6 Awesome Photos Along The Blue Line

Have you ridden in the L.A. metro? If you are like me, then most likely you have used the metro only on occasions where (1) you do not want to pay for parking or (2) you do not want to worry about driving after a night of partying with your friends. However, I have lately been using the Blue Line that runs from Long Beach straight to 7th and Flower in downtown L.A. This gives me the opportunity to take some awesome pictures of the neighborhoods that are along the metro's path. Though the L.A. public transportation system does not lend itself to complete convenience and efficiency, I have found the metro to be a unique way of exploring this diverse and vibrant city we live in. (And if you ever need to take the metro to the Staples Center, the exit is the Pico Station.)

Being sick...

For approximately the past week and a half I have been trying to fight off a cold. (Just when I thought I was so much better it came back with full vengeance.) In all honesty I hate being sick, though I doubt there is anyone out there who doesn't. During that time I feel useless and incompetent as my sweet husband makes sure I'm well fed and my photo work is at a stand still. And though I love our little home, the vertical blinds start feeling like barriers to the sunshine outside. I hope to feel 100% soon enough, though by my self-portrait of this week, it seems I still have a lot of recuperating to do. Wishing you good health, Martha :)

Architectural Graphics

Though I am currently not pursuing an architectural career, I can not deny my architectural background is an influence in my photography. I can not help but notice lines, forms, and compositions; characteristics that are also necessary to create a successful image. I am able to appreciate the beautiful architectural structures and details of Long Beach as I walk around on most evenings just after the sun sets in order to capture the beautiful light of "magic time".

Part of The Family

Anyone that has ever had a pet knows how much fun and joy they can bring to the family. More than that, they are a child's playmate or an elderly's companion. They are the last one's to send you off to work and the first one's to greet you back home. They ruin your plants or tear apart the carpet, yet love you unconditionally as you scold them to never do it again. They become such an integral part of the whole family structure, that when they pass away it's really the lose of a loved one. 

R.I.P. Coby

A very smart dog

R.I.P. Tiger

Jellybeans (still with us)

Prefers to be left alone

Palm Springs: Modern Architecture & Nature

Michael and I started the new year in beautiful Palm Springs, CA where modern architecture is around every corner and wild nature is just a few minutes-in-the-tram away. By far the best example of a mid-century work of modern art is the Kaufmann House designed by one of modernism's most important architects, Richard Neutra (unfortunately we were not able to go inside the premises). But luckily, nature at it's best was much more accessible to experience and photograph. 

Clouds from the Patios

I have always really liked clouds. I enjoy how the sunlight bounces off of them, giving them shape and dimension. I like the various textures they can have, whether it's fluffy and cotton-like or thick and menacing. Clouds are chameleons, giving shape to whatever we have in our imagination. And finally, they are temporal, reminding me that the only constant is change. (To see more of today's clouds just check out "Clouds From Patios" in the flickr photostream.)

Today's adventure: Objects In Antique Shop

One of my new favorite photo expeditions has been going into antique shops; there are so many little treasures to be found. Today I went to the "Country Roads" shop in Old Towne Orange. Below you will find a small sampling of what I saw. To see more images of today's antique shop visit, just click on the flickr photostream on the left hand side. (Note: Due to some technical difficulties this post will be dated as Thursday for it is now technically after midnight.)

Let's get 2011 started!!!

Hello Family and Friends!!

Happy New Year and welcome to my blog. It has been long overdue but I finally set it up just right and am ready to share it with all of you. There might be some kinks to fix along the way as issues arise. Heck, I might even decide to revamp the whole blog completely over. But in the meantime I hope you enjoy this blog time and again as I update it with "Daily Photos"of adventures near and far.

Feel free to sign up for updates and share with your friends (you can share through the Facebook or Twitter icons). You can also follow my stream of images through flickr and see other work I like to create. And finally, on the left hand side you will see blogs I follow. As you can tell, quite a few are photography related. But I also follow a couple that support my ideals of how I would like to lead my life (see "RowdyKittens"). 

Thank you for visiting. Stay tuned for more to come :)

Sincerely,

Martha Elena Altamirano-Cervantes
Founder of ©Squeaky Eye Foto

Michael and I on our first adventure of the year; snowshoeing in Mount San Jacinto State Park, near Palm Springs, CA where we had to ride in the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway to get to the top of the mountain.