Joshua Tree is close to Southern California so it's a nice weekend get away if you are interested. Plus the wild flowers will be blooming soon, which is when this picture was taken.
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Showing posts with label Travel photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel photography. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Simple Things
First of all I have a little confession: this is not my picture, but my husband's. Maybe that's why I like it so much. It reminds me of all the times we've spent enjoying the great outdoors. For us camping and hiking is a release from all the clutter and it helps us appreciate the simpler things in life.
Joshua Tree is close to Southern California so it's a nice weekend get away if you are interested. Plus the wild flowers will be blooming soon, which is when this picture was taken.
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Joshua Tree is close to Southern California so it's a nice weekend get away if you are interested. Plus the wild flowers will be blooming soon, which is when this picture was taken.
f/14
1/400
ISO 400
Monday, March 15, 2010
Tenacious Motivation at Wedding & Portrait Photographers International aka WPPI
For those of you who are not familiar with the WPPI Convention it happens once a year in Las Vegas, Nevada and it's attendance has surpassed 10,000 people.
Some say it's spring break for photographers, but after my first WPPI, I feel it's more than just a party. Whether you are there to enhance your business practices, to learn how to be a better photographer, to find new products for your clients or to showcase your products, there is one thing we all walk away with. And that is motivation.
It gets us out of bed in the morning. It helps us edit thousands of images. It pushes us beyond all the monotonous tasks that we must do to run a photography studio. But most importantly it fuels us to pursue our dreams. And without a dream or a vision we consent to living an automatic life.
Just before we left sin city, Jeff and Betsy of the ever fabulous La Vida Creations, had a genius idea: to stop and get our grub on at IN-N-OUT Burger. It didn't seem entirely original until we arrived. There were two IN-N-OUT Burger trucks sitting at the loading docks begging us to take their pictures! Jeff did the honors of ordering our scrumptious meals -- my french fries -- and Betsy and I took to the loading docks! We also made a couple of photo stops on our way back to San Diego. It was the perfect ending to a great convention!
Some say it's spring break for photographers, but after my first WPPI, I feel it's more than just a party. Whether you are there to enhance your business practices, to learn how to be a better photographer, to find new products for your clients or to showcase your products, there is one thing we all walk away with. And that is motivation.
It gets us out of bed in the morning. It helps us edit thousands of images. It pushes us beyond all the monotonous tasks that we must do to run a photography studio. But most importantly it fuels us to pursue our dreams. And without a dream or a vision we consent to living an automatic life.
Just before we left sin city, Jeff and Betsy of the ever fabulous La Vida Creations, had a genius idea: to stop and get our grub on at IN-N-OUT Burger. It didn't seem entirely original until we arrived. There were two IN-N-OUT Burger trucks sitting at the loading docks begging us to take their pictures! Jeff did the honors of ordering our scrumptious meals -- my french fries -- and Betsy and I took to the loading docks! We also made a couple of photo stops on our way back to San Diego. It was the perfect ending to a great convention!
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Another Look Into the Temples of Cambodia~Picture of the Week
It surprised me when I realized that I hadn't posted this picture of Prasat Beng Mealea. But then again there is a slew of pictures that has not adorned our picture of the week.
If you have been keeping up with our posts, this is the hidden temple I talked about in a previous blog entry. So now you know the name!
I am working on a new website and blog so I am keeping this entry short and sweet. See you next week!
Jackie
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If you have been keeping up with our posts, this is the hidden temple I talked about in a previous blog entry. So now you know the name!
I am working on a new website and blog so I am keeping this entry short and sweet. See you next week!
Jackie
f/5.6
1/50
ISO 500
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Waking A Stranger~Picture of the Week
"He's asleep. What should I do?" Brian asked me as I crammed our souvenirs into our REI backpack. We had to take an early flight from the Atatürk International Airport so Brian could get to his temporary work place in Little Chesterford at a decent time.
I tiptoed from our room to the lobby where the front desk man was fast asleep. His head rested on his upper arm while his forearm covered his eyes. Horizontal on the wee couch he snored. If we were in a cartoon, the lobby chandelier would be swaying to-and-fro as the over-weight man inhaled and exhaled.
My walk back to the room was not quieted by tiptoes because it was going to take an earthquake to wake this dark-haired man from his deep slumber.
"We don't have a phone to call a taxi so you have to wake him up," I responded.
"Do you want me to wake him up?" I asked Brian expecting him to turn down my offer.
He replied how any loving husband would, "No, I will do it."
As Brian disappeared around the corner, my heart steadied it's pace and I sighed with relief. I was afraid to wake a complete stranger in a foreign country. Was it polite? Would he be angry when he woke up? Does he speak English?
"Is he up?" I asked when Brian returned from the bear's den.
After a few laughs and a couple deep breaths Brian gave me a quick update of the situation. "Yes, he is awake now. I had to shake him a few times before he finally opened his eyes. I apologized for waking him, but he said it was okay. He is calling for a taxi now."
We stayed a couple blocks from this view in Istanbul. It's a 10 minute walk from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). Even though we had to disturb the front desk man from his nap, we -- without a doubt -- would stay there again.
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I tiptoed from our room to the lobby where the front desk man was fast asleep. His head rested on his upper arm while his forearm covered his eyes. Horizontal on the wee couch he snored. If we were in a cartoon, the lobby chandelier would be swaying to-and-fro as the over-weight man inhaled and exhaled.
My walk back to the room was not quieted by tiptoes because it was going to take an earthquake to wake this dark-haired man from his deep slumber.
"We don't have a phone to call a taxi so you have to wake him up," I responded.
"Do you want me to wake him up?" I asked Brian expecting him to turn down my offer.
He replied how any loving husband would, "No, I will do it."
As Brian disappeared around the corner, my heart steadied it's pace and I sighed with relief. I was afraid to wake a complete stranger in a foreign country. Was it polite? Would he be angry when he woke up? Does he speak English?
"Is he up?" I asked when Brian returned from the bear's den.
After a few laughs and a couple deep breaths Brian gave me a quick update of the situation. "Yes, he is awake now. I had to shake him a few times before he finally opened his eyes. I apologized for waking him, but he said it was okay. He is calling for a taxi now."
We stayed a couple blocks from this view in Istanbul. It's a 10 minute walk from the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque) and the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia). Even though we had to disturb the front desk man from his nap, we -- without a doubt -- would stay there again.
f/8.0
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ISO 500
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sheepish Sheep~Picture of the Week
After a brief discussion with Brian about today's blog post, we came to the same conclusion: write about trying to take pictures of New Zealand's sheep.
If you asked any farmer, he'd say we were a bunch of tourist city kids giving fright to his sheep, but all we wanted were some pictures of New Zealand's cream fleeced friends.
"Wow! Look at all those sheep! Pull over! Pull over!" It was tough for me to stare in one direction because I was driving and Brian was navigating. Katie, Matt and Jim were in the back seat gawking out the window as if aliens had just landed in the field next to us.
The sheep-herder--a guy driving a beat-up truck--was waiting patiently for his flock to funnel through the open gate. It was like watching a white cloud of smoke being sucked into an empty room.
Our five-door, silver chariot slowed to a stop on the shoulder of the two-lane road. "Camera! Where's the camera?" I asked frantically.
By the time we got out of the car and crossed the road a majority of the sheep had already passed through the gate's mouth. But as we got closer the herd stopped in their tracks and changed their direction. They ran back into the field away from us. We knew this couldn't be good so we withdrew our forces for another encounter.
Unfortunately the next showdown was less successful. The sound of our wagon's rubber tires against the gravel shoulder signaled the sheep to run before we came to a complete stop. There was no point of even getting out of the car, especially since my f/2.8 70-200mm was parked at home in our 26th-floor apartment in Singapore.
A few more attempts left us empty handed, and by now it was just Brian and I left to duel. As we drove we noticed that some fields were surrounded by waist-high hedges crowded with thorns. It was the perfect plot: walk below the hedge until the fluffy, four-legged animals were in shutter-release range.
We parked the car about 70 meters down the road and walked as if we were Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Giggling like children we drew closer. Small holes in the thorny hedges allowed us to calculate our distance to the confrontation. Slowly we observed the view above the hedge and the curly-haired mammals froze. Our heads popped back, below the hedge as we gathered ourselves for our last chance to capture a digital image of these shy creatures.
"On the count of three..one..two...three!" I whispered as we jumped standing tall seizing as many frames per second as we could. First the sheep stiffened as if frozen in time. Then every muscle in their body screamed, "release" and out came the liquid and solid waste of a grass-fed farm animals. Despite the slight delay the white-faced cowards took off running to the opposite side of their home front and we walked back to our hatchback gleaming with victory.
It's not what I had visualized in my mind, but it is such a good picture of the immense stare before the flee.
f/2.8
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ISO 100
If you asked any farmer, he'd say we were a bunch of tourist city kids giving fright to his sheep, but all we wanted were some pictures of New Zealand's cream fleeced friends.
"Wow! Look at all those sheep! Pull over! Pull over!" It was tough for me to stare in one direction because I was driving and Brian was navigating. Katie, Matt and Jim were in the back seat gawking out the window as if aliens had just landed in the field next to us.
The sheep-herder--a guy driving a beat-up truck--was waiting patiently for his flock to funnel through the open gate. It was like watching a white cloud of smoke being sucked into an empty room.
Our five-door, silver chariot slowed to a stop on the shoulder of the two-lane road. "Camera! Where's the camera?" I asked frantically.
By the time we got out of the car and crossed the road a majority of the sheep had already passed through the gate's mouth. But as we got closer the herd stopped in their tracks and changed their direction. They ran back into the field away from us. We knew this couldn't be good so we withdrew our forces for another encounter.
Unfortunately the next showdown was less successful. The sound of our wagon's rubber tires against the gravel shoulder signaled the sheep to run before we came to a complete stop. There was no point of even getting out of the car, especially since my f/2.8 70-200mm was parked at home in our 26th-floor apartment in Singapore.
A few more attempts left us empty handed, and by now it was just Brian and I left to duel. As we drove we noticed that some fields were surrounded by waist-high hedges crowded with thorns. It was the perfect plot: walk below the hedge until the fluffy, four-legged animals were in shutter-release range.
We parked the car about 70 meters down the road and walked as if we were Quasimodo in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Giggling like children we drew closer. Small holes in the thorny hedges allowed us to calculate our distance to the confrontation. Slowly we observed the view above the hedge and the curly-haired mammals froze. Our heads popped back, below the hedge as we gathered ourselves for our last chance to capture a digital image of these shy creatures.
"On the count of three..one..two...three!" I whispered as we jumped standing tall seizing as many frames per second as we could. First the sheep stiffened as if frozen in time. Then every muscle in their body screamed, "release" and out came the liquid and solid waste of a grass-fed farm animals. Despite the slight delay the white-faced cowards took off running to the opposite side of their home front and we walked back to our hatchback gleaming with victory.
It's not what I had visualized in my mind, but it is such a good picture of the immense stare before the flee.
f/2.8
1/3200
ISO 100
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Erin and Adam~Engagement~La Jolla, CA
My grandmother has always said that good things come in small packages and I know Adam would agree with me on this one. Erin is petite and she fits perfectly in his arms.
If you recognize this beach it's because they were taken at Windansea. It's the hot spot for this month and for good reason; there are endless photography opportunities.
I am super excited for their wedding at the Bali Hai Restaurant. It is going to be a fantastic day and I am honored to document it with my camera!
If you recognize this beach it's because they were taken at Windansea. It's the hot spot for this month and for good reason; there are endless photography opportunities.
I am super excited for their wedding at the Bali Hai Restaurant. It is going to be a fantastic day and I am honored to document it with my camera!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Contrary to the evidence I was not digging! Treat please!
It's about time I get some say in this blogging world. I've only been a part of the family three years now. Well, I am a husky of some sort, but everyone calls me a wolf. Even before I was adopted my name was Wolfy. It's tough for me to identify with because I have the stomach of a golden retriever; all I really want to do is eat.
You've probably seen some of my pictures on the blog before and that's because my owners are wedding and portrait photographers. I never really got into the whole photography thing, but somehow I cannot escape it. Jackie has the camera in my face all the time. But as long as I get a treat when she is done taking pictures; I will do whatever she asks. Usually I get a dog treat, but every now and then I'll get some raw meat or raw tuna. That raw stuff is to die for!
I dwell outside so I prefer not to stay in the house, even if it is raining. My coat is as thick as a wolf's and it's winter time so I do not need to be sitting around staring at four walls. Although sometimes I will stay up at night to have a one on one with the NSS, Neighborhood Skunk Squad, or I will hunt rats for the old man. That's when Jackie lets me inside for my morning nap. I give the glass door a little scratch and she can hear it from the depths of the house. She's a good owner like that.
So today I was out in the yard minding my own business when Jackie came outside to check on me. She looked at me funny and started laughing. I was out digging for gophers earlier because the ground is much easier to dig through when it's wet, but I thought the rain had washed the evidence away. Apparently I was wrong. She ran into the house and when she returned her hand was clenching that darn camera. Eventually I was okay with it. She took her pictures and I got my treat! Maybe I should dig more often?
You've probably seen some of my pictures on the blog before and that's because my owners are wedding and portrait photographers. I never really got into the whole photography thing, but somehow I cannot escape it. Jackie has the camera in my face all the time. But as long as I get a treat when she is done taking pictures; I will do whatever she asks. Usually I get a dog treat, but every now and then I'll get some raw meat or raw tuna. That raw stuff is to die for!
I dwell outside so I prefer not to stay in the house, even if it is raining. My coat is as thick as a wolf's and it's winter time so I do not need to be sitting around staring at four walls. Although sometimes I will stay up at night to have a one on one with the NSS, Neighborhood Skunk Squad, or I will hunt rats for the old man. That's when Jackie lets me inside for my morning nap. I give the glass door a little scratch and she can hear it from the depths of the house. She's a good owner like that.
So today I was out in the yard minding my own business when Jackie came outside to check on me. She looked at me funny and started laughing. I was out digging for gophers earlier because the ground is much easier to dig through when it's wet, but I thought the rain had washed the evidence away. Apparently I was wrong. She ran into the house and when she returned her hand was clenching that darn camera. Eventually I was okay with it. She took her pictures and I got my treat! Maybe I should dig more often?
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