Aquarium of the Pacific Photographer's Night

      Last week, I went to the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific's annual Photographer's Night.  I have gone a few times in the past and always end up having a great time.  This year, I had limited time and couldn't stay for the entire evening.  The even starts with entry times at 5:30pm or 6:30pm and runs until 10:00pm.  We were ushered into this auditorium at 5:30pm.  While a Canon rep went over a few guidelines and tip, I mentally went over which exhibits I wanted to visit with the amount of time I had.  

     One of the biggest perks of Photographer's Night, aside from having the aquarium to yourself without the general public there, is having the opportunity to have a photo printed on one of Canon's amazing printers.  I was really pleased with how mine turned out.  There are also vendors like Tuttle Cameras who are there to loan out equipment for your to try out - for free!  My friend borrowed a macro lens and got some amazing shots with it.  I brought my own 100mm macro, but didn't have as much luck.  I think the anxiety of knowing I had limited time contributed to some shaky hands.  I have shot at the aquarium before and had never experienced such shakiness ever - and it was already tough enough to shoot through glass at moving objects in dim light!

  
     Not my best work, but here are a few of my "favorites" hahahaha...😛

     The personality of this little puffer fish really stole my heart.  She just zipped around the tank, and was having a grand old time in there.  This was the only photo I could get of her, because she was so speedy!  I may need to go back and visit her. 😊

     Even though I love the peaceful nature of shooting at the aquarium, I absolutely hate being under water and whatever is in the ocean.  I can barely bring myself to go snorkeling, and don't find the ocean to be a welcoming place.  Needless to say, the AOP lets me get photos of all this ocean life without having to be in it.  It's definitely a win-win. 

     Aside from what's in the ocean, I also hate frogs.  It was tough for me to edit these.  They creep me out...um, enjoy.

     I really wanted to get that perfect shot of the stingrays, but I had to make sure I had enough time with the jellyfish.

     The jellyfish are probably a favorite of the Photographer's Night.  They are so mesmerizing, and there's such a variety of them at the aquarium.

     Okay, so these really creeped me out.  I don't know what they reminded me of...maybe worms?  I dunno, but I both love and hate this photo at the same time. 😨

     If you've never been, I strongly encourage you to attend the next one.  I find it such a relaxing time to shoot and explore ocean life with other fellow photographers.  There is a small cafe with tables and chairs to relax in, chimp your photos, and talk shop with your photography friends.  I really hope I can stay for the whole event next time! 

L.A. Smorgasburg Photography

     A few weeks ago, I discovered 626 Night Market's cousin, L.A. Smorgasburg.  From what I saw, it felt like a similar concept, but with less emphasis on Asian or Asian inspired/fusion food - and minus the entry fee!  L.A. Smorgasburg also throws in a sprinkling of shopping and musical performances set in a renovated industrial area.  The parking (in a large structure) is affordable and ample.  

Despite the temperature being in the low 80s, it still felt scorching hot outside.  Thank goodness for these umbrella-covered picnic tables!

     The food prices rival that of the 626 Nigh Market.  Most things will run you around $10-12, such as this pork belly banh mi sandwich from Bahn Oui.

     This tri-tip sandwich from Stoked BBQ was small, but tasty..

     What was even better was this cantaloupe juice.  I don't know if it was the heat, but this stuff was just so refreshing and downright delicious.

     This strawberry lemonade slushy from Lade Slush Co. was also really good.  I've never heard of most of these businesses, and it did make me wonder if they operated only at events such as L.A. Smorgasburg, or if they actually had a storefront or food truck.

     The rest of the food is not mine.  I did, however, enjoy taking pictures of other people's food.

     Oh wait, this was mine, too.  A pastrami sandwich from a vendor (whose name I can't recall - sorry!)

     I should've taken a picture with this lightbox, I know. 😏

     I still remember the moment I took this photo.  It finally dawned on me what this place reminded me of.  Okay, all you Walking Dead fans... doesn't this look like TERMINUS!?!?  Right?!  For some reason, once I realized this, I didn't want to eat any of the meat anymore hehe...😮

     The parking structure looked very hip and green. 

     What we all hope is true.

     I knew this picture would come in handy!  You can visit L.A. Smorgasburg every Sunday at the Alameda Produce Market grounds.  The address for the parking structure is 785 Bay Street, Los Angeles, CA  90021.  Bring a hat and sunscreen - it gets really hot out there! 😊

Big Bear Lake Photography

     After years of putting it off, on a lazy weekend, I decided to go where I'd never gone before in SoCal - Big Bear!  It is about a 1.5-2 hour drive depending on which route you take.  I had gone up to Lake Arrowhead before for a wedding, and that turned out to be the moment I discovered I get very dizzy on winding roads.  The only other time I recall ever getting that ill on a winding road was waaaay back in 2001 when I went to Yosemite National Park.  We decided to take an alternate route up to Big Bear, and unfortunately, it did not make a difference.  :(

     I brought my vintage Canon 5d with me for this one.  I decided it hadn't gotten any use in so long, and I wanted to see what I could get with it.  Boy, this is when you are grateful for all the improvements in digital cameras!  While it left much to be desired in terms of focusing, it didn't feel that different than using my mark III.  

     We weren't there during the best light.  We got lucky when this gentleman came walking by and my friend was gutsy enough to ask him to pose for us.  It was like seeing Santa Claus when he was off duty.  He made for a good subject, and we deemed our pictures of him the photos of the day.

     The water level was pretty low.  There were some areas where we were able to walk out onto some mushy earth, beyond where the docks extended.

     We didn't do much planning for this, and weren't going to stay until sunset.  Luckily, we found a photo gallery and got some ideas for what was cool to shoot in Big Bear.  I remember passing by Boulder Bay on the way in, and was glad to at least have this interesting subject to shoot on the way out.

     I bet this place is nice during the winter.  We decided it may be worth a trip to come back after it has snowed. 

     We stopped at the Lake Arrowhead McDonald's for soft serve and to relax a little bit before the drive home.  Unfortunately, it was down the winding road that made me ill. 😢