![<span id="date">_04/08/10_</span> <span id="title">White Blossoms</span>
Quick iPhone shot today. These blossoms were looking lovely in the bright sun. Not sure what they are. Pear?
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#508627167_4unZe">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-r78L7dh/3/06044ba1/L/2010-04-08%20White%20Blossoms-L.jpg)
_04/08/10_ White Blossoms Quick iPhone shot today. These blossoms were looking lovely in the bright sun. Not sure what they are. Pear? [last year]
_04/08/10_ White Blossoms Quick iPhone shot today. These blossoms were looking lovely in the bright sun. Not sure what they are. Pear? [last year]
![<span id="date">_04/14/10_</span> <span id="title">Study Time</span>
This photo was taken at the Rosenfeld Library at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Everything is super nice - huge glass windows, open floor plan, comfy seats, glass study rooms...
I liked having the high vantage point with the large window, and it helps ensure that no one is recognizable. I thought this scene had a nice balance to it.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#512790450_4Hmy2">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-fzrj4r9/3/dabf31e7/Ti/2010-04-14%20Study%20Time-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/13/10_</span> <span id="title">Succulicious</span>
Another succulent plant today, although I have no idea what it is since it wasn't labeled in the botanical gardens. I've had so many meetings lately that I hadn't been to the gardens for lunch in a couple weeks, so it was nice to see all the spring growth and flowers. I'm also pretty happy with how this turned out for a phone photo.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#512138583_Wggyz">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-8mTBvcv/3/2bfed9fd/Ti/2010-04-13%20Succulent-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/12/10_</span> <span id="title">Blue Agave, Wet</span>
This photo was inspired by rain we had this morning. When I walked out to work I noticed the water drops on this blue agave we have on our patio, so I tried to recreate it.
Want to see the setup? Click "the setup" to see the setup:
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Utility/Setups/8246339_SpVpq#835438714_kt3AR">the setup</a>
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#722470734_KnipE">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-zGp5GQ5/3/3532f39a/Ti/2010-04-12%20Wet%20Blue%20Agave-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/11/10_</span> <span id="title">Flower Fields</span>
On our way back from San Diego, we stopped at <a href="http://www.theflowerfields.com/">The Flower Fields</a> in Carlsbad. Between fancy hotels and an outlet mall lies millions of colorful flowers on 50 acres, mostly ranunculus. As you can see in this shot hay rides are available, although we elected to stroll around ourselves.
Of course it's seasonal but if you are ever in the area during Spring, it is well worth a stop. Your senses will thank you.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#512159683_y4C3t">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-6Hdmz9T/3/437a1362/Ti/2010-04-11%20Flower%20Fields-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/10/10_</span> <span id="title">Feed Me</span>
Today we went to Sea World! I took a lot of shots, but this was my favorite - a simple dolphin portrait. We had a great time feeding them, although $6 for three measly fish seems a bit much. We also enjoyed feeding the sting rays!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#509828485_PvPTS">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-P4xMQ4x/3/0fea22d0/Ti/2010-04-10%20Dolphin-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/09/10_</span> <span id="title">Dancing Lily</span>
Pretty flower from a bouquet we got last Saturday at the farmer's market - it just opened yesterday. I lit it from the bottom, but that left the stigma/style/anthers/filaments in the dark, so I lit them with a flashlight. Because the flashlight couldn't match the power of my flash unit, I put it on a slow shutter speed and shook the camera to make it "dance."
Oh, you're curious to see how I did this? But of course - <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Utility/Setups/8246339_SpVpq#832352644_PLEdB">setup photo</a>. Maybe someday I'll get some <em>real</em> lighting equipment :)
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#509187944_oHwES">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-gNZdXn2/3/864aefa2/Ti/2010-04-09%20Dancing%20Lily-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/08/10_</span> <span id="title">White Blossoms</span>
Quick iPhone shot today. These blossoms were looking lovely in the bright sun. Not sure what they are. Pear?
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#508627167_4unZe">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-r78L7dh/3/06044ba1/Ti/2010-04-08%20White%20Blossoms-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/07/10_</span> <span id="title">Apple Screws</span>
We got screwed by Apple. My wife's hard drive crashed in her iBook G4. We're holding out for new models to be released before we get her a replacement.
I spent most of the evening disassembling the laptop, which Apple clearly does not want you to do. It took forever to get to the hard drive, but I finally did and was able to recover her files! Yay!
I kept going and unscrewed every screw I could find - here's a picture of them, arranged beautifully over the Apple logo on the back of the screen. I'm not too happy with the arrangement, but it's so freaking hard to position these tiny things that I gave up for the night.
<strong>Back up your files!!!<strong>
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#507905149_pxJ48">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-zmXLnjN/3/024fb419/Ti/2010-04-07%20Apple%20Screws-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/05/10_</span> <span id="title">Mussel Shell</span>
Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife! Her mom's in town to celebrate with us, and we drove to <a href="http://www.paradisecovemalibu.com/">Paradise Cove</a> in Malibu to get some delicious breakfast. Afterwards we walked down the beach to some rocks and tide pools. I'm happy this shot turned out, because it was taken on faith - I wasn't actually looking through the viewfinder.
After breakfast we drove to the Getty Center but got turned away becuase there was no parking. That was a bummer, but we went to <a href="http://www.lacma.org/">LACMA</a> instead and had a great time! We ended the day with a sushi dinner and gourmet cupcakes.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#507251961_4WTDt">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-Bsdj2f9/3/d52f3ad7/Ti/2010-04-06%20Mussel%20Shell-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/05/10_</span> <span id="title">Ackerman Arches</span>
This architectural feature is found on the Ackerman Building - UCLA's student union. They contrast between the yellow-ish wood and beautiful blue sky caught my attention. This shot is actually rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
I'm hoping for another beautiful day tomorrow! It's my wife's birthday and her mom is in town, so we'll be doing some sightseeing around town.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#506330495_yo6FM">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-bdz2MD9/3/d75d0f13/Ti/2010-04-05%20Ackerman%20Arches-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/04/10_</span> <span id="title">Angels Flight</span>
Happy Easter! Hope you had a great day.
<a href="http://angelsflight.com/">Angels Flight</a> is billed as the world's shortest railroad. It's in downtown LA, just East of all the skyscrapers, and it takes passengers up a 1-block hill. It's only 25 cents to ride this piece of history, so I'd highly recommend it.
After riding the orange and black cars, we took my wife's mom to Philippe the Original to get delicious french dipped sandwiches. Before heading home, we stopped by the Pico-Union neighborhood to check out the houses along <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarado_Terrace_Historic_District">Alvarado Terrace</a>.
The theme was unintentional, but we certainly enjoyed our day of historic downtown LA.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#505583409_AV8Xr">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-p7qXsxJ/3/1451dbdc/Ti/2010-04-04%20Angels%20Flight-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/03/10_</span> <span id="title">Building Lines</span>
I shot this in Century City this afternoon, just outside of the <a href="http://www.annenbergspaceforphotography.org/">Annenberg Space for Photography</a>. It's an amazing place and their current exhibit on water (coinciding with April's NatGeo issue) was quite eye-opening and powerful. I highly recommend checking it out. I plan on going back for some of their lectures in the next month.
My mother-in-law is in town and today we went to a nearby farmer's market, got lunch at a place called Breadbar, visited the Annenberg, and then came home for a wonderful dinner - almost soley using food purchased at the farmer's market. All-in-all, a great day!
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#504884050_Ey3NY">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-CZMw8vs/3/228429c9/Ti/2010-04-03%20Century%20City%20Building-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/02/10_</span> <span id="title">Green er y</span>
Leaves on tree. Taken at lunch. UCLA botanical gardens.
Sets of three. Words, that is.
Mother-in-law flying in. Fun weekend ahead.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#504359565_2yFPC">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-LdBmnRW/3/808c9979/Ti/2010-04-02%20Greenery-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_04/01/10_</span> <span id="title">Gold Shoes</span>
Today was a beautiful day! Happy April!
Around work, I took some photos of the rare crystal clear sky with puffy clouds, although I chose this photo because it was more original than the others. The girl wearing these shoes was walking up Janss Steps, which you're probably familiar with if you went to or have visited the UCLA campus. They've also been in more than a couple movies...
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#503757401_J4bj6">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-dDj475k/3/e003d4c8/Ti/2010-04-01%20Gold%20Shoes-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/31/10_</span> <span id="title">Walking Man</span>
I walked home again today, and the koala from <a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/Daily/year3/11272102_ACXDJ#824022840_tAQdL">yesterday</a> was gone. I guess his bus finally came.
Going along with the theme of walking, I took a photo of this sign in front of a big, black, boring, backlit building.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#503172286_ke5ZS">[last year]</a> <em>celebrating the number 31...</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-pDDz9cX/3/bfed99ef/Ti/2010-03-31%20Walking%20Man-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/30/10_</span> <span id="title">Fat Koala Waits for the Bus</span>
Um... yeah. The title pretty much sums it up.
I decided to walk home from work today (4 miles) and happened upon this. I took a photo, kept walking...
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#502480372_44Kcg">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-r79rthx/3/f0a46df2/Ti/2010-03-30%20Fat%20Koala%20Waits%20for%20the%20Bus-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/29/10_</span> <span id="title">Easter Basket</span>
Ah, the joy of a surprise cupcake! A coworker of mine shared these fun Easter basket cupcakes while we did the delightful task of moving furniture. The pattern comes from a chair that I put up against a white wall. I edited in Lightroom with the goal of making the cupcake pop out.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#501715407_tQASE">[last year]</a> <em>currently my most popular photo!</em>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-8hpD4dn/3/bb68d696/Ti/2010-03-29%20Easter%20Cupcake-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/28/10_</span> <span id="title">Pink Martini Bike</span>
This bright pink beach cruiser was locked up in a parking lot. I liked how I could frame the shot so that the shadow is the only indication that it's a bicycle. At least, that's what I tried to do - I only had my phone with me.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#500922215_xfRDh">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-7NXqSQj/3/032b8e92/Ti/2010-03-28%20Pink%20Martini%20Bicycle-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/27/10_</span> <span id="title">Wisteria & Wife</span>
There's a wisteria bush down the alley that's in full bloom and my lovely wife posed for photos next to it. Two pretty things, complimenting each other nicely :)
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#500092454_nfGP7">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-48G46JP/3/aebcb1e8/Ti/2010-03-27%20Wisteria%20Wife-Ti.jpg)
![<span id="date">_03/26/10_</span> <span id="title">Neil</span>
Neil Patrick Harris, that is. I met him, as well as the rest of the cast of How I Met Your Mother! Due to some super-fancy connections my wife has, we got to hang out on the set today as they shot parts of the season finale at Fox studios in Century City. Spoiler alert: they all die. Well, OK, that's not what happens but you'll just have to wait until it airs.
I didn't get any amazing shots, but this was my favorite of NPH. They were all nice, but he and Alyson Hannigan were <em>super</em> friendly. I touched up the photo by cropping in close, adding some vignetting and desaturating the background a bit.
Being at the studio during a shoot was pretty cool. It was neat to see the actors, the equipment and the complex process that results in just a few seconds of screen time. I was really surprised at how many different people were involved.
<a href="http://www.jawsnap.net/gallery/7157835_BfJPF#499703293_Ynzvo">[last year]</a>](https://photos.smugmug.com/Daily/Year3/i-mHP7nZK/3/dbd3d73a/Ti/2010-03-26%20Neil%20Patrick%20Harris-Ti.jpg)