Watching all of the news over the past couple of days, I couldn’t help but think back to our trip to Tokyo in 2007. While there, apart from the sheer magnitude of the city itself and the mass of humanity within it, I was struck by how controlled everything was; how calmly people went about their day in spite of the millions of others around them, as if with inherent grace. While we never made it outside of Tokyo or anywhere near the more affected Sendai area, I imagine the rest of Japan and its people to be similar in their ability to face their challenges with that quiet strength and grace. Here’s hoping for the best for Japan and those affected by the massive destruction they’ve suffered this week.

Made this iPhone picture of some alien-looking water formations on glass tabletop in our backyard this morning.

The Central California Wine Country feature I shot for Mindy and Orange Coast Magazine is on newsstands now. Both the cover and a multi-page spread of photos are the work of yours truly. A link to the opener on their website can be found here.

About the only thing ‘regular’ about my posting frequency these days is how irregular it is. But tonight I was working with Mindy to pare down some picks for a story I shot for her and came across this image. Sometimes, it’s about composition, sometimes color, sometimes subject; this one is about feel. Taken in central California’s wine region a month ago, it was an otherwise clear day with bright blue skies, but as we drove towards the Pacific coast, the marine layer settled in, blanketing the area with this melancholy haze. Even after living here for a couple of years now, I’m still amazed how the look and feel of an area can change within a matter of minutes simply due to the geography.

This is a little overdue, but my very first cover photo is on the June 2010 issue of Orange Coast Magazine. Available on newsstands near you. (as long as you live in Orange County).

The Big Buddha at Ngong Ping. Hard to show the scale of how big it is, but this shot was taken from pretty far away. You take an amazing cable car ride to the peak where the Buddha is located and then another 268 steps up the Buddha itself. If nothing else, it’s a good workout getting there.

Horse racing at Happy Valley racecourse. One of the more popular things to do on a Wednesday night in Hong Kong.

For all your children’s plastic cup, bra, and meat needs, this guy has you covered.

A game of Xiangqi (Chinese chess) in the Tin Hau Temple square.

Street scene from a side trip to Macao.