Slickrock and Shadow

Tongan sister carries her baby brother up the long steep hill Tongans are friendly and generally open to photography themselves.  As I wandered all around the islands in search of unique experiences, I met many Tongans.  I'd hold my camera up and ask if it was OK to take their photo and most said it was.  I had a few refuse, but most were happy to smile and typically went on with their own business.  This man was a pastor at one of the island churches.  He rode his bike to service on Sunday.  Many Tongans are dressed elaborately for Sundays. Tongan women dressed for church Four Tongan Boys in a Dugout Canoe Walking on Tonga to Sunday Service In the middle of our trip we were invited to a Tongan Feast on the island of Vakaeitu.  Vakaeitu has only one family living on the island so this was an authentic family affair.  The marlin was caught that day and brought in by everybody who could lend a hand.  After the feast, the f...

Cottonball Clouds at Sunrise:  They Floated over the Islands Sunrise or sunset at the ocean is a fabulous life experience.  The golden hour light enhances any prime landscape location and a trip to Tonga is included.  The morning clouds were a little of everything during my trip:  overcast and grey, bland blue skies and partly cloudy.  The partly cloudy skies are the best for photography as the clouds take on various hues of the rainbow and contrast well with the clear areas.  My lead photo was taken at the end of the trip when unusually tall clouds floated over the islands like marshmallows or cotton balls.  They were beautiful and seemed like moving islands themselves.  The low angle of light also catches on the boats nearby for better yacht photos too. Sailboats at the Golden Hour:  a sure-fire successful photo Morning light catching an anchored sailboat I had better sunsets than sunrises.  I can't say if Tonga is alwa...

Walking to Duddo Stone circle through a vast wind-swept field! Imagine a stone circle in England that stands on a mound with fields in every direction:  nothing to block the view from this ancient stone circle.  The Duddo Stones form a 5-stone circle that can be walked to over a flat farmer's field.  Near Duddo, UK, this circle is a bit off the beaten path in Northumberland.  A few small signs will point you in the right direction.  A right-of-way path goes through some fields.  After about 1/2 a mile of walking, you'll see this view of the stones with a direct path to them. The stones are rough with deep creases and irregular shapes.  Some distant fields are yellow with rapeseed. All 5 Duddo stones Duddo Stones with deep gouges and lines. Duddo Stones in a big universe And to get the spooky and eerie feeling, I processed this shot in black and white. Black and White:  Duddo Stone Circle

Loblolly Bay has a place for you Anegada is the favorite of all the British Virgin Islands for many people.  Here you get away from any hustle and bustle of life even more than in the lower BVI.  Being extremely flat and surrounded by a protective coral reef, Anegada has marvelous beaches.  Cow Wreck is my favorite for being alone.  Loblolly Bay can be all yours if you arrive before noon.  That's what I did and found an empty swath of white sand and turquoise waters.  Loblolly is also known for excellent snorkeling.  For this photograph, I hoped to capture a piece of paradise.  I also wished to make it inviting, like it was just waiting for you to come.  I moved the bench slightly, so as to be in the shade of the umbrella and composed the shot with a sweeping bay and beach in the background.  I was careful to get low enough to separate the umbrella from the horizon, putting it up with the clouds. 

Butterfly Profile from the Butterfly Conservancy in Key West The butterfly conservancy in Key West, Florida is a popular attraction.  I believe the beach and shopping are more popular.  In the middle of the day, a visit to this small but very colorful and interactive museum is a splendid way to spend one or 2 hours.  They have an incredible gift shop.  After paying admission fee, you can enter the conservancy.  This is a large glass dome filled with plants and flowers of all different colors.  Butterflies and flamingos live here.  If you have ever wanted to get some photographs of insects, this is the place to go.  The lighting is excellent and the subjects are numerous.  Although they tend to move around, you should be able to come back with some good photographs.

Empire State Building at Dusk:  seen from Top of Rockefeller Center Unquestionably the best view in Manhattan is from the top of Rockefeller Center at sunset.  Looking to the north, central park stretches out as far as you can see, into Harlem and beyond.  Looking to the south, the Empire State building, the freedom Tower, the Statue of Liberty and countless other skyscrapers fill the landscape.  Standing over 70 stories tall, Rockefeller Center looks down on almost everything. Reservations are accepted.  Wanting to be there for sunset, I planned my reservation 2 hours before the sun went down.  There is a bit of time taken before you actually reach the top.  You wait in line, you see a presentation, get assigned to an elevator and up you go. On the top of the building, there are several platforms for viewing.  The highest one has an unobstructed view.  The middle platform has tall glass walls.  Between these glass walls, there ...

 Gordon Smith enjoying dinner in Paris  Unlike a road trip from one state to another state in America, a trip to Europe requires more selective packing. When I traveled there for 3 weeks with my family, we decided that we would be traveling very light. Everything that we took to Europe and everything that we brought home had to fit in our carry-on backpack. Besides the usual requirements of shirts, shoes, pants, socks and shaving equipment, I was most interested in knowing what camera equipment I could bring. What would fit and how heavy would it be to carry? My camera is a Canon 1Ds Mark 3. An all-purpose lens such as the 24-105 f/4 L IS is a no-brainer. If I could only take one lens, this would be it. I took the majority of my photos using this lens. The architectural wonders of Europe also made me want a wider lens with perspective correction. The 17mm tilt-shift lens fit the bill. This lens is very big and heavy but nothing else can do what it can. It made the cut. The 7...

Young women sits in window in Venice. Although you cannot see it, the canal is below her. During my journeys in Europe, I saw many students.  They were traveling overseas or studying abroad and searching for cultural experience.  The deep history Europe offers is undeniable.  You simply cannot be unmoved after touring the Louvre, climbing an ancient castle rampart or watching the sun set over the Salute Cathedral in Venice.  I felt enriched when I first visited Europe as a student and I enjoyed seeing others repeating that same experience.   As a photographer I tried to capture some of that with these photos of young students in ancient surroundings.  The contrast between young and old, life and death, student and history is what I hoped to show. My daughter in the window of Beynac Castle Study abroad: student before ancient tomb in La Frari church of Venice.  

 Gondolas and Venice Lagoon  A great way to have a wonderful photographic city all to yourself is to wander around at night.  The crowds vanished for me as I went from the Accademia bridge to La Salute church and then ended up back at St. Mark's Square.  There are lots of things to keep your camera snapping.   One essential tool is a tripod.  Although it is challenging to carry a tripod while traveling light, I managed to bring my Gitzo Traveler tripod (GT1542) with Markins Q10 ballhead.  This was large enough to support my camera with some medium-weight lenses and yet small enough to fit into my backpack which I carried on to the plane along with all my other photographic equipment.  This allowed me the freedom to take very long exposures and get creative. Italian Couple  Night Water Taxi 

Old Venice This is another discovery as I wandered off by myself.  I found this beautiful opening onto it for now.  Directly across there was the doorway to another building.  I tried to frame these 2 portals so that they would mirror one another, emphasizing the arch on top as well as the rectangular opening on all the other side.

Spooky Alley and Doorway As I got lost in Venice at night I came across this spooky alley.  Nobody was around even though this was only about a one minute walk from a main thoroughfare filled with pedestrians and shops.  You do not have to wander very far to find yourself alone in Venice.  All you have to do is duck into a dark alley to disappear from the crowd.  I tried to capture the desolate, spooky feeling in this photograph. Focal length 45mm; aperture f/11; shutter speed 30 seconds.  Shot with a tripod.

Doge's Palace:  Arches and Columns The Doge's Palace is a must-see to any visitor of Venice.  So much history, power and art are on display here.  The exterior is an architectural wonder.  The interior is also magnificent.  Although photography is not encouraged inside, the details outside can be photographed freely.  Here are some of my shots.  In order to have an empty corridor of arches, I had to arrive very early in the morning.  I came back later to enjoy the official tour. Details of the Doge View from the top of Doge's palace stairs You can sneak a few photos here and there.  I found the "no photo" policy widely abused by all travelers.  Everyone had their cameras out and shot here and there.  For about every 1,000 photos I saw taken, I heard one guide saying "no photo." Art-covered ceiling inside Doge's Palace While I was there I also got to see Manet's Olympia displayed next to Titian's Venus.  T...

Eight Massive Columns inside Saints John and Paul Cathedral In Venice there is a wonderful church in the north part of town.  Nobody goes there at least not very many people.  However it is incredibly beautiful, religiously peaceful.  I felt like I had made a wonderful discovery when I walked through the doors of Saints John and Paul Church.  It is not named after the John or the Paul in the New Testament but you do not need to know that in order to enjoy the beauty. Altar Extremely wide and high pillars stretch forth the ceiling.  The ceiling itself is a wonderful work of symmetry.  As you can see from the photos, the place was empty.  I did not have to Photoshop anybody out to have a clean view. Light of God Cathedral Heights At this church I used my 17 mm tilt-shift lens almost exclusively.  In order to prevent lens distortion, I shifted up and composed very carefully for taking the shot.

Shooting under the horse to frame the campanile beneath its' chest took me to my knees and required an acute neck angle to get this shot. Just like in Paris, Venice challenges the photographer to discover a new composition.  This ancient city has been photographed millions of times and has also been painted by the old masters.  How could I possibly go to this location and come back with something original? Well, I am not sure if I did come back with anything original but I tried.  I tried by getting down on the ground and shooting up, I tried by using my telephoto lens to pick out just the details and bring pieces of buildings closer in a photograph than they appear in real life.  I tried by getting up early in the morning and I tried by staying out late.  I also tried by not having specific locations programmed into my mind.  I let myself wander and discover. Here are some photographs of Venice that I hope are unique. This shot was muc...

Bolzano Town Square To get a taste of German heritage without leaving Italy, just drive north until you reach Bolzano.  This town is unlike any other I have visited in Italy.  You can still find gelato but the pasta and pizza had been replaced with pretzels and sauerkraut!  (As an aside, I learned that Europeans have pretzels without mustard.  I've grown accustomed to spicy mustard with my pretzel and had to go without here.) The town square is definitely worth checking out.  It is named after a local Protestant hero by the name of Walther.  His square is called Waltherplatz.  Next to this bustling plaza is the beautiful Gothic church, several restaurants including gelato stands and more.  A good time to photograph is in the early morning or in the late evening when the sun hits the statues, mountains and church spires.