Dirty Thirty Photography

BOSTON

2013-07-11T15:07:00.001-07:00

It has been nearly 5 months since I have looked at Dirty Thirty Photography. The main reasons being twofold. I was planning on moving on to another website, and in general, have not been photographing for fun. However, the new website is still in the works and I recently came back with a fat stack of images from a most excellent adventure to Boston. So, even though the Dirty Thirty has become more of a cameo than a main focus for me, I want to keep it going and share what I think are images worth sharing.

This collection of images includes some well known landmarks such as Fenway Park, Trinity Church, and the Boston Library. As well as, some things I found interesting, local wildlife, and the restaurant with the best and only oyster that I have ever eaten. Mostly, it is a stream of thought while wandering through a great city for the first time.

Hope you like the view of Boston through my lens and as always thank you for stopping by!

Embarcadero and onOne Perfect Effects 4

2013-01-14T14:28:00.000-08:00

I have not been out shooting much recently and decided to take an impromptu trip to the City in order to remedy this. It was a sunny if albeit brisk day, so a walk along the water seemed like the right idea for a photo exploration. I rode the Caltrain to the San Francisco Station and then walked along the Bay to the Ferry Building. I have done this walk several times before and have plenty of images of the Bay Bridge already, but came across lots of new and interesting things on this occasion. The foremost being the fishing boats that were casting nets a stone's throw away from the shore. My original plan was to visit other parts of the city as well, but the walk along the Embarcadero ended up taking a couple hours.

The images below are all from this brief photo excursion and were edited in onOne Perfect Effects 4 Free. I downloaded it a few days ago and was amazed that it was completely free. Obviously, there is additional software that they hope you will purchase, but the free Perfect Effects 4 works great! It is basically comprised of different filters that can be adjusted, brushed in and out, and stacked. It is a fun program and in my opinion can be used to create some nice results.

Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care!

Toy Soldiers

2012-12-22T00:57:00.000-08:00

I had the idea for this set of images several weeks ago and finally had the time to try it out. The toy soldiers are of the cheapest variety and purchased from the local Lucky grocery store. The red monkey featured in several of the pictures was found on the beach where I took the photographs. The editing and vintage effects were made in Photoshop/Aperture 3 and are unique to each image. All of these images were photographed while Goodnight Saigon played in my head...

iPhone Introduction

2012-10-11T09:37:00.001-07:00

As in this is my introduction to an iPhone, because assumedly most of the people to read this already own an iPhone or another brand of smart phone. I have long been a person who is slow to adopt new technology. In fact, before I bought the Macbook Pro that I am currently typing this on I was not even sure the difference between Mac and PC. That was a few years ago now and I have acclimated to computer technology. I am especially in tune with new photography software and try to keep abreast of new technologies becoming available. However, my main source of arrested development has been in the cell phone department. My most recent phone was a $40 flip phone that didn't even contain word predict for text messaging. This replaced a hand-me-down Sony Ericson that was half a decade old which was preceeded by several other hand-me-down phones at various ages of vintageness. I share this because there is likely no one reading this under the age of 60 that has been slower to adopt and love cellular technology than me. That is until last week when Rachel finally convinced me that we should get smart phones.

The benefits of a smart phone compared to the handicapped one I was using are numerous and obvious. Directions, games, and text messaging by talking are all great, but my main motivation in purchasing an iphone is the camera. I have been debating buying a small point-and-shoot for some time in order to capture moments when I do not have the dslr at hand. However, after some consideration it seemed carrying a phone and point-and-shoot was redundant due to the quality of images that can now be obtained by a smart phone. I like Apple and use a Mac so iPhone was the obvious choice. I purchased the iPhone 4s even though the iPhone 5 just came out. After doing some research it did not seem like the improvements to the camera was worth the extra money to me.

I have had my iPhone 4s for about two weeks and I love it! Having a decent camera on me at all times is great and I think the results are excellent most of the time. I am also blown away by the number of apps and accessories available. Below are the apps that I have downloaded and used so far. All of these are free and most offer options to upgrade. I have included my brief impressions of the short time I have used them as well as sample images. I plan on trying more programs and purchasing attatchable lenses soon. Thank you for stopping by and take care.

Adobe Photoshop Express- A very condensed version by the leader in post processing. Really like the ease of use and practical tools including crop, exposure, contrast, and sharpen. Also really like the the black and white tool. There are a few free filters that aren't very good but overall I think this is the best serious (for a phone camera) program I have used so far.

Aviary-Surprisingly comprehensive program. A few filters similar to Instagram and practical tools like contrast and sharpness. Also offers text and meme options. I think it is a good program but not as intuitive as Photoshop Express.

Camera Awesome- Developed by Smugmug this program claims to Awesomize your images. Awesomization is a combination of tools including contrast, sharpness, and vibrance that can be changed all together or individually. Also offers some interesting presets, filters and textures. The best options are the shooting modes including image stabilization, burst, and self timer.

Insta Effect- A program exclusively for adding dramatic effects. Effects can be stacked and applied selectively. Not an everyday editing program but fun.

Instagram- I now see the reason that this is the go to program for editing and sharing images. A lot of the filters admittedly look great and sharing is easy. I have ended up using Instagram to share all photos even if edited in the other programs.

Fire Department Training Exercises

2012-10-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Last week I had the chance to check out a Fire Department training day at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo, CA. It was a collaboration of several area fire departments including San Mateo, Redwood City, Belmont, and Woodside. The purpose of the training was to effectively transport water, so unfortunately there was no smoke or fake fires. However, it was still very interesting to witness and the fire officials were extremely gracious in granting us access to move around and take pictures. Below are some images of the event. Thank you for stopping by and take care!

Raising Arizona

2012-09-27T12:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Rachel and I visited Scottsdale, Arizona to celebrate her 28th birthday. We stayed at the JW Camelback Resort and enjoyed every minute. Most of our time was spent eating, drinking, and poolside at the resort. However, we did venture to downtown Scottsdale on two occasions in order to take our eating and drinking routine off-campus, and spent one day checking out scenic Sedona. Mostly, this trip was all about spending time and kicking back a few fancy drinks and thats what we did. In all honesty I think it was the best trip that I have ever been on.

However, since Arizona is such a beautiful place I found it necessary to carve out a little time for photography. I took plenty of memory shots and shared them on facebook. The images below are made up more of landmarks, landscapes, and my creative inclinations. The whole of Arizona seems incredibly photogenic and I hope to return again soon with more time to photograph.

Thank you for stopping by and my apologies if you were looking for information on the 1987 classic Coen brother's movie starring the Nic Cage...

Montezuma Castle on the way to Sedona, AZ.

The Red Rocks of Sedona, AZ.

The Chapel of the Holy Cross in Sedona, AZ.

The most amazing backyard I have ever seen located in the middle of the desert.

Caltrain Portraits

2012-09-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

These images were taken while looking out of the window of the second level seats on the south-bound Caltrain. The window adjacent to the seats that Rachel and I were sitting in was covered with tiny scratches. It almost looked like the spidering of a newly cracked windshield. The interesting thing was the effect it created looking through the lens at my particular angle with the sun shinning in. It almost created a bokeh effect on the front of the image. I experimented with manual focus and shooting away during the 30 minute train ride from Millbrae to Mountain View. The following results are the ones I liked best. The front end bokeh/ blurry effect along with the surveillance-camera style composition create, in my opinion, an interesting glimpse of Caltrain patrons passing by. Thank you for stopping by and take care.

DIY Photo Ledge

2012-09-12T15:20:00.001-07:00

I was recently checking out different photography websites and came across a great, easy, and inexpensive photo display idea. The materials needed are easy to find and it will cost less than $15 to create this DIY Photo Ledge.

Materials Needed-

Plastic Cap Moulding - I found a 8 ft. strip for less than $3 at Lowe's.
Adhesive Strips - Also less than $3 at Lowe's.
Scissors or utility blade.
Measuring Tape (optional).
Beer.
Pictures- I printed 4X6 with white borders from Costco, but polaroids or smaller prints would also work great.

The process is pretty straightforward-

Cut the Plastic Cap Moulding to the desired length.
Apply Adhesive Strips to Moulding.
Measure (or eyeball) where you want to place Moulding on the wall.
Stick Moulding to wall.
Add pictures.
Drink beer, look at pictures, Enjoy!

Along with the low cost and easy setup, this photo ledge looks great and the pictures are easily changed out. So, you can keep up pics of the family or get creative and change them with the season.

Rachel: The Grimy Socialite Collection

2012-09-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

Last week my friend Alan was nice enough to loan me a set of Alien Bees strobe lights. I do not have much experience with studio lights, but was excited to start playing around with them and get my lovely girlfriend to model. The idea for this set of images was to blow out the background and create some very simple portraits that portray a sort of grimy socialite look. The processing was done in Aperture 3 and is mostly a preset that I previously created, with some minor adjustments.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park

2012-08-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

My brother is a card carrying member of the San Diego Zoo and was nice enough to hook me up with his guest pass to the Safari Park during my recent trip to San Diego. It was my first time visiting the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and I thought it was great. The amount of land and open space that the Park occupies is very impressive. I also enjoyed the bridges and walkways that traverse the property. Much of it looked like parts of Jurassic Park. One drawback is that there did not seem to be as many animals as the regular zoo. Although, this could have a lot to do with the fact that they are so spread out. The large amounts of space that the animals get to roam is great, but it does mean that sometimes they can be pretty far away from you. This is especially apparent when trying to take pictures. Speaking of pictures, a very long telephoto lens (more than 200mm) would be ideal. The lens I brought was only 105mm on the long end, and even with the extra distance on my crop frame it was significantly lacking for close-ups. We spent a little more than 3-hours at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, but I could definitely have stayed longer. There is plenty to see and one can easily make a full day of it. The highlight of the visit for me was the Africa Safari Tram that takes you through some of the Park's largest field exhibits.

Below are some pictures of the animals that inhabit the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care.

Morgan Maternity Shoot

2012-08-28T15:02:00.000-07:00

This past weekend the staff here at Dirty Thirty Photography attempted our first maternity photo shoot. Our good friend and beautiful soon-to-be mother, Morgan Drennen, agreed to let me photograph her and her slightly bumped belly. I read a few articles and looked at maternity pictures online, but the approach was more of trial and error than anything else. The images were taken near sunset on Ocean Beach. The equipment was limited to my 60D, a rented 24-105mm f/4L lens, 430ex flash unit, and the prettiest flash stand available (my girlfriend Rachel). Overall, I think the images turned out really well. There was definitely a few things I learned and look forward to improving on next time. Morgan was great and I think a lot of the images capture her personality. Hopefully, we will see her again before the baby arrives and can take some more pictures with a much bigger baby bump!

Below are a few of the images that I liked best. Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: PART 2- Jellyfish

2012-08-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Upside-down Jellies, Moon Jellies, Elegant Jellies, Cross Jellies, Flower Hat Jellies, Jelly Bellies, Peanut Butter and Jellies...

Monterey Bay Aquarium: PART 1- Pictures of a Life Aquatic

2012-08-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we took the two hour journey south to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, CA. It was well worth the trip. There is no Jaguar Shark exhibit, however, I imagine that even the great Steve Zissou would admit that the Monterey Bay Aquarium is a great way to view aquatic wildlife. The aquarium building is not massive, but maximizes its space with numerous types of oceanic life forms. The highlight for me was the jellyfish exhibit (as will be evidenced by the large number of images of them to follow). Everything was great and well worth the time and money. We were at the aquarium for a little over 3 hours which honestly felt more like 30 minutes. In fact, I think there were a few exhibits that I did not even see. There are also numerous interactive displays and a cafe on property.

If you are interested in taking pictures I would offer these few tips:

Go early because it gets very busy. We went on a Saturday in the summer which I assume is probably one of the busiest days. If possible, a weekday visit would afford better photographic opportunities.
Turn up the ISO. In my opinion, a little noise is well worth the faster shutter speed.
Bring a fast lens. I think a zoom with a very low fixed aperture would be ideal.
Don't use flash. I am sure that there are people much more knowledgeable than me that can use off camera flash in an aquarium. However, if you are not one of those people, don't use your flash.
Shoot a lot of images. It is a bit chaotic and you might not have much time to set up each shot, so the best solution seems to be to dial in the settings correctly and then shoot away!

In conclusion, the Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the best and you should visit if you get the chance. Below are a sampling of images from my visit, not including the jellyfish. The jellyfish commanded most of my lens time and I will follow this with a separate post dedicated to nothing but jellyfish. Thank you for stopping by and take care!

I found it impossible to get a good focus on any of the seahorses. It might have something to do with the curvature of the glass or it might be that seahorses are just jerks and refuse to pose for a good picture.

Rachel with an aquatic admirer.

This is my favorite fish in the whole aquarium. I love how his habitat looks so surreal and his face looks so familiar and grumpy.

I added this as a reminder of what a truly horrific place the ocean can be. As evidenced by this fish with a missing eyeball. Mitch Hedberg was right "if fish could scream the ocean would be loud as shit!".

Week in Review: More Olympics, Churrascaria, and Pictures

2012-08-13T11:43:00.001-07:00

The last week saw the end of the 2012 London Olympics, my first trip to a churrascaria, and a few pictures (including finding my namesake on a particularly seedy looking motel).

2012 London Olympics- I watched more of the Olympics this summer than I have ever before. Below are 15 observations, thoughts, and opinions about the Games of the XXX Olympiad...

The summer Olympics truly is a great event if for no other reason than to remind us how big the world is and how many countries exist that aren't usually recognized.
I would gladly live in any city with Boris Johnson as the Mayor.
Usain Bolt is really, really, fast and has a true superstar persona.
Misty May and Kerri Walsh seem like two of the most likable big time athletes.
The US women's soccer team is considerably less likable.
I would give NBC's coverage a C, no one likes tape delays for sporting events.
It was great to watch the US men's basketball team and I am happy they won gold, but now I can go back to cheering against Lebron.
The uneven bars in women's gymnastics is the single most incredible event.
I enjoyed water polo and volleyball more than I ever thought I would have...
...but basketball and soccer are still my favorite team sports to watch.
Anything inside the velodrome is terrible.
Nobody is happier with a bronze metal than the South Korean men's soccer team that in turn are excused from mandatory military service.
The second best Olympian name is Hulk (Brazil soccer) the best name... Dong Dong (Chinese gymnastics).
I enjoyed watching the swimming, but once every four years is just about right.
I was surprised at the initial negative reviews for the closing ceremonies. They were upbeat and full of easily recognizable songs and faces, and most importantly everyone there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Churrascaria- This past weekend included a trip to Espetus Churrascaria in San Mateo. We went with the same friends that joined us a few weeks ago at the House of Prime Rib. After eating at HOP it was decided that we should go somewhere offering even more absurd amounts of meat. As I have previously stated, I do not eat a lot of meat, but looked forward to trying a Brazilian Steak House. It did not disappoint. The 14 kinds of skewered meat we tried were delicious and included Filet, Sirloin, and Shrimp. The meal was further amplified by the salad bar that included marinated eggplant, scalloped potatoes, and prosciutto. Although, my favorite thing was probably the fried plantains that are brought to the table. My least favorite thing was definitely the bite of chicken heart that I tried. Chicken hearts aren't for me, but my boy Chris loved them and ate about 20. Truly making him the bad guy from Temple of Doom if the Indians were chickens.

Pictures of the Week-

I was out exploring and ended up right by the SF Zoo. I did not pay to go into the zoo because it was a free day for SF residents (living in Burlingame is apparently not close enough) and therefore it was a mass of humanity. However, there is a section at the front entrance where you can see zebras and giraffes before you have to show a ticket. I hung out there for a few minutes and took this image of a photogenic giraffe and his friend.

This is in a beat down and abandoned building across from the from entrance of the SF Zoo. I sincerely hope has never been used for its stated purpose.

Orange fungus covers a tree near the Pacific Ocean.

This dumpy motel must be owned by a distant cousin.

I have not figured out what kind of bird this is yet, but loved his colors and talkative nature.

I always like colorful houses against overcast skies.

South City.

Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care!

Week in Review: Olympics, Monday Night Raw, and Pictures

2012-07-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Headlines over the past week included the beginning of the London 2012 Olympics and the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw. Dirty Thirty gives a quick take on these stories as well as other observations and a few pictures.

London 2012 Olympics- We missed the Opening ceremonies in prime time due to copious amounts of wine consumption with three good friends/house guests. Thankfully, someone invented OnDemand television and we were able to watch them the next day (while I nursed a top-5 worst hangover of my life). On a side note, this led me to think of a great quote which I am pretty sure I made up but could have accidentally plagiarized... "the best nights are always followed by the worst days." Anyway, I thought the opening ceremonies were very creative and kind of a complete mess. The visuals were fantastic, but the story seemed a little jumbled. Paul McCartney is showing his age, but he was still the highlight for me. As for the games, I have watched swimming, diving, gymnastics, and soccer. As a US citizen, it was, of course, great to see the American athletes medal in the individual events. However, the most exciting and unexpected sporting spectacle has to be watching the Honduras soccer team knock Spain out of contention with a 1-0 victory.

1000th Episode of Monday Night Raw- I was a wrestling fan when I was young, again when I was a teenager, and sporadically ever since. At this point I don't watch it often but couldn't miss the 1000th episode of Monday Night Raw. It was definitely entertaining to see characters that I haven't thought about in years dress up their broken bodies and return to the ring. It was a special piece of nostalgia to see the original members of DX, even though for the most part they looked pretty rough. The 1-2-3 Kid especially looks like he is on borrowed time. This is a sentiment that I shared with my Uncle who reminded me that these guys have had hard lives and all look better than Scott Hall. However, I would still argue that even in Scott Hall's current state, X-pac does not look that much better that Razor Ramone.

Jack Sparrow- Lonely Island (featuring Michael Bolton)- I have listened to this song more times than I probably should admit over the past week. I know its a joke song with a thin premise, but in all sincerity I just really get into Michael Bolton's big sexy hook.

User comments following a Political Article- This is something I have been thinking about for a while since I read a fair amount of political articles online. Especially with the upcoming election there are more and more people wanting to share their opinions on politics and current affairs. Sharing opinions and having conversations is a good thing. In fact, deep in our wine binge on Friday I had a spirited political discussion with our friends. We disagreed on some things but it was alright because it was cordial (or as cordial as a discussion between drunk friends can be about politics at 2am). However, if you crave the complete opposite of cordial discussion and instead prefer hateful, racist, small minded, bigoted, hyperbole, then you need to look no further than the user comments following any political article currently on the web. Every time I say to myself, "don't read the the user comments," and every time I do--instantly depleting my faith in humanity.

Pictures of the Week-

Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography!

House of Prime Rib

2012-07-23T10:38:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years I have started eating less and less beef. In fact, if I averaged my red meat intake over this time it would probably be about once per month. This began as a healthy eating choice, but truthfully is now more about habit and taste. When going to a restaurant I immediately look at the chicken, fish, or vegetarian meals without much of a thought about the red meat offerings. The reason that I bring this up is because this past Saturday we dined at the legendary House of Prime Rib on Van Ness in San Francisco. Eating at a restaurant called the "House of Prime Rib" requires that one eats the prime rib, and as a semi-vegetarian who rarely eats red meat I can honestly say it was one of the best and most memorable meals I have had in recent memory.

Rachel and I eat out a lot and I love to eat, but I am far from a food critic. So without trying too hard to eloquently justify my opinion; I will give a very brief and hopefully helpful review of my experience at the House of Prime Rib.

Rachel made reservations two weeks ago for ourselves and our friends Chris and Kristy. We were seated promptly and the service was attentive. The feel of the place was classic and made me nostalgic, though I am not sure of what. The mixed drinks come in shakers which equal closer to two full drinks and there are a couple of nice bottled beers. The meal came with the following:

1) Sourdough Bread- great!
2) Salad with egg, beets, and house dressing- great!
3) Creamed Spinach, mashed potatoes and gravy, Yorkshire pudding- great!
4) English Cut Prime Rib with horseradish- really great!!!

I had a look on yelp before we visited and noticed that you could get seconds which I was happily obligated to accept. The only downside to the experience was how terrible I felt for about 20 minutes immediately following the meal due to the massive amount of food that I consumed. However, when the feeling of fullness passed I craved more prime rib.

Below are a few pictures of the evening. Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care.

Before going to the House of Prime Rib we stopped at a couple bars including the Bigfoot Lodge. The following pictures were taken there and edited with Nik Silver Efex Pro 2...

And the star of the show...

Pictures of the Week

2012-07-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here listening to Bill Simmons and the B.S. Report, and it dawned on me that I have not posted anything in almost two weeks. So, below are a few Color and Monochrome images that I have created recently...

Color

Monochrome (The below images were all edited in Nik Silver Efex Pro 2, which I am currently trying out in the Demo version.)

Requiem of a Saturday

2012-07-03T01:28:00.000-07:00

We spent this past weekend with two of our most frequent visitors; Amy and Sam. Amy and Sam are good fun and good sports, so I decided to take the opportunity to photograph their time here. On Saturday, I held true to my goal and documented the entire day. Below is the chronological adventures of a Saturday spent with some very good friends...

11:00 AM: Fitness at Coyote Point Park...

Amy is winning!

3:00 PM: Festivities begin and time to catch the train to the City...

Feat of Strength

They found a sticker by the incomparable Sphinks!

5:00 PM: Happy hour on Gott's patio at the Ferry Building...

Wine Friendship

Inside the Library at Bourbon and Branch. You are not supposed to take pictures, but I took a sneaky one by setting the timer and putting the camera on the bookshelf.

8:00 PM: Waiting to eat dinner at OSHA Thai restaurant...

9:30 PM: After dinner drinks on the patio at Lori's Diner on Powell...

And the really drunken pictures begin...

11:00 PM: BART ride home and time to creep...

Santa Cruz and Nik Color Efex Pro 4

2012-06-25T10:40:00.001-07:00

This past Saturday Rachel and I visited Santa Cruz for the first time. We met a friend for lunch downtown and then explored the Boardwalk and Wharf. I liked Santa Cruz. The downtown strip very much feels like a collegiate beach town with plenty of places to eat and drink. The Boardwalk seems like a cross between an amusement park and a traveling carnival. The sheer size was impressive, but due to it being a beautiful summer day it still felt packed with people; mostly with children and degenerates.

The following set of images is not so much a documentary of our day in Santa Cruz, but instead a look at our day in Santa Cruz as seen through the new Nik Color Efex Pro 4 Photo Editing Software that I am trying out. I have a week left to try out the demo version, but will most likely buy it when the trial expires. The surreal effects that Color Efex Pro 4 offers are amazing and the usability is very intuitive. I don't plan on editing every set of images as diversely as this, but wanted to explore the different options Color Efex Pro 4 has to offer.

Thank you always for stopping by and take care.

*this image was edited in camera only.

The Rachel Clone Affair: Push Yourself

2012-06-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Rachel had the idea for this new set of clone images. She has a new found love for working out and is constantly pushing herself to work harder and be stronger. These images are the literal/ surreal interpretation of that determination.

Technical side note: I recently downloaded a free trial of the Nik Filter package Color Efex Pro 4 and used it to edit most of the above images. This was recommended to me by a friend and so far I love it. I downloaded the plugin version for Aperture 3 and it works seamlessly, although it does seem to slow down my computer a little. However, it is well worth it because the effects are spot on. I am still tooling around with it, but plan on purchasing when the trial is up.

Abstracts: Blending Cancun, Alcatraz, and Rust

2012-06-14T15:35:00.000-07:00

These images were created by combining at least one picture from our trip to Cancun, one picture from our trip to Alcatraz, and one picture of rust.

World's Worst Statue

2012-06-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

On the corner of Broadway and California in Burlingame sits the world's worst statue. I realize this is a broad sweeping statement, but am pretty sure it is true. There are no doubt worse looking statues and those that honor nefarious characters and events. Truth be told, this statue isn't a bad representation of a soldier on horseback and the original purpose was probably to honor an honorable man. However, this statue is the world's worst for three reasons. 1) It does not give any indication as to why it exists. 2) It is in a ridiculous location. 3) No one seems to notice it. The only reason that I noticed it in the first place is because we frequent the ramen restaurant located in the strip mall on one side. A Chevron station sits on the other side of the oddly placed statue which is covered with the ramen restaurant's banner and lies on a small patch of dirt next to an electrical box. What I find especially strange is that after some time spent researching online I was not able to find a single bit of information about the bronzed soldier on horseback. That makes it all the more absurd because in my estimation the whole point of taking on the cost and effort in building a statue is to memorialize someone or something. It seems to be counterproductive that it would be impossible to find even a name associated with it.

So, if you are ever in Burlingame, CA and find yourself eating at the Mokutayna ramen restaurant or filling up your gas tank at Chevron, be sure to take a minute to check out the world's worst statue. Below are a few images of the anonymous fixture. It was not easy even finding a good angle to photograph the statue but I hope these images portray why I feel this is indeed the world's worst statue.

Sports Report: Pacquiao, Heat, and Euro 2012

2012-06-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

"We like Sportz and we don't care who knows..."

Since starting this blog, I have had the intention of starting to write an occasional sports report. The combination of free time and strongly felt opinions made this past weekend's events the perfect opportunity to take action...

Pacquiao vs. Bradley:

"BOXING IS A FUCKING JOKE!" This was my initial reaction on Facebook. Now that I have had time to sleep on it and digest what I witnessed, I wish to clarify. What I truly meant to say is that boxing is a huge fucking joke. My opinion, like that of the 99% of the people who actually watched the fight is that Pacquiao won handily. A quick scanning of the internet immediately following the fight showed overwhelmingly that boxing experts, boxing fans, celebrities, and the average sport fan agreed. The statistical evidence also agreed. Pacquiao connected on 253 of 751 punches compared to 159 of 839 for Bradley. He also landed more punches in 10 out of 12 rounds. The fact that two judges (Duane Ford and C.J. Ross) did not see it this way leads one to the obvious conclusion that it was either blatant corruption or gross incompetence. Either way it is disturbing. The fact that an event watched by so many and involves the exchange of so much money can have such an unjust outcome is frightening to say the least. Depending on what source you look to there are conspiracy theories abound. Some point to the fact that there was a great amount of money bet on Bradley at the last minute. While others don't believe Bob Arum's post fight outrage and think he is responsible. Still others have sited that the judges are just too old and incompetent. Whatever the reason, to end such a massive sporting event with such an absurd outcome gives credence to the opinion that boxing is fixed. If there is a rematch later this year, I hope that nobody pays to watch it and boxing is forced to reform its arrant ways.

Miami Heat:

I don't like the Miami Heat. I don't like Wade, Bosh, and especially Lebron. I do like that this is a sentiment shared by many Cavs fans as well as many basketball fans outside Miami. That is not to say that I hate the Heat and wish them ill will. I simply choose to root for the other team. What strikes me as strange is the sentiment recently expressed by some that there is something wrong with this. That I should be happy for Lebron for some reason. Why? This is sports and sports is entertainment. Like all entertainment, it is more fun to have a villain. Lebron and the Heat gladly accepted this role and many outside Miami are happy to see them as such. This will be especially apparent when the Heat face the very likable Kevin Durant and OKC in the Finals. It is an ideal matchup for the basketball fan without a horse in the race. If the Heat made so many impartial fans root for KG and Boston just imagine how easy it will be to put your full support behind OKC.

Euro 2012:

I have played soccer my whole life, but have only become a true fan of the international game recently. This is the first year that I watched the EPL and Champions League consistently. This was in turn rewarded with some of the most dramatic sports viewing that I have ever witnessed. Manchester City and Manchester United going down to the last day and Drogba's winning penalty for Chelsea were two all time great sports moments that I will remember for quite some time. This will also be the first year that I am invested in watching the Euros. A tournament believed by many to be a better display of the international game than the World Cup. From what I have seen so far it has been great and will undoubtedly live up to the hype. Spain drawing Italy, Denmark defeating Holland, and the Russians routing the Czechs have been the highlights of what is sure to be a tournament well worth the viewing time and effort.

Alcatraz

2012-06-06T00:05:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Rachel and I visited Alcatraz. I have wanted to see the island prison since moving to the Bay area but it took about a year to finally make the trip. We went along with our friends, Chris and Kristy, and made a day out of it. We booked tickets on the night tour and departed for the island at 6:45pm. The majority of time beforehand was spent at the Rogue Public Ale House (coincidentally, it was also my first time visiting Rogue which I highly recommend, especially the Chocolate Stout). Boarding the boat was easy and the 20 minute ride was enjoyable, albeit, cold.

Once we arrived at Alcatraz we had 2 1/2 hours to explore. The first part was led by a tour guide. Upon reaching the prison building you can take the prison audio tour or go your own way. Chris and I went looking for the best photo opportunities, while the girls went on the prison audio tour which I am told was equally as entertaining.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Alcatraz. My only criticism is that it did not seem like enough time. I think the night tour is great because you arrive as the sun is setting, but if I were to go again, I would probably take the earlier boat to have more time. I read a short book about Alcatraz before the tour so I had a good idea of the history and what to expect. However, as with most things, seeing it in person was well worth it and gave perspective to the history.

A very brief history of Alcatraz:

The island was used as a strategic military fort beginning in 1853 in order to protect San Francisco from foreign attacks.
Over time it became a military prison and then a federal prison in 1934.
Alcatraz housed many high profile criminals including Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly.
36 men attempted to escape- 23 were recaptured, 6 were shot and killed, 2 drowned, and 5 are still unaccounted for and "presumed drowned"
The prison closed in 1963 due to the high costs of operation and deteriorating conditions.
Alcatraz was occupied by Native American protesters for 19 months from 1969 to 1971.
The island became a National Park in 1972 and opened to the public in 1973.

Below are my images of Alcatraz. I tried to capture the grittiness of the prison along with the beauty of the light reaching the island right before and after sunset. Thank you for stopping by Dirty Thirty Photography and take care!

Cancun: Tulum

2012-05-23T15:26:00.001-07:00

Our time in Cancun was mostly spent enjoying the amenities of the resort and not venturing far from the beach and/or pool. However, visiting this part of Mexico requires at least some time exploring the Mayan ruins. Originally, we were going to check out Chichen Itza, seeing that it is the most well known of the Mayan ruins and one of the new seven wonders of the world. Tulum was recommended to me by a friend not long ago, but the main reason we chose it over Chichen Itza was the time and distance. Going to Chichen Itza was a full day commitment and is located twice as far from the Beach Palace Resort. Tulum was a half day affair and boasted being the only ruins located on the ocean.

Our tour started at 7:30 am by boarding a bus along with 40 other resort guests. It took about 1 hour to get to the ruins (not including a long stop at a supposedly authentic Mayan market, which seemed a lot like a souvenir shop). Upon arrival at the ruins, it was another 20 minute walk inside the walls. We spent 2 hours at the actual site. The first hour was spent on a guided tour by our tour guide Hector and the second hour we were left to our own device. Hector was an excellent tour guide and provided an abundance of interesting information about Tulum and its history.

Tulum is amazing! The ruins and grounds are located on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The view of ancient ruins along the vibrant blue ocean was almost surreal. I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the site and taking pictures. Two hours was a sufficient amount of time to view Tulum, but you could definitely go for longer and spend some time on the pristine beach located below the ruins.

We did not go to Chichen Itza so I can not directly compare the two, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed Tulum and would highly recommend it! Below are some images from our time there. Thank you as always for stopping by and take care!

I did not purchase anything at the Mayan souveniour shop, but I did take this image which is one of my favorites.

Tulum was inhabited by many iguanas (or Mexican Chickens as our guide claimed).

Hooded Oriole... and so far from Baltimore.

Swimmers in the ocean below the ruins.