The Alaska Zoo

My roommate and I arrived in Alaska the day before the workshop was scheduled to begin.  We did that as a safety net, you know, just in case there was an issue with our flights.  That way we were guaranteed to be at the motel in time for the first session on Sat. afternoon.

So that left us with all day Sat. to do some exploring.  We decided to go to the zoo.  I felt it was a good choice, just to hedge the bets in case we didn't see any animals in Denali.  So off we went.  Again, my expectations exceeded the reality, but it was still a nice way to spend the day. 

This particular zoo was one of the least photographer friendly zoos I have ever been at.  Most of the time we were shooting through plexiglass and/or wire mesh enclosures.  But I managed to get a few interesting shots.

It was overcast and cool that day, so the animals were reasonably active, which makes any zoo experience a little more fun.  

Another fun plate.  What's your guess?

My Expectations

A year ago, when I reserved my space in the Denali Photo Workshop, I had some very vague ideas of what it would be like in the park.  I didn't know anyone who had been there, so these ideas were based on my imagination.  To say that my imagination was off-base would be an understatement. 

My expectations were way too high in one area, but not high enough in some other areas. 

There's one (1) road in.  Period.  Getting out requires travel on the same road.  It's 90 miles to the interior where we stayed, and it takes about 4 . 5 hours.  I'm not saying that it's not beautiful (sometimes totally breath-taking), but it is a loooong drive. 

The naturalist guides / drivers were great - - personable, funny, friendly and extremely knowledgeable.  But . . . . . . the best they could do was guess at where the animals might be based on activity observed in the previous days. 

Along with information about the animals we received a plethora of facts concerning the flora and fauna.  It's Fall in Alaska now and the colors are changing.  In the 4 days we were inside the park, we saw the colors change dramatically - - it was beautiful.  There weren't many flowers still in bloom, but I managed to get this one.

This mooose was way far away on a hill.  I usually didn't try to photograph the animals when they were so far away because I didn't have a long enough lens and I'm doubting its critical sharpness.  But I figured I should come home with at least a few images of wildlife and not just scenics.

This was the only bear that was close enough for me to bother photographing and even so, it's not sharp.  Sigh.

I think I need to start saving my pennies to buy that pro-series lens I almost purchased this past July.  Kind of like "closing the barn door after the horses escape" if you get my drift . . .

Get off the Tracks???

On the way into Denali Park, we gathered at the train station to await our bus.  We had some time before departure, so most of us wandered around looking for some photo ops.  Never one to waste the opportunity to photograph train tracks, I looked around to see if anyone was watching and then I stealthily (but boldly) stepped onto the tracks to get some down & dirty shots.  I was tempted to lay down on the tracks, but then decided against that since I'm not as agile as I once was and I wouldn't have been able to get up quickly if some "train person" saw me and told me to vacate my spot. (as if I wouldn't be visible to the entire crowd of people gathered there anyway). 

Well, I got busted!  I did manage to get a few photos before I noticed this rail nazi waving for me to get off the tracks, which I obediently, if not regretfully, did as soon as I was convinced that he was really waving at me for me to move.  Now, you have to understand that there are only two trains a day and one had just left--so really . . . what were the odds that I'd be smooshed by a train right then??  

Well, we got on the bus and began our loooonngggg journey to the entrance to Denali Park.  Oh my goodness - - Alaska is so big.  On the way, we were able to see many views of Mt. McKinley and even though we were shooting from a moving bus, the images aren't too bad.  The kicker is that the mountain is only visible about 100 days/year, but the chances of seeing it with blue sky and in it's entirety are even slimmer.  So we were really blessed that we could see it like this.  And any photographer who has a clue knows that you have to get the shot when it presents itself no matter what the situation, because surely there will not be a repeat performance.

Now, you all know how I feel about funky vanity plates.  Hawaii is replete with them and I have a blast photographing them there.  NY, not so much.  As a matter of fact, it's pretty darned boring in NY.  But Alaska, ahhh, such fun.  I wonder, does that say something about New Yorkers??? 

Anyway, this plate was on a tour van--I love it. Looks like the way they'd say it in Hawaii.  Maybe Hawaii and Alaska are more similar that we think--after all, they're only separated by about 120 degrees in the middle of winter.  

Just a Couple

I arrived in Albany this afternoon from my adventure in Denali Park in Alaska.  Here are just a couple of images from my trip.

The Trip to Alaska

This morning I boarded the plane at 7 am bound for Alaska to attend a photo workshop in Denali Park.  My big-girl camera was packed in my camera bag so all of these images were made with my point and shoot. 

Totally full plane



Flying over Chicago where I transferred flights



The scene as we approached Anchorage

Flying over the outskirts of Anchorage

I thought I was well prepared to keep myself occupied on the plane.  It was a two hour flight to Chicago, then a 6 . 5 hour flight to Anchorage.  I had my electronic book loaded with a brand new book (House Rules by Jodi Picoult) and my recently charged ipod. 

Well, it was too noisy to listen to the ipod and the only way to watch movies/tv on the plane was to pay for it and for some reason I just didn't want to do that (pay) this time, and wouldn't you know it - - my e-reader battery died---aaarghhh!   So I spent some time working on the sudoko and crossword puzzles in the onflight magazine, and still had time to spare. 

In desperation I got out my point and shoot and started taking photos of my soda can.  Well that kept me busy for, hmmm, let's see, maybe about 15 minutes.  Fortunately by then we were pretty close, so I forced myself to sit still and do nothing - - which, for your information, is practically impossible for me to do successfully!

So we finally arrived.  My roommate was on the same plane, although in a different section of the plane, so we arranged for a shuttle to bring us to the hotel.  We checked in and unpacked - - kind of. 

This is where it gets really interesting because it's another one of those situations that would make you snicker if you read it in a novel.  Caleb (my baby who's been living in North Pole, AK for the past two years), just left for Florida two days ago. Good timing, huh?  North Pole is about an 8.5 hour drive from Anchorage.  It just so happened that Caleb's girlfriend is in Anchorage (she lives in Fairbanks, right next to North Pole) for a work situation and a wedding on Saturday.  Really!!!  what are the chances that she would be in Anchorage on the very weekend that I arrive?

Anyway, long story short, we were able to go out to dinner and play catch-up on getting to know one another.  It was awesome.

While looking for a place to park, I saw this license plate and told her she just had to stop so I could photograph it.  She did. I think she's a keeper . . .

After dinner we took the dog for a short walk around downtown Anchorage and I got a few more shots for the record.

Visitor's Center



Flowers at the Visitor's Center



Tori and Kashmir

"Some More Albany" & "Now For the Good News"

Another Albany scene.  Another HDR.

Directly out of the camera

HDR version

We decided to get something to eat, but first I had to get the address of a particular building that I photographed.  We packed our gear in the car, grabbed our purses and headed to the building with the intention of finding a restaurant after getting the address. As we approached the building we saw this great scene under an over-pass.  Of course, our cameras were two blocks away, locked in my car, but I remembered I had my point and shoot in my purse. Trish was a willing model and I was able to get this shot.  Maybe we'll go back with the big guns and get some really creative images.

And now for the good news.  In just about 36 hours I'll be boarding a plane for Alaska!  Yup, off to a photo workshop in Denali Park, AK.  Very excited and hoping I get at least a few keepers. 



A Day in Albany

Well . . . it wasn't actually a day, it was more like a few hours.  A friend and I decided to go to Albany to photograph some of the architecture.  We didn't have a particular destination in mind, but as we drove down Central Avenue, we stopped where it looked good and then moved on.  The weather was wonderful and the sky was blue.  Almost too good to be true.

We ended our photo safari at this little plaza. I was beginning to think HDR again so I gave it a try on this scene. 

700 . . .  But Who's Counting ? ?

As I was getting ready to write this post, I noticed that as of my last post, I have blogged 700 times.  Wowzer.  But really, if I had been more faithful, I could have achieved that many in just two years, and the last I noticed, I began this blog in July of 2006 -- 5 years ago. (I actually had to go back and look because I forgot -- but I know it was the summer I went to Hawaii for the first time to help my daughter get settled in for graduate school.)

So I've averaged 140 posts / year, which really isn't terribly accurate because for one year I posted every day (minus about 3 times) during a challenge I had with some friends.  Anyway . . . I'm sure these statistics aren't knocking your socks off, but I'm impressed that I've kept this up for 5 years.

So . . . . in light of that bit of trivia, here's my post for today.  Actually, I made these images yesterday.  I had an assignment to create some holiday images.  I converted my sewing room into a temporary photo studio and this is what I came up with . . . so far.  I have a few more ideas, but I needed to go for a bike ride today.

My temporary "studio" has north facing windows, but they're small and the light is uneven, so I had to use a flash.  I took it off the camer and bounced it off the ceiling to avoid creating shadows.  I think I've got the beginning of a Christmas card collection. 

So there you have it, post #701.  Merry Christmas!

A Friday Hike

Yesterday was one of the best days of the summer.  I went hiking.  Usually there are 3 or 4 of us, but this time only 2 of us could make it.  The other person is a photographer, so we knew before we started out that this would be a photography hike, as opposed to a hike during which we might get a few shots on our point-and-shoots. 

Before we arrived at the trailhead, we stopped at a pull-off where there was a pretty stream. I totally forgot to take my tripod, so I couldn't do any hdr work.  Jane, however, not only remembered her tripod, but she had her infrared camera with her and was concentrating on refreshing her infrared skills.  While she was working, I was trying desperately to photograph something, anything that was interesting but didn't include the sky. 

This was the best I could do.  Too bad there wasn't a cow or something standing on the other side of the fence.

As you can see, this was a short hike, more of a trail--some incline, but not up a mountain.  It was a beautiful walk.

There was a small lake at the end of the trail, and there were a lot of these sweet little flowers.  While Jane was working on her infrared, I decided to try, for the first time ever (I think), the macro setting on my slr.  Now I've used that setting on my point-and-shoot many times, but never on the big boy.  Pretty amazing.  The wind was blowing these flowers around, but I held onto the stem with one hand and shot with the other.  Not too bad, although not critically sharp.

So here's the lake--practically the same scene in horizontal and verticle.  I like them both, but have a very, very slight preference for one of them.  Which do you like better?

 It's the Little Things

I've discovered over the years that often it's the little things that bring pleasure or get me psyched.  Here are a few examples:

1)  About two years ago I purchased a new lens.  I loved the focal range and it seemed to be a very good lens.  But lately I began to notice that the images weren't sharp.  Even after sharpening in Photoshop, they weren't as crisp as I felt they should be. 

Well . . . I was going to buy another lens (an L-series Canon lens = big $s), but I decided to send mine back to the company so they could check it first.  I called, told them my thoughts and said I would need the lens returned by Aug. 20 since I'm leaving for Alaska on the 26th.  They assured me the lens would be in my hands before then.

Eureka ! !  I received it today.  Gotta love Tamron.  Not only do they have great customer service, but their lenses are guaranteed for 6, yes-that's SIX full years from date of purchase.  I haven't put it on the camera yet, but I'm still happy. (I know, I know this image is soft - - I handheld the camera in low light without flash)

2)  We have two dogs and two cats.  Needless to say, there's an issue with dog hair and fur flying around all the time.  That means that I have to vacuum quite often - - ugh ! 

The other day I was in the store, browsing, when I came across this gadget.  It's a Swiffer-Vac.  Now, I've heard of the original Swiffer, and the Swiffer-mop, but this one was new to me.  It's a Swiffer (with the Swiffer cloth), AND a vacuum.  So it catches dust/hair on the cloth and then sucks up more into the vacuum.  OMGoodness ! ! !  That means I don't have to lug out the big, clunky vacuum every time I want to clean up a little.  When done, you plug it in so it can charge and then when you use it, it's cordless.  Sweeeet !

Check it out in the store, you might like it.

3)  For several years now I've been whining about what a bother it is to need glasses. My distance vision is good enough that I don't usually need my glasses for TV, movies, driving or anything that's at least three feet away.  But heaven forbid I go into the supermarket without my purse (in which my glasses usually reside), cause then I can't read a single label.  Or forget it if I'm in a part of the house where I haven't left a pair of glasses . . . 

As a result, I purchased about 1/2 dozen pair of those inexpensive magnifying glasses and there's a pair in every part of the house and in every bag I own, in addition to my prescription glasses.  What a PAIN ! ! ! 

Well, yesterday I finally got . . . . . . . . drumroll please . . . . . . . CONTACTS ! ! ! ! !  I'm sooooo psyched.  Still can't see without my glasses really close up, but seeing the computer is good along with many other close things that required glasses before.  Be.       Still.     My.      Heart !

These things may not be a new house, brand new car, jewels, trips, furs or fancy new furniture, (none of which I would refuse if they came my way, thank you very much), but they make me really happy and remind me to count my blessings no matter how small. 

Hopefully you can rejoice in and enjoy the small blessings that have come your way lately. 

The Zooquarium

Yesterday we took the kids to the Zooquarium.  Pretty interesting and the kids had a good time. 

Seems like 3 out of 4 homes and businesses here in Cape Cod have Hydrangea bushes in their yards.  They're so beautiful and there are many different colors.  This one was in the yard of a gift shop.

I haven't found a single interesting vanity license plate here, but I did find this sign at the same gift shop as mentioned above.  

Cape Cod

Born and raised in NYC.  Residing in upstate NY for all of my adult life.  Many trips to Maine, NH, VT & MA, but never have been to Cape Cod. 

Until Now!

Spent some time at the beach yesterday.  The kids finally got themselves busy creating a sand castle of sorts.  Grabbed this shot just before we started getting ready to leave for home.  Dang, they're cute!

New England beaches have their own beauty.  I love the beach grasses and paths leading to the beach from the parking areas.

And then there are the occasional really colorful beach umbrellas.