OK, Moving Everything to BloggerBeta

New Blog: MontereyJohn California Photography

Beta just has too many good features to remain on blogger.

Photoblog Has Moved to MontereyJohn California Photography

I have been wrestling a bit with just what to do with a blog. My phtography is important to me, but so are other things in life, like family, humor and the like. I tried to do all that in one place over the last year or so, and it just did not work. It was neither fish nor fowl. The solution to this problem was obviously to have two different blogs, and that is what I did, at first.

At the same time my son Will fired up his own blog, and I lent a little assistance as to the mechanics of how that is done. I ended up making a minor contribution. So I guess I really am into three blogs... but wait, then there are the videos. I wanted them to have their own home. Now it is four blogs!

That's enough.

So here they are by subject matter:

Photography: MontereyJohn California Photography
General Interest / Family etc: Monterey/John
Videos: MontereyJohn II
Son Will's Blog: That's Life
If anyone is of a mind, feel free to visit any or all of them.

Lots of Ava Stuff Found at "That's Life"

My son Will has put up all sorts of stuff with regard to Ava at his blog, "That's Life."

Will's Tribute to Ava's First Year

Call the Vatican - Manu at San Francisco Daily Photo Nominated for Canonization!

Photoblog has moved to MontereyJohn California Photography.


Terrible Pun.

Just when I was thinking about acquiring a DSLR, actually dying of envy as my son just got one, Manu offers up his Canon Rebel at a great price because, as he says, I don't take pictures of birthday parties. As I'm "between jobs" I really needed a break if I was going to get a DSLR. My God has a great sense of humor and irony.

Saint Manu, has a ring to it, doesn't it?

Well, It seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

Photoblog has moved to MontereyJohn California Photography.

In California, you take signs like this seriously!

3000 feet up, 20% grade on a dirt road clinging to the side of a mountain. Trucks not recommended indeed. Think I'll walk next time.

Another Day in Paradise

Photoblog has moved to MontereyJohn California Photography.

Now that I have completed my obsessive/compulsive setup of the photoblog for which I expect tons of praise and admiration, I'll turn my hand to doing a bit of writing... about the obsessive/compulsive photoblog thingie.

You may have noted that I expect tons of praise and admiration for this wonderful creation. So what did I do? When I set up the comments section I "accidentally" blocked comments. I am sure my old shrink would have thought that something other than an accident. "Just another self-defeating behavior because you don't deserve success, happiness or love, do you, John? How does that make you feel? What do you need?" What an a-hole!

What I needed was to un-block the comments, so I did so. That's what I needed and now I feel fine. (How many visitors weren't able to comment before I fixed it? Aaaaah!)

New Direction(s) for MontereyJohn

Photoblog has moved to MontereyJohn California Photography.

Welllllll... having removed the necessity for "professionalism" from this humble blog by opening the photoblog, I can now put more personal stuff here without detracting from my other work. That's good and bad. The good is that I can do it at all. The bad is that it needs to be somewhat interesting and artful. Oh, the burdens of creativity! As a buddy of mine would call it, "Creative Blathering." I will try and enjoy the experience.

Let's see how this goes. I'll give it a try. I'll put up links to things other than photoblogs. I'll try to relate life as it is here in California. I'll continue to post images apropriate to the subject matter.... like this one:





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Welcome "That's Life" (My Son Will) to Ye Olde Blogroll

Like father like son! Needless to say his first post is of his skydive last weekend. Pay him a visit here when you get a chance.

Postscript: Will has posted, along with his video, a wonderful narative of his experience.

ANNOUNCEMENT - Strictly Photography - MontereyJohn California Photography at Blogger Beta

Well... Sedona Scenery has me curious about this, so I started formatting a new blog over there. It is actually interesting, but limited functionality at this point. I do like some of the additional bells and whistles, especially in the sidebar.

Take a look at MontereyJohn California Photography and see what uou think of it.

Portfolio - Day 7

This is a re-post of recent effort but is in the lineup for the portfolio, so here it is again.

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Son Will Jumps Out of Perfectly Good Airplane - Go figure

Never Forget

Thanks to my friend Hick at Bee-mused in the Country. I could not have said it better.

Todd Beamer...One of the Heros of Flight 93

"We do know the final thoughts and words of Todd Beamer, a 32-year-old Oracle Corporation account manager from Cranbury, N.J., with a wife and two young sons (and a third child on the way), who was travelling to California for a September 11 business meeting on Flight 93. Somehow, Beamer's cell phone call from Flight 93 was routed to Lisa Jefferson, a supervisor with the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. As Mrs. Jefferson proceeded down the checklist in GTE's "distress call" manual, Beamer relayed the details of their situation: number of passengers, number of hijackers, weapons carried by the hijackers, etc. As reported in Newsweek's "The Real Story of Flight 93," Beamer's last words to Lisa Jefferson included a recitation of the Lord's Prayer:

Up to this moment, Beamer had been all business. "Lisa," he said suddenly. "Yes?" responded Jefferson. "That's my wife," said Beamer. "Well that's my name, too, Todd," said Jefferson. "Oh, my God," said Beamer. "I don't think we're going to get out of this thing. I'm going to have to go out on faith." Jefferson tried to comfort him. "Todd," she said, "you don't know that." Beamer asked her to promise to call his wife if he didn't make it home. He told her about his little boys and the new baby on the way. Then he said that the passengers were going to try to jump the hijackers. "Are you sure that's what you want to do, Todd?" asked Jefferson. "It's what we have to do," he answered. He asked her to pray with him. Beamer kept a Lord's Prayer bookmark in his Tom Clancy novel, but he didn't need any prompting. He began to recite the litany, and she joined him:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed by thy name Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

"Jesus help me," Beamer said. He recited the 23d Psalm. Then Jefferson heard him say:

"Are you guys ready? Let's roll."

Oh, Here is a Whole Bunch of Stills for the Broadband Folks

I really enjoy making these little movies and hope others enjoy them too. For those who are curious, I make them using Pinnacle Studio, the same program I use for regular videos (which are found here).

Something a Little Different... My son Will Practicing for Angelhood

I opened my e-mail tonight only to find this photograph from my son Will in Roseville.

Now you need to understand that Will's Dad, moi, is a total acrophobe. I hate roller coasters and high places in general. I go wobbly in the knees sometimes on my beloved Big Sur cliffs. That a son of mine would do THIS boggles my mind.

As fate would have it, blotters and spatula were unnnecessary. The boy survived his experience.

Have I mentioned I really love that young man?


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Portfolio - So What's with That?

I have gone through many of my images and picked out the twenty or so I like best. For sure that does not make them the best... or even particularly good. They are just the ones I like best. I will add to this list as results warrant. Eventually, should it ever come to pass, these are the pictures I might try to market at some point in the future.

Portfolio - Day 6

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Portfolio - Day 5

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Portfolio - Day 4

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Views from Treasure Island in San Francisco Bay

Nothing artsy-craftsy here, just some snapshots of wonderful views of downtown San Francisco and The Bay Bridge.

It was beautiful and clear, but as can be seen in the third and fourth frames, the fog was not far away.

Treasure Island is an old Navy base and is still active. It is the link between the two halves of The Bay Bridge. In the second image to the far left you can see the new section of the link between Treasure Island and Oakland which is under construction. The final picture is of the more photographed section of the bridge between Treasure Isalnd and downtown San Francisco.






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Yesterday at The Golden Gate

I spent the last couple of days on the road. I went up to Sacramento for my granddaughter Ava's birthday and came back through the Bay Area on the way home to Monterey Bay. I only meant to spend a short while there and ended up staying for about six hours. I went to Treasure Island, where oddly enough I have never been, and was delighted with the views of the city from there. I then went on into the city and up to Alamo Square (see the previous post of the victorian homes and skyline) and then on over to The Golden Gate, Baker Beach and Lands Ends. It was a delightful afternoon

I shot a LOT of digitals and several film frames. I'll take the film in for scanning to disc later today.

Any idiot can shoot great pictures in this magical city.

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Portfolio - Day 3

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Today is Ava Lee's First Birthday

And Grandpa, that is I, got to be there for the occasion. She is the most beautiful child in the world, just ask me. She is happy, healthy and her family loves her completely.

Happy Birthday Ava!

Love, Your Grandpa


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Guess Where I was This Afternoon

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Portfolio - Day 2

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Portfolio - Day 1

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In The Redwoods of Big Sur

In the canyons of Big Sur, nurtured by the coastal fogs, the redwoods thrive. Getting to them is another story. The mountains are exceptionalloy steep in this area. One way in is the old coastal road which was the main highway north/south before Route 1 was built in the 1930s. The other way is by foot. I drove.
In the first picture you see where the old road begins its ascent from Route 1. Big Sur Valley is in the distance to the left. It is a climb into glory. What a trip!



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Late Afternoon Fog - Big Sur

The end to a perfect day. Too tired to write, or think, more. Suffice it to say, it was just grand.

Fuji S5000

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