Category Archives: Photography

Cat for adoption: Trista

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes, is looking for a new home in Orange County, CA.

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), playing with a feather toy from behind a sisal-wrapped cat tree post.   Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista.

Trista is a gorgeous cat; her face reminds both Michelle and me a bit of a mountain lion’s. And when she stands or sits, she emanates grace and power.

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), standing proud.  Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista looking proud.
Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), staring off into the distance in this super-closeup image focusing just on her face.  I love how proud and strong she looks here; "don't mess with me" is almost certainly her motto.  Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista up close.

Trista has a calm facade (and a white chin!), but underneath it she’s a playful, outgoing kitty.

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), playing with a feather toy from behind a sisal-wrapped cat tree post.   Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista playing with a feather toy from behind a sisal-wrapped cat tree post.

You know how sometimes when you head to a rescue, a cat just grabs your attention? For me on this trip, that cat was Trista – she’s got a beautiful pattern, a unique face, and she was a ton of fun to photograph.

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), standing on all four legs and staring straight into the camera.   Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista.

Trista is currently available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, and to find out how to adopt her, contact Mindy at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.

More kitties?

To see more cats available for adoption at Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Orange County, CA, head to my cats available for adoption in Orange County, CA page.

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Cat for adoption: Molly [updated]

[Update: Happy news!  Molly has been adopted!]

Molly, a two year old bicolor tuxedo white and black short-haired female cat, is looking for a new home in Orange County, CA.

Molly, a two year old bicolor tuxedo white and black short-haired cat, sits in Mindy's arms.  Molly is a very playful and fun loving cat who loves to ride on people's shoulders and interact with dogs; she would not be good with small children.  Molly is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Molly in Mindy's arms.

Molly is a very playful and fun loving cat who loves to ride on people’s shoulders and interact with dogs; she would not be good with small children.

Molly, a two year old bicolor tuxedo white and black short-haired cat, looks at her cage door.  Molly is a very playful and fun loving cat who loves to ride on people's shoulders and interact with dogs; she would not be good with small children.  Molly is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Molly.

Molly is currently no longer available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, and to find out how to adopt her, contact Mindy at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.

More kitties?

To see more cats available for adoption at Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Orange County, CA, head to my cats available for adoption in Orange County, CA page.

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Cat for Adoption: Oliver [updated]

[Update: Happy news!  Oliver has been adopted!]

Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, is waiting for a home in Orange County, CA.

Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, looks peacefully just off camera.  Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids.  Oliver is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Oliver.

Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids. He loves to explore his environment, and can be frequently found sneaking through a fabric tube in the rescue.

Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, looks intently at the camera after having just popped out of a fabric tube that he loves to crawl through.  Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids.  Oliver is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Oliver popping out of a fabric tube.
Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, sniffs the corner of a cat cage at a rescue shelter.  Oliver likes to climb on top of the cages and explore who is in each one.  Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids.  Oliver is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Oliver sniffs the corner of a cat cage at his rescue.

Oliver is currently no longer available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, and to find out how to adopt him, contact Mindy at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.

More kitties?

To see more cats available for adoption at Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Orange County, CA, head to my cats available for adoption in Orange County, CA page.

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Cat for adoption: Hurricane

Hurricane is a seven year old male short-haired black cat waiting for a home in Orange County, CA.

Hurricane, a seven year old male short-haired black cat, staring into the camera for a portrait.  Hurricane is a very intelligent, outgoing cat who loves people and is not afraid of anything, but who needs to live in a house without other pets as he can be aggressive to other dogs and cats.  Hurricane is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Hurricane.

Hurricane is a very intelligent, outgoing cat who loves people and is not afraid of anything, but who needs to live in a house without other pets as he can be aggressive to other cats and dogs.

Hurricane, a seven year old male short-haired black cat, being held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Hurricane is a very intelligent, outgoing cat who loves people and is not afraid of anything, but who needs to live in a house without other pets as he can be aggressive to other dogs and cats.  Hurricane is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Hurricane in Mindy Millers arms.
Hurricane, a seven year old male short-haired black cat, looking up at a toy while playing at the rescue shelter.   Hurricane is a very intelligent, outgoing cat who loves people and is not afraid of anything, but who needs to live in a house without other pets as he can be aggressive to other dogs and cats.  Hurricane is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Hurricane looking playful.

Hurricane is currently available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information, and to find out how to adopt him, contact Mindy at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.

More kitties?

To see more cats available for adoption at Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Orange County, CA, head to my cats available for adoption in Orange County, CA page.

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Cats for adoption: Zoey and Porsche

Zoey and Porsche are two sisters waiting for a home in Orange County, CA.  They’re both short-haired white and black bicolor female cats with yellow-green eyes.

Zoey, a less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA, is held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Zoey is sisters with Porsche, and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  Zoey has a little bit of lipstick on her face, thanks to a recent "kiss" from Mindy.  Zoey has a nipped left ear, a sign that she may have been captured in a catch-and-release spay program for feral cats.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Zoey
Porsche, a less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA, is held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Porsche is sisters with Zoey (seen in other pictures), and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  She has a cute black spot on her pink nose, and is probably a mask-and-mantle pattern. Porsche has a nipped left ear, a sign that she may have been captured in a catch-and-release spay program for feral cats.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Porsche

They’re both less than a year old, and they need to be adopted together as a pair. They’re  a bit shy and scared in the rescue, but they’re very playful with toys and each other, and will warm up once they get to a house where they’re given a space they can call their own.

Zoey (front; black nose) and Porsche (rear; black dot on her pink nose) are two sisters waiting for adoption.  They're both less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cats with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  The two need to be adopted together as a pair.  Both have nipped left ears, a sign that they may have been captured in a catch-and-release spay program for feral cats.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Zoey (front; black nose) and Porsche (rear; black dot on her pink nose)
Zoey peers out from behind a wall, wondering who's taking pictures of her.  Zoey, a less than year old white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA, is held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Zoey is sisters with Porsche, and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Zoey peers out from behind a wall.
A close-up view of Zoey, a less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  Zoey is sisters with Porsche (seen blurred in the background), and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Zoey

Zoey and Porsche are currently available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA. For more information on the cats, and to find out how to adopt them, contact Mindy at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.

More kitties?

To see more cats available for adoption at Miss Kitty’s Rescue in Orange County, CA, head to my cats available for adoption in Orange County, CA page.

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Cats up for adoption in Orange County, CA

Are you looking for a cute cat or kitten to adopt in Costa Mesa, California?  Here’s a list of some of the cats currently available for adoption through Miss Kitty’s Rescue:

[Note: Click each cat’s image or name to see more information about the cat.]

Zoey, a less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA, is held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Zoey is sisters with Porsche, and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  Zoey has a little bit of lipstick on her face, thanks to a recent "kiss" from Mindy.  Zoey has a nipped left ear, a sign that she may have been captured in a catch-and-release spay program for feral cats.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins) Porsche, a less than year old short-haired white and black bicolor female cat with yellow green eyes up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA, is held by Mindy, owner of Miss Kitty's Rescue.  Porsche is sisters with Zoey (seen in other pictures), and the two need to be adopted together as a pair.  She has a cute black spot on her pink nose, and is probably a mask-and-mantle pattern. Porsche has a nipped left ear, a sign that she may have been captured in a catch-and-release spay program for feral cats.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Zoey and Porsche

Hurricane, a seven year old male short-haired black cat, staring into the camera for a portrait.  Hurricane is a very intelligent, outgoing cat who loves people and is not afraid of anything, but who needs to live in a house without other pets as he can be aggressive to other dogs and cats.  Hurricane is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Hurricane

Trista, a three year old female short-haired brown tabby cat with green eyes (and a white chin), playing with a feather toy from behind a sisal-wrapped cat tree post.   Trista has a face that looks somewhat like a mountain lion to me; a bit more elongated than your typical domesticated cat.  Trista is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Trista

If you’re interested in adopting any of these cats, please contact Mindy of Miss Kitty’s Rescue at misskittysrescue@yahoo.com.  Some of these cats may also be available to be seen at the Petsmart at 620 West 17th St in Costa Mesa, CA 92627.

Kitties who have found a home

These cats have been adopted into a loving home:

Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, looks peacefully just off camera.  Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids.  Oliver is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Oliver

Molly, a two year old bicolor tuxedo white and black short-haired cat, looks at her cage door.  Molly is a very playful and fun loving cat who loves to ride on people's shoulders and interact with dogs; she would not be good with small children.  Molly is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Molly

About Miss Kitty’s Rescue

Miss Kitty’s Rescue is a cat rescue group run by Mindy Miller in Costa Mesa, California.  Michelle and I adopted our two cats from Mindy; they were both former feral cats that Mindy tamed herself, and she turned the two of them from fearful, nearly wild cats into two kitties who love spending time with us.

As with most cat rescues, however, Mindy’s rescue is constantly full, and she has trouble finding people to adopt her rescued cats, especially since many of the cats need special homes. To help her out I’ve volunteered to take pictures of her cats pro bono, so she can use them in her own advertising.  She has also asked me to do whatever advertising I can for the cats, and thus I’ve created this post, which will link to all the cats.

More kitties?

To see more cat pictures I’ve taken, you can see a list of all of my pet posts, or head straight to my pets portfolio page.

Pet Posts: One page to organize them all

I write a lot of blog posts about pets. Most of them focus on my own two cats in one way or another, but I also do volunteer work for local animal groups. In this post I’ll maintain a list of my pet-related posts.

Cats

A closeup of the green eye of a blue patched tabby and white shorthair house cat.  The depth of field is a bit shallow, but a large portion of her eye and the fur around her eye are in focus. (Marc C. Perkins)
Cat eyes on a Friday

Kira, a brown tabby, relaxing on a shelf next to a brick wall.  I love how she looks mildly inquirous while also looking serenly peaceful and comfortable.  She's also got her paws cutely folded up underneath her.  How cat like! (Marc C. Perkins)
Support a good cause, if you so desire

This is a crop of the "Cat tongue closeup: 3/4 view" image, focusing on the tongue.  The original image is a closeup of a cat's tongue from a three-quarters angle as the cat licks a sheepskin rug.  Numerous barbs (spines; filiform papillae) are clearly visible across the width of the tongue.  The papillae are largest in the middle of the tongue, and get progressive smaller towards the edges of the tongue.  The three-quarters angle allows the viewer to better see the height of the barbs.  See the uncropped version of this image for more context. (Marc C. Perkins)
Cat anatomy: the barbed tongue

A closeup of Lucca's hind paw, with her beautiful green eye and nose staring at you from the background in soft focus.  Her paw pad leathers are multicolored because she's a dilute caliby (blue patched tabby and white), so the leathers are patterned just like the rest of her is.  The leathers are a mix of two colors: blue (dilute black) and pink/rose.  The texturing on the pads is also visible; it's like she's got all-terrain tire treads on her paws :) (Marc C. Perkins)
Cat pictures to start the week

Lucca munches on newly germinated (and nibbled on) oat grass (tack oats; Avena sativa). (Marc C. Perkins)
My cats eat grass

Lucca shows off her third eyelid in this sequence of four photographs taken just after she woke up from a nap.  The third eyelid (nictitating membrane or palpebra tertia) is a thin white membrane that slides horizontally across the eye underneath the outer two eyelids.  Humans lack this third eyelid, but most other vertebrates have it.  Lucca here is simultaneously stretching, yawning, and opening her eyes.  In the first image her eyes are completely closed, in the second image her outer two eyelids are partially open, but the nictitating membrane is still entirely covering the eye, in the third image the outer two eyelids are almost entirely open and the nictitating membrane is about half covering the eye, and in the fourth image all three eyelids are fully open. (Marc C. Perkins)
Cat anatomy: the third eyelid

Lucca looking decidedly unimpressed.  This picture reminds me of a typical LOLCat image (e.g., http://icanhascheezburger.com); I think the caption would be something like "Unimpressed cat is unimpressed", "Meh", or "Is it really Monday already?".  But, sadly, I won't be submitting it to that website, as their terms of service for uploaded images give them way too many rights for free (http://corp.cheezburger.com/legal/terms-of-service/). (Marc C. Perkins)
Unimpressed cat is unimpressed

Cats (and other pets) up for adoption

Oliver, a two year old male short-haired brown tabby and white cat, sniffs the corner of a cat cage at a rescue shelter.  Oliver likes to climb on top of the cages and explore who is in each one.  Oliver is a sweet cat who needs a home with no dogs and no kids.  Oliver is up for adoption at Miss Kitty's Rescue in Costa Mesa, CA.  This picture was taken pro bono for Miss Kitty's Rescue to help them advertise the cats for adoption. (Marc C. Perkins)
Cats up for adoption in Orange County, CA
at Miss Kitty’s Rescue.

Beauty, a black female terrier / pit bull. (Marc C. Perkins)
Photographing animals at the Newport Beach Animal Shelter

Mice

A gray male pet mouse jumps up on the side of a clear plastic cage and holds himself up by his front paws, peering over the edge into the vast unknown beyond the cage.  I love the cute little paws holding onto the edge.  I also like how the whiskers are fully three-dimensional: you can see how they extend around the face in all directions - front, back, top, bottom, and sides. (Marc C. Perkins)
Photographing mice: the adorableness is overwhelming!

Portfolio

Athena, a torbie and white (or caliby) female domestic shorthair cat.  7084. (Marc C. Perkins)
Pets Portfolio

Old Point Loma Lighthouse pictures

After taking pictures of pelicans at La Jolla this past January, Greg and I headed down to Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego to get pictures of Old Point Loma Lighthouse. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but the lighthouse was what I was really looking forward to when I woke up that day; birds and sunrises are fun and all, but I have a mild obsession with lighthouses1.

Old Point Loma Lighthouse stands on the top of a hill at the end of Point Loma, one of the peninsulas that shelter San Diego’s natural harbor.

Old Point Loma Light standing proud, seen end-on from the south on a sunny winter day.  The light is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA.  Framing the lighthouse are three withered agave inflorescences along with fields of green bushes and trees.  The assistant keeper's quarters are visible as a separate white building behind the inflorescences. (Marc C. Perkins)
Old Point Loma Lighthouse: From the south.

The two buildings visible in that image are the primary lighthouse (the multi-story painted brick building to the left) and the assistant keeper’s house (to the right).

The lighthouse and its tower are entrancing with their contrast and symmetry:

A somewhat cropped view of Old Point Loma Light as seen from the east on a crystal clear blue sky winter's day.    The bright white painted brick building contrasts with the clear blue sky and black lantern room.  The flagpole (currently lacking a flag) can be seen to the right of the house.  The windows of the lighthouse are just barely visible at the bottom of the crop.  While I generally prefer pictures of lighthouses either tightly cropped or whole with their surroundings3, I find this view of the house to be strangely entrancing.  It seems to be standing alone in front of a clear blue sky; what's before it and behind it are unknown, open to the viewer to decide. (Marc C. Perkins)
Old Point Loma Lighthouse: From the East.

The lighthouse started operation in 1855 with a Fresnel lens; its light was visible more than 25 miles out to sea.  The lighthouse currently contains the Fresnel lens from the Mile Rocks lighthouse that was moved to the lighthouse in the 1980’s and installed with the light offset by a few inches (so it’s not nearly as powerful as it should be).

The lens and latern room are gorgeous up close:

A close-up view of the lantern room and its attached black-painted balcony seen from beneath.  The lantern room appears to be towering above the viewer, and the details on the lantern room's green (copper?) roof are easily visible.  For instance, the room can be seen to have lion or gargoyle figureheads at each of the room's 10 corners, and above each window is a cut-out pattern in the roof's edging of what look to be waves heading towards each other with the cutouts themselves appearing to be horns.   A black ladder climbs to the top of the copper roof, reading the large dome on top.  The white, black, and green building contrast beautifully with the dark blue sky. The lighthouse is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA.  I have another version of this same view that is less cropped, if you want. (Marc C. Perkins)
Old Point Loma's Lantern Room and Attached Balcony

I didn’t notice these fully while on the site, but when I processed the images I discovered that the edge of the tower’s roof is finished with beautiful details:

A highly-cropped detail view of my "Old Point Loma: towering lantern room" image.  This crop shows the beautiful details of the construction of the lantern room's room, including lion or gargoyle figureheads at each of the roof's 10 corners, and a vertical cut-out portion of metal above each window.  This cut out patterns appears to be made to look like a series of waves heading towards each other, with the cutouts themselves appearing to be horns.   The lighthouse is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA.  As this is a severe crop, this image is not suitable to be printed exceptionally large (maybe up to 8 or 10" wide?), though the image it comes from can probably be printed up to 20"x30". (Marc C. Perkins)
Cropped detail view of "Old Point Loma's Lantern Room and Attached Balcony"

I love the cutouts on the roof’s edging, with their Escher-esque detailing. If you look at the metal itself, it’s cut into patterns of waves flowing into each other, yet if you look at the void spaces you can see either horns or birds (I see horns, Michelle sees birds). There are also gargoyles / lions at each corner of the roof. I wonder if these details are original, or a later addition.

Old Point Loma Light is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA.  This image is made from just south of the assistant keeper's house, showing the points of both the roofs of that building and the main lighthouse with its chimney.  Behind these, standing tall, is the lantern room of the lighthouse, with its installed lens.  The bright white buildings contrast with the clear blue sky and black lantern room. (Marc C. Perkins)
Old Point Loma Lighthouse: Angles

As the lighthouse is no longer a functioning navigational light (it was decommissioned in 1891 due to frequent interference from fog), it’s open daily for people to explore. While the latern room itself is sealed off, visitors can climb the staircase to nearly the top of the lighthouse tower (to where the window is in the “From the East” picture above). Climbing lighthouse stairways is just awesome, and this one had a little landing Greg and I could set up on to photograph the beautiful symmetry.

Lighthouse staircases are just plain awesome, and Old Point Loma Light's stairway in Cabrillo National Monument is no exception.  Greg and I spent a good half hour up at the top trying various compositions, waiting for people to stop walking in, and admiring the Nautilus-like stairway.  To bring out the textures and lines I prefer this in black and white, especially since the colors aren't particularly grabbing. (Marc C. Perkins)
Old Point Loma Lighthouse: Nautilus Stairway

That was one cramped little landing with all of our gear set up, and we both had to wait quite a while for an opportunity to capture images of the stairs with nobody else in the tower. But it was worth it, and how could one possibly mind spending time inside a lighthouse? 🙂

I’ll leave you with a final overview image, showing the lighthouse and it’s rebuilt concrete water-catchment basin with native plant landscaping:

A wide-angle view of Old Point Loma Light as seen from the east on a crystal clear blue sky winter's day.  The foreground bushes mostly block the concrete water catchment basin.  The lighthouse itself is clearly visible, as is the assistant keeper's house (to the left).  Note: Please contact me if you're interested in purchasing this image for use printed or displayed large, as I should give you some background on the image (the sky has been burned to reduce uneven polarization, and it should be test-printed before final images are made). (Marc C. Perkins)
A wide-angle view of Old Point Loma Lighthouse and the assistant keeper's house.

Oh, and if you want to see the scale of the stairway in the tower, here’s a self portrait of me in the stairway:

I'm standing on the second level of the stairway to the top of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse in Cabrillo National Monument, waving up at the camera.  Greg (of Alpenglow Images Photography) is nicely pressing the trigger of my tripod-mounted camera. (Marc C. Perkins)
Some photographer got in my shot, darn it!

Stay tuned for more lighthouse pictures!

1 This will hopefully be the inaugural post of a multi-post series highlighting lighthouses I’ve photographed in the past year. And don’t get me wrong – the pelicans at La Jolla Cove turned out to be awesome.

More pictures

To see more pictures from the lighthouse, head to my Old Point Loma Lighthouse Gallery or click on the thumbnails below.

A head-on look at the lantern room and lens of Old Point Loma Light, seen from the east.  The window visible in the lantern tower is the one visitor's can look out when they climb the lighthouse stairs.  The lighthouse's green (copper) roof is clearly visible, with its beautiful cut-out wave edging visible.  The shingle roof of the lighthouse's main building is visible at the bottom of the picture.  The lighthouse is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA. (Marc C. Perkins) Old Point Loma Light is in Cabrillo National Monument near San Diego, CA.  This close-up shot of the lantern room seen from the south shows the currently-installed third order lens (from the Mile Rocks Lighthouse, reportedly), black balcony and maintenance latter for the roof.  The chimney of the lighthouse and roof of the assistant keeper's house can be seen in the foreground. (Marc C. Perkins)

Getting There

Cabrillo National Monument: Old Point Loma Lighthouse is in Cabrillo National Monument, which is at the end of Point Loma peninsula in San Diego, CA. The national monument’s webpage has an excellent directions page, including a great regional map. From interstate 5 you’ll need to take a few turns on city streets that aren’t necessarily well marked, so print out a good map or have your GPS handy. You’ll also be driving through an active naval base to arrive at the national monument, so park hours are strictly enforced. You’ll need to pay an entrance fee; parking was plentiful on site when we arrived on a winter weekday morning.

Waves crashing over the La Jolla Children’s Pool Beach sea wall

Greg and I walked to La Jolla Children’s Pool Beach (Casa Beach) back in January after we got our pelican pictures at La Jolla Cove. La Jolla Children’s pool is a small area of sandy beach that’s been walled in by a beautiful brick sea wall, apparently with the plan being that children could go swimming. Seals have had other plans for the beach, though, so there aren’t many children.

While I’m not entirely pleased with my seal pictures from the day, there was something else on view: waves crashing into the sea wall.

Water cascades over a brick sea wall at La Jolla Children's Pool, with its slightly rusty fence visible to the top.  A wave has just hit the wall, and white foamy water is flying over the bricks as the water crashes to the sea in front of the wall.  This contrasts with the perfectly calm blue water in the background. (Marc C. Perkins)
Crash of the wave; La Jolla Children's Pool, San Diego.

Big waves were somewhat infrequent, so I wasn’t able to get too many good captures, but I did get these two.

Water cascades over a brick sea wall at La Jolla Children's Pool on a gorgeous sunny winter day.  A wave has just hit the wall, and white foamy drops  are dripping and streaming off the bricks, as the water foams to the side and front of the wall.  The water and sky, though, are perfectly calm, making a great contrast. (Marc C. Perkins)
Cascade of the wave; La Jolla Children's Pool, San Diego.

My only problem is this: I can’t decide which picture I like better. Each time I look at the pair I pick one that I like, but then I wait a few days, come back, and find myself preferring the other one.

So, I need you, my kind reader, to solve this dilemma for me. Which do you like better?

Getting There

La Jolla Children’s Pool Beach (Casa Beach): Found in La Jolla (San Diego), the beach is (to quote Wikipedia) “located at 850 Coast Boulevard, at the end of Jenner Street, in La Jolla, California.” Greg and I left our cars in the lot we used for our pelican pictures (directions can be found in this post) and walked; it was a very pleasant 10 minute or so walk. I have no idea how available parking is in La Jolla or what would be the best location to park, so I can’t help you much; sorry. The beach can be freely accessed by walking down a few concrete stairs, but much of the beach’s sand is roped off to allow seals to lay on the beach unperturbed.

Aphids on oat grass

As I was taking my oat grass guttation pictures, I kept an eye out for cute critters on my newly planted grass. And, of course, there were some:

A small family of green aphids stands on the end of a stalk of tack oat grass, {Avena sativa}, that has a tiny drop of clear water at the tip (because it is guttating due to high-humidity).  There is one larger aphid (most likely a wingless parthenogenetically reproducing female, possibly a fundatrix) and six smaller aphids (probably her offspring / babies).  I'm not certain what species of aphid these are, but they may be {Diuraphis noxia}, the Russian Wheat Aphid.  Aphids are phloem feeding parasites, so this isn't a good sign for the grass, but I think they're absolutely adorable with their spindly little legs, long antennae, and red eyes.  So cute! Having just a couple of blades of grass blurred out of focus in the background gives context without distracting from the aphids.  The scale bar (lower-right) is 1mm long; a version of this image without the scale bar is available upon request. (Marc C. Perkins)
Home on the range: A small family of green aphids on an oat grass {Avena sativa} leaf. The scale bar (lower-right) is 1mm long.

That’s a young family of aphids, just starting out in life. Aphids are phloem-feeding plant parasites, so they’re sittin’ there having lunch.  They have a proboscis they insert into the leaf’s phloem vessels, which they then drink like a soda through a straw. Phloem is just about as nutritious as soda, so aphids have serious problems getting enough nutrition and dealing with the sugar overload, but that’s the topic for another post (and probably another blog …).

The larger aphid is almost certainly a parthenogentically reproducing female. She reproduces asexually, creating more daughter offspring from just her own unfertilized eggs. Yes, kids, that does mean that she can have baby aphids without any daddy aphids around.

So, the six smaller aphids (called nymphs until they mature) are almost certainly her offspring. The mother will keep producing more and more offspring asexually, and these offspring themselves will almost certainly be able to parthenogentically reproduce as well1. That grass stalk won’t be happy for long.

It can often be hard to tell from web-sized images how much detail is contained in the original capture. Since I know you’re thinking that these aphids are adorably cute, here’s a crop of the image above focusing on them (see the same crop as a larger image here):

This is a severe crop of my original "Home on the Range" image, highlighting the detail visible on the aphids.  A small family of green aphids stands on the end of a stalk of tack oat grass, {Avena sativa}, that has a tiny drop of clear water at the tip (because it is guttating due to high-humidity).  There is one larger aphid (most likely a wingless parthenogenetically reproducing female, possibly a fundatrix) and six smaller aphids (probably her offspring / babies).  I'm not certain what species of aphid these are, but they may be {Diuraphis noxia}, the Russian Wheat Aphid.  The scale bar (lower-right) is 1mm long; a version of this image without the scale bar is available upon request. (Marc C. Perkins)
Crop of my "Home on the Range" image; the scale bar is still 1mm long.

I’m not certain what species these aphids are, but I suspect they may be Diuraphis noxia, the Russian Wheat Aphid.

Oh, and the small drop of water at the tip of the grass stalk is there because the grass is guttating – exuding water from its tip due to root pressure. I write about that more in this post.

1 Winged and/or sexually reproducing individuals can also be born, typically when environmental conditions change dramatically (e.g., the onset of winter, or depletion of the food source).

More pictures

To see more of my botany-related pictures, head to my Botany Demonstrations gallery.