We went camping again this past weekend at Barton Flats Campground in Big Bear Mountain. Since other campers didn't seem too enthused about hiking the short trail up to Jenks Lake again, I went with my son, who kept telling me this is one of his most favorite hikes. Last month when we were here, the water level at Jenks Lake was really low. But it has returned back to normal level now. While we explored around the lake, a ranger told us that they had to clear a 3.5 mile stream with shovels to keep the water coming in. He was really proud, and we thanked him for his hard work. To see other photos from the trip, [CLICK HERE]
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We went RV camping this weekend in a friend's C-class RV at Oceanside, near San Diego. It was my first time camping in an RV park and it felt quite different than regular tent camping. Sleeping arrangements were definitely more comfortable, but it didn't have the connections of living close to nature. Perhaps RV'ing in campgrounds will be better, but the RV park we stayed in just felt much more city-like. The kids had fun, nonetheless. They were constantly on their bikes riding around the RV park, and it was safe because people were conscious about driving slowly around the park. The beach was also only a short walk away, so location-wise, it was not bad at all. At night, no big campfires, but you're allowed built a small fire in a portable fire pit.
This campground around 100 miles away from our house is slowly becoming one of my favorite place to camp. Though it's near Big Bear Lake, popular local mountain resort city, this campground only required a short drive on a less traveled road that has less traffic and easier to drive. Jenks Lake is only a short hike away from the campground with nicely shaded trails and it's not too strenuous. The Lake has lost a lot of its water from the recent drought, and even the non-eventful El Nino couldn't help it much. 50'Lux does its wonders again, giving me creamy bokeh and lovely colors. The WATE isn't lacking, either, giving me the wider perspective and sharp as needles. For the full set, [CLICK HERE].
What do you call when you use two cameras to take pictures of each other? I'm sorry having a dirty mind, but I couldn't think of a better way to describe it. I didn't scan it in, but I rather liked the picture the InstantFlex TL70 took of the M9, too. I was just bored while waiting to take some product shots for Sweet J.A.M.
Sure, autumn has great colors, but I'm getting some nice colors now. I liked the new spring green mixed with the red maple leaves. It's a lovely sight just for stepping out to pick up today's mail.
Thanks to El Nino that dumped a bunch of snow in Big Bear the past few weekends, today we took our son to see snow for the first time in his life. It was also the first time I've shot the M9 in snow. He had a ton of fun sledding in the snow, and I ended up with a ton of post processing work. All metering was off while shooting in the snow... the white balance was off most of the time, picking a way too cool temp, and the exposure was mostly 1 stop under (I was shooting in A-mode). There was no way I could have focused fast enough to catch people coming down the slope, so I cheated by pre-focusing at a spot on the ground about 8 feet from me and just waited for action to come to me. While I didn't get the right focus in many shots, I still like them because the emotion was there. Shooting these cute kids is just cheating. There was no way I could get a bad picture.
If you would like to see the full set, [CLICK HERE] Today we visited a house with pool up on the Hollywood Hills. This perhaps the last chance for the kids to get to splash in the pool before autumn roll around. Labor Day, to me, is always the holiday to send off summer with a last hurrah. It feels kind of strange, now that we're grown up. Back in the days, this marks the beginning of another school year, time for us to collect ourselves. But now I look at September melancholy because it feels like another year is almost passing us by... Where have all the time gone? What have I done this year that was memorable? Maybe these shots of empty pools shows what I'm feeling. It reminds us of the fun we had... after the party ends, all that's left are the still water and the eerie lights.
When you find a campground that's well maintained and has easy hiking trails that showcase beautiful sceneries, it's hard to resist going back again and again, and again. This time armed with the WATE, I was determined to rediscover the landscapes and see if I can find different angles to capture its beauty. Something different about this trip, was taking a few more family members, like my mother-in-law, and niece and nephews. Having new members sharing our camping experience is always a good thing. For the full set of images, please visit my personal gallery [HERE].
While waiting for my meat to smoke during this Memorial Day weekend, I walked around my sister-in-law's backyard to look for interesting things to photograph. Saw this little guy... probably no one has paid him any attention for years. I wonder what was he suppose to hold in his hand?
Then I saw this bird that's about to be trapped by the vines. I recently bought a Kamado Joe smoker grill and it has changed BBQ for me forever. I've always enjoyed some good BBQ once in a while, but now I'm slightly obsessed. While the new Monochrom 246 camera sounds intriguing, I think I will be spending my money elsewhere for a while... in my stomach :)
Also some shots of bubble fun in the backyard, something we haven't done for a while. |
AuthorDavid Young Archives
May 2023
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My Journey into Leica...
A path not to be taken lightly, not without reservations, and not without dedication, but the results can be sweet, OH SO SWEET! This is a documentation of my trials and tribulations into the world of Leica Rangefinder Photography, and I hope you'll enjoy coming along with me.