On my way home from checking out Iron Maiden I couldn’t resist seeing my A’s while still in the Bay Area. The A’s have been on an incredible run of late. They won the night before the game I was to see them. Unfortunately, it was a 15-inning affair which meant no batting practice the next day and a day off for most of the regular players. Oh well, I’d get to see one of their phenomenal rookie pitchers, A.J. Griffin, right? Well, sort of. Griffin hurt his arm in just the second inning and was pulled immediately. Today he was placed on the disabled list. To add insult to injury (literally!), the Blue Jays staged a come-from-behind victory on Saturday and then went on to win again today. I hope the A’s luck has not run out, but it does seem to be turning in the wrong direction.

Posted on August 5th, 2012 under outside of ashland, people. Tags: AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E 1.7X II for Nikon, baseball, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR II, nikon d7000. Comments: 2

I just got back from a quick trip to my old stomping grounds in the San Francisco Bay Area. The main purpose was to see Iron Maiden play in front of about 20,000 fans at Shoreline in Mountain View. I worked right across the street from Shoreline in the 1990s. This was my sixth time seeing Iron Maiden live but only the second time in the past 25 years. I’ll post some more photos on my other blog over the coming days.

Posted on August 5th, 2012 under outside of ashland, people, places. Tags: california, concert photography, iron maiden, metal, nikon d7000, Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X 116 Pro DX Autofocus Lens for Nikon. Comments Off on Iron Maiden @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

I’m traveling at the moment (in California to see Iron Maiden tonight and catch an A’s game tomorrow) so I’m leaving you with a traveling photo. Today’s pic is an aerial view of Portland. The bridges, from left to right, are the Marquam Bridge (I-5), the Hawthorne Bridge, and the Morrison Bridge.

Posted on August 3rd, 2012 under outside of ashland, places. Tags: aerial, nikon 18-200mm vr ii, nikon d7000, portland. Comments: 2

Several months ago I entered the Klamath-Siskiyou Photo Contest, and even though they haven’t updated their website yet, I won! I don’t remember exactly which photo I submitted, but it may have been this one. In any event, the prize was a one-day rafting trip for two on the beautiful Rogue River with Rogue Wilderness Adventures. Today we took that trip, and my daughter took this photo of me enjoying some Class II rapids.

Speaking of contests, I’m about to enter another and need your help. Please click here and then let me know which two photos you think are my best chances to win.

Posted on July 27th, 2012 under nature, outside of ashland, people. Tags: rogue river. Comments Off on White water rafting

Stoneburner was amazing at Musichead a few nights ago. I think they are coming back down from Portland in late August for another show in Medford.

Posted on July 25th, 2012 under outside of ashland, people, places. Tags: concert photography, music, musichead, nikon d7000, stoneburner pdx. Comments Off on Stoneburner @ Musichead

A metal gig last night at Musichead featured three bands–Indra, The Yearling, and Stoneburner. I was really looking forward to Ninth Moon Black as well, but they had to cancel when their guitarist broke his wrist.

I missed most of Indra’s short set. They are a two-piece, local band. I don’t know their names or where they are from. Ashland? Medford? Indra had a good sound for just two guys. The guitarist was sporting a Heathen Shrine shirt, as you can see in this photo. Heathen Shrine is the other band of one of the members (Damon Kelly) of Stoneburner. Heathen Shrine started in Ashland but now calls Portland home.

Posted on July 23rd, 2012 under outside of ashland, people. Tags: concert photography, musichead, nikon d7000, sigma 85mm f/1.4. Comments Off on Indra @ Musichead

Today’s photo was my random desktop image of the day. I took this picture more than a year ago (pre-DSLR days) from the beach in Brookings, Oregon.

Posted on July 20th, 2012 under outside of ashland. Tags: brookings, water. Comments Off on Fishing boat off the Oregon coast

Last night I headed up I-5 for about 20 miles to check out Foreigner at the Jackson County Fair (Lithia Motors Amphitheater). I thought Foreigner was decent when I was about 10 or 12 years old in the late 70s, but they were too bland and boring for me soon thereafter. However, we don’t get many acts to choose from in Southern Oregon so I went to last night’s show and enjoyed myself.

None of the Foreigner members from the 1970s, or even the 1980s, were there last night. This is almost more of a Foreigner cover band at this point, but they sounded good and probably showed more energy and enthusiasm than the original members would have.

The South Medford High School Choir joined Foreigner on stage for one of their sappy ballads. It’s rather brilliant marketing when you think about it as most Foreigner fans from the 1970s and 1980s are at the age now to have kids in high school.

There were threats of thunder and lightning, but none of it materialized during the show. The sky was very nice and the temperature was great compared to the normal heat of the Jackson County Fair.

More photos (and the setlist) from the show can be found here.

Posted on July 18th, 2012 under outside of ashland, people. Tags: concert photography, Jackson County Fair Expo. Comments: 1

Headlining the show I’ve been posting photos for was Armed for Apocalypse, also from Chico, California.

Armed for Apocalypse bassist Corey Vaspra sporting a Friday The 13th shirt on Friday the 13th

Posted on July 16th, 2012 under outside of ashland, people. Tags: armed for apocalypse, concert photography, musichead, nikon d7000, sigma 85mm f/1.4. Comments Off on Armed for Apocalypse @ Musichead