My parents have really enjoyed their iPhones since they picked them up last year. In fact, they’ve even taken to sending both SMS and MMS messages to both my sister and I. It often results in some amusing exchanges.

Recently, my sister made a blueberry pie and sent an image of the results to both our Mom and myself.

After receiving this picture, my Mom quickly sent back the following as a reply.

Hipstamatic is probably one of my favorite camera apps for the iPhone.

I woke up extra early yesterday to line up for the iPad launch at an Apple Store in San Francisco. It was a pretty festive atmosphere, and after the doors opened at 9AM, I finally made my way inside.

A number of journalists and photographers were inside, interviewing and shooting excited customers. I decided to pick up an iPad and start play with it for the first time. An AP photographer caught this photo and now it’s running all over the place!

Went out shooting some photos today, for the first time in what feels like ages. This is one of my favorite photos that I’ve taken in a long time. The sculpture is Ecstasy by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito and was installed at Patricia’s Green in Hayes Valley last week. It’s on display until June 18, 2010.

More information is available on the Black Rock Arts Foundation blog.

First displayed at the Burning Man festival in Nevada in 2008, Ecstasy is one of the eight monumental metal figures of the artists’ masterpiece, Crude Awakening. In Crude Awakening, these eight figures surrounded a 99-foot tall wooden oil derrick in gestures of prostration, worship and exaltation. Alone, Ecstasy embarks on a hopeful journey. Instead of throwing her head back in reverie to the oil derrick, she gazes wistfully into the open sky as she steps forward into an optimistic future, free of dependency on fossil fuel.

A photo of mine appeared in an article about Veronica Belmont and Ryan Block in Geeksugar, for their series of “Geeks We Love” articles!

Nikon D300, Nikkor 24mm f/2.8, and an SB-600 flash w/ LumiQuest 80-20 diffuser.

Photo via the United Nations photo stream on flickr.

The latest news and the images coming out of Haiti are absolutely tragic and indescribable. My heart goes out to those affected by the earthquake. I wish there was more that we could do. For now the best thing to do is donate toward the relief and recovery efforts. Google also has a pretty comprehensive page for Haitian disaster relief.

You can see some of the latest images from Port-au-Prince here (via flickr).

Photo via U.S. Department of Defense on flickr.

Photo via U.S. Air Force on flickr.

Another year has closed, and once again, San Francisco photographer Jim Goldstein is calling for your top photos taken this year! It’s always a blast to participate in and review some of my favorite shots taken over the past year.

You can also see my best photos from 2008.

—

Protestors gather at Civic Center in San Francisco on January 12, 2008 to protest the shooting death of Oscar Grant by a BART police officer on New Years Eve.

—

Buzz, a friendly elephant seal pup that we encountered while backpacking along California’s Lost Coast.

—

While traveling through Canada this past summer, we took a gondola ride near Banff. The first part of the ride was enveloped in fog. Right after we broke through, I stuck my DSLR out the window (yikes!) and captured this shot!

—

Visited Seattle for the first time this summer as well and took this shot at the foot of the Space Needle.

—

Steve Jobs made his return to Apple, after being sidelined with health problems. It was my first time attending an Apple keynote / Stevenote and the first time seeing Steve Jobs in person. Shot photos for gdgt. Definitely a moment that will stick with me for a long time.

—

The Blue Angels always provide fantastic opportunities for shooting photos. I took this photo as Blue Angel #7 screamed right over the top of our apartment building.

—

In March, the California Supreme Court ruled on the validity of Prop 8 (and made the unfortunate decision to uphold it). I took this photo and thought it represented a nearly perfect representation of each side (literally, metaphorically, politically). Two people on the left, in love and making a point about equal rights. On the right, an older white gentleman, holding up a sign in support of Prop 8.

—

Robogames 2009 at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Two competitors chat after a battle and examine the damage inflicted upon their robots.

—

A second photo from Robogames 2009. A competitor cheers in victory after his robot scores a critical hit on an opponent.

A new year, and a new decade are upon us! Here is my annual photographic review of the year. More travels, moving, a new job. So sit down and come along for the ride.

You can also see my past year in reviews for 2008 and 2007.

(more…)

A few weeks ago, I went walking through San Francisco and took my trust Canon S90 along with me. I shot a few photos of the Transamerica Pyramid, one of the more distinctive high rises in San Francisco.

I’ve had my Canon PowerShot S90 for just under two months now, and the camera still continues to impress me. I take it with me everywhere I go and it manages to nail nearly every shot!

What better place to take the new camera than the California Academy of Sciences? Photographic examples to follow.