A month or so ago, I went studying in The Park. Most of my sightings were unremarkable, but this little glimpse of throwback Picture-in-Picture made me smile. Little did this woman know, I was behind her, taking pictures of her and her painting for a good few minutes.

[5D2 - Canon 70-200/4L@200mm, f/4, 1/200, ISO 125]

Espresso isn’t just a drink. For this local roaster in San Francisco, it’s a way of life.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@68mm, f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 2000]

Sometimes it’s just as simple as asking a stranger for a helping hand.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@63mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100]

The key differentiating factor between coffee (i.e. nasty sock-water) and espresso is simply the crema. It’s the perfect emulsion of the coffee beans’ natural oils, and the reason why espresso has a smooth and creamy texture. And when you have good crema, you more than likely used the appropriate temperature, grind, and pressure settings–not to mention that you also did a good job tamping the grounds into the portafilter. I always get just a little bit irked when someone says they don’t like espresso because they think coffee is bitter. Espresso != Coffee. Coffee is bitter. A properly pulled shot of espresso is not.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@75mm, f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 1000]

Nearly a year late, but here are a few of my pics from my trip to San Francisco last summer for Google I/O (day 2, 3) on behalf of XDA-Developers. But to make up for the extremely long delay, I’m going to share about a million and a half pictures in a single post! This certainly isn’t my only tech trip, but it sure was by far my favorite.

Beautiful, cloudy view from Lombard Street!

[5D2 - Canon 70-200/4L@87mm, f/4, 1/100, ISO 640]

But what’s that off in the distance, you ask?

[5D2 - Canon 70-200/4L@70mm, f/4, 1/800, ISO 100]

After playing around a bit in San Fran, I decided to actually head out to the conference itself. Not sure, but I think it was maybe a little bit crowded…

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@28mm, f/2.8, 1/125, ISO 100]

Of course, I had to get a little bit of Jelly Bean-flavored swag…

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@62mm, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 250]

After the conference, I chatted with this nice fellow for a few minutes as well. I think I heard that he’s kinda important or something…

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@75mm, f/5.6, 1/60, ISO 250]

After all the Android/Google/Chrome nerdiness was over, we decided to check out a local mall right next to the hotel.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@28mm, f/8, 1/25, ISO 320]

And when we got tired of shopping, we took the cable car. But what do you do when it breaks down? You get out and push! (Yes, that’s me on the left. Also, that’s my good friend Jorrit aka Chainfire on the right.)

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@28mm, f/11, 1/25, ISO 500]

Try as we might, we couldn’t get the cable car to move, so we decided to get out and walk. And since we’re walking, might as well admire the view.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@28mm, f/18, 1/25, ISO 640]

What did you think I was really done with the nerdiness? No way. I had to make a trip out to the legendary Building 44, where all the magic happens.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@59mm, f/8, 1/320, ISO 100]

And you know I can’t finish without taking a pic of my conference press pass outside of B44!

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@75mm, f/5, 1/2000, ISO 100]

When is it NOT a good time for a nice, juicy porterhouse?

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@57mm, f/2.8, 1/30, ISO 3200]

PS. The correct answer is “never.”

Pic taken last year while walking around the campus of my old Alma mater. I’ve taken this shot a million times before, as there are always lily pads floating around there. I just haven’t posted one in a while, so here it is.

[5D2 - Canon 70-200/4L@200mm, f/4, 1/3200, ISO 640]

[5D2 - Canon 70-200/4L@200mm, f/4, 1/1000, ISO 12800]

For some reason, the bokeh in this pic reminds me of the Goo Goo Dolls album Dizzy Up the Girl, even though I don’t own nor have I really ever listened to it.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@71mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100]

What do four chess-playing homeless men do when it’s rainy outside and they are no longer able to play speed chess in their usual spot in Washington DC’s Dupont Circle? Comandeer a local coffee shop.

[5D2 - Tamron 28-75/2.8@75mm, f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 400]