Discovering Portugal

/ Chuck Palmer / 8 Comments

Our plane had just touched down in Porto, Portugal when anticipation and excitement overcame our jetlag from a very long travel day. Traveling Portugal had been on our bucket list for a very long time. “Let the adventure begin” Nancy exclaimed. We were looking forward to experiencing Portugal’s culture, history, cuisine, and natural wonders.

We decided to begin our adventure in Porto in the North, then wind our way South by car all the way to the Algarve coast . . . the southernmost coast in Portugal. Nancy planned 2–3 night stops at historic destinations along the way, ending up in Lisbon before flying home.

Although driving in the small walled cities is not for the faint of heart, we found Portugal’s major highways are among the best we have ever traveled in Europe.

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My Favorite 2023 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 7 Comments

I always enjoy reliving family events, the places I have been, and the people I have met. Every year I review all the photos I captured and select my favorite ten. Like every year, this exercise also gives me some great ideas for photography goals in the new year. My top ten photos this year reflect travels, family gatherings, or just a unique photo opportunity while navigating everyday life. So here they are, in no particular order. . .  my top ten favorite images of 2023 and the stories behind them.

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My Favorite 2022 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 9 Comments

For several years now, I have reviewed all my photos taken during the year and selected my favorite top ten images. I always enjoy reliving our family events, the places I have been, and the people I have met. This exercise also gives me some great ideas for photography goals in the new year. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography. Many of my top ten photos this year reflect travels to a couple of places that have been on my wife’s and my bucket list for a long time. We were excited to be able to travel more often in 2022. So here they are. . .  my top ten favorite images of 2022 and the stories behind them.

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Exploring Alaska’s Inside Passage

/ Chuck Palmer / 13 Comments

. . . aboard the National Geographic Venture

The National Geographic Venture

It was one of those rare white-knuckle experiences as our plane suddenly pulled up from what felt like a normal landing. It was our final approach into Sitka, Alaska where we were to embark on a “bucket list” adventure. Fog and cloud cover prevented a line-of-sight landing on our Captain’s first attempt, but he informed us he had fuel enough for a couple more tries. I can’t say that comforted my wife and me any or increased the blood flow in our knuckles as we held tight to our armrests. . . We also wondered if fog and cloud cover would follow us during our Alaska adventure over the course of next week.

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Death Valley National Park. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 12 Comments

. . . A remarkably diverse landscape to explore

Death Valley National Park

Driving into Death Valley National Park along California Highway 190, you certainly understand how Death Valley got its name. The brown barren desert landscape is all you can see for miles around. We were headed for “The Ranch at Death Valley”, a self-described casual hotel that would be our home base for the next 6 days. The Ranch turned out to be a convenient centrally located lodge to access the Valley’s most remarkable places to visit. We were excited to finally explore one of the few major National Parks we have never experienced, but we were not at all prepared for the landscape vistas and diversity we were about to encounter.

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My Favorite 2021 Images and the Stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 12 Comments

It is my tradition to pick my favorite images of the year and tell the stories behind them. Reviewing all my photos from the year is always fun. The exercise provides insight on where I have been, the people I have met, and gives me some ideas for resolutions in the new year. I get to relive the experiences and special moments all over again, and I learn a lot. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys photography. You will find the difficult part is selecting only 10 favorites. I spent almost another full year socially distanced at home but managed to enjoy some travel to National Parks at year end. Several of my favorite photos came from these travels, and a few from right around my hometown.

So once again, here are my top ten favorite images of 2021 and the stories behind them.

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My 2020 Top Ten Images and the stories behind them. . .

/ Chuck Palmer / 14 Comments

Well, we can certainly chalk up 2020 as a most unusual year! Let’s hope and pray we can get back to some sort of normalcy in 2021. I spent most of the year hunkered down at home but still managed to have fun photographing the world around me. So, I thought I would keep my tradition of picking my top ten favorite images of the year and the stories behind them. I always find the photo review process enlightening and would recommend it to everyone who has a passion for photography. Reflecting on the past year certainly has its challenges this year. But picking your favorite images will provide insight on where you have been, the people you met, and maybe a little peek into the future.

So once again, in no particular order, here are my top ten favorite images of 2020 and the stories behind them.

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It’s the worst of times. . . it’s the best of times

/ Chuck Palmer / 17 Comments

2:20 Underwater

It has been awhile since I posted to this blog. The whole year seems to have flown by while I am stuck at home. Like most people. . . travels were canceled, plans destroyed, and few family gatherings have been our norm for 2020. The good news, my family has remained healthy. As this strange year comes close to an end, I can’t help but think that time stood still in 2020. No remarkable images of far-away places or events to share.

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Exploring Boneyard Beach

/ Chuck Palmer / 5 Comments
Boneyard Beach, Big Talbot Island, FL
Boneyard Beach, Big Talbot Island, FL

We stepped from the park path down onto the beach and I thought I just might have stumbled into a scene from the Twilight Zone. The beach scattered with massive driftwood trees resembled images of a pre-historic graveyard. My wife and I looked at each other and almost in unison said, “now we know how this place got its name”. We were at Boneyard Beach on Big Talbot Island, a closely kept secret beach on Florida’s East Coast, just Northeast of Jacksonville.

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