A 3-hour tour?

No, it's not the wreck of the SS Minnow. This is a 1970 photo of the SS Catala, an equally ill-fated ship that, after a long life as a steamship, served as a floating hotel in Seattle, a floating restaurant in California, and finally again a floating hotel ("boatel") near Ocean Shores, Washington. This was her last port of call, as a freak 1965 storm grounded her and the ship's carcass was largely swallowed up by the sands. Recently some of her metal has been emerging from the sand along with -- less romantically -- some reamining oil. Scan from a recently rediscovered slide, retouched in Photoshop.

Sunrise on the Isthmus

Sunrise over mirror-calm Capitol Lake and Puget Sound, Olympia USA.

Classic Lines

Walking along the Portland, OR, waterfront recently I ran across a classic boat show. Beautifully restored speedboats and cruisers lined the docks, looking like they'd just been launched yesterday with their gleaming chrome and perfect woodwork. Pinstripes like those in this picture seemed to be a common design element of the period, and I had fun shooting this picture and others including this. Groovy, no?

A tiny beach mystery

It was a cloudy day on the Washington coast, the breeze blowing the sound of the waves up the wide expanse of beach. Past the part of the beach that you can drive cars on(!) it was relatively quiet between the surf and the red cliffs. Lost in conversation or my own thoughts, I never would have noticed this unusual scene if my companion hadn't pointed it out. A single ladybug (ladybird, if you wish), was slowly walking along the sand. If you look closely, you can even see the trail it's leaving behind it. What brought it there? Was it in love with a sea turtle? Did it need a break from the rat-race of chasing aphids in the garden? It didn't say.

reluctance vs. determination

A little experiment with Photoshop focus blurring. I went to the county fair over the weekend, a place awash with kids and critters and great for photographers. Some of my favorites are the photos I took (and which I'll post soon) of the bird show put on by a raptor rescue and rehabilitation center. The llamas were also great, awash in sunlight and, in this case, being coaxed onto a stand by a young handler. The background of the shot was busy and distracting, however, so I did some experimentation with layers and focus/blurring to come up with this dreamy image.

Seasonally ambiguous

Ski lifts? Thick fog? Could this dark atmosphere really be what July looks like? It was, on a recent hike in the Cascade Mountains. The mystery of season seems enhanced by the lonely chairlift, creating an otherworldly season that's not winter, but not really summer either.

Carnival Love

I'm not much for the cotton candy and garlic fries, but I love the people watching that carnivals, fairs, and festivals provide. Got down to Olympia's annual Lakefair last night, and had a great time. So did this guy, apparently.

iPhone, here I come...

I love technology, but I'm not an early adapter. And while I love Apple stuff, I have neither an iPod nor an iPhone. Yeah, I'm a walking, photo-taking contradiction. But those of you who do have an iPhone or an iPod Touch may find some of my photos showing up in your pocket. Not only are some of my photos being used by the Washington State Tourism folks, others have recently been added to Schmap Portland Guide -- tailored for iThings as well as ordinary old computers. Among them are the two images above -- one of the Sassparilla Jug Band performing at the Portland (Oregon) Farmers Market, one of the Portland Cello Project performing at at Portland's Mission Theater. Click on the image for more of my pics from Portland.

Summer Nights

Took a stroll about an hour after sunset along Olympia's Percival Landing, and the calm waters and waning light over the Olympics were simply enticing. A reminder that the night is a great time for photography.

On the march...

A macro shot of the residents in my wormbin. Interesting photographs are where you find them!

Happy Independence Day!

Lakefair fireworks over Capitol Lake and the state capitol dome, July 2007.

A gift...

As if the early morning light wasn't gift enough, just as I was framing up this picture, some tiny insect made a tiny splash on the mirror-perfect surface of the lake, and I caught the concentric circles. All that, and there's no wrapping paper to throw away...

Runes

Runes? Hieroglyphs? The shadows cast by an ancient tree aligned with the summer solstice? Naw... just some fascinating early-morning shadows on the steps of the magnificent state capitol building in Olympia, Washington.

Iron Constellation

During the recent Fremont Fair in Seattle, pedestrians had the rare chance to take over the Fremont bridge, a wonderful piece of ironwork with great photographic interest. The Fremont Bridge was opened on Friday June 15, 1917 at a cost of $410,000. The first of four city bascules to cross the Lake Washington Ship Canal, the Fremont Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 and is also a designated city landmark.

One of my favorite comments about this photo is: "Like an iron map of constellations, with two flying saucers."

Sometimes the world strikes a pose

I was walking along looking at the sunrise and other things this morning, when I saw these three crows. When one of them stuck out a wing, I knew I had an interesting photo! Seems like he's giving directions to the others. "Really, I saw a gigantic juicy roadkill right over there! With a spilled container of french fries right next to it!"