In Photos dot Org

You are included

A train passing by on a street in Amsterdam caught my eye. It’s painted in the rainbow colours of the Pride Flag, with EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE #YouAreIncluded printed on it!

#YouAreIncluded was the theme of the 2023 Pride Amsterdam, and it was nice to see the colours still there.

Aperture	ƒ/4
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/100s

Wheels is a mural made by artist, Anne Marie Karlsen from ceramic on 2nd Street in downtown Santa Monica, but I didn’t know that when I saw it. The vibrant colours and design caught my eye, framed by the trees and a parked van. More about it from here:

Anne Marie Karlsen created Wheels, an ambitious and vibrant ceramic tile mural that adorns the west-facing wall of Parking Structure 8 on 2nd Street in downtown Santa Monica. The artwork reveals different compositions depending on one’s vantage point and the wheel motif is loosely inspired by the structure of the recently retired Pacific Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier. Upon closer examination, viewers will discover that the abstracted shapes in the circular forms are in fact, photographic images the artist took of the Pacific Wheel in motion. The composition is meant to create the sort of whirling, topsy-turvy effect that one experiences on an amusement ride. The artwork acknowledges a part of Santa Monica history, while simultaneously becoming a bold new design for the future.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/500s

The Green Hills of California

Rain makes for a green landscape in the hills of Satwiwa Native American Indian Natural Area around Camarillo, California.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	200
Shutter speed	1/125s

Breaking barriers to the beach

On a beach, a wooden fence lies partly on the ground. Halfway through the photo are lots of food carts surrounded by people. A pier is visible on the left and a lifeguard tower on the right, under a blue sky lined with clouds.

A wooden fence lies forgotten in the sands of the beach in Santa Monica. Lifeguard Tower 15 stands in the background of this photo, just beyond all the food carts.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	200
Shutter speed	1/500s

Directions to the Pier

Santa Monica Pier is hard to miss, but if you didn’t know where Muscle Beach or North Beach were, here’s a sign to help you.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	27mm
ISO	320
Shutter speed	1/500s

The Santa Monica Roller Coaster

Some people love the roller coaster and raise their arms for that extra thrill, while others hold on with grim determination, hoping the ride will end soon. For others still, it’s just another ride on a vehicle they’re well-used to, their jaded expressions contrasting with the joy and terror of other riders.

Aperture	ƒ/7.1
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/640s

A lizard in the sun

A lizard lying on a sack under a bright, warm sun.

While out for a hike, we came across a few lizards, and one was lazy enough to lie still for a few seconds while I took some photos of him.

Aperture	ƒ/9
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	240mm
ISO	400
Shutter speed	1/1000s

Look up!

A man holding binoculars looks up at a building opposite him on a street.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it… is it… a building?

It was odd to see a man with binoculars on a street in Amsterdam looking up at the building opposite.

Aperture	ƒ/2.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	24mm
ISO	800
Shutter speed	1/500s

A thirsty dog at the beach

A woman lets her dog drink water from the showers at a sandy beach while a boy, barely in shot, lets water run down his face nearby. A sign in the background says "NO DOGS 9AM - 5PM" and another says, "EMERGENCY LANE NO PARKING". A young man walks across the sand with her shoes in his hand, while a couple far off in the distance part of the background of a beach. Houses look onto the beach.

It’s thirsty work playing on a beach when you’re a dog. You need water to quench your thirst after chasing a ball all afternoon.

There weren’t too many dogs at the beach, but I was surprised to see them. This was also the only place on our trip to the US that we saw dog excrement on the ground, nestled in the sand at the shoreline. It’s great to play or walk with your dog on a beach, but there’s a responsibility to clean up after them too.

Beautiful beach too, looking out on the Pacific, an oil platform and Anacapa Island in the distance.

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	75mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/800s

Rooftop Shadow

The shadow of a palm tree visible on the orange tiled roof of a building. A blue sky with wispy clouds can be seen above

Walking down a street in Santa Barbara, I spotted the shadow of a palm tree cast on a nearby roof. It attracted my attention because, while these roof tiles are common in that city, they’re not that common in Ireland and I liked the shape of the shadow too.

Everything just seems brighter and bigger in California!

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	141mm
ISO	250
Shutter speed	1/500s

Fluffy in the sun

Fluffy, a beautiful calico cat living her best life in California, basks in the sun in the backyard she, and only she, controls. She loves rolling over in the sun, mistress of all she surveys, while inside, her play tunnel is her domain.

Aperture	ƒ/1.8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	75mm
ISO	100
Shutter speed	1/6400s

A bride in Santa Barbara

A photographer takes a photo of a bride in a corridor while her new husband looks on, and some tourists in the background film with a smartphone. A man is walking into the frame from the back.

In and around the Court House in Santa Barbara, there were a number of wedding groups having their photos taken. This is one recently married couple I spotted in the corridor outside the main Court House. A lovely setting for photos.

I wonder if that couple in the background knew them, or were they just curious tourists like me?

Aperture	ƒ/8
Camera	ILCE-7M3
Focal length	113mm
ISO	6400
Shutter speed	1/250s