These aren’t *really* moving:
Cool optical illusions eh?
Optical illusions
June 27, 2008 – 5:08 pm
It’s hot in California this weekend
June 21, 2008 – 3:07 pm
If you think it’s hot in California this weekend, check out:
That’s the Phoenix Arizona 5-day forecast. Feel better? 
Helvetica the movie
June 19, 2008 – 7:14 am
Last night I watched the Blu-Ray of the movie HELVETICA which is available on DVD and Blu-Ray via Netflix and Amazon etc. This is a must see for anyone with an interest in design in general or certainly if you’re the least bit interested in typography.
It’s amazing how Helvetica is literally everywhere! I had no idea it was so prevalent and ubiquitous. You simply won’t look at fonts, advertising and logos the same way again after seeing this film. Think Apple, Target, American Airlines, American Apparel, Jeep and thousands more. They are all examples of companies that use Helvetica. It’s on street and store signs, public bathroom and transit signs-everywhere!
The film does a pretty good job of explaining how Helvetica came to be, and why the heck it’s all over the place. It also presents opposing viewpoints from experts who totally despise the font. But many designers view it as the most perfect font ever created.
I was blown away by this film and how an invention created many years ago could remain so timeless and still be used so much today with no signs of it appearing at all dated.
By the way, if you’re reading this, you’re looking at Helvetica!
Food Photography - Desserts!
June 15, 2008 – 11:13 am
One type of photography I would really like to do more of is food photography (especially desserts!).
A baker from Napa Valley recently commissioned me to photograph some desserts for a catering company website and brochure. Here are a few of my favorite images from that photo shoot:
This one is from a different shoot, a wedding:
Say Goodbye to WWW
June 12, 2008 – 9:06 pm
I’ve just re-programmed my site to no longer include any “www” in any of the URLs. I believe “www” is now completely extraneous and not at all necessary. We’ve evolved beyond that and I’m pretty sure I’m like way ahead of my time on this. Well actually, there’s a small but growing movement in the blogging community to get rid of “www” and I agree with it.
You can still type in a “www” URL for my domain, but the system should automatically remove it. Let me know if you find any links within my domain that still have the “www” and I will promptly change them.
Just say “No” to “www”!
The Golden Gate Bridge & San Francisco Scenes
June 8, 2008 – 9:08 pm
These are a few of my favorite shots from around San Francisco.
The Golden Gate Bridge in Fog - taken from the Marin Headlands turnoff at about 9:00AM, just as a heavy fog layer was burning off in the morning sun:
Golden Gate Bridge with Bicycle. This was taken from Fort Point, pre 9/11/2001. Today this shot would not be possible because the area is fenced off due to security issues. This is also where Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo was filmed. Remember the scene where Kim Novak jumps into the bay?
Walking across the bridge on a foggy morning. That’s the sun shining through the fog:
This is a typical San Francisco scene shot on a walk from North Beach to downtown. Just to the right, out of the frame, is the famous City Lights book store made famous in the ’50s as a hangout for beatnik poets like Jack Kerouac.
The TransAmerica pyramid building:
The Golden Gate as seen from the East Bay:
“Painted Ladies” Victorians from Alamo Square:
These were all taken at different times in the last decade but they seem to work well together as a series. Thanks for looking!
Hi Tristan,
Its me, from Youtube, you have wonderful training videos on youtube and brilliant illusion post here. Loved it!!
- Nice photographs. Please contact me on my email and I would love to have chat with you.