by Jim Bellomo | Apr 27, 2025 | Photography
This week of my 365 project has been my busiest yet in terms of the number of photos taken. Most of the 300 photos I took this week were either from our Thursday trip to the Skagit Valley tulip fields or during today’s photo drive around Seattle with a fellow 365er, Richard (https://www.instagram.com/richardjrock/) Rock. We had a great time and drove all over Seattle on a Sunday before he started a week of work here in the Puget Sound region.
So below are my photos from this week. My best is pretty obvious to me…the bumble bee over the tulip. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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At this time of year in the Northwest, rhododendrons begin to bloom. They feature the most beautiful flowers, but I have always viewed them as a worthless shrub, at least for 11 months out of the year. You see, these flowers hardly last more than a month, and the shrub itself is just a large green mass for the rest of the year. However, they are quite pretty when they bloom.
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On my walk today, I saw this deer. I only had my iPhone with me, but I think it turned out OK. I do wish I had my Nikon. The wall in the photo is about five feet high. The deer jumped up there with barely a hop. It was a very handsome deer. Usually, the ones I see around here are mangy and losing hair. This one was in great health and looked clean.
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Had some time this afternoon, so I took a drive on a road I seldom use. I got a bunch of shots, but this one is the one we (Kathleen chimes in when I can’t decide) liked the best. It’s an old, abandoned gate post. There were two of them, but the other was covered by chain link since someone had knocked down the gate and tossed it on top of this one’s partner. The fact that it is old and uncared for makes it more interesting for me to shoot.
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Tulips
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They never end
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Still more tulips
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Just north of us (about 90 minutes away) is Skagit County, Washington, home of the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. Throughout the valley, there are tulip farms that are open to the public, allowing visitors to take photos of the tulips. Now, I am not a huge flower photographer, but they are always extremely colorful, so we packed up Keeley and headed north. I have photographed the tulip festival twice in the past, and back then, you could just pull up and take pictures to your heart’s content- usually from almost any corner. That was then…now you have to pay to get anywhere near being able to photograph the tulips. We paid $35 for entry into a tulip field and walked around for about 20 minutes while I took around 100 photos. Don’t get me wrong, I love the photos, and we had an awesome outing; even Keeley loved the tulips. However, the tulip farmers walling off the tulips so you have to pay to see them seems ridiculous. And the crowds! For a weekday, the place was packed. I am going to post seven photos. The first one is the best of the bunch and was the result of shooting at a high shutter speed and multiple exposures.
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Inside a tulip
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More tulips
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Still more tulips
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Tulips
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I even got Kathleen and Keeley in some of them and included this one for you.
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The weekly Keeley shot is early this week because this morning she did something that is both in character and a bit out of character for her…she stole my chair. Kathleen and I love routine. We pretty much do the same thing every morning when we are home. One part of our routine is me sitting in that chair after breakfast and her sitting in another next to it. Then we do two of the NYTimes games together, and we each do a bunch on our own. It takes us about 15 minutes. I ALWAYS sit in that chair. Today, while I was still having breakfast, Keeley jumped up and took my chair. When I asked her what she thought she was doing, she just gave me this look that kind of says, “Suck it daddy.”
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Was out walking in Trilogy today and just loved this shot I got with my iPhone 16. I should have shot it in Apple’s version of RAW, but I didn’t. Shame on me. I promise that had I taken it with my Nikon, it would be an entirely different photo. But I am exhausted, not going out again, and I will shoot a bunch tomorrow. So here’s one of the miles of trails in Trilogy. We have great trails, and on a warm day like today, it’s wonderful to be able to walk in the shade most everywhere I go.
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Today was interesting. As many of you know, I have been doing a 365 project (one picture per day for 365 days) with a few people from across the country. One of them is Richard Rock (https://www.instagram.com/richardjrock/). A few weeks ago, he DMed me on Instagram and asked what places were must-see to take photos in Seattle (he lives near Denver). He was coming here on business and decided to arrive a day early to take photos around town. Rather than just tell him, I offered to pick him up at the airport, and we would go out and shoot together for a day. I haven’t done that in ages, and it was a great experience. He gave me some very good ideas that I know I will use, and we had a wonderful time. I ended up taking more than 300 photos, and I know he took more than I did. Here are my favorite shots with a few notes. This first one is the plane Richard flew in on. I took if from a plane spotting place at the end of the SEA-TAC runway.
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Richard, shooting on the beach at Alki.
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A seagull at Alki Beach
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The locks at Alki Beach
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Union Station on a cloudy day.
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I think he saw me.
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The station from above.
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Inside the station.
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Union Station Pano
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Seattle from Kerry Park.
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A corgi-Australian Collie mix at Kerry Park
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The Space Needle from Kerry Park.
I treat the photograph as a work of great complexity in which you can find drama. Add to that a careful composition of landscapes, live photography, the right music and interviews with people, and it becomes a style. —Ken Burns
by Jim Bellomo | Apr 20, 2025 | Photography
We had a gorgeous week weather-wise and that let me get some gardening done and some outdoor photos. The rain is back today but that was OK because I got my daily Keeley. But my favorite shot this week has to be the bunny. I just love the incredible detail on the fur on the rabbit.
Thanks for still coming around to see my pics. For those of you who are travel photo buffs, we are only slightly more than two months before we leave for Africa, so stick with us.
That’s about it for this week. Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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This is the second shot of the year I have taken with my iPhone. Lately, I have been doing a lot of reading about the capabilities of the iPhone and how it is almost as good as my camera. I don’t believe it, but today I thought I would try out the RAW feature on the phone. RAW is the format I use with my Nikon. You probably shoot JPEGs, while I shoot RAW. It is a huge file that gives me the equivalent of a digital negative. That means I can adjust things like exposure, white balance, and a lot more. I’m not impressed with Apple’s version of RAW. When I go to edit it, I get a JPEG, which is not what I was after. I am going to have to do a little more learning before I am willing to use my phone instead of my Nikon. In the meantime, we had a gorgeous day here on Redmond Ridge, and I took a hike and passed one of our many ponds.
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I bought some coleus at Costco yesterday and liked the color. Here’s a pic; hope you like it too! Our days have been so beautiful, but I haven’t taken my Nikon out in three days. There’s too much gardening to do and too many walks to enjoy.
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Went out to take a photo of our front yard tonight. There were too many shadows and the light was very harsh. However, this glass bird outside our door had a great shadow, so here it is. Our yards are improving every day. Mother Nature has given us five days of sun in a row, which means I am working hard to get our landscaping looking perfect. If you had told me three years ago that I would be enjoying gardening, I would have said you were nuts. But I kind of am.
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We are enjoying an amazing stretch of weather here in the Puget Sound. If I am not mistaken, the last rain we had was four days ago, and no more is expected until Saturday. All this incredible sunshine has led to a full-blown blossoming of most of Trilogy’s trees. These two are right on the way into the main section of the development and were so beautiful that I had to get out of my car and walk around for a while in the middle of the traffic circle (also called a roundabout or rotary, depending on where you are from) to take this shot. We have a gorgeous flowering dogwood in our front yard, but it is a very late bloomer this year. It has buds, but my guess is the flowers are about two weeks away. Needless to say, you will get a photo one day around that time.
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This one is a trail heading into the Redmond Watershed Preserve. We have this amazing preserve just to the west of us, with more than 7 miles of trails like this one. On days like this, it is an incredibly beautiful place.
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Another beautiful day in paradise! I had some free time this afternoon and walked a trail that’s about a block from our house. I took around 100 photos during my walk, and these are my two favorites. First is the rabbit that crossed my path and just sat there. My camera does such a great job with detail! I chose this as my favorite because I can almost see every hair on that hare ?.
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I call this photo, “My Week,” because with all the great weather we’ve had this week, I spent most of it working in this yard- well, this yard and our backyard. We had a professional landscaper do our yard last year. They removed our lawn and several hedges, as well as a very large but very ugly tree. Then we replaced it with plants that require much less water, installed drip irrigation, and added the faux stream bed. We were very pleased with it.
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Time for the weekly Keeley. Today, I stood in the living room while Keeley sat on the end of one of our recliners, in what we call her vulture stance. I grabbed my camera and started taking pictures of her, making silly noises and faces. She gave me my favorite look, turning her head from side to side as if to say, “What the hell are you doing?”
Photography acts as a teaser, suggesting we can know something that we can never know. And the more we can’t obtain it, the more we want it. —Alison Jackson
by Jim Bellomo | Apr 13, 2025 | Photography
On Friday, I reached 100 days of this 365 project, and I have to say I am really enjoying it. One of the things that has made it so great is finding four other photographers from around the world to join me. When I started, I posted on the Photography subReddit that I was going to do a 365. We had 12 people (including me) start, and now there are five of us left. However, the photos from the other four are all outstanding.
I wanted to share the other people’s shots with you. First, meet Richard. He is from Colorado, and he gets some amazing shots. You can see his photos by clicking here.
Move south from there to see superb photography from Troy in Austin, Texas. I believe Troy is the only one of the group making a living taking pictures. You can see his photography by clicking here.
Then north and east to Lewis in the Windy City. He really gets his city and I love the work he posts. Just beautiful. See his shots by clicking here.
Lastly (besides me) is Dennis from Down Under in Brisbane, Australia. Dennis is doing a 7/52 (7 photos a week for 52 weeks) but we excuse him for that because he gives us such a different viewpoint. You can see his 7/52 by clicking here.
That’s about it for this week. Don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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This old man is in our backyard. We have had him for quite a few years, and he is heavier than he appears. He is somewhat mossy, which gives him a lovely green tint. Today was very cloudy and rainy, and I suspect he became even greener.
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Today used to be my least favorite day of the year. It wasn’t April 8th exactly, but the day I did my income taxes each year. When I was in business before I retired, tax day felt more like tax week. Now, according to the software I use, it took me 1 hour and 28 minutes. It’s done and filed, and I feel so accomplished. Regarding the photo, I wanted to set up a scene that showed I had been working on it. The hardest part of the setup was ensuring all our important numbers were covered up.
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I was headed up to take a photo of a pond I had seen a few weeks ago when I noticed a couple walking up the road ahead of me. It captured a beautiful photo of true love- two people who obviously care about each other, taking a walk on one of our few days of Spring sunshine.
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We had to be out of the house today while some work was done, so we went north to our favorite nursery, where Kathleen spotted this camellia in all its red glory. It just screamed spring and flowers to us. Now we have to plant all the things we got today, but that will have to wait until tomorrow since it started raining when we got home.
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I had a few minutes before my weekly injection, so I took a quick photo walk on a bridge over the Sammamish River (slough). I captured about 40 photos, but this one stood out to me because of the reflection and the clouds. I loved both of them. We have large clouds forecasted for the entire next week, so I will have many of them to add to my cloud library.
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It’s spring, and flowers bloom everywhere. The blossoms are red, and I particularly enjoy red flowers, especially tulips. This photo, taken about a mile from our house, brings me joy. Plus, after a long day of gardening and working out, I needed a simple photo.
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Since I hadn’t taken my weekly Keeley shot, I knew I would get it sometime today. However, the morning light on our deck was so good that I had to ask her to pose for me. It turned out she is a fantastic model. All it took was a sit, a stay, and a treat as a reward, and she gave me this beautiful haloed photo that I really like. Plus, now I am done for the day…YEAH!
Have a wonderful week. Spring is here, and I guess I am now a gardener. Who knew? Oops, I forgot to pick a favorite for the week. I have two I really love…the people walking up the hill and the Sammamish River.
Photography is a major force in explaining man to man. —Edward Steichen
by Jim Bellomo | Apr 6, 2025 | Photography
Spring got me a few great shots of flowers and trees and, of course, my weekly Keeley. And even a food shot, too. My favorite is easy. I love the series I took of people at our Thursday night Travel Club meeting. It’s the yearbooker in me. I just love shooting people…with my camera ?.
Here are my weekly photos from my current 365 project for those of you who are not following along every day. I have a few more people in my shots this week, which makes me happy. As an old yearbook photographer (for more than 50 years), I much prefer to shoot photos of people, especially the four I captured tonight. By the way, that’s my favorite—one of my favorite girls.
Remember, don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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Last week, I took a food shot of a fish stew I made. I enjoy cooking fish. When I returned to cooking after Kathleen and I got married, fish was not part of my repertoire. However, since then, I have discovered that not only do I love cooking fish, but I also love eating it. I have eight fish recipes that I rotate on Monday nights, and this is one of my favorites: One-Pan Roasted Fish with Cherry Tomatoes. It’s delicious. Send me a note, and I will share the recipe with you. It’s one of the easiest fish dishes I know. You can expect another food shot tomorrow, as we have guests coming in from out of town, which means more cooking.
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Way back on January 1st, when I started this 365 project, I took a photo of Welcome Lake. I also mentioned in the caption that I would return here every season to take another photo from the same exact spot. So, my first one was on January 1. Today is the second, and as you can see, spring is definitely here. Unless you live in Washington state, in which case, April 1 is just Mother Nature and the calendar fooling you.
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I love me some layers. We have guests with us for a couple of days, and we took them on a tour of Trilogy. Bonnie wanted to see the best view in Trilogy, and this is it. It looks out to the foothills of the Cascades. With the weather we had today, it provided me with some great layers as I passed each set of foothills with my lens.
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And even more. We are a talkative bunch
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More discussion.
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Two other friends who are officers in our garden club talking about their meeting next Monday.
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A good friend who travels even more than we do.
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A discussion outside the doors.
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Prior to the meeting, we display impressive travel photos while people are chatting. That is what she is observing.
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Tonight was the April meeting of our Trilogy Travel Club. The Travel Club is the largest here at Trilogy. When I learned that, I realized we had moved to the right place, and I joined immediately. That was two years ago. Now, I am the president, and we meet once a month to either discuss an upcoming trip or hear a report on someone else’s trip. I wasn’t doing the main presentation tonight, so I took my camera along to capture some of the club members before the presentation on Kenya started. When I processed the photos later, I couldn’t pick a favorite, so here are my favorites. I love photographing people. It’s a kind of street photography, but indoors.
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Spring has arrived. These two trees, especially the one on the right, are perfect examples of that. There are so many trees blossoming that people with allergies are intentionally staying indoors. That’s sad, but it has left more of this incredible beauty, not far from our house, available to those of us without allergies. ?
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This is Kari’s Bog. It’s about a three-block walk from our house to the trail that leads to the overlook where I took this photo. The Kari’s Bog Trail runs alongside Trilogy property for a good distance, and about halfway between our house and the end of the trails is this overlook. In the winter, you can see more of the water, but by July, it will be mostly covered in lily pads and other flora, making it look more bog-like.
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It’s time for your weekly Keeley. This time, I’m using my 50mm for a close-up while she sleeps. Naturally, I woke her up, and she gave me the stink eye. But in case I haven’t mentioned it, she is truly the most awesome dog in the world. Throughout our lives, Kathleen and I have owned at least 10 dogs between us, and we’ve decided that Keeley is the best.
Photography acts as a teaser, suggesting we can know something that we can never know. And the more we can’t obtain it, the more we want it. —Alison Jackson
by Jim Bellomo | Mar 30, 2025 | Photography
I wish tonight were the 31st so I could wrap up all of March. But you can’t just change the calendar. So, this is still the last big batch in March.
Here are my weekly photos from my current 365 project for those of you not following along every day. I have a few more people in my shots this week, which makes me happy. As an old yearbooker (for more than 50 years), I much prefer to shoot photos of people, especially the four I captured tonight. BTW: that’s my favorite. The one of my favorite girls.
Remember, don’t forget: if you click on the first shot, you can scroll through using your arrow keys or by swiping. Also, while you are looking at the individual photos, click the small i at the bottom of the page to read the full caption and see my photographic metadata.
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The aftermath of my radiation treatment has left me feeling low today, so here’s a photo from my office. These two figures have been in my office for over 20 years. I can’t remember where I got them, but they’re among my favorite cartoon characters—Rocky and Bullwinkle. If you don’t recognize them, I recommend searching for them and watching a bunch of episodes. However, I’m not pleased with the photograph. I took it with my 50mm f1.4 lens, and when shooting at f2.0, it shortens the focal length so much that even though Rocky’s face is in focus, Bullwinkle’s is not.
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We have some owls in the backyard. Until today, it was hard to see them because they were covered by dead hydrangea blooms that needed pruning. But today was the day! With highs in the 70s and a beautiful blue sky, Kathleen went out after lunch, pruned the blooms, and lo and behold, our owls appeared as colorful as ever.
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I’m trying something new with a food shot—a very tight crop. This dish is cod, celery, and potato stew with coconut and herbs. It’s absolutely delicious. You make the stew and then poach the fish on top. So good! Searching for a photo for tonight, I shot the pan on the stove while the fish was poaching. I captured the entire pot, part of our stove, and some utensils. However, when I reviewed it during processing, I wasn’t satisfied with the composition. But when I ran it through a program I use to sharpen and enhance my photos, it cropped closely in the preview of the shot. I really liked what I saw. If you would like the recipe, let me know, and I will send it your way.
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Tonight was Supper Club, a once-a-month event when our wonderful Chef Andrew here at Trilogy prepares one of his amazing dinners. We get to gather with several other Trilogy members for a lovely meal. I decided to bring my camera along to capture some casual portraits. One thing about our age group is that we all have so much character in our faces. This delightful lady was a joy to dine with, and she is just one of the many friends we have made here at Trilogy, which is one of the big reasons we love this place. Plus, I had the opportunity to take this great photo.
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We had to be out of the house today while some work was being done. I picked up Keeley and Kathleen, and we drove around Redmond, Kirkland, and Totem Lake. We took some photos downtown. I asked Kathleen to help me choose one, and this was the one she liked. I took it in Redmond’s downtown park, where there is a very spaceship-like stage with mirrors underneath the open-air roof. I just happened to look up and took this self-portrait.
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Here’s what many of you wait for every week: it’s the Keeley of the week. Today’s post features a fun shot of her beautiful face. I have an online photography friend who is also doing this 365 project with me. He uses professional models because he is that kind of photographer. I have Keeley. His work is awesome. You can see it here: https://www.reddit.com/r/TroyChildsPhotography/
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I don’t often get all my favorite girls on one couch. Our new favorite, Keeley, is in the lap of my amazing daughter, Jenna, who is sitting next to my wonderful granddaughter, Maylee, who is beside her BFF, Livie. They are all here tonight for a Spring Break Ladies Tour while my grandson, Mason, and son-in-law, Joel, are at Disneyland, where Mason’s band is playing. They stopped here for tonight and will move north tomorrow to spend the night at Joel’s mom’s house.
With photography, you zero in; you put a lot of energy into short moments, and then you go on to the next thing. —Robert Mapplethorpe