Tall ships in Old Sacramento

My head's still swimming with all the sunshine we've been having. The cold, crisp nights and bright sunny days have produced what, IMHO, has been the BEST fall color Sacramento's ever seen! At least in the 23 years I've lived here.

Last week I kidnapped Fred for a stop off at Old Sacramento's port to see if the old-school tall ships were still there. Making our way to the riverbank, we discovered the most beautiful scene right behind the railroad museum:
I wanted to grab any ol' couple and do an impromptu photo session. The sad thing is, this spot will not stay this way for long.

Meandering down the dock, we watched the train come into the station. The steam boiled over as the engine was refueled.
Sadly, the old sailing ship was nowhere to be seen. The docks were abuzz with visitors, and for once it was fun to linger in the ol' tourist trap. We continued across Capitol to the south of Tower Bridge. Lo and behold -- the old sailing ship was making its way back to port!


Though a rainstorm threatened, sun regularly broke through the grey and backlit the ship's sails. I realized what had to happen next, and soon a deafening horn warned vehicle and pedestrians to get off the bridge! (As you can see, the school-bus-yellow paint that everyone worried was too bright has indeed mellowed into the glint of a gold nugget.)

Even the old ziggurat building was in rare form.

Satisfied with our inspection of the Hawaiian Chieftain, Fred and I wandered back by the taffy store, blissfully happy about our afternoon date.

Sure beats reruns of Cheyenne.

It's all in the light...

Tonight a few photographer friends and I got together for a little experimentation with lighting. One of our PPSV members, Ruben Gonzalez, who recently earned his PPA Certification, led a session of advanced lighting techniques. I'll just call it, "Getting it right with video light."
The lovely Leah was our model. In this dramatic image, we lit the model through the slats of a bamboo tea tray to mimic a moonlit night through shutters. It was amazing to see what a beautiful result you can get with such modest set.
Nothing like a fun night playing around with light to refresh and invigorate the creative spirit. Thank you for your patience, Leah!


Puppy love

I'm not sure how it happened, but somehow I got the rep for being a dog-hater. Me! a hater!

This, just because I don't cuddle up in bed with a couple of hundred-pound canines. Under the covers. Pushing me off. On my pillow. Yech.

Now, don't get me wrong. I've walked my dogs (yes, plural) over the years. It's just that taking them with me sometimes causes more trouble when we confront other pups on their territory. I like my walks to be more serene. Quiet -- that's what I like.

I admit that when I come home and say hi to whomever is present, I don't usually notice that my Australian shepherd mix-mutt is desperate for my attention. To her credit, Freckles persists in tap-dancing before me, click-clacking on the Pergo, non-stop, until I have no choice but to show her the love.

Lately, I've indulged her a little more quickly than usual. Rubbing her ears, which, if she's just come in from outdoors, are frosty and need warming. Tempting her with nose-to-almost-nose contact... no licking! Scratching that place in the middle of her rump that's hard to reach.

She really is sweet. Never messes in the house. Always obeys. Even eats those barbecue chips Fred throws her way, even though it doesn't look like she likes them.

Heck, she's not so bad. And if I'd keep up my pet-owner responsibility of brushing her with the special $40 hair remover once in a while, I wouldn't even have that much to complain about. And it's good for my blood pressure.

But I draw the line at my bed. Sorry.


Jasmine Star comes to PPSV

She came, she shared, she conquered!

Jasmine Star may be relatively new to the photography business, but she certainly lives up to her name.

At last night's meeting of the Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley, Jasmine shared her philosophy and the secrets to her success--and challenged us to send her photos of her in action. As all I had was my Canon G9, and the house was packed, this video will have to do!


The house was packed with regulars and guests who follow her blog. I know I'll be stalking her from now on.

She was truly an inspiration the way she uses new media to connect with her clients. Hopefully just a couple of megawatts of her energy rubbed off on me!