• Use manual focus, as auto focus will have problems in between each shot.  You don’t have the time to wait!

• I used an aperture of f/9.0.  Sharp, clean lines from the fireworks, and the right blend of fireworks/black sky.

• I had the camera on a tripod aimed at a portion of the display.  I should have used a slightly wider lens, about 30-40mm on my XSI would’ve been perfect.

• Then I just sat back, enjoyed the show, and snapped away using my remote control (camera set on bulb mode), randomly changing the length of the exposure.

See the full set of Flickr!

Hover over the pictures for a quick description.  No description on Flickr just yet, but maybe by tonight.

I have ideas of places I want to go, so that are close, some a little drive away, but right now I only have my short lens working, so I’d really like to wait until I have both lenses before going anywhere.  One of this week’s pictures is proof of my lens’ problem.  And my “feels like I’m cheating” picture this week is the product picture of the memory chip.  It was the first use of my homemade lightbox.  I need better lights, but overall, worked well!

My favorites this week are the stairs from the Pruneyard parking garage, and the “family portrait” with me, Erin, and Charlie.  He doesn’t like to sit still, so I’m amazed this one came out like it did!

I’ve got a few ideas for this week, and some ideas for some continuing themes, but those will take some planning first!  For now, enjoy this week’s pictures!

So my spin on this was just to take one picture a day for a year.  I decided I would do weekly uploads, instead of daily.  This gives me some time to organize things and save some time overall.  I’ll try not to miss a day, but if I do, I’ll try to make it up with a “make-up” from the next day (or maybe previous).  I’m off to a great start and I already missed one day, due to writing the blog post about Drawbridge, so good job me!

The point of this is to get me to take more pictures (obviously), which should lead to me learning about photography more, and improving the pictures I take.  Also, this is a good chance for my brain to wrack itself for some nice, creative photo ideas.  Finally, I’ll get to (hopefully!) improve on my writing skills, which seem to have diminished steadily over the last two years.

So here are my first week’s photos:

Follow each picture to get to the bigger sizes.  Got ideas?  I need some!  Contact me and let me know!

Drawbridge was started in 1876 on what was known as Station Island when the railroad tracks were laid down. There was one cabin that housed the drawbridge operator, but due to its convenient spot right between Fremont and San Jose, more was addded. There were two drawbridges at either end of the island, both of which have been replaced. At its peak in the mid 20’s, there were 10 trains a day stopping in Drawbridge, and about 90 permanent residents.

During Prohibition, Drawbridge became a popular getaway spot due to its secluded location. Special trains would run in and out, and there was apparently quite the collection of brothels and saloons, and according to a possibly unreliable source, the residents were all armed, and the police were hesitant to enter the town to deter any unlawful activities.

The town is sinking, as it was built on marshlands, and according to the previous possibly unreliable source, the pumping of water started the sinking. The town is also now off limits to the public, and may be patrolled by Refuge Law Enforcement Officers, as noted in the comments in this blog. I therefore do not recommend that you go, as there may be fines involved if you are caught. However, the land was bought with taxpayer money, public money, then declared off-limits to the public. I can understand that they want to preserve the wildlife, but there is also history to preserve. It is doubtful that I will trek out there again, at least anytime soon. But it is still nice to know that this little piece of history will not be lost just yet.

Nick and I spent about 4 hours round trip on Friday. It was about a 45 minute walk out there, and there was actually plenty to look around once there. There are maybe 4 or 5 small clusters of buildings left, and if you are willing to get either wet or very dirty, they are all accessible. Some sites say that the buildings are inaccessible due to the marshy ground. We didn’t find this to be a problem, and could get close to all the buildings we tried to.

There was the issue of the train tracks, and the bridge that we needed to cross. Halfway across, a train came up behind us and we had to run to a little bridge to get out the way. We had the place to ourselves, and it was very peaceful. It would be a nice place to see the stars, or watch the lights come on around the south bay if not for the long trek there.

Check out the pictures here, or at Flickr. Let me know what you think! I’d love some feedback about the pictures.

I just found a much better history of the place than I wrote, and I don’t see a point in re-writing what someone has already done!  Check the two links for his version. Part One , Part Two