Here’s a shot I took a while back of one of the Bay Area’s most infamous landmarks. It was sort of a gray, hazy day but with a little judicious tweaking I feel like the island really pops.
Tag: HDR
Eucalyptus Grove
This is another example of how Berkeley’s campus can fool you into thinking its not in an urban/suburban setting. The wooded groves on the banks of Strawberry creek are some of the most picturesque places on campus. This a Eucalyptus grove on the northwest side of campus with Strawberry creek in the foreground.
Bow to the Pylon
I spent last weekend in surreal Palm Desert, California at a particular horse show, but had some time to sneak away from the action and wander the desert. I found this enormous, concrete pylon surrounded by desiccated shrubs and was almost intimidated by the whole sight. I kept waiting for the apes to start fighting around it.
Pink flowers
While I’ve posted a few close up shots of flowers on the blog so far this is my first attempt at a multishot HDR shot of flowers. I’m really impressed with the results.
Back to the Hills
This is one of the earliest HDR images I ever took, and though I was still getting a few of the details worked out, I really loved the way that the reflection of the sun from the building’s windows was captured at sunset. The clouds and the soft forms of the hills make a nice contrast with the buildings of UC Berkeley.
Stephens Hall
With a few exceptions UC Berkeley has a very pretty campus architecturally. In particular I am a fan of the older buildings because, well, they just look so academic. Stephens Hall in particular looks like I imagine a building on an old university looks. On the south eastern side of the building, where this photo was shot, there is a particularly peaceful little grove with a creek running through it (which was previously featured). The effect is that you are removed from the hustle and bustle of the bay area.
Blue Pump
This old pump links to an old well, and when I was a child, my favorite part of coming to this forrest was getting a chance to work the huge handle and get our just a little bit to drink. This pump is a water fountain you have to seriously commit to. In the time I’ve known about it, this pump has been repeatedly repainted; most recently, it was a chipped and dull red. When I returned to it as an adult, it was new, bright blue.
Tunnel
Not all of Berkeley’s water ways are quite so picturesque as my previous post. I think this picture really captures the essence of Berkeley: a mixture of urban and natural elements. The contrast of the graffiti and cement tunnel with the overgrown ivy and the creek, just outside the Berkeley Faculty club, really sums this up.
Golden Gate Bunker
The Marin Headlands overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge are more than just a viewpoint to take great pictures of the Bridge. They’re also honeycombed with bunkers and gun batteries that once defended the West Coast. Long abandoned, these solid and imposing structures are now decorated with enormous amounts of graffiti. This small bunker is just the beginning of the incredible art at these batteries.
Leaning Trees
Today’s photograph comes from the same forrest preserve where I photographed the creek and frozen pond. The setting sun was eclipsed by the trees to my back such that only the branches far away from me picked up that lovely, golden hue. I really liked the way that contrasted with the dull trees and textured grass closer to me.
Puget Sound at Sunset
Another sunset shot of Puget Sound shot just south of Seattle looking west toward Vashon. I really liked the low cloud cover on the horizon with the blue skies. The only bummer for me is the power line. This photo looks like home for me.
House Face
Some buildings really have a face of their own. This image is from the northern part of Berkeley; I love how obviously the street is slanted. Still, the lobby looks quite warm and inviting (particularly on the night I took this image; the drizzle was a bit unpleasant.)
Wall of Steel
I’ve previously posted a handful of images from UC Berkeley’s student machine shop. (I even did a recent post for the Berkeley Science Review, where I talk a bit more about why I love this place.)
Today’s photograph is of the wall of that shop with its endless array of bits and blades for the plethora of machines that require them. Clicking through to view the full-sized image is particularly rewarding; each of those little strips of color is a label, put in place decades ago, describing the bit type and size, along with taped-up charts of conversion factors and tiny tutorials on how to use it all. Even a single drill bit is patterned with a mosaic of dents, dings, and damages that tell a story of the countless times it has been used; to see so many together, in one place, tells a story of generations of scientists working their damnedest to convince their experimental apparatuses to cooperate. More than plaques on a wall or papers in a file somewhere, this is the real testament to scientific achievement.
Two Bridges
One more shot of this iconic structure, I found this shot compelling because you can see not only the Golden Gate bridge but also its cousin, the Bay Bridge as well as the SF skyline in the background there. If the shot were only a bit wider you’d be able to see Alcatraz and you’d be close to fitting almost all of the Bay Area’s most famous landmarks in one shot.
Miniature Marin
Continuing the Marin Headlands bombardment, today’s photograph shows the northern approach to the Golden Gate Bridge with Angel Island in the background. This was also my first attempt at post-processing to simulate the use of a tilt-shift lens, which produces the illusion of a miniature reality. I think it works quite nicely here to give the bridge a feeling of being part of a model railroad set.
Decaseconds 