Day dreaming

Scenes from Old Town Pasadena

A few scenes from OTP...A very typical Sunday afternoon.
K20D with 24mm Vivitar F/2.8

What? A dog on a leash!

every now and then, I see a dog on a leash as opposed to a baby stroller
or being cradled like a little baby...Good to see. :).....


Kudos to this lady for having a baby in the sling...This is simply wonderful. Most often when I see these slings, they are carrying dogs...So again, good to see. :)

Fishing for a buck!

Fishing for a dollar....I laughed when I saw this, because it is pretty much the truth these days...
Yep, the once and mighty dollar is not so mighty any more....
Pentax K-7 with Tamron 17-35mm

Through the eyes of a kid

I'll tell ya..Seeing this little guy having a blast with a water fountain and making an adventurer out of it was great....As adults to often we forget about the simple things of life....

Pentax K-7 with Tamron 17-35mm

A bugs life

Hi folks...I'll tell ya. I love looking at the world through the eyes of Kids and in particularly my boys eyes...He has such a fascination for bugs and I could care less about them, yet he makes them interesting for me. Almost every time we go down to Venice or other boardwalks, He gets a bug chain. He has quite the collection right now....

Pentax K-7 with Tamron 17-35F/2.8-4.0

Owners who look like their dogs

I have heard many times that owners of dogs who ''share'' a kindred spirit begin to look like them. Maybe it is the other way around....What ever the case, here is proof there may be some truth to this....''sigh''..Ok...I see this far too much here in L.A.....This angers me every time..How is it that people can treat dogs better than people...I do not understand this one bit...

The foot of the cross

At the foot of the cross
Where grace and suffering meet
You have shown me Your love
Through the judgment You received


Trade these ashes in for beauty
And wear forgiveness like a crown
Coming to kiss the feet of mercy
I lay every burden down
At the foot of the cross

At the foot of the cross
Where I am made complete
You have given me life
Through the death You bore for me

Pentax K20D with 24mm F/2.8 Vivitar

Meet Rebecca

Hi Folks.. I met Rebecca a few weeks back in Venice. She is an aspiring singer hoping to make it big in Los Angeles. Like many others she comes with big dreams and I pray she makes it big. It was good to see her reading the Psalms and proverbs...I told her to look for herself here and she was pleased and will share this with her son...May God bless her.

Crazy sword swallower

Well, what can I say. I was impressed and frankly shocked....

So much Hurt, it hurts.

I have seen this fellow many times and I have yet to be able to get this fellow to smile. So much hurt, so much sadness...Well, I will continue to try and get to know this fellow.

Pentax K-7 with the Sigma 24mm F/2.8 prime

Who am I ?

I made this image this past weekend at the 3rd st Promenade in Santa Monica...Now I am really not sure, but this fellow looks very familiar. Any idea on who he may be?

Pentax K-7 with Tokina 20-35F/2.8

Street performers

Hi folks...While out in the streets, I run into many street performers. I have seen some really bad ones and some really good ones...Well at the 3rd st Promenade in Santa Monica, I was pleasantly surprised at how well those guys performed there....Especially the fellow with the Violin...He rocked!!!!

All Images with the
Pentax K-7 and Tamron 18-250MM or
Tokina 20-35F/2.8 lens.

Doggy, dog world

I like dogs very much. I have always had one and or more and always will have one. But there is something really wrong when they start to replace people...Now there is church for Dogs as well.....''sigh''

Gone to the dogs: LA church starts pet service


Pentax ME super and Canon AE-1 with 99 film

A proud papa with his family

As I was walking through the mall in Hollywood on my way back to my car, I saw this precious family with papa and family looking proudly at their newest member...I know the quality of the photo stinks, and knew it when I shot it..Still, it is an image worth keeping...Normally, I am quick to offer up the image via email, but did not think it at the time....

K20D, vivitar 24@f/2.8 and ISO3200

The reality of Veterans day

Hi Folks...While I did go out yesterday on an afternoon shoot with some friends, there was very little happening in regards to veterans day. I have no great flag picture to post, no one from our armed services, nothing...It was like the day did not exist...Instead what I did find was a Vietnam vet who was homeless and yelling at anyone who would listen to him...The reality is that many of our veterans are homeless today...Neither this administration or the last has done anything to help them...So here is my picture of the reality that was veterans day for me yesterday..A homeless vet, begging....

K20D, with the Vivitar 24F/2.8mm lens

A broken heart, ''mine''

Hi folks....As I write this, I write this sadness. I am not going to make this about me, but I will say this. This past week and a half has been very tough on me as it has been for many people...Still, even I was really not prepared for what I saw this morning on my way to work..

A few months back as I was walking in my own neighborhood I saw a gentleman reading a book. He did not look homeless to me as he was dressed decently, no shopping cart, matching good shoes, hair looked OK and was simply sitting under a tree with a bus stop next to him and others...He was simply enjoying the day reading his book. As My son and I approached him, I said. ''Hi, My name is Javier and this is my son Daniel. What is your name?'' He Replied ''Steven''...I then asked him how was he doing today, to which he replied '' not so good'' (he used many bad words)...Well, we listened to him for a little while and then offered him a care package...That little act of love meant the world to this fellow. First thing he was going to do was brush his teeth...

Over the next few months, I have have gotten to know him more and more...Not on an intimate level, because our conversations are never really very long. Usually about 5 minutes, sometimes more...But this I do know about him...He loves to read. He loves Sci Fi and shootem up books. The SALVATION army in my area lets him read the books and he takes them back and exchanges them. I have figured out that he lost him family and home. He has taken up smoking but refuses to drink. He is very well spoken and very respectful. He keeps the area where he now lives (the steps of the Free Methodist church) very clean....

So for the past few months I have been taking him food and things regularly. The first time I took him something to eat other than what was in the care package, was a chicken pot pie. My wife makes those with rice and are very good...So I asked my wife if I could take him one and some rice to which she replied...Of course you can, why do you even ask...Anyway, I took him the food and the smile that came over his face was a blessing to me and my son like I had not seen in a very long time. He said ''OH WOW, A HOT MEAL'' and proceeded to to savor a meal, I take for granite nearly every single day...Since then, I take him hot meals when ever I can and when I see him. Sometimes I will take him a little Cesar's Pizza or a Jumbo jack meal or home cooked food...I have been pondering ways to help get him a job or something, but in truth, I have not done more than ponder....

Well, today, I saw him while I was on my way to work and he looked awful...Really ''awful'' He was also pushing a shopping cart with his few belongings in it.. Up to this point, he refused to have a shopping cart, so I was shocked!! It looked as if he had just given up on life...My heart was broken in that minute and is still aching for him...I can't help how I feel...It is even hard for me to write this...So why write? In hopes that some of my readers will perhaps take the time to help out one person in their neighborhood. I was ready to give up, but perhaps I need to try harder...It could very well be me pushing that cart one day...May God bless you folks today and God bless our veterans, many of which are homeless...

Image above taken with K20D and that is NOT Steven...I have never thought to take a picture of Steven...I don't know why.

Veterens day

ME SUPER with 99 cents film

I need a Gun

I'll tell ya...I have seen many signs and some are very clever, but this one makes me laugh..This fellow is good and I hope these pictures do him justice...

Pentax K-7 with SMC-A 28F/2.8

Chilling by the beach

I will tell, ya...I would love to be chilling on the beach right about now.

One of my favorite places

Simply Venice.
Pentax K-7 with the Sigma 24mm

Train a child in the way he should go

and when they are older, they will not leave it.

A boy and his mama

While this is merely one scene, the love that mama had for her boy was precious...There is something special about boys and their moms....

K20D, Sigma 24mmF/2.8

The bird man

I have seen many bird men and women, but this fellow took the prize.

Two views of the same ugly scene

You know folks. As I was walking the street in downtown L.A. yesterday, I came across this scene. As I approached it, I shot it as it looked interesting to me. As I passed it, I shot another of it as I was pondering...This is all to common...Not good....Life is too short to be spending it like this...

Pentax K20D with Vivitar 24mm F/2.8

A great day

Last week I had the rare pleasure of going out with my three young kids. My Daughter Elizabeth has taken up photography all on her own. Needless to say, it made me happy....She also asked me for one of my film cameras as she wants to shoot black and white film. I think I will set her up with one of my K1000's and a 50mm lens....As for the Digi, I gave her my Fuji s100fs bridge cam, that is as close to a DSLR as you will get to with out having one...What she really wants though is a Nikon DSLR like her mom, but that will have to wait until I see how she progresses....She is also the spitting image of her beautiful mom 8-)...If it where up to me, I would take them out every weekend, but as the kids get older, dad, is not so cool....

Here is an Image with my three young ones...Daniel with his beloved bike, Claire being Claire and Elizabeth looking for a shot...

Pentax K-7 with Tamron 28-300mm

May God watch over our troops

Because the current administration is not.

The fruit of the womb is a reward

Children are a heritage from the Lord,

The fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

So are the children of one’s youth.

Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;

They shall not be ashamed...

K20D, Tokina 20-35F/2.8