2019 was an eventful year. I finished grad school just a week ago, getting my Master’s in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University in December 2019.
At work, I am a tech specialist, graphic designer and marketer for my library, so I had a chance to help with my library’s big grand re-opening celebration this fall. The library was renovated and has a new play area, makerspace, cafe and computers.
I traveled to New York City, Detroit, San Diego and Pasadena this year. Now that I am finished with school, my goal for 2020 is to travel more and focus on more photography projects.
More info after the pics.
Christmas at Eastlake | December 2019Family portrait for my bro and sister-in-law | December 2019
Wedding video | August 2019
Miss California at Placentia Library gala at Richard Nixon Library | August 2019Placentia Library storytime | June 2019The Vessel, New York City | April 2019New York City | April 2019California poppy superbloom in Anaheim Hills | February 2019Detroit Auto Show | January 2019The Henry Ford museum, Detroit | January 2019
This is my fifth full year being into photography, and my fifth annual “10 Photos Of” portfolio. This year, I decided to organize the pictures reverse-chronological, from December to January, without a specific theme or mood for the portfolio as a whole, from travel pictures to portraits.
After nearly a decade of development and planning, the Yorba Linda Town Center (YLTC) opened this spring with a few shops like Bristol Farms, and has steadily added new restaurants, a yoga studio and even an outdoor, picnic-bench themed BBQ joint.
The shopping center’s last big-ticket item, a Regal IMAX theater, is set to open around mid-October, according to some reports.
For an October mini photo project, I decided to snap some pictures of the YLTC on my iPhone only. These photos are all taken with my phone and have not been edited. I won’t mention my iPhone model (no, it’s not an 11, though), but many recent phones have had massive improvements in photo quality that sometimes rival DSLRs, at least at wide-angle.
And here’s an AR Pokemon Go photo:
I’m planning on coming back to get some night/sunset shots of the YLTC to show the iPhone’s lower-light capabilities.
I traveled to New York City with my friend David Takahashi at Twelve Stones Productions for the New York Auto Show. It was a nice spring week with a mix of sun and rain, and temperatures in the 60s, perfect for checking out Manhattan from Central Park and Times Square to the One World Trade Center.
We got to film at the Hyundai booth at the opening day of the show, attend a Hyundai “Detroit Rocks” concert, and check out downtown Detroit during a snow storm.
Here are a few pictures:
Detroit Auto Show
Opening day of the Detroit Auto Show, about 5 minutes before the show was opened to the public.Toyota had a concept of its 2019 Toyota Supra on display, one of the favorites at the show.
We got to visit the Detroit Institutes of Art, The Henry Ford, and the Detroit Historical Museum.
750,000+ Celebrate the Future of the #Mobility Industry at 2019 #NAIAS: Show wrapped up with a strong finish of 100,757 attendees, bringing total ticketed attendance for #NAIAS2019 to 774,179: https://t.co/jHRvEKIv4C
Well, that’s a wrap. 2018 was a fun-filled year, but I also took fewer pictures this year than in other years I have been into photography, since work and graduate school kept me pretty busy.
This year, I tried something new by doing a weekly black-and-white photo project on Instagram to test my creativity. It was a useful experiment that taught me about composition and lighting but was challenging to come up with weekly subjects to photograph in grayscale.
The first four pictures are a few of my favorite black-and-whites I took this year, followed by a few more that I tried to use color to show a mood.
Daniel and Katie engagement, January 2018Chicago skyline at night, February 2018Winter day in Chicago, February 2018San Francisco Public Library, May 2018Placentia Library Easter Eggcitement carnival, March 2018Fall sunset, October 2018Dusk in Chicago, February 2018Hot Wheels car at the Chicago Auto Show, 2018
I try to include a video in my year in review posts, and this wedding video, of Victoria & Michael, was a highlight to be able to film and work on this year as they had such a fun wedding.
Looking forward to new photo projects and being able to film more weddings in 2019.
Photos from exploring downtown Chicago and visiting the Chicago Auto Show with Twelve Stones Productions in February 2018.
The weather ranged from 14 to 28 degrees during our stay and even snowed a bit. I enjoyed having the chance to see the city in winter and hope to visit Chicago again… but probably in summer.
Chicago skyline at night, February 2018Chicago, February 2018Toyota booth at the Chicago Auto Show, February 2018Toyota booth at the Chicago Auto Show, February 2018Hot Wheels car at the Chicago Auto Show, 2018Chicago Auto Show, February 2018
Toyota booth at the Chicago Auto Show, February 2018Chicago, February 2018And of course, a trip to Chicago is not complete without deep dish pizza and Chicago dogs. We went to this bomb place called UB Dogs in the Loop.
The Bean, Chicago, February 2018
Chicago at twilight, February 2018Chicago at night, February 2018
Dogwood trees in morning light at Yosemite, August 2017.
I have been into photography for four years now. While due to having a full-time job and being in graduate school, I was limited in time to devote to photography this year but still managed to get some gigs and go on some vacations, like to Tennessee and Kentucky, Yosemite and San Diego.
Here are my 10 favorite images taken this year, taken in chronological order. Also see 2016,2015 and 2014.
Mihaylo Hall at Cal State Fullerton, February 2017. Taken with a Fujifilm disposable camera.
Santiago Oaks Regional Park, March 2017.
Disneyland Park at twilight, April 2017.
Barn in Kentucky, June 2017.
Country road in central Kentucky, June 2017.
With my friend David in Downtown Nashville, June 2017. We traveled to Tennessee and Kentucky to film a wedding:Â https://vimeo.com/231101497
Dogwood trees in morning light at Yosemite, August 2017.
Watching the total solar eclipse in Downtown San Diego, August 2017.
Smoke rises from the Canyon Fire at sunrise near Anaheim, September 2017.
Eastlake Village Christmas display, December 2017.
Here is a bonus video for a wedding I helped film in September 2017:
Another summer has come and gone, and with it the vacations, the memories, and the endless warm days turning into long, inviting nights.
This was an odd summer for me in that it was the first time that I have taken a summer class. I took an intensive intro to Web Design class for my grad school program, where I learned HTML and CSS. This, combined with my regular work, gave me little free time.
I still made time for my hobbies of taking walks, playing video games like Titanfall 2 and Pokemon Go, and taking pictures when I could, though.
Rather than sharing local pictures like I did for my Spring 2017 blog post, here are some pictures I took on four different trips this summer, to Kentucky/Tennessee, Phoenix, Yosemite and San Diego.
1. Kentucky and Tennessee, June 2017
This was a great trip and my first visit to the South (other than D.C.). I joined my friend David over at Twelve Stones Productions to film a wedding in central Kentucky, and we decided to make a vacation out of it, spending some time in the country and in downtown Nashville. Of course, the BBQ was fantastic and country music was blaring from the rental car the whole trip.
Sign in Downtown NashvilleKentuckyKentuckyKentuckyKentuckyKentuckyKentuckyRoad in Kentucky. Everything was so green here.Downtown Nashville at twilightDowntown Nashville at twilight
Of course, we couldn’t resist staying in such a cool city without getting some aerial drone shots :)
Aerial view of Downtown Nashville. Copyright Twelve Stones Productions.Downtown Nashville, June 2017.Aerial view of Downtown Nashville. Copyright Twelve Stones Productions.Aerial view of Downtown Nashville. Copyright Twelve Stones Productions.
2. Phoenix, June 2017
This was a short one-night trip just a few days after our Nashville trip, so I felt like an airplane traveler expert after spending so much time at the airport in a week. It was a cool video project for Hyundai that I assisted David and the crew working on.
Photo from a Hyundai video shootBehind the scenes from a Hyundai video shootBehind the scenes from a Hyundai video shootBehind the scenes from a Hyundai video shoot
3. Yosemite, August 2017
I joined my family for a trip to Yosemite in August and, just like every time I am up in the mountains, it was a relaxing and refreshing experience filled with memories.
From morning walks to bike riding in the valley to lazy afternoons wandering around the countless meadows and the Merced River, I was able to experience one of God’s purest examples of beauty and recharge from a busy year of work and school.
Sunrise in Yosemite
Sunrise in Yosemite National Park, August 2017Deer at sunrise in YosemiteYosemite Chapel at sunrise in August 2017 in Yosemite National Park
4. San Diego, August 2017
To celebrate my birthday, my family and I went to San Diego to watch a San Diego Padres baseball game and visit the San Diego Zoo. My birthday was on August 21, AKA eclipse day, so I decided to have an impromptu eclipse b-day photoshoot. Check out that and some other SD pics below.
Watching the total solar eclipse in Downtown San Diego, August 2017.
Watching the total solar eclipse on my birthday in Downtown San Diego, August 21, 2017
Petco Park in Downtown San Diego in August 2017
Twilight in downtown San Diego
Photos by Tim Worden. Additional aerial photos by Twelve Stones Productions. Copyright 2017, all rights reserved.
