Remote Decay

Posted on August 14, 2010 by Gary

I have an itch for exploration. It's often hard to find places close to my home that I haven't been to before, but every so often, I find a spot that's new to me. Most of the time, this involves driving great distances and hiking quite a while until I find remoteness and solitude. But the other night was an exception. Following a road I had only been on once before, I ended up in a barren cul-de-sac dotted with eerily rustling trees and shared only by another car minding its own business. The marine layer had already started to work its way in by the time I got there, so my options for photography were few. But I managed to capture a couple of images with my Sony NEX-5 that seem to do the landscape justice. I can only hope that places like this still exist in a few years, before the creep of expanding housing developments overtakes what is left of the region's immediate wilderness.

Street Photography: Motorcyclist

Posted on October 22, 2008 by Gary

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but street photography is one of my favorite "genres." There's something about seeing individuals in their daily urban lives that I find fascinating. Too bad I live in the suburbs, right? This photograph was taken in Georgetown, Washington D.C. when I spent a few days there this last April. The photograph was converted to black and white, and was burned and dodged in Adobe Lightroom 2 (as usual). I'm not really into cars/trucks/anything with an engine, but I have a soft spot for motorcycles. Not those Harly-Davidson biker gang type motorcycles, but those modern, hip and trendy ones. You all know what I'm talking about, don't deny it. Back to the photograph, it's not really unique from a compositional standpoint. But because it combines elements that I view as interesting, I can't help but like this photo.

From Colorado: Downtown Denver

Posted on July 30, 2008 by Gary

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the city. It doesn't matter what city we're talking about, all that matters is that downtown pulse. In my mind, cities are alive. They are creatures in their own right, never sleeping, and always on alert. Yes, I am an advocate for nature. But in many ways, city life is better for the environment than suburban or rural living. For starters, one's carbon footprint is much smaller in a city environment. Public transit is almost always superior, and places are usually located close enough to walk to. In addition, the part of town I saw was filled with as much foliage as possible. Trees lined many sidewalks, and planters held flowerbeds. It truly felt like a nice place to be.

I only had a few hours to look around downtown Denver, but I liked what I saw. For starters, the city seemed fairly clean. Granted, I only really explored the area around the 16th Street Mall, which is a 2km long outdoor shopping mall. Nevertheless, it was clear that the city is well planned out and well managed. I couldn't begin to count how many cyclists I saw, and the free shuttle service that runs along the length of the 16th Street Mall is a great idea. Yes, the rest of the city might have downfalls, but from a tourist perspective, the retail district is in relatively tip-top shape.

View more photos of Denver on my Colorado Flickr set.