ANGELA B. PAN

Officially home from California and could not be happier. Our trip to San Diego was a blast. I had such a great time being on the west coast. I spent everyday but one (when it was raining) photographing the city and I loved every minute of it. Now, I have so many images to go through. I’m pretty sure I took almost a thousand if not more. LOL. So get ready for some foggy ocean images coming soon 🙂

On my way home I picked up two copies of the Washingtonian Magazine, one for me and one for my mom, because I have 2 images published in the January issue! It’s their “Our Favorite Places” issue and they’ve highlighted some pretty cool places in the city. One of them being the image above, Dumbarton Oaks. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you’ll know that I went there for the very first time this past summer. I can’t wait to go back again in the spring. I know that place will be flourishing in all kinds of beauty.

The second image I have on there is on page 76 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial I took back in 2012. It’s a full page image and was so excited to see how well it turned out! You may remember it because I captured it at the same time I took this one.

So if you haven’t already, pick up the January issue of the Washingtonian and let me know if you think they’ve left out any places that should be on the list. And a big MUCHAS GRACIAS to Washingtonian for publishing my work. It’s always such an honor to see my images in print.

My camera settings for this image is F/7.1 at 1/30th of a second and ISO 80 with my Sony A7II and 28-70mm lens.

Out of the 7 days that we’ve been in San Diego, 6 of them have been foggy. It’s not foggy all day and it mostly comes around sunrise or sunset, the best times for taking pictures. I love the fog and everything but I thought I was coming to California for some sunshine.

But I am not letting any of the weather stop me from shooting. If I can’t photograph the skies, then I will try my best to photograph other things. This particular morning was not foggy but it was extremely cloudy. I found myself on the Ocean Beach pier just watching the waves go by. As the sun was rising higher in the sky, I noticed how beautiful it made the water look. I positioned myself on the pier so that I’d be shooting towards the shore and watching the back side of the wave roll by me.

My favorite part of this entire image is that little bit of light of aqua color on top of the wave. That was the color and light I was looking for while I was shooting this image. I don’t know but there’s something so fascinating about watching the waves roll by from up above. I love watching the patterns and repetition. Next time I need to bring the drone!

The surfer in the image was just an added bonus. I didn’t even realize he was there until I looked at these images on the computer. It’s pretty cool to see him in context to the wave. He looks so tiny compared to it.

My camera settings for this image is F9 at 1/50th of a second and ISO 400 with my Sony A7II and 28-70mm lens. I didn’t not shoot this with a tripod but was using the pier ledge to stabilize my camera.

Greetings from San Diego! and Happy New Year! This is my first official blog post of 2018. The first two were prescheduled in 2017. Kinda sneaky, eh? LOL.

So far 2018 has been nothing short of beautiful. I’m currently sitting on the front porch of our Airbnb cottage, listening to water flowing from a water fountain and staring at some beautiful oranges on our orange tree. Not sure how it could get any better than this. Since arriving, Andrew, Frankie and I have just been settling into our new environment. We went to the farmers market to pick up some fresh produce and just been sightseeing and getting to know the area a little better. We’re staying in North Park and loving every minute of it. Every morning we’ve been here has been incredibly foggy. Foggy but so fun and exciting! By mid-morning everything clears up and it’s back to enjoying the sunny skies.

I took this image yesterday in La Jolla at Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier. It was taken about an hour after sunrise and after the fog lifted from the beach. My favorite part of this image is that little hit of sun glow on the wood. To be honest, I’m not sure how busy this place gets at sunrise but somehow I feel lucky to have been the only one there. Well, me and this seagull of course.

I can’t wait to explore San Diego even more with my camera. So if you have any photo recommendations for me, let me know! Also food recommendations. I’ve already had my first official fish taco as my first meal when we arrived but that doesn’t mean it’s going to be my last 🙂

The camera settings for this image is 1/200th of a second at F5.6 and ISO 200 with my Sony a7II and 28-70mm lens.

Even though it was Christmas Eve, I still wanted to go out and capture the sunrise. On this particular morning the sunrise was beautiful but very fleeting. The colors in the sky only lasted for a couple of minutes and then went away. So I figured I would walk around more and see what else I could find. Luckily, my family didn’t have plans of getting together until lunch so I had time to wonder.

I’ve mentioned this before on the blog, but I am constantly moving and walking while I am out taking pictures. I honestly feel like there is nothing worse then going home with a memory card full of the same images. I can understand if you’re standing in the same spot and sky is changing or something like that but I really like to capture a scene and then keep it moving to find a different or even a better composition. So while I was wondering around, I found these cherry blossom branches that perfectly framed the Jefferson Memorial. I mean seriously, could it be any more perfect? *In my Chandler Bing voice*

My favorite part of this image is how cold it feels. Yes, it was a cold day but I think the blue sky and the blue water help exaggerate the feeling along with the bare branches. This image was obviously taken in the winter time. And just like this previous tidal basin image, I really like how the clouds are mimicking the branches. It definietly adds to the framing and repetition of the image.

My camera settings for this image is 0.4 seconds at F22 and ISO 80 with my Sony A7II 16-35mm. You may or not be impressed that this was handheld, no tripods. When I read my camera settings, I was impressed… so….

So if you are subscribed to my newsletter than you already know, but I’ll be in San Diego, California for the New Year! So excited to be in warm weather! The beach is calling my name. And Andrew’s and FRANKIE’S! Frankie is coming with us too. It’s a whole family adventure and I can’t wait!

This time last year I was preparing for my trip to Iceland. Talk about total opposites. LOL. Iceland was a blast but for some reason I feel like there are better photo opportunities in colder climates than there are in warmer climates. What do you think? Agree or disagree? Either way, I’m pumped to be going to California. Can’t wait to be hanging out on the beach with a camera in one hand and a fish taco in the other with no gloves on either hand. Nom Nom Nom.

This particular image was taken at sunrise right before I took this image. This was honestly my favorite day from the trip. It was my first time visiting the southeastern part of Iceland and it blew me away. Can we just talk about how gorgeous this place is? Iceland as a country is amazing but my favorite so far has definietly got to be Höfn.

My favorite part of the image is that you can see two people close to the water. I’m not exactly sure, but I think they are my friends, Ed and Alejandra. At first I didn’t even notice them but to see them in relation to everything around them, just wow. It really makes you think how tiny we are in this big, big world.

So tell me, what are your new year’s plans?

The settings for this image is 1/40th of a second at F6.3 and ISO 200 with my Sony A7II and my 16-35mm wide angle lens.

Ok so I couldn’t say that White Sands National Monument in New Mexico was my favorite place I traveled to this past year because I LOVEDDDD Colorado. Colorado as a whole is amazing. I felt like every turn we made was something even more beautiful on the other side. I’m pretty sure I said “wow” about a million times. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to spend more time there in 2018. Theres something about those snow capped mountains that gets me so excited.

And among all the beautiful places in the Centennial state is Rocky Mountain National Park. Unfortunately there were parts of the park that was closed due to snow while we were there but still really enjoyed the park in general. That’s just another reason to go back right? This was image was taken on our first sunset there. We arrived to our walk early which meant we were able to take our time and take in beautiful views like this.

But it can be difficult at times finding balance. Photographers, let me know if you feel this way too. Usually when I’m out I feel some sort of pressure to find the right composition with the right lighting and to keep it moving so I don’t always end up with the same shots. But with all of that going on in your head, when do you find the time to just stop and enjoy the sunset? I’ve even heard of photographers saying that the only way they could really enjoy the sunset is just leaving the camera at home. I don’t agree. I think having your camera enhances the experience but there does need to be some sort of balance.

If you want to see more from our adventure, watch this youtube video. Shoutout to cheetos for being so delicious 🙂

My camera settings for this image is f/9 at 1/640th of a second at ISO 640 with my Sony A7II and 16-35mm wide angle lens.