Electric Blue - Rachel

Over the years I have been frustrated by the number of power and phone lines interfering with my photos: I'll have a stunning sunset before me, but then there are the damnable power lines. This year I have decided to embrace them, bring them into the fold; give them their moment to shine. I will not be stymied by those intrusive poles and lines, rather I will find their inner beauty (or at the very least inner visual and graphic interest). So, here is another of my power pole and line series (also another of my drive by pics because it's only when I am driving that the clouds put on their shows).

Drive-by Sky - Rachel

Just having some fun with my latest drive by photos.

Electric Sunset - Rachel

Behold the awesome power of nature. Powerlines and sunset - an electrifying combination.

A view from BMX - Amy

This was from my roll when I went out to shoot the gravel mill. I will try to post, at least weekly, a new image.

A Darker View - Rachel

I took some interesting drive by photos I drove across the Bay Bridge on Tuesday, unfortunately my windows were FILTHY and the lighting was challenging (particularly while driving). I had one photo (see above) which held a strong skyline and some amazing clouds, and as I was cleaning it up in Photoshop I realized that I didn't actually want to clean it up at all, rather I wanted to do something completely different with it. Perhaps it's all those billboards for Tim Burton's spin on "Alice in Wonderland", or perhaps it's our crumbling state infrastructure and collapsing educational system, but I was drawn to elicit the darker view: A rusting bridge and skyline under an ominous sky.

Along Stanley Boulevard - Amy

 

I drive past these gravel plants between Pleasanton and Livermore on a weekly basis. I find such beauty in the various structures and have always wanted to capture an image of them. The mountains of gravel varies from week to week and at night the structures take on a Christmas tree glow of white lights. Today, the clouds were so striking. it was my day to capture this image! I parked my car at the BMX park (will go back and photograph the boys on bikes) and took the long walk to the mill. These 2 images spoke to me (of the 100 or so that I took).

On the Road Again - Rachel

On days like today I find myself driving and driving: There's the commute to and from work, the fetching the kids from school and then the ferrying to events and activities. Driving has its moments of tremendous frustration (think traffic, fighting or whining children, unexpected detours and delays) but there are also the moments of solitude that are afforded. In an otherwise obligation filled day my commute serves as a timeout, a period of forced isolation from duty. In those moments I can relax, decompress, listen to the radio (I'm not blissing out to music like so many, prefering to cozy into NPR or KGO's commentaries), scream if I need to; have me time. And sometimes, just sometimes, there's something amazing to look at. Today, crossing the San Mateo Bridge, the cloudscape was breathtaking. I love the clouds before a storm, with their sharp edges and swirling greys and today that's what I found driving to work. I was responsible enough not to dig out the DSLR and start adjusting, instead I grabbed my trusty point-n-shoot and began pointing and shooting. At home, before running off for event two and three for today, I took a look and liked what I saw so I'm posting it for today. Another fleeting moment.