2013 ~ My Year in Pictures

Most of you who follow A Tuesday Night Memo or are friends of mine on Facebook know this about me: I'm an avid photographer. 

I make it a habit to bring my camera (a Canon PowerShot A570 IS) with me wherever I go or travel. And, thanks to getting an iPhone three years ago, I now have two sources for shooting photographs.

As taking pictures has matured from film to digital, photography has become an easier and more affordable hobby. No longer do I have to buy and store film or worry about whether the roll of film I just shot of the Eiffel Tower or the Tower of London Bridge is in focus or not.

After becoming a digital photographer about 10 years ago, it allowed me to become my own editor.  So, if I'm not happy with a picture, I can delete it and re-shoot it, then edit it for clarity. Thanks to social media sites like Facebook, uploading and sharing photos with a large group of friends has become fast and simple -- and, for me personally, it's become a daily exercise in sharing my photography with others through my timeline: "It's what's on my mind."

Each year, I take more than a thousand photographs of people, places and things. In revisiting the photo albums I've shot over the past 12 months, I've pulled together a group of photos that I'm pretty excited about. They cover a variety of things important and interesting to me: Flowers and nature, sports, music and the urban landscapes of cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle. 

You may recognize some of these photos from appearing on my Facebook page or in my blog. Click on each photograph to see them enlarged.

I hope you enjoy the exhibit and I welcome your thoughts.

Cheers and Happy 2014!

I took this photograph inside of Haas Pavilion during a University of
California, Berkeley women's basketball against Oregon last February.
That's Eliza Pierre (No. 4 in gold) guarding an Oregon opponent.

The magnificent beauty of a California redwood tree,
which I photographed on the grounds of St. Clement's
Episcopal Church in Berkeley last May.

A giant diaper pin sculpture by Claes Oldenburg sits inside the garden
of the de Young Fine Arts Museum. I took this photograph last January.

The central fountain in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park located
near the de Young Fine Arts Museum and the California Academy of
Sciences. Much to my surprise, there was a a gull sitting atop the
fountain when I took this photograph last January.

Sharing the beauty of one of our calla lilies, taken last April.

We have a raised iris bed in our backyard garden
and each April our irises come to life, standing tall.

Sharing the beauty of a rainbow colored rose from our
backyard garden, taken during the beginning of November.

A plate of poutine -- French fries topped with mushroom gravy and
 cheese curds, enjoyed at Beauty's Bagel Shop in Oakland.

A bowl of Three Twins vanilla and dulce de leche
ice cream and shortbread cookie from Comal,
in downtown Berkeley.

A window display of Chuck Taylor All-Stars on the Third Street
Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif., taken last July.

The Central Garden at the Getty Center in Los Angeles, taken in July.
It's a wonderful experience of sights, sounds and scents.

Sharing the beauty of a Mr. Lincoln red rose,
taken in our backyard garden last May.

I met John Lewis, American civil rights leader and
U.S. congressman, at a book signing event last June
at the American Library Association conference
 in Chicago.

The Cloud Gate, a 110-ton elliptical sculpture forged of a seamless
series of stainless steel plates, created by British artist Anish Kapoor.
It reflects the Chicago skyline and the clouds above as seen from
Millennium Park. I took this photograph on the Fourth of July.

The Stars and Stripes is draped over the side of the
Wrigley Building facing the Chicago River. I took
this photograph while walking across the Wabash
Avenue Bridge heading towards the Loop in Chicago.

A view of San Francisco's Alcatraz Island as seen through a
"closed window" inside the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion.

The beauty of a tall tree on the grounds of
San Francisco's Golden Gate Park last summer.

Inside Shakespeare Garden in San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park, taken in August.

Sharing the beauty of one of our Queen Elizabeth roses
from our backyard garden, taken last September.

Our alliums bloom during the summer months in
our front yard and share a garden bed with
our Japanese maple tree.

Seattle's iconic Space Needle was built for the
1962 World's Fair. I took this photograph last
September while attending Bumbershoot, Seattle's
annual music and arts festival. 

Enjoying the eclectic blues music of Duke Robillard last September
at the Bumbershoot music and arts festival in Seattle.

My season ticket to the University of California,
Berkeley's womens' volleyball matches always
provides a great view of photographing
the action on the court.

The Rotante Dal Foro Centrale, a bronze sphere by Italian sculptor
Arnaldo Pomodoro. It sits near the western entrance of the University
of California, Berkeley campus.

Enjoying Los Lobos with guest Boz Scaggs at last October's
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at San Francisco's
Golden Gate Park.

A view of the central spire atop San Francisco's
Grace Cathedral, taken last August. It looks like
the spire is touching the clouds above.

The beauty of an August full moon -- a "blue moon."
I took this photograph standing on on our deck.

Guardian dog sculpture inside SFO's Terminal 3,
 inspired by Japanese folk toys.

A chilly but sunny Thanksgiving Day afternoon at Lakeview Park,
Albert Lea, Minnesota.

On a November Sunday morning, I came upon three
turkeys just minding their business up the hill from
my residence.

Colorful Christmas tree inside the Fairmont Hotel,
atop San Francisco's Nob Hill.

Graced With Light, a ribbon installation project by
artist-in-residence Anne Patterson, inside
San Francisco's Grace Cathedral. I took this
photograph during Advent season.

The lovely beauty of a February sunset over San Francisco
as photographed from Memorial Stadium on the UC Berkeley campus.

All photographs by Michael Dickens, copyright 2013. All rights reserved.

2010 ~ My Year in Pictures

Self portrait / Me and my iPhone camera.
At Macalester College, 12/27/10.

As most of you who follow this blog or are friends of mine on Facebook know, I'm an avid photographer.  As picture taking has matured from film to digital, the hobby of photography has become easier and more affordable ~ no more buying and storing film ~ and I make it a habit to bring my camera (a Canon PowerShot A570 IS) with me wherever I go or travel. Thanks to the recent addition of an iPhone, I now have two sources for taking pictures.

As a digital photographer, I have become my own editor. For instance, if I take a photo that I'm not happy with, I can easily delete it and re-shoot the photo, then edit it for clarity. Now, thanks to social media like Facebook, uploading and sharing photos with a large group of friends is fast and simple.

During the past year, I've taken more than a thousand photographs of people, places and things.  In revisiting the photo albums I've shot over the past 12 months, I've pulled together a group of 65 photos, including the above self-portrait (taken with my three-week-old iPhone), that I'm pretty excited about.  They cover a variety of things important and interesting to me: Flowers and nature, sports, music, urban landscapes in cities like San Francisco and Seattle, as well as pictures taken during the summer and winter seasons.  And, there's also a few selections from the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C., a first-time experience for me.

You may recognize some of these photos, such as the Queen Elizabeth roses, that appeared in my blog during 2010.  No two Queen Elizabeth roses ever seem exactly alike.  Others, like Claes Oldenburg's "Cupid's Span" ~ which is a very visible public art display along the Embarcadero in San Francisco ~ always fascinates me no matter the time of year.  Last month, I photographed "Cupid's Span" on an unusually warm, December Tuesday morning. Returning four days later, I captured it on a foggy, chilly Saturday afternoon.  It's the same public art display, but the weather radically changed its color and appearance.  That is why I always tote my camera along with me whenever I visit San Francisco.  You just never know what you may encounter that is worth photographing.

Now, presented in chronological order from January to December with identifying captions is:  2010 ~ My Year in Pictures.  I hope you enjoy the exhibit and I welcome your comments and feedback.

Cheers and Happy 2011!

1/14/10 ~ An early bloom in our garden: A Pristine rose.

1/14/10 ~ One of the season's first Calla lilies in our garden.

1/23/10 ~ Oregon State coach Craig Robinson (President Obama's
brother-in-law), standing, observes his team against Cal at Haas
Pavilion, Berkeley.

1/30/10 ~ Winter sky, afternoon southern exposure, 2:28 p.m.
I took this photo standing on our deck where there's always
a great view of the sky ~ day or night.

2/2/10 ~ The Ferry Building, San Francisco, 11:31 a.m.

2/14/10 ~ Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, 10:29 a.m.
I took this photo standing across Taylor Street from
the cathedral in Huntington Park.

2/14/10 ~ Grace Cathedral labyrinth, 12:21 p.m.
The Kei-Lun Martial Arts troupe welcomes the
 Lunar New Year of the Tiger.

2/17/10 ~ Apolo Anton Ohno (front) in a 1,000 meter heat race
during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Vancouver, B.C.

2/18/10 ~ Women's curling at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games
in Vancouver, B.C. was our ticket of the day.  There were four
matches going on simultaneously during our session.

2/18/10 ~ Canadian skip Cheryl Bernard puts the curling stone
into play for Team Canada during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
Our seats were right on top of the action at the curling rink.

2/19/10 ~ Opening face off of the Belarus-Sweden
men's hockey game in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.
There were many NHL players on both squads.

2/19/10 ~ The Olympic Flame, Vancouver, B.C., 5:54 p.m.
We waited in a queue line for about an hour to get an up close
and personal view of the Olympic Flame.

2/20/10 ~ Riding a water taxi under the Burrard Street Bridge to
Granville Island in Vancouver, B.C. during the Olympic Winter Games.
The bridge beautifully frames the snow-capped mountains.

3/6/10 ~ Battle of the Bands outside Haas Pavilion
following the Cal-Stanford women's basketball
game. This is the Stanford drum major.

4/29/10 ~ Our orange roses are in full bloom in the backyard.

5/8/10 ~ A Queen Elizabeth rose in full bloom in our backyard.

5/15/10 ~ Two-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher
Tim Lincecum of the Giants versus Houston at AT&T Park.
Who knew in May the Giants would go on to win the World Series?

5/15/10 ~ Claes Oldenburg's "Cupid's Span" along the Embarcadero.
We enjoyed a post-game walk from AT&T Park to the Ferry Building
after a Giants' victory.

5/19/10 ~ A Queen Elizabeth rose in full bloom in our backyard.

5/24/10 ~ Another Queen Elizabeth rose in our backyard garden.
Throughout the year, our Queen Elizabeth rose bush was our most
 prolific one.

5/30/10 ~ Puget Sound as seen from Discovery Park, Seattle,
12:04 p.m.  Exploring nature in Discovery Park is one of my
favorite things to do when visiting Seattle.

5/30/10 ~ Busker fiddlers at the Folk Life Festival on the
Seattle Center grounds.

6/6/10 ~ Window display and an interesting reflection in front of
Article Pract, Telegraph Ave., Oakland, Calif.

6/19/10 ~ Bay Bridge and beyond.  I took this photo looking out
from a parking garage on Howard St. near the Embarcadero.
That's Oakland in the distance.

6/27/10 ~ Indoor labyrinth at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.
I took this photo at 10:36 a.m. prior to the 11 a.m. Eucharist service.

6/29/10 ~ Alliums.  They start as delicate, airy globes ... 

7/7/10 ~ Target Field, new home of the Minnesota Twins, Minneapolis.
The team was on the road during our summer vacation, but
we took a guided tour.

7/9/10 ~ Aftermath of June 18 tornado, Albert Lea, Minn.

7/10/10 ~ Painted Lady butterfly, photographed during a picnic at
my in-laws' house, Albert Lea, Minn.

7/12/10 ~ A little squirrel, a big tree, a tall climb ahead ...
I took this photo in my in-laws' back yard, Albert Lea, Minn.

7/13/10 ~ Sunset on Lake Minnetonka, 8:25 p.m.  I took this photo
from the pier at Maynard's in Excelsior, Minn.

7/21/10 ~ Artisan breads by Mike the Bejkr at the Pop Up General
Store, Oakland, Calif.

7/30/10 ~ Portraying Degas in the Ballet Studio.
I took this photo during the run of  the "Birth of Impressionism"
 show at the De Young Museum of Art, Golden Gate Park.

8/1/10 ~ Blue Bottle Coffee Co. kiosk at the Temescal Farmer's
Market held on Sundays throughout the year in Oakland, Calif.

8/1/10 ~ Sailboats on San Francisco Bay, 2:23 p.m.  I took this
photo from Fort Mason, San Francisco.

8/1/10 ~ Sea gull along the waterfront at Fort Mason, San Francisco.

9/4/10 ~ The Seattle Space Needle, 9:59 p.m.
I took this photo while attending the
Bumbershoot Music and Art Festival.

9/5/10 ~ Ichiro Suzuki at bat in the bottom of the first inning for
the Mariners in a game against Cleveland at Safeco Field.

9/6/10 ~ The Clientele perform on Labor Day at the Bumbershoot
Music and Art Festival, Seattle.  This British band has been a longtime
favorite of mine.  It was my first time seeing them live. 

9/6/10 ~ Jenny and Johnny perform on the Mural Stage at the 2010
Bumbershoot Music and Art Festival, Seattle.

9/23/10 ~ San Francisco City Hall at night, 7:29 p.m.

10/14/10 ~ Queen Elizabeth rose against a backdrop of
the blue sky and clouds, 8:27 a.m.

10/15/10 ~ The No. 2-ranked Cal women's volleyball team:
All for one and one for all.  The Bears reached the NCAA
championship match for the first time in school history.

10/27/10 ~ San Francisco City Hall at night during the
2010 World Series.  The outside lights were filtered orange in
honor of the Giants playing in the 2010 World Series.

11/3/10 ~ Giants rookie catcher Buster Posey during the team's
World Series victory parade in downtown San Francisco.

11/13/10 ~ The front door at A Verb for Keeping Warm, a new knits,
textiles and accessories store in Oakland, Calif., that grew
into a brick and mortar store from a website.

11/14/10 ~ 2009 Black Mountain Vineyards Merlot.

11/18/10 ~ Almost full moon, 6:15 p.m.  I took this photo
standing on our deck.

11/25/10 ~ Thanksgiving Day, Oakland, Calif.
We enjoyed our Thanksgiving Day meal at Lake Chalet.

11/25/10 ~ Thanksgiving Day, Oakland, Calif.,
walking along the shore of Lake Merritt
after our meal at Lake Chalet.

11/26/10 ~ At Haas Pavilion, Berkeley, Calif.  It's match point
 as the Cal women's volleyball team wins its first
Pac-10 volleyball championship.

12/7/10 ~ Along the waterfront of the San Francisco Bay, 11:23 a.m.
That's Yerba Buena Island and the Bay Bridge in the background.

12/7/10 ~ Another view of Claes Oldenburg's "Cupid's Span" while
walking along the Embarcadero in San Francisco.  That's the
Ferry Building clock tower in the far background.

12/10/10 ~ Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas leads the
San Francisco Symphony in concert at Davies Symphony Hall.
Our seats in the First Tier provided a good view of MTT conducting.

12/11/10 ~ Venerable Red's Java House, along the Embarcadero.
Red's Java House is a short walk from AT&T Park. 

12/11/10 ~ A view of "Cupid's Span" on a very foggy afternoon.
I took this photo at 3:09 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon walking along
the Embarcadero from AT&T Park to the Ferry Building.

12/11/10 ~ The F-Line street cars connect Fisherman's Wharf with
the Castro by running along the Embarcadero and up Market Street
in San Francisco.

12/14/10 ~ Badly Drawn Boy (aka Damon Gough) performing at
the Swedish American Hall on upper Market St. in San Francisco.
I was impressed with this quaint and ornate music venue.

12/18/10 ~ Christmas tree ornaments.
I took this photo at the Palace Hotel in
downtown San Francisco.

12/19/10 ~ Inside the Nave at Grace Cathedral, San Francisco on the
Fourth Sunday of Advent.  I took this photo just minutes before the
start of the 11 a.m. Eucharist service.

12/25/10 ~ Christmas Day, Albert Lea, Minn.
I shot this photo during a post-breakfast walk my wife and I
took in Lakeview Park.

12/25/10 ~ Christmas Day, Albert Lea, Minn.
I was impressed with the fresh snow that adorned many outdoor
trees and made for a most festive winter atmosphere.

12/26/10 ~ Fountain Lake, Albert Lea, Minn.
Minnesota's 10,000 lakes freeze during winter and Fountain Lake is
no exception.  At the center is a hut used for ice fishing.

12/27/10 ~ Old Main at Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minn.
This was always my favorite building on campus while I was a
student.  Most of my history courses were in Old Main.

All photos by Michael Dickens, copyright 2010.