Evening photography

Last night I got home and decided that I would head out and take some photos of the Aurora Ave and the Freemont Bridges. I headed into downtown and took the 17 bus along Westlake and was quickly at the Aurora Bridge. Along the waterfront there is a nice collection of houseboats that have a parking area which offers a few great views of the bridge.







I found a dock down the road that offered me a really nice angle on the Freemont Drawbridge.



I got a really nice surprise when I heard a horn call from a sailboat that requests that the bridge tender opens the bridge so he can pass through. The result of that bridge opening is one of my new favorite pictures.



I waited around hoping to get another bridge opening to photograph. Much to my delight, after about a 20 minute wait my wish came true!!!



After that shot I headed up to the street level in hopes of getting another opening. I didn't get another one but I was able to get some nice car trail shots though.



Back down to water level I looked up at the Aurora Bridge and saw what I had hoped would be a good shot.



Heading back to the Freemont Bridge I got another opening, but knowing that I couldn't make it to street level in time I quickly set up my gear again and got this shot.



So I ended up getting the shots I had hoped for along with a few really nice ones that I hadn't planned on. Mark this down as another successful day with my camera.

My neighborhood

My Aunt Lori asked that I take some pictures of my new neighborhood so that she could get an idea of where I lived and the daily life that goes on in and around it. So Lori, this posting is for you, enjoy the pictures!!

The complete and ongoing set can be found here.

My new apartment

I am very happy to finally be living in Seattle and being closer to work and friends!!! Most of my move has been completed with the help of a few of my great friends. I showed up at my new place on Monday with a carload of stuff and a lease to sign. After getting the formalities out of the way I started lugging my stuff up the stairs. I live on the fifth floor, but lucky for me, the building is on a hill and the rear entrance is about 3.5 floors up, so that left only a flight and a half of stairs.
At the suggestion of my aunt, I took some pictures with my place mostly empty of my stuff. After I brought up a small dresser I realized that I had forgotten to snap a few photos.

Here's the living room:





Dining area



Kitchen



Bathroom





Bedroom





The bedroom is quite a bit smaller than my last one, but I'll take it along with the nice large living room. The view is also really nice. I get to look out towards the east side of Queen Anne Hill and I get a small view of the Aurora Bridge. In the summer I should be able to see the sun as it approaches it's setting time. Even though I'm on the north side of the building, this place does get some good lighting with the large (12' wide) window in the living room. Lucky for me I'm on the top floor, so no neighbors above me :-)
I'm about a 20 minute walk from work and very close to a couple of coffee shops, grocery stores, bookstores, views of the Space Needle and the Olympic Mountain Range. I am bummed though that I'm further away from my sister and niece. For over five years I have lived within a mile of them and have always been able to stop over pretty much whenever, but not so much anymore. Currently I have to park my car on the street which is difficult to find a parking spot in the evening. I'm on the waiting list for a paid off-street spot, but I don't know how long it will take to get one of those as they are in short supply and high demand.
Overall though I am very happy with my choice. I've been wanting to live in the city for quite a while now and it was about time I take some action.
As suggested, I will post more pictures soon showing the progress of getting settled in and making this apartment my home.
Oh, my cats had an interesting first night in the new place too, but they are adjusting and slowly warming up to the idea of a new home that does not include a deck for them to play on.

Photos of an old homestead

On our way to Umtanum Creek Falls on Monday, Gil and I stopped at an old abandoned farmhouse along the road. I found myself being really fascinated by this old home. Gil had mentioned thinking about what kind of memories the family had while living in this place. That too got me thinking, this isn't just an old house, but somebody home. This could be the home of some of somebodies most fond memories, or it could house their most horrific ones, who know.
I find that the older I get the more I'm interested in older building. Whether it's old buildings at Fort Lawton which is in Discovery Park, or Northern State Hospital near Sedro Wooley. Every old building/home has it's own story to tell. Inevitably most old building fall victim to vandalism and lose some of their luster, but there's always something to see if I just take the time and look for it.
So anyway, as my photography advances I hope that I'm able to convey some of what I see in person to the photos that I share. Enjoy.
Full set of pictures are here.

Hunting waterfalls with friends

On Monday Gil and I drove east to hike to Umtanum Creek Falls. What a beautiful area this time of year. Very little snow and views almost as far as the eye can see. The land is rolling and the sky is big, not as big as Montana though, haha



Up on the ridge the ground was very soft and mushy. Don't stop for long else you may get sucked into the ground like the dinosaurs in the tar pits!! The views were spectacular and very expansive. We found a wonderful rock outcropping and stopped there for some views on the canyon.



After our break we dropped down into the canyon and followed the creek to the falls.







On Tuesday Tony and I didn't have a lot of time so we made the short drive to North Bend to check out a few waterfalls over there. Most of my pictures did not turn out very good :( If I had better Photoshop skills I could probably salvage a few more, but I don't have that kind of time or the patience to learn what I would need to at this point. So here is my meager offering from 4 hours of waterfall shooting.