Category Archives: USA

Amazing Photography of The United States of America

Rock Stack in Oahu

Posted on February 27th, 2014 by

Stacking Rocks

I have visited several of the Hawaiian islands and on each I have been all over. I tend to wander on my trips and with SO much great hiking in Hawaii, it’s hard for me to stay still on a beach. One thing I have noticed quite a few places is these stacks of rocks. I have always found this interesting, but a recent bit of research into them seems they are actually perhaps disrespectful of Pele (goddess of fire, lightning, wind and volcanoes)! In many places on the Big Island, the practice has elicited the installation of signs saying not to stack the rocks. I have always seen these stacks in places frequented by tourists and I think most people assume they are being respectful. It is perhaps a good lesson to do as you see the locals doing and perhaps abstain if you aren’t sure of a custom. When in Hawaii, Please, Don’t Stack the Rocks!

Rock Stack in Oahu
Rock Stack in Oahu by W. Brian Duncan

Sunrise from Lanikai Beach

Posted on February 6th, 2014 by

Talking to Locals

If there is one thing I need to do more when traveling, it’s making friends with people who live where I am visiting. They know the best places to go! I took this fantastic photo of sunrise off Lanikai Beach one morning in Oahu. Later that day I went to check into my hotel and was talking about hiking and sunrise and the girl at the hotel checking me in said she had been hiking Lanikai that very morning. Wait…I was just there! In reality she was hiking Lanikai (mountain) up to the pillboxes while I was chilling on the beach. Regardless, the next time I am in Oahu I found yet another amazing location to catch sunrise! It just goes to show you being friendly pays off.

Sunrise from Lanikai Beach
Sunrise from Lanikai Beach by W. Brian Duncan

Spine Light Sculpture

Posted on January 30th, 2014 by

Unexpected Art

I found this light sculpture entirely by accident. I had seen Thomas Hawk talk about Spine on his blog but I didn’t expect to see it. Honestly, I didn’t realize it was near Union Square where Pamela and I were staying. We were walking around the area looking for some chocolate dessert when I passed by, stopping dead in my tracks when I realized what I had seen. I had to chase Pamela down as she was half-way up the block by the time everything registered.

Double Unexpected

One of the things I love about this piece was how it is located in a perfectly normal location! People must pass daily under this artistic creation and never suspect it is both art and function. This kind of notion…it makes me smile.

Spine Light Sculpture
Spine Light Sculpture by W. Brian Duncan

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Flowers

Posted on January 23rd, 2014 by

Farmer’s Market

I love a good farmer’s market. When visiting a new place, I often seek them out as you can’t help but get the best food, local crafts and fresh fruits you don’t normally get to try! Plus the people watching is fantastic as you sip a cup of locally grown coffee and nibble of a small sweet treat.

Colorful Flowers

I love flowers, but I have to say I don’t think I have EVER see so many cut flowers in one place as were at the Farmer’s Market in San Francisco. Enjoy the color!

Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Flowers
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market Flowers by W. Brian Duncan

Moscone Center Skylight

Posted on January 20th, 2014 by

Moscone Center

Pamela and I wandered into the Moscone Center in San Franscisco looking for this exact skylight! Moscone Center is a very big place comprising numerous buildings in and around Yerba Buena in San Francisco. It was funny, because we had been looking at this skylight from the outside as we had lunch several times at Samovar Tea Lounge (located on the roof of this building). The great thing about this location is it is often open!

Moscone Center Skylight
Moscone Center Skylight by W. Brian Duncan

Shangri La Garden

Posted on January 16th, 2014 by

Richest Little Girl in the World

What an interesting place Shangri La must have been back in it’s hay day! Not that it isn’t interesting now…there is perhaps no finer Islamic art collection in the Western world. It’s just the people that inevitable came and went from the mansion must have been an interesting counterpoint. General a sanctuary for Doris Duke from the world, the mansion was know to host Andy Warhol and Truman Capote among others…what a life.

Shangri La Garden
Shangri La Garden by W. Brian Duncan

Old Universal

Posted on January 9th, 2014 by

Bumming Around the Old City

I had an opportunity last year to spend an evening at Universal Studios in Florida. It was interesting because there was a whole section of the park that was reserved just for our party…it was a big party The great thing is despite attending with 20,000+ geeks the parts of the park we occupied were relatively empty, at least compared how these parks usually are. While meandering around with my camera, I found this section of 20’s New York. The streets were completely deserted that night.

Old Universal
Old Universal by W. Brian Duncan

Lanai Lookout Oahu

Posted on October 28th, 2013 by

Pulling off the Highway

I kept thinking…don’t make me stop this car…while driving around Ohau. The problem isn’t screaming kids in the back, but rather gorgeous views that are ALL over the island. Driving around the coast (or anywhere really) there always seems to be a new terrain, some new rock formation, a different type of beach to take in. It takes me FOREVER to get anywhere, but them again, on island time I don’t much care!

Lookout

This particular location is called Lanai Lookout. If you hop over the fence (normal in Hawaii for me) you are presented with a really wonderful rock formation where you can see the ocean eating away a layers of ancient, now cooled but once molten rock. Someone had spent a good deal of time in this spot and took the time to carve some sort of sun sigil in the stone formation.

Lanai Lookout Oahu
Lanai Lookout Oahu by W. Brian Duncan

Gritty Times Square

Posted on October 24th, 2013 by

Bright Lights, Big City

Oh Times Square. I visited in the early 90’s with my Mother and a friend…it was a much different place then. Mayor Giuliani in the mid-90’s decided to clean up all the adult novelty shops and strip clubs. When walked through we had previously visited Saks Fifth Avenue. We each had purchased something from the iconic store to say we had. A man in Time Square started yelling and following us.

“Ain’t nobody sleeping up on Fifth Avenue is they ladies!”

The whole time I was thinking…hey I’m not a lady! Anyway, Times Square is a very nice place to go at night these days as it’s almost as bright as day with all the signs. I tried to get some grit into the scene though as NYC seems like it should be a bit gritty.

Gritty Times Square
Gritty Times Square by W. Brian Duncan

Waikiki Lifeguard Stand

Posted on October 17th, 2013 by

Baywatch

I couldn’t help but think of David Hasselhoff when I came across the occasional lifeguard stand on Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. I caught the 2E stand at sunset before following my monk friends down an ocean walkway. It really Waikiki is a wonderful place for a sunset if you can get over the cheesy beach vibe and overlook the throngs of tourists. It’s a great place to spend a bit of down time!

Waikiki Lifeguard Stand
Waikiki Lifeguard Stand by W. Brian Duncan