This is not really photography related so feel free to disregard this completely if you choose.  I was going through my photos that I have taken in the last six months and was not surprised to discover that there weren’t very many.  My wife and I welcomed our first child into the world this March.  My previous life lies in ruin and Jonah Charles Vetter Parker is dancing on its floundering remains.  Thankfully though a new different and much better life has sprung up to keep me interested.  Psychologists will say I am delusional but I really think I am happier now than at any point in the past.  Ask me again when Jonah, as my brother puts it, “pisses you off more than you can imagine.”

Back to the picture above.  I have no recollection  of this picture, not falling asleep on the door, not it being taken, not downloading it, nothing.  This image goes a long way towards explaining my lack of productivity in the past six months, I have been a zombie!  Not that I am going to be much better going forward but at least now I think I will be able to remember what happened and when.

If you are here looking for pictures of Jonah you will not find them,  friend me on facebook if you must see the bundle of joy that is my son.

Yesterday I went to a free neighborhood meal Hosted at Normal Heights United Methodist Church.  This location always seems to provide a wealth of photographic opportunities and today was no exception. People like the man above come in large numbers to partake in the meal which is provided entirely by volunteer cooks from San Diego First United Methodist Church.

I’ve been in a funk lately, a funk that has been hard to get out of.  I have been unable to focus on anything really and it has been bugging me.  Then, Thursday night while mindlessly surfing the web or watching TV, I can’t remember which I realized that I needed to get out of the house and see nature.  I spoke with Molly and an after school excursion was planned for Friday.  It wasn’t anything crazy, just a trip to Sunset Cliffs to let the ocean breeze blow the funk away.   The early signs point to a successful defunckification, fingers crossed.  While enjoying the ocean breeze I was able to get a few nice shots.

I was a little chilled sitting on the cliffs but then I saw several surfers enjoying a little defunkification of their own.  I warmed right up, and enjoyed the amazing sunset.

This Monday November 2, 2009 at 6pm Molly and I will be speaking about our experience on the John Muir Trail.  The talk will be preceded by a potluck dinner.  All are welcome to join us for an evening of reflection and discussion.

I will have a couple of prints on display at this event.

Who:  Matthew Parker and Molly Vetter
What: A Discussion of their 20 days on the John Muir Trail
When: November 2, 2009 @ 6pm
Where: First United Methodist Church San Diego

On Thursday I went to our local mountains with the intention to spend the day hunting over freshly fallen snow.  As it turns out that was not to be, so much snow had fallen that every turnout and parking lot was covered in two feet of snow.  The county sheriff was patrolling the road ready to give a ticket to anyone who decided to park on the road.  So instead of hunting on the mountain I took a few pictures.
Enjoy!

Nikon D300
16-85VR
12-24

I spent a couple of hours at the port of San Diego Yesterday and came away with a few interesting photos of the Urban Tree Public art project.  I continually find myself getting up close to capture details and abstract images.

Nikon D300
16-85 VR
SB800