Uploads from JaveFoto, tagged usa

Don Edwards Wildlife Refuge - San Jose, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Mon, 06 May 2013 08:15:17 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

Press L to view larger on black

This is not Death Valley, it's Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA. Although, I walked right by this spot on previous visits, I would have never known it. This location has always been under water. After photographing Alviso for the past 5 years it was nice to see something different. A huge thanks to Willie for scouting and taking me to this spot. Of course after Willie showed me this, I stalked the scene for days until the light came. On this occasion, I was joined by the two ninjas Alan and Willie for a sunset. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Callafornia Dreaming - Big Sur, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 07:58:44 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

A few weeks ago, Willie and I headed to Big Sur in the hopes of capturing the peak bloom of this awesome Calla Lily field. We arrived about 3 hours early and spent a great amount of time navigating through poison oak looking for the perfect composition.

My wife really LOVES this image. Her favorite flower is the Calla Lily. Her bridal bouquet was Calla Lilies. I'M PLANNING ON PRINTING THIS BIG AND WOULD LIKE SOME CRITIQUE HERE!

A big thanks to Willie for showing me this spot and a huge thanks to my homie for the PP tips. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Mars on Earth - Alviso, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 08:53:22 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

click L to view larger on black

One day I headed out to my local spot to witness some crazy monsoon type conditions. This place is quickly becoming the go to spot in the South Bay. There are lots of places to explore and see. This particular spot is a great find that Willie and I stumbled upon last year. Depending on the water level this place can be EXTREMELY dangerous! Just ask Willie I had to save his from sinking one day.

Chasing this monsoon light was easy, it was blowing up everywhere. Finding a strong composition without sinking your life away was difficult. At some point we had no choice but to stick with what we had. I did go horizontal but loved this vertical the most. The light was so intense that most of the post processioning work encompassed reducing the saturation. This location might appear to be in the middle of Hell or Mars, it's neither! It's right smack in the middle of two of California's largest cities San Jose and San Francisco.

Some of the other lucky folks who witnessed this scene; Willie, Aaron, Wilson and Lukas. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Heart on fire - Upper Antelope Canyon, Page, AZ

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 06:27:03 -0800

JaveFoto posted a photo:

Turn off the lights and press L to view larger on black

The hardest challenge here are the crowds that keep bumping into your tripod. This is a heart shaped slot found in Upper Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Salt Flats - Alviso, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:09:28 -0800

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

It's been a while, I hope everyone is well? After a few months of the camera collecting dust, I finally got out last night. Although I got skunked, it was still nice to press the shutter.

This image was taken a few months back. No, it's not Death Valley, it's Silicon Valley in San Jose, CA. Although, I walked right by this spot on my previous visits you never would have known it. This location has always been were under water. After photographing Alviso for the past 5 years it was nice to see something different. A huge thanks to Willie for finding and taking me to this spot.

May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Go with the glow - Upper Antelope Canyon - Page, AZ

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 09:22:40 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND PRESS L TO VIEW LARGER ON BLACK.

Last year, I got the chance to visit the southwest. Upper antelope Canyon in Page, Arizona was one of our stops. A very cool place but extremely crowded. This particular image here is described by the locals as "Monument valley" because the formations seen here look like the famous East Mitten Butte in Monument Valley.

Here, I looked straight up into the slot and waited for the amazing glow of light as it illuminate the slot and provide these wonderful colors. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Davenport Beach - Davenport, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 09:45:31 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

Back in May, I was lucky enough to witness some beautiful light for for three days in a row. This was day one at Davenport beach. On this particular day the golden light was just spectacular.

A big congrats to my buddy Jared and his family as he joins the fatherhood club. I'm glad I'm not the only one functioning on 3 hours of sleep a day:) May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Smooth steel - San Francisco, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 10:57:27 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

Life is super busy, I'm not ignoring you on purpose:) I hope everyone is having a great summer? I'm anxiously awaiting these type of conditions to return, so until then, I'll just process archives. This image was taken just minutes before the fog rose above the skyline. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Cracks - Alviso, Ca

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:10:28 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

A few weeks ago, Willie, Matt and I set out on a exploring expedition. We stumbled upon this dried up stinky swamp land. Lucky for us we had some really nice light to go with the smell.

On a prior occasion, we had to stop shooting and go into rescue mode. You see, Willie walked out into the swamp land and started to sink. As he was sinking (above knees) he yelled out, "I'm sinking help". So, I thought what should I do? Should I let him sink and take his camera bag or rescue him and demand he buy me a burger? After a few minutes I made the decision to rescue him and by the way still waiting on the burger! This place is EXTREMELY dangerous and there are numerous signs warning people about the sinking ground.

I found a few S's in the FG, can anyone find them? I hope you are all enjoying your summer. May the light be with you. Jave

Moody Bonsai - North Lake Tahoe, NV

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:09:25 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

I hope you are all having a great summer. This image is from earlier this year at one of my favorite places to photograph, Lake Tahoe, NV. May the light be with you, even if that includes the bright BLUE SKY:) Jave

Shadow Play - Palouse Hills, WA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 08:07:15 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

click L to view larger on black

I'm finally getting around to processing some images from my trip to the Palouse last year. What an awesome place to visit, I highly recommend this place. Last year David, Alan and I enjoyed chasing light and shadows for a few days. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Smooth Steel - Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:24:41 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

Please press L to view larger on black

A few weeks ago, on May 27th, the Golden Gate Bridge turned 75. It was such an awesome day and got to experience the event with lots of great friends. I have scanned through my images and found a few goodies. Life is super busy and currently have my 21 month old son processing the image. Here is an image from one of my favorite shoots of the bridge back in 2011. You can see the color version here. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

The glow - The Subway - Zion National Park, UT

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 06:34:32 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

By far the easiest hike I have ever done, NOT! I believe it was 10 miles round trip:) If your going to do the subway hike, don't do it on the 3rd day after you have already hiked, the Narrows and Kanara Creek. I suggest a good nights sleep and 20 pounds of pancakes the night before, for maximum energy. May the light be with you my friends. Jave

Happy Birthday - Golden Gate Bridge - San Francisco, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:54:53 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

This Sunday May 27th, 2012, the Golden Gate Bridge turns 75. The bridge is special to me and has giving me lots of photography inspiration. Thanks for all the good times and looking forward to more, see you Sunday buddy. Jave

Fear factor - Davenport Pier - Davenport, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 16 May 2012 07:09:33 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

Press L to view Larger on BLACK

PLEASE READ THE STORY AND WATCH THIS VIDEO TO SEE THE AGONY OF FEAR ON MY FACE!

A few years ago, I witnessed a friend of mine take a really nice shot of the Davenport Pier. When I say witnessed, I mean it literally. There were many reasons why I did not shoot the Pier at the time. One of the reasons that kept coming to mind was COMMON SENSE! You see, this hike down to the Davenport Pier is straight up CRAZY! I estimate it to be a straight 50 ft drop. If you fall I'm pretty sure you will sustain some serious injuries. Ever since then, I have been personally wanting to hike down to the Davenport Pier and shoot it for myself. The problem is the FEAR and COMMON SENSE kept crawling into my head.

Fast forward a couple of years and here we are. On a random Wednesday, I sent a mass text out to the locals, inviting them to a sunset. Many of them responded and agreed the conditions might be good. Rich responds and states, "Dude, where are we going to shoot, I'm tired of the same locations". I replied, "Tired, you've been hiding in a cave for two years, what are you tired of"? So, I spontaneously yelled, "lets do the Davenport Pier". He replied, "yeah right". I told him I was serious and to grab a rope. So off we went to the Pier and met up with awesome dude and local photog, James.

We arrived a few hours early with the anticipation that it would take a few attempts to get down. James, was the first to climb down without any complications. Rich, goes next and he also gets down with no issues. So guess what? I'm next and of course I'm freaking out! I make one attempt and climb right back up. My heart is racing, the conditions are looking great, the tide is high, thin high clouds are moving it. I thought to myself if I'm ever going to do this, this is the time!

So, here I go again a second attempt. I start to climb down and go a little further this time. Guess what? I freak out again and climb right back up. I call the guys down there on the cell phone and tell them, "I'M a CHICKEN and I'm done! James, say's "Jave, calm down, I will climb back up and help you down." I told him not to worry and that I was just going to drive my Chevy Yukon off the side of the cliff and ruin their shots! At this point I was a bit frustrated by my lack of HUEVOS.

Guess what? Here I go again for the 3rd time and to make a long story short, it took me about 15 minutes to get down. With only minutes to spare we all scrambled for a shot. When I was done I literally ran up the hill. When I got to the top I screamed, cursed and said to myself, "I WILL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!" A HUGE thanks to James for the help. When you're chasing the light folks, please be careful! Jave

Last light - Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Half Moon Bay, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:44:09 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

PLEASE press L to view larger on black

Once a year, Pigeon Point Lighthouse turns on the Fresnel lens for two hours to celebrate the anniversary of the original lighting. The light is stationary for five minutes then rotates for the remainder of the time. You can see the color version here. I like the BW better, what do you guys think? Due to this rare event and the Lighthouses' historical importance, I spend quite a bit of time processing this one. Most of the processing came in the form of manually cloning elements that compromised the integrity of the composition. Click on the video to see what I mean, video courtesy of Joshua Cripps.

However, I'm not sure when we will see this again? Pigeon Point Lighthouse just started a 2-5 year restoration project in which the Fresnel lens will be restored. It is the first time since the lighthouse was built in 1871 that its lens (a complex network of 1,008 glass prisms hand-built in 1860s Paris, shaped like a beehive and rotated on a brass assembly like a grandfather clock) has been removed. As part of the project, three "lampists," craftsmen who work on the nearly dead art of restoring lighthouse lenses, have been methodically inspecting, cleaning and resetting each one of the prisms so the 10-foot-tall lens can be reassembled and shown to the public early next year at Pigeon Point.

I'm so glad i was able to witness this scene for myself. There was an estimated 500+ photographers here on this night, the biggest frame-bang I have ever witnessed. Jave

A step back into history - Twin Lakes Beach, Santa Cruz, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 08:34:27 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO READ THE HISTORY BEHIND THIS SCENE BELOW:)

The pilings along Twin Lakes Beach in Santa Cruz, CA is a shot that has been on my list for awhile. These pilings are said to have been here for at least 100 years and have great history behind them. In 1906, Aerial Photographer George Lawrence took an aerial image of the Santa Cruz, CA coastline. Click on the image here to view his photograph. You can see the pilings just to the right of the number 46. These pilings are actually trestles that were built for street car access at the time.

These pilings are not always exposed and a number of conditions need to be present in order to capture them. One of the most important conditions needed is a low ocean tide preceded by a heavy rain storm(s). For the last two winters, I've been monitoring the low tide in hopes that the conditions would come together.

A few weeks ago, we had some pretty good rain storms come through the bay area. At that same time, a Santa Cruz Photographer, James, had been posting some awesome images of the pilings. I contacted him and BEGGED to be updated on the current conditions. Sure enough, James contacted me and updated me on some promising conditions. The next morning, Diego and I attempted to shoot the pilings. As we arrived, the sky was not looking promising but I didn't care. The fact that the pilings were visible was enough for me. I could have taken a picture of a seagull taking a poop on the piling and that would have been fine for me. As the sun was rising, the horizon opened up and provided this light show. By now, I was doing the happy dance. The problem was, I was in close to waist deep water so my dancing was limited.

A HUGE thanks to James and the Santa Cruz crew for all the updates. Have a great week and may the light be with you my friends. Jave

The Watchman - Zion National Park, Utah

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:34:14 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

This is a capture of one of the most photographed spots in Zion National Park. Numerous photographers were standing shoulder to shoulder on the bridge, as a Park Ranger drives by and say's, "you are not allowed to stand here and photograph". Of course most of the photographers had european accents and did not understand. I looked at them with a straight face and said, "I don't understand English" and shot away:)

This image is from a bootcamp trip to Zion National Park with David, Alan and Albert. Last October we visited three states in five days and ate more Burger King whoopers than one can handle. As another Bootcamp trip approaches, I hope that Drill SGT Breeze does not make us eat any more burgers, PLEASE! I hope you are all having a great week and of course may the light be with you. Jave

Frozen in time - Lake Tenaya, Yosemite National Park, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 06:46:02 -0800

JaveFoto posted a photo:

press L to view larger on black

It's very rare that we get to see frozen lakes here in the West Coast. The last time the road to this lake was open in January was 1976. This past January Diego and I spend a couple of days admiring the frozen lakes. This is Tenaya Lake, located in Yosemite National Park, CA. Have a great week everyone and may the light be with you. Jave

The wave- Walton Lighthouse - Santa Cruz, CA

nobody@flickr.com (JaveFoto) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:38:41 -0700

JaveFoto posted a photo:

PLEASE press L to view larger on black

Wow, I can't believe this was taken almost one year ago; time flies when you're having fun! Walton Lighthouse is a great spot for sunrise and after having been here a few times I wanted to try something different. On this morning, the light didn't develop; but my training kicked in; IMPROVISE, ADAPT and OVERCOME! We ran to the other side of the lighthouse and shot away. Thanks to mother nature who created such a beautiful leading line for me. Hope you're all having a great week. Happy Easter and may the light be with you. Jave