HDR Photography
I know I’ve said it before but probably my favorite thing about California is the coast, and probably the folks out on the beach on this particular day would agree with me. I don’t know that I’d have the fortitude to surf the chilly waters of the northern California coast but the surf does look sort of inviting in the late afternoon.
The libraries on UC Berkeley’s campus are truly a sight to behold (if you ever get the chance to check out the Gardner Stacks, do it; it’s a massive underground book repository and it is amazing, like the ruins in Skyrim or something) but perhaps none more than the Doe Memorial Library previously featured here and here. The scale is truly amazing. You can compare it to the people sitting around the steps for a sense of scale, but this is massive and it feels twice as big on the inside.
The hills that rise above Berkeley and the east bay are home to some of the most spectacular vistas — when the weather is nice. On this particular day we were just lucky enough to get a patch of blue sky peaking through the bleak grey clouds, which was enough to completely light up the east bay while leaving the gloom looming over the city.
Berkeley is a strange and wonderful place full of odd things in the least expected places. For instance check out this mural by Beth Emmerich, far up in the Berkeley Hills away from prying eyes. It’s actually kind of an experience, and it wraps around on all three sides of this car port. She’s also got photos (not taken by me) of other samples of her murals and other art on her website, if you’re interested.
Berkeley is host to all manner of landscaping choices, and on this particular day I found a block or so which was completely dominated by an eastern aesthetic. I found the contrast of the jade with the untreated wood, as well as the lack of parallel lines, especially interesting. The effect was completed by the backdrop of Japanese maples and bamboo.
A magnification of the jade detail in the center.
On a recent stroll through the hills east of Berkeley I came upon this house I had seen many times before but never really seen, you know? At first glance it looks like a perfectly reasonable home there’s something about the degree to which the landscaping in the foreground engulfs the home and the juxtaposition of this with the palm tree in the background that I really find fascinating. It looks like the kind of house that would be the setting for some sort of fantasy novel where a normal kid ends up going on some sort of magical adventure.
While not the most attractive rose garden in the world, there is something attractive about Berkeley Rose Garden’s terraces, which office a nice backdrop for the attached tennis courts and are good for a nice relaxing afternoon on a sunny day if you want to get out of downtown, but not necessarily out of Berkeley. Being situated up in the hills it is surprisingly quiet and I was able to get surprisingly unobstructed views of the rows of plants.
The fire trails up in the Berkeley hills are notable for the views they reveal at the top, the payout for climbing the hills on foot, but on the way to top you can find some fairly interesting nature-filled set pieces like this shady water way.
I was amazed when I first saw the public fishing pier down at the Berkeley marina as it seems to go on forever. It really is astounding how far out into the bay it extends, even as you walk down there. It’s also always packed with people of all skill levels attempting to get something to bite.
Days like these remind me of home, and that anywhere there’s water and a breeze you’ll attract a virtual navy of small sail craft on any remotely nice day.
While down at the marina recently I caught a glimpse of this guy, who had apparently found something interesting or perhaps tasty and was taking it somewhere a bit more private to enjoy. I was actually surprised at how well I could capture that moment just before lift-off, the intricate dance that birds do before they take to the skies.
North Berkeley has some of the most picturesque homes in all of Berkeley, like this one perched above one of the many creeks criss-crossing Berkeley. Like this one they are rarely as fancy or as large as the homes you find up in the hills but somehow they seem more like they’re actually someone’s home.
I was out on some of the nice walking trails in the hills about Berkeley when I came across this stand of shrubs full of song birds. I caught this one climbing all over this plant, as well as hanging upside down from the stalks. I was able to approach surprisingly close before our friend got spooked and flew off but in the mean-time I was able to grab a few choice shots.
Here‘s that same sculpture shot from down below near the actual entrance to the engineering library, in the depths below Bechtel hall.
Decaseconds 