The San Diego Padres‘ left fielder, Kyle Blanks, awaits the next pitch during an afternoon game at PetCo Park.

Taken at Red Rock Amphitheater, outside Denver, CO. It was a very overcast day but every now and then, the sun would peek through the clouds. I like the natural division the rocks create in this photo, but wish I could have pulled the colors of the rock out more.

Downtown Denver and the Rocky Mountains. This photo was taken from my hotel room window, just a few blocks from my grandparent’s home. Colorado has amazing vistas throughout the state.

The front grill of my new car, a 2011 Subaru WRX. I love the simplicity of this photo, with just the logo and badge.

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC. I really lucked out on this photo, framed it very well. I may upload a black & white version of this photo someday as well. Sadly, I had a better photo of Abe with the quote on the wall behind him, but some tourist walked right into my shot just as I took it, so it’s unusable.

The First Division Memorial, Washington DC. The monument honors those who died in the U.S. Army’s 1st Infantry Division. The overcast day made for the perfect natural backdrop for this photo.

The White House, Washington DC. I managed to get my lens through the security gate and zoom in enough that it looks like I was on the lawn.

The Chance Vought F4U Corsair was a carrier-capable fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. The Corsair served in smaller air forces until the 1960s, following the longest production run of any piston-engined fighter in U.S. history (1942–1952). Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II. The U.S. Navy counted an 11:1 kill ratio with the F4U Corsair.

This Corsair resides at the Palm Springs Air Museum, in Palm Springs, CA.

The PBY Catalina was an American flying boat of the 1930s and 1940s produced by Consolidated Aircraft. It was one of the most widely used multi-role aircraft of World War II. During World War II, PBYs were used in anti-submarine warfare, patrol bombing, convoy escorts, search and rescue missions (especially air-sea rescue), and cargo transport. The PBY was the most successful aircraft of its kind; no other flying boat was produced in greater numbers. The last active military PBYs were not retired from service until the 1980s. Even today, over seventy years after its first flight, the aircraft continues to fly as an airtanker in aerial firefighting operations all over the world.

This Catalina resides at the Palm Springs Air Museum, in Palm Springs, CA.

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II.

This photo is a close up of the bolts and rivets that hold the wing together with the fuselage. I was so amazed at the exposed bolts and rivets when I saw this up close, that I couldn’t believe the thing stuck together during military maneuvers.