A Light in August

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Feeling Blue

The Shades of Texas

I shot these two photographs in Texas during a cross country drive on my way back to California. We had stopped for gas and I just wanted to stretch my legs so I started walking around what was a former RV park . These two huge, red tires caught my eyes because that part of Texas had a great deal of green grass and the occassional tree but I didn't notice many other colors other than various shades of green so I was happy to spot the tires. I have no idea why they were there but when I took the picture, something interesting happened to the image. Click on the above picture to see what I'm talking about because I did not alter the color, it just happened somehow. Maybe it was the blazing Texas sun. If you do click on the image, you'll also be able to see the old RV park sign on the right side of the frame.

Click on the image below as well to see the detail of the tire. The effects of the sun are very visible.


The aging sign of the now-defunct RV park also intrigued me as the fading red looked so alive and so vibrant against the spectacular blue sky that day.




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Standing Still

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Moorish Memories

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I took this picture in Denia, Spain which is located on the country's Mediterranean coast known as Costa Brava. In the center of town, the rocky ruins of an ancient fort sit on top of a small hill overlooking the marina and the water. Denia once served as the capital of an Islamic-ruled kingdom and the fort was built during that time. The French later re-built the fort in the early 19th century but it still has Moorish design elements like this gorgeous doorway.

The walk up the hill to the fort is quite enjoyable. It takes you past charming houses built into the hillside and one part of the fort overlooks an old church that still actively serves the community.

If you'd like to see some other photos I took in Spain, click here or here.

An Outside Perspective

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The Arenal region of Costa Rica is a popular destination especially for foreigners. Drawn to the area by its active volcano, Arenal is also a place where you can go on some great hikes and sit and unwind in natural hot springs. The hot springs pictures I will not be posting on this blog... those pictures are probably for a different type of blog all together.

But the picture that does make this blog is one I took during a simple hike near the Arenal Volcano. It is of La Fortuna waterfall. I was with several other people, one of whom jumped right into the powerful waters. I'm sad to say I was not as brave but I used the time to go exploring. I walked down and around a bunch of rocks, away from where everyone else was taking pictures and climbed up even more rocks. That's the perspective I tried to capture in this image.

What I loved about being at the waterfall was how lush and green the foliage was, how powerful the force of the water was, how harsh the volcanic rock looked and how seemingly well they all blended together.

For my other Costa Rica post, click here.

Ship Aground

I shot this photo in Marin County, California on the way to the beautiful Point Reyes. I have no idea what the story is with this boat but I loved the image. Click on it to make it larger and see the details.

I Still Love You, New York

New York is one of my favorite cities in the world. I love the noise, the people pouring out of everywhere, the fast-pace, the restaurants, the art scene, the park... I love all of it.

I shot this photograph from the rooftop of my friend's apartment when she lived midtown. It's one of my favorite photographs I have ever taken. To me, it best represents the life that emanates from the streets of New York. Click on it to make it larger, the details are really what make this picture. Trust me on this one.

Twin Islands

The Mokulua Islands, or the "Mokes", are located off the windward coast of Oahu, Hawaii. Many people think when you look at the two islands together, they look like a woman with her head tilted back with her knees sticking out of the water. They really are an impressive sight.

I took these three photographs on different days and during different months. It's hard to believe but the colors in the images are as they were on those days, I didn't tinker with any of them. It is amazing to see how the same subject can look so different. To see the details, you can click on them to make them larger.






Moku lua means "two islands" in Hawaiian but the frequently photographed pair are more commonly referred to as the "twin islands." The larger island on the left is Moku Nui and the smaller, Moku Iki. The Mokes are about a mile and a half away if you launch a kayak or jump on a surfboard from the gorgeous Lanikai beach in Kailua. I got to Moku Nui by kayak. What I remember the most about it was if you walked around to the open ocean side, the water was incredibly powerful. The surf would hit the rocks and water would go flying high into the air. It was intriguing and yet frightening at the same time because I remember thinking I could get sucked out into the ocean at any time.

If you want to see my other images from Hawaii, click here or here.

Reyes Light

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Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is one of Australia's most popular places to visit and is perhaps the country's most famous of its many beaches. If you're relying on public transportation, as I was, it takes a little while for you to get there but once you're there, Bondi is a beautiful sight. Some of the interest I think comes from actually being at such an iconic place but the water is wonderful and it's a nice change of pace compared to some parts of Sydney.

Bondi gets criticized for being too touristy. When I went, it was closer to sunset, and most of the people there were local. Bondi wasn't as crowded as Manly Beach but the color of the water was not as striking either. The surf on one end is really powerful and too dangerous for a swim which I didn't know until I visited. The street that runs parallel to it is lined with housing, shops, bars and restaurants. If you're relying on public transportation to get there, make sure you carve out time to get there and back because it took me about 45 minutes, each way, on the bus.

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For more information about Bondi Beach, click here. If you're interested in my other post about Australia, then click here.

Ocean Approaching

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The Mystique of Mist

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Natural New Zealand

Abel Tasman is on New Zealand's South Island and is the country's smallest national park. It is named after Dutch explorer and merchant Abel Tasman who in 1642 became the first European to visit Aotearoa - New Zealand. What is interesting about the park is that you can hike and camp its more than 55,000 acres and you'll always end up on the glorious golden beaches and in the gorgeous turquoise water. It's perfect for the traveler who likes to be outdoors and exploring. You can hop on a boat that will take you past a small outcropping where seals spend their time and if you're lucky, you might catch sight of a dolphin. Click on any of the photos below to enlarge them.





To learn more about Abel Tasman National Park, click here. For my previous post about the park, click here.

This last picture I shot on the ferry that runs between New Zealand's two main islands. This is a look back at the South Island as we set out on the Cook Strait, headed for the North Island. I just thought the way the light hit the land looked amazing and I wanted to capture the excitement I felt as we hit the open water. Later, the ride became so choppy that majority of people on the ferry ended up throwing up. The distance is only about 12 miles but the ride itself takes about three hours. In this case, it was a very long three hours.

French Musings

France is a place of great sights, culture and intellect. Paris is one of my favorite cities in the world... it's my "happy place." But many tourists never leave Paris to venture out into the breathtaking natural beauty that is the Loire Valley. It's perhaps best known internationally for its castles but the Loire Valley is also filled with magnificient forests, impressive rivers and picturesque places to hike and bike. I shot the last photo in this posting in the Loire Valley.

The first two photos in this posting I took in Paris. One is of an architect's office near the Eiffel Tower. I found it incredible that an Art Nouveau building such as this would be used for something so banal as someone's office. But the truth of it is, I liked the juxaposition. The second is of a bridge over the Seine. Many of the photos I post on this blog were taken with my digital camera but I shot these images on black and white film. Click on the images if you'd like to see the details.

For my many other France posts, you can click here, here, here, here, here, or here.

Baja Sunset

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Spiritual Sedona

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Sedona is a small town in Arizona surrounded by massive red rocks and canyons. One of the town's main draws is that some people consider it to be a sacred place full of positive energy with the potential to inspire and heal. Skeptics call the whole scene there ridiculous and for the terminally lost. I found it beautiful and centering. There is a seemingly endless number of hikes to take and the town has several art galleries and great places to unwind while taking in amazing views.

We didn't have that much time to properly explore Sedona, but we did manage to hike Cathedral Rock. The views are breathtaking and the hike is a good time, assuming you start early like we did before the sun really comes baring down on the rocks. Once we reached the top, the rock flattened out so we continued left. We found a small pocket and hiked up to the top. That's where I took this photograph.



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Which Way to the Water

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School for the Faithful

Tucked inside the Marrakech medina is the Ben Youssef Medersa which a 16th-century Koranic school. At one point, it was the largest Islamic school in North Africa. It is now a museum. The school was originally built in the 14th century only to be rebuilt some 200 years later. As many as 900 students from Muslim countries all over the world reportedly once studied at the Ben Youssef Medersa with all of them cramming into the 132 rooms arranged around the courtyard. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a tiled water basin which is the subject of this photograph. Click on the picture to see a more detailed view.















The Ben Youssef Medersa is a place of serenity, reflection and comfort. The intricacy of the building is amazing but what really strikes you when you are there is the calmness you feel in a fast-paced city like Marrakech.

For my several other Morocco posts on this blog, you can click here, here, here, here, here, here, here, or here.

The Land Down Under

My travels through the Southern Hemisphere led to me to Sydney, Australia. I didn't have enough time to see the entire country, that's for a separate trip. But I did manage to sneak in a few days in Sydney which was well worth the time. The two most recognizable landmarks are the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

The Sydney Opera House is quite impressive when you see it in person. Photographs often don't do it justice because the details, such as the tiles on the outside, are not always clear. Click on the photos to enlarge them.





The Sydney Harbour Bridge is an iconic image of Australia as well. The bridge's steel arch makes it one of the most identifiable in the world. You can walk across it, climb it with a tour or climb about 200 stairs inside one of the pylons to get a view from the top. That's where I shot this next photograph. The following picture I took as I walked across the length of the bridge which is less than a mile. You can click on both images to enlarge them.

Light Square

The Birds

I was in a bathroom stall on Baker Beach in San Francisco when I heard strange sounds coming from the roof. I looked up and saw two seagulls walking around on the outside of the bathroom, their webbed feet practically glowing through the sky light. Click on the photo to make it larger.

California Coast

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Traveling Through Thailand

My trip to Thailand took me to various parts of the country, from the madness of Bangkok to the calm of the North and the overwhelming beauty of the South. The landscape is diverse, the people are so kind and of course the food is worth the trip alone. I shot these first two pictures on the Railay Peninsula in Thailand's Southern Krabi province. The area is surrounded by high, sharp cliffs. Some of that same rock formed the outcropping I shot in these picture at sundown.


Click on this next image to enlarge it so you can really see the detail. There are actually two mischievous macaques not just the one in the foreground. They were running all up and down the same beach where I took the previous photo, snatching food from wherever they could get it. It was a strange experience at first because living in the United States, you're not really used to seeing macaques or any primate for that matter running free on the beach or anywhere else.

Thailand's temples and ruins are plentiful, beautiful and more importantly, amazingly intricate. This one is made completely of small, pastel colored tiles some of which are used to make flowers while others appear to form jaws or teeth. Clicking on the photo will reveal more details.



I was on the River Kwai Bridge in the Kanchanaburi province when a group of Thai schoolchildren on a field trip walked by with their teacher. The area is perhaps best known internationally as being part of the Japanese government's so-called "Death Railway" during World War Two. POWs were used to construct the bridge which resulted in the deaths of some 16,000 Allied POWs and 90,000 Asian laborers.


For another image from Thailand's Kanchanaburi province, go to my previous post. If you're interested in the history of the bridge, you can find some archive photos by clicking here.

Thai Tranquility

I shot these photos as I zig-zagged across Thailand. The first picture is of Buddha's hand at a ruin in Sukhothai, one of the former Thai capitals.



This second photo I took at a cemetery for American servicemembers in the province of Kanchanaburi which is about 150 miles outside of the modern capital, Bangkok. That's where the River Kwai is and the cemetery holds the remains of Americans who died during World War Two. If you look closely, you can see two Thai women taking care of the grass and weeds around the headstones. There is also a small wheelbarrow on the right-hand side of the frame. The ruins were so ancient and the cemetery was so grounding. Both images struck me as so serene and calm and I wanted to capture the feeling while I was in the moment. You can click on both images to make them larger.

Office Daydream

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Bright Beach

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Through the Looking Glass

Interesting pictures don't always have to be of sweeping landscapes or faraway travels. A different perspective can turn every day things around the house into worthy subjects. I shot both of these photographs in a bedroom. They are of the same drape only the first photo is taken from an angle and the second one is a reflection of the drape on a CD. You can click on the images to check out the extraordinary details.