Evan's photography phun (4 Viewers)

[evangilder]

My son won two improvement awards at school yesterday (proud dad moment), so I got to take some photos of both kids at their school, since this is the only year they will be in the same school. The photo of my daughter was an experiment that didn't work out so well, so I did some creative editing to salvage what I could.

 

[Wayne Little]

Congrats to Jacob.....and Proud Dad!

 

[evangilder]

Thanks Wayne. Moments like these give you a sense that you have accomplished something with them.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Very cool, congratulations.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Excellent! Give him a thumbs up from us.

 

[Shinpachi]

Nice photos, Eric.
I can see a good future of your country

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Cool shot of the kid……..well done Jacob and I think the cats are more concerned of what they may be looking at…..something tasty maybe.

 

[evangilder]

Thanks fellas. The missus and I took an early anniversary trip over the weekend to Monterey, California. It is quite a beautiful place with a lot of interesting history. On the way there, we went through Fort Ord. It was quite a contrast to see the University that is there now and the WWII era barracks as well. The Defense Language Institute is there at the Presidio as well as a Naval and Coast Guard presence. Our pursuits were more on the peaceful side, with a couple of days on Cannery Row and exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium. If you are looking for a really cool aquarium at a great location, this is one of the best.

The link below is to 7 galleries of photos from the trip. The new 50mm f/1.8 was a dream to shoot with in the relative darkness of the aquarium.

Van Gilder Aviation Photography, Monterey Bay Trip

Here are a few samples

 

[Gnomey]

Cool shots Eric!

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Never seen a seaweed seahorse before. And as always Eric, excellent shots sir! Hope you guys had fun and relaxed.

 

[evangilder]

Thanks guys. It was a nice getaway for us. We needed that. My next update will be soon, and it will be airplanes again. 8)

 

[Shinpachi]

Was it a seahorse? Wow

 

[evangilder]

Yes, it's part of the seahorse family and is a Leafy Sea Dragon. They are pretty rare and are found off the coast of Australia. Their camouflage is amazing. It would be very hard to spot in the wild.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I'd not ever seen one, even after all the wildlife shows I watch.

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Amazing shots Eric.

Will you be making the journey to Riverside this weekend?


Wheels

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Superb photography Even. Sadly when Hil and I were there last year, because of a breakdown we only managed a night-time drive through of Cannery Row and missed out on the aquarium altogether. It just means well have to return sometime in the future but this time at our own pace.

I'd not ever seen one, even after all the wildlife shows I watch.

Hey Aaron we got them down of Kangaroo Island in the cooler waters and guess what………..they don't bite, sting or poison like many of our other critters.

 

[evangilder]

It's definitely something to see, Vic. We spent 2 days at the aquarium. When you go, take the behind the scenes tour for an additional $12. It's worth it.

Aaron, it's funny, this is the second time I have seen a Leafy Sea Dragon. They are really something. Apparently, no one has studied them much until recently, so there isn't a lot that is known about them.

Wheels, I won't make it to Riverside this year. I am off to Palm Springs for the annual T-34 gathering, leaving Friday about noon and returning on Sunday.

 

[ontos]

Great shots Eric, I love Monterey. We used to live in Salinas and my Aunt and cousin still live in Monterey. They owned Vapor cleaners which was right on the wharf, they had the malor contract for all the cleaning at Fort Ord. Her house is on the hill just across from the presidio above the bay. Is the old Army barracks you mentioned at Fort Ord? My brother did his basic training there before going to Vietnam. We use to drive by there when we were just kids and watch the troops going through training. Too bad they closed it.

 

[evangilder]

Yeah, Merv, we saw WWII barracks at both Fort Ord and Camp Roberts (on the way up). They are neat places. I would love to go nuts with a camera at Camp Roberts.

I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Palm Springs Air Museum for the annual T-34 gathering. Winds created the usual turbulence for all three days, but it still went well. Saturday afternoon flying was scrubbed after airliners reported gusts at 40-70 with heavy wind shear at both ends of the runway. I was disappointed that we didn't fly, but I wasn't disappointed to not fly in that! Sunday morning was much better, but the winds picked up again for our afternoon flight, an 8 ship formation pass with departures after the pass. Once we cleared the Banning Pass, it was smooth to about the Ventura County line where once again, we got the crap kicked out of us in turbulence. I felt about 2 inches shorter from spine compression when we landed. It was one of my most challenging shoots I have done, but I'd do it again. I have about 3 hours of video in addition to about 1400 photos to go through, but here are a few quick samples.

 

[Gnomey]

Good shots Eric!