Postcard from Chinatown

Did you know that San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside of Asia? I bet you didn’t. I also bet you didn’t know its gets more tourists every year than the Golden Gate Bridge. Probably because its easier to get to.

Here is a shortcut to Chinatown for you tourists that requires no automobile…unless you enjoy paying outrageous car park fees in a big city. Leave your car at a BART station anywhere in the Bay Area. Take a BART train to the Powell Street Station. Get out, go up the stairs and look for a cable car. They are at the corner of Powell and Market. You can’t miss it as you are right there.

Then walk right past the long lines of tourists waiting to ride the cable car and continue up Powell St. for 3 blocks. On your right will be the famous Union Square. Grab a Starbucks and sit in the square for a few minutes and enjoy the scenery (this part is optional, but worth it).

The walk across the square to the next street which is Stockton Street. Turn left. Up ahead you will see a tunnel. Walk two blocks to the tunnel and continue on through it. When you emerge, you will be in Chinatown. Easy, huh? Enjoy the view all along the way (I admit the tunnel is boring).

It is ironic that when you walk into the tunnel, you leave Western Civilization behind and emerge in a whole different world. It’s the stuff of science fiction.

Chinatown is not built to attract tourists, even though it does. No indeed. It was originally established in 1848 as a community for Chinese immigrants so they could retain a semblance of the life they left behind. Chinatown is an enclave that continues to retain its own customs, languages, shops, places of worship, social clubs, and identity. One can quite easily become immersed in a microcosmic Asian world, filled with herbal shops, temples, pagoda roofs and dragon parades.

As I said, it was not built for tourists, but of course, we come there in droves. But don’t expect shops and restaurants that have a western feel to them (although there are a few). This is Chinatown, the real deal.

When I was there, I visited a few shops and other locals with my camera, like this more modern Chinese market. But I ate lunch at a whole-in-the-wall restaurant that offered dim sum and other Chinese delicacies that were wonderful. It was a bit of a dump inside with cheap bench seats equipped with soy sauce and not much else. But that is normal here. Had to look around to find western-style utensils and napkins (never was any damn good with chopsticks).

As there were numerous Chinese people inside eating lunch with me, that’s a tipoff that the food is good. Here is a tip: before eating at any restaurant in Chinatown, look inside to see how many Chinese are eating. That will give you a clue as to the food quality. And before you ask, there are no Panda Express joints in Chinatown.

To use the bathroom, I had to borrow a key from one of the cooks. The key was on something resembling a bent tire iron and had two rolls of toilet paper on it. Quite unique. But that is Chinatown.

When you visit San Francisco, be sure to make Chinatown a destination. It’s the real deal, as compared to Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and other such places there that are built to take your tourist dollars. And make sure to find a real hole-in-the-wall restaurant for lunch or dinner. You will love it.

Postcard from Fredericksburg, VA

Fredericksburg, VA, about 50 mile south of Washington, DC, sits on the west side of Rappahannock River and was the site of a major Civil War battle in late 1862. I photographed this scene several years ago on the Memorial Day weekend. For those three days, the town was full of re-enactors, both Union and Confederate. I remember sitting at an outdoor restaurant on the main street having lunch, and seeing Union and Confederate soldiers walking up and down the street. Very strange.

These rebels were camped right on the river (you can see it in the background). Just across the river that day was an encampment of Union troops, which was how it was back in 1862. The rebels held the town at the beginning of the battle.

The river played an important role back then…it is a tidal river which means it goes up and down on a regular basis. It looks easy to cross, and at times, it is. But the Union commander, General Burnside, refused to cross the river until pontoon bridges were brought down from Washington, DC. Those bridges were delayed, giving General Lee time to fortify the town and the heights above the town.

The Union headquarters, on the other side of the river, was high on a bluff overlooking the city. The house once belonged to George Washington and his family, and, ironically, is where Robert E. Lee proposed to his future wife.

When the bridges finally arrived and were set up (at no small cost of life and limb to those Union engineers who did the assembly, Union troops crossed into the town and eventually occupied it. They then preceded to unceremoniously loot the town. The rebels retreated from the town and moved up to the higher ground, mainly to the high ridges on Marye’s Heights.

The not-so-brilliant General Burnside, then sent waves of infantry up the long sloping heights. They were met with an incessant hail of gunfire and canon shot, killing thousands of troops. But he kept sending them, wave after wave, until it became obvious he would not achieve his objective.

On my trip to Fredericksburg, I spent time both in town and up on Marye’s Heights. It was a sobering experience, to say the least, thinking about what happened here. The re-enactors made it all the better experience.

A few months after the first battle, another battle was fought just a few miles out of town at a place called Chancellorsville. Once again, Robert E. Lee won the day with brilliant field tactics. The Union army again suffered another embarrassing defeat, but the rebels also suffered a major loss…Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own soldiers and died a week later.

In the fading light of day I visited the Chancellorsville battlefield and found the spot where Jackson was shot. Another sobering experience and a chance to appreciate what happened back in 1862 and early 1863 and how it shaped our history. Living out west, you don’t get to experience this kind of living history.

With the heady success of the Confederate army in Virginia, the southern leadership decided to send Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia north into Pennsylvania, to attack the Union in their territory for once…and, with luck threaten Washington DC. But, in Pennsylvania, they met a different Union general in the summer of 1863, at a place where the most important battle of the war was fought. The town…Gettysburg. 

(Click here for more information on the battle of Fredericksburg)

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To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. Don’t forget, e-mail greeting cards are free.

Postcard from Salt River Canyon

The day started out to be a search for autumn leaves. Not an easy task in southern Arizona, especially in October. But we do have mountains here, some of them pretty high. So I decided to take trip northeast, up into the White Mountains.

This was new territory for me…and you know how I love seeing new places. From Tucson I drove nearly 100 miles to the town of Globe. I didn’t expect to find any leaves here as it is only about 700 feet higher than Tucson. But I turned left onto Arizona 60 and headed up into the heart of the mountains. My destination was another small town called Show Low, about 90 miles further east from Globe.

Well, I climbed and climbed into the mountains…then all of a sudden, started heading down again. Down, down, down I went until I came to the bottom of the Salt River Canyon. I heard about the canyon from a friend who said it was a miniature Grand Canyon. Well, in places, it really is quite spectacular.

This photo was taken at the bottom of the canyon where these two bridges cross the river. By using a wide angle lens, I was able to achieve a twisty, roller coaster look to the nearest bridge. I did not use special effects here to achieve the look. The lens did it for me. Ain’t photography grand?

From the canyon floor, I continued my trek eastward and upward to see some autumn color…and I found it, a few miles west of Show-Low. It was nice to see some trees with that special yellow glow on the leaves. Even saw a handful of red leaves. It wasn’t great compared to the Northwest, but I got what I came for. There is Autumn in eastern Arizona.

By the way, Show-Low sits at 6,400 feet. And where did the name come from, you ask?  According to legend, the city was named after a marathon poker game between two local residents. They decided there was not enough room for both of them in their little town.

The two men agreed to let a game of cards decide who was to leave town. According to the tale, one of them said, "If you can show low, you win." The other then turned up the deuce of clubs and replied, "Show low it is." At stake was a 100,000 acres ranch.  PS: Show Low's main street is named "Deuce of Clubs" in remembrance.

Now, aren’t you glad you asked?

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To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site. Don’t forget, e-mail greeting cards are free.

Postcard from Walnut Creek

Can you see the image in this photo? It is not a trick question, just an optical illusion of sorts. What you are looking at is a two story sculpture created by Christian Moeller, a UCLA design/media arts professor. It sits in the Walnut Creek, CA Library. I was on the second story of the library when I took this photo.

Here is the tricky part: when you stand where I stood, or even on the first floor, all you see are books…3,960 books with spines in 12 different different shades of gray from pure white to pitch black.

The only time you can see the actual image (in case you haven’t figured it out, it’s a librarian giving you the “shhh” sign) is when you photograph it. Each book spine represents one pixel of the entire image. And, as I found out when I played with it in Photoshop, the bigger the image the less clear the face. So if you use a digital camera and take a picture, you will see it clearly on your camera’s screen.

It is quite a trick of light. By the way, the colors you see on the face are created by sunlight coming through the windows.

There are plenty of extra books to purchase…the idea being for Walnut Creek residents to fill out their stories in a book…then it is put into the sculpture, replacing a blank book. In time, it will be filled with the memories and histories of the people of Walnut Creek. Pretty great idea!  

If you ever are in or near Walnut Creek, you should go see it for yourself. It is pretty amazing…and don’t forget your camera.

To see a smaller version of this photo so you can better see the librarian, just click on the image. To learn more about this sculpture, click here. There is also a short video showing how it was done.

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

Postcard from the Arches

This was one of those photos that was easy to capture. I got up early one morning, made a cup of coffee, then walked about 30 feet behind where I was camped in the Arches National Park, and shot the photo. Simple. The coffee was good and the photo turned out pretty well.

The Arches was one of many stops I made back in late 2008. Long time readers will remember I was on a road trip all over the Western United States, seeing places I’d never seen before. I left my previous home in North Central Washington and eventually wound up here in Tucson. But, I took a few months to make the journey.

I slept in my van most of the time, which was quite comfortable, even in 20 degree temperatures. I usually stayed in campgrounds, with the occasional stay in a hotel when I wanted a long shower, a comfortable bed, and a TV to watch some football.

It was a great trip with lots of memories…and a few good photos. I hated to end the trip, but it was late December, it was snowing in most places, and I felt it was time to put down some roots. December in southern Arizona is quite a bit more comfortable than up anywhere on the Colorado Plateau.

When I look at photos like this one, it brings back those memories of being on the road. It’s a special chapter in my life that I will never forget. To me, there is no greater thrill than to see and explore some beautiful place in our world that I’ve never seen before.

(To see a larger version of this photo, just click on the image)

To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site.

Postcard from the Oregon Coast

One of the problems with being a professional photographer or even an avid amateur is one’s eye is always looking for the perfect composition in order to make a great image. So, you say, why is that a problem?

Because we photographers often don’t take the time to appreciate where we are…to take in the beauty of a place and see it for what it really is. We get so caught up in composition, light and the other elements that make a good photo that we can’t separate the forest from the trees, so to speak.

Places like this beach on the Oregon Coast are beautiful for the artist, but also beautiful for mind. In a place like this, you can experience the place itself, the beauty of it, and the sense of calm you may not be able to experience anywhere else. Here, you can contemplate such lofty subjects as who you are, how you fit in this world, and for that matter, the universe. All one has to do is open one’s mind. It’s hard to do that when you are focused on taking the perfect photograph.

I bring this up as I remember this beach very well…after I took my photos, I put down the camera and just sat for a short time soaking in the beauty and all it had to offer. It was a calming effect that made my day so much better.

As Emerson once said, “Never lose an opportunity of seeing anything beautiful, for beauty is God's handwriting.”

Life is full of beauty, not only in an exquisite photograph or painting, but in the places around the world where it abounds in glorious abundance. It’s not always easy to wake up your conscience mind and let it experience what it sees. But one must always try.

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To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site.

Postcard from the Cascades

I was thinking this weekend how much I miss fall colors. It’s hard to think about autumn when it 95 down here in Southern Arizona. The hills around my home are as green as you can possible image. True, some of it is the Sugauro cactus, but there are are plenty of other desert plants that are green. Many have flowers on them. Not conducive to thought of autumn.

In Arizona, we do have regular autumn, but only at the higher elevations…places like the White Mountains, Sedona, Oak Creek Canyon and Flagstaff. And that happens in early November.

I remember my Washington State days when I would prowl the eastern portion of the Cascade Foothills and Mountains in October, searching for colorful photo opportunities. I usually had no problems finding them.

When I did art shows up in Leavenworth, WA, I had a 20’ travel trailer parked on private property about 2 miles out of town. There, some of the best autumn photos I ever took were just a few feet away from my trailer.  Now, that was heaven for a photographer.

Take this photo, for instance. I took it one lovely autumn morning about 30’ from my trailer…and I have more from the same vicinity. Lord, how I miss spending October in the Cascades…especially in October. Imagine, sitting at your table, drinking coffee, and seeing this view out your window.

Sometimes I would dawn a jacket and sit outside, just to be closer to the view. Ah, the good old days.

Last Autumn, my friend Dave and I did an Autumn photo trip to Zion National Park in November. And, you’ve seen some of the amazing photos here that I took on that trip. Our timing could not have been more perfect.

For this year, Dave and I are talking about a trip to the Sedona/Oak Creek Canyon for our Autumn photos. I hiked through Oak Creek Canyon in late November, 2007…and while I got some good photos, the best of Autumn was already passed. Am hoping for better luck this year. We shall see.

You might ask if I am sorry I moved to the Southwest when I could be enjoying all the colors I left behind. The answer is a definite NO!! My life is very rich and rewarding down here. After all, I am still wearing shorts and a t-shirt all day long. Are you?

For all you readers up in the Northwest, enjoy this season and take it all in. Who knows, you might wind up in Arizona in the future and miss it…like me.

Postcard from Los Angeles

While this photo was taken in San Francisco at AT&T Park (home of the SF Giants), this story is really about what happened in Los Angeles last night, at Dodger Stadium.

Here is the setting: The Giants are playing the Dodgers in the next-to-last regular season game of the year. The Giant clinched the Western Division of the National League many days ago and are in the playoffs. The Dodgers are in second place, but are only two games out of the last wild card spot to be in the playoffs. For them to get in, they need the Cardinals to lose and they need to beat the Giants.

The Cardinals lose…so the Dodgers and their fans still have hope. But the Giants stomp all over their hopes by beating the Dodgers 3-2. Except for a meaningless last game to be played today, the Dodgers’ season is over. And I say, "Hooray for that." I despise the Dodgers. I don't want them to win anything. My favorite baseball team is of course, the Giants. My second favorite team is anyone playing the Dodgers at any time.

And I think you will find that most Giants fans, especially those from the Bay Area, feel the same way. True San Franciscans loath all LA teams. It's something that is instilled in you at a very young age. And rest assured, the same feelings toward San Francisco teams are held by Angelinos everywhere.

The San Francisco/Los Angeles rivalry is like none other. For instance, Chicago and New York, each have two teams (in baseball)...and I found out on my recent visits to Chicago, fans of one team hate the other team. When the White Sox were in the World Series a few years ago, Cubs fans rooted for the other team...vigorously!

But there is a big difference in New York and Chicago rivalries. Those teams play in different leagues. The Giants and Dodgers are not only in the same league, they are in the same division.  Naturally, the rivalry is more intense, to put it mildly.

It was the same when the two teams were based in the New York area. New York Giants fans hated the Brooklyn Dodgers and visa versa. I talked to a woman recently who grew up in New York and whose whole family were intense Giants fans. She married another New Yorker whose whole family were devoted to the Dodgers. That marriage almost didn't happen.

In 1958, both teams moved...to San Francisco and Los Angeles respectively. The animosity was automatic as the rivalry between SF and LA had been long established by then.

Before 1958, there was an intense rivalry when LA had the Rams. San Franciscans, me included, despised the Rams. It was so wonderful when, in the 80's and 90's, the 49ers pounded the Rams, which they almost always did. I must admit, since the Rams moved to St. Louis, the rivalry lost its edge a bit. Rivalries are between cities, much more so than teams.

I was once an Oakland Raider fan and rooted hard for them. Then Al Davis moved the team to Los Angeles. That was the end of that relationship. You don't screw your local fans and move your team to the worst city imaginable! True, the Raiders are back in Oakland, but I don't care. Some sins are just not forgivable.

And just to put a final period on this, you must know that college fans of Stanford and Cal feel that extra surge of adrenaline when they play USC and UCLA...especially USC. We love to see them get crushed. Even here in Tucson, when UofA plays either team in any sport, I love seeing those LA teams go down to defeat. It feels so good.

Earlier this year, the Dodgers were here in Tucson to play a spring training game against the White Sox. Guess what baseball cap I wore? SF Giant...you betcha!! I don't hate the Dodgers or their players, I just despise all LA sports teams. Why? Because they are from LA and I am from San Francisco.

Sports just bring out the best in a person. Ain’t it fun?

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To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com

If you subscribe to this blog by e-mail and wish to purchase a print or send a free e-mail greeting card using this image, click this link to the main Postcard Blog Site.

Postcard from Hearst Castle

The Roman Pool is your final view of opulence before leaving Hearst Castle. You walk downhill from the castle and go through this very large pool area to catch a bus to the bottom of the hill.

If you aren’t already blown away by what you saw up in the castle in the clouds, this pool should put you over the top. It’s called the Roman Pool as it’s concept is to mimic the old Roman baths, still found all over Europe. The Romans loved their baths and it was one of the first things they build in a newly conquered territory. And just like this pool, they were heated too.

But, I think even the most jaded of old Romans would be blown away by this pool. My photo doesn’t do it justice. It’s huge! I’ve seen many a Roman bath in my European travels and none equaled this in size.  I don’t know the dimensions, but on the roof are two tennis courts…not side-by-side, but back-to-back!

It is t-shaped with a hidden diving platform built one-story above where the T’s join. And, if you turned 180 degrees from where I took this photos, you would see the exact same view at the other end…three windows and a door reflected in the calm water. Thank God no one was swimming this day as it would have ruined my shot.

Around the pool, there are eight statues of Roman gods. Oh, and those tiles you see around the pool that look like gold. Well, they are gold…24 carat gold to be precise. In fact, those tiles are one inch square…same with the other glass tiles of cobalt blue and orange…and they go all around the pool as well as below the water. You gotta love the beauty of it all!

It took seven years to build this pool and three of those years to lay the tiles. Too bad Hearst had to wait so long for a swim. Oh, I forgot. He could swim in the outdoor Neptune Pool while he waited.

I just picture myself here reading a book, taking an occasional dip, eating a roast beef sandwich with chips for lunch, while waiting for Happy Hour up at the castle to begin. What a life! Beats being an old Roman.