The first we stopped at was Weeping Rock which is a half mile round trip hike up a paved walkway to a rock that drips water. The most fascinating thing about this rock is that it takes 1200 years for the water to drip down to where we could see it from the point where it lands on the top of the rocks. Our next stop on our trip down was to the Court of the Patriarchs which is an overlook to three huge cliffs that stand side by side. The Patriarchs are named Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Our final stop was to the Zion Human History Museum where we watched a short film about the history of Zion and the Mormon settlers who lived there. There is also a photo spot right behind the museum that features three distinct rock formations. One is the West Temple which is the tallest peak in Zion and another is rust stained and called the Alter of Sacrifice which is pretty much the most awesome name for a rock. After lunch we walked from our camp site to a trail called Watchman. This trail is considered moderately difficult but for me it was pretty strenuous. It’s a very steep, rocky trail which seems to go on forever but it has a great view of the park from the top. I can say I had a lot more fun going down the trail than going up, it was also a lot easier thanks to my shiny new trekking poles.
Court of the Patriarchs
- The Altar of Sacrifice
- At the top of Watchman trail
- View from the top of Watchman trail
On our final day we took our car out and drove to the other side of the tunnel. Our plan was to go on the Canyon Overlook trail but unfortunately the parking situation made it impossible. We instead drove to a neat sandstone formation off the road. This was probably one of my favorite things to photograph since I love texture and lines. We got back in our car and drove back towards the Canyon Overlook trail, luckily we found a place to park this time. This trail was also steep and rocky with a few drop offs (I think this is a theme of all the trails) but I found it easier than the Watchman trail and of course it had an spectacular view of the canyon at the end. After lunch we decided to end our Zion trip with a walk up the Virgin River as we had vowed the day before. We purchased some cheap water shoes from the market and off we went down the Riverside Walk to the rocky shore of the river. Hiking in the river was difficult to say the least. The water was freezing, I know I use that word a lot but when I stepped in the water it hurt, it was that cold. There were a lot of smooth rocks in the river which made it hard to balance on top of the fact that we were walking upstream. I saw Bryan having a hard time and since he was holding our Mark II whilst in knee deep water I handed him one of my trekking poles. We made it about a quarter mile up before we decided to turn around. Apparently just a few feet up from where we turned around the river got very steep and I wasn’t about to get all waste deep in that icy water. We went back to camp and Bryan built our last fire and we toasted our trip with multiple servings of s’mores. While sitting next to the fire a family of deer happened by our campsite, we sat and watched quietly as the mothers and babies grazed. It was a perfect ending to an even more prefect trip. Yes, it was perfect, even though it was cold in the mornings, windy at night, there were no showers and a squirrel ate our trash. It took us a lot longer to get home then going out there, we traveled a total of 878 miles, but it was absolutely worth it to get to visit such a perfect place.
Red rocks behind our red car
Sandstone mountain
Look at that sky!
- I love lines
View from the top of the Canyon Overlook trail
- I made it to the top!
Trekking up the Virgin River
MCAS Miramar Air Show 2009
October 7, 2009
Bryan and the ginormous lens (400mm F2.8L)
Bryan and an F16
AT-6 Texan
War Dog AT-6 Texan
Oracle Challenger
Oracle Challenger
Canadian Snowbirds
Canadian Snowbirds
Canadian Snowbirds
US Army Golden Knight
F18's
Harrier
Super Stallions CH-53
Heritage Flight F-16 Fighting Falcon & P-51 Mustang
Red Bull Russian MiG 17F