Slickrock and Shadow

Ocean Surface from Sea of Cortez Minimalism is defined as "a trend in sculpture and painting that arose in the 1950s and used simple, typically massive, forms."  Another definition  a style or technique (as in music, literature, or design) that is characterized by extreme spareness and simplicity .   A large swath of ocean with small islands in the distance qualifies as minimalist.  Many areas appear empty.  By emphasizing the uninterrupted ocean surface, those features on the surface get noticed:  the swells, and small ripples.   This is minimalism to me and resembles mindfulness in it's approach to appreciate what's there.

Mangrove Jungle at Low Tide:  a transient photo opportunity This post we're leaving the beautiful beaches and diving headlong into the jungles of Vava'u.  Plenty of photo opportunities with natural and cultural charm await the jungle trekker. Hunga is a dirt-poor island with very nice residents who wave, smile, come out and talk and make a wonderful friendly impression.  We stayed in the inner bay of Hunga one rainy night  At low tide, the mangrove jungle becomes walkable.  I sauntered in and around many jungle plants looking for the right composition.  Here are two of my favorites. Mangrove branches reach out like a parasite! Inland on Hunga we had a wonderful time with the people but I also enjoyed photographing all the pigs here.  They wander openly around.  Most pigs on other islands are wary of people but the Hunga pigs seem to not fear or flee. Pigs of Hunga, Tonga Kenutu is a fantastic anchorage with a legitimate jungle t...

Euakafa Beach is just one of many stunning deserted beaches. This articles is about Tonga Landscape photography in Vava'u.  I recently returned from a 10 day trip in these beautiful islands.  Because there is no information on photography in the island group of Vava'u, Tonga, I want to share what I have learned.  In this article I will focus on many of the incredible beaches.  They are clean, empty, private, gorgeous and unspoiled.  These are reached by boat.  Many of the islands in Vava'u group are uninhabited and the only way to really get around is on the water. I will give my best beaches a ranking from number one and on down just for fun and for interest! #1:  Best beach in Vava'u Tonga:  Ngau and its' neighboring isle of Taunga . This stunning beach is actually a stretch of sand reaching from one island to another.  At low tide one can walk without getting feet wet.  When the tide is a bit higher, wading from one b...

Sandy Spit, British Virgin Islands (as seen from Green Cay) Few people are lucky enough to visit the British Virgin Islands once.  Even fewer go twice.  Just such an opportunity came to me because of a family member who is passionate about sailing.  He invited me and a few others.  That makes more fun and we divide the cost of the ship.  But I digress. My first visit to Sandy Spit in 2008 was remarkable.  Here's this tiny piece of beach surrounded by water everywhere.  What could be more beautiful than that?  Taking a photo of this beauty should be easy right?  Wrong.  From the level of a sailboat or the beach itself, you cannot see the island's other side.  You can't see how small and cute it is.  My photos from 2008 disappointed me. A higher vantage point is needed to show this island in its' best light.  I did some advance research this time.  I checked out surrounding islands and their heights.  Coul...

Cooper Island Sunset Sunsets:  They're pretty, they're peaceful and you want to remember them.  For many people sunset is their favorite time of day.  We all love to gaze into the dimming sky to see colors that make their debut and disappear 10 minutes later. From a photographer's standpoint, sunsets present some technical challenges.  The dim light requires larger apertures or a longer shutter speed.  The extreme differences in contrast are another problem.  You cannot naturally have the bright sunset and a dark sailboat each shown in detail.  You must choose which you want to photograph (specifically, which will you expose for).  For most of us, the sky is the star of the show and we should expose for that. An automatic camera will expose for the whole scene.  In this case, that won't work and you'll lose details in the sky.  I set my camera on manual exposure, take a test shot and check my histogram.  You can also enable...