One Man's Blog » Travel

Photos from the BlogWorld/WordCamp LV 2009 Photowalk

John P. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 07:22:26 +0000

For those of you who didn’t get to join us on the BlogWorld 2009 Photowalk in Las Vegas, I’m embedding a photo slideshow here so that you can see all the pictures from the group that accompanied me on the walk.

We had a great time, and thanks to all who joined in!

If you’d like the higher resolution versions of the images just head over to the Flicker group.

Photo: Navagio Beach on Zakynthos, Greece – Simply Stunning!

John P. — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:11:46 +0000

Sometimes people ask me about what it’s like to visit Greece. And I tell them that there is really no place like it. From the crazy metropolis of Athens to the volcanic island of Santorini, it’s unique in every way. And if that isn’t enough, you’ll constantly discover gems like this one…

On the Island of Zakynthos you’ll find one of the most famous beaches in Greece. Navagio Beach, or the Shipwreck, is notable because it is home to the wreck of the alleged smuggler ship Panagiotis; thus, it is often referred to as ‘Smugglers Cove’. If you are going to try and find it, here are the coordinates: 37°51′28″N 20°37′36″E / 37.85778°N 20.62667°E / 37.85778; 20.62667.

In case you are interested in exploring the island visually, here is the Google Map to help you along.

View Larger Map

Just click and zoom in on the location marked A on the left side and you’ll be staring at the beach.

Incidentally, thanks to Rob Wallace. for the beautiful photo!

BlogWorld & WordCamp Las Vegas Photowalk – 7pm Saturday Oct 17, 2009

John P. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:52:55 +0000

Well, since I’ll be attending and speaking at BlogWorld / WordCamp in a couple of weeks in Las Vegas I thought it might be fun to organize a photowalk if anyone is interested in a get together and an evening of exploration and fun. You see, I’m a semi-professional photographer, and an amateur tattoo artist… (think Talledega Nights people.)

If you’ve never been on a photowalk before, essentially what we are going to do is all meet at one place and then walk around Las Vegas seeing the sights, talking, taking photos, and perhaps grabbing a beer here or there. Also, I’m going to take you off the strip, so you’ll see things that most people never do when they come to Vegas.

Now, there are a few good reasons to participate in an event like this:

I have been to Vegas more times than I can count. I’ve taken hundreds and hundreds of photos of the city, and I’ll take you right to where you can get some great ones.
Wandering around after dark by yourself might be a little scary for some people, so a group event is safer and more fun.
If you love taking photos, then you’ll love Vegas at night. There is simply not a better spot for night photography.
And finally, if you would like some tips and tricks, I’ll be happy to provide some instruction for anyone who needs it along the way.

As far as the details are concerned, here is what I’m thinking…

The Details

We will meet up to head out at 7pm at the Monorail station just outside the Convention Center. Don’t worry, you can not miss it. You can see it from the front door of the building, and since we’ll all be there for Blog World it’s a nice central location. Feel free to follow me on Twitter (@johnpoz) for updates as we go.

From there, we’ll take the monorail down to the Sahara, which is the last stop on the line. We’ll wander through the Sahara and walk on down to the Stratosphere. Along the way will be some fantastic spots for photo opportunities, and this time of evening will be the “golden hour” of sunlight. It’s the best possible time of the day for shots.

When we get to Stratosphere, we’ll stop off at Roxy’s for dinner. This is an old diner style restaurant where the wait staff sings to the customers. A good time will be had by all, I’m certain!

After we’ve had our fill, we will catch cabs and head down to Fremont Street. This is “old” Las Vegas at it’s finest and home to the Fremont Street Experience. If you’ve never been, here is a preview of what you can expect to see. You do NOT want to miss this on your trip to Vegas.

In addition to seeing the incredible laser and light show, I’ll show you around the casinos, the old Neon signs, and we’ll probably even end up at a little pub to wind up the evening with a celebratory beer. I know Aaron Brazell would go for that if he joins in!

I anticipate that we’ll wrap things up by 11pm, and coincidentally this means that anyone who wants to stick around and do a little gambling could head into the Fremont Street casinos where the odds are decidedly more in your favor than over on the strip at the big hotels.

What You Need

Really, the only things you need to bring are:

Some comfortable shoes and the ability to do a little leisurely walking.
About $30 to cover the monorail ($5 each way), taxi ($12 each way divide by the number of people sharing), and snacks, etc.
The desire to hang out and have fun with some fellow bloggers! You’ll probably even pick up some material for your blog!

Other things you may want to bring:

A camera. But this is not necessary! Just join in if you aren’t a photo buff! It’s like a walking party.
A tripod. After the sun goes down you will want to disable your flash and use a long exposure. A tripod is a must, even if it’s just a Mini Tripod. Trust me, I’ll teach you how to do it!
A jacket. I know its the desert, but it can get a little chilly in the evening after the sun goes down and the breeze picks up.

Who’s Coming?

So, here are the folks that have confirmed that they will be joining in. Drop a comment if you’re going to be there and I’ll add you to the list, then be looking forward to meeting everyone!

PS.

I also learned that Victor Cajiao is holding a completely different photowalk on Thursday evening over on the Strip, beginning in front of the Bellagio at 10pm. Unfortunately I won’t be in town until Friday morning so I’ll miss it. But if you were to go with Victor on Thursday and with us on Saturday you’ll come away with a well rounded view of Las Vegas and a ton of photos that you’ll never forget!

My “Top 5″ Photoshop World Photo (Shown During the Keynote!)

John P. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 08:47:19 +0000

For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I’m at Photoshop World in Las Vegas this week learning as much as I possibly can. On Tuesday I was in an all day seminar, put on by Canon and taught by Eddie Tapp and Jack Reznicki, in which we studied lighting and composition theory, actually had a photo shoot with real models, and then came back to the classroom for editing and retouching instruction.

Being completely new to portrait photography, this was a day of firsts for me. I had never worked with remote strobes before (fixed lights that act like flashes which are triggered wirelessly), I had never worked with a professional model, and I had never edited a portrait in photoshop.

Having said all that, I was extremely delighted and honored tonight when I found out from one of my fellow attendees that my image had made it into the Top 5 this morning during the keynote speech to kick off the Photoshop World convention (which I missed from being up too late working on Woopra last night).

After presenting the photos they had the crowd vote by clapping, and I’m told it was actually a pretty close call. I didn’t win, but heck – I’m honored just to have been nominated!

Anyway, here is my top 5 finishing photograph. My models name was Lynn, but unfortunately I don’t know her last name or how to give her credit. Nonetheless she was very pleasant to work with and it was a long hard day for her and the other models because there were about 50 of us photographing them for hours non-stop.

You can select this image to view progressively larger versions.

This image was shot with a Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 70-200mm IS 2.8 lens. I used a custom white balance thanks to my trusty expodisc, and the model was staring up into a single whitebox with a strobe in it triggered by a pocket wizard. I edited the image fairly aggressively in Photoshop.

The Photos That Got Me Banned From Excalibur Las Vegas (You Know, ‘Homeland Security’!)

John P. — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:24:47 +0000

As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, this week is the Photoshop World convention in Las Vegas and I’m here for a week of fun and learning! But after only a few hours in town, I’ve already got a whopper of a story to tell! Screw the whole “what happens in Vegas…” crap.

So Photoshop World is at the Mandalay Bay and thousands of photographers will be converging there from all over the world. In fact they’re sold out. So I had to stay next door at Luxor.

Well, I checked in and dropped off my stuff in my room, then grabbed my camera to go walk and take some photos on the strip. Of course, the Excalibur is the first hotel on the way down the strip, and I’ve taken photos of it literally every time I’ve been in Las Vegas. But this time I took some photos OUTSIDE the hotel, and as I was going to walk through the hotel to get something to eat, a security guard stopped me before I could enter.

He wanted to know my name, where I was staying, and my room number! He told me it was because I was taking photos of the outside of the building! And claimed it was for “homeland security”.

As you might imaging, I thought this was absurd and appalling. But I figured, what the hell… if they don’t want my money!

By this time there were no fewer than 4 “security guards” right on top of me, attempting to intimidate me. Meanwhile, I’m trying to peacefully leave the property, but they keep harassing me. If that’s not bad enough, one little guy starts following me, and begins reading to me from a card!

Yep, you guessed it! He gave me a “do not trespass” and told me he’ll have me arrested if I come back on their property! :-)

Oh, I should mention that other people were of course taking photos of the hotel at the same time. As I’m sure millions of people have.

What I find most interesting is, how are they going to deal with the hoards of Photoshop attendees? I even tried explaining it to them, but they were not interested in listening. So, officially I’m never allowed in that property again because I took the following 13 photos of it from the outside while walking by! I figure that makes these the most dangerous and valuable photos on Earth!

Now, if there is any good news, it’s that when I got back to the Luxor in the evening I went down to the front desk to address the issue. After talking to the service manager, he called over the security manager. After talking to the security manager, he thought it was ridiculous and he called the Excalibur security manager (thanks for the help Kevin!). We both met the Exclibur manger in a neutral walkway that connects the two casinos.

After telling the story again, Excalibur’s security manager also couldn’t believe it. He was very apologetic and asked if I would come over and write a statement for him so that he could address it with the people on the other shift (thanks Michael!), which I did.

As of this moment, I’m still banned, and will not ever set foot in Excalibur, Luxor or Mandalay Bay after this trip. However, I’ve given them all of my information so we’ll see if they contact me as I’ve requested. I asked for a written apology that specifically states that I am NOT banned from the property. Otherwise I will not risk being thrown in jail.

I will tell you, it was one of the most insulting things ever in my life. Being treated like a bloody criminal for taking a few photos, which is standard practice for anyone in Vegas, simply sucks. That doesn’t take into account the anger, or all my wasted time trying to later resolve the matter. There is nothing they can do to make it up to me, so now I’m going to tell this story every chance I get to as many people as possible. And I think you should too!

The Luxor’s “High Speed Internet” is a JOKE!

John P. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 21:16:20 +0000

Unbelievable as it may seem, the Luxor in Las Vegas offers high-speed internet access – but there’s a catch! In order to get it, you need to stretch a wire all the way across the room, and it won’t even reach the desk for you to actually work at it.

The cost for this little act of fire-hazard creation? $15 per day. FML.

Photos From the Magnificent Island of Santorini, Greece

John P. — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 06:47:50 +0000

Three years ago on my old blog I wrote about our vacation to the Island of Santorini in Greece and posted quite a few photos. As I look back and review them, I still love those pictures. However, since I’ve been practicing with Photoshop lately I decided to go back and grab some of those old photos and see what I could do to enhance them a bit.

The only problem is that I shot all of these in JPG originally and not RAW. This limits my ability to do some additional editing, but still, I think the results speak for themselves.

Oh, and for the record, these photos are specifically from the town of Oia (pronounced “E-uh”) on Santorini. The famous Oia sunset, considered by many as one of the most beautiful in the world, keeps tourists flocking to the island of Santorini, waiting for the moment when the sun slips down on the calm sea of the caldera. It is truly one of the most magnificent sites on Earth.

Yet again, the full size versions are also over on my Flickr photo gallery. Enjoy!

87 Photos From My Las Vegas Vacation

John P. — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:54:15 +0000

As anyone who has been following me on Twitter knows, I’ve been in Vegas for the last 4 days on vacation. I’m heading back home this morning, but figured that I would share a few of my photos from the trip in case anyone cares to gaze upon them. Hopefully at least a few are amusing.

The interesting thing about this trip is that I did not take my big Canon 5D. Instead, I took only my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. Its a 10.1 MP Digital Camera with an amazing f2.0-2.8 2.5x wide angle, Optical Image Stabilized Leica lens. The lens is the equivalent of a 24-60mm in a full sensor SLR.

This little camera is pricey, but I remain extremely, extremely impressed. I almost never used the flash, but the camera handled the very low light, high contrast scenes better than I ever dreamed a camera that could fit in a pocket would! I highly recommend it for those with the means. There is also a full Leica branded twin of this camera (the Leica D-Lux 4) which will cost a little more for the Leica badge, but render essentially the exact same imagery. Get either camera. You won’t regret it.

Now, on to the pictures!

The full sized photos are available on my Flickr pages for those who are interested.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium – A Complete Photo and Video Review

John P. — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 20:52:11 +0000

Thanks to my brother-in-law Jason, I had the opportunity to go over to the new Cowboy’s Stadium in Arlington, TX for the season ticket holder’s open house.

For those of you who don’t know, the 3 million-square-foot stadium has an approximate capacity of up to 100,000 fans. As the largest NFL venue ever built, the new stadium boasts the most spectacular column-free room in the world, stretching a quarter-mile in length.

While I was there, I took the opportunity to take a whole boatload of photographs, and even some video – which they would never let you get away with normally. In addition, Cali and Neal came with me and put together the following show on GeekBrief.TV with some of the video segments.

The Video

The Photos

Full resolution versions of all of these photos are available in my Cowboys Stadium Flickr set as well.

Building Facts and Features

Designed to be open or closed, depending on weather conditions, the expansive retractable roof is the largest of its kind in the world and measures approximately 660,800 square feet. When closed, the roof encompasses 104 million cubic feet of volume, making it the largest enclosed NFL stadium in the world. The retractable roof is designed specifically to emulate the
current Texas Stadium opening which is recognized around the world and allow views inward and outward. Each panel can open or close in 12 minutes. From directly above, the entire playing ﬁeld can be seen and the opening itself is visible from an elevation of ﬁve miles.

The stadium features two monumental arches, soaring 292 feet above the playing ﬁeld, which support a retract- able roof. As the longest single span roof structure in the world, each boxed arch is 35 feet deep by 17 feet wide. Weighing 3,255 tons each, these impressive structures span 1,225 feet in length. The arches form a striking silhouette on the Arlington landscape as sunlight reﬂects against the metallic surface during the day and a tailored lighting system reﬂects the form at night.

The stadium features the largest retractable end zone doors in the world. Each has a ﬁve- leaf, clear, retractable opening measuring 120 feet high by 180 feet wide. The ﬁve 38-foot panels take only 18 minutes to open or close. By using clear glass for the door panels, spectators experience panoramic views from within the seating bowl and when circulating
through the stadium concourses. Moreover, the operability provides air circulation during game-day and non-game-day events.

One of the most compelling architectural features of the stadium design is the canted glass exterior wall. The 86-foot-high glass, curtain-wall surface slopes outwardly at a 14-degree angle to create a luminescent glow, day or night. A fritted glass system transitions up the elevation to create a dynamic, ever-changing aesthetic depending on the time of day. At night,
a series of internal lights gently wash the glass wall to create a glow across the façade.

Within the seating bowl, Cowboys fans will be provided with a one-of-a-kind feature, a center-hung video board. Hanging approximately 90 feet above the ﬁeld from the roof structure, the innovative video center spans between the 20-yard lines and features four individual boards – two facing the sidelines and two facing the end zones. The sideline boards measure 72 feet tall by 160 feet wide, while those facing the end zones measure 27 feet tall by 48 feet wide. All four boards are angled toward the stands for optimal viewing. The stunning combination of these boards will immerse spectators with video imagery, creating a premium on upper level seats and presenting the game in a way never before experienced. Streaming across the interior seating facade is a vivid 360 degree matrix board, which offer advertisers “moments in time” during the game.

Quick Facts:

The Cowboys Stadium site covers 73 total acres; the overall site encompasses 140 total acres
The stadium is 3 million square feet containing 104 million cubic feet of volume
Stadium length – 900 feet from one end zone retractable wall to the opposite end zone retractable wall
Top of steel at the highpoint of the main arched trusses is 292 feet above the playing field, and each is fabricated from special high-strength grade 65 steel imported from Luxembourg and are the heaviest shape rolled in the world.
The 180-foot-wide by 120-foot-high operable glass doors, located at each end of the stadium, are the largest operable glass doors in the world and take 18 minutes to open or close
At 660,800 square feet, the stadium’s roof is one of the largest domed sports structures in the world , opening 410 feet long by 256 feet wide with each panel weighing 1.68 million pounds
Each roof panel is 215 feet long consists of 14,100 tons of structural steel and opens or closes in 12 minutes

The Map

Zoom in and look at the satellite image via Google Maps.

View Larger Map

Photos From San Francisco: Fisherman’s Wharf and Pier 39

John P. — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 18:20:40 +0000

Seems like every time I go to San Francisco I spend time at Fisherman’s Wharf. Yeah, I know it’s touristy and all that, and I get around to the non-tourist places a lot too, but this place keeps me coming back. Something about all the vibrant colors, constant activity, and variety makes it truly magnetic.

So, I assembled a little collection of shots from up and down the Fisherman’s Wharf area, including some from Pier 39. This is one of the top places to see when visiting San Francisco, so here is a little sampling of what you’re in for when you do.

For those who are interested in full size versions of these images, I’ve posted them (and a few more) over in the Fisherman’s Wharf set on my Flickr account.

A Visit to the Boudin Bakery in San Francisco

John P. — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 06:32:18 +0000

Today I went down to the Boudin Bakery on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco to get some fresh baked sourdough and some of their delicious clam chowder.

When I arrived, there was a group of people huddled around the window where they are usually making the bread. Only this time, a nice young lady was actually talking to the crowd through her wireless microphone system, and taking questions as well.

I was carrying my camera, so I flipped on the video mode and captured the following video. In it, you’ll see how she makes a special bread loaf in the shape of a teddy bear. Very cute, and extremely tasty! Enjoy.

A Photographic Journey Through Muir Woods National Park

John P. — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:00:27 +0000

The Muir Woods are honestly one of my favorite places. Less than 30 minutes from the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, you can be standing in one of the last remaining giant redwood forests on Earth. Surrounded by these magnificent towering creatures, many over 600 years old, it provides a peaceful place to sit and contemplate both the insignificance of what it is to be human, and the impact that we as a species can have on our planet.

Once the northwest was covered by ancient growth forests with trees as old as 3,200, whose bark alone measured up to 2 feet thick. But throughout the 19th century, American logging all but decimated these creatures. Now, the only giant redwoods and sequoias that remain survive in national and state parks. Thank God for small wonders of government intervention.

The history behind the Muir Woods:
Until the 1800s, many northern California coastal valleys were covered with coast redwood trees similar to those now found in Muir Woods National Monument. The forest along Redwood Creek in today’s Muir Woods was spared from logging because it was hard to get to. Redwood Creek contained one of the Bay Area’s last uncut stands of old-growth redwood, Congressman William Kent and his wife, Elizabeth Thacher Kent, bought 611 acres here for $45,000 in 1905. To protect the redwoods the Kents donated 295 of the land to the Federal Government and, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt declared it a national monument. Roosevelt suggested naming the area after Kent, but Kent wanted it named for conservationist John Muir.

John Muir’s reaction to William Kent

This is the best tree-lover’s monument that could possibly be found in all the forests of the world. You have done me great honor, and I am proud of it.

In addition to my photos below, there is a nice little virtual tour you can take here. Enjoy!

These photos were taken with a Canon 5D Mark II, mainly with a Canon f2.8 15mm Fisheye lens. Some were also taken with a Canon 18-125mm IS lens. Almost all were taken handheld without the use of a tripod while walking through the forest.

Aerial Photos of Mount Ranier for Your Desktop Wallpaper

John P. — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:51:13 +0000

While flying back from Washington State to Dallas a couple months ago, our plane went right by Mount Ranier. I whipped out my Canon 5D Mark II and snapped a whole bunch of photos of the magnificent landmark, and I thought I would share them with you guys in case anyone wanted to use one for a desktop wallpaper or whatever. I hadn’t posted these photos when I posted 101 Photos from Seattle, Washington, so here you go!

I currently have the one you see here to the right set as my wallpaper and I love it. For those of you who don’t know, Mount Ranier is a volcano and it’s the tallest mountain on the west coast. The US National Parks has a Web site on Mount Ranier so you can learn more if you are so inclined to visit.

Thank you Wikipedia for the following description:

Mount Rainier is an active stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano) in Pierce County, Washington, located 54 miles (87 km) southeast of Seattle. It towers over the Cascade Range as the most prominent mountain in the contiguous United States and Cascade Volcanic Arc at 14,411 feet (4,392 m).

The mountain and the surrounding area are protected within Mount Rainier National Park. With 26 major glaciers and 35 square miles (91 km2) of permanent snowfields and glaciers, Mount Rainier is the most heavily glaciated peak in the lower 48 states. The summit is topped by two volcanic craters, each over 1,000 feet (300 m) in diameter with the larger east crater overlapping the west crater. Geothermal heat from the volcano keeps areas of both crater rims free of snow and ice, and has formed the world’s largest volcanic glacier cave network within the ice-filled craters. A small crater lake about 130 by 30 feet (40 m × 9.1 m) in size and 16 feet (5 m) deep, the highest in North America with a surface elevation of 14,203 feet (4,329 m), occupies the lowest portion of the west crater below more than 100 feet (30 m) of ice and is accessible only via the caves.

View of the Texas State Capital in Austin, TX

John P. — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:36:53 +0000

I happened to be at the capital building in Austin, Texas at just the right time in the afternoon to go around back and snap this shot of the sun hiding behind the dome. I love this photo because the flag was being blown by the wind and just the way the sun makes the building glow from behind.

Figured I’d share it in case anyone wanted it for a desktop wallpaper!

The Sun Sets on Chicago O’Hare Airport

John P. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:29:20 +0000

While traveling to Chicago a while back I was in the airport with a buddy when he spotted the evening sun absolutely reflecting off the downtown skyscrapers. I barely had time to grab the camera and get a couple of shots before it went away. It was a very fleeting, yet powerfully captivating image.

You really need to click through to view a larger version of this in order to see the reflection. Have you ever seen anything like it?

More Photos of the San Francisco Bay Bridge

John P. — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:00:44 +0000

When I was in San Francisco for WordCamp this weekend Dave Curley and I went across the street from our hotel and snapped a few photos of the Bay Bridge. Thought I’d share a couple new ones to go along with the ones I posted previously. I hope you enjoy!

This first image was taken with a Canon 5D Mark II using a 28-135mm IS lens set at 30mm. ISO was 100 with an aperture of f/3.5 and an exposure of 15 seconds.

This next shot was taken with the same body and lens, but the settings were 28mm, ISO 400, f/3.5 and an exposure of .5 seconds.

Hint: If you keep clicking on the images, you’ll get big enough versions to use for a desktop wallpaper if you really want it.

SouthWest Airline’s Rapping Flight Attendant

John P. — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:44 +0000

In light of the fact that shortly I’ll be boarding a plane to San Francisco to serve as the official videographer for WordCamp once again this weekend, I thought I’d share this fantastic airline video of the Rapping SouthWest flight attendant!

Unfortunatly, I’ll be riding courtesy of American Airlines, and there will be NO fun on our airplanes mister! Anyway, I’ll fantasizing about this guy when my stewardess is giving the whole boring lecture… Word.

Mann’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame

John P. — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:33:46 +0000

Today I had to tell a couple of people about the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Mann’s Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, California. So I figured that I would take a minute and make sure that everyone knows about this place.

Most people have probably seen movies and things that have the Hollywood Walk of Fame in them, but they just don’t know it. What I’m talking about is about a 3.5 mile long strip of sidewalk along Hollywood Blvd. where the names of stars are literally written in stars embedded in the sidewalk!

The most famous section of the Walk of Fame is right outside an old movie theatre called Mann’s. This is literally the most famous movie theatre in the world, built in 1927, and it’s where all of the top movie premiers happen in Hollywood, and you see the interviews on the red carpet there all the time.

Here is the Google Street View of Mann’s theatre. You can zoom this thing in and out, move up and down the street, and look around. Just play with the controls in the image and you’ll get it.

View Larger Map

If you’re going to LA, you better make sure you go check this place out. But keep in mind a couple of things:

It is very, very touristy. So there are all sorts of trinkets and T-shirts to be had very cheap.
There are beggars everywhere, and I wouldn’t go there after dark.

PS: That photo up top is courtesy of Express Monorail on Flickr. Thanks!

Vote CALI LEWIS for The Best Job In The World!

John P. — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 06:30:25 +0000

Ok folks, rarely do I ask you guys for favors (in fact, I don’t think I ever have… have I?) but I’m asking you now!

Cali Lewis put in an application for a contest going on to win an all expenses paid 6 month vacation to Australia, where she would be traveling around the island and blogging from the beaches (can anyone say bikini?). Well, the competition is heating up and Cali needs everyone’s vote to make it happen!

So please take like 5 minutes out of your day to stop by and give her your support. Vote Cali Lewis! (PS – You can vote once per day, per e-mail address. So load up the votes!)

By the way, here was her video application:

And here is a segment that the local news ran on her application for the job:

101 Photos From Seattle, Washington

John P. — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 07:52:16 +0000

I’m in Washington State for the next few days in Bellevue, the home of Microsoft, for the Microsoft Hosting Summit. This is an invitation only event for executives in the hosting industry, so it’s pretty much a whose who from around the globe.

As usual, I’m pretty tied up at events like this, but I used my free time today to run to downtown Seattle and try and do a little sightseeing and photography. So, to be a little more clear, that pretty much means that I went to do photography.

For those of you who don’t know this about me, I really experience a place by photographing it. I find that when I’m looking for a photo, I tend to see a lot more detail in everything around me. This can drive other people around me insane sometimes because I’m perfectly happy staying in one spot a lot longer than they are. But when I’m all by myself, this doesn’t tend to be a problem.

For example, I went over to the Pike Place Market today, which is a real live marketplace, full of fantastic sights and smells, and I spent over and hour and a half just wandering up and down about a 2 block area. I wasn’t shopping or anything. Just enjoying the scenery.

And speaking of which, Seattle’s Pike Place Public Market Center is completely full of things to look at! There are just about every type of restaurant you could want. Greek, Vietnamese, Bakeries, Seafood, Burgers, and more. So the smells all around are actually fantastic, even though there are also a lot of raw fish places.

As far as fresh fish is concerned, Pike Place Fish, which occupies the very first spot inside the market, is a fantastic place to hang out because the guys working there are so damn entertaining! They are always hollering, handing our samples, chatting with visitors, and most famously… throwing salmon around to one another! In fact, I was brave (or stupid) enough to stand right behind a “catcher” as the fish was coming our way, and that’s the shot we’ve got right here.

While I was in Seattle, I also wandered over to the Washington University campus, and on the way there I went over a drawbridge and an apparently man made canal! This caught my eye, so I stopped and parked at the Husky Stadium parking lot, then I took a hike back over to the bridge. It was an awesome view from up top, but I also walked down 90 stairs to the banks below so I could get a bunch of great photos for you guys!

After wandering around the canal area, I just walked right on into the Husky Stadium as if I owned the place. It’s amazing, but if you carry a big camera around, no one will ever say a word! So there I was, standing in this huge stadium with the field all to myself, and I thought… this photo I’m taking is going to make someone a very nice desktop wallpaper!

Enjoy the rest of the photos in the gallery below! Pay particular attention to the ones with water in them! Oh, and all of these are available in 1600×1200 resolution in case anyone does indeed want to treat one as a wallpaper.