I saw this leaf while I was out on a walk and had to take its picture.
Confections and confessions
Travel was sometimes a feast! For my camera, at least…I never had room after the main course. Well…almost never. I did eat a chocolate cupcake in Hong Kong, but I didn’t take a picture!
Hopefully this will inspire you to make dessert. Today I am going to make two apple pies from the amazing harvest that awaited us upon our return from worldwide travel.
Highlights of Doubtful Sound, a photographers dream
Until yesterday, the Keukenhof Gardens were the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. I milked the tulip shots for a lot of posts, and I think I will be doing the same with Doubtful Sound. When I don’t have a new photo, you’ll be seeing something from the collection!
The tour company, Real Journeys, did an extraordinary job. I thought we were done after the water sports part, a couple hours in on the first day, and the rest would be resting and relaxing on the ship, enjoying the nice company of a lot of Australian tourists and a young American couple who are living in Queenstown. But they said there was a lot more to see, and they weren’t kidding.
One of the many great features of this tour was the nature guide. He was wonderful. I learned a lot and I have a lot of information to share with you along with a lot of photos. It’s a bit overwhelming, but one has to start somewhere, so I’m starting with my top four favorite photos. I have done nothing to alter these photos. I have done some creative modifications with some of the other photos, but I will tell you when I have made alterations. The reason I am calling attention to processing in this case is I want you to know the images, even the colors of the sunrise, show how it really was. I did have to adjust the horizon of one of them, though. It’s tough to stay straight on a ship, even with the horizontal guideline, which is one of my favorite features in my new camera.
Speaking of new cameras…I am hoping mine will be okay. It has had rain and fog on its lens and been dried with a lot of cotton shirts. Fingers crossed!! But even if it doesn’t last, the camera served very well on this epic journey.
Monochrome madness from Beijing
Hello blog followers! Sorry for the long silence. For the part of the trip in Townsville Australia, I was very busy with my co-author’s family…the kids were on school holidays, and we had a lot of playing to do.
Today we are in Queenstown New Zealand. I wish I had my camera out when we flew in, also when we arrived. I was tired as we hadn’t had much sleep, but I did take a phone photo, fortunately, because now it is raining and you can’t see as much.
Today’s photos are 3 monochrome shots I took in Beijing, some of which will show up in Leanne Cole’s Monochrome Madness series.
Flowers (and a plant) from Bali
Some eye candy for you. 
Travel theme: simplify
It has come to the point of my blogging career when I am now grateful for themes. Thanks to Ailsa of Where’s My Backpack for today’s theme. I highly recommend her post, and her blog.
I love to simplify! Here are my suggestions for simple travel:
- Pack items that can do two things, like convertible pants, or black pants that can be dressed up or down.
- Bring only pants so you don’t have to pack heels.
- Minimize the pairs of shoes.
- Take a camera that can do almost everything and is small.
- Leave beauty products at home; wear a smile.
- Collect all mementos in digital format on your camera.
- Bring an ebook reader and get digital travel books.
- Come home with memories and an expanded mind, not stuff.
These photos are a reminder of how much movement is involved in travel…so pack light!
Here’s how to join today’s theme:
- Create your own post and title it Travel theme: Simplify
- Include a link to this page in your post so others can find it too
- Get your post in by next Thursday, as the new travel theme comes out on Friday
- Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on the latest weekly travel themes. Sign up via the email subscription link in the sidebar or RSS!
Mountain beauty
I tried something my friend Laurie suggested and took this photo on auto, then put it on partial auto and kept working it until I had what I wanted. This was shot through a dirty window. I am just loving how that works! I like taking photos through windows.
I like taking photos through windows because it makes more of the world available. I took this one out the car window. Now I know it works, so I will do it sooner, before we descend into the trees. Then you can really see the mountain. Stay tuned for that shot. This is Mount Rose Ski Resort ,but the mountain itself is actually Slide Mountain. Mount Rose itself is actually next to where they put the ski resort.
The other reason I like shooting through windows, like I did with the San Diego sunset and a few of the other San Diego shots, in that case through plexiglass wind barriers set up around the outdoor seating area at the restaurant, is the windows provide a natural gritty or wavy filter. That appeals to me sometimes — oddly enough, when the scenery is too glaringly beautiful!
Santa Cruz light house
This is one of those images that is way, way more beautiful rendered as an “oil painting.” I took this photo on my photography outing with my sister in mid-January.
Nicci Carrera 