With a reduced client load and Susie retired, for the past several years we have elected  to take extended vacations during the winter months.  Last year we hauled our camper from New York to California, then crossed the southern states back to Florida before making our way back to Canandaigua. A lot of miles, even in four weeks. (Best of the West)

This year we were delayed for various reasons, and our departure near the end of March turned it into an “early spring” rather than a winter jaunt. I had a vague notion that I wanted to spend some time in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park area and I wanted to spend less time driving.  Other than that, it was “follow our noses.”

As luck would have it, winter was refusing to leave. Our first morning en-route we awoke to 6″ of heavy wet snow blanketing everything.  So much for spring.  We diverted towards the Carolina coasts where it was marginally warmer and definitely no snow.  This led to a visit with new friends who own Tregembo Animal Park in Wilmington, NC.  The unseasonal and persistent cold spell had delayed the park opening, but we were treated to a private audience with the heartier animals.

Onward south, we spent a few days in the Beaufort, SC area where I took advantage of a full moon and clear skies for some night and dawn photography… one of my favorite photographic genres.

A rendezvous with friends in the quintessentially southern town of Savannah, GA led to some street photography and a long climb up the Tybee Island Lighthouse.

We finally were able to head west toward the Smokys.  The mountains were disappointingly leafless, so I was forced to look for photo ops that did not need the greenery.  A rainy day spent at the Wheels Through Time motorcycle museum turned out to be terrifically photogenic and a very rewarding experience – highly recommended, even if you are not motorcycle crazy like me.

I always look forward to “getting away” so I can focus on seeing the world through my lenses.  I never know what I am going to see, but I try to shoot it in a way that captures a story.   The weather was not terribly cooperative on this trip, but I had some fun.  If all you have is lemons… make lemonade!

Please visit Eclectic Bits of the South.

Sandwiched between Colombia and Peru, Ecuador is a small country, a bit smaller than Colorado for a comparison. Considering the land mass of the planet and what a tiny fraction of it Ecuador is, it is curious that I have been there four times since 2005. The first time was to visit the Galapagos, the [...]

The popular 2007 movie, The Bucket List, coined a phrase we all use now to describe our own unique, special list of things we want to do while the grass is still under our feet.  I have nurtured such a list, without the cute name, for as far back as I can remember.  The list [...]

Susie and I have traveled with Adventure Canada before and we were never disappointed.  Their model is pretty unique.  Find a “small” ship designed for  about 100 passengers, equipped with a dozen indestructible zodiacs, five star food and service, and great cabin accommodations.  Then, staff up with experienced leaders and  experts from relevant fields, (history, [...]

This winter we packed up the camper and headed west yet again. Last year the mission was to actually purchase the camper in Phoenix, and we saw what we could along the way. This year we gave ourselves a little more time, but left without a clear agenda or very specific destinations. I wanted to [...]

Well, here it is – a day after Christmas. There are only a few days left in the year 2011, and I can’t bear to admit how long it has been since my last contribution to this site. No, I haven’t forsaken photography. It is true that I did not get as much time exploring [...]

In 2009 while I was frantically trying to capture Trinity Bay in the fading twilight, I was forced to take longer and longer exposures. There I “discovered” the surreal ability of modern digital camera sensors to “see” in a way I could not. Since then I have captured a few more wonderful images in the [...]

As much time as I devote to photography, I am more than a little embarrassed for my sporadic efforts in keeping this blog current. To those of you who have followed my imagery, I apologize for the long “dry spell” here. Photography is but one of the passions in my life, and sometimes one of [...]

The previous gallery, South Africa Photo Safari 2010, was all about the animals.  After all, that was the mission… see wildlife… shoot wildlife. While going through the thousands of images we brought back, I realized that there was also the human experience – the personal side to our adventure.  We were already friends with the [...]

The Impossible Dream It is probably fair to say that most photographers who shoot nature oriented images have  photo safari in Africa as a line item on their bucket list.  After a number of years looking at ads for African treks it seemed an impossible dream.  The typical prices for a couple to spend a [...]

I hope all my readers had great holidays with family and friends. It’s hard to believe “Twenty-O-Nine” is now “Twenty Ten”.  It will take me weeks to write dates without the hand writing “09″ when the head knows better! 2009 Recap Photographically, 2009 was a prolific year for me.  I took over 12,000 images from [...]

My first solo show ran the month of September at the Wood Library in Canandaigua, NY.  To tell you the truth, it felt a bit like I was promoting my own birthday party since I don’t normally try to draw attention to myself. I was pleased that the opening was very well attended with friends, [...]

I am very pleased to announce that I have been invited to show a collection of my printed images at the Wood Library in Canandaigua. I will feature approximately forty images that showcase a variety of the subjects I enjoy photographing including animals, travel, aviation and scenics from many of the places I have been [...]

It is incomprehensible to me how fast time rushes by these days but I now have some time to write as my wrist heals from carpal tunnel surgery. The irony is that driving a computer all day, either for work or for my photography, is what finally aggravated the symptoms enough for me to do [...]