Picture of the Week #305 "For A Good Cause" Venice, California 2014 Signed & Stamped

Working on my "Pictures That Make You Smile" series I decided to head to Venice Beach otherwise known to me as "Crazyville". I know that I will always encounter something or someone unusual. And sure enough here was this guy asking for money for a penis enlargement and weed. This brought a smile to my face so I snapped the shutter. Not your every day beggar.

Picture of the Week #304 "i-Baboon" Masai Mara, Kenya 2000 & 2014 Signed & Stamped

Okay, I manipulated this image. I was working on a series of animals doing funny things. An elephant walking a tightrope between two palm trees. A Zebra carried by a ballon over the Masai Mara. Two Giraffes holding a clothes line. And more. When I went through my 35mm slide files I found this image of the Baboon who had something in his hand. I took it out. Snapped a quick shot of my iPhone and placed it in his. Voila! There is something funny yet strange about this image. I am realizing more and more that I need to have a brand of images that I can be associated with. And looking back I realized that I have many, going all the way back to the 1960's that are funny. Once I get a little further down the line with comedic pictures I will put them in a book and send it off to publishers. For now this blog will have to do. Enjoy.

Picture of the Week #303 "Summer's End - Duck Days Finale" Sun Valley, Idaho 2005 Signed & Stamped

Every year around this time Sun Valley Idaho hosts "Duck Days". This allows residents and anyone else who wishes to donate $5 and they get a rubber duck with a bar code on the bottom. The ducks are dropped into the river and first one down wins some money. The rest of the money goes to the Children's hospital. So, it is a worthwhile event that is pure fun for all.

Picture of the Week #302 "Colorful Chinatown" Los Angeles, California 2014 Signed & Stamped

We started to go to Venice Beach over Labor Day weekend but the traffic was so bad that we turned around and headed downtown and ended up in Chinatown. As I am primarily interested in taking pictures that make people smile I was scouting around when I saw this beautifully colored building and the great lantern shadows that dotted the walk when this woman strode by with her red umbrella. SNAP! I got it. Pure chance. A little while later a group of young cyclists pulled up and littered the courtyard with bicycles. It reminded me of the mainland China I knew back in 1980.