Wink

Love it when she winks.

The view from up top

I had made a stop at the Ski Patrol station at the top of Chair 2 at Alpental for a back country pass and I came out to this view.  This was one of those moments again where I got to see just how big this area is and how small we are.  I spend a lot of time looking down fall lines or what objects are ahead of me.  Its always a treat when I get to stop and take in the full scenario.

More Pow

If the snow is going to keep falling, I'm going to keep riding (at least until the Summit of Snoqualmie stays open).  Can't remember how much snow fell, but it must've been at least 8".  When it snows that much, going in to work late becomes a real option.

Spring in Snoqualmie

Ahhh yes, Spring is in the air.  Flowers are blooming, grass is growing,  birds are chirping, and the snow is falling.  Wait.  What?  After months of barely any snow falling we're just now getting our winter?  In April?  I'll take what I can get I guess.  This is the first snowfall we've seen in the neighborhood.  We haven't even seen a dusting yet.  Better late than never I suppose.

City Tree

On my recent trip to San Francisco, one of the things I noticed was that there was a lot of old trees there.  It got me thinking about Seattle.  Were there old trees in Seattle?  Of course there are!

Next

I've been struggling to get pictures taken and not really having any ideas on what to shoot next.  I came across a group on flickr.com that has a word for each day of the year.  The word for this day was Next.

Craft

CraftIts amazing how many different beers exist out there.  I feel like I've been (re)exposed to the craft brew world.  Sure I enjoy a good ol' Rainier after a day on the mountain bike, but something about craft brews just makes me smile.

Easter pt. 2

I think I've asked this before, but when did my daughter get so big?  She's a little person now.





Don't forget, Easter isn't about brunches, its not about a mutant bunny that lays colored eggs.  Its about Jesus paying the ultimate price for your sins and mine.

Easter pt. 1

My favorite thing about a camera is that it has given me the opportunity to catch moments in my life that others may have missed.  There is so much that goes on in our lives that while we are enjoying one moment, we are missing another.

Green Chucks

Seriously, have you ever played basketball in Chuck Taylors?  I jumped down some stairs in these yesterday, I thought my feet were going to explode!

Fajitas

I wonder how long it will be until someone digitizes smells and we have scratch and sniff screens

Fat Tuesday

What do you get when the snow starts falling hard Sunday night through Monday night and a ski area that isn't open on Mondays?

Fat Tuesdays.



Bottom floor please - This was taken at the top of elevator.  So far one of my favorite runs at Snoqualmie Pass.

Redmond Ink

A moment caught in time while my daughter gets inked up.  She didn't even cry.

Rainy Day

Do you remember when the rain was fun?  When it meant that you got to put on your rain boots and go stomp in some puddles.  When it meant that you got to go build a dam in the creek and watch the water build up.  When you got to carry your own umbrella.  When it didn't mean an extra 30 minutes added onto your commute.

Freshies in March

One of the best feelings I know of is laying those first tracks in a field of of fresh snow.  You have to be in the right place at the right time to get first tracks.  Wake up late and stand further back in the liftline.  3 or 4 people just made first tracks while you took too long strapping in.  First tracks is a mission.  You have to work for it.  You have to want it.  And when you get it, it is worth it every time.

Struggles with 365

One of the hardest things about a 365 project is, obviously, taking a picture everyday.  I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about the days that I've missed so far.  Its my own project so I'm not losing any sleep over it.  I know I'm going to miss a day here and there, but I'm ok with that.  I just need to figure out how I'm going to make up for them.  Somedays, I'll take what I can get.  I think I shot this one pretty late in the day.

From Above

Somtimes all it takes is a different perspective to see how big the world is.

Murals

I think later this summer, I'm going to head into Seattle and take pictures of murals and grafiti.  By grafiti, I mean artiscticly done grafiti.  Tags are lame.  Real art is awesome.  The beauty of grafiti is that its likely going to be painted over by the building owner.  So you almost have to feel lucky to have seen something exist for a short time and to never be recreated again.  I don't know that the following were done by vandals or street artists.  Maybe one day they'll disappear.  At least these have been captured and recorded.




Oh, and how could not post a picture of that bridge you may have heard of at one time or another.

Golden Gate Park

Perhaps the Once-ler listened to the Lorax before cutting this tree down.



Another shot I have been after since picking up a camera.  Maybe one day I'll get my hands on a true macro lens.  For now, I'll be satisfied with close up shots.

What are you shooting?

One of the things that I've struggled with as a photographer is slowing down to really compose my shot and consider everything that is in the frame.  I tend to just focus only on what is just beyond the active AF point on my camera.  That's fine and dandy, but a lot of times its what's along the edges of the picture that can make or break a picture.  This was supposed to be a picture of the buildings.  I loved the way the light from the ground was lighting them up.  It gave it a bit of a surreal, castle-esque feel.  I didn't even see the moon in the frame when I took it.  I think I got lucky in this one though.  I actually am glad to see it was there.  Its what makes the picture for me and why it didn't end up deleted.

Virgin America

Now my favorite American brand airline.  Didn't have any of the lame "I hate my job and you" flight attendants you see on the other major airlines.  Its almost as if Xhibit got on his hands on the plane and Pimped my flight.

Chicken Satay

One of the little victories as a parent.  We finally figured out a "go to" choice at Thai restaurants. 

The Kids

Little does she know that this is going to be one of her chores in a few years.

The View From High Campbell

Sometimes I get so lost in trying to find the right fall line down the slope.  Making the best pow slash or finding the right jump.  But sometimes I remember to stop and take it all in.  This was one of those times.

Her first lift ticket

So thrilled to have her on skis this year.  Looking forward to days on the hill next year.

Return of the Wild Pony

Its really hard not to take this picture and to always want to post it.

Gerber Daisy

Sometimes my pictures aren't all stored together. Found this while I was digging through my cellphone.  This is one of the more exciting moments I've had as a father.  My daughter's first day on the shred.  I've been on the snow for 23 years now.  Getting on skis or a snowboard is one of those things I want pass along to my daughter.  The only reason she got on skis today is because the rental place didn't have snowboard stuff that small.  Doesn't make a difference.  She got on the snow and had a (mostly) good time.  We are definitely going to get her on the snow again.  Probably pick up a season rental next year for her.  Maybe she'll get big enough for a snowboard.  If not, I don't have a problem stepping into a pair of skis.  Whatever it takes to get her on the snow.



Original Post following:
Spring isn't all bad.  Sure allergies suck, but they make a pill for that.  It's hard to deny Spring its place when you have flowers like this.

Chuck T

Been on a shoe kick lately.  Maybe its because I've been trying to find a black pair of shoes for the past month or so.  I mean really.  What happened to me?  When did I get so picky about shoes?  I had a pair that I really liked, but within a week they were squeaking.  Since then I've bought and returned about 5 pairs of shoes.  Really?

Opinion on the seasons

For years Spring has been my least favorite season.  Most favorite is definitely Winter because of the snowboarding.  Summer was next just because its summer.  Fall was only better than Spring because it meant Winter was right around the corner.  Spring was always last for me.  It signalled the end of snow season and the start of allergy season.  No thank you very much.  However, this year seems a little different.  Not a whole lot of snow fall this year and now I have something to look forward to this Spring.  I've been looking for a non-snow activity to satisfy the mountain urges.  Wanted something to curb the adrenaline rush appetite.  I finally found that in mountain biking.

Now about those allergies...

Keys

Let's go drive 'till morning comes
Watch the sunrise to fill our souls up
-Dave Mattews Band, Crush

The Other Side

The beauty of being behind the camera is that you are always out of view.  You don't have to worry about your smile or if you had your eyes shut.  You just hide behind the viewfinder for the 'sake of art' or 'capturing the moment'.  Sometimes its because you don't want to be the center of attention or you would rather be behind the scenes.  Maybe you worry too much about how others perceive you so you don't want to give them a chance.

Hobbies

In this information age, its nice to look at something printed every now and then.  Its good to unplug from the internet and go analog.  Look at actual printed photos and read printed words instead of 1's and 0's on a computer screen.  Do you remember what its like to read a book?  I haven't read an actual book in almost a year and I didn't even finish the one I was reading.  I've become too accustomed to brain stimulation in short bursts that its hard to sit down and  focus my mind on something for an extended amount of time.  One of the magazines pictured above actually has articles with text that spans over 3 pages.  As I read it, it felt like the article was never going to end.

Maybe we just need to have a national unplug day.  A day where you unplug from the internet and media devices.  Reconnect with the analog world.

On a Hogsback

Riding Hogsback chair at Stevens Pass.  Bluebird day but it was firm out.  good day for the groomers.

Bindings

he moment you strap in is when it all fades away.  There's no commute, there's no meetings, there's no bills, there's no email.  No worries or stress.  Its just you and the snow beneath you.  The sounds of the wind rushing past covered ears.  The cold air against your skin.  The terrain hidden by layers of snowstorms past. 

This is my heaven.

Rocks

Shaped through a millenia of storms and weather.  Smoothed by the flow of water over its rough edges.  Plucked from the water's edge to find meaning and presentation forever captured in space and time.

Emergen(cy)

Photography (pronounced /fәˈtɒɡrәfi/) is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving pictures by recording radiation on a sensitive medium, such as a photographic film, or an electronic sensor. Light patterns reflected or emitted from objects activate a sensitive chemical or electronic sensor during a timed exposure, usually through a photographic lens in a device known as a camera that also stores the resulting information chemically or electronically.

Watching TV

Elliott watching TV from her "fort".  She just wanted to watch TV through the hole in the blanket that the dog chewed long ago.  Oh, I love her little button nose too.

Trees

Trees against the sky as we drove back home from the beach.  I didn't even realize they were in rows until I looked at this picture.

Sandy Hands

I love this picture because it shows how we do beaches in Washington.  Swim trunks and bikinis?  No way!  Its all about jeans, beanies, and rain coats on the Washington Coast.