Haight & Ashbury is the hippie capital of SF. I gave my Nikon D40 and the 70-300 mm Sigma lens a pretty good workout today. This lens gives really good macro shots. I took these without a tripod. At 300 mm and a macro setting it was very difficult to get a steady shot.

Macro - Black and White

Macro - Black and White

This reminded me of the entrance to the mines of moria in the LOTR.
A door at the exploratorium in SF

This street had graffiti all over the place. This image is not focused right. The 70-300 lens is a manual focus lens.
Haight

The headlights and other bright out-of-focus (Intentional) lights in this shot show the shape of my aperture. A circle. I had my aperture wide open.
On Haight and Ashbury

Until my D40 arrives…

A Bud

This one with a large aperture. Isolated shot.
Bud, Opening up

This one with a small aperture of f/8. Hence, a little more Depth of Field.
Same, With more DOF

…. and so… this guy blooms….
Flower

Clever shapes on the bark of a tree.
Bark of a tree.

Read: Last two lines.

We aren’t that desperate.

Whale Skulls-u

Olle Paths-u

Found this guy near the head of the trail. Looks like a ribbon snake. Not sure.

Ribbon Snake

This is not in San Mateo. I captured this in a park near my house.
Ducks, Three numbers

Oh yeah, I walk in the woods, I cause erosion and the whole planet is destroyed. Cool!
Erosion anthe, Shaata.

Look closely, his face looks like Darth Vader.
Shri unknown bird-u

Attempt at macro.

Indian Government, in a shocking decision made SC/ST the only caste in the country. Prime Minister of India, Dr Manmohan Singh, feeling left out of the general government decision making processes, called a surprise press conference and announced this decision. “From today, SC/ST will be the only caste. All people in India will belong to this caste only.” - said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. He left suddenly saying he was supposed to give Sonia Gandhi company for breakfast.

Earlier, The press were shocked to receive an invitation from the Prime Minister. “I was shocked. This is the first time this has happened since the previous government. I have to ask my manager if this is a conference worth attending.” - said noted reporter Dhananjay Mahapatra.

Arjun Singh who arrived after the Prime Minister left, said the 27% reservation rule for the SC/ST/OBC will stay. “Now that the OBC no longer exists, the rule will apply only to the SC/ST” - said Arjun Singh, who was being given dialysis treatment simultaneously.

Gujjar leader Colonel Kirori Singh Bainsala, who was busy trying to uproot a part of a railway track for about six hours now, appeared to show no interest in the news. “I don’t care anymore. I need to finish with this track now.” - said the Colonel and continued to hit the track with a stick.

Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu, in a statement to the press said “This is a konspiracy by the communist gourment in an effort to gain unnecessary advontaje during the upcomming yelections. We will dyefinitely bring this to the notice of the paarty high commission in the next paarty meeting”.

Later that day, Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu categorically denied his earlier statement, even though a reporter pointed out that there really were no categories present. “I hyave no idea who cooked up this story. I was hyappily having breakfast with my fyamily this morning. I categorically deny hyaving said any of that. This is ridiculous.”, he said. The reporters left feeling happy after hearing him say the word “ridiculous”. “I can’t believe what I just heard. It must be some kind of achievement.” - said reporter, Chidanand Rajghatta.

M T Vinay, a student, shouted “Arjun Singh is a fool” and zoomed away on his bike before we could ask him anything.

Idanna nodi.

Aamele.. Subscribe maadbidi. Ivranna.

Ashte.

80 year old historic bridge. A very short history indeed (Getting ready for the next century, they are).

Bridge

Was very disappointed to find this really thin waterfall. This tiny beach looked beautiful but no access.

Julia Pfeiffer Waterfalls.

Attempt at macro. My lens have very limited capability.

Water drops on leaves.

Pfeiffer Beach. A beautiful beach with various rock formations such as this one. Waves rush through these gateways with a lot of force.

Shri natural gateways-u

Birds. Two numbers.

Fish-u. Many numbers.

Shri Penguins-u

I captured this from the road between this golf course and the pacific ocean. I have cropped the image.
ISO was 80 for all the exposures.

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.1 for 1/800 secs.
Poppy Hills Golf course

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/5.0 for 1/1250 secs.
Point Joe

Notice those shiny creatures on the slopes and base of this rock? Those are the sea lions involved in a really noisy orgy. The birds on the top of the rock are the seagulls.

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/7.1 for 1/1250 secs.
Bird Rock

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.0 for 1/1250 secs.
A lonely tree

“17 mile drive” is a scenic 17 miles through Del Monte Forest and along the Pacific ocean.

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.0 for 1/800 secs.

Pebble Beach, 17 mile drive

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.0 for 1/640 secs.
Bird in flight-u

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.1 for 1/320 secs. I was not getting a clear image with higher shutter speeds (1/500 secs)
Shri Ladybugs-u

Magane, Ball thogond baarappa!
7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.5 for 1/1250 secs.
Golf course along the pacific ocean

These Beechey Ground Squirrels are very bold. They don’t move even if you go really close to them. Oh, and they possess “anti-venom” in their body which supposedly neutralizes a rattle snake bite. Click and zoom on the image to have a closer look. They have this amazing We-are-watching-you look. Fat Bastards.

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.1 for 1/250 secs.
Beechey Ground Squirrels

This is a 250 year old tree on the edge, facing the ocean. I have a feeling the “250″ year old tag has been there for quite sometime now. I should also mention that this photograph can be used for personal use only as this is a logo of Pebble Beach company.

7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.1 for 1/500 secs.
The Lone Cypress

This tree has a white coat, supposedly due to the salt residue from the ocean water.
7.3 - 29.2 mm lens, f/4.0 for 1/800 secs.

The Ghost Tree