![<span id="date">_10/31/10_</span> <span id="title">Hatter, Mad</span>
Happy Halloween! Tonight we went to the <a href="http://www.westhollywoodhalloween.com/">West Hollywood Carnaval</a>, the biggest Halloween party around. We've been meaning to go since we moved here, and we're so happy we finally did! My sister and I got some nice zombie makeup and my wife had quite the homemade batman costume. We saw all sorts of crazy stuff, from cute little kids to mostly naked people. I can't decide if it's encouraging or depressing to see how much commitment people have to their costumes.
This fellow was one of the best mad hatters I saw, and the photo turned out nicely - most didn't. I used slow-sync flash on most of the shots I took.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#698810167_RS3eB">[last year]</a> <em>not the greatest Halloween...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-8xVR4fG/2/2d88229a/L/2010-10-31%20Mad%20Hatter-L.jpg)
_10/31/10_ Hatter, Mad Happy Halloween! Tonight we went to the West Hollywood Carnaval, the biggest Halloween party around. We've been meaning to go since we moved here, and we're so happy we finally did! My sister and I got some nice zombie makeup and my wife had quite the homemade batman costume. We saw all sorts of crazy stuff, from cute little kids to mostly naked people. I can't decide if it's encouraging or depressing to see how much commitment people have to their costumes. This fellow was one of the best mad hatters I saw, and the photo turned out nicely - most didn't. I used slow-sync flash on most of the shots I took. [last year] not the greatest Halloween...
![<span id="date">_10/31/10_</span> <span id="title">Hatter, Mad</span>
Happy Halloween! Tonight we went to the <a href="http://www.westhollywoodhalloween.com/">West Hollywood Carnaval</a>, the biggest Halloween party around. We've been meaning to go since we moved here, and we're so happy we finally did! My sister and I got some nice zombie makeup and my wife had quite the homemade batman costume. We saw all sorts of crazy stuff, from cute little kids to mostly naked people. I can't decide if it's encouraging or depressing to see how much commitment people have to their costumes.
This fellow was one of the best mad hatters I saw, and the photo turned out nicely - most didn't. I used slow-sync flash on most of the shots I took.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#698810167_RS3eB">[last year]</a> <em>not the greatest Halloween...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-8xVR4fG/2/2d88229a/Ti/2010-10-31%20Mad%20Hatter-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/30/10_</span> <span id="title">Homecoming Panda</span>
Happy Halloween!
The day before Halloween, we went to the USC Homecoming football game, which my wife and I have done for years. This time, my sister came along, so that was fun!
This is a zoomed-in shot of the student section. There were a lot of costumes, although only one really stands out here. Most of the students are making the "V" but sadly the victory went to Oregon. It was pretty expected that the Trojans would lose to the top ranked team in the country, but it was a great game! Most of it, anyways.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#697955510_pFRBJ">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-QTb6fWf/2/aa53703e/Ti/2010-10-30%20Homecoming%20Panda-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/29/10_</span> <span id="title">Building & Sky</span>
And the moon, too! But since this is a desperation shot with my phone, the moon is pretty tiny. My sister came into town today for a weekend visit! Hopefully I'll have some cool daily photos from all the fun places we'll see in the next few days...
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#696995346_763tE">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-qnTjMK6/2/57bd5dcb/Ti/2010-10-29%20Building%20%26%20Sky-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/28/10_</span> <span id="title">Pod</span>
This is the interior of the CAA building in Century City. It also made an appearance on <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#881369815_dowqs">5/27/10</a>.
As usual, I was here for a lecture at the <a href="http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/">Annenberg Space for Photography</a>. Tonight was Stephen O'Meara, who travels around the world with his wife Donna, observing volcanoes. Their theory is that volcanic activity is tied to the lunar cycle, and they've observed countless eruptions that peak at the same time as the maximum tide. It was really interesting and I'm happy that in a few cases that theory has actually saved lives. Unfortunately there is a negative stigma in the scientific community regarding anything to do with the moon, so not all vulcanologists are on board.
I'm planning on going to the next 2 or 3 lectures, so hopefully I'll have more good reports to give.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#696016680_xVcjV">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-LhwdSnd/2/486cddbb/Ti/2010-10-28%20Pod-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/27/10_</span> <span id="title">Wispy</span>
Lots of awesome clouds today! And... that's about all I have to say!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#695203452_hVEjT">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-vWWL6sb/2/877909c5/Ti/2010-10-27%20Wispy-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/26/10_</span> <span id="title">Ballot</span>
I voted today! Thank goodness for early mail-in ballots. If only filling in bubbles on this pretty pink slip would stop the incessant ads and mailers...
This shot was pretty simple - macro lens, off camera flash to the left, pen resting on a box at such an angle that it didn't slide off. Since I was just inches away, I shot at f/16 to get a decent depth of field so many of the numbers were in focus. Minor adjustments in Lightroom.
All those in the US, you'd better vote on Tuesday! Unless you have different viewpoints from me - in that case just stay home. Cheers!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#695173115_DwGwi">[last year]</a> <em>still impressed I got this night shot...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-944JG62/2/fd269e99/Ti/2010-10-26%20Ballot-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/25/10_</span> <span id="title">Bottlecap Post</span>
I went for a walk around the neighborhood this evening and got this shot of a wooden post that has many, many bottlecaps nailed into it that have long since rusted. The blurred lines in the background are from a corrugated metal garage door. Looks like a great place to catch tetanus.
Oh, and thanks for all the comments on <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#1062609551_mUyqZ">yesterday's post</a>! I was pleasantly surprised :)
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#693483836_RPkLv">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-nqJxgpm/2/e8f0dbf8/Ti/2010-10-25%20Bottlecap%20Post-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/24/10_</span> <span id="title">Brass Weights</span>
These four cup-type things are brass weights that all fit inside each other in a larger brass container, babushka-style. I used the same setup as yesterday where I put them on a black cloth in a dark bathroom and used a small flashlight to paint the light during a long shutter speed. I feel like I could have placed these a little more creatively, but it's late and I'm tired with a touch of sick. Hopefully tomorrow I will wake up rested so I can get back to my day job as a... um... person who manually weights things?
Yeah, I don't really know what these are for.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#691523103_SSUBi">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-rhts5Hm/2/56a84538/Ti/2010-10-24%20Brass%20Weights-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/23/10_</span> <span id="title">Three Dieties</span>
We found these in a cupboard above our fridge after we moved in - forgotten I suppose? I'm no expert in Hinduism, but thanks to the magic of the internet I've decided they are Sarasvati, Ganesh and Lakshmi. Please correct me if I'm wrong. My favorite part is a warning on the bottom of the tray that the statues are sitting on - it reads:
NOT FOR FOOD USE
MAY POISON FOOD
Thankfully I never planned on eating the statues.
To get the shot, I put the tray on a black background on the bathroom counter, then closed the door and turned off the light. During the 30 seconds of open shutter, I painted the light using a mini Maglite. I had to practice a few times to get a good exposure.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#690505498_QZkdF">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-8DZ78nG/2/e73d6e97/Ti/2010-10-23%20Three%20Dieties-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/22/10_</span> <span id="title">Gestation</span>
Gestation III, to be exact. This awesome-looking wood sculpture is in Palisades Park in Santa Monica, above the bluffs. To be even more exact, it's near the corner of Ocean/Palisades.
Although I've yet to witness it, on the winter solstice the sun will set right in the 'eye' of the sculpture. Pretty cool. It was created by Baile Oakes in 1991 and is "dedicated to all who work to heal our planet."
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#689613294_MCnNb">[last year]</a> <em>I miss the free stuff...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-XwJWWcw/2/f3827e55/Ti/2010-10-22%20Gestation-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/21/10_</span> <span id="title">Wheel at Night</span>
I went for a walk tonight, and made it all the way to the Santa Monica Pier where this Ferris wheel is (along with a roller coaster). Armed with a sense of pride after walking the amazing distance of nearly three miles, I went to McDonald's to reward myself with a hot fudge sundae. And then my wife picked me up so I didn't have to walk home. Hey, that's 3/7 deadly sins!
This shot benefited nicely from LR3's improved noise reduction tools. Incredible difference from LR2.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#688723583_5jWTA">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-DNMSWGW/2/d17c1b02/Ti/2010-10-21%20Wheel%20at%20Night-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/20/10_</span> <span id="title">Wet Agave</span>
Today's wet photo is of some agave in the UCLA botanical gardens. I had my macro lens, but this was as close as I could get without getting stabbed by the plant next to it. The clouds cleared up this evening, so hopefully that's the last of the rain for a while.
Thanks for all the comments on <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#1055496213_iHf3T">yesterday's shot</a>! Did you notice it was taken with an iPhone?
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#687518462_f3Roa">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-nwMMj8b/2/41436a78/Ti/2010-10-20%20Wet%20Agave-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/19/10_</span> <span id="title">Wet Leaf</span>
Still raining...
It was pretty clear earlier this afternoon, so I was hoping to go to the beach for a post-storm sunset shot, but I guess the weather wasn't quite done. Luckily I stumbled upon this nice big leaf as I left work. I did quite a few color modifications in LR3. I also donated (again) to Jeffrey Friedl to register his <a href="http://regex.info/blog/lightroom-goodies/smugmug">export plugin</a>. Well worth it.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#686582184_h3ZNt">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-QFqqkdF/3/8bd1ee76/Ti/2010-10-19%20Wet%20Leaf-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/18/10_</span> <span id="title">Grinder Plates</span>
These are coarse, medium and fine grinder plates for our antique nut grinder that made an appearance on <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#951163520_gKXe6">7/28/10</a>. We actually used it yesterday to grind some walnuts and pecans. It didn't go so well. Apparently you need to roast the nuts first. Also, it's hugely labor intensive and we don't have a good surface to attach the grinder to - our counter is too thick.
Sorry friends and family, you won't be getting cute little gift jars of homemade J&A nut butters this Christmas.
Oh, and if you missed it yesterday, I wrote a new blog post on the gi-normous lens that I rented - <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/10/adventures-in-long-glass/">blog.jawsnap.net</a>
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#684843049_3h8Zn">[last year]</a> <em>repetetetetive...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-dwtVQKX/2/a3c855e7/Ti/2010-10-18%20Grinder%20Plates-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/17/10_</span> <span id="title">Dark Pumpkin</span>
I grabbed this desperation shot at a nearby grocery store that had giant boxes of pumpkins outdoors, just after a light rain. The shot was pretty boring by itself, so I applied a bunch of fun color effects in LR3. They're regular orange pumpkins in real life.
In other news, I wrote a post on my experiences with the massive Sigma 150-500mm lens. Read it at <a href="http://blog.jawsnap.net/2010/10/adventures-in-long-glass/">blog.jawsnap.net</a>!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#684127475_sTRXo">[last year]</a> <em>belongs to our neighbor - mystery solved...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-XJVHqxN/3/7bdd9839/Ti/2010-10-17%20Dark%20Pumpkin-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/16/10_</span> <span id="title">Window Plants</span>
This was our big project for the day - plants! After 2 months of not having anything in that window (part of the time it was getting rebuilt), it's great to have some nice plants. Hopefully they won't all die from the intense sun. At least not right away...
In other news, I got Lightroom 3! I haven't played around with it too much, but I like all the new develop presets. This one is 'Color CP 2' - fun!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#683056965_DGsfw">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-DFQPTBw/2/8e5ff57a/Ti/2010-10-16%20Plants-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/15/10_</span> <span id="title">Comp Air</span>
My, oh my - I almost forgot about my photo today! It's been one of those kinds of Friday nights. Luckily I took this photo as I walked into work this morning. They're installing some stuff that was all laid out in some grass... not sure what 'comp air' means... Complimentary? How generous.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#682289266_tc4M2">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-RHjw8mp/2/6ff6dc38/Ti/2010-10-15%20Comp%20Air-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/14/10_</span> <span id="title">Half a Sprout</span>
This is one of many brussels sprout halves that I consumed tonight post-steaming. Actually I can't be sure I ate this particular one, since my wife and I both partook. Next time I'll mark it with my initials to be sure.
I took the shot after I sliced and placed them in the steamer. I had to carefully balance it on the other halves so it was stand up. I mounted my off-camera flash on my gorillapod so I could position it next to the steamer and used my 60mm macro lens to get in close. In Lightroom, I brushed in some clarity on the in-focus stuff to give it more definition.
I quite like brussels sprouts, which I find interesting because my dad hates them. It's one of only 2 or 3 foods he won't eat.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#681313629_JnVas">[last year]</a> <em>one of my favorite plant photos...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-zn82brX/2/c2da5c90/Ti/2010-10-14%20Half%20a%20Sprout-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_10/13/10_</span> <span id="title">Bubbles</span>
As usual, what was supposed to be a desperation shot turned into something a bit more time-consuming. This is me, blowing bubbles straight at the camera. We got the bubbles two Saturdays ago at a friends' wedding!
The camera was on a tripod, level with me with dark curtains in the background. Off-camera flash was to my left on a table. I focused as close as the lens would go - about 1.5 ft (.5 m). I used a remote trigger and 2 second self-timer to take each shot - about 50 in all. Most - nearly all, in fact - had nothing in focus, but a few did! This was the best one, so here you go.
And in case you're wondering, yes, the front of my lens is pretty much covered in soapy stuff now.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year2/7157835_BfJPF#680360152_KeKUZ">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-KC7fqXt/2/f0b8b003/Ti/2010-10-13%20Bubbles-Ti.jpg)
irishmurr
on November 6, 2010Oh, I like this! You captured the feeling of the carnaval so well!