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    • Waiting for Inspiration

    2
    Waiting for Inspiration
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Balboa Park includes a small collected group of cottages, in which artists practice, give lessons, and sell their work.  Spanish Village is melancholy at night, with all of the doors and windows closed tight and the people gone.  In one window, I found this artist's mannikin, looking out as if waiting for the artist to return.
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    Night Fountain #1

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    Night Fountain #1
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Balboa Park features several fountains, but the largest is at one end of a long, grand pedestrian walkway.  Most nights, this fountain has been silent.  On this night, however, it was blasting away, lit from below by several bright yellow spotlights.

    This is a long exposure, 3/10 of a second.  The LCD screen on my PowerShot is quite small, and my eyesight isn't the best anymore.  So I wasn't sure how the water would look until I opened the file on my computer.  I was very happily surprised that the water had gone a little silky, without losing the form and shadow.  I love the light in this photograph.
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    Golden Ornament

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    Golden Ornament
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    This is a ball ornament, about eight inches across, lit from within by LEDs.  While the red balls on this tree appear to have water condensed on the inside surface, this one appears to have melted somehow.  It's an interesting mystery, given the notable lack of heat given off by the LED lamp.  Whatever the reason, I find the combination of light and texture beautiful and fascinating.
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    Red Ornament #2

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    Red Ornament #2
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Another shot of a red LED-lit ornament ball.  The LED's flickered off during the long exposure, reducing the amount of light from within, allowing the blue light from surrounding bulbs to reflect off the outside of the ball.
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    Red Ornament #1

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    Red Ornament #1
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    One of the Christmas trees in Balboa Park is decorated with eight-inch globes, lit from within by LED arrays.  Some have condensation on the inside, which sparkles in the glow of the light from within.
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    Empty Amusements #4

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    Empty Amusements #4
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Fourth shot of amusement rides, awaiting patrons.
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    Empty Amusements #3

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    Empty Amusements #3
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Third shot of amusement rides, awaiting patrons.
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    Empty Amusements #2

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    Empty Amusements #2
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Second shot of amusement rides, awaiting patrons.
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    Empty Amusements #1

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    Empty Amusements #1
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Each year, on the first weekend of December, Balboa Park hosts a two day holiday festival.  The morning before the event began, I had the good fortune to be wandering the park, before the crowds descended.

    The empty amusement rides, some still being assembled, were fascinating studies in pregnant silence.
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    Ghost of Christmas Present

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    Ghost of Christmas Present
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Following on to David's comment on     another picture, I've been looking for opportunities to build up a project evoking ghost stories and their imagery.  This night shot of the Prado in Balboa Park included, quite by accident, the blurred form on a pedestrian.  I hadn't noticed him while taking the shot, as I was taking several version and focused on the back of the camera, adjusting aperture and exposure.

    Between his (?) blurry form and my surprise at finding him there when I opened the picture on my computer, this felt very much like a ghost story to me.
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    Frond

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    Frond
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010

    I took a dozen shots of these detailed fronds, looking for interesting compositions.  In the end, I had to crop way in on this shot to get something I liked.  I may well return and try again, now that I know what I'm looking for.
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    Sawtooth Soldiers

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    Sawtooth Soldiers
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Fall color and fascinating leafy architecture combined into a compelling composition.  I find the way these leaves have turned, in patches and partials, very interesting.
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    Fallen Berries

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    Fallen Berries
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    Macro shot of the same field of berries as yesterday's post.  I like the contrast between the still-firm red berries and the nearly desiccated husks of those that, presumably, suffered an early breech of the skin and let bacteria within.

    I do wish I'd framed this up without that splash of green in the upper-right quadrant.  I find it a little distracting, in retrospect.
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    Leaf and Berries

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    Leaf and Berries
    Balboa Park, San Diego, CA
    December, 2010
    There isn't much color to be found in the December foliage in San Diego.  These berries dropped some weeks ago and are quickly breaking down, creating compost for next year's flowers and shrubs.

    I've been away from the blog, as preparations for the Winter holidays and the encroaching early darkness steal more and more potential photography time.  I had a chance to shoot this past weekend, however, and tried to make the most of it.
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