Good things about Christmas?  A silly question I pose, because of course there are so many.  One could not endeavor to post thoughts and photos here to cover it all - Our Lord's birthday, family gathering, wonderful food, lights, songs, presents, and so much more.  I very much oversimplify it here by just sharing a few closeup shots of a few of the many icons/decorations about or house.  They hardly add up to the wonder and blessings of Christmas, but make for a fun look at the little things that help construct what we surround ourselves with to celebrate and enjoy this festive time.  Merry Christmas!

The Frosty Snow Man - not seen around these parts though I remember him as a kid in New England

The Iconic Santa - gott have him

It's all about connecting...

Yes, fun stuff right down to the plug-in the the bathroom!

And the wise men gathered to honor our Lord - the essential story

papaROYzzi

A random collection of photos I've worked on to add to various web sites 

I do (NINE total, from Family and Friends' sites to small businesses, a baseball

blog site, and my artistic photo site: www.nokodachrome.com).  The first 

one was taken on my iPhone documenting a nice bottle of French Wine

I enjoyed while working on my sites. So, Cheers! 

The papaROYzzi

 Above: Home Art: The Bass Man.  Below: More Home Art "Topazed"

 in Photoshop Elements

Above: The Grand New Leal Estate to host great wine events.  

Below:  Best Friends Sean and Peg's new wine rack - cool, and I want one!

Little Bits of Home

Sometimes a week, or maybe two or three, will pass before I have a significant event or life moment to share here.  But that of course is how life is, so sometimes we'll fill in with something stored in the photo bank, and other times we'll just go silent.  Currently, while engaged in snapshots and postings on my private family web site for the holiday gatherings, I have a "little thing" to share here.  Moreover, the little things about the house.  I find from time to time that doing macros - zeroing in - on things around our home can be great fun, and challenging photography to get useful images.  We must branch out later on this idea, for it seems that in the first chapter of this adventure, the kitchen ruled.  Herewith just a few of many fun shots I've found by getting up close and cozy with objects around the old homestead. ----   the papaROYzzi

I took a left turn away from playing in and directing United States Chess Federation tournaments about 25 years ago.  Life happens and changes our direction and priorities.  As of now, I'm turning right and getting back into that world.  I won't of course play with anything other than the beautiful - and required - classic Steineiz chess set.  None the less, I have a small collection of other "decorative" sets which I enjoy for their unique sculptured look.  Herewith a few shots from one of my favorite sets, which I first saw displayed in my veterinarian's lobby - had to have one, went right out and got one.  The Game of Kings, featuring the King of the Jungle...

papaROYzzi

The highly promoted "Safe Halloween" event in downtown Morgan Hill:  the community loves and buys into it, and we subsequently have a huge crowd lining the closed-to-traffic streets for two hours each year as costumed kids and parents alike walk the line and collect candy from the generous shop owners along Monterey Road who hope to please the locals and bring them back as customers again, and again.  While they love the free candy, the hundreds of attendees each year no doubt love the macabre pageantry and fun of the whole thing that seemingly brings the entire population of Morgan Hill into downtown.  I concentrated my photo shots this year on adult costumes, and here are a few examples of my favorite grown-ups being kids again.    the papaROYzzi

Fall

Oil Painted Fallen Friends

 Having finally figured out how to install and find the plugin Topaz Simplify to PhotoShop Elements, I humbly share a set of photos from my first couple of weeks of playing with this great "photo painting" program.  Though I largely prefer to stick to natural photos, or natural black and white pics with basic tweaks (crop, sharpen, light adjust), I enjoy the occasional big leap to a montage, textured look, or now painted look, and more.  A photographer should choose a style or two that fits and work to perfect it, though sometimes it's just fun 
to take a left turn and venture out.  

Flight South Begins

Rain Reflection

The Fall Classic starts this week!

Fall - to - Christmas Colors at home

While I have 3 other cameras I depend on under varying circumstances, my trusty pocket camera usually stays by my side.  It goes in the top drawer every night with my wallet, keys, etc. - a reminder to tote it around with me every day.  Sometimes I leave it behind though, but today was one of those days when I said, "Maybe something will come up, so let's take it."  As always, I'm glad I did, when a simple trip to pick up my wife at the airport and go to dinner on the way home wound up presenting yet another fun quick shoot of my environs throughout the evening.  Don't be without some kind of camera, cuz you never know.

 San Jose International Airport
 Parking Lot Wall Art

                                                   Buca di Beppo Art Madness...

          Ceiling of Wine Ghosts...

                                       3 Heads are better than none!

Final Shot - just horsing around with night photography

the papaROYzzi

WorldWide Photo Walk, October 1, 2011

While I didn't elect to submit photos for the contest, I joined several MH Photo Club members on the Scott Kelby's 4th annual WorldWide Photo Walk.  We of course walked about looking for new perspectives in downtown Morgan Hill while other photographers in over one-thousand cities around the globe did the same thing today in their city or town.  We were blessed with another beautiful, mild Fall evening and a vibrant downtown as people aplenty adjourned to downtown to dine and further imbibe following the Passport Weekend at our local wineries.  It was a pleasant time with my friends and I found a new angle or two on things in town.  See more photos from this venture through my Events link on http://noKodachrome.com

the papaROYzzi

                                                     Our Oldest Building?  1905

3rd St. Promenade Mural of our Comm. Center Amphitheater

                                Our little Friend Barbara tagged along and shot too

                A Glimpse.  Wall mural through the trees North of Champs restaurant

MHPC members George and Susan shoot

Downtown at Nightfall

A long walk around the ballpark during our last visit to see the Giants in 2011.  With record setting injuries, they missed the mark this year, but we were happy to go and cheer them on anyway, as they held their heads up high and played hard for an exciting win.  I watched it from a dozen locations as I took a five-inning walking tour around the park, looking for a different perspective or two to capture with one of the two cameras I toted around.  AT&T park is so fun to wander in, and is clearly one of - or thee - most beautiful ballparks in the nation.  See more photos from this tour through the photos link on my baseball blog page:  http://baseballnotes.net   Go Giants!  We'll be back...

OK, we're here and ready for the game.  Such a palace, such a ballpark.  Does God live here?

 We didn't get the Division Crown nor entry into the playoffs, but we were pleased to be a part of the crowd that helped break the 128 year record for most attendance during a Giants season.

McCovey Cove and the lower promenade - beyond the right field wall.  Hit one here and you get on the Splash Hit counter on the Right Field Wall.  Less than 60 homers have gone there over 10 years - 

and of course Barry hit over 75% of them...

The Cable Car behind Center Field on the Upper Promenade

Can't wait to go back in 2012!

Original Version on upper left 

I'm still playing with and learning editing, alteration, applying creative textures and effects, and more.  All terms that apply to endeavoring to create.  That is, create from an original photo:  tweak it, upscale it, find artistic elements to apply to come up with something new or different, or take some commonly applied action or look that comes up special or unique when applied to MY photo.  

Thank You iPhoto, Photo Shop Elements, and Aperture for your assistance in my efforts to bring out something different in my photos.  Color Efex joins the team soon, along with Topaz, and the fun and possibilities expand and continue...

Simply put, it's just great to make basic adjustments to a photo - brightness, sharpness, saturation, etc., to see how good it can look and remain a relative "purist", but also to create alternate versions using special tools and programs to explore endless possibilities.  As to the latter, I'm just a beginner, not intending to become an advanced photo editing artist, but rather just a minimally competent one to help always keep my options open.  Cheers and happy shooting, photographers all...

the papaROYzzi