John's Blog

Wind Turbine

I always want to photograph these wind turbines when I see them although I find it difficult to get an image I like. What really amazes me is how large they are when you are next to them. Occasionally you will see a semi truck hauling an oversized item and then you realize it is just one of the blades for a wind turbine which run between 60 and 120 feet in length.

Ben Franklin Bridge Abutment

I took this image of the base of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, (built 1922-1926) last fall while photographing with my brother. The support structures for these old bridges are massive. I particularly like the design / architecture used in this bridge and all the rivets. I can still remember how cold it was - the wind starting blowing and we could hardly feel our hands.

Eric

This is my friend Eric. He was kind enough to pose for a proposed ad campaign that never came to fruition. And while I would like to take all the credit for this image, Eric does not take a bad photograph - and that is why we all hate him ( just kidding Eric ).

Bread Delivery

One thing you can say about Mexico is many things are still done the old fashion way. This is a bread delivery boy in Alamos Mexico, and he delivers the bread to your door while it is still hot. I wish we had that service where I live!

Military Helicopter

This is the underside of the tail of a military helicopter designed to lift large heavy objects. This helicopter is not meant to carry passengers and really looks like a praying mantis when it is sitting on the ground. I thought it was interesting that there was such an elaborate sign on the bottom side that said "Do Not Paint".

A Few Goats

These cute goats walked up to a fence next to where I standing. I could not resist talking this image. It almost looks like a goat standing in front of a mirror.

Redwoods

These trees are so tall it amazing they have a root system to support them.

I was lucky to have the fog rolling in when I was taking this image. It would be hard to explain how peaceful this forrest felt. I want to live here.

It is estimated some redwoods can live to be as old as 2000 years.

Photo Shoot In the Desert

Here is an image from a photo shoot I did last weekend way out in the middle of the desert. It was a last minute thing and we ended up shooting this at 1:00 in the afternoon because of some unforeseen delays - the worst possible time of day. Nothing looks good when the sun in directly overhead but that ended up working in our favor as we were trying to create a high-contrast gritty look for this photo.

Abandoned Gas Station

This is an image of an old abandoned gas station on Highway 93, between Wickenburg and Wikieup Arizona. It is a shell of its former self, used nowadays as a bathroom it seems. Its too bad there are not more of these old buildings around to photograph.

Mormon Temple

This Mormon temple is just outside San Diego, California. Its a striking building and made me feel like I was in a fairytale when standing next to it.

I could not figure out how to get on the property; I did not have permission, especially to photograph. While standing at the gate pondering my situation a woman appeared and asked if she could help me. I explained that I was hesitant to enter the grounds and take photographs without permission. She looked right at me and said "Sometimes it is better to ask for forgiveness than permission", and then told me to come in.

That was excellent advice, I now live my life by that code.

Artery

It is amazing how much traffic passes across a freeway in 7 seconds, the length of this exposure. Our highways truly are arteries.

Tumacácori Mission

Tumacácori is one of the Father Kino Missions, located outside Tucson, Arizona. The cross on top of the mission really caught my eye. There are some really interesting things to photograph here or to just see if you do not have a camera.

SR-71A Blackbird Spy Plane

This image is looking up the jet engine of a SR-71A Blackbird spy place. The SR-71 Blackbird is a reconnaissance aircraft used by the CIA, built in 1964 and whose first flight was on March 5, 1965. This aircraft could be equipped with various cameras and ground-mapping radar systems. The SR-71 could reach speeds in excess of Mach 3+ (2193 mph), had a max altitude in excess of 85,000 feet and once traveled from New York to London in 1 hour and 55 minutes and 42 seconds.

Marsh at Sunset

Just outside Needles California is a place called Topock Marsh - a pretty unlikely occurrence in the middle of the desert. Known for its submerged trees jutting out of the water, I captured this image just before sunset.