Comic Con 2012: Preview Night

Last year I posted a lengthy blog discussing my first foray into San Diego Comic Con International (SDCC for short). It was an amazing experience, and one I hope will become an annual event from here on out. Rather than post one comprehensive guide this year, though, I wanted to post thoughts and highlights for each day instead, however long or short they may be.

The biggest difference this year was flying solo for the most part. Rather than relying on a friend for a place to stay, I wanted the whole experience of going and planning the trip for myself, expenses and all. This was certainly an eye-opening journey into what this convention is all about. Tickets sold quickly this year, with the majority disappearing within 90 minutes of going online. The same can also be said for their hotel system, and thankfully I managed both, staying at the Sheraton Marina. Eventually, I submit my information for Trade Passes and gladly purchased the additional Preview Night.

Today started off with a train trip. After some hassle with the ticket vending machine, a small group of us boarded and made our way in tow. We spoke quite a bit on the way down, and I made two great acquaintences for the trip. Seth Green was also on the train, but that is neither here nor there. In any case, our arrival in SD was mostly uninterrupted and we went our separate ways. I checked in at the Sheraton, where they attempted to charge me almost $300 more than I expected. After getting that taken care of, I discovered my room was small, but quaint and well decorated. Aside from the payment, I do think it is a pretty nice little room.

The biggest change this year will be the 24 hour shuttle service offered by SDCC. The hours were shortened for Preview, but it is very nice to be able to go to my hotel throughout the day if needed. As the first shuttle dropped us at the convention center, I felt a great sense of relief and familiarity. The posters were different, and there was a giant inflatable Jake from Adventure Time outside, but it was great to stroll back to the old halls again.

However, for only being Preview Night, I fear for the size of this convention. I had some issues getting my badge printed and lost half an hour getting the issue resolved. That short time placed me back considerably in line when getting ready for the exhibit hall. The day barely felt like a preview at all, and was honestly just as hard to navigate as one of the normal days. By the time I actually arrived in the hall itself, any chance of getting many free giveaways or exclusives was dashed. So, I mostly just wandered around trying to find some islands of solitude where it was possible to move around and get a few handouts when offered. Our Warner Bros. Bootg was fantastic this year, recreating our famed Stage 16 right in the convention floor. I also managed to snag a sweet spot up front when Jim Lee started giving drawing lessons at the DC booth.

Overall, it's great to be back, but once I get my exclusives early tomorrow, I really do not intend to spend much time on the convention floor this year. It has become simply far too large, and I would expect the count to hit 160,000 easily this year. I got my Man of Steel bag, and I will be in line early Saturday for the Legendary Panels but it hardly seems worth trying to fight the mob in a vain attempt at giveaways this year. Attendees can only really choose one booth they want stuff from, because hopping in line means you will lose out on all of the other booth sales or giveaways. It's honestly ridiculous.

That said, it's part of the Con, and my blog may contradict itself by the end of the weekend. Now here are some photos.

Saguaro National Park

 

There are few places in the world that seem to live out the Old West frequently seen only when accompanied by John Wayne or Clint Eastwood. However, search long enough, and you will find such places within the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States. In these spots, time has not brought change to the world. Rocks may be decorated with paintings from an ancient tribe. Overhead, the echo of hawks really does resound throughout hidden valleys.

Thankfully, not all such places require an ox-driven wagon to get to. Just outside of Tucson, Arizona lies one of the most unique expanses of desert in the world: Saguaro National Park. One of the newer National Parks, having been designated in 1994, the Saguaro and its namesake encompass two different areas on each side of the city of Tucson. Each half covers a varied landscape featuring everything from dry desert basin to rugged mountainside dotted with Douglas fir and pine. If unable to make a trip the park, don't worry! The Sonoran Desert the saguaro calls home sprawls across southern Arizona, California, and even parts of northern Mexico. While the density of the giant cacti is distinctive of the park, any trip across the southern US can see them dotting the I-10 freeway.

My trip was reserved for the western area of the park. This half is known mostly for it's arid climate and sweeping basins. Aside from the saguaro, few plants grew taller than my chest. Pockmarking the landscape were huge boulders to offer some shelter from the wind. Several trails can be found throughout this expanse, and for families on a day-trip, the 5-to-6-mile Bajada Loop can be driven through an unpaved portion of the park. I also highly recommend a stop at the Red Hills Visitor Center not only to pay the $10 car fee for the park, but for some great information on the trails and paths throughout the park. The shop offered plenty of resources on wildlife in the area for those photographers that may be inclined (I will gladly admit to playing with some coyote and roadrunner dolls in the store). The 15-minute slide show is also a must-see with its nice "surprise" ending.

My trip was relatively short, having been in the area for only one day. The weather was cool with storms beginning to rip through the area. While this would deter many visitors, I found it to be extremely thrilling as there are only a few times of the year that this great desert would receive any rain. The family and I definitely got a little wet, but nothing near the levels of the monsoon season in early Summer that can cause flash floods through the park. Besides, the sheer scale of the saguaro in the area were enough to capture my attention despite any weather.

The saguaro are protected in the state of Arizona with permits needed to move or destroy one of the cacti for construction purposes. Because of this, most residents and visitors have no doubt seen these behemoths throughout the landscape. However, driving through the entrance to the park seemed as if a line had been drawn in the sand, inside of which the saguaro become a forest of needles and arms. According to the 2010 census, the park has an estimated 1,896,030 saguaros! This was in addition to the dozens of other desert plants found at the feet of the symbolic cacti. In addition to the sheer numbers, were the size of many of the plants, the largest of which can grow 50 feet tall. Many of them were armless, meaning they were relatively young in Saguaro Time. Usually, a saguaro will begin to grow arms between 50-70 years old. As I walked along the Hugh Norris Trail, time was essentially lost as realization set in that many of this expanse had looked the same when those classic Western films were just beginning to be released. Yes, looking into the distance a traveler can see telephone wires and paved streets. But, in the mountains themselves, one of the larger saguaros had probably remained as a silent sentinel since the days of the earliest settlers of old.

All-in-all, the Saguaro National Park was a wonderful day trip, and I would love to go back and explore it in greater detail (possibly without the rain, despite the wonderful photo opportunities it gave). While not as famous or large as perhaps Yosemite or the Grand Canyon farther north, the park is definitely deserving of its national status. Walking among gigantic, five-armed forests, it's easy to see why. Listen closely, and you may even hear the sounds of galloping horses and John Wayne's Winchester rifle in the distance.

 

Saguaro National Park Website 

Wildwood Canyon

Despite its infatuation with cars, Los Angeles can still be an interesting place for nature-lovers to visit. It is, after all, a giant basin surrounded by impressive mountains in nearly every direction. The city is surprisingly park-friendly with little pockets of greenery throughout the city and a few major areas like Griffith Park and the Angeles National Forest to the Northeast. Hikers and picnickers alike can find plenty to offer if they are willing to search a little.

A personal favorite of mine lately has been Wildwood Canyon, nestled in the Verdugo Mountains that dominate the Burbank skyline. I managed to go early enough one morning that it was extremely quiet with little traffic and found it to be a fairly difficult but satisfying hike. Parking was free, and you will find gorgeous views of the mountains, downtown Burbank, and even a little training fire range for BPD as shown above. As you ascend the trail, you begin to feel like you are in the heart of a massive range rather than in the middle of a city, and there are points where the San Fernando Valley almost completely disappears from views. For those less exercise-inclined, the benches along the main road through the park offer a nice place to escape and read for a few with peace and quiet.

There is very little shade on the hiking trails, so try to go during cooler temperatures if possible. My personal favorite is during the transitional seasons where mornings are cool enough to create beautiful clouds and fog among the mountain peaks while leaving the ground visible and clear. Just be ready for a fairly winding hike once you get started, especially if you are new to hiking. But, get to the top near the radio tower and you'll certainly feel a sense of accomplishment.

You can find more information at The LA Mountains Website

Gateway Home

One of the more interesting parts about my move to Los Angeles was my complete lack of homesickness. I'm generally not someone who hangs on to territorial sentiments, and moving to LA was mostly an escape and all together a Good Move. I love it out here, and I do not see that changing any time soon.

I'm originally from a very small town called Jackson, Missouri. Home to about 12,000 souls, most people know of the area only because of the neighboring big-sister town of Cape Girardeau. There's not much to it aside from the Mississippi River and the fact that pundit Rush Limbaugh grew up there. The towns are quaint, the farmland big, and while I'm sure it's a perfectly reasonable town to raise a family, it's entirely too droll for young creatives. I've always held the belief that the prettier an area, the more boring it is, and Cape Girardeau is certainly no exception.

However, after having been in a committed relationship for two years, my girlfriend had never been back to where I grew up. Our previous vacation to New York and Washington DC was my chance to see her hometown. This time, we resolved to take a vacation back to mine. Now, while this certainly would have been a rather uneventful trip, there is one good part of the area that I certainly began to miss upon moving out here: its proximity to St. Louis.

As boring and slow as my hometown tended to be, I loved the city of St. Louis. While only an hour and a half away from Cape (that's how long it takes me just to get to the beach on the freeways from here in Burbank), it was always a magical spot growing up that my family and I would visit as a miniature vacation when we couldn't afford to go on long-distance excursions. Looking back, I mostly took these trips for granted. By going with someone who had never been, however, I found myself scrambling to show her every one of the "cool" spots to see within the city. Before long, I had racked up a list longer than the one we have for our current LA. I couldn't wait and resolved to have every detail accounted for. Unfortunately, living in LA tends to make you forget about the seasons the rest of the country has. When I was young, I was fascinated by the country storms that would roll in through the Summer. I missed them greatly, and apparently, I missed them a little too much. We had bought our plane tickets months in advance for the Saturday of Easter weekend. For those who have kept track of the news this year, you may remember where this was going.

As my girlfriend and I were packing that Friday evening and getting settled for a short rest before our flight, word hit about an F3 tornado that slammed into and closed Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. That's right. After so much planning and anticipation, Mother Nature herself was forbidding me from returning home. While I have yet to see if that was a sign about leaving my beloved Los Angeles, I was determined at the time to make our way somehow. Our flight canceled, Abrah and I were scrambling to find some way to see what kind of situation the airline was in.

At this point, I really have to commend Southwest Airlines. Without hardly any trouble, they were happy to reroute us to any of the nearby cities without any additional costs. They even managed to fit us in early on the same day as our original departure. After being in close to tears, our vacation was saved. Sort of. We were flying into Kansas City now, and my parents managed to make the additional 4-hour drive across the state to drive us back to St. Louis. They were staying with us most of our vacation anyway, but we did lose a little time from my precious schedule. After a short stop where I briefly went to college at the University of Missouri in Columbia, we arrived safe an sound at our destination at around 11PM.

Driving through, we could definitely see the destruction, and had it not been night, I would have stopped to take some photos to share. There was no doubt about it; a tornado had clearly smacked the airport across the face. The beautiful Terminal 1 that was so famously displayed through George Clooney's "Up In The Air" had its windows busted out completely. Freeway markers and signs were bent every direction, and a bystander could clearly tell a path had been from across the nearby I-70 towards the tarmac. It reminded me of a similar tornado that had ripped through Jackson when I was still in high school.

But, most importantly, my vacation was still on. There was no way I would let a little wind ruin my vacation. So, that Easter Sunday, we woke up early and made our way to one of my favorite things about the city: The Saint Louis Zoo.

The wonderful butterfly house

A sassy friend we met in the penguin exhibit

The St. Louis Zoo is one of the must-sees of the city. Governed by three boards, the park is essentially a government entity and made free to the general public. Tracing its roots back to the original Flight Cage from the 1904 World's Fair (a bird cage still operating today), the zoo has become a staple to the surrounding Forest Park area, as well as an important and cherished piece of St. Louis history. The park is home to about 18,000 animals found in areas divided roughly by home terrain. While most of the animals have outdoor room to roam, some of the more... exotic animals are housed in what can only be described as giant indoor temples created to celebrate our living world (I highly recommend the Herpetarium if you are not afraid of slithering things). One of the more exciting animals is the critically endangered Amur Leopard, a big cat with only about 40 individuals left in the wild.

Our visit was short-lived, of course. Not long after we began our journey through the park did the rain begin to come down. We were already on a time limit as it was (more on this shortly), so we only got to briefly see the indoor exhibits. The trip was not in vain, of course, as my girlfriend loved the butterfly and penguin houses, which were really why we wanted to visit in the first place. Our only disappointment came from learning that the former polar bear displays had been replaced due to the unfortunate death of the already troubled animals. They were always a favorite to my family, and I shudder to think that we may be reaching a point where those always-happy polar bears will no longer exist.

After our zoo trip, we began the search for food. Being Easter Sunday, our original trip to The Hill had been unsuccessful (my parents, being parents, would not listen the my reasoning that a prominent Catholic neighborhood would not, in fact, be open for the holiday). So, just to show my girlfriend the sights, we drove down the Laclede's Landing area nestled right against the Mississippi riverbank. Lo-and-behold, the one restaurant we wanted to take her to the most was mystically open for the day, and at extended hours from what we expected to! The restaurant, of course, was The Old Spaghetti Factory! While certainly not native to St. Louis, the OSF has always been a favorite, and we had concluded that the StL branch was indeed better than their others. Plus, it was a time-honored tradition for us to eat at the Factory before our next stop. The food was delicious, as always, and we all managed to take our time savoring the spumoni ice cream included with the meals.

With our meal concluded, we checked our watches and decided that it was time to head downtown. My parents had the foresight to book rooms at the Drury Plaza in the heart of the city, so we would be able to park our car and walk to wherever we needed to go in the immediate area. This was especially essential because there's one stop that I had to go to if I returned to St. Louis. It was something I had reserved almost before I had even bought the flights to the city. An event so rich and grounded in St. Louis culture and history that missing it would essentially mean your trip to the city was incomplete...

 A St. Louis Cardinals baseball game at Busch Stadium. It's absolutely necessary. The stadium is practically a second home to many natives of the surrounding areas. Whereas cities like New York and Chicago have a slew of wonderful locations and sights, St. Louis grew in such a way that, while we have plenty of cool locations to visit, baseball would always remain at its heart. We do have other sports, yes, but you will not find the same kind of passion and pleasure that can be found at a packed game at Busch. And our home games are always packed.

Dating nearly 120 years old, the Cardinals made their official name change in 1900 and have remained rooted in downtown ever since. Names like Roger Maris, Lou Brock, Bob Gibson, and Stan The Man ring throughout the stadium on any given day, usually announced by broadcasters like Jack Buck, Harry Caray, and Mike Shannon. Although the current incarnation of Busch Stadium was built in 2006, the site it rests on has been a local landmark since the original "arches" stadium in 1966. Even on away games, a baseball fan can walk around the stadium and enjoy the beautiful statues of players past that rest outside. The best viewing is certainly behind home plate, with the wonderful view of the downtown skyline and the Gateway Arch beyond center field. It also houses a unique take on another native St. Louis business: a Build-A-Bear (or, in this case, Build-A-Fredbird) Workshop. Needless to say, the stadium is hard to miss when visiting the city, and even from outside you can hear the stadium tornado siren and fireworks roar after every Cardinal home run.

I had to make the pilgrimage, and throughout our travels, I was worried that our game would be rained out. The forecasts were not looking good with more major rain expected to hit at roughly the same time as First Pitch. To make matters even crazier, this was no ordinary game, but an ESPN Game Of The Week event day against our current rivals, the Cincinnati Reds. It was a day full of Stan The Man Bobbleheads, the first to be made after the Cardinal legend. Not only did we have to fight the rain, but we had to fight the crowd.

Our worries were for nothing, though. Upon entering the stadium, bobbleheads in tow, we actually had a very pleasant game. We had splurged on seats just 10 rows behind home plate, a first even for Cards fanatics like ourselves. Although my girlfriend does not care for baseball, the rest of my family had a great time. The rain amazingly held off until a light drizzle started around the 6th inning, and I even got to hear my tornado siren! The family ended the night with a trip down to local bar Caleco's, myself feeling as though the vacation was successful just from the first day alone. Eventually, I was taken out overnight by my great friend (and hopefully future LA native) Sarah, and we had a great night catching up at a nice little karaoke bar called Novak's. I had never been before, and was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me a bit of the West Coast, and I was finally able to reconnect with people I had felt missing from my life for quite a while.

The next day in St. Louis was a little more rushed, as we had lost a day due to the tornado and were driving down to Cape Girardeau in the evening. So, we decided that my girlfriend could not visit St. Louis without going to its most famous landmark: The Gateway Arch

 Technically, the Arch's official name is the Jefferson Expansion National Memorial Park. When construction ended in 1965, its stainless steel frame stood at 630ft high. It currently remains as the tallest man-made monument in the world, able to shadow everything from the Statue of Liberty to the Washington monument to even the Great Pyramid of Giza underneath. Throughout our stay, the monument stood outside our hotel window, a welcome sight after nearly five years going without seeing it. My girlfriend commented several times on our vacation at the sheer size of it as it watches over the city.

We decided to actually go up into the Arch, which was a first even for me. Always happy to support our national parks, we bought a package that included the short documentary before escalating inside. I found it fascinating, even if the video was more than a little dated. The images of men suspended from the Arch evoked images similar to John C. Ebbet's famous Empire state Building construction photos. Even more inspiring, the video claimed that expected several (I believe the exact number was 14) men to lose their lives atop the steel pinnacle, yet not one did. After the video, my girlfriend and I ascended through the extremely small "capsule" elevators designed specifically for the monument. The view was wonderful from the top and surprisingly roomy. I was especially happy every time someone would point out Busch Stadium from the skyway (which most of the people seemed to do at least once). However, one thing to note is that the Arch is built to sway at least 18 inches to remain flexible in high winds, and we descended rather quickly after my girlfriend felt the motion while looking over the Mississippi River side.

We also made a pit-stop at the St. Louis City Museum.

What can only be described as one massive playground, the museum is a wonderful place to explore and basically run around being crazy. It's not without its educational merits, however, as among the displays are and architecture and antique exhibit, as well as an aquarium. We were a little too old for most of the really fun stuff by the point, but I still had a blast climbing through what areas I still managed to squeeze through. the girlfriend was not as amused. We also managed to find (by complete luck, as most of our food had been this trip) the famous Ozzie's right around the corner. We had come during the slow period, not even expecting it to be open but we lucked out!

Happy with the first half of our trip, we made our way down to Cape Girardeau only to be hit with even more tornadoes on the drive down Interstate-55. This would become a common occurrence during the next couple of days. Thankfully, we were not blown away by any means and enjoyed a few relaxing days with not much to do.

This part of our trip was mostly melded into one. As I mentioned, Cape Girardeau and Jackson are not large by any means. We were mostly famous as a trading post during the early Louis And Clark Expedition, and we do have a history with Mark Twain. It is exactly what you would expect a lazy river town to be. There is a massive floodwall that protects Cape from imminent doom, though the other areas have not been so lucky (evidenced by the flood of 1993, which many people have seen photos of regarding my home area over the years). This part of the vacation was spent mostly driving around or hanging out with my long-lost friends in a few of the local bars. The one major stop was a must-do restaurant known as Lambert's Cafe. Dubbed the "Home of the Throwed Rolls," it was recently voted as the #1 Place to Pig Out by the Travel Channel and has been featured numerous times by the Food Network and beyond. The atmosphere is that of a good home-cooking kitchen with license plates and ragtime waiters. All of the items are All-You-Can-Eat (you generally don't need seconds anyway), and include famous "pass-around" or extras that travel around the room. Of course, the most famous aspect are the hot, moist rolls that are thrown at you from across the room. I had plenty of great memories of those rolls and sorghum, and I was finally able to add new ones with my girlfriend. we both had the chicken strips and still had more than enough left over to make a complete third meal when done.

To end-cap our trip, we had planned a late flight out of town, so we finished up shop doing a few more things around St. Louis. The final big attraction that is essential to any visitor is a free tour at The Anheuser-Busch Brewery.

The largest brewer in the world, Budweiser is no doubt a familiar name to most people at this point. And while the free beer at the end of the tour is definitely a major highlight, the tour itself is fascinating. Containing three registered landmarks, the Busch campus covers 100 acres, almost the same size as my employer at Warner Bros. It's one of the oldest maintained structures in the city and has been synonymous with our economy over the past century-and-a-half. Plus, it's a great opportunity to see the world-famous Clydesdales, some of which were more than happy to pose and play when they saw the tour groups approaching. As for the beer, the beechwood aging process is pretty fun to learn about, and seeing the giant steel aging vats certainly puts our world's love for alcohol into perspective. I certainly couldn't complain after having a freshly brewed berry-flavored draft at the end.

We also had to make one final stop, a restaurant called Bailey's Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square. We had heard it recommended from several of our fellow St. Louis transplants, and decided to give it a look. The menu and theme is entirely based on, well, chocolate, though they do offer regular lunch specials and pizza as well. To say it was delicious would be an understatement. Mom tried their chocolate beer, while I went for the much-recommended chocolate martini (get it hot if you can). Everything was extravagant, and every table had a freshly place rose you could purchase for your significant other while on a romantic date. I was extremely impressed and would go there again in a heartbeat.

Nearly a month later, I'm typing this trying to remember everything that happened. I had been reluctant to write a blog on the city, feeling that my pictures and stories would not do it justice. Already, I would love to return for a second vacation. While definitely not a city I could probably live in for the rest of my life, it's certainly charming in its own right and well worth a visit. While New York and LA certainly get a lot of attention, and for good reason, St. Louis is a destination with many, many offerings that are easy to pass over among the bigger cities. I feel as though there's even more I can show, from the Fox Theater, to the Muny, to the Science Center. I may have moved, and I certainly don't miss Cape Girardeau, but St. Louis will always be the city I compare others to.

Finding My Niche

So, as I try to gear up and prep to take this photography thing into the "professional" realm, one theme I keep running into in most forums, books, and blogs is finding your photographic specialty. There seems to be a running sentiment that a photographer needs to focus on one genre or area and keep everything else as nothing more than playthings to mess around with in our spare time. I've had a hard time dealing with this on several fronts.

I've always been keen to the idea that you should do what makes you happy and cut out things that only bring stress or drama. This is a philosophy that applies not just to photography, but to all aspects of my life, from relationships to work to simple hang-outs with friends. I'm not on that likes being told that an area I like being in won't be applicable due to economics, competition, or what-have-you. So, as you can guess, trying to narrow down only a few focuses out of the wide world of photography has been a bit of a challenge.

I guess in a business world, everything will click, and artists become much more willing to sacrifice things they enjoy once paychecks are rolling in. Unfortunately, I wouldn't be writing about trying to break into the art world if I had, well, all ready broken into the art world. So, those sacrifices don't mean much to me yet, and I continue searching. I have narrowed down a few key items, though.

1) I don't do weddings. They don't interest me creatively.
2) As such, I also don't do general "portrait studio" work ala Olan Mills.

There's a whole two items! Which isn't a lot to work with. Even number two is rather vague, since I still do portrait and headshot work, so long as it isn't repetitive. and then there are other factors, like being able to objectively look at my work and notice that, at the moment, I probably couldn't handle doing a lot of food photography on a commercial level due to inexperience. Or sports due to a lack of long lenses. Etc.

So where is my niche? What do I enjoy? And, most importantly, how can I make money out of doing what I love?

To start, my tagline for photography is "Bringing the World to You." I've been a reader of National Geographic since 2004, and it has quickly become less of a casual read and more of an obsession. I love the magazine, the Society, and all that it stands for in bringing readers aspects of our world that we may not be able to see otherwise. Whether it was the special report issue on China for May 2008 or an article in January this year on Scotland's Hebrides, I'm enthralled by learning all I can about this world. So, in point, I like taking pretty pictures of culture, landscape, and wildlife that breaks outside the realm of "normal." I love adventure.

Naturally, this is an area loved by many photographers and, to make matters more complicated, it's largely an area dominated by those that can afford the travel in the first place. Hello, Money, Crusher of Dreams. Now, I come from a family that has struggled pretty frequently on finances. I have an awesome job at Warner Bros., but it's also only slightly above minimum wage, which is immediately drained by that thing called "Rent." Travel is certainly a luxury, not a career. My future will have to involve finding a way to flip that around. Somehow.

A least I have my niche. Sort of. It's a start, a goal to work towards. I can't imagine that will be the only area I find some interest in as I journey through the optical world, but there's now some emphasis above everything else.

Anyone know of a research expedition that needs a photographer?


Gone Fishin' by =serphius on deviantART

Expedition: Muir Woods and Monterey Aquarium

I'm going to try to keep regular, updated blogs when I get the chance to visit areas I find interesting or beautiful. It's less a journal and more a shortened (very short in most cases) photo-essay I'm simply calling "Expedition." This first one was allowed me by the Muir Woods National Forest and the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

My first visit was Muir Woods, just across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. One of the earliest national monuments (just the 7th dedicated by President Teddy Roosevelt), the relatively small park (by National Monument Standards, anyway) encompasses the southern tip of the great Redwood tree range. The land was originally bought by businessman William Kent, who eventually donated close to 300 acres of the property to the federal government to thwart the plans of a water company to dam and flood the valley it calls home. Kent insisted that the park be named after none other than John Muir, the "Father" of the National Park System.

The redwoods here are small compared to their Oregon siblings but impressive nonetheless. The tallest living things on the planet, these gigantic trees can tower well over 300 ft. They are often so large, in fact, that their upper branches can often support miniature ecosystems of their own, including smaller bushes growing out of soil collected over time. The oldest of the trees have been around since before the New Testament. They can only survive in a few areas along the coast, relying on the morning fogs and light drizzle for the majority of their liquid needs. Because of their fast growth, resilient bark, and thick wood, societies around the world have relied on them for timber for decades. Strict regulations in the US prevent too much over-cutting in the present day, but 97% of the old-growth forests have been replaced with much smaller and re-cut, replanted varieties.

I only managed to visit one of the shorter trails of the forest for my first visit (it was a random trip, and none of us wore prepared attire, let alone my poor camera dealing with the damp conditions). Still, the majesty of these trees were not lost on us, and I fully intend to head back for a more in-depth visit in the future. National Geographic had actually had a great article on the giants late last year, so I was ready to see them for myself, even if only the very Southern tip of their range.

The next day, my girlfriend Abrah and I went for a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, ranked by many as one of the top aquariums in the United States (it seems to go back and forth with Atlanta's). It holds over 600 species, 35,000 plants, a stingray petting zoo, and an attendance closing in on 2 million a year. The tickets were somewhat pricey at $30 a person, but the attractions were very impressive. The building itself was a former sardine cannery that had been bought and converted by none other than David Packard, co-founder of the Hewlett-Packard company. Many of the elements were designed and built by his forge in Big Sur, as he was an avid blacksmith.

One of these elements were wave machines atop a 350,000 gallon water tank. These wave machines enabled the MBA to become the first to grow California Giant Kelp in a controlled environment. Now, the tank houses not only the kelp, but all sorts of creatures within, including sharks, rays, and smaller fish.

On the other end is what i would consider the main exhibit. Behind one of the world's largest single-paned windows is a 1.2 million gallon tank filled with the deep sea creatures. The exhibit here constantly has animals being transferred in and out depending on what research needs done. Sure enough, on our visit it had everything from yellow- and blue-fin tuna to a hammerhead shark. Last year, for a few short months, they even had yet another Great White on display.

Among the cooler sections were the jellyfish displays. They had a large viewing area for a throng of red sea nettle jellyfish and several smaller tanks for a few different species. As you enter into the jellies area, you pass through a circular room circled by the anchovies the building once canned as a staple to the Monterey economy.

Overall, the experiences were very wild and only enhanced my desire to travel and take photos of these wonderful, natural locations. I hope you enjoy the few photos I have processed so far, but don't forget that these can never replace visiting such great areas in person!

Please visit my photo gallery page to see these in full resolution: My Photo Gallery

The National Park Service Website

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Website


Rushing Waves by =serphius on deviantART

Muir Woods Moss by =serphius on deviantART

Muir Woods by =serphius on deviantART

Under the Bay by =serphius on deviantART

Jelly 1 by =serphius on deviantART

Jelly 2 by =serphius on deviantART

The Fiery Prophecy

I was driving home from a party late one night when I still lived in Southeast Missouri. I remember that it was early Summer, and we had little to do but sit around and enjoy the company until our first year of college kicked in. Our town was small, filled mostly with farmland and minor industrial businesses. The time had to be at least Midnight, if not later, and our gathering place was in deep farming and woodland territory found only via careful navigation through several two-lane backroads and highways.

I had rounded a corner, blasting what could only have been the heaviest of Heavy Metal at the time when I came upon a burning field. Fire torched the sky from various scattered mounds across an otherwise flat, empty plain. I pulled over to the side of the road, in awe of what had to be no less than 50 bonfires set up. Only after a few moments did my mind register that this small City of Dis had been done on purpose to clear brush and reinvigorate the soil for new crops the next season. It was a common practice, but usually done with one wall of fire rather than patches of piled material.

My mind could only whisper "I wish I had a camera right now."

After saving through my job advertising for real estate for a couple of weeks, I bought a Canon A80 point and shoot, July 1st, 2004. Not long after, I bought my first subscription to National Geographic, which I have renewed every year since. I tried college, had several problems in relationships, eventually gave up on school, packed what little I had into my car, and moved to Los Angeles. Throughout it all, my little Canon stayed with me, and despite having a primary passion for acting, I knew that photography would be the true medium through which to define myself. Today, I still try acting when it's available, work for Warner Bros. Studios as a day job, and am happily with someone at the moment. However, beside me at all times is a Canon EOS 40D with 3 issues of National Geographic and a steel card holder filled with business cards saying "Photographer."

Now, along with several other makeshift pages, there is a blog to describe my life as seen through a viewfinder. I travel when I can, photograph what is willing, and share this all to you. It's hardly National Geographic (yet), but hopefully this will be an open window to exploration and bringing the world to you, the reader. With any luck, I'll even stumble upon another burning field, only I'll ready this time.


The Devil's Highway by =serphius on deviantART