Southwest
Southwest has been flying in and out of Palm Springs now. Actually quite a few flights and they sure are colorful. Photographed during a meet up with some of my photographer friends.
What Does It Say?
Just something you would drive by and ignore. Trash, graffiti on an abandoned billboard, and in the distance a high rise casino resort. As a scene what does it say? From a photo excursion.
Billboards
Somehow when you see the billboards in their entirety and location, it negates the message. On the frontage road along the 10 Freeway near Cabazon on the way to Palm Springs.
Trains
I do also like photographing trains. I will have to do that more often. This was in Tucson on a multi-day photo excursion. Fujifilm X-Series camera using the Velvia film emulation.
Dinosaurs Pink & Xmas
The Cabazon dinosaurs, one freshly pink and the other still in Christmas attire. Photo excursion yesterday from Palm Springs to Fontana California.
Cold Moon 2020
The last full Moon of the year 2020, photographed December 29. Known as the “Cold Moon” because it occurs in the Winter of December. The camera was a Fujifilm X-H1 and the XF100-400 lens.
Half Moon
Half Moon on the evening of the Winter Solstice 2020. Fujifilm X-H1 camera and XF100-400 lens.
Goat Canyon Trestle
A different kind of photo excursion. Flew down to see the Trestle Bridge in Goat Canyon, south of the Salton Sea near the Mexican border. The world’s largest all wood trestle and built in 1933. Photographed with my Fujifilm X-T3 camera and Fujifilm 50-140mm lens.
1946 Super Cruiser
Flying over my backyard, a 1946 Piper PA-12 Super Cruiser. It actually belongs to a buddy of mine. He said he was out doing 35mph approaches and landing in about 75ft. Shooting with my Fujifilm X-H1 camera and the Fujifilm XF100-400 lens.
Morning Moon
The Moon photographed in the morning at 8:04am on November 4 2020 here in Palm Springs from my backyard. Fujifilm X-H1 camera and the Fujifilm XF100-400 lens, handheld.
Actually it was shooting photographs through my homemade eight inch reflecting telescope at the night skies back when I was 12 years old that really got me first interested in photography. Back then I had a Miranda 35mm camera that I had bought for $35.00. Funny thing that I remember.
I was the youngest member ever of the Astronomical Society Of The Pacific.
C-17 Take Off
A C-17 Globemaster III taking off at March Air Reserve Base. I just happened to be there with one of my Fujifilm X series cameras.
Grafitti At Rock-A-Hoola
Some examples of the graffiti at Rock-A-Hoola, an abandoned waterpark east of Barstow in the Mojave Desert.
From a photo excursion in June 2018. Camera was a Fujifilm X-T1 using the Velvia film simulation. Lens was the Fujifilm XF 16-55 f/2.8.
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Rock-A-Hoola
Rock-A-Hoola, an abandoned waterpark, east of Barstow in the Mojave Desert. Built as a private resort in the 1950’s, opened to the public in 1962. Renovated and re-opened in 1998. In 1999 an employee using one of the slides into a partially empty pool became a paraplegic and was awarded $4.4 million in a payout. After various owners it closed for good in 2004.
From a photo excursion in June 2018. Camera was a Fujifilm X-T1 using the Velvia film simulation. Lens was the Fujifilm XF 16-55 f/2.8.
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Abandoned waterpark in the Mojave Desert
Velvia
Fujifilm Velvia has been one of my favorite films. Even when I shoot my Fujifilm X-Series digital cameras, I shoot RAW and Velvia film emulation. It was because of the photographs in this book that got me into it. I like the saturated colors and high contrast. And I will be shooting the film again too.
Walter Iooss is a long time photographer for Sports Illustrated. And the man who shot the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition for years.
Photo Excursion Old Downtowns
A photo excursion on May 29th. Scenes and places we would often overlook, like a cleaners that many decades ago was the police station. This is the second half of this excursion exploring through old downtown areas. I have been doing photo excursions for a few years now. Others who have joined with me have been successful in their art of photography, painting and printing their works. This series shot on my Fujifilm X-T3 and XF16-55mm F2.8 lens.
Photo Excursion
A photo excursion on May 29th. Scenes and places we would often overlook. I have been doing photo excursions for a few years now. Others who have joined with me have been successful in their art of photography, painting and printing their works. This series shot on my Fujifilm X-T3 and XF16-55mm F2.8 lens.
Open! Palm Springs Air Museum
OPEN! Yes the Palm Springs Air Museum is back open as of today June 1st. Truly one of the best air museums in the world.
If you follow me, you know I am closely associated with the PS Air Museum in multiple roles from photographer to the actual flying side of things.
So come visit and check it out. After all this Shelter In Place you will find it a great place to be. And you can still fly with us through June. Check it all out on the website at https://palmspringsairmuseum.org
And yes I shot this photo. Camera was a Fujifilm X-Series. Thanks!
Photo Excursion Post Shelter In Place
My buddy Dennis Johnson and myself cancelled a photo excursion that was scheduled for the day the Shelter In Place went into effect back in March. And here on the day it was lifting we did do a photo excursion. Photographs here on my Blog this coming week. We were both shooting Fujifilm X-Series cameras.
Memorial Day Flyover
Many of you saw it on the news across the country. And many of you saw it in person. Sixteen World War II aircraft traversed Southern California over Memorial locations, hospitals and landmarks honoring Memorial Day and those people on the front-line of the pandemic.
I was honored to be on the crew with the Palm Springs Air Museum flying in the World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc?”. Starting out the day we flew over the Coachella Valley with the C-47, the P-51 Mustang Red Tail “Bunny”, the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”, a Vietnam War era T-28 Trojan, and a T-33 Shooting Star.
Along with the C-47 we broke off with the P-51 Mustang to join the other aircraft flyover twenty locations in the Inland Empire, out to Pacific View Memorial Park in Corona Del Mar, up the coast past the USS Iowa to National Cemetery in Westwood, east over USC Medical Center, finally landing at Chino Airport.
A huge Thank You to Threshold Aviation for hosting us and providing lunch and relaxation. Your hospitality was very appreciated by all.
Departing Chino, it was back to Palm Springs going up with the three other Air Museum aircraft for a flyover again of more locations in the Coachella Valley, out to the Patton Museum, back up through Twentynine Palms, over High Desert Medical Center, Yucca Valley, Desert Hot Springs and finally back to land at Palm Springs and back to the Air Museum.
Thank You to everyone for being so very supportive, those who cheered us on the ground, and to those to whom we owe so very much. Here are a few photographs of the journey.
Photographed on Fujifilm cameras, X-T3, X-H1, 50-140 and 16-55 f2.8 lenses. Thanks!
Frontline Flyover And 100 Megapixels
“Bunny” the Palm Springs Air Museum P-51 Mustang headed out for a Frontline Friday Flyover. Joining up with the Air Museum’s World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc?” and the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly” saluting the people on the frontlines fighting the pandemic.
Photographed with the Fujifilm GFX100 medium format camera system. A 100 megapixel camera capable of shooting five frames per second with continuous autofocus. I have found it fast handling, extremely versatile and producing incredible image quality.
Peaking Power Plant
Out shooting with the new Fujifilm GFX100 camera and GF45mm lens. A medium format 100 megapixel digital camera system. I am much more impressed with this camera system than I had expected. The image quality is extraordinary!
This is the “Peaking Power Plant” in the North end of Palm Springs California. It was designed and built to provide additional power during peak demand such as occurs in the high heat of the Summer.
Frontline Flyovers & Fujifilm GFX100
Honoring the people on the front lines of the pandemic, the Palm Springs Air Museum is doing flyovers over different facilities on Fridays through May. This is the three aircraft returning from the flight the other day. The World War II C-47 “What’s Up Doc”, the iconic “Red Tail” P-51 Mustang “Bunny”, and one of only of the very few flying in the entire world, the P-63 Kingcobra “Pretty Polly”.
Photographed with the new Fujifilm GFX100 medium format camera and the GF110mm lens. I am just now shooting with it for the first time. Faster operating than I had expected, it was able to capture aircraft in flight from the ground. This is a 100 megapixel camera still capable of shooting five frames per second with continuous auto-focusing. I will be shooting with it some more, so keep coming back to see what else I do with it. Thanks!
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