MontereyJohn California Photography

Welcome to MontereyJohn Photography - The Blog

This is where customers and browsers of MontereyJohn Photography (Link to Our Main Web Site) can leave comments, start a thread of conversation or just look around.

MontereyJohn Photography and California Photo Services offer the best in commercial, special event, wedding photography and other services in the Monterey Bay and San Jose areas. We are happy to talk about what we do, the world of photography and most anything else. It is here that you can have your say and engage in conversation with the photographers.

The blog also deals with the personal side of life, has archived posts going back over the last few years which have many photos to which I am partial, contains links to places I visit regularly and other items I hope are of interest to you.

Enjoy, leave comments if you like and please come again.

To see the services offered, get details on how to retain us for your project, see examples of projects done or to purchase images from the portfolio, visit our new web site at MontereyJohn Photography.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Big Sur Basin Fire - And Still It Burns

The Big Sur Basin Fire still burns in the Carmel Valley. This is a view from the east side of the hills in the Salinas Valley this afternoon.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

"Timing" - Aikido at the Monterey Obon Festival

Not sure if I mean theirs or mine :) Caught this one pretty well.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Monterey Peninsula Oban Festival

Sunday was the annual Oban festival at the Buddhist Temple. It was a celebration of all things Japanese including martial arts, drumming, cultural events and of course food. It was delightful.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Big Sur Basin Fire - Carmel Valley

This fire is on the second ridge over from us at 4:00 this afternoon. This is the Big Sur fire moving this way. They say that it is under control. I sure hope so!

Clint Eastwood lives over in those hills. Guess he will just rent an air force of tankers and helicopters to protect his spread :)

More Big Sur Basin fire images and be found here.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Big Sur "Basin Fire" - Inferno on The Cental Coast

I spent the better part of two days along Route 1 from Big Sur Valley to Point Sur documenting this enormous fire and the heroic firefighters trying to extinguish the blaze. It has been heart breaking to watch this beautiful part of California go up in smoke. As this is written it is not known whether the village of Big Sur will be saved or just how far the fire will spread.

More Big Sur Basin Fire images here.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Big Sur Basin Fire - From the Ashes They Will Rise

This aptly placed Phoenix at Nepenthe in Big Sur captures the atmosphere around Big Sur as the evacuation is cancelled and Route 1 is opened from Carmel to Big Sur.
The village was saved. God bless the firefighters.

More Big Sur Basin fire images here.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Big Sur Basin Fire - The Fight Goes On

This helicopter was photographed on July 2nd at Pt Sur as it fought the Basin Fire which is still burning today.

More images from the Basin Fire can be seen here.

Big Sur Basin Fire - US Forest Service Map of North End of Fire Near Big Sur

Click on image to enlarge.

More Big Sur Basin Fire images here.