Gretchen and I are currently traveling through the wonderful world of Tuscany, Italy. We first visited Florence-and are now on a 12 day tour in Tuscany with a photography group. Then on to Venice for a few days.
Here are a few teaser photos to wet your interest. Full Blog after I return
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Spring is here when the tulips are blooming! Every year the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival draws many thousands of people to LaConner, a very small town about 45 miles north of Seattle. I have never seen this beautiful sight. And yesterday was a beautiful, sunny day. So after spending 15 minutes trying to find my dark glasses (I’ve not needed these glasses, in Seattle, for months), Gretchen, a friend, and I headed north. We were not disappointed.
Gretchen and I just returned from a long weekend in Vancouver BC to help friends Alan and Mary Lawrence celebrate Mary’s 50th birthday. Weather for the first day and one-half did not cooperate! Just poured!
Weather finally cleared and we had a beautiful sunset Saturday night.
One unique feature of Vancouver that we loved was amazing amount of glass used in building construction. Reflections were wonderful.
Sunrise Sunday morning provided interesting light on a fountain in Jack Poole Plaza outside the waterfront Convention Centre
We walked the streets and found many photo ops.
Paradox…
Woman in a bus
I was one of the lucky view that picked up the new Microsoft Surface Pro tablet (128Gb) yesterday. It just rocks! This is a tablet with a keyboard that also acts as a cover. This is the first tablet that has a USB port- and it will run any program that you can run on a Desktop computer. This includes programs such as Office, Photoshop, Lightroom and other programs that have been unavailable on Apple tablets. In picture above, note keyboard is attached (magnetically). In picture below, it is not attached and is in background.
Tomorrow Gretchen and I leave for a week in sunny, warm Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to send some time with Gretchen’s family celebrating a sister’s birthday. Gretchen is happy because she has inherited my iPad. Books and movies downloaded- and ready for viewing. 
For all PHOTOGRAPHERS: here is my travel set-up:
Clockwise from top left: 7 port USB hub (4- USB 3.0, 3 USB 3), extension cord spider, Surface Pro, wedge mouse, USB stick with complete system recovery in case of total computer meltdown), card reader for camera cards, note that the single USB 3.0 port on the tablet is on left side of tablet, a 500Gb hard drive to place all original photos, and each Gretchen and I have a 1Tb external hard drive to put Lightroom catalogues and images. [Click on photo for larger view]
NOTE: the internal hard drive has about 80Gb of available storage space- so this setup for a week trip is overkill- we could just place both of our Lightroom catalogues on the internal drive- and just used one external drive for the originals. I wanted this trip to serve as a trial for a couple longer trips that are coming up where 40GB each would not be enough space.
We both will be taking pictures- and downloading from cameras to SURFACE tablet nightly to clear memory card for next day.
Stay tuned- hope to post a few from Mexico.
I was at my desk last night at sunset (top of Olympic mountains in far background). I felt a presence, and looked up. Kitty was observing me from about 20 feet across the room from her 5 foot tall perch. Fortunately my camera was also on my desk- so I captured the moment. Interestingly, when I moved to attempt a different angle, I lost the eye reflection- even a half-inch any direction. The combination of the light, and the angle of the cat’s head/eyes all lined up. I had a desk lamp on (out of picture- put about 2 feet in front of camera) that provided the reflected light- not sure way the reflected light was exactly the same color as the sunset. Serendipity? Anyway, a fun shot. [NOTE: this photos was in no way retouched/edited]
Two words say it all. Having a great time in Arizona- Grand Canyon, Fiesta Bowl, and Tombstone and a couple other ghost towns before heading home.
Hemingway’s Porch- Havana, Cuba in background – February 2012
First, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Since the majority of people read the Blog sending a Christmas Newsletter is overkill. So no more mail-to-street-address newsletters. IMPORTANT: If your spouse also normally reads the Holiday Newsletter, then please take a moment and either 1)subscribe your spouse using the SUBSCRIBE box in the right column. Or 2) simply click here and email me your spouse’s email address.
2012, to say the least, was quite a year for us. We went on our long-planned three-week trip to Africa in May. But we also made an incredible last-minute week long trip to Cuba (Havana). And a three-week trip to Wyoming, Colorado, Georgia, New York, and Chicago.
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CUBA: Travel to Cuba from the United States is now possible through relaxed travel restrictions known as “cultural exchanges.” We left Miami and very shortly we stepped into a time-warp: the 1950’s. Havana is badly decaying- but extremely colorful- and the people were marvelous. I strongly recommend that anyone make this trip- and sooner than later. There is still an element of innocence in Cuba- this will disappear when the 50-year old trade embargo ends at some point in the near future. Internationally known photographer Arthur Meyerson led our group through sunrise walks in Havana, a trip to the largely abandoned Hershey sugar factory, marvelous meals at local restaurants, tango exhibition, and several other memorable events. Randy and Carolyn Cole were in our group- and we bonded instantly. We stayed an extra day in Miami in order to experience our first airboat ride in the Florida Everglades. Cuba pictures start here.
GRETCHEN TAKES UP PHOTOGRAPHY: During our trip to Cuba, Gretchen ended up using my back-up camera- and she was hooked. She is blessed by having a very good eye. After a quick Introduction of Digital Photography at Santa Fe Workshops In March (Kimber attended also), and an intensive five days with Jay Maisel in NYC (see below), her work stands for itself (see her Blog).
AFRICA: Cousin Dave Thomas accompanied us on this journey. We started with a short-week in Capetown, South Africa followed by visits to four game reserves: Zulu Nyala, Selinda, Somalisa, and Shinde as well as a layover at fabulous Victoria Falls. We had incredibly good weather the entire trip. In summary, it took about a week for the reality to set in: this was where these animals actually lived, not a zoo or wildlife reserve.
WYOMING, COLORADO, ATLANTA, NEW YORK, and CHICAGO: attended a photography workshop in Jackson Hole in early October (Photography at the Summit). Gretchen flew in for the final night’s festivities- then we drove to Breckenridge, CO to visit my sister Kathy. After a quick plane ride to Atlanta, and short drive to Blue Ridge, GA, we spent a few days with Randy and Carolyn Cole before we drove north to New York City. Gretchen attended a 5-day Jay Maisel Workshop while I drove north onto Vermont to explore. Finally, after a fabulous dinner with friends in NYC, we headed to Chicago to visit my son Kevin and his family.
OTHER: We made a couple short trips to California as well as visiting daughter Kimber, and her boyfriend, Nate, in Portland to hear our favorite vocalist Brandi Carlisle. And a quick trip to Washington state’s Tri-Cities to see Gretchen’s son Brent, and his wife Stormy. Daughter Ryann continues to live in nearby Fremont (Seattle)- and we had several opportunities to dog-sit her Samoyed, Maker. Finally, we went to several Seattle Photography Club Meetups with Alan Lawrence, and his wife Mary, to fine-tune our photography skills.
A very good year! And 2013 will start off with a bang as Gretchen and I fly to Phoenix to watch our Oregon Ducks play in the Fiesta Bowl- and for a quick visit with cousin Dave Thomas, and Carol in Sedona- and maybe a look at the south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Go DUCKS… and Happy Holidays.
Gretchen and Chris
GRETCHEN’S BLOG: Gretchenimages.com
In case you missed any of the posts this year, please refer to the ARCHIVES in right Column for all links: February 2012: Cuba, June 2012: Africa, October 2012: Wyoming, Breckenridge, Blue Ridge, New York City, Vermont
In the first week of 1979 I purchased a slightly used 1974 Chevy Luv truck. For the first 5 years it resided inside the garage of our Everett, WA home. When we moved to Seattle, it became an outdoor truck. And this is where it has remained for the past 28 years. From 1990 until 2004, it was a work-horse at Grady’s Grillhouse, providing many services. It’s primary role was taking the recycled cardboard every week or two from Grady’s to the local dump where it was recycled!
It also has helped many family members, and friends of family members, and friends of friends to move belongings over the years. And it has been the butt of many cruel and unkind jokes.
But the past 7-8 years it has mainly just rested in the alley behind our home. But, when called into action, it always immediately started up- and reported for duty. However, after we completed our major basement cleanup project this past summer, it’s useful life with us had come to an end. We kept it until now so the our neighbor Magnus, now a senior in high school, could use it one last time before heading off to college next year. Magnus always used the Truck as a prop in his front yard Halloween horror show.
Today we delivered the Truck to good friend Dick Jones an auto-mechanic for 50-years, who will carefully inspect it for 30-years of rust, and he plans to use it in his business.
NOTE: My patient neighbors issue a collective sigh of relief…
We had an unusually sunny, windless day here today in Seattle. So I seized the moment to install for Christmas light for 2012. Done (Well, the putting up portion anyway!!).
Front above- back below
I went with my friend Alan Lawrence to the top of the Magnolia Bridge to try some sunset shots of the downtown skyline (which now features a giant Ferris wheel). Weather was good- and cold. Alan shoot with a Nikon D800 and a solid tripod. I shot with a Nikon D4 and a not so solid tripod. The bridge vibrated a bit when traffic went by- so capturing a sharp picture at low shutter speeds was problematic.
See two of Alan’s shots here and here. Then compare with my four below:
Let me know what you think!
