Testing Holga lens for DSLR - Flowers on ironwood eucalyptus tree

I have previously used a Holga film body, but had gotten out of the habit of using it as, frankly, the time and costs needed to use film these days was getting annoying.

But I recently decided to obtain and try out a Holga HL-N lens that is built to go on my Nikon D90. I took my first test shots with it today, including this view of flowers on an ironwood eucalyptus tree.

I especially like the trademark Holga vignetting, which really jumped out after I ran the image through the Raw converter. I was happy with the results without any further processing except resizing for online display.

I plan to keep using the lens.

Green in autumn

Green in autumn, a photo by jeffwc00 on Flickr.

While strolling the UCSD campus looking for photo opportunities, I was struck by this one green leaf (obviously from another plant) laying among many leaves dropped by a tree.

Defiance

Defiance, a photo by jeffwc00 on Flickr.

Having taken a class toward the UCSD Extension photography certificate in a room at the Mandeveille Center on the UCSD campus, I became aware at the time of graffiti being done on walls of the building, especially in one staircase. These were apparently being done by the students of the University's Visual Arts program, which is based at Mandeville Center.

After that class, when I make periodic visits to the campus to search out photography subjects, I've gotten into the habit of going by the Mandeville Center to see if there was any new graffiti to view.

Today, January 4, 2013, I discovered many copies of this sign on the Center's walls. Seems the administration ran out of patience with the graffiti and cracked down. I found this defiant statement on one of the signs. Of course it constitutes graffiti itself as defined by the sign.

Photoshop fun (not really)

Being a student at UCSD Extension, I had previously bought at the UCSD Bookstore the academic license for Photoshop CS4 Windows.

Having recently discovered Adobe no longer allows upgrades for up to three previous versions, but now only the last version (curse you Adobe), I went back to the Bookstore this afternoon planning to buy the full academic license version of PS CS6 Windows.

And they were out. of. stock.

D'oh! I had just been assuming they'd have it in stock and never thought to call ahead and check. The clerks said they're expecting more to be in next week.

Needless to say, at that time I will call first!

Piers of San Diego County

Piers of San Diego County, a set on Flickr.

I had written earlier about planning to take photos of piers in San Diego County.

I am in midst of doing this, and placing the photos on Flickr. Also being a user of Google+, I really should be also posting the photos there, but haven't yet gotten into that habit.

So, for now at least, I wanted to share the link to Flickr set I am placing these pier photos in.

The pier thing

San Diego County is known for its piers. Fishing piers, docking piers, private piers.

I've photographed some of these piers in past, but never with an intensive effort to document them and the environments around them.

I've decided to make such an effort my next major photography plan.

So, at least for now, my thoughts are to photograph the following types of piers within San Diego County:

• Public fishing piers
• The major public docking piers on San Diego Bay:
• the two cruise ship piers,
• Navy pier,
• and the Coronado Ferry Landing.
• And at least one private pier: Scripps Pier, which is operated by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Access to that pier itself is restricted to the Institution, but the area underneath it is very picturesque and easily reached with a walk from La Jolla Shores beach.

I'm thinking to do this going from south to north, and so will be driving to the Imperial Beach Pier shortly.

Two very different photographic results from one visit to Balboa Park

I decided to visit Balboa Park today before the heat built up too much (we are in the middle of San Diego's first significant heat wave of summer 2012.)

Upon parking, in the lot closest to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, I had a good chuckle from this banner, which was advertising one of the current exhibitions in the Science Center.

I then made my way to the Botanical building, and found a display of a completely unfamiliar plant that had an unusual-looking means of flowering: the Golden Candle (scientific name Pachystachys lutea).

Rather than trying to write up my own description of the plant, I am going to provide a link to an excellent discussion of it on an Australian site:http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/2000/archives/2000/in_the_garden/flowering_plants_and_shrubs/golden_candles

I saw I had a possible diptych after first finding some nice drops from the days watering on one of the plants, then finding a small web, itself covered with water drops, on another of the plants. The spider didn't give itself much space to work, which I'm guessing may have something to do with how untidy the web was.