Unconventional Las Vegas

Elle February 18, 2014

The scintillating city of excess - replete with bacchanal revelers looking for a weekend of carefree debauchery... which will, of course, stay in Vegas. I find this city and the entire industry built on hedonism to be fascinating... mostly it always underscores the importance of balance for me.

I don't know anyone who can or wants to sustain the endless drinking, eating, and partying for more than a few nights at a time. In economic terms, it suffers from diminishing marginal utility - not only is it increasingly physically exhausting, it also delivers less and less enjoyment per each additional night. In many ways, it's a reminder that we can all burn out doing any activity or piece of work and to ensure I have some variety in my life.

To be sure, I ate myself silly at establishments like Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak and Mon Ami Gabi, filled with all kinds of the noveau naughty ingredients (none of which, I happen to agree with): gluten and dairy. Not to mention all of the conventional terrible things for you: fat, salt, sugar, rare steaks, cholesterol-filled seafood... In any case, after that weekend, I immediately myself on a repentant diet with lots of fibrous fruits and vegetables.

Craftsteak prie fixe menu dessert tasting - chef's choice. Liberal application of Instagram magic.
Clockwise from top: fresh fruit, chocolate indulgence with chocolate ice cream, coconut lime and raspberry sorbets, and cinnamon monkey bread with vanille ice cream. Paired with a Polish dessert wine.

Mon Ami Gabi - where your cappuccino can come in a bowl larger than the cup of French Onion soup.

But I wanted a different experience and adventure to photograph with the DSLR and thus, we went off-roading. My amazing sorority sister who happens to live in Vegas recently bought a new Jeep and graciously took us out on a trail that wrapped us around Las Vegas via Rainbow Gardens Rd.

Hi Jeep!

Quite overcast, which made it a comfortable day trip, but did make the pictures less dramatic since it flattened the highlights and shadows and softened the contrast. Most of the pictures have had some additional editing during review to punch up the contrast a bit, but it's no replacement for the correct lighting to convey a mood.

Along the winding road

When dirt meets asphalt

The Strip from the trail's end

Active Shooting Hours: 4
Review Hours: 2
Hours to Date: 111

Berkeley by Day, San Francisco by Night

Elle July 31, 2013

Not unlike college days of old, I wandered Berkeley by day and then hopped on BART to play in the city at night. It's amazing how natural it all felt and there was the bonus of being mistaken for a student and a local when more than one person stopped me for directions. I also retained my uncanny ability to nap on BART and wake up just in time for my stop - mildly interesting superpower?

Despite loving the conveniences and logical city planning of suburban paradise, I do find the order confining and uninspiring at times. It's hard to find inspiration when you're staring at the back of a Prius that nearly backed into you in the parking lot of Whole Foods (true story). Still, I find that plenty of people who live in the old cities with architectural masterpieces let their mundane daily agendas drive their attention and they miss the forest for the trees. It's probably why they always say it's important to travel and see the world for all the wonders it has to offer.

This was also my first attempt at nighttime photography with a tripod - definitely a third time's a charm situation since I lugged that thing all over the place and finally got to use it my last night in the city. Good thing it's only 2lbs and conveniently fits into my camera bag. Also would have doubled nicely as a makeshift bludgeon in the unlikely yet possible event that we would have been jumped by weirdos. I love how the shots came out even though they were pretty stock in nature and not particularly visually dramatic.

Campanile over Wheeler - some of my favorite classes were in that building

Sather Gate - fun discovery: the lights have swirly lightbulbs in them

Two of the larger bells of the carillon in the Campanile

San Francisco City Hall

Columns at the Palace of Fine Arts

Palace of Fine Arts

Seeing the city through the trees

Coit Tower

The Bay Lights installation on the Bay Bridge

Hours to Date: 41
More Berkeley
More San Francisco in the Dark

The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent was a Summer in San Francisco

Elle July 27, 2013

The coolest quote Mark Twain never actually said... though it's a pithy witticism that would be so characteristic of one Samuel Clemens. It was seriously cold though, a brisk wind the entire morning and a gloomy fog hanging over the city that never fully lifted.

I love visiting this city though I would never want to live here... like other great American cities of old, I find a lot of inspiration and room for reflection when surrounded by buildings and monuments that have seen the best and the worst of things - if only the walls could speak, what would they say?

We began our morning with coffee at Four Barrel and breakfast at Tartine in the Mission and then found our way in Russian Hill at Lombard & Hyde among the tourists to look at the 8 hairpin turns of that crooked street. From there, we headed to Fisherman's Wharf & Pier 39 and waved across the bay at the Campanile, which we only found through the haze by finding The Claremont Hotel first. After lunch at Boudin's to have the famously tart sourdough (apparently unique because of the humidity & weather in the Bay - the starter dough was actually brought from Europe, but after being exposed to SF weather, it developed that characteristic sourness), we made a quick jaunt to Fort Point to get pictures of Golden Gate before heading back. I also made a detour to Bi-Rite before jumping on BART back to the East Bay.

I'm behind in posting since I also took pictures in Napa and brunch in the Castro, but those will come soon when I get a free moment from taking pictures to actually update and post!