The Jim Zim Photo Gallery Some of the best pictures taken by Jim Zimmerlin

Photography is a favorite hobby of mine.  I remember taking pictures with a Kodak "Brownie" camera when I was a kid, and even developing and printing some of my own pictures in a darkroom in junior high school.  After getting married and starting our own family in the 1980s, Kellyn and I made it a priority to get a good 35mm Canon SLR camera so that I could take high quality photos of our kids.

Here in the 21st century, I still have that love for photography...  and I'm enjoying it more than ever thanks to all the advances in technology.  I'm now on my eighth digital camera!  I started with a 1-megapixel Olympus, later moved up to a 4-megapixel Minolta, then the wonderful Panasonic FZ10 with its big image-stabilized zoom lens, followed by the even more advanced Panasonic FZ20.  After that, I made the jump to digital SLR cameras with the Canon EOS 10D...  which, believe it or not, was a gift from my friends Janet & Butch...  complete with a couple of nice lenses, too!  I can never thank them enough.  Then, after experiencing some frustrations with focusing issues on the 10D, I upgraded to the Canon Digital Rebel XTi and later to the Digital Rebel XSi.  My most recent upgrade was to the new Canon Digital Rebel T2i, the best camera I've ever owned...  and the camera that I continue to use today.

While I've certainly learned over the years that a good camera doesn't guarantee a great picture, and that a great photographer can get a good photo from just about any camera, I've come to appreciate good photo equipment!

I've taken thousands of pictures over the years.  Here are some of my favorites from the digital era.
 

(Click on any of the photos to see a larger, more-detailed version.)

Close-Up Look At A Pelican

camera:  Canon Digital Rebel XTi
I was trying to get a shot of the sunset from the cliffs above Pismo Beach,
and discovered a flock of very tame pelicans that let me get right up next to them.
 

Sunset At Pismo Beach

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
After buying my first "L" series lens, I headed down to the beach at sunset to see what it could do.

Spring wildflowers at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant - May 2010

camera:  Canon Digital Rebel T2i with 18-135mm EF-S lens
A beautiful scene one Spring morning at my "real job"...  early in the morning, at first light

A beautiful Cocker Spaniel

camera:  Canon Digital Rebel XSi with 100-400mm "L" series lens
 

Wildflowers along the California coast

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
This is a panoramic photo stitched together from four individual images.
Click on the small photo above to see a larger, more detailed version.
Your browser will probably resize the large version of the photo to fit your screen.
Point your mouse in the lower right corner of the large version of the photo, and click on the "enlarge" button to see the full photo.
Be sure to scroll your browser window to the right to see the entire full sized photo.
 

One of our dogs in mid-air

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
Of all the photos I've ever taken, I think this one is actually my favorite.
 

Port San Luis at sunrise

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
Boats in the harbor at Port San Luis, near Avila Beach, California.
I drive by here on the way to work every morning, and it's just as beautiful as the photo makes it look!
 

Our grand-niece, Gwyneth

Is she a cutie, or what?
camera:  Canon Digital Rebel XSi
 

Pismo Beach just before dark

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
The day this camera arrived, I headed down to the beach at sunset to see if I could get a good picture from it.
 

the east side of the Sierra Nevada mountains

camera:  Minolta DiMAGE S404
 

Wally relaxes in our Puppy Palace

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Probably one of my most popular pictures...  based on how often I find it has been stolen and used without permission on merchandise or on other web sites.
 

The sun's rays filter through an oak tree

camera:  Olympus D320L
It just shows that even a fairly unsophisticated camera can capture a good photo in the right hands.
 

The sun sets as a family plays at Avila Beach

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
I took this photo on New Years Eve on my way home from work.
When I saw the sunset out my car's window, I was very glad I had my camera with me!
 

Abby jumps a hurdle in pursuit of a tennis ball

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Somewhat of a lucky shot...  I just happened to get it right.
I tried for months after this to get another like it, and never got one I liked better than this!
 

Pelicans doing what pelicans do

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
It amuses me to see all the different things each pelican is doing in this photo!
 

Me and my niece

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Self-portrait of the photographer and his favorite niece, using a tripod and a timer.
 

The sun sets at the Pismo pier

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
If the brightness and contrast of your monitor are set correctly, you can see the people and the railings on the pier.
If not set correctly, you pretty much just see a black blob in the lower left quarter of the screen
 

Morgan's first litter of puppies naps on the lawn

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
I made a mousepad with this picture on it, and it looks really nice!
 

Another look at the wildflowers at Diablo Canyon power plant

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
For a month or so each Spring, the hills east of the plant are like a scene out of the Wizard of Oz

San Simeon, California

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
The two guys launching their kayak add a nice detail to the photo
 

My nephew's football team

camera:  Canon EOS 10D
This camera looks so impressive with a big lens mounted on it that people on the sidelines of this football game actually got out of my way when I would move to a new spot.
 

Joanna

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
The bougainvillea in our back yard makes a nice backdrop
 

The lighthouse at Pt. San Luis

camera:  Minolta DiMAGE S404
One of San Luis Obispo county's hidden treasures
 

Abby's first litter poses on a bench

camera:  Minolta DiMAGE S404
Getting this many puppies to sit still for a photo is incredibly difficult!

A storm heads towards Shell Beach

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
I was just driving down the freeway with no intention of taking any pictures when I saw the light coming through the clouds like this.  You never saw a guy get off the freeway so fast!
 

A natural rock arch on the California coast

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ10
Getting the bird in the shot made all the difference!
 

The San Luis Obispo county coastline

camera:  Panasonic DMC-FZ20
This is what I see on my drive home from work each afternoon.
 

Sunrise over the Pacific ocean - off the coast of Mexico

camera:  Olympus Stylus 1050SW
People probably assume this is a sunset picture, but it was actually sunrise...
as seen from the deck of the Carnival Spirit cruise ship off the coast of Mexico.

Sunset at the Columbia River in Washington

camera:  Olympus D320L
If you look carefully, you can see my son, daughter, sister, and brother-in-law
 

Please note:  All of these photos are the original copyrighted works of Jim Zimmerlin.  You're welcome to use these photos at no charge for your personal use...  but PLEASE check with me first if you want to use them for commercial purposes.

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