Britannica Award Winner

The 2013 Witness to Nature winner was announced. Looks like I missed the grand prize, and the chance at $1,000 but was listed as a Britannica Award Winner. I believe these winners get a small prize check plus publication in Encyclopedia Britannica Online. This was the photo chosen, from the Salt Flats at Death Valley.





http://www.ohio-distinctive.com/britannica/photo_contest/winners/#wtn_BritannicaAward_BrandonYoshizawa_BadwaterSaltFlatsatSunset


I guess the award can go towards my yearly site fee. I'll try again next year. Makes me want to go back to Death Valley for some night shots in the dunes. Maybe a detour next time I'm in Mammoth.

In other news I'll be in the next issue of Nikon's N-photo magazine in the "photo story" section. I did a small blurb on panoramic images with 4 past pics from my archives that should be on a full page spread. I'll link it here when it goes out for sale next month.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

Food and fotos - Los Angeles

Food and fotos...probably what my blog should be called as that's all I post about. Anyway, we headed into LA on Saturday to check out Tsujita from the recommendation of my parents. My dad said it was the best Tsukemen he's had and it was featured on David Chang's The Mind of a Chef.

Got there at 10:45 before they opened, and by 10:50 people started lining up. I got the Tsukemen, and J got the ramen. Ramen was average, we've had better but the Tsukemen was awesome.







There are a few other places on that same block we need to try, PUA and Seoul Sausage so we'll be going back out that way soon. Bachi burger is also opening up down the street, so we'll probably check that out when it opens.

We went to Blockheads after lunch for some shaved ice cream. We split a strawberry/original. Still haven't tried the shave at Boiling Point, and I don't know if we ever will. Last time we went, they said they have been out for a few months. Don't know if I want to sit through that crappy service again either.



In an effort to re-shoot some of my previous photos with better light, I went back into LA for some photos at blue hour. I ended up settling on the 3rd street bridge overlooking the 110 freeway where the on/off ramp leads up towards the city.

Had to get lucky and hoped cars took the ramps as my shutter was open. Got this one around the peak of blue hour, single exposure.


The blue turns to black pretty quick, so I had to come back Sunday night as I wanted to take others from the 4th street bridge.

When I came back Sunday, there was already someone lined up where I wanted to shoot, but luckily he moved around to different locations so I jumped in and setup for blue hour. I like this perspective through the gap that shows the cars below. I had a light at my back so the shadow was inevitable.



Another from across the street looking a bit left of the first location

And a final shot showing where I stood for my first shot, which I included the railing I shot over. You can see the sky already lost all of its color by this time, but the streaking clouds still made it a bit interesting.



All single exposures, so hard to manage the dynamic range from the darks to the building lights but they managed to come out pretty good.

We'll be in Anza Borrego this weekend...hopefully get to see some dark skies to add to my Milky Way shot collection.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

More from Los Angeles

I was out and about again during the recent storm trying to get some good clear shots of Los Angeles. Went back to the Hollywood Hills behind the Griffith Observatory to get some shots of the observatory and the LA skyline. This is not the best location for sunset as I am looking out SE, so unless the sky is bursting with color it's a much better sunrise location. However, I wanted to get a few blue hour shots so I hung around for about 30 mins after sunset to get these:





I also spent some time at Kenneth Hahn park trying to get a view of the San Gabriel's and the skyline. Weather didn't cooperate very much and I never got a clear view. One morning that I went for sunrise, there was some real nice light and I snapped this as soon as the sun came up and beamed over the city.



Still looking for some good vantage points of Los Angeles. I'll probably explore Elysian park next and possibly retake a shot with the 110 freeway leading into downtown.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

Foggy Los Angeles

I've been trying to get a few shots of Los Angeles recently. One being from Kenneth Hahn park with the San Gabriel's in the background. I went after a night of light rain for sunrise but the whole city was fogged over. It burned off a little bit after the sun came up to where just the tops of the skyline buildings were showing but never got any better. I took a portrait shot to show the clouds, skyline, and some of the city below for scale.



I'll go back next time we have a storm.

I've also been trying to get one from the Hollywood hills behind the Griffith Observatory. Using a telephoto lens, it gives the perspective that the city skyline is close, which is really a few miles away. I'll have to go back here too on the next storm.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

Santa Barbara weekend

We headed to Santa Barbara for our now annual February tradition to visit UCSB and eat at all of our favorite places in Isla Vista. We invited my bro and his family as they also graduated from UCSB but rarely go back to visit. We left Saturday am and met in town to eat a small breakfast at Rosaritos. The bfast burrito is still pretty good, but nothing like what it used to be before they changed it years back.


After bfast we walked around campus a bit, stopping by the arbor, Ucen, and we walked out to campus point.

They open up a sealife viewing area on Saturday's where the biology stuff is right before you get to campus point.


Evan liked looking at all the animals.

Campus Point


J&J's dorm


Near Storke Tower

We picked up Freebirds for lunch and headed to the SB zoo for a few hours.


Can't beat the original SB nachos



We headed back into town and I headed back to campus point to take sunset pics. Clouds ended up being pretty nice.



We had dinner reservations at Bouchon for Jaime's bday dinner. We had high expectations due to the good reviews. A ton of the appetizers on the menu looked good so we had to try them all.
French Onion soup


Pork belly with duck egg


Crab cakes

Scallop Trio

All the appetizers were amazing. Our waiter accommodated us too and asked if we still wanted to order the duck as our last appetizer came out. We were pretty full so we didn't order it and ended dinner with the lava cake.

We'll definitely be back and will have to try the duck and lamb entrée next time.

The next morning I picked up some Cantina bfast burritos and we ate them by the pond at the hotel.




Still the best bfast burrito!

We headed back towards home. The girls stopped by the outlet and Justin and I took the kids to the park to play.





J&J treated us to lunch for Jaime's bday at Lure fishhouse by the outlets.



Ceviche


Fish n chips


Fish tacos



Everything was fresh and real good. Thanks J&J for lunch!

All in all, a good trip with the purpose to eat everything in sight (which was accomplished). Hopefully all the food pics made you hungry!

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

Los Angeles Panoramas

Been looking to get out and get a wide view of Los Angeles. So I headed out last week after the light rain we got in hopes of getting some shots without smog.

The first is from a hike in the Hollywood hills behind the Griffith Observatory. Los Angeles is on the left and I believe Century City is on the right. Sunset wasn't great but the visibility was pretty good.



The second is from behind the Hollywood sign. Its about a 40 min hike up and the sign is guarded by a 7 foot fence. So I lugged a stepstool up with me, and both myself and my tripod were balanced on the stool (and leaned against the fence) to take this. Couldn't quite get the entire shot with my Tokina 11-16mm so I had to stitch some together. Being as nothing was level, stitching wasn't great. I figure a gorillapod would work good here, just attaching it to the chain fence.



They have camera's all over the place here. Some people actually tried to climb over and the police told them to hop back over from a loud intercom haha.

Another shot I have been trying to get is from Kenneth Hahn park with the San Gabriel's behind the city skyline. Almost need perfect conditions from here to get this shot. Need rain to clear the smog, clouds for a colorful sunrise, and snow on the mountains. Kenneth Hahn park is pretty close so I'll keep trying.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com

More around Los Angeles

J and I took Georgie to do the Hollywood sign hike for some exercise and I wanted to scope it out to come back and take a picture from behind the sign on a day after a storm when there is a good view of the city.

There are multiple paths, but if parking on Beachwood, the hike isn't too bad.





The sign at the top is blocked by a fence. You could either hop the fence, which is illegal, or shoot above the fence.



By the time we got to the top, we were facing the sun. It was foggy and smoggy anyway so the visibility wasn't good. When I go back for sunset, I'll bring a step stool so I could see above the fence and setup my tripod. For the shot above I just held my camera over the fence and snapped a few.

Last night, I went back to the DWP building to get a shot I took previously but at blue hour. I've been wanting to re-take a few of my photos at this hour rather than when the sky turns black as there's a greater separation between the dark buildings and the sky.



I'll probably re-take a few of the ones looking over the 3rd - 5th street overpasses as well in the coming weeks.

Heading up to SB in a few weeks. If there are clouds, I'll head back out to campus point for some seascape photography.

Brandon Yoshizawa

B.A.Y | photography

www.bay-photography.com