Yosemite is calling...

Nikkor 18-55mm: 1/15 f-5.6

Renee and I went to Yosemite National Park last March. It was my first visit to the park. There weren't many visitors, so we were able to get a room without a reservation in advance. Honestly, I didn't know about the park and I was new to photography, so when I went there my jaws dropped before the breathtaking views of the giant granites. As Renee and I were returning from the Yosemite Falls, Renee noticed the sunlight directly hitting Half Dome as shown above. I took this photo without a tripod.

This was the first time when I realized photography requires great patience. On the way to the Yosemite Falls (~ 1 hr before we took this photo), I saw several people setting up their cameras on tripods and talking to one another. I also saw a couple with a telephoto zoom lens on a tripod just waiting for something. Later I realized they were waiting for a perfect moment to photograph Half Dome during sunset.

Our trip was cut short because I had an allergy attack in the following morning. Renee drove us home, but I don't remember how we got home (I get really bad attacks with seasonal allergies). Nonetheless, it was an unforgettable trip for me.

Once I'm done with my thesis, I will try to make a photo trip there before the park gets crowded. Anyone want to join me?

Good bye, Chico

Nikkor 18-55mm: 1/80 f-5.6

Today is Renee's last day at work in Oroville. I will load up the car with her stuff and meet her at her work to drive down to San Francisco together later today.

We're so excited to live together again, after living apart for almost 2 years. At the same time, however, I'm kind of sad that we are leaving Chico. We had wonderful time here. Almost everyone in the city we met were really kind. We were able to explore northern California relatively easily because we had a place in Chico--Lassen Volcanic National Park, Mt. Shasta, Burney Falls, and Redding are all located within 2-3 hr of drive from this city.

Remember the news about the FedEx truck that was crushed by the fallen overpass in Oroville last year? It happened just a few minutes before Renee was about to pass that exact spot on her way to work (it took her a while to U-turn away from the crash site). Also, the 3 family members, a father and two children, who were trapped in the snow several days just before last Christmas? The ex-wife of the father works at the Chico office of the same company where Renee works (not the same office, but close enough). Almost every big news from this town was so close to us, unlike all the events happening in San Francisco (well, I do fell earthquakes once in a while).

I don't know if we're ever going to come back to visit Chico. I would love to come back (I would really love to live in this city, if I could find a job), but it is too far away from San Francisco to just visit the city. We are definitely bringing down lots of memories from this place.

Welcome back home, Renee!

Chewbaca

Nikkor 18-55mm: 1/60, f-5.6 (cropped)

My buddy Doug and his wife Misty asked me to take a few photos of Chewy. So I took a photo of Chewy chewing his bone. Chewy is a mix of German Shepherd and Husky (I think that's what Misty told me). Right now he is just ~ 12-week old puppy, but he's going to be a big dog one day. This puppy is so adorable. Even though he just had a surgery on his injured leg, he is so full of energy. Chewy gets so excited with people around him, and is very friendly.

As I was shooting photos of Chewy, I realized how difficult it is to take good photos of animals. It's hard to communicate with them to try different poses and stuff, you know. With the same reason, it is also difficult to take photos of babies. So in my humble opinion, the best strategy for taking photos of animals and babies is to patiently wait for the right moments and be ready to shoot at any time! And take many photos to save a few good ones.

I recently bought a used external flash for my D80 (SB-600) from Jonathan, and I finally had a chance to try it out. I must say I'm really happy with the results! Adobe Lightroom was used for exposure compensation and cropping.