Author: Alik Griffin

Front View of the Pasadena City Hall

If you haven’t been there before, Pasadena is a small town with a lot of vibe. It’s where the annual Rose Parade is held. The Pasadena City Hall is the center of the city. Many films and TV shows have been shot here, and if you watch The Big Bang Theory, this is the view…
Another Beautiful Sunset at Victoria Beach – Laguna Beach

This sunset photo is from Victoria Beach. Sunsets and beach photos work well with a 2.35 crop like this. It really seems to feature the horizon well. This is an HDR beach photo. There really isn’t a way to shoot a picture like this without multiple exposures unless you use an ND gradient filter. I…
Once Upon a Time, There was the Grand Canyon

This is a photo of the Grand Canyon. I think it was Navajo Point, but I’m not positive. This and Mather Point are my two favorite spots so far. Eventually, I want to see the Grand Canyon from the north side. Lots of cool stuff up there, but it’s a bit more out of the…
The Creole Cafe of Old Town San Diego

This is a Night HDR photo. It’s more difficult to shoot HDR once it’s completely dark. The color balance is really hard to get right since there is no point of reference. You have to experiment a lot and go for more of a look. I guess that’s true for a lot of HDR photography.
HDR Photo the Horseshoe Bend of Glen Canyon

The Horseshoe Bend of Glen Canyon is a stunning sight that rivals the Grand Canyon in beauty. Although it is smaller and has fewer activities, the natural scenery is breathtaking.
HDR Photo of The Pasadena City Hall

The Night HDR photo of the Pasadena City Hall’s courtyard. A pretty awesome place.
Yosemite’s Half Dome From 2012

Earlier this year, I went to the Yosemite Half Dome. Back then, I was still more of a hobby photographer, not really taking it seriously, just shooting for fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t shoot a single HDR photo.
Utah’s Million Dollar View

As you drive into Utah coming from Arizona, you’ll come across this spot called the Million Dollar View. It’s technically a little higher than this, but these are some of the mountains in that view. I just got down and got a closer look. For a point of reference, Lake Powell is a few hundred…
The Whaley House of Old Town San Diego

The Whaley House of Old Town San Diego is the most haunted house in the United States. It’s also the oldest brick house or the first of its kind in San Diego.
Glen Canyon Dam

This dam is a hydroelectric plant that creates Lake Powell, which is the second-largest man-made reservoir in the country. This dam was finished and built around 1966. In 1983, it nearly collapsed from all the flooding that occurred that year. It seems like it’s a bit bigger than the Hoover Dam, the much more famous…