I am very pleased to announce that I won both Bronze and Gold awards in the Society of American Travel Writers annual Bill Muster Photo Competition. The Muster Awards honor the very best in travel photography, and I’m happy to be a winner again this year. Laceleaf Maple tree in Autumn This photo of a Laceleaf Maple tree in brilliant fall color won the Gold Award in the Natural Scenic category of the Muster contest. The photograph was taken in [read more ...]
The folks at HostelBookers.com came up with a great idea for sharing stories and photos, and one of my online friends, travel blogger Kathryn of TravelWithKat.com encouraged me to join in the fun. So, here I am taking part in HostelBookers 7 Super Shots. 1. A photo that takes my breath away: The Na Pali Coast on the island of Kauai is truly spectacular. Fly along the coast on a helicopter tour, take a Zodiac or kayak into coves and caves, hike [read more ...]
Besides being Valentines Day, this February 14 is the 100th anniversary of the declaration of Statehood for Arizona. This desert southwest state includes some of the most dramatic scenery in the United States and many locations are constant draws for nature and landscape photographers. Arizona also offers a wealth of opportunity for adventure travel and for history buffs. The images in the slideshow imbedded here are from some trips I’ve made to Arizona, and show just a sample of [read more ...]
In cities large and small all over Mexico, the town plaza is the cultural and social center of life. Plaza Machado in historic Old Town Mazatlan is one of the most enchanting of the plazas I’ve visited. Historic buildings surround the park-like plaza with its typically ornate ironwork kiosko. There are several restaurants with outside seating where guests can enjoy the usually mild evening weather of Mazatlan. One of the things I enjoy most about visiting Mexico is hanging around [read more ...]
Alau Island at sunrise, Hana Coast, Maui. After negotiating 600 curves and 54 bridges on the narrow, winding 52 miles of Hana Highway, a lot of visitors to Maui just spend a couple of hours in Hana town, make the obligatory stop at Hasegawa General Store, then turn around and head back to the resorts on the south side of the island. That’s a shame, because some the best parts of the Hana Coast, and some of the most scenic [read more ...]
Since 1981, the Society of American Travel Writers has honored the finest travel photography with the annual Bill Muster Photo Competition, named for long time SATW member and accomplished travel journalist Bill Muster. In the past, I have won individual awards in categories such as Best Action Photo and Best Natural Scenic. This year I am pleased to announce that I won the Silver Award for Single Subject Portfolio with a selection of my Thailand images. Click on the link [read more ...]
The Big Island of Hawaii was my home for a number of years and is still one of my favorite destinations. Largest of all the Hawaiian Islands, it contains a full range of environments from arid desert to tropical rainforest. Plentiful rainfall on the Hamakua Coast and in the Hilo area – the northeast side of the island – makes for lush forest and a number of waterfalls that are great subjects for nature photography. Best of known of the [read more ...]
I’ve been inspired by the blogs of a number of photographers who’ve recently posted their top photos for 2010, so decided to add my own to the mix. Most of the photographers post either landscape and scenic photos or travel photography. I do a mixture of both – something to do with being a Gemini perhaps? – so my selection of favorites is a combination of nature images and snaps from my travels this past year. Early in [read more ...]
The readers of Travel + Leisure magazine have voted Bangkok as their favorite city in the world. I had the opportunity to visit Thailand earlier this year and certainly agree that it’s a wonderful place. Bangkok is a huge, bustling modern city, but with incredible historical and cultural sites. And, of course, food to die for. Chiang Mai was voted second favorite city in the T+L poll – amazing that Thailand would score #1 and #2 in the same year! [read more ...]
The Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), recently honored the best books in 50 categories at the 22nd Annual Benjamin Franklin Awards™ in New York City prior to the BookExpo America tradeshow. Photographing Oregon was named best book of the year in the Travel category. Judged by a panel of book industry experts including buyers at wholesale and retail levels, librarians, book critics, design experts, and independent publishing consultants, these books have been scrutinized by individuals involved in the very markets [read more ...]