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 ...]
It’s rhododendron season in the Pacific Northwest. Depending on location and elevation, these beautiful evergreen shrubs bloom from April through June in the western regions of northern California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. There are several species and many varieties of rhodies grown as garden ornamentals, but only the Pacific Rhododendron (R. macrophyllum) grows in the wild. One of the best known places to see and photograph these wonderful flowers is in the California Redwoods, but they’re also prolific in [read more ...]
My trip to Thailand was packed with visits to markets and temples, tourist attractions and local neighborhoods. A multitude of exotic sights, sounds, smells and tastes. The Thai people are wonderfully friendly and welcoming, and seemingly always open to having photographs made of them. My new Nikon D300S performed like a champ and allowed me to give video a try without carrying extra gear. Thank goodness for digital cameras – I’m sure glad I don’t have to pay the cost [read more ...]
One of the highlights of my visit to Thailand was attending the Thai puppet show at Aksra Theatre in Bangkok. The show, named Aksra Hoon Lakorn Lek, is an incredible performance by a troupe of puppeteers trained in the traditional Thai style. It includes over 100 puppets, elaborate stage sets, dramatic lighting and music. Particularly fascinating to me was finding that each puppet is controlled by three puppeteers, working and moving in total syncrhonization to control the body, arms and [read more ...]