LOOK SKYWARD

March 7, 2012 by Quang | Leave a comment

There’s a study that looked at people who wished for more time to enjoy the outdoors, spend time with friends/family, etc. but found once they got the extra hour or day off, they would just try to catch up on work instead.  Oh well, I still wish there were 8 days in a week (assuming I don’t have to work all 8).

Non-Daily Photo – Look Skyward

A good photo is one you need to take a second look at, whether that means taking a step closer towards the picture hanging in a gallery or merely maximizing it on a website.  If you’re quickly scrolling across multiple photos in a gallery, what is it about a photo that makes you stop, analyze, and think?  Sometimes all it takes is a shift in perspective, both literally and figuratively.  When you walk into a church, there are obvious attention grabbers:  the altar, the stained glass, the huge organ, etc.  I ask the next time you do so to take a different view.

 

 

Posted in cityscape, Louisianna, New Orleans, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR

SOMETHING BIG

March 6, 2012 by Quang | Leave a comment

Something big is coming in approximately three weeks.

Non-Daily Photo – On the Porch

New Orleans is a city with character, and much of that resides in the French Quarter.  Even for someone like me who has massive interference from New Orleans Square at Disneyland, I could still sense the unique style and atmosphere in this neighborhood.  It’s filled with historic buildings, fancy restaurants, and extravagant sights.  Where else can you find a sight like this in all of the US?

Posted in Louisianna, New Orleans, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR, street

I’M BACK!

March 1, 2012 by Quang | 2 Comments

I fail in my aspiration to deliver frequent blog entries, but fret not, I haven’t completely left this website wayside.  I’m currently doing a rotation in which I start at 1:00 pm which gives me some much needed rest and morning time.  As a result I present you my return to the photoblogosphere.

Non-Daily Photo – Overgrown

In December I went to New Orleans for a national pharmacy conference.  This picture was taken in the historic Garden District, an area populated by huge antebellum mansions and above-ground cemetaries (OK, just one of those).  As someone who gravitates towards landscapes anything from nature naturally catches my eye.  Therefore, before I even started looking at the houses I saw this overgrown tree root splitting up the sidewalk.

For all the construction humans do, sometimes nature takes a little bit back.

 

Posted in Louisianna, New Orleans, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR, panorama, street

HAPPY 2012!

January 9, 2012 by Quang | Leave a comment

Christmas and New Years have come and gone, so here’s to an awesome 2012.

Non-Daily Photo – Gumballs

As I mentioned before, Salt Lake City gets extremely festive around holidays with no better example than the Holiday season.  Most of those lights have been taken down since it is about two weeks removed from Christmas, but since I am behind in my photo processing here’s what the Gateway shopping center looked like about two weeks ago.

Most of the lights in downtown SLC are still up, including Main Street and the Gallivan Center.  Now, if I could only get myself to brave the 30 degree weather I’m sure I could end up with some nice shots.

Posted in cityscape, HDR, nightshot, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, Salt Lake City, Utah, winter

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

December 23, 2011 by Quang | Leave a comment

I wish you and your family a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season!

Non-Daily Photo – Christmas 2011

This is my current living room setup.  It’s a small space but we make the best of it, and our Christmas tree is awesome!

My living room may not be as wide as it is at home, but it works for me. =)

Merry Christmas to all!

Posted in California, Garden Grove, HDR, nightshot, Nikon D90, Salt Lake City, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Utah, winter

TEASER

December 19, 2011 by Quang | Leave a comment

Quick shoutout to Andrea and Govind who made the trip out to Salt Lake City to spend part of their holidays with us!  There’s nothing like having friends/family for the holidays.

Non-Daily Photo – Ornamental

I am going to make it an annual tradition to take a photo of our Christmas tree.  I’ll post that tomorrow, but here’s a quick teaser.

Posted in HDR, Nikon D90, Salt Lake City, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Utah, winter

WHERE IS MY SNOW?

December 13, 2011 by Quang | 1 Comment

Winter has been dreadful so far, but not in the sense you’re thinking of.  You would think someone from San Diego could appreciate the snowless streets of Salt Lake but I am dying for a good snowstorm.  It feels more like early fall than mid-December with Christmas two weeks away.  Salt Lake is also experiencing some throat-throttling inversion/smog, and the only cure is more snow.  (However, I am currently seeing some flakes outside as I blog – woot!)

In other news, I recently returned from New Orleans for ASHP Midyear (big pharmacy conference) with a bunch of pictures I’m currently processing now.  Expect those in the upcoming days.  Having three weeks of project time has allowed me to return to the basics – cook, gym, photography, blog.

Non-Daily Photo – Snow Branch

In lieu of a New Orleans photo, I submit this photo from Brighton in the hopes that it inspires mother nature to give me some good snowy days.

Posted in Big Cottonwood, landscape, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR, Utah, winter

WINTER LANDSCAPES

November 19, 2011 by Quang | Leave a comment

Three posts in three days must be a new record for me, but that’s what happens when I finally have a break from work.  A few days ago I bought a puffer jacket for some winter exploration and today was time to put it to good use.

Non-Daily Photo – Winter Blanket

It snowed heavily last night, but the roads were clear enough this morning for me to take a trip up to Big Cottonwood Canyon.  I originally wanted to go on the Lake Mary hike, but that was out of the question as soon as I stepped out of the car.  Without snowshoes and some decent snow pants, there was no way I could make the 2.4 mile hike.  The thing about Utah snow is that it’s crazy soft.  If you don’t stay on snow that has already been packed down by skis/snowshoes, your feet would immediately sink about 3 feet under the surface.  When I finished my Asics and jeans were completely soaked, but no pain no gain.

My goal today was to capture a quiet winter landscape, and there’s certainly a ton of potential in the Wasatch range.  The sunlight adds a nice touch to this photo and I love the muted colors which come with a winter scene.  Unfortunately I lacked the gear to do some proper exploration, but I have a feeling that will be remedied in the near future (i.e. as soon as my next trip to REI/Dicks Sporting Goods).  So hopefully here’s the first of many which capture the solitude of soft snowfall in the high Utah mountains.

 

Posted in Big Cottonwood, landscape, Nikon D90, no HDR, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8, Utah, winter

WEEKEND FORECAST

November 18, 2011 by Quang | Leave a comment

Kim tells me this has been an atypical Salt Lake City fall.  The weather is crisp, the trees are bare, the nights are cold, but there hasn’t been any snow for nearly two weeks.  Around this time last year I remember freezing my arms off walking around the Gateway mall.  The forecast predicts 2 inches of snow tonight/tomorrow, so here’s to a good photography trip.

Non-Daily Photo – Autumn Showers

I admire photographers who have a distinct style of shooting/editing.  I’ve been slowly trying to develop mine, but that comes with plenty and plenty of practice.

This is the lower part of Stewart Falls.  Since storm clouds were rolling in that day, I didn’t get the chance to explore the part of the falls where water splits into 20 different directions.  You can see that section in this picture at the very top behind where the waterfall begins to flow.

Posted in landscape, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR, Provo Canyon, Utah

LONG DAYS AND LONG NIGHTS

November 17, 2011 by Quang | 1 Comment

I am the definition of a night owl.  I came home at 6, slept for 6 hours, woke up, ate some ramen, and at 12:53 am it’s time to do some work.

Non-Daily Photo – Fern Gully

One of the most enjoyable challenges of hiking as a photographer is that the payoff isn’t always at the end.  There may be a scenic waterfall awaiting you at the culmination, but if you’re too focused on getting there you miss the little things along the way.  Like Ralph Waldo Emerson says, “Hiking is not a destination, but a journey.”

Coming back from Donut Falls I spotted this lone bush overlooking a river and composed it as a foreground object.  This picture is also a good lesson on the challenges of capturing a sky.  Because it is always 4-5 stops brighter than your foreground, it so often gets completely blown out photos.  This is one of the limits of a camera but it’s beginning to bother me less and less.

Since this blog covers all sorts of different things, I’m planning on making a gallery dedicated to landscape photography.  Things have finally calmed down a little bit during residency, and I’m actually looking forward to the next month or so.  Stay tuned!

 

Posted in Big Cottonwood, landscape, Nikkor 18-200mm VRII, Nikon D90, no HDR, Utah