Travel offers so many opportunities to enrich your life. Being open to the opportunities to experience the culture, eat the food, and talk to people can change the way you see the world. The rewards come from acting like a native. Stay off the beaten tourist paths and look for opportunities to talk to people and experience the lifestyle. Of course along the way we can fuel our passion for photography by capturing the landscapes, culture, food, and people. Continue reading
Exploring The Netherlands and Belgium by Bike and Barge
There may be no better way to explore the lifestyle and culture of a country than biking your way along the “roads less traveled” while your lodging and restaurant catches up to you for a night’s rest. My wife and I explored the Netherlands and Northern Belgium by Bike and Barge this past summer. Our days were filled with new sights while riding along bike paths, narrow roads through farmers’ fields, and in lovely quaint little towns. At night our barge, the Sailing Home, would catch up to our bike group where we enjoyed a gourmet meal and a good night’s rest. Our Barge was pretty small as cruise ships go, only 13 cabins. So avoiding the tourist crowds was never a problem and it was fun getting to know our small private group while on board. What a way to travel! Continue reading
Discovering remarkable pictures where you live
In her book, Extraordinary Everyday Photography, Brenda Tharp challenges photographers to develop a “fresh approach and vision” by going someplace where you have been before but try to see it differently. Her point is that you can find interesting things to photograph anywhere if you develop a new approach to seeing with new vision. Even in those places we have been many times before. Continue reading
Share the beauty of our natural resources . . .
One of the most important environmental challenges we face as a nation is the protection of our natural waterways. And in Florida, it doesn’t get any more challenging than restoring the 156 mile long Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s East coast. The Indian River Lagoon is one of North America’s most diverse estuaries with more than 4000 species of plants and animals, including 35 that are listed as threatened or endangered — more than any other estuary in North America. Continue reading
Amelia Island – A beautiful escape. . . over and over again
I have traveled to many places all over the world, but there are only a few I like to return to over and over again. I am not sure how to describe these places. They just feel right. You never get tired of them. They are most interesting, filled with many things to do, yet uncrowded and relaxing. One of these favorite places is Amelia Island, Florida. Continue reading
My best of 2014 – Reliving those remarkable moments
Here are my “top 10″ best photos of 2014 selected based on the feedback received from others, photo contest results, and a couple of my personal favorites. It has been a good year of travel and new experiences, and I look forward to the new opportunities in 2015. Continue reading
Exploring the Danube
My wife and I departed from our normal modes of travel transportation, exploring the beautiful Danube River by Bike, and Barge this past summer. We explored the bike trails along the river by day, enjoying a comfortable cabin on the MS My Story by night. We enjoyed it so much we are looking forward to other bike and barge cruises in the near future. Continue reading
Pack your shot list along with your underwear
Let’s see, what am I forgetting? Packing is not my favorite thing to do in the whole world, but traveling may be. Of course camera gear is the second priority right after underwear and socks. I love photographing almost everything, but travel photography is probably the most enjoyable, especially when it’s a new destination. So I tolerate the packing chore to make sure I am ready to explore a new world. Continue reading
A remarkable image is a remarkable story
“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” ― Ansel Adams
This Ansel Adams quote echoed in my mind for days after reading it several years ago. I always loved photography even as a young boy but I had never thought of photography as an expression of how I feel in the “deepest” sense. As I looked through an old photo album, I began to realize that every photo I have ever saved in an album or shared with others were photos expressing feelings about what was being photographed. Continue reading
Classic lines brings back fond memories
I walked through the displays of classic lines feeling the same way I felt so many times before. Of course, I can’t resist viewing and capturing the feelings through the camera viewfinder. I don’t really know what it is about classic car shows that brings back so many remarkable memories for me, but it happens every time. Continue reading