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Summer 2006 Photos

Have a look at the sights of the summer in southern California

This summer was my chance to refine my photography skills. I've gathered the basic skills to shooting good photos, but I needed some practice. This was one of my goals for this vacation. Below are a sampling of the photos I took as the summer progressed.

If you like my photos or have some suggestions, feel free to let me know. I'm always up for discussing my work. :-) -- TS

VW Classic, Irvine, CA

June 11, 2006: The summer started out in style this year. An annual "must-attend" for me is the VW Classic in the parking lot of the Verizon Amphitheatre in Irvine, CA. I didn't get a lot of photos this year, as I spent most of the show meeting up buddies I've only talked to on the Internet.

Lincoln Shrine, Redlands, CA

June 26, 2006: This last year I've been spending sometime at the AK Smiley Library doing homework for my college classes. Located behind the library is the Lincoln Shrine. So one day after my swimming workout, I took the camera over to the shrine and took some pictures. The overcast day made for some difficult shooting, so I plan on going back when the light is more ideal.

Seven Oaks, San Bernardino Mountains, CA

June 28, 2006: Seeing as my dad and I share a fascination with photograpy, we decided to get up early this day and head to the San Bernardino Mountains. We drove up Highway 38 towards Jenks Lake and Barton Flats. Another jaunt down into the Seven Oaks area netted us this cool waterfall. I had some exposure issues here, but the pictures came out pretty good. Someday I'd like to go back there and try shooting that waterfall again.

Fireworks Show, University of Redlands, CA

July 4, 2006: This year's Independence Day I attended, with my nephew and sister-in-law, the fireworks show at the University of Redlands. I must say I was impressed. There were a lot of vibrant colors in the crowd, but nothing that stood for a good picture. You can see we had a beautiful day that July 4th.

Torrey Pines State Park, La Jolla, CA

July 8, 2006: My buddy Scott, a professional photographer in his off time, was conducting a beginning photography class and asked me to be his assistant for this one. These are the photos from the first half of the day. I've really learned a lot from Scott, that's for sure.

La Jolla Cove, La Jolla, CA

July 8, 2006: After lunch we walked the La Jolla Cove area and snapped some pictures of that beautiful area. I would have gotten more pictures here, but my camera decided it was going to use up my last set of batteries, so I stuck with a electronic paperweight around my neck.

I've always liked the La Jolla cove area. It's a very tranquil and beautiful area. The rock formations, the wildlife, and the temperant climate make for an enjoyable visit.

Optimist Charity Car Show, Redlands, CA

July 15, 2006: Every year the local Optimist Club puts on a charity car show at the Sylvan Park. It's a general hot rod and custom rod show, with a large variety of cars to check out. I've been a regular spectator there for many years. This was a difficult place to shoot, as the light kept changing. as some cars were in the sun, others in the shade, and others half-in/half-out of the shade.

Santa Ana River Bridge, Mentone, CA

July 22, 2006: Outside of Mentone, on Greensport Road, there is this narrow two lane bridge dating back to 1912. I've always been fascinated with it, as it's quite old but it's still functioning everyday. Here are some pictures of it and the local area. I may try going back there sometime at sunset and see how the light works then, as these were shot at about 10AM in the morning.

Cal-Baptist University, Riverside, CA

July 28, 2006: I went to meet a long time friend for lunch at his work, CalBaptist University in Riverside and while driving through the parking lot, I found these two VW Busses. If you know me, you know that I'm a big VW guy, so luckily I had the camera with me. I asked my friend about them, and he told me they belonged to the youth church next door to the school. As far as I can tell, the one on the left is a '65 and the one on the right is a '72, Very cool!

Orange Show Speedway, San Bernardino, CA

August 12, 2006: A longtime friend, Joe VanSant, has recently taken to racing cars. This is his rookie year racing this Ford Pinto in the Pony Stock class at the Orange Show Speedway (OSS) in San Bernardino. This was a difficult shoot, as the later the evening got, the light got progressively worse. In the stands, there was no way for me to shoot without looking through the safety links. It played havoc with my auto-focus and the exposure the whole night.

Other pictures I took this summer....

Here are some random pictures I snapped as the summer progressed.