https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog daily 0.75 2024-10-17 https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/a-new-lease monthly 0.5 2024-10-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/47ff207a-9abc-4350-834e-a777d0ca45c7/Reflections+near+coastal+Washington Blog - A New Lease - On June 18th, 2024, I had just finished mowing the back lawn and had put everything away. I felt my chest tighten up and my heart start racing. The tightening was way worse then the last 3 times and I could not control the outcome this time. My wife noticed my distress and watched as I made my way into the house where she called 911. At our home you cannot gain entrance unless you encounter stairs. I remember the paramedics arriving and placing me on a large canvas sheet so they could get me down the stairs to their rig. I don’t remember anything after they put me in the ambulance. (At the end of this posting I will name key players, players who are serious about their professions and saving lives.) The first stop was Peace Health Medical Center. They took me to the ED, Emergency Department, and they sent me straight to the Cath Lab. My left anterior descending artery, LADA, which supplies blood to the front portion of the heart and is the biggest supplier of oxygenated blood to the heart’s lower left pumping chamber or ventricle. It also supplies blood to the septum, the muscular tissue that separates the heart walls. Complete blockage, which I had at 100%, can cause a heart attack commonly known as a, widow maker. These types of heart attacks are often fatal. LADA is your heart’s largest coronary artery. It’s a type of cardiac blood vessel that’s part of the circulating system. The network of blood vessels circulates blood throughout the body. LADA carries almost half of the blood to the heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/bb9c9cfc-648e-4b5b-9f5e-1b9a3b237375/Washington+State%27s+capital%2C+Olympia Blog - A New Lease - With what I have to say this week, the photos that accompany the text will be random and hopefully inspire a smile to your faces. Uplifting is the theme for the day and I hope I can instill some of that for you. I haven’t posted anything since the early part of June of 2024. On June 18th of 2024 I suffered a major coronary event, followed by a stroke. Now, this didn’t happen out of the blue, there were warning signs along the way that I chose to ignore. My body was/is my temple and I let it go to shit! I’ve worked out in my life and have always been physically strong and I needed that in my work as a security officer at a hospital, amongst other reasons. My diet went lax and I wound up, at 5’10” tall, getting to the weight of 224lbs. Obese. I had 3 warning signs along the way, all of which, I ignored. I won’t go into those 3 as they were exactly like the last event on June 18th. That is where we will begin. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/761eb6da-9524-4be8-820d-d9ef926583ae/Bridging+the+Gap%2C+Oregon Blog - A New Lease - So, not to outdo myself, at some point I had an, Embolic stroke. This is caused by a blood clot or plaque debris that develops elsewhere in the body and then travels to one of the blood vessels in the brain through the bloodstream. This often results from heart disease or heart surgery and occurs rapidly and without any warning. About 15% of ES occur in people with arterial fibrillation, a type of abnormal heart rhythm in which the upper chambers of the heart do not beat effectively. So what’s to be done? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e402796c-8aa9-494c-8b97-633784fa9291/DSCN1204+better1.jpg Blog - A New Lease - My pig-headedness was getting the better of me. Impella wasn’t working to slow my heart down. The doc would often come out and update my wife and would say things like, “This isn’t looking good,” or, “I’m not liking what’s going on.” It was just the way the situation was and he wasn’t trying to be over dramatic. To this point, all conventional methods to slow my heart down were not working. So, they decided to place me on an ECMO machine, Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation. They pulled the Impella and brought out the big gun in ECMO. Blood is pumped outside the body to a heart-lung machine and removes carbon dioxide and sends oxygen-rich blood back to the body. Blood flows from the right side of the heart to the heart-lung machine where it is rewarmed and sent back to the body. ECMO lets blood go around the heart and lungs which allows the heart and lungs to rest. ECMO is a form of extracorporeal life support, ECLS. It is used for life threatening heart and lung conditions. According to the doc, after they put me on ECMO, I involuntarily lifted my right arm and yanked out all of lines that were running through said arm. The doc noted that as me having a bit more fight left in me! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/401c311c-066f-4907-a298-79c7e31a781a/_B854661+better1+smaller.jpg Blog - A New Lease - From A to Z, from the git to my eventually coming home. There has been unwavering support. Could not, in my wildest dreams, envision getting through an ordeal like this without massive amounts of support. From old friends, to new friends and co-workers, both past and present. Family played such an important part in my recovery. From visits to prayers, it all works towards recovery and great mental health after an ordeal like this one. There are 3 people that I cannot express enough gratitude in their part in my survival and recovery. The first, Dr. Vishesh Kumar, M.D., Cardiologist. He and his team worked so hard to keep me alive at Peace Health Medical Center, deep into their Cath Lab, they were able to get me stable enough to transport to OHSU. I cannot be anymore serious when I say that Dr. Kumar and his team saved my stubborn hide and kept me living for the ride to OHSU. The gratitude and appreciation I have for them is immense and I literally owe my new lease to them. Thank you, from the bottom of my stented heart, for saving me! The second, Dr. Christopher Chien, M.D., M.C.R. From the time I arrived to OHSU when I was discharged out of ICU, he was with me the entire way and he and his team were fantastic in continuing excellent care and providing support. I’ve had my second appointment with him a short time ago and he is still amazed at how I came out of it all. These folks work tirelessly to save people and I’m happy that I was strong enough to show everyone the fruits of their labor. The third, the most important in my book, the most intracule to my survival and recovery, there everyday, my wife Veronica. Whether she physically touched me and talked to me while I remained unconscious, or fed me ice chips on those rare, lucid moments. She was my link to the physical world and I wasn’t willing to let go of that, not now in my life. The sacrifices she made during my recovery were enormous and the miles she put on to be there everyday. I just could not fathom her not being there and will be forever grateful and will love her immensely for the rest of my days. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/34ededd6-4c5d-4895-946d-9b48c4f95d92/Must+slow+down%2C+Orcas+Island%2C+WA Blog - A New Lease - My heart was beating like a hummingbird. It would not slow down, so it was decided to place me on an Impella heart pump. The world’s smallest heart pump used to help maintain blood flow during high risk Protected Percutaneous Coronary Interventions, PCIs. There are a variety of procedures used to open blocked coronary arteries through the use of balloons and/or stents. PCIs restore blood flow to the heart muscle without open-heart surgery. The doc makes a small incision in the upper thigh and inserts a fine tube called a catheter into the femoral artery. The device is guided by the catheter and a wire into the left ventricle, the main pumping chamber of the heart. Impella pulls blood from the ventricle and pushes it out into the aorta, delivering oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body. This allows the heart to rest while while the doc performs the PCI. I must add a note here about self-reflection. I have been stubborn about a great many things in my life, some justified, some maybe a little over the edge. This was the latter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/147b86ae-1aaf-4cbc-a462-9403272b634e/Hanging+on+with+a+little+help... Blog - A New Lease - Arrangements were made to have me transferred to OHSU, Oregon Health Sciences University. OHSU sent a rig, that had a portable ECMO machine and they transported me from Peace Health. Being stubborn, I developed a bleed at my Impella site and coded. Yup, my heart stopped for about 3 minutes. They brought me back and delivered me to OHSU, where I stayed on ECMO for 9 days. I spent 2 weeks in the cardiac ICU and then transferred to the regular cardiac unit. I was there for another 2 weeks, then was transferred to an inpatient rehab center. Now there are all sorts of little stories that are interwoven within all this, but they’re insignificant. Dreams, dealing with staff, how to process all of the events, etc. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/listen-to-the-music monthly 0.5 2024-06-04 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b42afcff-5bee-420c-a952-989d2d4b5199/Susan+Tedeschi+and+Derek+Trucks+as+they+performed+in+Portland%2C+Oregon. Blog - Listen to the Music - When two bands merge together it can go one of 2 ways. Bad or good. I’ve been following Susan Tedeschi since the late 90’s. She started out as a blues artist, coming out of Boston, Mass. When she speaks, she sounds very demure, especially back in the 90’s. But when she belted out the blues, whew, it was like a cross between Bonnie Raitt and Janice Joplin. Listen to her first two albums she put out. Incredible! Derek Trucks has a lineage of musicianship and was playing the guitar in his single digits. His uncle, Butch Trucks, was one of the two drummers for the Allman Brothers Band. Derek never uses a pick when he plays guitar and his fingers, on both hands, do some amazing things and in a blazing way. The quickness he possesses is really something to see. He is also well known for his slide guitar playing and the deftness he has with that is equally as impressive. Derek had his own band and at some point, he and Susan Tedeschi crossed paths. They eventually married, joined their 2 bands together and became the Tedeschi/Trucks Band. There are 12 members on stage as they perform and the sound is fantastic! They tour a lot and spend 3/4, if not 7/8, of a year touring. Both domestically and internationally. A very busy band, often playing multiple nights in larger cities. Go and enjoy any level of music you can. Especially when you’re travelling! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/38600f1c-b549-420f-98fe-72609e4484b8/Taiko+drummers+in+Yokohama%2C+Japan Blog - Listen to the Music - After a long flight to Japan, we get a little grumpy and need to just move around and be. We checked into our hotel and then immediately hit the bricks for a nice long walk through parts of Yokohama. We came across this young group of Taiko drummers that performed for a local crowd. It was lovely and unique and what choreography! Playing their own individual drums, playing on each other’s drums, it was fantastic! A perfect way to enjoy unfurling after a long flight and to experience some of the Japanese culture. There are all sorts of opportunities to listen to music being played live. Whether it’s impromptu and you see a street musician or two, or you plan to purchase tickets to see local or international musicians. You really should take the time to go and experience live music. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cf6641ce-33c5-4e8d-859c-b5e67a79c434/Grace+Potter+as+she+performs+in+Portland%2C+Oregon Blog - Listen to the Music - I have two words for you. Grace Potter! Up until recently, I only got to know about the performer and her catalog of music through video. Her voice is for the record books. It can carry for miles and the power contained within it would light up a stadium. She is as passionate and energetic a singer as you could come by. When I heard that she and her band were coming to town, there was only one clear choice to make. Buy 2 tickets for my lovely bride and I to go and enjoy a performance. And enjoy it we did! Truly, one of the greatest people to come out of the state of Vermont! At the very least, you must watch any live performance on Youtube, or other streaming service. She is a phenom vocally and the feeling that she places in how she presents her performance, you’ll want to see her live. Without a doubt. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dfea0ac9-b3bf-4cdd-86fd-9b1fe4e4095f/Boston+348+better.jpg Blog - Listen to the Music - I like to travel. I think I’ve made that evident through all my postings. But there is something I enjoy almost as equally. Music. I love music and when it’s good, it’s great! For instance, the gentleman pictured to the left. My wife and I were on a stroll in Boston Common while visiting New England. We strolled along and heard this bluesy riff on a saxophone. Rounded some hedges and there he stood, blowing his sax like he was in front of millions. I fed his bag some green backs and listened blissfully to every note he played. When you walk a lot, see a lot and do a lot when you travel, it’s so nice, on a sunny day, to come across a musician who plays with soul and just lose yourself for a bit. You can plant yourself in the grass, on a wall or anyplace that will allow you to take a load off and just listen. It’s especially nice when you’re in such a huge amount of space, as in Boston Common, with beautiful gardens and waterways to sit by. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/iceland-part-ll monthly 0.5 2024-05-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/700df73c-b61f-4ffd-99d3-25ebc34897bb/Blue+ice+floating+on+a+river+in+Iceland. Blog - Iceland-Part ll - Many photographers will go to Diamond Beach in Iceland. There, one may have the perfect opportunity to photograph the hundreds of ice pieces, varying in size, lying on a black sand beach with the ocean as a background. Excellent opportunity for different focal ranges and longer time exposures. You could spend an entire day at Diamond Beach with all of its photo possibilities. Bring some ND filters and polarizers to break up some of the contrast you may encounter on sunnier days. This locale was on the other side of an auto bridge from Diamond Beach. I did not get to Diamond Beach as it was windy and cold and this area is where I think I caught a chill that laid me up for 3 days. So, hindsight being what it is, when we go back, I’ll be prepared and will get back to Diamond Beach in whatever weather is available to me at the time. There is so much creativity to be had there in composing a photograph and your brain will be the only thing to limit you. I cannot wait to go back! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f13307af-0f9d-4658-9e9c-64459240cf6e/A+waterfall+right+in+your+own+backyard%2C+in+Iceland. Blog - Iceland-Part ll - As I spoke of in last weeks post. I found many shoot able scenes where a home/farm would be in the foreground of a waterfall. Imagine a waterfall in your backyard! There were so many of those to shoot, but logistics sometimes are against you. Parking, sometimes in sketch areas in terms of room and privacy rules, if applicable. Then walking along the roadway with, at times, no way to step off, unless you wind up falling into a ditch. Other factors as well. So, even some of the cooler things you happen upon, might be logistically difficult to photograph. This particular scene was itself, up on a bluff that required my P1000 to capture. Logistics can play a factor in your shots, and the ability to capture them. Weather is a big one. Where to park off a busy two-lane highway and walking along its edges, trying to avoid traffic and capture your subject. Always exercise caution. You may have to come up with a safer plan to execute what you’re trying to shoot and that may require some recon before hand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/91e5862e-9606-4488-9d06-dec6d6e70cb5/Some+Icelandic+Fare+while+on+a+roadtrip. Blog - Iceland-Part ll - So, being that we were 3 hours and some change from Reykjavik, the capital, we decided to visit a couple of towns we passed on the way to Vik. We stopped at a diner that had wonderful food and a beatnik atmosphere. Local artists could present their works to sell in the diner. From photos, to paintings and even ceramics. They were even playing American blues music over their speakers. It was fantastic and the food was so good! There is something for everyone in Iceland in terms of food. From traditional fare to modern and everything in between. If you want to try fermented shark, go for it! Personally, I wouldn’t even at gun point. When a lot of the locals, and I mean a lot, mention that THEY even find it repugnant, then I’m going to pass. But you may be more adventurous in your culinary choices than I am, so give it a try! I’ll stick with a nice lamb stew, as pictured to the right. Wonderfully seasoned and the lamb cooked to perfection. And on a blustery, cold day, it hit the mark on several levels. We’ll get more into foods as we continue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/4ef467fc-fb6e-439e-b1f0-89009b1e1d05/Hallgrimskirkja+Church+in+Reykjavik%2C+Iceland Blog - Iceland-Part ll - There is a great deal to see in Reykjavik, Iceland. From the tallest Icelandic church, to colorful buildings, hot springs as well as awesome places to eat. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e8deb93c-fd75-4fa7-a633-056f9dd56167/DSCN7798+Vic+Iceland.jpg Blog - Iceland-Part ll - Just back tracking a bit to last weeks post. That high vantage point we achieved with our 4-wheel drive gave us sweeping views of the ocean and of Vik. Whenever you have an opportunity to change your vantage point, I highly recommend you do. Photographically, the pay-off can be well worth it! And, again, if you’re into your cardio and physical fitness, they had trails that led up to the top. It can be a muddy, soggy mess so proper footwear is a must! Walk it, drive it, the result is the same. Beautiful panoramas prevail! The South end of Vik, Iceland. Shot high above the town from a bluff overlooking Vik and the ocean. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/iceland-the-land-of-fire-and-ice monthly 0.5 2024-02-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f440607b-2c61-4a91-9a80-0cdc45858a4d/DSCN7951+Iceland.jpg Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - As photographers, we should have all the proper gear to warrant being in the conditions that we find ourselves in while shooting. But there is a certain ignorance one has when one hasn’t been privy to weather conditions in a place that they’ve never been to. The photo to the right is a prime example of this sentiment. We drove several hours to get to these falls and, if I might add, worth the drive. But we weren’t ready for the weather as it changed quickly into a little bit of rain, quite a lot of wind and the temps dropped to an uncomfortable level. This made it unpleasant to shoot in these conditions and so things were cut short to get back into a warmer atmosphere. Then, the shooter’s blues kick in because of the lack of material shot, didn’t quite measure up to the amount of time it took to get to the location. Gullfoss waterfall. One of the more magnificent waterfalls to photograph within Iceland. Lots of spray the closer you get to the falls so bring wipes for your lenses. Also expect tourists to be almost everywhere. Bus loads at times. If snow and more chilly temps don’t bother you, then I recommend that you go in the winter time. Stays darker longer, more chances to see the Northern Lights and it will cut down the amount of tourists you have to deal with in your shots. Bring clothing for ALL types of weather. You may have to indulge in some extreme temps to get the shots you desire. Plan ahead! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3f6f99d3-646d-4b90-871a-426e4d50b795/The+Icelandic+Raven.++Bigger+than+Ravens+in+the+U.S. Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - From where I live in the state of Washington, it takes me around three hours to get to Seattle. If I visit there, I get a room for at least a night, generally two, and I photo stuff ‘til my heart’s content. From where we stayed in Vik, Iceland, it’s a good 3 hours to get to anything that would seem worth the three hour jaunt. But then, it’s 3 hours back to Vik. So a quarter of your day has been spent driving. I strongly urge any of you wanting to go to Iceland to map out what you want to see and either, make arrangements at places to stay for just overnight accommodations and be on your way the next day to the next things, or rent a camper van and take more time. Most places that have big parking lots, don’t mind overnight camper van parking. So you’re guaranteed a place to stay without renting a room somewhere, or the availability to rent one. The Icelandic Raven is much bigger than the ravens found in the U.S. Having seen a few from this trip, I’d say they approach the size of a standard hawk in the U.S. They may be bigger than that, actually, their heads are super huge. They’re also protected in Iceland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8a0bbf16-8e68-429b-a2f0-5b1abcaf0a7c/Iceland+has+some+of+the+most+beautiful+scenery+that+one+could+hope+for. Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - My inability to have fully enjoyed this adventure harbored on 2 things. First, I got sick, nasty cold. That put me on my back for 3 days. That’s 3 days of adventuring that I didn’t get to do. So I was a little surly when I got to feeling better. The other aspect is that it takes so long to get to cool places. Don’t get me wrong. I found an entire network of brilliant homesteads to stop and photograph that fell into our laps. But, taking the proper amount of shots would require a bit of time to frame and shoot. And, since we were on our way to something, “Better,” to shoot, we didn’t stop for those others I just mentioned. Then, upon arrival to the, “Better,” place to shoot, the weather conditions aren’t favorable and now I’m rushed to take my shots. Scenes like the one on the right happen quite frequently. Your camera should be at the ready for in-climate and awesome weather. Atmospherically speaking, things can change very quickly in Iceland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6e70f055-617e-4332-8d2a-00b0437b8582/Iceland+can+be+dark+and+broodng. Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - So here’s the thing. Iceland is a beautiful part of the world. There is no doubt about that and, to speak of its people, some of the warmest, friendliest most helpful people you will not encounter anywhere else. But none of that has anything to do with the issue of how I see Iceland. Iceland, dare I say, is a younger person’s place. Mine, and my wife’s, days of camping, sleeping in cramped spots, crawling in and out of sleeping bags, etc., are gone. We prefer to see our adventure destinations the way that we see them. The absolutely best way to visit Iceland is by camper van. Rent one for your trip when you go. Drive to the nearest city, buy all the things that you need to subsist on for a few days and take a week to travel the Ring Road. Weather can go from light and beautiful to dark and brooding. Within a half and hour after this shot was taken, it began to get sunny. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b021049c-a4c9-4284-acf8-d68dc83c92e1/Seastacks+near+the+town+of+Vik%2C+Iceland Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - We all have an adventuresome nature, to some degree. If you’ re at your prime and can handle tons of cardio and are in shape, Iceland will rock your world! If you’re a bit passed your prime, that’s me, then you start appreciating different tools to help you explore. We rented a 4-wheel drive vehicle and did it ever come in handy! I will always want to know what’s down a road, or over the next hill. Let me tell you, 4-wheel drive helps in any expedition. There were quite a few tall bluffs and mountain-type peaks around Vik. One in particular, with views of the ocean, I noticed, had tire tracks that went in my favorite direction…up! So, my wife and I jumped in the car and followed those tracks to the top. Vik has lovely black sand beaches. If you’ve never seen a black sand beach, to me it would be worth the trip to see that! It can be stunning! If you were to walk around the black sand beach in Vik, from quite a distance you would be able to see these sea stacks, pictured right. Depending on the tide, you’d either use a telephoto lens, or a wide angle to capture them. But get yourself a 4-whell drive vehicle and you can capture them from above! We also noticed a lighthouse and other sea stacks, one with an arch, that we would have missed had we not gone up to the top of that bluff. It was easy, from up there, to spot where the road was to access the lighthouse and those other sea stacks. If you take a road less traveled, not all the time but sometimes, it will lead to other things worthy of capturing on your camera. And, it can turn into a re-con excursion by opening up other possibilities, all because you chose a road less traveled! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/419ca52c-def9-4826-be6a-3aca33e4c87d/Vik%2C+Iceland Blog - Iceland-The Land of Fire and Ice - The town of Vik. We really liked the town, for as small as it was. If you rent a 4-wheel drive vehicle, then you have increased the number of places you go to get great photos. We saw quite a lot more of Vik, and the black sand beaches that surround the town, from a bird’s eye view. Take the road less traveled, even if it requires 4-wheel drive! There’s a pub that you can get a great meal in as well as awesome beer and wine. You’re likely to find people from all over Europe, living and working in Iceland. My wife is the more sociable of us two and she wanted to try out some Icelandic with the bartender at the pub we entered. She spoke some, to the bartender, and asked if her pronunciation was correct. The bartender raised up his hand, as if to halt the proceedings, and said, “I don’t speak Icelandic, I’m from Italy.” We also met some servers at a restaurant that were from Poland. But the one constant in the character of those we met was that they all were very nice, giving of their time and enjoyed sharing info about places to go that not a lot, of tourists, know about. Vik, Iceland, is a quaint and lovely town. There is a grocery store, a converted school bus made into a coffee shop, an awesome pub that serves great food and a restaurant that was at the hotel we stayed at that had food in buffet style, or Ala carte. The food was fantastic and it was the first time I had Arctic char. Such a delicate fish and so delicious. I had it twice, it was so good! But Vik is 3 hours outside of the capital, away from a major town. You may think that’s too far away. Do your research! It’ll pay off in the long run. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/good-to-be-back monthly 0.5 2024-01-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/024e48a0-ea23-4f84-85d9-9b604f14db6f/DSCN8463+C+Williamsburg.jpg Blog - Good to be Back! - There are other towns like Colonial WIlliamsburg, just a stones throw away that are equal, if not more so, in their history and battles fought. You have George Washington’s home, Arlington National Cemetery, the Jamestown Settlement, the Yorktown Battlefield, Fredericksburg, Manassas Nat’l Battlefield Park and a whole bunch more. If you’re looking for an all day history lesson, you could go to Colonial Williamsburg and then visit the Jamestown Settlement in the same day. They’re literally 15 minutes apart from one another. You get more bang for your buck, it’s all free people, with touring the Jamestown Settlement. Starting in the morning, in Colonial Williamsburg and ending in the late afternoon at the Jamestown Settlement is an ideal day of taking in a bunch of history on how our nation was formed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/69f02ddb-165e-4a94-a776-3d26851ae0a9/Christmas+carrolers+in+Colonial+Williamsburg%2C+Virginia Blog - Good to be Back! - Most everything, including more modern type stores, is made to look historic. Coffee shops, the outside anyway, look rustic in Colonial Williamsburg. Christmas brings carolers, dressed in period clothing, out to the masses to hear carols from a bygone era. Really, the only thing missing from this shot is snow. There were street musicians, playing trombones, electric violin, guitar and, they even had a Fife and Drum pair dressed in, Red Coat, period wear from back in the day. It was all fantastic! Just the whole vibe of atmosphere, food, drink and the loads of those who partake in period costumes, acting like it’s the 1700s, well, it’s a good time to be had for sure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/262db998-f938-46c7-a54b-b901e9662c1f/Colonial+Williamsburg+in+the+evening+hours+when+the+spirits+come+out+to+play. Blog - Good to be Back! - We were visiting family while there and we all took a ghost tour in Colonial Williamsburg. To say it was interesting, well, I guess it depends on who your guide is and how tightly they have their act wired. Our guide did not and it was a bit boring and not that fascinating. I started taking photos, instead of listening to the act, and gave some shots an eerie effect during post-processing. Hopefully, if we do this again, we’ll be more entertained. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/4ec3484c-a223-47db-857a-6bd99cdbfa3a/Colonial+Williamsburg%2C+Virginia Blog - Good to be Back! - I think I actually prefer to shoot this town at night. I love the tones of the lights they use on the streets and in the homes and establishments. There is even a section of street where they have actual fire going from these cast iron posts that have a reasonably ornate, cauldron type holder on top of it so that firewood could be placed inside and lit, to light the street that they line. Also, for chillier nights, they could provide some warmth to those passing by. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1daf4a32-afb6-4eca-86c3-4c5eb50324c9/DSCN8456+C+Williamsburg_inPixio.jpg Blog - Good to be Back! - One could even partake in a carriage ride around the streets of Colonial WIlliamsburg. Many of the homes, and there are a lot, are still standing from that era. Some have been turned into shops, some selling items that smack of that era, although with more modern packaging. Even toys that kids back then might have played with back then could be purchased. Inns are actually still inns and you can rent rooms if you like. There is even a restaurant, that requires reservations well, weeks possibly months, in advance and they serve traditional meals from that time period, in/on traditional plates, bowls and mugs. Even the utensils are the same. We, while there, could not get a reservation to save our lives. We look forward to going again! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1fc592d0-5dbb-46ba-8c0c-732be84a0aad/DSCN8370+C+Williamsburg.jpg Blog - Good to be Back! - Anyone, at all, on any level, who is into history should go to Colonial Williamsburg in the great state of Virginia. There are folks that walk around in period dress and they will carry on as if they were still in that time. Some will even talk in British accents. If you engage them, then it will be a flurry of information from that time period that they will give you on how people lived, how they might prosper or how they could shake of their British yokes. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/monochrome monthly 0.5 2023-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0f3bd49c-448b-4205-b61b-46823f46830d/Stormy+weather+approaches%2C+Anacortes%2C+Washington Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - Last creepy one, I promise. I don’t think I’ve ever made it a secret that I enjoy post-processing some of my images. This one was simple. Turn it infrared, and make the whole photo darker. There was a sun break which made the sun appear like a big ol’ spotlight. Trouble can brew in a photograph with the right amount of creativity and finesse from the initial perspective, right when you press the shutter release, to whatever post-processing you may do afterwards. Digitally infrared is really versatile and can lend as much, or as little, drama and creepiness that you require for your shots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fb39114c-48a0-434c-9bbc-38b94789afe5/Fairyland+bridge%3F++More+infrared+trickery%2C+Scotland Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - If you take the color green and turn it infrared, depending on the shade of green, it can turn a darker green a darker shade of gray and, conversely, a lighter shade of green will turn closer to white. That drastic change in color can give you and otherworldly or even, fairy tale type of composition. This bridge I shot in Scotland, with the thicker foliage on the trees and the river below, just screamed to be turned into infrared. The stone of the bridge really helps to age the photo as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/55912106-c322-4ec9-9b4b-608275ad8c92/Sunburst+over+infrared+flowers%2C+Bellingham%2C+Washington Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - Another favorite shot is this one from Bellingham, Washington. I went to tour a farm, open to the public, and there were several gardens associated with it. There was a bunch of Dark-Eyed Susans that I shot from slightly underneath them. The petals were a bright, yellow-orange, made white after applying infrared. Apart from the speckling of clouds, the sky was nice shade of blue and you can see that the area around that sun is a mid to lighter gray, while getting darker the further from the sun you go. I closed my shutter all the way down to get the burst effect of the sun. It’s such a dramatic change from the color version yet, equally as compelling, if not more so. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c025047f-8340-4eed-87a4-3c8ab7738b51/A+young+bull+moose+in+the+Grand+Tetons%2C+Wyoming Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - Sometimes you want the main subject of your image to stand out. I took this shot, of a young bull moose, while in the Tetons in Wyoming. He was standing, dead center, in a thicket of shrubbery. The foliage was a medium to light green with the brown stems from which the leaves were growing. With the bull’s brown hair, he just kind of melded into everything around him. So, I turned the shot infrared and he kind of pops right off the white of the foliage, instead of blending into it. One of my faves for sure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b17f625c-f57c-4123-830c-8f6d9cd1f180/Creepy+mountains+in+the+Mt.+Baker+Nat%27l+Forest%2C+Washington Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - Infrared. I do love digital infrared photography. I’ll explain, as I go from shot to shot, how infrared effects primary colors. For instance, the sky on the upper left of the frame was a deep blue, blue and beautiful. Infrared will turn a blue, depending on how light or dark the shade, somewhere between a light gray, or closer to black. Since the sky was a deeper shade of blue, it turned closer to black, allowing the white clouds to really pop off of it, along with the white of the snow. I darkened the highlights and the shadows to give it an almost eerie glow to some of the more shadowy parts. I love the drama that infrared can provide to a photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/4a2fb2d8-3d64-4d54-8d1a-5e7b314d8bf4/_D850917+vivid+better1.jpg Blog - Monochrome and Infrared - You might see this in a representation of someone’s nightmare. Or in an eerie movie when a creepy, dead forest is depicted. Give me some wispy clouds, a deep blue sky and a tree that has gnarled branches and I’ll come back with a creepy shot to be sure! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/color-and-texture monthly 0.5 2023-07-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cfa5539e-c80c-4705-8b9a-05b759700a78/Inari+Park%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Color and Texture - Sometimes it is just the presence of people, and some man-made stone work, to bring you a feast of color and texture. One of my favorite people photos to demonstrate just that. This kind woman, bonding with an Inari deer, in Nara, Japan has the lovely red kimono on, coupled with the texture of the deer’s coat and the texture of the stones below, give a visual color and texture to this photograph that I really enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/374b03f1-76b5-4003-9c93-10c06c7333f5/Color+can+be+found+in+the+places+that+we+live. Blog - Color and Texture - Structures can bring us all sorts of color. Despite being made of concrete, which can provide some texture, there are some beautifully colored towns in the world. The one pictured to the left is in Burano, Italy. Visually, this is not a boring town. Tons of color, surrounded by water with canals weaving their way through to these awesome looking homes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/40bf7238-c4d9-47dd-8ebf-246c0dc4d2bb/Near+Bow%2C+New+Hampshire%2C+Autumn+puts+on+a+beautiful+show+in+New+England. Blog - Color and Texture - Every year, in the Autumn, Mother Nature puts on such a show that you’ll never tire of it. The color and textures are nothing short of stunning. Super still water, giving the appearance of glass, gives a most colorful reflection that just adds to this scene. Beautiful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/715d3e0a-d462-4055-a862-85fd57730eda/One+of+the+most+colorful+insects+I+have+ever+seen+appeared+on+an+island+in+the+Pacific+Northwest.jpg Blog - Color and Texture - Now, I shot this with my phone and the camera on it sucks, like almost every other camera phone. But I highlight this shot in demonstrating the color that befalls us from the animal kingdom. Whidbey Island, Washington, is where I shot this and it is, singularly, the most colorful insect I’ve even laid my eyes on. This phone shot really doesn’t do any justice to the actual color that was going on here. If you allow yourself to stand, almost anywhere, look and listen for a bit, you will find wonders that you may have missed otherwise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/75648c91-fa52-4b27-a00a-d4fe04151291/The+Witch%27s+Cabin%2C+Portland%2C+Oregon Blog - Color and Texture - Let’s step out of nature and step into man made. The West Hills of Portland, Oregon are lined with hiking trails that span over 5,000 acres. The particular trail I took led me to the Witch’s Cabin. This scene is brimming with texture from the concrete that was used to build it, to the beautiful green moss that nature provided as well as the bark from neighboring trees. Along with the green, there is a variety of color provided by those who could find better uses of their time. But, it is color nonetheless, just provided by humans. I will leave it up to you on whether or not you enjoy this art form, wherever you may see it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2c808f97-9b34-4093-99e1-795138492c2d/Wreckage+from+the+Peter+Iredale+near+Astoria%2C+Oregon Blog - Color and Texture - Time has a unique way of providing us with color and texture. Steel and other metals, when exposed to stormy, wet conditions can provide lots of both. This photo I shot of the wreckage of the Peter Iredale, near Astoria, Oregon, has beautiful rust, barnacles and moss to entertain your eyes and interest your touch. I love coming out to this spot as it provides lovely photographic moments with lots of color and texture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c07e8d68-d08e-400d-85c6-90365a27d0f1/Colors+and+textures+in+Nature. Blog - Color and Texture - Let’s get Mother Nature out of the way first, since she is one of the larger categories for color and texture. Ranging from natural settings, as pictured to the left, to insects, wild flowers, grasses, shrubs, trees and even amphibians and mammals, birds too. Mother Nature possess some of the most vibrant colors and fascinating textures you’ll ever find. Autumn is a prime example. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/r5pxefdqro0fz87o2lskbyfmgebg7m monthly 0.5 2023-06-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fb436830-2b1c-420f-ae97-ab897b77ea9f/Boothill+Cemetary%2C+Tucson%2C+Arizona Blog - Arizona: Tucson And Beyond - Speaking of history, ever seen the movie Tombstone? Well, some of those portrayed in that movie are buried in the Boot Hill Cemetary in Tombstone, Arizona. There is a modest fee to get in and you get some, “Theater,” from the person receiving your payment, as to who and what you might see on these hallowed grounds. There is some humor to be had with some of the epitaphs written on the grave markers. Some may not be politically correct but, for their time, that’s how things were expressed. There are quite a few graves in this cemetary and it might take you about an hour to go through it. Of course, at the end of your self-guided tour, you will have to go through a rather large gift shop to get back to the parking lot. In all the years I’ve traveled, I have honed my purchases to one thing, maybe two. For sure I get a magnate for our refrigerator to commensurate where we’ve been or, some sort of apparel, be it hat or shirt. That’s it. But if it’s your first time to Arizona, drop some cash in the Boot Hill gift shop and pick-up a nice remembrance of this stop! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e4a08baf-e7f0-444f-aaef-3f1ab50dd7ec/1800s+Tombstone%2C+Arizona+humor. Blog - Arizona: Tucson And Beyond - Even back in the late 1800s, the good folks in Tombstone had their view of politicians and what they spewed when they came to town. Make your way to Tombstone, delight in its history and lore. There are a couple of places to stay if’n you really wanted to fully immerse yourselves in all that is Tombstone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d8910218-4a08-4166-ae14-529eb6b1b11e/The+Bird+Cage+Theatre+in+Old+Town+of+Tombstone%2C+Arizona Blog - Arizona: Tucson And Beyond - There is the old part of Tombstone that is approximately 3 square blocks that are blocked off so no auto traffic can pass through. Most of the buildings are from the late 1800s and have been taken care of throughout the years. Most of them house more modern businesses with words that are not from that time, in that place. Words like, Latte, Corn Dogs and Pizza. We were there early and not allot of people were out and about then which made it great to sort of take our time and explore. They will have gun fights in the street and will reenact the shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. They have mine tours as well. You can immerse yourself as much as you can stand in a place like this and get a feel for how things were done back in the late 1800s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/af5542b1-8063-4f9b-b10d-cb044de6cc61/You+can+attend+Mine+Tours+during+a+visit+to+Tombstone%2C+Arizona Blog - Arizona: Tucson And Beyond - If the adventure in you drove you to strike it rich by owning a mine, then a Mine Tour would be an excellent way to learn about the intricacies of that world and, on a separate note, is a nice way to beat the Tombstone heat for about an hour, should your travels bring you there in the Summer. We were there in mid-May and we got up passed the century mark, I can imagine what true Summer temps would be. I absolutely recommend booking your travel plans for the Winter months. Do some research and you’ll agree. You will definitely leave Tombstone richer, in knowledge of its history, than you were before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b5306b7f-5aa0-4cac-ba9b-765e5ac1e765/Tucson+Landscape+while+getting+purposefully+lost Blog - Arizona: Tucson And Beyond - If Arizona hasn’t been on your radar as a place to visit, then check your compass and recompute! Arizona has beautiful scenery and really great history that you can delve into. My wife and I got purposefully lost in this rather, “Well-0ff,” neighborhood and not only were the homes impressive, but the photo on the left was part of their backdrop. This was just outside of Tucson city limits. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/birds-of-a-feather monthly 0.5 2023-03-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a65f20e9-463c-4e57-ad75-75d6fe783755/DSCN2143+Stellars+Jay+sm.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - Out of the two Jay species that frequent the food I put out, I have to confess that the Stellars Jay, pictured left, is the prettier of the two. The Scrub Jay has a loud, sort of melodic squawk. Where as the Stellars Jay also has a loud squawk but sounds more like 25 year, 2-pack a day habit…not very nice to listen to, I’m afraid. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5c1cfb1b-e760-468d-9633-06bc32f41e59/DSCN2766+Killdeer.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - The photo to the right is of a Killdeer. Yes, you heard me correctly…a Killdeer. Apparently, their call sounds like they’re saying, “kill deer.” Now I haven’t heard them make their call, as of yet, but when I do, I’ll let you know if I hear it. Other than seeing them at the refuge, I’ve only really seen them at the coastlines of Oregon and Washington. They’re not exclusive to those areas, sometimes they will occupy farmland as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1fc0da57-315d-46b0-a4f0-85e92a5b7e5f/DSCN1707+Yellow-Breasted+Chat+sm.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - This handsome fella came into my backyard for a very short period of time. Haven’t seen him since. Now, I will say that I stack the deck in my favor by placing different kinds of feeds out so that it attracts birds and then I can photograph them. Some stay longer than others and I cannot begin to tell you just how many Stellars Jay and Scrub Jay photos I have snapped. The photo to the right, however, is of a Yellow-Breasted Chat. I was only able to get the one shot off before he flew off and he hasn’t come back. I have some other seed coming that I hope will attract this guy back! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/99bad9f5-f01d-4dc8-acb8-cf7caec7f3c1/DSCN1472+Northern+Pintail+smaller.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - I like allot of things when it comes to photography. I really enjoy using my Nikon P1000 for nature photography. I even talked to a fan of my blogging, in particular my blogs on the P1000. We chatted via email, she asked some great questions about it and she made the leap. Bought herself a P1000 and, when I checked in with her a few weeks later, she sent me some great photos that she took with it. That made me really happy! The photo to the left is of a Northern Pintail. Since I placed my self on this journey, I have learned allot about different kinds of birds and waterfowl. I have been practicing taking action shots, flying birds and the like. Sometimes stepping out of my comfort zone and better honing my skills. Beautiful waterfowl, like the Northern Pintail, abound at the refuge and sometimes you’re welcomed with a unique find…at least unique to me and my circumstances. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/deddbe86-d8bb-402f-951d-dfcdd81f6c14/DSCN1204+Great+Horned+Owl.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - Photographically speaking, one of my greatest, personal, achievements has been capturing a Great Horned Owl. This specimen has made his home at the refuge and I couldn’t be happier about it! I see him every time I go. Most of the time he is sleeping and I capture him with his eyes closed. But on this day he was fully awake and unappreciative of the paparazzi trying to capture his essence. Well, this shot happened after he flew from his usual perch and the teed off look on his face kinda explains it all. Even shooting from a vehicle, you can’t help inconveniencing wildlife at some point. I try to have as little, if any, impact on those I wish to photograph. Just because I want them to be there the next time I visit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5841f425-8f61-4db0-ab38-d850ffcdb2fd/004+Spotted+Towhee+sm.jpg Blog - Birds of a Feather - Lastly, this guy turned out to be one of my favorite shots that I’ve taken of any bird. This is a male, Spotted Towhee. He is very handsome and not the first time in my yard going after the feed I leave out. His coloring is awesome and the red eyes just make him even more interesting! I can easily spend a couple hours in my backyard and photograph all sorts of critters coming into feed. I’ve got one of a Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flickers, and a whole host of smaller type birds. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/metals monthly 0.5 2023-03-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6df08177-9522-4c5a-a378-405e1aa28933/John+Adams+Statue+Boston+Mass.jpg Blog - Metals - Whether in the U.S., of in Europe, Asia and Japan, almost anywhere in the world you will find a bronze statue of someone infamous. Today’s example? John Adams. Our 2nd President of the United States. Instrumental in doing right by his clients, he was a well known and successful lawyer, as well as being the leader of the American revolution to shake off the yoke of English oppression. I took this in Quincy, Massachusetts and at the opposite end of this plaza, there is a bronze statue of John Hancock. Hundreds of bronze statues reside in New England, forged in the likeness of those who helped mold the beginnings of American life. If you’re a bit foggy on who exactly these folks were, watch the mini-series, Adams, a great depiction of who this man was, what his principles were and how instrumental his beliefs were in not only, the law, but how important it was for England to not rule the established states of America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e991c592-3823-48be-bb27-9e3df8c043fd/An+American+tank+from+the+WWll+era+of+military+conflict Blog - Metals - Let loose the dogs of war! Made with strong, heavy steel, these WWII-era tanks could withstand allot of smaller caliber rounds from rifle and even some machine guns. They certainly were not bullet proof from rounds from other tanks, they could be rendered inoperable, and therefore vulnerable, if a larger round happened to strike it. But we took thick pieces of steel, welded and riveted it together and formed a 20th century killing machine. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9966001e-6478-4e25-a5d7-bc71db627f1e/Model+A-type+vehicles%2C+made+of+sturdy+metal. Blog - Metals - Cars made for adults, in the last half of the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, were made heavy and sturdy. Their maximum speeds weren’t that great because of their weightiness. But, they were made to last. It always makes me happy, and if I’m honest, a little sad, when I find one worthy of capturing, I think about how we will never get back to the days where companies made things to last. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/953ecbda-9ab3-4859-ae36-3e592178d0e9/Toy+cars+from+the+first+half+of+the+20th+century+were+popular+with+kids Blog - Metals - Toys were made out of metals of varying kinds. Cars, really cool cars that had a steering wheel that actually turned the wheels. Head for the nearest hill and aim your rig down hill! The metal cars took less abuse if you crashed on a grassy knoll, the driver, however, probably took more. The quality of the metal car, for kids, took a beating because it was made sturdy and withstood a fair amount of abuse. They don’t make them like they used to! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0a9c2f33-4386-4126-b743-0fa5e2c86747/The+USS+Lexington+in+Corpus+Cristi%2C+Texas Blog - Metals - Well, for immense steel-built items, you can’t go wrong with an an aircraft carrier! Virtually everything on it, and in it, is steel. Desks that officers sat at were made out of steel. Quite a feat if you think about it. Let’s take a bunch of steel and make something really long and wide enough to store a bunch of aircraft in, then we’ll make it float. This, the USS Lexington, is docked in Corpus Cristi, Texas. You can view all the planes on the flight deck and even get into one of them. You can tour the interior of the carrier and, something we didn’t have time for, tour the actual bridge. If you’ve never been, go! Have a look at what modern day sea life is like when you’re living on an aircraft carrier. It’s quite something! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/597a7182-7609-4225-8533-a871d167a014/DSCN4866+Outdoor+Buddha+Japan.jpg Blog - Metals - I know it must seem like I’ve been discussing metals when they apply to battle, or the military in general, but it was more the size variances that were more the subject of those items made from metal. So to end this installment, we will have a Zen moment together and be one with all things metal. While working on your breathing, and mindfulness, consider the Buddha to the right. The Great Buddha of Kamakura in Japan is the Buddha that would not be enclosed. After a decade of work, it was completed in 1243. I encourage you to read some history on it as it is facinating and supports my comment above. One of the greatest, and oldest, bronze statues of record in the world. Go to Japan, people! It doesn’t really matter where you travel to in Japan, it will be a trip you will remember for a very long time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c502d0b3-e002-4c19-81bf-9e7cf7c221f2/Iron+hinges+and+bolt+covers+on+a+smaller+door+that+is+part+of+the+Main+Gate+doors+to+Himeji+Castle+in+Japan Blog - Metals - In the early 1300’s Himeji Castle was built. The utilization of iron to help reinforce smaller, man doors that were more easy to open than the larger, thicker doors of the Main Gate. Also, think about in those days and even earlier, Samurai using the blades, those hand-forged, in steel, swords that made Japan a bloody battlefield as long as Samurai were trying to run those lands. Japan has some of the oldest history in this world and iron and steel were being used way back then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/487bba81-e632-47b4-8061-fb3e39ef1ea1/Cookware+from+England+in+the+15th+%26+16th+Centuries.jpg Blog - Metals - So everywhere I go, and am in mind to shoot photos, I will find something reasonably old, made out of metal, to photograph. These cook pots from the 15th and 16th centuries, in England, were in a castle that we toured. I believe that there was a time, in this world’s history, called the Iron Age. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/creating-depth-and-drama monthly 0.5 2023-02-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0a07f662-1d71-450c-8221-9355e348a77d/Shootng+down+the+backside+of+Troutdale%2C+Oregon+and+having+unique+clouds+that+help+demonstrate+depth. Blog - Creating Depth and Drama - So a few things about this photo reinforce my words. I created drama by turning the photo infrared, in post-processing, so that the blue in the sky turns from light gray to dark gray, the clouds themselves, and their elongated look, also help with depth as well as the train tracks and how they disappear around a bend. So the photo is all about depth but with an element of drama with the sky and clouds. The color version of this photo I put on as the title shot for this week’s posting. You can see the difference in tone from the color to the infrared and the drama it creates, the infrared that is. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a0529fa5-2909-48fc-869c-ad0bee16653a/People+adding+dimension+to+a+photograph+can+be+useful+when+demonstrating+size+in+the+drama+of+an+image.++This+shot+taken+at+the+Grand+Prismatic+Pool%2C+Yellowstone+Nat%27l+Park%2C+Montana Blog - Creating Depth and Drama - Once again, people within an image help demonstrate size differences in dramatic fashion. The Grand Prismatic Pool, pictured to the right, is located in Yellowstone Nat’l Park, Montana. And, again, weather was not what I wanted to convey for the drama of the image. Size differences is what I wanted to indicate. To turn this photo infrared would have robbed the viewer of all the color this spot is know for. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cdcb9ad5-7f9b-4c44-bd26-53d13b53ada1/Shot+from+the+bell+tower%2C+The+Domo%2C+in+Florence%2C+Italy%2C+provides+drama+of+size+within+the+image. Blog - Creating Depth and Drama - Lastly, and once again I utilize people to assist in portraying size as drama, this shot of The Domo, in Florence, Italy. My wife and I, because of the lengthiness of the line for it, chose to not make the hike to the top of the dome. Instead, the line was much shorter for the ascent to the top of the bell tower that’s attached to The Domo. I’m glad we did as this shot clearly demonstrates the dramatic size of this structure in relation to the rest of the city. For this place I say, with all fortitude and earnestness, RUN, don’t walk to this structure and the city that it resides in! Well, fly first, then RUN! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b806a9f8-8516-48a2-8512-47abec7816a3/Providing+people+can+provide+depth+and+drama%2C+in+terms+of+sizr+ratios%2C+this+shot+taken+on+the+Southern+Oregon+Coast. Blog - Creating Depth and Drama - Ratios in size can also add to drama in an image. Wide, open spaces containing objects, of various sizes, including humans. You’re heard me before stating that I don’t often include humans in my photographs unless they help bring the thought of the image to light. In this case, this shot taken on the Southern Oregon Coast, people add to the expanse of the coast line and the immense size of the rock formations. This shot is also void of drama that might have indicated stormy weather. Circumstances have to be different to convey that and I wanted to demonstrate the drama of sizes, as it turns out, on a beautifully sunny day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/82569031-5451-45ee-be1c-84b685c71b09/Roads%2C+open+pastures+and+even+animals+can+provide+depth+to+a+photo+like+in+this+one+from+The+Lake+District%2C+England. Blog - Creating Depth and Drama - Even though, in the right circumstance, infrared can add all sorts of drama to your images. Color shots are not without their depth and drama. This shot I took, while traveling with my lovely bride, in The Lake District, England, is one of my favorite landscape shots I’ve ever shot. All of the shades of green, the road demonstrating depth, the livestock demonstrating the size of the area and the foreboding clouds adding drama to the region. Infrared would rob the color of the farm land and, in this case, farmland needed to be represented. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/in-a-pinchdesperate-for-relief monthly 0.5 2023-01-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/bbb06f98-a9e3-466c-bd3e-71c76cf6be3d/Red-tailed+Hawk+at+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - In a Pinch…Desperate for Relief - The photos I captured really made me happy. One in particular, a little further down, actually ticked a bucket list box. So my elation was quite satisfied with the 3 1/2 hour block of time that I spent in the reserve. There were several hawks, as pictured to the right, and several types. This is a Redtail Hawk, a species that’s pretty prevalent within the park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2968c766-a468-4670-933e-f8d97f119fc1/A+pair+of+Bald+Eagles+at+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - In a Pinch…Desperate for Relief - So, when the day to day rigors set in and they interfere with the thing(s) that you’re passionate about and want to be doing as much as possible, there is an almost urgent feeling that sets in, at least for me, to go out and get a fix as soon as humanly possible. I have mentioned this place I go to many, many times in my blog posts and it falls right in line with this weeks theme. It had been almost 3 weeks since I went shooting. Before yesterday, I was a bit testy and not in a good space because I hadn’t satiated the part of my brain that is creative and needs to capture subjects that are, at the very least, interesting to me. The feeling at that point is almost stemming from desperation. The weather has been crappy, overcast, drizzly, and just generally mood crushing. I then decided to go back to Ridgefield and do a couple laps around the Wildlife Reserve. Now, it can take me 60 to 90 minutes to complete 1 lap, depending on how many subjects I find to capture, and after those two laps I felt so much better for allot of different reasons. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b93b3a2b-8b70-439c-9fca-cf12cf514263/An+immature+American+Bittern%2C+part+of+the+Heron+family%2C+at+RIdgefield+Wildlife+Reserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Wsshington Blog - In a Pinch…Desperate for Relief - Now this awesome specimen very nearly checks a bucket list box. This is an immature, American Bittern, which is part of the Heron family. If it were a Green Heron, that would’ve checked that aforementioned box. But, this guy is a close second and is the same size as the Green Heron. But my first time seeing one in the wild and a definite encouragement to keep going back! I absolutely love when I have a first time encounter with a subject. If it weren’t for the yellow on its beak, I probably wouldn’t have noticed since it blended into the dead grass where it was hunting for a morning snack. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e06d0486-cf79-426e-bf50-bd41d9a8a4fc/A+Great+Horned+Owl+at+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - In a Pinch…Desperate for Relief - Now this specimen was the subject of much glee and tremendous satisfaction for taking yet another sojourn to this place. This ticks the bucket list box I have for the Great Horned Owl. Ever since I captured, twice now, the Great Grey Owl, I have been looking forward to the day where I could capture this magnificent raptor. So, a trip that was made more out of desperation because I hadn’t fed my need for photography in awhile, it turned into a very fruitful 3 1/2 hours. It also gave me confirmation that I need to hold, near and dear, this animal sanctuary, to my heart and know that it will provide me photographic opportunities that will continue to bring me joy and satiate that creative part of my brain that needs to capture images of subjects that bring me joy. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/rusty-goodness monthly 0.5 2023-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7f02dd5d-1093-494f-bbd2-b47c1050f2a8/Rusty+Goodness+in+Vader%2C+Washington Blog - Rusty Goodness - Thankfully we had people, throughout the generations, make loads of stuff…big and small, out of iron and steel. And, as we all know, those two types of metal, when exposed over a long period of time, collect rust. Beautiful rust. If you want to detail life back in the day, you might want to find old cars, machinery, older farm structures…even art. I like to photograph these subjects to demonstrate some of the history that lies all around us. What was once highly regarded, in its time, to being cast aside and given over to the elements. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8ec2deba-6d2f-4dcb-87ff-17843a57f616/Local+Rusty+Goodness%2C+Vancouver%2C+WA Blog - Rusty Goodness - This shot to the left is one of my favorite in my rusty goodness collection. It has everything I could want from it. A very rare, and rusty, automobile, blue sky, old dilapidated barn and flowers to indicate Spring. I drove approximately 15-20 minutes from my home and found this scene. The owner, who was at the front of his house on a riding lawn mower, was very kind and allowed me unfettered access to come on his property and take as many photographs as I needed. All I had to do was ask! I sent him a copy of this shot and he couldn’t have been happier with it! Just as a thanks…kindness begets kindness. Always appreciate the help, or allowances, that folks bestow upon you…you never know what you can make of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f96b450c-7e40-40b9-a9d7-930dc07d332a/Rusty+train+bridge+near+Eagle+Creek%2C+Oregon Blog - Rusty Goodness - I delight in taking many photographs of bridges. Especially if there are more than one unique angle in which to capture them by. This lovely, rusty subject is smack dab between the East and West bound lanes of Interstate-84 in the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. I spent a good couple of hours, and some change, doing everything from wide angle shots to macro. There were so many rusty parts, I even went underneath and shot up through the railroad ties. There were buckets, some spilled over, of rusty rail spikes and I got in some interesting depth of field shots with those. If you allow yourself the ability to explore the area, there’s no telling what you might find to aid in the story you want to tell. I even did some fancy sun-burst shots pointing straight up to the sun and included the left, slanted girder, and the tanks chained to the side of the handrail. There are some, “Retired,” train bridges that ave been turned into pedestrian walk/trail ways so that they can still be enjoyed and not have the possibility of certain injury by train. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c7083479-d895-4f67-8505-2bf289b77f4a/A+rusty+Orca+on+the+Orcas+Island%2C+in+the+San+Juan+Islands%2C+Washington Blog - Rusty Goodness - I mentioned art earlier. Well a prime example is this rusty killer whale, on Orcas Island, located within the San Juan Islands in Washington State. I have found 3, so far, outdoor galleries in Washington. One in Belligham, one in Olympia and one near Mt. Rainier. There was enough rust in 2, out of the 3, to keep me snapping until I passed out or after all of my camera batteries expired. I have 10 batteries for my d850 and all, fully charged. My point, as always, is to go and explore. Google Maps is one of the best resources to use in finding your next adventure. Look up a county, in your state, that’s 2 hours in any direction. Go to one of them and wander. Get mindfully lost and have your favorite image capturing device in tow. At the very least, you will learn something about that county you’ve never been through before, but if I was a wagering man, I believe that you will find at least ONE subject to photograph. Probably more if you explore areas for longer periods. I have yet to get skunked! Google Maps just about ensures that you won’t. The closer you zoom into an area, the more stuff will pop up that might interest you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dcbe055d-c217-4651-8abe-685f2bb6ad97/Rusty+Goodness+on+the+East+Coast Blog - Rusty Goodness - You can find rusty goodness almost anywhere and you don’t have to travel to countryside to find it. Plymouth, Massachusetts, where Plymouth Rock lives, is a sea faring town and, thusly, you can find rusty items without too much trouble. This anchor and chain where sitting right on a dock in Plymouth. Rusty goodness…rusty coolness! If you wanted to illustrate what sea faring life would have been like, back in the day, one could easily find the words to caption such a story using photographs of rusty goodness. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/fie1s2dhxhji0hqn69szoudkxpk8yl monthly 0.5 2023-01-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/700b3e15-45b0-45b7-83c3-c42b5539b4c1/Color+pop+in+the+animal+world%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Color Pop - Now, there are so many shades of grey going on in this shot that, if I didn’t highlight the Heron’s eye, then my guess is that your eyes would have gone right to the dark part of the wing in the lower right of the image. Making a center point a specific color, you direct the eye to a place that will require it to expand outwards from that point. Yellow to the stark white points and then the darkest points next. The normal levels of grey are the last to be recognized. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fe013936-11b9-4911-90cb-57e852ac261d/Color+pop+in+Butchart+Gardens%2C+British+Columbia%2C+Canada Blog - Color Pop - Color pop can do a few things more intensely by acutely moving your eye around a photograph with much more intent either by directing your eye to a specific point, as in the photo to the the left or, by moving your eye around an image in a particular way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6856951e-16dc-4365-84b9-5b875f4ba534/Color+pop+in+Venice%2C+Italy Blog - Color Pop - Then, there is the photo taken on the right. This was a small plaza, tiny more likely, in Venice, Italy. So blue was a primary color that I chose to dwell on here. It gave its way around the photograph and it presents itself bigger moving left to right. In fact, the blue, although noticeable in between the roll-up door on the left and the sign on the right, are so small that your eye is immediately drawn to the roll-up door and then moves toward the sign on the right, all the while picking-up on the smaller blues in the middle of those 2 points. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0adf52f2-39db-406d-8ccd-5af7926071a2/Color+pop+and+Leading+Lines Blog - Color Pop - Another example of leading lines and color pop. This time yellow is the primary color and I move your eye from the bottom of the image to the middle. Once your eye hits the target, the door, then it feels free to roam around the rest of the black and whiteness of the image. Yellow is much more stark than the blue in the above shot, that it immediately demands the attention of your eye and won’t let go until you reach the end. This was a narrow walkway in Boston, Massachusetts and it really does pay off, in many dividends, to go places in the Autumn. If you have a desire to get into color pop, you can’t beat the colors that are provided in Autumn. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3aa74d1d-bbe4-4653-8e3c-11451e12ce6b/Philosophising+with+color+pop+in+Troutdale%2C+Oregon Blog - Color Pop - You can even provide a depth in your philosophy that can compel people to think in ways that have meaning. For instance, to the left, once viewed, one could speculate that not everything is black and white. You could think about having a rough time in your life and hoping for bluer skies to arrive soon. If you allow yourself, you can feel something, you can experience an emotion in an image if you’re open to it. Photography, like in music, if done correctly, can inspire you to feel something. That is what I shoot for, to inspire feeling. Sometimes I’m successful and that is the best feeling. To cause someone to experience emotion after viewing your work, that’s the best non-verbal compliment I could get. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/architecture-and-religion monthly 0.5 2022-11-30 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/4c412591-5d3c-4f96-abf3-dabb38d76b31/The+Pisa+Cathedral%2C+Pisa%2C+Italy Blog - Architecture and Religion - One place in particular that houses some of the oldest, most beautiful churches in the world, is Italy. The photo to the left is of the Pisa Cathedral in Pisa, Italy. Now I know you’ve already read that I do not typically include people in my photos, unless it serves a purpose or it lends to the whole of the photograph. In this instance, I took this shot of Pisa Cathedral and left the people in to demonstrate how large this structure is. It holds the seat of the Archbishop of Pisa, was consecrated in 1118, construction began in 1063 and completed in 1092. After you take a look inside and marvel at what you see, you can then walk behind the cathedral and take a tour of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/eebaa031-a035-4ba2-a8cc-25117d80494a/Trinity+Church%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - Architecture and Religion - Also in Boston, Trinity Church. Although the Parish was founded in 1733, the construction of this church wasn’t until 1877. It is a night and day difference from the church above to the one pictured to the right. Boston is a testimonial to being a melting pot of different faiths and people. But those different faiths have produced some very cool structures that have been preserved for generations to come and enjoy and participate in. I could go on about Boston, but there are other parts of the world that also have rich histories when it comes to churches. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1cb1bb51-6f1e-4801-9fc8-b89e3ab9226a/Bath+Abbey%2C+Bath%2C+England Blog - Architecture and Religion - To the right is Bath Abbey in Bath, England. I took this photo from the Roman Baths. This Abbey was founded in the 7th century, Reorganized in the 10th century, rebuilt in the 12th and 16th centuries. This monster of a building can seat 1200 patrons! Such a beautiful exterior and an even more impressive interior. More on interiors later. But what an impressive tribute to religion, this structure as well as many others throughout the world, constructed in the name of a higher power. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dacdc5b7-f199-4e34-90ce-839e810b19a6/Great+Bhudda+Hall%2C+Kyoto%2C+Japan Blog - Architecture and Religion - Finally, on the Isle of Japan is…Tōdai-ji, the Great Buddha Hall in Kyoto, Japan. Due to fires it has been rebuilt 2 times, the building seen today is from 1709 and houses the world’s tallest bronze statue of Buddha. And, prior to 1998, it was the largest wooden structure in world. Once again, I lent the presence of humans to indicate the enormity of this structure. Inside you’ll find other deities from Japan in giant wooden statue form. I hope you get a chance to go, it is quite a remarkable place and you won’t soon forget the experience. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cf63a8d4-a4ac-4e04-a637-0a8ca9b4757c/Old+South+Meeting+Hall%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - Architecture and Religion - I suppose, within the continental United States, the place to start with religion and structures would be Boston, Massachusetts. New England was the origin of what is now that U.S.A., and pictured to the left is the Old South Meeting House. It was the place for public, and secret, meetings to help determine the strategies for defeating the English. Built in 1729, it is the second oldest church in Boston. The Old North Church is the oldest by 6 years. This building also hosted Puritan sermons as well as being the building that folks filed out of to go dump some tea into Boston Harbor. Read your history books on the, Boston Tea Party, for more information. I also enjoyed seeing these 300-400 year old structures remaining in place, from where they were built, and seeing the world grow around them. Although a great many town meetings took place, and still do, as well as it being a museum, this was, by and large, a church. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/back-to-the-nature-preserve monthly 0.5 2022-11-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2cbe019e-fe21-4abe-be2f-f29427e4e2ec/DSCN0561+better1.jpg Blog - Back to the Nature Preserve - For the second time in my life, the first in Yellowstone National Park in Montana, I have been phenomenally lucky to photograph a Great Grey Owl. This is what gets me excited about going to Ridgefield and this wildlife preserve and photographing what I see. If you go to these types of places, then play a game with yourself. The game is called…What Doesn’t Belong! It’s easier to play in the Winter time, but as you get better at it, then the easier it becomes, even in the Spring and Summer. It’s so automatic with me now that I can find subjects like this one without allot of difficulty. It’s a great little game to train your brain with…and I’m aware of the rhyming that has just occurred. When you play it successfully, images like the one to the right are very achievable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/83e52791-a0f7-4032-9af3-ba77b3fa9186/A+Red-tail+Hawk+perches+in+a+mossy+tree%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Back to the Nature Preserve - This Red-tail Hawk posed for more time than I needed, which is great for composing different shots, and I took my time in getting shots that were in different poses, from a bowing-type shot (Left), to portraits of the face and shoulders. Never a dull moment! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8ad5a58f-e1c2-4252-8181-652cbfc73f62/A+Bald+Eagle+perches+in+a+dead+tree%2C+looking+for+breakfast+opportunities%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Back to the Nature Preserve - Most, but not all, times I come to this awesome place, I will see at least 1 Bald Eagle. They truly are majestic in how they conduct themselves and I rarely miss an opportunity to capture a specimen. As much as I talk up the P1000, I have to say that it does have its limitations. Such as the sensor in it you would also find a similar one in a cell phone. So it sort of takes cell phone type photos and at 16 MP, well, there can be allot of room for error. It takes awesome video and I highly recommend you use that feature if you’re going to a place like this and you can even get stills from your video. The closer you get, the more distortion and noise can occur in your photo. I do a bit of post-processing with what I take on the P1000. But, you can get some decent to good photos with this camera and for now, that will do. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ca284cd1-9364-4b4e-9cf6-84ee6c1bd4df/A+Wood+Duck+glides+thru+the+water+in+the+early+morning+at+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Back to the Nature Preserve - Literally…every time I visit Ridgefield Wildlife Preserve in Ridgefield, Washington, it’s a whole different experience that the time before. So, armed with my trusty Nikon P1000, I ventured off and I was far from disappointed…in fact, this trip made me all around giddy! This Wood Duck, to the left, was gliding along the water in the early morning sun. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/freestyling monthly 0.5 2022-12-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9e0798d8-d5a1-4af8-9dc2-aefe07802cd8/Free-styling+at+a+junkyard+in+Vanouver%2C+Washington Blog - Free-styling - So I got together with a buddy and we took our gear to a junkyard in our town. The Manager of the place had no problem with us going in a shooting photos. Now, we had a plan of going to this place, but since neither one of us had been there before, I consider it a free-style shoot as we had no idea what was on the other side of the fence or if any of what was there was even worth shooting, or thoughts of composition. Well, we found some cool stuff to shoot and compose, the skies were overcast and added some drama to the black and white shots that we took. Didn’t even have to leave the city limits. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/989c4877-1fcc-40c0-b46b-c3d0d4a1a862/A+walk+around+the+neighborhood+can+get+you+an+awesome+photo+from+time+to+time.++Vancouver%2C+Washington Blog - Free-styling - The photo to the right illustrates another variation of free-styling. Armed only with my cell phone, my wife and I walked to get a coffee and the clouds began to part and, well, even though it’s a crappy cell phone shot, still pretty good for not expecting to see something cool like that. I don’t know about anyone else, but stuff like this makes me…well, a little giddy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/57c5b456-66f1-4cbe-95f2-76504ee3a6a7/Free-styling+in+Boyd%2C+Oregon Blog - Free-styling - The awesome scene to the left is from Boyd, Oregon. Boyd is tiny town just South of The Dalles, Oregon. Not allot to see, to tell you the truth, but driving a wee bit aimlessly led us to this spot, which in my eyes, makes it a successful sojourn. Every time I go on a free-style…I’m never disappointed. I always come to something worthy of capture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9d9d96d5-a91d-4d00-aa32-d302af77f6dc/DSCN4784.NRW+better.jpg Blog - Free-styling - Now, that same buddy and I set-out to go into Oregon and shoot a couple of train bridges. I won’t go into those details as they’re not relevant to this weeks theme. But after we had completed those pre-planned shoots, we went rogue for the rest of our time shooting. This truck to the right we found in the town of Hillsboro, Oregon at the entrance to a winery. Never would have found it if we hadn’t purposely gotten lost and taken all these back roads to be lucky enough to happenstance upon this scene. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/the-devils-in-the-details-textures monthly 0.5 2022-12-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/063b1212-05bb-4c03-ae82-bf4f55ab23f9/A+magnificent+Bald+Eagle+near+Seaside%2C+Oregon Blog - The Devil’s in the Details: Textures - So this last photo is what I sort of mentioned above. On our way out of Seaside, I noticed this magnificent specimen of a Bald Eagle sitting on a branch of a large, dead tree. Baldies can adapt to most anywhere they decide to nest. They are adept at hunting, but if times are tough, they will eat carrion as well. But if I was a betting man, I would say a person was responsible for leaving behind the head in the photo above. An eagle would have carried the entire fish back to its nest to feast on. But what fisherman does anything with the head? Not allot would…they would leave it behind. Or, it washed up ashore from a fishing boat expedition while being cleaned and cut-up out on the ocean. Either way, just another detail at the coast! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e2c9afe1-630b-4401-8cb2-4c7989b2bce6/Details+in+the+sand%2C+Seaside%2C+Oregon Blog - The Devil’s in the Details: Textures - My wife loves the beach! It contains her moment of Zen. It recharges her spirit and offers relaxation and stress release. Now I’ve always been a fan of the woods. The sights and smells do the same things for me as the coast does for my bride. If I’m honest, the coast is growing on me the more we go. Newport, Oregon is a favorite of ours. We’ve stayed there more than any other place on the Oregon Coastline. On our way home, from Newport, we drove to Seaside, Oregon. This beach gets hit with heavy tourist traffic during the Summer months. But in October, it’s a cool town to explore. The beach itself was void of allot of people and, being in a mindful mood, I switched my camera to macro, Nikon P1000, and walked along the shoreline being present in the moment. Photographing anything that caught my eye as interesting and detailed. It was later in the afternoon so the late Autumn sun had a wonderful warm glow to it, as seen in the photo to the left. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1689bd8a-ee35-4122-a398-460d38542d18/Details+in+the+sand%2C+Seaside%2C+Oregon Blog - The Devil’s in the Details: Textures - Sand can be such a metaphor for time. Either erosion, or the burying of objects by wind storms, and how long it has taken to accomplish either task. The image to the right, although not huge by any capacity, is partially buried. The detail of the tiny sand dollar helps with the context of size with the main part of the subject. It may not seem fruitful to some to photograph such items when at the beach. For me, it’s all a lesson on observation. The more you practice, the more it helps you to see things in detail. No matter where you go in the world, your eye will continue to seek out the details in what you see. For photographic purposes, the skill is immeasurable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/23b6d8c3-f956-4861-bd4b-e04be2816a7f/Details+in+the+sand.++A+partially+buried+crab+claw%2C+Seaside%2C+Oregon Blog - The Devil’s in the Details: Textures - There is so much to see, all sorts of details of current, or past, lives scattered on sandy beaches. The previous owner of this claw was more than likely devoured by a Seagull. They can field strip the main body of a crab with their powerful beaks, but not so much with crab’s legs. You will most likely find quite a few like remnants as you stroll along. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ccaf96bb-8055-4179-b193-c115520aa425/A+fish+head%2C+most+likely+caught+by+a+Bald+Eagle%2C+Seaside%2C+Oregon Blog - The Devil’s in the Details: Textures - This fish head, to the left, was more than likely caught by a larger predator than what you’d normally see at the Oregon Coast. Since it is void of its body, it would be difficult to suggest what exactly caught this specimen. However, either man or raptor is responsible for this lost head. Just one more detail to observe while at the coast. Any ideas of what species of fish this might be, leave me a comment on what you think it might be. My thought is Lingcod, but I’m open to other suggestions. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/73z5wqipz4dbums12thto2bc7lensc monthly 0.5 2022-12-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/27ae8370-e0f8-43ff-9804-d0e61e733a26/Autumn+color+in+Japan Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - Not only can you find brilliant old and well preserved structures in Japan, but when Autumn rolls around, the colors warm everything and almost creates a glow. My heart yearns to go back. The next time will be in the Spring for Cherry Blossom festivals. Hopefully that will come to fruition in a couple years after we get some other trips out of the way. I’ve discussed in previous posts how and why I feel the way that I do about Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/03c63c65-0f2f-4735-8c31-554dfcc6cbcc/Beautiful+yellow+bursts+of+Autumnal+color+in+Manchester%2C+New+Hampshire. Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - Let’s begin in North America. The shot to the left is from New England, Manchester, New Hampshire to be specific. Autumn in New England is almost unbeatable. Stark yellows, reds and oranges fill almost all the landscape. Depending on the particulars, type of tree and how warm/cold it has been during non-Autumnal months and for how long, dictate how the color of the leaves will be in the Autumn. Birch trees, for example, are almost always yellow. Stark white bark with bright yellow against a blue sky, man, there is nothing better! But Maple trees are a bit more sensitive. The warmess/coolness leading up to Autumn can determine if the leaves will be red or orange. Even the ivy that grows on the sides of structures turns red or orange in the Fall. Beautiful color at every turn! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/990d00ea-86e3-4c83-a12b-f2deeb286e66/Autumnal+glow+taken+at+The+Grotto+in+Portland%2C+Oregon Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - This last shot I took in Portland, Oregon at a place called The Grotto. It’s a lovely place to go and be mindful of all aspects of life. The grounds are beautiful and provide a bit of Autumnal color. The late evening sun illuminated these leaves and I could not resist. Go and enjoy! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/69851947-3a55-40b4-bd32-40350988316d/Even+on+an+overcast+day%2C+Autumnal+color+is+stiil+beautiful+and+vibrant Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - Even demonstrated in the photo to the right, on a dismal, overcast day, Autumnal color is still beautiful and vibrant. This shot I took just North of Concord, New Hampshire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f4f8ccb6-b711-45f6-8442-c0e680bfa445/The+roads+around+Mt.+Adams+in+Washington+state+can+provide+lots+of+color+in+Autumn Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - While on a freestyle trip around Mt. Adams and the little town of Trout Lake, Washington, can provide lots of bright color in the Autumn months. Alders and some maples that turn a vibrant yellow and against a blue sky, nothing is more photogenic. Lots of places is the PNW will showcase awesome color like this in most places you travel to. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b3573bb7-37a4-4053-863c-4be056a0bd85/Himeji+Castle+in+Himeji%2C+Japan+in+the+Autumn Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - Now…I will say that, within North America, my humble opinion is that New England has no rival when it comes to Autumnal color. Flat out, beautiful vibrant color! It may leak downwards into Rhode Island and even Connecticut but, the main collective of color would be in New England. Foreign travel, however, well I found a place that indeed rivals New England and that place is Japan. Japan has an awesome Spring with all the Cherry Blossom trees and in the fall, there is a sea of color, especially the farther you go into the countryside and mountainous areas. Stunning color! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3a02ee6b-4357-40d4-9cad-12b1a2f5cd7f/Beautiful+color+from+the+Japanese+Garden+in+Seattle%2C+Washington Blog - Autumnal color and where to enjoy it. - Now, in the PNW, we have a bit of color of our own. Reds, oranges and yellows and they seem to be planting more and more trees, in newer developed neighborhoods, that turn orange and red when Autumn rolls around. My lovely bride and I went to Seattle, Washington, and I took this shot at the Japanese Garden located there. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/back-roads-of-the-pnw monthly 0.5 2022-08-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/77d79256-c4dd-4b73-be1d-820411756ad4/One+of+many%2C+many+iron+sculptures+at+the+Spirits+of+Iron+Sculpture+Park+in+Ashford%2C+Washington. Blog - Back roads of the PNW - There is a man named Dan Klennert and he had a vision that he wanted to share his passion for welding with the public. He began utilizing scrap iron that he went and found and also from the shear tonnage of donations he received over the years. He got to realize his dream and created 4 acres on his property to bring his passion to life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/888ac8a1-b22f-4f78-9372-72c0cb5e841a/Iron+sculptures+abound+at+the+Spirits+of+Iron+Sculpture+Park+in+Ashford%2C+Washington. Blog - Back roads of the PNW - When Dan decided to retire, he approached his Son-in-Law, Jay Bechtold, and told him he wanted to pass the torch unto him and went on to train Jay in how the process begins to create these iron masterpieces. When you arrive, you’ll not know where to start first. There are allot of sculptures and each of them unique from the others. The sculpture park has several horse sculptures and they’re all different looking from each other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fb714c68-cb6e-4692-a557-e9298e7447bb/A+wonderful+piece+at+the+Spirits+of+Iron+Sculpture+Park+in+Ashford%2C+Washington Blog - Back roads of the PNW - So, like the photo to the left, there are some pieces that appear like they were not welded together and are, “Natural,” in their look. They’re just really cool, old relics full of rusty goodness! 7/8 of everything there has either come from the imagination of Dan or Jay. It is free to roam around the park and be in awe of what was created there. If you, like me, are taking photos, then they appreciate donations and have iron, of course, lock boxes in a couple places if you have cash to spare. They also take donations thru Venmo and have info there to accomplish that if you’re short on cash. Please give as generously as you can…support the arts and the artists that give it to us. I will always give a free promo to those that have inspired me with their artistic craft, or, have given me warm fuzzies while dinging in their establishment, or, have gone out of their way to provide service above and beyond what was asked of them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7c0fd631-6831-4557-8207-17469f444a70/Artistry+meets+steel+in+Elbe%2C+Washington Blog - Back roads of the PNW - So, this website will always support artistry in its many forms, as there is a great deal of artistry that can go into the creation of an image. Whether that means the use of different types of filters on a lens or in the post-processing of an image. In our drive home the next day from attending the concert, we drove on a few back roads and wound ourselves up in Elbe and then Ashford, Washington. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5d22ccba-9c05-4054-bfac-ee17306cf793/Historical+Chapel+in+Elbe%2C+Washington.++Part+of+a+German+influence+in+this+wee+town. Blog - Back roads of the PNW - Not a ten minute drive from all those beautiful, iron sculptures is Elbe, Washington. Elbe is a really tiny town that has a German influence in the area and also a railroad influence. There is even a train, of about 6 cars or so, that have been turned into eateries and shops. It’s very cool and should be experienced. And, if you garner some energy and want to exercise a bit more, Mt. Rainier is super close to Elbe and within 30 minutes, or so, you can be on an alpine trail in search of beautiful vistas. Make a point of going to these places…support local artists, eat local cuisine, see beautiful mountain regions…all here, or there, ripe for the picking! There is even a train that takes you around Mt. Rainier, to the town of Elbe and one other place…I don’t remember, but it has more German influence and history of the railroad as it passed thru these towns. So for a nominal fee, you can see most of what I’ve talked about today, the exception of the iron sculptures, you’ll have to drive there from Elbe, but it’s a short drive, and get just as much enjoyment and not have all the driving or walking to deal with! Food for thought… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e0fbdc5d-d320-4477-8c25-ac169bce61da/An+iron+giraffe%2C+only+found+at+the+Spirits+of+Iron+Sculpture+Park+in+Ashford%2C+Washington Blog - Back roads of the PNW - I simply mention this awesome place because, well…it’s awesome! I cannot be more supportive of this passion for art and sharing it with the public. When my wife and I arrived we noticed that there was a gift shop and thought nothing more about it as we delved into the rear of the park. Once we got to said gift shop we noticed, much to our chagrin, it was closed. I was so looking forward to getting something made of iron out of that shop! But, there will be another day when I go back and I’ll try some macro shots, or something different than what you see here. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/north-central-oregon-1 monthly 0.5 2022-09-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8f344857-2d37-4178-9cc7-7cbf67f099cc/Grass+Valley+has+an+awesome+little+deli+called%2C+Grass+Valley+Country+Market%2C+Grass+Valley%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - A couple of weekends ago, a buddy and I decided to go on an over-nighter, freestyle-type photo trip. I did cheat a little, researched a few things to make sure we hit while out there. One thing that we did not count on, and glad we stumbled upon it, was the Grass Valley Country Market in Grass Valley, Oregon. Bonne, who runs the establishment, couldn’t have been sweeter and more accommodating. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cb26a26e-7dbb-4d86-8920-aa0e51e5b95e/A+custom+made+roast+beef+sandwich+oredered+and+eaten+at+the+Grass+Valley+Country+Store%2C+Grass+Valley%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - When Bonne brought our food to us I asked her if I could pick her brain a little. She kindly placed our food in front of us, pulled back a chair, sat at our table and said…”Pick away!” We asked her about the area and she gave us a couple of spots that could be target rich for photographers. Once our inquiries were met, she left us to our lunch. Homemade sandwiches, and other fare, that you can customize and it gets made fresh. No skimping on product, served with a smile and a warmness that isn’t always found in these times. Big city doesn’t always mean better and this establishment is my testimonial to that fact! If you find yourselves out and about in Grass Valley, Oregon…do everyone a favor, that’s in your party, stop by the Grass Valley Country Store! Say Hi to Bonne and order some awesome sandwiches. You will not have a bad experience there as Bonne will see to it that you’re met with a warmth and friendliness that will require you to want to return and get more of the food, the atmosphere, the hospitality…everything! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2616a441-3e93-4b04-bd80-848ca3be56f3/Part+of+the+ghost+town%2C+an+old+Shaniko+fire+truck%2C+Shaniko%2C+Oregon. Blog - North Central Oregon - I know I have spoken about this before, the town of Shaniko, Oregon, provides us with a bit of history of an Oregon from the early 19th and 20th centuries. Beautiful, old and rustic buildings, in great condition, I might add, that are definitely wonderful to photograph, as well as, read about the history of those structures. You can park your vehicle, outside the public restrooms, and walk to these places and enjoy a day of fascination in history. The old hotel, I found out on my 3rd visit to this town, is actually being renovated and I got a quick tour of the lobby by someone I’ll mention later. It was a great day of shooting and I may even go back a 4th time…maybe when there is snow on the ground…stay tuned! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/04e806d4-e0d4-4f27-9f87-5959f8eeed6a/An+old%2C+abandoned+Methodist+Church+in+Grass+Valley%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - We were told by Bonne, although late as we got to this church before hitting the country store, about this abandoned Methodist church. Now the dating of this church is a bit sketch, but old B/W photos found of this building seem to indicate that the photo was possibly from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. Services halted in 1947 and a couple had been married in this church between 10 and 12 years ago and then the church fell into a state of disrepair. You can walk around the entire church and even go inside if you felt compelled to shoot photos of the inside. I would even suggest you shoot, if the devise you’re using is capable, 3 bracketed shots and stitch them together in a post processing program. There is some graffiti inside, but it’s nothing too drastic. If it were a big city, it would be riddled with the stuff. But Grass Valley is a place that you have to want to go to and plot your course to get there. It’s off the beaten path by a ways and those who aren’t from there will understand what I’m saying when you get into town. What I do know is this, I WILL be back to Grass Valley and I will make a point of going to the Grass Valley Country Store and I hope that I may have another fun, and wonderful conversation with Bonne in what else can be found in that area. Go there people! Go say Hi to Bonne and get some wonderful food in you! You will be a much better human when you see the effect of country charm and hospitality as it envelops you. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/98bf45a3-6b70-499a-9d0d-c57c6aa9fc69/The+dining+area+inside+the+Grass+Valley+Country+Store+in+Grass+Valley%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - So the inside of this Country Store is half groceries and half diner. Exactly the kind of quaintness you’d love to find in a small, rural town. Everything was clean and in its place and everyone was so nice. Everyone that came in while we were there were respectful and gave out smiles willingly. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/architecture monthly 0.5 2022-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/732c9363-3004-4b4f-b3cd-2b9643b57c74/The+Coloseum%2C+Rome%2C+Italy Blog - Architecture - There are a number of iconic structures located in many parts of the world. The photo to the left is one such structure. The Roman Colosseum, in Rome, Italy, has been a staple of the city of Rome for many centuries. There are so many places that have a much longer history than the U.S. and all of it, to me, is fascinating. The longer the history, the more enthralled I become. Italy has so much to see, photograph, eat and drink, you will not have anything other than an exciting time if you choose to go there. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7a9cf4b8-1162-4f0a-beb0-894560720e12/Portland+Head+Lighthouse%2C+Portland%2C+Maine Blog - Architecture - Lighthouses have been helping boats and ships avoid smashing into the coasts of America for centuries. Many of them were destroyed by severe weather and never rebuilt, or were rebuilt in a different spot to avoid such occurrences. Some were decommissioned because they became obsolete with changing or receding tides. The photo to the left is of Portland Head Lighthouse in Portland, Maine. Maine still has several, fully functioning lighthouses that continue to be used today. This is one of the more infamous, and mostly photographed in the state. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/513d19a5-3ef0-43dc-90c1-9d086c54e33f/A+wooden+barn+as+a+part+of+Mormon+Row%2C+Grand+Tetons%2C+Wyoming Blog - Architecture - Welcome back in! Architecture has played significant roles throughout history. The more you travel, the more you can discover what that meant in different parts of the world. For instance, let’s take the barn. Almost universally known as a structure you’d find on a farm, of virtually any size, housing livestock, and or farm equipment. Typically made out of wood, depending where you are in the world, and built to last a long time…most of them. The one to the left is part of Mormon Row in the Grand Tetons, Wyoming. Built in the late 1800’s and it still stands now as it did then. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/afaafac4-03f3-49b7-9484-5324be37f82e/The+Golden+Pavillion%2C+Kyoto%2C+Japan Blog - Architecture - Lastly, an amazing structure to behold is the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto, Japan. At one point, Kyoto was the capital of Japan. This pavilion has been here for eons and is so well preserved and the grounds are so well maintained that you could spend hours in this location and not even know it. You can get lost in the Japanese way of life which, in all intent and purpose, is a good thing. Until you go there, you won’t quite grasp what I mean. Go. Go and experience it for yourselves and I promise you will come away with something profound. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/nikon-p1000 monthly 0.5 2022-11-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8b696414-2d5a-4ed4-accb-9512156a6854/Double-Crested+Cormorant%2C+taken+with+the++Nikon+P1000%2C+Astoria%2C+Oregon Blog - Nikon P1000 - Let me first preface this particular blog with this statement. Always, and whenever possible, use a tripod! Had I taken the time to do that, I would have more, usable shots of birds and mammals in my arsenal of photos. The photos posted today are all handheld and, in some cases, a tripod was not possible to use. This shot to the left, is of a Double crested Cormorant, taken in Astoria, Oregon. There was lots of detail to be had in its feathers and the perch that it stood on had lovely color from being weathered and from the moss growing on it. Not a bad shot for 16 MP on a bright, sunny day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9088ca3e-7120-4f9b-8d28-ea2ffca032ad/A+feline%2C+sitting+amungst+ruins+in+Rome%2C+Italy Blog - Nikon P1000 - This last photo I took in Rome, Italy. My wife and I were walking around the city and happened upon this square block of ruins. I don’t recall what ruins they were, I don’t believe it was as infamous as other ones are in that city, but we noticed a whole bunch of cats lounging around these ruins. We followed the guard rail that went around the ruins and discovered that these ruins were turned into a cat sanctuary. They accepted donations in the form of money OR food. There was even a veterinarian that volunteered her time in the caring and maintenance of the felines. Since you could not walk among the cats, or the ruins, the P1000 did great for zooming in and getting some great shots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2ac7038b-0091-43e9-a817-35095b2d2a53/A+female+Prong-Horned+Antelope%2C+shot+with+a+Nikon+P1000%2C+Grand+Tetons+National+Park%2C+Wyoming Blog - Nikon P1000 - For being a hybrid camera, having all the fun of a fully manual camera and being a point and shoot, a camera that has a fixed lens, You start out with a pretty good 24mm wide angle…and then you can zoom out to 3000mm. So it works pretty well for getting shots like this female Prong Horn Antelope. She, along with others of the same type, were grazing in this field that was near Mormon Row in Grand Tetons National Park, and the wide angle worked well in capturing this beauty and the Autumnal background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e2a5797d-e509-4482-ba70-e35c115ff9e6/Bull+Moose%2C+shot+with+a+Nikon+P1000%2C+Grand+Tetons+National+Park%2C+Wyoming Blog - Nikon P1000 - The P1000 also makes a great camera when you’re considering self-preservation in the photos that you take. This large mammal to the right is a rather mature, and grumpy all day, bull moose. This was shot in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, and with these mammals it is recommended that you stay a minimum of 40 yards away. The P1000 had no issues in getting close to this guy and it almost appears like…well, like he’s smiling at me. In any event, I could stay well enough away AND handhold this camera and get amazing shots with it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ff3716b4-0bbe-4378-91da-e7e76f7061c0/Portrait+of+a+Redtailed+Hawk%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Nikon P1000 - After my preface above, I thought I would post this shot to the right. This is a portraiture of a Red-tail Hawk. Where I took this, within the Ridgefield Wildlife Preserve, you cannot use a tripod..you can’t even get out of your vehicle as you’re driving along. So there is allot of bouncing back and forth between the driver’s and passenger sides of the car. If you have a passenger with you, if you have a backseat then place them back there. IF you both are shooting photos, then you both can lean back and forth, from side to side, without getting in each other’s way. The more you extend the lens, bringing far away things up close, the more difficult it is to get everything you want into frame. Hence the preface. If you have to handhold this beast, then do the very best you can…take a deep breath in, get what you want in the frame, let out your breath and snap the photo. Easy…right? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/31d1abaa-e57e-4656-8930-0b3fd3d3d179/A+Yellow+Finch+before+Spring%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+RIdgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Nikon P1000 - Now I know that I have used this photo before, within these pages, but it bears well here. This was also taken at the Ridgefield Wildlife Preserve in Ridgefield, Washington and it was taken, handheld with me leaning into the passenger seat of my car. I got such detail in the bird, in what the bird is perched on, in everything that makes, or adds to, the photo. I even like the lighting, that early morning lighting is the best! These guys are fast movers and they don’t stay long in any one place so to crack one off with the P1000 and have it turn out the way it did, then I’m glad to have bought it. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/life-in-the-big-city monthly 0.5 2022-07-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3da21f2f-d63e-48de-a22e-eb484e9797ae/A+waterfront%2C+downtown+portion+of+Newport%2C+Rhode+Island Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - So, lastly, there is the town of Newport, Rhode Island. Newport is as small as town as you can get in the Continental United States. Really small, but big on certain things. Food, for instance. Some of the best seafood you’ll ever have, as well as, blues oriented restaurants and bars. The state is known as home to some of the richest families in America. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/61cd6d4b-8460-47b7-8e63-c63a75de6b74/Yokohama%2C+Japan Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - Yokohama, Japan is a fairly large and fairly nice city. It, at times, can be very crowded, however, not nearly as overwrought with humans as Tokyo can be. The parts that we explored were not too bad when it came to the masses. We saw some delightful shop exteriors, including a statue involving a bench and a pirate, as well as more traditional places that coincide with where you’re standing. Any city that you can see from above can provide all sorts of shapes, sizes and patterns of buildings that you might enjoying getting your camera out and shooting. I didn’t get a feeling of too many people, I have a little anxiety that comes out when I do, even though it’s one of Japan 's biggest cities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a86ded94-dbb9-4c87-b32d-02007aaa4019/Racing+boats+and+mansions+in+the+background%2C+Newport%2C+Rhode+Island Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - So we, along with 10 or 12 other folks, took a tour by boat of the inlet that comes into Newport from the ocean. Lots of little Sunfish-type sailboats darting everywhere and all Newport’s wealth watching from the shore. The massive mansions were staggering in their size. The Onassis family has a rather gi-normous home there as well. If you’re too young to know who they are, look it up, one of that family played a part in our presidential history. The Captain, of the large sailboat we were all on, allowed anybody who wanted to steer the boat, to come aft and take over. Newport is also known for having OCS for the Navy located in Newport. So every year it can get a bit more crowded when that graduation comes-up. But it’s not bad at all. Even in a small city like Newport, you can find fun things to do and get awesome vittles and potions to consume. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/67141f44-877a-491e-a6a0-346e2bf0f84f/Within+the+city+limits+of+Yokohama%2C+Japan Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - This street corner, to the right, in downtown Yokohama, seemed not all that populated with people. I can’t really explain it, quite frankly, but we just did not get that oceanic feeling of people as we walked around this city. It was actually quite nice and a good way to unwind after a long flight from the West Coast of the U.S. to Japan. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/aba365fc-1800-4d75-bc7c-26cbe620a1f0/Kyoto%2C+Japan+in+the+Autumn Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - A smaller city in Japan would be, Kyoto. The old part has a main street, that, if you’re lucky enough to see one, will be your best chance of seeing a Geisha. Now, go a couple of blocks away from that crowd and the photo to the right is what you’ll find. Why? No Geisha here! Most of your side streets will be empty and will provide you with unobstructed views of alleyways and shops. Most places to eat will be fairly empty as well so you can have a really nice time, slowly enjoying and being in the moment. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/39e220a6-548f-4153-8499-805ebaea9c97/Downtown+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - Life in the (Big?) City - Another city, I highly recommend you see, is Boston, in the Commonwealth that is, Massachusetts. Autumn, about a week after school is back in session, is the ideal time to go. The marketplaces become lovely and uncrowded and it’s so much easier to spread your wings and get around. Historically speaking, you can’t go through Bean Town without learning a thing or two about how our country was formed. Very cool architecture to shoot as well, along with awesome restaurants, a very cool aquarium and a ship from the 1700’s that you can climb aboard and tour. From the arts to cuisine, historical things to the present, there is something for everyone in this city! It’s also easy to get around both by car and foot. The subway is pretty easy to figure out if you’re walking and having wheels means that you can adventure farther out and get more historically into Massachusetts. Go in the Summer months and you’ll get the FULL feeling of being in a large and full city. Most of those are tourists! Go in an off season and you can be at ease as you explore Boston…and beyond. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/abandoned-and-disturbing monthly 0.5 2023-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fc7aff0f-e949-4348-b430-38992211ea7b/Abandoned+outbuilding+Northern+State+Hospital%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - *Just an FYI, this is a departure from my usual postings and will NOT become a regular thing. Every state in the Union has a past and some of that past is a little dark. The photography of these places can be interesting and can lend drama to an article or story. These are photos I’ve taken, as all photos within this blog, and allot of what is posted here, is from fact and from the research I’ve looked through. I have edited most of the photos to aid in the emotional content of this posting. Northern States Hospital, in Sedro-Woolley, Washington, is a real interesting place. It opened its doors in 1911 and shut them for good in 1973. It was originally on 700 acres and including a working farm with several outbuildings, its own sewer system and host of other mechanical/industrial-type structures. It kept livestock and there are several of these buildings still standing, riddled with graffiti and in various forms of disrepair. The land was given to the County to make a recreational type space for everyone. To the left, one of the buildings located on, what was, the farm portion of the 700 acres. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0141eb63-8d0a-4981-a646-e6dbc375df80/Inside+an+undefined%2C+main+campus+building%2C+shot+thru+a+broken+window%2C+Northern+Stated+Hospital%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - Shot thru a broken window, this scene is inside one of the main campus buildings. With all the growth and the rise in major behavioral issues within the patient population, lobotomies were performed, electroshock therapy was experimented with and other inhumane ways of treating patients. Not much was known about those two particular methods of treatment, the only thing that was known, at the time, were the results they produced. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e3ae4208-8469-494b-bf1f-14b3803e014c/Outbuildngs+at+Northern+State+Hospital%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - Here are a few more of the outbuildings on the farm side of things. I don’t believe that any plan is engaged to restore these buildings to their former glory. There is a long, wooden barn that is just this side of collapsing. Graffiti is everywhere and each time I’ve been there, I’ve been twice, there is more than the last time. I suspect there will be more when I go back again. There are a couple of outbuildings that I have not gone through, or at least up to, yet and I plan on doing that sometime in the Autumn. My feeling is that these buildings will come down and, since the property is owned by the County, more park like settings and activities will replace these buildings that help carry a dark past. I think it is possible for a place to be washed clean of a dark past. But everything needs to align perfectly for that to happen. Unfortunately, the structures that carry the most and darkest memories won’t be coming down anytime soon. But turning the rest of the property into a family oriented recreational area is a good start…right? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/26085ae6-459c-4a8b-9de6-d3576a25dfce/Abandoned+main+buildings+on+the+former+campus+of+Northern+State+Hospital%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - In 1911 the Northern State Hospital opened its doors to receive folks suffering from mental illness. Although the hospital got their fair share of those people, they also received alcoholics, just looking to dry out, women who were on their cycles and many more that wouldn’t ordinarily be classified as, “Mentally ill.” Those capable were put to work in the cannery, working with livestock and farming or even working in the kitchen. But as the population grew quickly, there was even a murder of a patient at one point, and the hospital had reached max in terms of patients housed, things took a turn…and not for the better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/abceda32-419e-4e1d-b388-8821d04d01c9/What+goes+thru+the+mind+of+a+patient+in+the+Northern+States+Hospital+%28Former%29+Sedro+Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - I took a little artistic license with the photo to the right. Can you just imagine, you were brought to this place at the height of drunkenness, a patient picks a fight with you and BOOM…lobotomy! A couple of ways that was done in the old days. One, they take a steel pike, of sorts, they shove it up your nose until it reaches your frontal lobe. Then they twist it around a bit, mash things up, up stairs, and then they let you resume your life in a fairly catatonic state. The second was to drill and actual hole into the part of the skull that covers the frontal lobe and take care of business with that process. Most people, receiving the latter process, didn’t survive the endeavor. Violence begets violence, even at a psychiatric hospital. One too many fights and you come out of it with mash potatoes for brains. A horrible, ugly and so very painful way to be dealt with behaviorally. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8d97a0ae-713b-4a77-8f11-8d498314ae3b/Abandoned+building%2C+main+campus+of+the%2C+former%2C+pychiatric+hospital+Northern+States%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - Luckily this dog doesn’t hunt anymore. There are a few buildings still in use by a Job Corps and another large, fenced-in, building being used as a long term treatment center. The rest of the grounds, more in the area of the farm buildings, the county set-up Frisbee Golf! When I was there snapping these photos, there were several teams at play. They built a nice picnic area with several tables and there are nice toilet facilities there as well. I ran into a few other photographers and there was even a drone flying around. It is a popular place for all sorts of folks. Ghost hunters, photographers, like myself, Frisbee Golf players, the morbidly curious and the list goes on. Trying to make as big a positive footprint on this land, trying to outrun the ugly past of this place. I hope they continue to expand the park areas and incorporate more family oriented fun within the borders of all that acreage. But those buildings are a reminder of man’s inhumanity towards their fellow man. I hope that it will lose itself in people frolicking on its grounds and develop a better and more positive reputation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/bded2d60-548f-4207-8cf4-926f2ae93e7e/Possible+patient+rooms%2C+the+former+Northern+States+Hospital%2C+Sedro-Woolley%2C+Washington Blog - Abandoned and Disturbing - This hospital finally closed its doors in 1973. The number of patients that passed away there was in the thousands. There is a small graveyard that is on one side of the property. There are many, small, square 6x6, stone markers in the ground that are only identified by a number. The patient’s medical number became their epitaph. Nothing else identifies who is buried there. Within that graveyard is an actual, proper headstone that has a name and the DOB and DOD. I looked this fella up and I found nothing about the man…anywhere. He could’ve been a patient, employee, volunteer…any number of possibilities as to how he was affiliated with this hospital. I can find no such info. If any of you super sleuths go up there and walk thru that cemetery and get that name and you find something about the man…please get in touch, I would like to know what you find. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/wk9pif28u5jb9s2g8upclv98b99xcy monthly 0.5 2022-07-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b0b4630a-5ac8-4495-913f-98ad9d91041c/Another+gorgeous+Oregon+Coast+Sunset+from+Yachats%2C+Oregon Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - Living and exploring the West Coast in the Pacific Northwest has allot of benefits and wonders to discover. I guess the benefits match the wonders but to live somewhere that you can drive an hour in any direction and be somewhere totally different, that’s amazing to me. The PNW is so diverse that you can’t possibly see it all in one trip…or ten trips! There is so much to do and the people are great, businesses want your business and they will treat you great, especially if you’re from out of town. Ask a server, in virtually any restaurant, what’s good to do in the area, and they’ll most likely will recite a list for you to make. It’s a grand place to live as well as visit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dfff6b3a-53d5-4bc1-8617-376e815357a1/A+wonderful+and+popular+place+to+eat%2C+Tony%27s+Crab+Shack+in+Bandon%2C+Oregon Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - So, in the town of Bandon, there is a place that you can get some Vittles and Potions and you may have to wait a bit…but I assure you, the wait is worth it! Tony’s Crab Shack is as simple a place as you can get, no frills, no flashes, just great seafood! There is limited indoor seating and they have quite a few, pic-nic bench style, seating outside. The line was a bit long when we were there, but it moved rather quickly and we were able to snag a table inside, it was pretty windy that day, and enjoyed us some awesome grub! My lovely bride had the Clam Chowder and I had a fish taco. Everything is made from scratch, nothing microwaved, and it all was good! So good, in fact, that I was 3/4 of the way thru my meal that I realized I’d forgotten to photograph what we ate! But, I did get the front of the place and that’s all you need to go yourselves here and partake! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9995dd5b-beb0-4dbc-aca6-7059508be0b7/A+fantastic+place+to+start+your+morning+in+Bandon%2C+Oregon%2C+Bandon+Coffee+Cafe Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - Make it stand out I can’t go on without giving a shout out to this fine establishment, The Bandon Coffee Cafe. This is a shot of the back, but you can enter on both ends to get your morning starter. There can be a line here as well, since we stood in one, but the wait is worth it and their menu of drinks and food is great! Service with a smile as well so you can’t beat it as a wonderful start to your day! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/15f0c3a6-7581-4b57-ae67-3eb19b3774ab/Siuslaw+River+Bridge+in+Florence%2C+Oregon Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - Welcome back in, everybody! This week we will be visiting the Southern Oregon Coast. There were 2 towns that we stayed in. Yachats and Bandon, Oregon. We stopped at a few places along the way, both going there and heading for home, and I will share a couple of them with you. To the left, Siuslaw River Bridge, that spans the Siuslaw River, located on US 101 in the town of Florence. This shot was taken from the pier in Old Town Florence, there are signs directing you there, if you’re interested, from US 101. There are some really cool restaurants/bars offering up everything from Seafood, Thai, Vegan, BBQ and a few more. From the smells we encountered walking by some of these places, I don’t think you’d do yourselves an injustice by stopping in one of these places and having a bite to eat. We had been driving in the car for awhile and wanted to stretch our legs so we stopped here in Florence. We did not have food here, just needed to walk for a bit before the 5 hour drive back home. Behind this bridge you’ll notice a very small part of the Oregon Sand Dunes National Recreation Area. When you travel down this stretch of US 101, between Florence and Coos Bay, Oregon, you will see a great many places that have Dune Buggy, and other sand venturing vehicles, to rent so one can explore these dunes! If you don’t want to drive a Dune Buggy, no worries, they have folks you can hire to do the driving for you, in a multi-passenger Dune Buggy. Travel here and you’ll be ensured of having a blast and filling all your bellies with great food! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f7c8434d-ac66-478b-b26a-abcc65f317cd/Smaller+waves+crashing+against+the+Oregon+Coastline+in+Yachats%2C+Oregon Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - Yachats, Oregon, is cool in a different way involving its rocky shoreline. There are long, rocky outcroppings that line its coastline instead of sandy beaches. When the tide is even moderately in, all the crevasses, both narrow and wide, funnel in water and when big goes into small, exciting things happen! The sea water, when it hits the rocks after funneling its way thru, can make a rather large splash and, sometimes during high tide, makes a loud, BOOM. Great for photography, both fast and slow shutter speeds. You could use an ND or polarizing filter, if you’re shooting mid day to cut down on the contrast on the water. This was taken late afternoon, about an hour, or so, before sunset so I just shot it with a long lens, no filter, at a fast speed so can see the water droplets. On a cloudy day, I might just put on a filter and try more dramatic shots with longer exposure times. Try it all and see what works best for you! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e6b8f952-333c-4307-bb26-d69795f61200/Cathedral+Rock+on+the+Oregon+Coastline+in+Bandon%2C+Oregon Blog - The Pacific Northwest Coastline - One of the highlights to a trip along the Southern Oregon Coast is exploring its beaches. This shot, of Cathedral Rock. When the tide is out, there is a cave-like entrance toward the left side of this giant rock. As you can see, the tide was way out, so the people below could explore this crevasse reasonably safely. Make sure you check tide tables to ensure your adventure doesn’t go pear-shaped and you get into a predicament you cannot get out of. Always practice safety first when adventuring! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/austin-texas monthly 0.5 2022-06-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/226b2fe1-6fd4-4845-ab82-feda31ecabab/Remnants+from+Teryy+Black%27s+BBQ%2C+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - The aftermath of a trip to Terry Black’s BBQ. Ribs, brisket, coleslaw…try it all! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/eb5c8e2c-023e-49e9-ac9b-9973282b2fe7/Statue+of+Stevie+Ray+Vaughn+placed+by+the+Colorado+River+as+it+flows+through+downtown+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - So to illustrate a point, I placed this photo to the left, I felt it necessary to demonstrate the caliber of music you may be fortunate enough to witness in Austin. There is a bar/small concert venue in Austin named Austin City Limits. You might have heard of it as it has, for many years, been televised on everyone’s local PBS television station. Stevie Ray Vaughn, or SRV, played before the cameras in that very venue. Some of the most prominent artists in music have played to those very cameras. Not to say those concerts happen all the time, they certainly weren’t playing there during our visit, but with a little forethought and planning, you could be in Austin to see a great performance in a small venue and come back with some awesome memories. We were strolling along a street, in downtown Austin, and there was a little bar that had live music playing and the guitarist, for the band, since he had a wireless mike on, he came out onto the sidewalk and gave everyone walking by a blistering solo…while smoking a cigarette! That was a treat and completely unexpected! You just never know when you’re out adventuring what you’ll see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6c5af000-8aa1-4906-ba91-6f96540f105d/The+Stephen+F.+Austin+hotel+has+a+bar+on+its+2nd+floor+and+they+have+a+balcony+area+where+you+can+smoke+a+cigar%2C+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - I’ve not hidden the fact that I enjoy a cigar now and again. It seems that when we travel, I seek out places that cater to that activity. The photo at the right is from the 2nd floor balcony of said hotel, where that hotel’s bar is located and on that balcony you can light up a stick and enjoy! The staff were very friendly but the service was a little on the slow side, and they weren’t busy, but personality more than made up for it. There is also a restaurant in this hotel called, The Roaring Fork. We did eat here, the food was fantastic, the service was timely and it was a great, bustling atmosphere. We also ate at a place called, Walton’s. Walton’s, as we had heard, is owned by Sandra Bullock, the actress. She apparently has a home there, in Austin, and we decided to eat at here establishment. It was awesome and we timed our visit perfectly. We arrived, waited in line to order behind a couple, we ordered, sat down, food was delivered to the table, then about a dozen people arrived. Place filled up and fast. The food was primarily sandwiches and wraps, a few salads and whatnot. The food was well prepared and tasted quite good. I certainly would recommend Walton’s to anyone experiencing gastric grumblings around lunch time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0ed039c2-4c05-4626-b39c-2c1e9712bfa2/The+Yard+at+an+Austin+mall%2C+a+must+try+when+you+visit+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - So we were taken to an Austin mall. I don’t know what your standards are for a mall, and I try to avoid them like the plague, but this mall was a bit different. They say everything in Texas is bigger…and they’re not wrong. This mall was the first outdoor mall I’ve ever been to. If you weren’t in a shop, you were standing outside. The mall had 4 parking structures to it. The place was immense. My wife and I were with family and I treated us all to lunch. After walking in that 100 degree heat, going in and out of shops, mostly female preferred stores, our family treated my lovely bride and I to a trip to, The Yard. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e00216ef-4736-4292-9a17-ad52e8e672e8/Most+likely+some+of+the+best+BBQ+you+will+EVER+eat+is+at+Terry+Black%27s+BBQ+in+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - So if someone said the name, Texas, to you, what imagery would that conjure? Well, I picture cattle, then cattle being cooked, slowly, with spices and herbs that only compliment what’s happening on that giant grill. I can raise my right hand, profess to whom or whatever, that I have had some of the BEST brisket that has ever seen a BBQ grill! Literally falling off the bone. Hold bone up, meat falls off. Nothing dry in any of the protein we ingested. Green beans good, mac and cheese good, in fact, there was only one complaint the majority of us had within our group. Unfortunately for us, the baked beans were bland and didn’t taste of much. That was just our consensus, I’m sure others who have eaten those baked beans completely enjoyed them, we did not. But, when you go to Terry Black’s, you aren’t showing up for the sides, you’re standing in that loooooooooooooooooooong line, moves rather swiftly I must say, enduring all sorts of heat related illnesses, it was 100 degrees when we were there, just inside the door there is a small bar where you can order a libation to cool off with as you get through the rest of the line. But once there, you’re there for the protein, the sides are a secondary issue. Get the brisket! When you start the meat sweats, you know you’re in a wonderful place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7fd835e6-648f-4151-8328-b3ed731cbd17/A+regular+milkshake%2C+made+lovingly+with+the+idea+of+eating+a+S%27mores%2C+The+Yard%2C+Austin%2C+Texas Blog - Austin, Texas - So, this is a S’mores milkshake, lovingly created at The Yard in Austin, Texas. The garnishment,off to the side is a FULL sized S’mores, with 2 marshmallows between 2 full sized graham crackers, completely dipped in milk chocolate. I mean, why wouldn’t you have this masterpiece to consume?? Well, I shared with my wife so that I wouldn’t need insulin afterwards and we even got to keep the jars the milkshakes came in. There was a long sink that you could go and throw away any paper products, or plastic utensils away, and you could wash out your glassware to take with you as you walk back to one of the many parking structures you parked your vehicle in, still enjoying the sugar high from your milkshake, dreaming about the day that you’ll be back to The Yard for round two! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/fredericksburg-texas monthly 0.5 2022-06-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2bbc62db-d24b-4662-9de1-90ad0dd3695e/Lovely+beverages+at+the+Fredericksburg+Brewing+Company%2C+Fredericksburg%2C+Texas Blog - Fredericksburg, Texas - After a great deal of exploring Fredericksburg, on foot of course, we decided to partake in a couple of lovely potions at the Fredericksburg Brewing Company. The main room at the front of the restaurant had your typical 4-top tables but in the back they had a dozen picnic tables that were all empty. The tables did come with all sorts of interesting things etched into them. If you wanna know what they said…then go and see for yourselves. There were flags hanging from the ceiling representing other parts of the world and big, Gi-normous TV’s on the walls playing various sporting events. My wife and I played 3 games of Corn Hole while enjoying our potions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7999f9eb-ace0-4c18-83d6-4923105b0f80/The+facilities%2C+Fredericksburg+Brewing+Company%2C+Fredericksburg%2C+Texas Blog - Fredericksburg, Texas - Did I mention that there was a heavy German influence in the town of Fredericksburg? https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b6e5500d-dc6a-4782-855e-2285c7aa708d/The+Hitchin%27+Post+Steakhouse+in+Fredericksburg%2C+Texas. Blog - Fredericksburg, Texas - So when we were just bloated with getting to know the town of Fredericksburg, we found ourselves hungry. You would think that we would go for some sort of German cuisine, but nope…we went for some good ol’ Texas fare. This place, on the inside, was nothing to write home about on any level. But who cares?? We didn’t stop in for the atmosphere, we wanted some beef, cooked to perfection, with some delicious sides. We were not disappointed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ac08e340-2ce3-4262-8dbd-97e0a6307a56/Vittles+at+the+Hitchin%27+Post+Steakhouse%2C+Fredericksburg%2C+Texas Blog - Fredericksburg, Texas - A lovely cut of beef, cooked perfectly medium-rare, a good ol’ baked potato, a staple with any type of beef you have, and fried Okra. Pure bliss! The food is what you are after when you’re in Texas, atmosphere seems to get pushed back toward the end of the list when you are in the presence of, and are consuming, outstanding food. Maybe next time, we’ll have more traditional German fare when we pass through Fredericksburg. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/90a09ab8-45e6-4e24-9ebf-5b5afe7414a4/One+side+of+Fredericksburg%2C+Texas%2C+rich+in+German+history. Blog - Fredericksburg, Texas - Fredericksburg is a town that you should absolutely visit. If you have German blood coursing through your veins, you will appreciate all this town has to offer. If you don’t have any German in your blood, not to worry, this town will provide you with a good time. It is the biggest of the German towns in Texas and if you like food and drink…look no further. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/germany-in-texas monthly 0.5 2023-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fc28b786-d597-49b9-92cd-aa568c743974/Inside+the+General+Store+in+Gruene%2C+Texas Blog - Germany in Texas? - This is the inside of the General Store in Gruene, Texas. Quite a remarkable place, actually, and if you can’t find a souvenir in this place, then stop looking. I’m sure that during the Summer months, this place is filled with tourists. Go early, park in the huge, dirt parking lot, parking is free, and just walk the town. Cool antique shops are there, as well as, food places are plentiful enough to give you options and there is a definite small, Texas town vibe to be experienced as you walk along. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/46af4968-70ac-4da2-b14b-c007e729c41e/Our+Lady+Bar+and+Grill.++Gruene%2C+Texas Blog - Germany in Texas? - Now, Texas is not without a sense of humor. My wife and I were chugging along in our rental car, checking out more of Gruene and we passed this structure, pictured to the left, that, at first, resembled a mission, not unlike the some of the ones you’d find in San Antonio. At second glance, we were humorously mistaken. It was none other than, Our Lady Bar and Grill. Now, the unfortunate circumstance here is that it was closed and we could not check things out, but one day we’ll be back to Gruene…and we will visit, Our Lady. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/06773bcc-173d-4879-ac0d-93772ab4966d/The+inside+of+the+Grist+Mill+restaurant+in+Gruene%2C+Texas Blog - Germany in Texas? - I wanted to post another shot of the inside of the Grist Mill restaurant in Gruene. All of the tall, skinny and shutter-like doors that wrapped around the entire restaurant, slid open to reveal the forest that was on one side of the restaurant and let in a breeze that took over almost the entire place. Even in 95+ degrees, it still seemed cool. Staff were nice and informative about the menu and I can say nothing negative about the place or the service. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/90560d56-e862-4655-8b21-c777e7d6d5de/Signage+on+a+coffee+shop%27s+exterior+in+Gruene%2C+Texas Blog - Germany in Texas? - So I’ll finish up this week’s posting with this sign that we found on the outside of a coffee shop in Gruene. For the most part, Texas is a God-fearing state. And it seemed to me, the smaller the town, the more religious institutions there were. This sign sort of sums up that aura that you can feel in Texas. The smaller the town, the more helpful and sweet the people were. Gruene was a pleasure to wander through and photograph. I hope that we can go there again, which I think we will, and they are one of several towns/cities that offer up a specific river to lazily tube down. A small current carries folks down river while they sit in big inner tubes, drinking their favorite beverages. On warm to hot days, you can photograph these events as they happen on the river and not get allot of the water in your photos. That’s how popular an activity this is when it gets hot outside. Whatever you may choose to do in Texas, you will have a blast and you’ll get a wonderful history lesson, you’ll meet some of the nicest people on the planet and you will bring back some lasting memories. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0200cdf2-4b14-4380-99b9-bc548a673b04/The+Grist+Mill+in+Gruene%2C+Texas%2C+offers+many+different+food+options+in+a+wonderful%2C+open+aired+and+huge+establishment. Blog - Germany in Texas? - The Grist Mill in Gruene, Texas. You must go and imbibe in the food and beverages that they sell. I imagine, during the Summer months, that this place is hopping for lunch and dinner. We were there in early May so we got in with no issues. And this place is immense! Not only is the inside huge, but there is a multi-tiered outdoor seating area as well. The Guadalupe River is right below where we were sitting and you can see some of the original structures that were part of the cotton gin that was operating in the late 1800s. It’s a popular place to eat and more so as the day progresses, so plan accordingly. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/681dd227-2d24-4ad0-9719-bf585b933ab6/Gruene%2C+Texas.++One+of+almost+a+dozen+German+towns+founded+in+Texas+in+1830s. Blog - Germany in Texas? - In the mid 1840s, Ernest Gruene and his wife came to New Braunfels, Texas, which was newly developed, to see about setting-up a home. But land was scarce because of the German immigrants that came before he and his wife, so they bought acreage outside of New Braunfels and named it, Gruene. Cotton was the main export of of Gruene and they had a cotton gin that was fed by the Guadelupe River. In the early 1920s, the cotton gin burned down and, with the advent of the boll weevil and the great depression, Gruene all but closed-up. There are some cool old buildings, like pictured left, to be seen and gone through. The General Store is really awesome inside! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/san-antonio-texas monthly 0.5 2022-05-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/70b1ecc3-70fd-4ea2-86e5-32227d70771e/Mission+Valero%2C+The+Alamo%2C+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - Mission Valero. This mission is better known as The Alamo. Davey Crockett and others, laid their lives down in a hail of gunfire from the Spanish Army. They held their position for a while, but the shear numbers of the Spanish Army overtook Mission Valero and left no one alive. Going into the main hall, through the front doors, you look around the entire room and see the bullet torn walls and what hellish reality they all lived, and died, in. It’s such an eerie feeling. But it’s all part of the history of San Antonio and how it formed. Go, do, be and enjoy. You will not be disappointed in any of it! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/819708a0-7ae1-4e76-8d08-ccc712d99523/Davey+Crocket+outside+of+Mission+Valero%2C+The+Alamo%2C+with+the+Emily+Morgan+Hotel+in+the+background%2C+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - Now, we have been to all 5 missions, you can actually participate in the National Park, The San Antonio Mission National Historical Park. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can pay to go on a tour, gathering all sorts of historical facts from a well-knowledged guide or, if you’re feets is in good shape, you can get on the trail and walk, or ride, you can rent bikes/scooters, as it is 10 miles in length but hooks all the missions together. To the left, Mission Valero, is the most famous of the five. Davey Crockett keeps watch out front of this mission. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/835d14e1-bbfb-4230-8abf-8524b9204d7d/Love+Lock+Bridge+on+the+River+Walk+in+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - There are allot of places in Texas that are worthy of seeing. Lots! I won’t cover them all, mainly from having not gone to all of them, but the ones I will cover need going to. Especially for those of German descent…I’ll let that fester a bit. San Antonio, Texas, is a lovely, rich in heritage, city that boasts allot of history for Texas. There is a famous River Walk that winds through downtown San Antonio. To the left, Love Lock Bridge. This has been made famous, and is on the River Walk, by folks that have been married at a nearby chapel. Most of the locks have names and dates, most likely the wedding day date and only first names from what I could see, and it has snow-balled its way to what you see in the photo. You’ll have to research it more to get more facts on when exactly it started and why, but it’s an unusually neat bit of history to see whilst on the River Walk. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1eee8191-0c5a-46a7-98f1-c537cd80df3c/Mission+San+Jose%27%2C+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - One of the highlights, from a photographic and historical point of view, is the 5 missions you can go see with San Antonio. Pictured to the right, Mission San Jose’, is one of the larger ones to tour. Self-guided tours that are free to the public and offer some great history lessons for the area. There are even masses that are still held inside these missions, Easter being one of them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f987999f-2de4-4f5d-94cd-447a14d902a4/A+man+made+waterfall+along+the+RIver+Walk%2C+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - You will see all sorts of restaurants, on both sides of, along the River Walk. Everything from Japanese to Irish, Italian to Texas BBQ and even a few fine dining places. There are statues of all sorts of people/things, man-made waterfalls, like pictured to the left, and other things. There are waterfowl to be seen and you may, as we did, see a Green Heron take roost somewhere, scoping out its next meal. Artists of all sorts will dot the River Walk and the galleries can be a nice escape from the heat. It was anywhere from 95 to 101 degrees during our visit and all the humidity you can stand…but it was still worth it to take a stroll on the River Walk one more time and enjoy everything it had to offer. There are also plenty of places to stay that are right on the river as well as throughout the city. Most places along the riverfront are well-to-do establishments and you’ll pay for it for sure, especially if you want a river view. The River Walk is easy to access from where ever you come from and you may pay a small fee, like 5 bucks as we did, to park in someone’s lot and it was all day. So, you have lots of choices. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/153b9b4f-72ef-4ebf-a762-ceb28dd5af27/Mission+Espara%2C+one+of+five+missions+you+can+tour+in+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - Mission Espara is also on the tour for the missions and is really, a very photogenic structure. Not nearly as big as the rest of them, but very lovely and quaint inside the chapel. Not a bad photo to be had here, even on an overcast day like we had. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/58f37644-3d8b-463a-8529-a767dfe42b82/The+San+Antonio+River+as+seen+on+the+RIver+Walk%2C+San+Antonio%2C+Texas Blog - San Antonio, Texas - This is small section of the San Antonio River as it winds throughout the River Walk. Most of what you’ll see, in terms of boating, are tourist trip boats that explain to those, not in the know, out-of-towners how everything came to be that coincides with how the river formed and how the city grew-up around it. If you plan on visiting San Antonio more than once, as we have, then taking the cruise around the river is something you should do. If for no other reason than to take a load off after walking around for hours on the River Walk. But the history lesson is beneficial and if you get the right guide, can be entertaining as well. You’ll pay a nominal fee and, if you enjoyed the ride and presentation, the guides gladly accept tips. (Disclaimer) The boat pictured to the right is NOT a tour boat. Think a little wider, a little longer, open top but enclosed with bench and single seats. Think of the one you see here as a flatbed truck making a delivery. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/freestyling-the-devils-in-the-details monthly 0.5 2023-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8f1b1f24-3192-4003-8e1e-de8c8c4c4217/A+winterized+American+Goldfinch%2C+sheds+its+bright+yellow+plummage+for+winter+and+grows+it+back+in+the+Spring. Blog - Free-styling: The Devil’s in the Details - Nature has always fascinated me on one level or another. Animals great and small, fungi and moss, wood and its many textures, etc. When I can pop off a photo that emphasizes any detail in the nature I find fascinating, then I feel completely gratified. The photo to the right, an American Goldfinch, I was able to zoom right up on him/her, they were kind enough to pose for a few seconds, and captured detail that neither one of my naked eyes would have picked-up. But I also brought out detail in the branches and the blanketing from the lichen and moss. I just love those intimate little details that really bring a photo to life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6808fd06-dcdc-4467-a11c-b977320716bb/Wet+donations+given+at+Butchart+Gardens%2C+British+Columbia%2C+Canada Blog - Free-styling: The Devil’s in the Details - So, you can look up the definition of, Macro or Macro-photography and it may or may not make sense to you. I simplified it for myself and determined that a macro shot is one that demonstrates more detail in a subject, or subjects, than the naked eye can produce. Especially in most circumstances where one can’t get close enough to the subject to give the naked eye a chance to root out more detail. The photo to the left of donations given by visitors to Butchart Gardens in British Columbia, Canada, were tossed, ceremoniously, into a babbling brook for luck. I thought the shininess of the coins contrasted nicely with the darkness of the rock and stone, coupled with the colors of the lichen and other debris to make an interesting macro shot. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5cc1436f-03f9-4ca2-8681-51d879fc4d1f/Perspective+in+Plymouth%2C+Massachusetts%2C+daisies+in+the+Autumn Blog - Free-styling: The Devil’s in the Details - If you incorporate a little bit of macro and a different perspective, well then, you can achieve a much different feel, a feel of grand, massive daisies, towering over you, as if you were in Gulliver’s Travels. That and a 10-24mm lens will also help with that goal. There is so much you can do to alter the look of a photograph, both in the field and in post-processing, to make it your own. But what I really want to achieve is raising the curiosity level of those who view my work. Curiosity and the willingness to go and explore, to seek out those details that give us a broader range of emotion in how we view the world. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/the-pnw-and-long-exposures monthly 0.5 2022-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2e12b260-5b1d-4393-a9f3-da2f1e5b24e1/Little+Crater+Lake+in+Mt.+Hood+National+Forest%2C+Oregon Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - Quite a ways back in time, my wife and I, though not married back then, were on a road trip, up on Mt. Hood, to go places that neither one of us had been. We took a turn off of Hwy 26 onto a road where we came upon a sign that read, Little Crater Lake. So we adventured onward and parked our car, in an actual campground area, walked the 800 feet or so on a wooden walkway to a wooden observation platform and the photo to the left is what we saw. That bluish green tint is the actual color of the water and, although only 45 feet deep, you can see all the way to the bottom. This lake is spring fed from the bottom and also from Little Crater Creek. A beautiful little lake, quiet and serene, in which to enjoy some gorgeous views! If you follow the trail past the lake, you will end up making a choice to hook-up with the Pacific Crest Trail or, take a trail that goes around Timothy Lake, for a little (or allot) more of a hike. Also, there is something else… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7be26ad8-183f-4711-8fb6-2506dfc4caca/Mt.+Adams+near+the+town+of+Trout+Lake%2C+Washington Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - Also, within the Gifford-Pinchot NF, there is Mt. Adams. Mt. Adams is one of the prettier mountains in the PNW due to the beautiful landscape that you can photograph that consists of Mt. Adams in the background. My wife and I found this Buddhist Monastary while out freestyling. A beautiful, man-made pond, serene table and chair setting, some soft farming irrigation going on…and Mt. Adams in the background just as pretty as you please. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/664220ed-0fde-45a0-b92a-0b09316d0ba3/Little+Goose+Creek+Falls%2C+Gifford-Pinchot+Nat%27l+Forest%2C+Washington Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - Not far away from Mt. Adams, also within the confides of Gifford-Pinchot National Forest, is a place that takes a little bit of bushwhacking to get to, called Little Goose Creek Falls. It is a lovely little waterfall but with big character. It has carved its way into this wonderful, rock amphitheater. I could have been there all day shooting this waterfall, but as the morning wore on, the more bright the overcast sky got and the more contrast became a problem. Lucky for me I brought along my ND filter set and contrast wasn’t so much a problem after that. Depending on the ND filter I used, I shot anywhere from 2 seconds to 30 seconds. If’n you want to find this waterfall, you must do it on your own. The path to it, is not groomed for the purposes of leading you to the falls. To the novice hiker, it could lead to injury. So venture forth at your own peril, use common sense, especially if you’re in an area that you’re unfamiliar with and are unsure of the terrain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1b1482fe-7611-450b-9419-612c6e665af6/Mt.+St.+Helens%2C+Washington+on+an+overcast+day. Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - So, starting in Northern Washington and ending in mid to Southern Oregon, are a group of mountains called The Cascades. You have the Northern, Central and Southern Cascades and to list every peak that is involved in that make-up of mountain ranges, well…that’s more research than I care to involve myself in. But there are a few I will list here. Probably the most infamous would be Mt. St. Helens in Washington State. Infamous from the perspective that it blew its top, literally, in 1980. Ash went everywhere for hundreds of miles in all directions, farther if you factor in the prevailing winds. But between then and now, Mother Nature has fixed things up nicely on that mountain and there are beautiful things to see, miles and miles of hiking trails, you can even hike to the top of the crater and peer into depths of Mt. St. Helens. But there is more than just the mountain. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/69dde3f5-1b7f-433f-b2e8-b58cb9bcf805/Christine+Falls%2C+Mt.+Rainier+National+Park%2C+Washington Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - This is Christine Falls, probably the most photographed falls that Mt. Rainier has to offer. The beautiful framing with the stone bridge is perfect and provides a bit a texture. There aren’t many compositions, there is a limitation to that, unfortunately. But what is there to compose will lend to a wonderful photo. I would have on hand an ND or polarizing filter for those higher contrast moments. The day was overcast and post snowfall, also, early in the morning so I didn’t need a filter but when you visit, the circumstances could be very different. Better to have those filters and not need them, than the opposite. Deep into Spring, the snow melt will have this waterfall gushing with water and can provide a different look than the wispy quality of the water pictured here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2081e269-852e-46a4-9631-5b699904a1b9/Mt.+Hood+in+the+Mt.+Hood+National+Forest%2C+Oregon Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - Lastly, in the state of Oregon, we have Mt. Hood, located in the Mt. Hood National Forest. In the winter, skiing, snowshoeing, snow mobiles, sledding, tubing and many other activities abound. In the Spring and Summer, hikes to alpine meadows, waterfalls, go-carts, an alpine slide and other like activities are highly sought after. This mountain can be busy all year long, depending on conditions, and is one of the most popular in Oregon. I’ve been going here for years and I hold this mountain near and dear to my heart. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ab74e19e-879a-4378-b05a-a4ae50ffa552/Iron+Creek+Falls%2C+Gifford+Pinchot+National+Forest%2C+Washington Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - Mt. St. Helens lies within the Gifford-Pinchot National Forest. There are allot of things to see and do within this NF, including going to Iron Creek Falls, near the town of Morton, Washington. It’s a flat, short and easy hike from where you park your car and when you arrive, it is truly one of the prettier, yet smaller, waterfalls this region has to offer. My wife and I arrived to this location on a very cloudy and overcast day. So for photographic purposes, this was a cake walk. I really had no use for and ND (Neutral Density) filter or a polarizing one either. Just closed my shutter pretty small, shot anywhere from 1/4 sec to 5 seconds, depending on the lens being used, and voila, a nice, velvety smooth motion blur of the water cascading down. Not easily seen from this vantage, but the larger of the 2 cascades actually arcs out a bit so you can get interesting shots from several different vantage points around the falls. One of my faves to be sure! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/00675f51-a964-41af-9f9d-ff7a5464da28/My+lovely+bride+and+I+at+the+entrance+to+Little+Crater+Lake%2C+Mt.+Hood+National+Forest%2C+Oregon Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - We were so taken with the beauty of this little lake that we decided to get married here! Just a handful of people, a priest and the rest is history. Such a lovely setting, we couldn’t have asked for more. Toward the end of the ceremony, some hikers stopped to watch the remaining parts of the ceremony and gave us some applause after we were presented as Mr. and Mrs. Even brought a tear to one onlooker’s eyes. Yeah, it’s a great memory and if, through your travels, you and your partner in crime come across a place, similar to Little Crater Lake, and you want to spend your lives together…then get hitched in that very place. The memories will be so awesome, especially if you scrapbook your adventures. That’s why Mt. Hood is near and dear to our hearts and minds! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7a031458-9fa5-4c5d-babc-770ea79c2a53/Mt.+Rainier+in+the+Mt.+Rainier+National+Park%2C+Washington Blog - The PNW and Long Exposures - This will make a little trifecta of mountain ranges in the Mid Cascades, all in the state of Washington. Mt. Rainier is an awesome mountain, located in its own national park, and has a variety of things to see and do. In the Spring and Summer you can hike the sub-alpine meadows that lead to some of the most breath taking lakes and vistas that you’re bound to see anywhere. But like the others mentioned here, it has its share of waterfalls as well. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/local-day-trips-oregon-and-washington monthly 0.5 2022-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/51b33e35-93e4-4945-92e5-d37cc442902f/A+couple+of+brews+after+marathon+antiquing%2C+Running+Dog+Brewery%2C+St+Helens%2C+Oregon Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - So after our marathon antiquing experience, we stopped into the Running Dog Brewery. We had the pulled pork sliders and the brisket sliders, both with Cole slaw and a big pickle spear. Unfortunately, we were so hungry and wolfed down our food that by the time I thought of photographing my plate…well, the sliders were fully consumed. The meat, on both types of slider, was tender and moist and oh so good. The brews, there were quite allot to choose from, were flavorful and the alcohol content was appropriate for what I put out at the antique mall. Running Dog is a place you need to visit and, in another part of their building, they have a whiskey room. Very intimate in size but they did appear to have a fairly good selection of whiskies to choose from. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/26fe5f70-071a-4716-a93d-d3a49f005f13/White+Egrets+resting+in+a+rookery+located+in+Woodland%2C+Washington Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - I was driving from one of the several freestyle stops around Woodland and I noticed a grove of trees out in a wide open slice of land. I got my P1000 out and zoomed in to see Blue Heron and White Egrets in a rookery within those trees. Once those trees get all their plumage then it will be really difficult to see them, so I was glad to have been there when I was. I’ll have to go back in the Autumn and be more specific in how I capture them. I’ll have a plan… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2ef4234e-7d3a-41ed-834c-215bf5721bdd/Historic+building+in+old+town+St+Helens%2C+Oregon Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - After our visit to the Bamboo Garden, off we popped to St Helens, Oregon. We took back roads and saw interesting vistas and more old structures and, once we got to St Helens, headed straight to old town. There are some cool old buildings, like the one pictured left, as well as…wait for it…ANTIQUE SHOPS!! My wife and I love really good ones and there is one that is almost directly across the street from the First National Bank, there in old town, called 2Cs Vendor Mall. I think we spent a couple of hours there and the two ladies that were running the place were lovely and accommodating…they could not have been sweeter! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/543345fd-c212-4626-8ee2-8bd44f474d6e/Osprey+couple+collecting+branches+and+buildinig+a+nest+in+Woodland%2C+Washington Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - The highlight, one of, the next one is coming up, was discovering an Osprey nest. It was in a unique location, and area where they train folks to operate those really big cranes that you see alongside tall, city buildings, that’s where they were. Around these parts, any time there is a large body of water, and fish can be found there, the powers that be will erect these steel poles, about the size of a telephone pole, and place wooden pallets on top so the Osprey have a nice place to build a nest. These 2 to the left, male on the left, female on right, were in the process of building their nest together. I even have a shot of the female coming back to the nest carrying a branch, not unlike the one sen here, hanging off the side. This was sort of a bucket list shot for me, simple pleasures, as I have tons of eagles, waterfowl and small backyard type birds…I even have a Great Grey Owl…bucket list, but the Osprey nests I know about already are all too high for me to get a shot of whatever would be in the nest. This one was a great height and I took a bunch of really great shots! Even if you just take a pair of binoculars with you and don’t give a tinker’s cuss about photography, the rules of free styling still apply and will result in seeing some fantastic scenes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a5c6426e-1981-48cc-980d-1c48dd4e7ee1/Painted+Turtle+getting+some+some+sun+and+heat%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Reserve%2C+Ridgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - My last stop for this day was at Ridgefield Wildlife Reserve in Ridgefield, Washington. This was most likely my last trip to this awesome place until Autumn. The trees and shrubs are just beyond budding and will have full foliage before the end of April or into the first part of May. Most birds will be hard to see, if not impossible to see, once this happens. At any rate, it truly is worthwhile to go if you’re a birder or photographer. Nutria, deer, waterfowl, herons and egrets, all sorts of backyard type birds and raptors can all be seen here…and our friend the painted turtle. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d68830a9-07bc-45ec-af14-df44c3ebd5e1/Moose+Lodge+in+Woodland%2C+Washington. Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - This first bit is a trip that I took on my own that went from Woodland to Ridgefield, Washington. Woodland is about 20 minutes, give or take, North of where we live. I’ve passed thru, via I-5, zillions of times over the years. I have explored East of I-5 many, many times. But the West side of the interstate has remained a mystery. So, I did a little research, made my list of things to make a point of seeing, the rest is all freestyle. The photo to the left is that of the Moose Lodge, located in old town Woodland. There is a great deal of farm country that holds lovely, old farm structures and equipment. I have to go back to get a couple of old barns that I didn’t quite get to. But what I DID get was quite memorable! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b3ab36d2-044f-4532-a88f-9434d2977e8c/a+scene+from+the+Bamboo+Garden%2C+North+Plains%2C+Oregon Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - I have been to St. Helens, Oregon, before. I took a freestyle trip and got some cool photos. This particular journey my wife came with and we had the best time. It started by us going to North Plains, Oregon and going to the Bamboo Garden. This is a 20 acre bamboo nursery that we wanted to check out and see about obtaining some black bamboo for our yard. The knowledge base of the staff there exceeds all expectations and they’re a friendly bunch as well! On the way there, we took a road named, German Town Road, so that we could take back roads, like I like, in the hopes of seeing cool stuff. Well, we saw cool stuff that I made a mental note of for a return trip, barns and old houses I would like to go back and capture at another time. There was an old, abandoned church that we did stop at on the way to the Bamboo Garden and got some cool photos of, including my wife with her phone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7e5fb8ca-c169-4211-829f-eab00995c10f/A+Yellow+Finch%2C+winterized%2C+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve%2C+RIdgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - Of my photos of birds, and I have allot, this one would fit into the top five. I love everything about this Yellow Finch photo and I was again lucky in how long the posing went on. A factoid I did not know about this little bird is that the males will shed their beautiful, bright yellow head and breast feathers during the Autumn and keep only a trace amount of yellow until Spring when that awesome yellow color returns to their plumage. This day was awesome from the start and the memories I captured will last a long time. Hope you enjoyed this little solo journey of mine. Remember, a 20 minute drive from our home brought me to a place I never really explored that intently, in the almost 40 years of living in this area, and it led me on a remarkable day trip…AND, there is more there in Woodland that I need to go back to and capture. Go as many places as you can…freestyle, get purposefully lost…it will pay off in volumes! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/992b1956-0d07-43aa-b940-d1e062ef2734/My+haul+from+2Cs+Vendor+Mall%2C+St+Helens%2C+Oregon Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - I’m a sucker for vintage cameras and these two I purchased at 2Cs Vendor Mall and they look really good with the rest of my collection. I was actually surprised how many vintage cameras they had, but then again it was a huuuuge place, with an upstairs that was almost as big as the downstairs. We had the absolute best time in there and look forward to the next visit to this awesome antique store and the wonderful ladies running it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c12031ef-0c7c-4336-b6fc-f2e631fe82f6/A+Robin+found+at+Ridgefield+Wildlife+Preserve+in+RIdgefield%2C+Washington Blog - Local Day Trips-Oregon and Washington - This Common Robin was taking a break from his worming duties to pose for this particular shot. My Nikon P1000 is an excellent camera for this kind of photography. But, it isn’t the fastest camera in the world to operate and its battery can run down quickly if you’re constantly zooming in and out. If I know that I’ll be using this camera allot, then I bring all 10 of the batteries I have for it. Fortunately, as in many instance in my photo taking history, I lucked out and this Robin posed just long enough for me to get this shot before flying away. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/rye-dover-amp-london monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0d90fcec-0e5f-4059-909d-2bea50c09395/The+view+from+the+observation+floor+of+the+Spinnaker+Tower%2C+Portsmouth%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Within Portsmouth, and its tallest structure, is the Spinnaker Tower. Standing 170 meters or, 560 feet, you can see all of Portsmouth and the waterways that lead up to the different births for ships. You can see the tower from 23 miles away. There is an abundance of things to see in this historic town that you should take advantage of but allow yourself the appropriate amount of time. This was meant to be a half day trip and had I researched anything at all about this town, I would’ve allotted more time for it. I’m glad we made this a little side trip, but the photography ops alone should have been spread out over 2 or 3 days, not a morning trip. But I got what I could and I look forward to the time when we can go back and do this town some photographic justice. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3adf4cc1-adfa-4348-a77b-7c70f1784919/Rye+Castle%2C+Rye%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Continuing East on England’s South Coast, I decided, while planning this trip, to book a place to stay for a couple nights in Rye, England. We stayed at the Little Saltcoat B&B. A lovely B&B ran by a wonderful, Scottish couple who were so helpful, informative and accommodating that I highly recommend staying there. The breakfasts they serve will definitely fill you up for a day of sightseeing. All home made and made to order. Brilliant! Editor’s Note: Pictured to the left is NOT a B&B called, Little Saltcoat. This is a castle in Rye that you can tour, but not stay at in any capacity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f4191d7f-d182-421a-934a-49bda395dbb0/The+HMS+Warrior+sits+in+the+historic+Portsmouth+Dockyard+in+Portsmouth%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - So from our last stay, traveling South from Stonehenge, we stopped off in Portsmouth, England. Now you could easily spend a few days here and get a history lesson on British maritime activities, defending both from the sea and land. All sorts of tours that you can take that can last a couple of hours or more, depending on how you’re equipped to take in loads of information. Most tours are self-guided. The folks that work, or volunteer, in the Historic Dockyard are so well versed in its history that, most likely, there isn’t a question you can ask them, about said history, that would remain unanswered. Pictured to the left, the H.M.S. Warrior. The Warrior and her sister ship, H.M.S Black Prince, were the two original, iron-plated and iron-hulled warships. The Warrior was built for the Royal Navy from 1859-1860. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9f70d566-99a6-45fc-b812-3f4d6da5c0a6/Buckingham+Palace%2C+London%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Here we are at the end, and beginning, of our journey together. London is a town for virtually everyone. From antiques, to the current style of almost anything, you can find it in London. Just the art galleries and museums alone would be worth dedicating a week to. You can walk through Hyde Park, come out to Buckingham Palace, pictured left, and continue on from there. If you go by foot, I highly recommend that option, have a map and a pair of the most treadful and comfortable walking shoes you can possibly find. Yes, I just made up my own word, so? Anyway, there are plenty of places to take a load off and get a lovely beverage, maybe some food to re-energize and off you pop again! By the time you get back to where you lie your head…you WILL be spent. A good kind of spent, but spent nonetheless. If you’re feet are really tired, try mass transit… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3536eebe-465a-4763-b6ca-15cb4ce2c9c0/White+Cliffs+of+Dover%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Dover. Allot can be said about the beauty of England, the history of England, but one of the most iconic places you will go to within England’s borders is the White Cliffs of Dover. These chalk cliffs are stark in their contrast to the blues of the ocean and sky. You can walk right up to the very edges, although I would not recommend that, and gaze for miles along the coastline and, depending on where exactly you are, you can be on the cliffs and see France. A beautiful place to visit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f276d13b-c195-433f-87bf-82bbb0e7c29d/Exterior+of+Dover+Castle%2C+Dover%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Dover Castle. Established in the 11th century and, because of its placement, was lauded as one of the principle defenses from attacks by sea. It is an incredible castle to explore and there is allot to behold. Unfortunately I did not have a drone with me, but if you look up aerial shots of this castle, you’ll see what I mean. Those that make these decisions, like which castle in England is/was the biggest, have said that Dover Castle is the biggest in England…but, Windsor Castle also lays claim to that factoid. One may never know who wins that tug-o-war…but going there and seeing these places is one way to figure it out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/453a3e93-1756-4148-9a5a-0b9b82b9bfce/One+of+many+cozy+walkways+through+the+town+of+Rye%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - Rye became a bit of a fascination for me as we walked along its streets. You never knew where you were going to quite end-up while you were strolling along. You could come across these beautiful, cobble stoned, walkways that weave in and out these slightly graded paths. Or, you could walk around a bend and be in a tunnel that, at its other end, looks out onto something completely different. There are fun little cafe’s as well as a few restaurants to grab lunch and dinner options. There is even an antique store that we stumbled upon whilst strolling. Our B&B was sort of on the outskirts of the town and you had to cross a bridge to get to it, so, we would set out on foot and no matter where we ended up, we always knew which way to head to get back to that bridge. Unless you’re popping off to somewhere outside of Rye, I would not recommend that you drive throughout the town. It’s actually easier to navigate on foot. Lots of one way streets that are narrow and some of them lead you out of town. But on foot, it’s a piece of cake! It’s actually fun to purposely get lost in Rye as you’re not quite sure, in a really good way, what you’re going to see or bump into. If you plan a trip to Rye…and why wouldn’t you, there is allot to photograph and the town streets and walkways are no exception. In the Summer, you’ll find allot of people there so be prepared. We went, you guessed it, in the Autumn and it was fine populous-wise. I really would not bother with a tripod in this town. Too many chances for other folks to kick it, trip on it and, depending on when you go, traffic may be heavy in Rye and you may have to move your tripod out of the way of vehicles, repeatedly. Hand held shots will be fine and, if you didn’t want to use a 35mm camera, your cell phone would also work well here. I used both, but that’s just me. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d2241b8f-59cc-497a-8525-873f2f94fa40/One+of+two+Roman+Lighthouses+in+Dover%2C+at+Dover+Castle%2C+Dover%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - When I say that England is steeped in history…I ain’t kidding! The photo to the left has Dover Castle in the background and 1, of 2, Roman Lighthouse in the foreground. Britain claims a couple of things with this item. First, it claims it to be the tallest and most complete standing Roman structure in England. It also claims that it is the oldest structure in Britain. This lighthouse was constructed in the early 2nd century. Visiting this castle could be an all day affair, if you let it. Bring water, snacks, something to keep those brain cells cooking for all that intel coming in of England’s history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/184c9eab-7b86-478a-9a1c-27951c19b689/The+Victoria+and+Albert+Museum%2C+London%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - The photo on the left is of the Victoria and Albert Museum. Just one of many museums that you can visit and be staggered with what lies inside. So much history to be had. London should probably be a trip unto itself. And unless you had a month, you most likely won’t get to see half of it. But what you will see, and what you take away from it will hopefully last you a long time. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/74d77d57-8006-4642-97d0-7d0fc55f464d/The+River+Thames%2C+Big+Ben%2C+Palace+of+Westminster+and+Westminster+Bridge%2C+London%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - There is a lovely experience to be had, in London, that can help take a load off. They have what is called, The London Eye. It is a rather large Ferris wheel-type apparatus that has these pods, instead of bench seats, that you and a bunch of other people can cram into and, once at the top, you can see lovely views of London. To the left, there is Westminster Bridge, Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster and, of course, the River Thames. Now, much to our disappointment, Big Ben and a portion of Westminster Palace were covered for repairs. Well for me, Big Ben kinda makes this shot. Otherwise, what do you recognize? Big Ben is iconic and is in virtually every photo essay involving London. Oh well, we soldier on and Big Ben is not going anywhere and will be there on our next visit. We had no time for London Bridge, either, so I got some ground to make up upon our return. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/32e08937-5365-47f2-8cb3-c0c48f6423b2/A+statue+of+Sir+Winston+Churchill%2C+London%2C+England Blog - Portsmouth, Rye, Dover & London - So, the photo to the left is of, of course, Sir Winston Churchill. There isn’t enough space to talk about this man and his legacy to England. But I will give a couple of quotes from Mr. Churchill that I believe are relevant, and important, to this day. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.” Whatever your endeavors are, those are strong words to live by. “We make a living by what we got, but we make a life by what we give.” Giving of ourselves is a necessity in life. Whatever shape that may take, it is necessary. You can interpret that any way you wish. Traveling and giving to people in other parts of the world can be a rewarding experience. This last quote, I sort of apply it to traveling. “This is not time for ease and comfort. It is time to dare and endure.” You have to roll up your sleeves, get dirty and fly out of your comfort zone. This is a metaphor to apply to almost any aspect of life. Out of my comfort zone is going off the beaten path, traveling to places I’ve never been to before and diving headfirst. 2022 is going to be a good travel year and it starts fairly soon. Going to a few places here in the States and capturing some memories. I’ve done my research and we will have a ball going to new places! Xmas may hold a trip as well…you never know. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/england-the-cotwolds-dover-and-london monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ebd1809f-f7e7-4bd2-8363-2b130b2e0eae/Pubs%2Feateries+and+gift+shops+line+the+main+street+running+through+the+town+of+Bourton-on-the-Water+in+England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London Whilst playing tourist, we drove into the town of Bourton-on-the-Water within the Cotswolds. A delightful town with some very photogenic scenery. I mainly focused on allot of the structures within the town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/99751213-dd3d-46d8-a8d7-48f6e65bf12b/20180926_113128+better.jpg Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - The Roman Baths, in Bath, are really the coolest thing ever. This is one of those places, for me anyway, I can close my eyes and envision what it might have been like, all those centuries ago, to bathe in those baths, the smell of sulfur hanging heavy in the air. The history is so interesting to read as you go throughout the baths. They even have people in costume, from Roman times, walking about and can answer most questions you may have about that era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8daa1434-e75c-4e5b-991a-8139103f9b42/A+residence+within+the+town+of+Bourton-on-the-Water+in+England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - As you can see, although is isn’t a thatched-roof cottage, Bourton-on-the-Water has some of the most photogenic properties in England. You really must go and, if for no other reason, they have a place that you can, for a nominal fee, self-tour and it is a scale replica of the town of Bourton-on-the-Water. Take notice of all the structures you see within the town and then tour that place! All the buildings will be there. Scale people, animals and buildings. Squat down at one of the churches, peer into one of the windows and see a vicar giving a sermon to his followers. If you are a fan of art, then this replica that was painstakingly put together of the entire town is worth seeing! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5c630415-0fc2-4c2f-87f7-7450f60ab5af/Bodiam+Castle%2C+East+Sussex%2C++England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - After a visit to Stonehenge, we took a jaunt to Bodiam Castle in East Sussex, England. Sitting near Robertsbridge, this castle was built in 1385 and remains one of very few, if not the last remaining castle in England, to be completely surrounded by a mote. There is a bridge to the front of the castle that crosses the mote and you can tour, self-guided, around the inside. There is no keep, so there are different passages to explore and there are people on hand to answer any questions you may have about the castle. Anytime you can go a little out of your way, if not directly plan for, visiting a castle and learning about the 5 W’s behind the structure, then I suggest you don’t walk, but run, to as many as time allows you! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8f798710-ff5a-4558-8c8b-0eff3e7470b5/One+of+many%2C+like+examples+of+the+types+of+churches+you%27ll+see+when+visiting+the+Cotswolds%2C+England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - The Cotswolds in England hold much of the ambience that England has to offer. Allot of the photos you see in magazines, of all types, that have to do with cottage life and thatched-roof cottages, have been taken in the Cotswolds. Towns, and ones that I might refer to as hamlets, are abundant and are so lovely and quaint that you cannot help but to capture the scenes with whatever device you have. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/498b24ac-0441-41de-a6e7-2e79ae48358c/Stonehenge%2C+England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - In leaving Bath for our next destination, we had to make a stop at the mysterious and ancient Stonehenge. A couple of things here, both have to do with time. Plan on being there a few minutes before they open for the tours. Tours are self-guided however, there are buses that you must take out toward the stone monoliths. Once they drop everyone off, then it is self guided from there on out. You can circle the entire place, as they no longer allow folks to go up and touch the stones, it is roped off, making for a perimeter that goes all the way around the stones. You can’t see the perimeter in the photo to the left because I got into my Photoshop program and took it out. The morning was really foggy around the stones and made for a dramatic black and white. The weather also lent to the mysteriousness of the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/53882100-1f42-4cf1-9117-69ed53e0b437/The+aptly+named%2C+Bath+Cathedral+in+Bath%2C+England Blog - England: The Cotwolds, Dover and London - In making our way further South, we stopped in the town of Bath in England. Bath is a really nice, bigger town than the last few that I discussed. Bath Cathedral, pictured left, is not to be missed. But even more than that, historically speaking, is what comes next… https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/the-lake-district-and-lincoln-england monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3815aede-ebdc-44ee-8751-0ce8e7f59a56/Interior%2C+outer+wall+inside+Lincoln+Cathedral%2C+Lincoln%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - An interior wall inside Lincoln Cathedral https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e6bf5b2d-2a47-4417-aad3-214201486965/A+coffin+platform%2C+on+the+Coffin+Trail%2C+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Well, you’re in luck! You can bring your beloved family member, already inside the coffin of your choice, usually made by the family from scrap wood, and you place it in the ox-cart, or horse driven, and you take them to the nearest coffin platform. These were conceived so that the dead could be picked-up, usually by the nearest church, and given a proper burial. Sometimes the dead would have to stay on the platform for several days before a cart would pick them up. Weather was a big delay for these pick-ups. Quite a nice service of the churches that were too far away from the confides of a village. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/83a4f02f-c8ec-40d0-9a0b-53dc10fadb33/A+lovely+street+lined+with+shops+in+Barnard%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - On the way to Lincoln, we stopped off in the little town of Barnard, England. There were quaint little shops and cool looking pubs that lined the some of the main streets within the town. We didn’t really partake in any of them as we wanted to see one thing in particular. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1c4cffcd-8189-45d8-91d6-8198b173d15b/Lincoln+Cathedral+looming+over+the+streets+of+Lincoln%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Our final stop, Lincoln, England. We only spent one night here and it’s one of those places that I wished we had more time in. Even at night, sometimes especially at night, the streets are pretty cool to walk in and, for me, the vibe can be quite different. There is quite allot to see and, I will plead some ignorance, I didn’t quite research it enough to get a real feel for what is there. But what we did see was pretty cool. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/824fbe7c-493b-483a-97fd-9d44ab984074/The+remains+of+Barnard+Castle%2C+Barnard%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - This place is why we made a quick stop in Barnard, England. The remains of Barnard Castle. Barnard Castle went through many changes in the latter part of the 10th century, In the last parts of the 12th century, the stone foundations were laid for what is the remnants you see today. If you were to look at a rendering of how the castle looked in its heyday, you would see it had fairly expansive grounds withing the walls surrounding them. The castle overlooks the River Tees as you’ll see below right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/61bd2f6d-f6d7-491f-8436-8e0652e34942/Bridge+spanning+the+River+Tees+to+Barnard+Castle%2C+Barnard%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - This bridge that crosses the River Tees and takes you to Barnard Castle was constructed sometime in the 14th century. A refurbishment occurred in 1596. There doesn’t seem to be a proper name for it although, depending on who you ask, it could be called Tees Bridge, since it crosses the River Tees, or, it might be referred to as, County Bridge, since it’s on boundary between County Durham and Yorkshire. No matter the name, this view from the castle grounds of this river crossing is stunning and you can almost imagine no homes and land as far as the eye can see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e67f58e3-20a8-4e82-9d59-e0e7f5183ba8/Interior+corridor+housing+cells+in+Lincoln+Prison%2C+within+the+walls+of+Lincoln+Castle%2C+Lincoln%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Some of the interior housing inmate cells within Lincoln prison. The cells were small and housed up to 4 prisoners and often ran over populated. Touring the cells, it was interesting to see the names of some of the inmates, as scribbled by the inmates themselves, on some of the walls and in 3 or 4 instances I could read some of the dates that ranged from the 1800s. If you were executed at the prison, you were buried outside the prison, but within the walls of the castle, in an unmarked grave. We saw approximately 10 to 12 of them. Not even after paying their debts in full, by being hanged, gets their name on a stone marker. And for you fans of British TV and movies, for the series, Downton Abbey, the prison scenes featuring, Mr. Bates, were filmed here at Lincoln Prison. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9390c650-8c10-43b0-ace4-b5ec502a2334/The+magnificent+interior+of+Lincoln+Cathedral%2C+Lincoln%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Lincoln Cathedral has a long history that is worth reading about. In 1072 the foundations were laid for the cathedral and in 1092 it was completed. The Magna Carta, only 4 original copies exist to this day and all four are in England, one of which was housed in Lincoln Cathedral and is now on permanent loan to Lincoln Castle. If you’re too young to know what the Magna Carta is, you should really read about it. The historical aspects of this document are incredible and are even in-bedded in the development of the original 13 colonies of the United States. Fascinating and very old history. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f8b1a25e-1175-4927-aeec-f3a6a1775ec0/The+exercise+yard+behind+the+prison+inside+the+walls+of+Lincoln+Castle Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Lincoln Castle is a major Norman castle and was constructed in the late 11th century by William the Conqueror. A Gregorian prison was constructed within the walls of the castle in 1787 and a Victorian wing was added and used from 1848-1878. A new Lincoln prison was opened and the one within the castle walls is no longer used. However, the court still uses Lincoln Castle for case trials. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e54d6937-39b1-471a-8553-480476a6ff85/One+of+many+like+scenes+of+lush%2C+green+pastures+and+hillsides+along+the+Coffin+Trail+in+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - There are a great many scenes, like the one to the left, that appear on the Coffin Trail in the Lake District. Even on an overcast day like it was then, just beautiful scenic vistas abound. Sometimes there are farm-type animals in the scene, sometimes farm-type structures or rock walls, other times it’s just the grass and trees. Whatever the case, you have to envision, let your mind do the walking, living in these areas with no, “Roads,” to speak of. Living miles away from the nearest village, or hamlet, and then one day, the unfortunate happens and you suddenly lose a family member. Well, you have an ox-cart but it’s a long way to go, taking days, to get to a town with your beloved family member… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6e3c0e7b-b50b-4728-96b7-226ca4e0c217/The+remains+of+a+stone+cottage+on+the+Coffin+Trail%2C+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - This is another scene that you will experience along the Coffin Trail. This structure was a stone cottage, most likely a farm house of sorts, that had easy access to water and would have had plenty of access to wood with the forest that would have existed back in the 14th or 15th centuries. The trail was approximately 10 miles in duration and we went all 10 miles. We got caught in a hardcore rain storm that dumped sheets for about 30 minutes. Most of what we wore was waterproof so we didn’t get too wet, but we would have to find trees to get under as the raindrops were huge and just pelted you in an uncomfortable way. Farm structures and more modern looking farm houses we saw and we stopped in a town and took advantage of the coffee/pastry shop they had and got out of the rain, as many others did, and warmed-up with a cuppa and a sugary snack. By the time we got back to Crow House, we were pretty spent. Wouldn’t have known about any of the things we saw unless we took the road less traveled, the Coffin Trail, and we enjoyed every moment of it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f6f15331-d212-478b-97b8-7f6bb90468ba/The+view+from+the+castle+walls+of+Lincoln+Castle%2C+Lincoln+Cathedral%2C+Lincoln+England Blog - The Lake District and Lincoln, England - Lincoln Cathedral is large and looming. This shot was from a particular point in walking around the wall that surrounds Lincoln Castle. It affords one some lovely views of the town and some of the countryside that surrounds it. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/oban-scotland-and-northern-england monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fe9656e9-7a47-4d09-aa00-d971067c0daa/Low+tide Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - On our way South from the Highlands, we made a quick stop in Oban, Scotland. This is a pretty little seaside town with great, old architecture, beautiful sea views and wonderful food and drink. If you are a Scotch Whiskey connoisseur, then Oban is the place for you. Oban distills their own whiskey and, of course, you can tour the facility and have tastings afterwards. I will have a food photo to post once I get into filling my new food area of this blog. After Oban, we drove to Stirling, Scotland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9168fce6-dddc-47c9-8565-5eb53aa686a5/A+view+from+Crow+House+B%26B%2C+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - In the above photo, if you were facing Crow House and you turned a quarter turn to the left, the picture to the left is the scene you would see. All the different shades of green after a rain, just beautiful. My wife and I had a discussion and we were both of the same conclusion…if we were to retire tomorrow, we could easily see ourselves living out the rest of our days in the Lake District. Extraordinary beauty for as far as your eye can see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/906941e8-edca-44c8-9d40-a9e10288d1fa/Stirling+Bridge%2C+Stirling%2C+Scotland Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - We drove to Stirling to get a little bit of a history lesson of events that took place during William Wallace’s tenure in fighting the British during their attempted takeover of Scotland. The weather, as you can see to the right, was nothing but bright gray skies and rain. It wasn’t a kind day for photography and there weren’t very many shots taken in this city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/99c8c56e-506b-402b-999e-f3612ef29231/Crow+House+B%26B+in+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - Here is the rare plug, maybe not so rare, of a place where we stayed in the Lake District. The owners were so wonderfully nice and informative about the places to go see and photograph. The Lake District is full of hiking trails. In the area in which we stayed, there were several to choose from and we told about one, in particular, called the Coffin Trail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ff29604e-9c94-4e0f-b4d7-0ffb2fc8299e/Crow+House+B%26B%2C+the+Lake+District%2C+England Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - This is the front of Crow House B&B. If I’m not mistaken, our room was above the dining room. There were beautiful, lush green, farm land where sheep, ducks and geese ate and rested. And after a rain, everything looked fresh and very photogenic. I don’t mind clouds, in fact, I prefer a little drama in my shots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/34b13e33-57c1-4fda-be31-0da7ea124b05/A+statue+of+Robert+the+Bruce+in+Stirling%2C+Scotland Blog - Oban & Stirling Scotland and Northern England - Near the monument to William Wallace, in Stirling, was a big statue of Robert the Bruce. Robert the Bruce was King of Scotland from 1306 until his death in 1329. The 2 reasons for stopping in Stirling were Stirling Bridge, because William Wallace won a big battle against the English at this location and, to see the William Wallace monument. We drove up to a rather large hill and at the top of it, shrouded in fog and hidden from view, was the tower to said monument. I couldn’t even get a clear shot of the statue of William Wallace that was halfway up the tower wall. For a nominal fee, you could climb to the top of the tower for the grand view of Stirling and the surrounding land…in our case, the view of a giant fog bank with zero visibility. We opted out of the climb to the top. From Stirling, we drove to the Lake District in Northern England. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/scotland-part-iii-more-highlands monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f38f1d59-f281-411c-a3c6-665431771031/Eilean+Donan+Castle+in+the+western+Highlands+of+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands - Located in the western Highlands of Scotland, at the confluence of 3 sea lochs, is Eilean Donan Castle. Originally constructed in the 13th century, it was the victim of many attacks, through many uprisings in Scotland’s history, with the final blow being in the 17th century. The castle you see today is a 20th century reconstruction. But being there and looking at, and up at it, you would think it was much older than that. There is nothing but water surrounding it and that, it my humble opinion, makes it a perfect place to live! The majestic Highlands surrounding the water’s edge, the brilliance of the silence and the sound of the lapping current against the island on which this beautiful castle sits. I have never had a standard, run o’ the mill imagination. I could stand in the inner courtyard of this castle, close my eyes and imagine what life was like back in the days of feet and horses being the only transport, far more forested lands and hamlets and villages scattered throughout. I hold a place special, in my mind and heart, that gives me a moment of pause to where I can imagine it as it was centuries ago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1646351953863-JNO4E76F9BMLH72YB56B/20180912_160738+better.jpg Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1646352025480-4CGYM28WI4PIWPDARQIO/20180915_123804+better1.jpg Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1646352064232-X90N1SSYY28QAB55LMFI/20180915_141801+better1.jpg Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1646352160996-HEDWMCEWCU0VK9G0RB9B/20180917_124823+better1.jpg Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a945b817-c5f0-483b-adee-9f68bcf9ac7f/St.+Mary%27s+and+St.+Finnan+Catholic+Church%2C+overlooking+Loch+Shiel%2C+in+the+Highlands+of+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands - Between 1870 and 1872, St. Mary’s and St. Finnan Catholic Church was erected. Its Gothic design over looks Loch Shiel in the western Highlands of Scotland. Even on an overcast day, the beauty of this part of Scotland almost brings a tear to one’s eye. And I know for a fact that the beauty this place holds cannot be described. It just can’t. It is something you have to partake in and bear witness to. The quietness, if you go in the Autumn, coupled with the scenery, closing one’s eyes…it’s moving. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6d659802-42ed-4c96-b37f-80cf51ab6e5b/Glen+Finnan+Viaduct%2C+railroad+viaduct+in+Inverness-shire+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands - This is the Glen Finnan Viaduct. A 180 degree turn from the Glen Finnan Monument gives you a view of this viaduct. This is a railroad viaduct that carries the West Highland Line and was built 1897 to 1901. What brings this place to the attention of the world is, it is the same viaduct and train line that takes all the wizards to Hogwarts Academy in the Harry Potter movies. To my chagrin, we had just missed the train going across the viaduct by mere seconds. I just got to see the tail-end of the train and the smoke stack steam billowing out of the treeline. One day we will go back and I will capture that train going across that viaduct… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a4020caf-7d23-4887-b4ba-dba15dd1ce70/Glen+Finnan+Monument+overlooking+Loch+Shiel+in+the+western+Highlands+of+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part III: More Highlands - Not a very far walk, a quarter mile at best, from the catholic church mentioned above, is the Glen Finnan Monument. This monument is in honor of Bonnie Prince Charlie. In 1745 a Jacobite uprising began on these shores of loch Shiel where Prince Charles Edward Stuart raised his banners. 70 years later, this monument was erected to remember that event. The view was again, staggering. From the waterline to the place we hiked up to to get this shot, no bad shots to be had anywhere. And, this is home to another item that has been in movies that have entertained bazillions of people, virtually everywhere… https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/scotland-the-highlands monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a0b4bfb4-0a52-426b-bcac-77d57f0e04aa/One+of+many+views+of+Loch+Ness+in+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part II: The Highlands - Situated just South of the Highlands of Scotland is the infamous Loch Ness. In the Autumn, as when we went, the weather can dramatically effect the various nuances of the loch. As the air is still, mirrors occur on the water that reflect what is in the air and gives you a window to view certain depths of the loch. Conversely, when the wind picks-up, white caps can appear on top of the loch and currents get a little fierce. By surface area, Loch Lammond is the largest loch in Scotland. Loch Ness is the largest loch in Scotland by water volume, making it the deepest loch in Scotland and measuring, in its deepest part, 755 feet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d943ea5f-4dde-47b4-9801-d56c44cc82c7/Ruins+of+Urquhart+Castle%2C+on+Loch+Ness%2C+Highlands+of+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part II: The Highlands - Dating back to the 13th century, Urquhart Castle, pictured on the right, played a role in the Wars of Scotland Independence. There is an information center that has a model of the complete castle as it stood back in the day and the additional history behind it is really interesting. From a photographic stand point, what’s not to like here? It almost doesn’t matter what the weather is like, bright, sunny and still, or, cloudy, brooding with whitecaps on the water, you just can’t go wrong. They make filters for phones now so if that’s your mode of capturing images, bring a polarizing filter to avoid heavy contrast conditions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/74466c2c-7664-4811-96fc-4bec361dbfc9/A+quaint%2C+B%26B+in+Drumnadrochit%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part II: The Highlands - Just a little more than a mile West of Urquhart Castle lies the town of Drumnadrochit. This is the area that I chose for us to stay as a good point between the Highlands and cities that we wanted to visit. During the Spring and Summer months, I’m sure this little town gets crowded as they have a rather large percentage of the retail shops in town dedicating allot of their surplus to Loch Ness and the infamous, “Nessie,” allegedly living therein. This quaint little B&B was run by a couple that was sort of split on the future. The wife wanted to sell the biz and retire, the husband loved what he did in running the B&B. If I had to wager, I would say it was no longer in their hands and they sold it off. They could not have been any kinder, friendlier or accommodating and they helped make our stay there memorable. They even gave us little nuggets of info about where certain things are that not allot of tourists know about. I will say this also. This B&B served breakfast. Even a traditional English breakfast that contains allot of food. It was all delicious as well. But for your next two meals, you were on your own. And, when the market in this wee town closes, so too closes your last hope of getting something to eat. That may be a drawback for some of you…I call it conditioning and, not to be taken lightly, it forces one to get out and go places to eat, talk to folks about their country and get some one on one with locals. You can gather a vast amount of info in this process. And you might make new friends…a win win in my book! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/scotland monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/59fa488f-918d-420c-8b6f-1238f43c9720/A+last+view+of+England+before+crossing+over+into+Scotland+via+railway Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - I’m going to jump ahead here, our first stay was in London and I will put that at the back end of this discussion for uniformity reasons. After our stay in London, we hopped a train to Edinburgh, Scotland. The photo to the left is of one of the last English towns before entering Scotland. The train ride is about 4 hours in length, give or take, and go through some lovely farm land and, at times, you can see the ocean. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1e35b78c-88ef-428c-a54f-a91704a357ff/St.+Cuthbert%27s+Church+and+Edinburgh+as+seen+from+Edinburgh+Castle Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - Another perspective from the grounds of Edinburgh Castle. The photo to the right is of St. Cuthbert’s Church and the city of Edinburgh. The first recordings from St. Cuthbert’s Church was in the early 1100’s. Also, on the grounds of the castle are several cannons that were used for defense, back in the day and, you can tour the inside of the castle as well and learn about Robert the Bruce and other notable Scottish figures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c1f77308-07bf-4dc8-820c-4333df85e7a2/The+National+Monumnet+of+Scotland+on+Calton+Hill%2C+Edinburgh%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - Also, on Calton Hill, is the National Monument of Scotland. This was raised in memory of those Scottish sailors and soldiers that died in the Napoleonic Wars. This monument was modeled after the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. There has been controversy involved with this particular monument and that it was never completed. Construction began in 1826 and, due to lack of funds, ended in 1829. Nicknames began to appear like, “Scotland’s Folly, Edinburgh’s Disgrace, the Pride and Poverty of Scotland, and Edinburgh’s Folly.” Still, on Calton Hill, you get a wonderful view of Edinburgh, the port that resides therein, beautiful architecture and Scottish history almost everywhere. We spent a couple of days here and were constantly on the move, couldn’t get enough but, sadly, it was time for us to pick-up our rental car and head North…toward the Highlands of Scotland. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/eca56cec-3eea-4534-8b32-7cebdfb1c361/THe+backside+of+Edinburgh+Castle%2C+Ediburgh%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - This shot is of is of the backside of Edinburgh Castle. It looks more like an rather well to do English Estate, rather than a castle from this perspective. The grounds and the view from the grounds, castle level, were quite stunning. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/88fcb181-dc9e-4104-9b6c-3a0da294ec09/Beginning+the+hike+up+to+Edinburgh+Castle Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - If you know anything about England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland, you know that there is a long and rich history to these places and they have a plethora of castles, abbeys, churches and other structures, some intact, others just in remains, that chronical allot of the history that you’ll find on these islands. Edinburgh Castle, to the right and below, is one such place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/901f3843-16ab-4a6d-80fa-327d1e4751c0/Dugald+Stewart+Monument+on+Calton+Hill+in+Edinburgh%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - Also on Calton Hill is the Dugald Stewart Monument. Stewart was a Scottish philosopher (1753-1828), a professor at the University of Edinburgh, he held a chair of Moral Philosophy from 1786 until his death in 1828. I wanted to post this photo so that a different perspective could be seen of the city of Edinburgh with, this time, Edinburgh Castle now in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/af6cb5e9-9922-4761-bd80-fb59c8caa1a2/Another+view+from+the+grounds+of+Edinburgh+Castle%2C+the+city+of+Edinburgh%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - Another view from the grounds of Edinburgh Castle. If you can see in the distance, almost dead center, there are a couple of structures atop another hill that we walked to after visiting the castle. We do like getting around on foot, you see so much when you travel with your own two feets! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/13fd8587-9ef1-40dc-bea4-6fb743552f49/The+Nelson+Monument+atop+Calton+Hill%2C+Edinburgh%2C+Scotland Blog - Scotland Part 1: Edinburgh - As mentioned above, that hill in the background I wanted you to focus on is called, Calton Hill. On this particular hill are several buildings, 3 of which I will tell you about. The one pictured to the right is the Nelson Monument. It was erected in the memory of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson and his victory over the Spanish and French fleets in the Battle of Trafalgar. Admiral Nelson also died in that battle. At the time of our visit, late in the afternoon, the tower was closed but, it does have hours in which it is open so that visitors can climb to the top for some remarkable views of Edinburgh. Don’t quote me, but I believe there is something like 237 steps to the top, or a number thereabouts…a thigh buster to be sure! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/north-central-oregon monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/935239fe-e44b-43af-a746-235210507991/Abandoned+out+buildings+in+Maupin%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - I didn’t quite start off free styling on this trip. I was researching, Ghost Towns, in the region in which I live. To my surprise, and glee, there are quite a few. Between Oregon and Washington, there are many old structures, machines, vehicles and other things, some of which are still in excellent condition, that equate to the history of the area. If you drive on Interstate 84 in Oregon and you take the exit marked for, The Dalles, and you head South, there is a remarkable amount of things/places to photograph that exist to mark certain eras in this region. The photo to the left is a structure, among a few others, that are right off the side of the road you find yourself on, heading South from The Dalles, that make up a former farmstead in Maupin, Oregon. Mind you, it is private property, I’ve been to this location twice now and I’ve taken my share of photos. You could probably go into these structures but I would not recommend it, in fact, I discourage any of that can of business. There is a respect issue as well as a safety issue. Folks have been allowed, to a certain extent, to be on the property and photograph the various structures that currently stand. I have never had anyone question my presence at that site. But I have never thought of going any further than that and entering into any of those structures. You could get injured due to the age of the structure and not knowing how stout the structure is and, it clearly stated, No Trespassing. It could also ruin any other photographers from being able to shoot these awesome structures. Be respectful and ensure the area is left open for others to enjoy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a8ba0c6d-fb42-4007-8bbf-42634b02d773/Main+structure+on+a+former+and+abandoned+farnstead+in+Maupin%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - I post this photo to illustrate, in the middle left of the photo, how close this farmstead is to the road. This is the main structure on the farmstead and is pretty much in decent shape, as far as old structures from the early 19th century go. There is a magnificent waterfall not too far from here, but I will get into that another time in another post. After getting the shots I needed here, I traveled farther South to see what else I could find. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/75dfd4e5-3d4b-41c1-a001-3e04599960b1/Abandoned+garage+in+Antelope%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - Just another example of how little there is left in Antelope. Oregon. Lots of, “Former,” buildings within the town. No detectable businesses, just a few residences. Interesting to be sure, but a little sad as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5282cdec-b82c-464a-a4f3-e2d337afcf22/Part+of+a+Living+Museum+in+Dufur%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - So in Dufur there is a Living Museum. Folks dress-up in traditional garb for the period and they walk around this area and discuss, with visitors, how life was back in the day and how they survived and what tools were used, etc. The day I was there, no one was out within their Living Museum. But cool stuff to photograph in any event, this old schoolhouse being one such structure. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/863e339c-099f-4e26-ba24-69dbaf030fcf/Old+Jail+Wagon+from+Shaniko%2C+Oregon. Blog - North Central Oregon - South of Maupin is Shaniko, Oregon. Shaniko is, and has been, classified as a ghost town. There are several structures that are excellent, intact and very photogenic. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/986ac0b2-ff26-40ed-9ede-5a5345abad42/Old+Shaniko+Fire+Engine%2C+Shaniko%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - I enjoyed photographing this old fire engine in Shaniko. This is one of several vintage cars/trucks that are within the town. All very photogenic. How you shoot them is certainly decided with the help of the current weather. I had bright, sunlight the morning I was there so there wasn’t allot of reason to shoot with anything other than a fast shutter speed. If your subject was in shade and bright light, then you had to find a happy medium and do some post-processing magic to help with the shadier parts of the scene. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/18d50352-ece6-429d-b84f-41b5c927326b/Large+barn+within+the+Shaniko%2C+Oregon+ghost+town+of+Shaniko. Blog - North Central Oregon - This barn within Shaniko was a wonderful discovery for me. The next photo (below) is why this true. It takes a little imagination to come-up with a unique photo out of something simple. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2dbd4e22-c153-4e7f-8c83-1fd2f55c2e5c/Row+of+seats%2C+from+a+building+no+longer+existing%2C+at+the+Shaniko+Barn%2C+Shaniko%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - These seats were on the left side of the barn in the photo above. With a little trickery, post-processing, I got what was a bright, overly contrasted sky in the background, to look ominous and foreboding. This is something that I am learning about, this post-processing business, and I’m finding that I’m enjoying the changes I can make within the boundaries of a photograph. The photographs that you see in just about any format, you can almost bank on the fact that it, the photo, has gone through some sort of post-processing artistry. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/456a7a84-7c5a-490a-8d80-2475918c4aad/Antelope%2C+Oregon++Abandoned+school Blog - North Central Oregon - I free-styled my way further South and came to the town, and not much of one, of Antelope, Oregon. I will let you research, if you don’t already know, what put Antelope, Oregon, on the map. But after everything was all said and done, it left the town a former version of itself. It does not exude prosperity. There are some abandoned buildings that are worthy of shooting, but it was a little depressing, a negative vibe that I didn’t necessarily enjoy. The photo to the left is very indicative of the vibe that you might feel if you go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c0b13f7e-0275-4114-85fb-3d739546e727/An+old%2C+disheveled+home+in+Dufur%2C+Oregon Blog - North Central Oregon - On my way back to Interstate-84, I stopped in the town of Dufur, Oregon. It holds quite allot of historical significance for this area of Oregon around The Dalles. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f26d471e-da4d-47c7-883e-eab1d8ba86cd/A+Dufur+barn+and+Mt.+Hood+in+the+background. Blog - North Central Oregon - The last photo I took on my journey that day was this one. An awesome Dufur barn with Mt. Hood looming in the background. A fitting and final photographic thought, to the day’s captures. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/rome-italy monthly 0.5 2022-04-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9773a855-702a-4a94-bd62-bde2a5df53cf/Interior+of+the+Colosseum%2C+Rome%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - Rome. As iconic a history-laden city as you can get. Photography should happen at all hours of the day. Depending on when you go, sometimes, the only way to get people not in the shot is to take it at dawn, or just before sun-up in the blue hour. Otherwise, people shall be in your shot. The Colosseum is a favorite with ALL visitors and the lines can be long to get into see it. Watch out for scammers who try to get you involved with an underground tour and charge you a 100 bucks, or more. I would certainly recommend that ANY other time of year, other than Summer, would be a great time to go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b4c779a9-56ea-4063-b8d5-90068b433cf2/The+Castello+di+Giulo+II%2C+Astia+Antica%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - Approximately 30 minutes by train, from Rome, you can go to a place named Astia Antica. The castle to the left, the Castellodi di Giulio II, is just a part of this little side trip out of Rome. We were a bit late getting there because of all the time we took in the main Astia Antica location, where ruins abound, and we got turned away for a tour of this particular castle. You’ll see why in a second. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/083cbf64-b627-414e-ac6e-df2066ba0c63/Ruins+in+Astia+Antica%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - Astia Antica is full of ruins. Back in its hay day, it use to be the main port to Rome. Ships would fly in and out with goods to sell in Rome. But, back in those days, ships like those drew the attention of pirates, and other undesirables, and that city change hands more than a hotel room key. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b3b77308-5518-41b9-8223-85b42bb24908/Ruins+in+Astia+Antica%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - The amount of time that you can spend in a photographic blur, or in adult terms, a photogasmic state of being, while you’re walking amongst these ruins is really incredible. Acres of ruins, some of which you can go into, dark halls still intact that only light up, barely, when it’s sunny outside. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/fb4de7e8-beef-4241-a58c-dda2fe7e3139/Arch+of+Constantine%2C+Rome%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - This shot, while standing inside the Colosseum, I turned and snapped of the Arco di Constantine, a Triumphant arch dedicated to the Emperor Constantine the Great. I cannot begin to list, just structures alone, the buildings/ruins you can photograph in the city of Rome. Spectacular presentations of Roman history. So, either plan a longer trip here, or, research and pick 5 things that you have to see before you leave this earthly plain. There is just too much, too many things to see and do and…eat. Food in Rome is lovely and delicious and, if you like beverages made from grapes, then you’re in for a treat! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/941c4a6f-751d-4ad1-a051-b516269537ae/Fountain+located+in+an+un-named+square+in+Rome%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - I thought I’d finish-up with a scene from a rather large fountain, located in a square we were passing through going from Point A to Point B. Art is rather huge in Rome. Paintings, Frescoes and statues abound in Rome and you won’t turn a corner and see some version of that which is listed. Beautifully ornate fountain, with larger than life, characters from Roman and Greek lore, just to mention a few. Plan a trip here to maximize your jump into Italian history, lore and life. Just allow yourself a trip down the road less traveled and see something unique that will do nothing but add to your experience in this beautiful and historical country in Europe. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d09605ec-54a3-4702-96f9-5eaf87507874/Ruins+of+toilets+in+Astia+Antica%2C+Italy Blog - Rome, Italy - Yep, it is what it looks like. These are toilets, ruins of toilets, in Astia Antica. Romans started plumbing, running water, waste management and a host of other things. You too can walk by, aroma free of course, toilets that served men in Astia Antica. But it is interesting as all get out! This was one of the best side trips, that we’ve, ever been on. It was such a score! Photography is stellar and, if you bring the right equipment and take the time, can produce wonderful images! If it is sunny you’ll deal with allot of contrast and will need an ND or polarizing filter to help with all of that, but get there early and expect to be there several hours. The photo of the castle I started with is just a 15 minute walk from the entrance to this former port of Rome. The road less traveled, what a pay off! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/florence-italy monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dcd510a9-18dc-4757-8919-b0d65fe21c25/Top+of+the+Bell+Tower%2C+Florence+Cathedral%2C+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - In the photo above, the left side of the cathedral, is the cathedral’s bell tower. There are 2 places in the city of Florence that can provide you with wonderful vistas of the entire city. The first is the top of the dome of Florence Cathedral, which you can climb up to via many, many steps. The second, the top of the bell tower of Florence Cathedral. My wife and I decided on this view for a few reasons. One, I wanted to photograph a city-scape with the dome of Florence Cathedral in it. Two, by the time we thought about going to the top of the dome, the line was miles long. There was a line for the bell tower but very quick moving. And, I’ve never climbed a bell tower for anything before, so there you have it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/36f361b7-d76c-4d5d-9f02-7e0159642119/Perseus+with+Medusa%27s+head.+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - Outside of the museum, that houses the original statue of David, lies a covered space, and has several statues from different times in history. The one to the right, Perseus with Medusa’s head in-hand after defeating her. This particular statue was created in 1554. The art that you can take advantage of, and free throughout the city, like in the open air, “Museum,” that housed this and many others. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c5e6a45b-cfa1-4fe8-b1d8-87a4bcfbcf4f/Hercules+killing+a+Centaur%2C+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - Another very cool sculpture is this one of Hercules killing a Centaur. Finished in 1599 and sculpted out of a single block of marble, this is further representation of the meaningful sculptures you’ll find in Florence. Not withstanding… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/28bfa924-6d5d-42a2-8916-f6c0b642e068/Duomodi+Firenze%2C+Florence+Cathedral%2C+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - If there is any one thing to link to the city of Florence, it is Duomodi Firenze, formerly Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, or, Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Flower, now Florence Cathedral. There have been movies, television mini-series and the like, made with this structure as a key element. This cathedral took 100 years to build and involved quite a bit of controversy in its time. But the history and how it was built is fascinating and looking at it, from the outside and inside, you can imagine the toil, blood, sweat and tears…and death that had to be endured in the building of this beautiful structure. Read about it, the making of the dome in particular was an engineering marvel for its time. One thing is for sure, the Romans back in their day, they new how to build things that lasted. They were pioneers in so many things that I cannot possibly list it all here. There are too many, but you should research a few of them before you go, just to put you in the mindset of how things were done back in the day in Italy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/323aa3d6-356d-464d-bcd0-ba5bd184d9d8/The+city+of+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - Florence is one of those towns that you can spend a bit of time in and learn a great many things about art, religion, great food and wonderful humans. We spent only a couple of days there and, hindsight being what it is, I wish I had worked our time out differently to spend more time here. There was a particular art gallery that we didn’t get a chance to see that had the statue of David, by Michelangelo, a 17ft. x 6.5 ft. magnificent specimen of art and religion. In the grand scheme of things, the line was so long to get in that we felt if we stood all that time in line then we would be missing out on other things to see. So, I’ll let you savor the view the of Florence. from a particular perch we stood on that I’ll review in just a bit, and imagine yourself way back in the first centuries of this world and how, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” comes to mind when you see some of these magnificent structures and what it took to build them. Florence has one in particular that I’ll share in a bit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/7c6aea83-bc32-4b3b-b953-f81f77eddbf5/Statue+of+David%2C+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - David. Within the same square, a smaller version of David was placed for those to enjoy outside of the museum where the original is housed. Art and religion go hand in hand, within Italy, and Florence is no exception. If you’re an art buff, this is the place for you! If you’re into history, art, architecture, religion, great rustic food and beverage…you gotta see Italy! Don’t walk…RUN…who knows how long parts of Venice will remain above sea level?! There is definitely allot to see and most likely it won’t all get seen in one trip. Plan the best trip you possible with the time you have allotted and see what you can, I’m sure whatever you choose to see will have an impact on your life in some way. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ef7ee2fe-da1f-424c-9e0d-f18ebc7c1086/View+from+the+bell+tower+of+Florence+Cathedral%2C+Florence%2C+Italy Blog - Florence, Italy - Another shot of the city of Florence. Not a bad view to be had anywhere on top of that bell tower. There is so much more to share, but I think that you can get a fairly decent idea of what there is to see and experience in Florence. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/cinque-terre monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6aaa2430-3988-4591-b5fa-b78829aa5366/Corniglia%2C+Italy Blog - Cinque Terre, Italy - I’m working backwards here so bear with me. I wanted to include the town of Corniglia, if only to demonstrate the height we achieved in hiking the upper trail. Corniglia didn’t really offer anything in terms of, “Tourism,” restaurants and such, and it isn’t heavily trafficked with tourists, but it serves as a respite while you’re hiking between towns. Most continue North to Vernazza to take advantage of the things that Corniglia doesn’t have much of, in the way of food and little shops, etc. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/73e79982-75cb-445a-893e-d460dee81d41/Leaning+Tower+of+Piza%2C+Piza%2C+Italy Blog - Cinque Terre, Italy - So, to illustrate my point from the above text, 1 week in the Cinque Terre was too much. After about the 3rd day, you’ve been to all 5 towns. Via 3 different modes of transport, you can hook-up to the towns. You can go by train, by boat or on foot. There is a water taxi, a larger boat, that for a nominal fee, stops at all 5 towns. Well, since there wasn’t anything more for us to see or do, we took a train to Piza, Italy. The photo on the right is of the iconic Leaning Tower of Piza. If it weren’t for boredom, we would not have ventured out and gone anywhere additional. The train system was pretty easy to figure out and utilize. We chose, on this particular trip, not to rent a car. Every area we visited we did so by train. Piza is a lovely town steeped in its own history. I was able to get off this shot with not too many people in it, but enough to give some perspective on how big this leaner is. You can pay an over-priced fee to walk up to the top, we chose not to as there were other parts of the city we wanted to see before the train ride back to Manarola. Just because you decide on a town to stay in, doesn’t mean you have to remain there and only play tourist in that space. Hop a train and go tourist, for the day, somewhere else…that’s how you sort of immerse yourself into where ever it is you’re visiting. A week in Cinque Terre was, again, too long, so we have to entertain ourselves by some other means, in some other town. Also, when the last restaurant closes, no matter which town in the Cinque Terre you’re staying in, that’s it…nothing to do but walk around in the dark and socialize with the rest of the town that isn’t ready to turn in for the night. That can be fun if you are conversationally fluent in Italian, but those of us who aren’t, well, boredom does set in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/6912e718-3edb-47cc-ad1e-0f0692d6ca5f/Vernazza%2C+Italy Blog - Cinque Terre, Italy - This time around, whilst in Italy, we will check out a couple parts that help to make up the Cinque Terre, or Five Towns, region of the Coastal area of Liguria in the La Spezia Province. The most Southern of the towns is called Riamaggiore, North of that is Manarola, followed by Corniglia, Vernazza and the Northern most town is Monterosso al Mase. There really is only one way to visit these towns and that is by train. There are trains that run practically the entire length of the West Coast of Italy. There are some roads that run through each of these towns and they’re designed for delivery trucks, and the like, but absolutely no commuter cars are allowed. These towns each have steep streets, lots of stairways and breathtaking sights of the ocean. If cardio training is what you’re after in your adventuring, then this is the region you need to visit. There are 2 hiking trails that hook the 5 towns together. One trail runs along the bottom portions of the hillsides, fairly close to the water. While my wife and I were there, that portion, in several parts, had eroded away and were under repair. The second, was much higher up…MUCH higher up. There were switchbacks through olive groves and the higher we went up, the more staggering the view became. My thighs absolutely hated my guts and liver after that workout. We hiked from Manarola, where we actually stayed, to Vernazza. The shot to the left is of the rear approach into Vernazza. Probably the second-most photographed of the 5 towns. The remaining remnant of a coastal castle the helped protect the area back in the day. This turret lends itself to many a photograph taken of this particular town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5f8c56c6-9b10-47c0-a36d-0a94128510df/Sunset+on+the+town+of+Manarola+in+the+Cinque+Terre%2C+Italy Blog - Cinque Terre, Italy - The third and last town, I’ll explain at the end, is Manarola. This is probably the MOST photographed town in the Cinque Terre and this is the shot that you will see in magazines, post cards and brochures. The sun was setting on the horizen when I shot this and I absolutely love the warm tones splashed across the colorful structures that make up Manarola. The place I rented for us was clear at the top of the town, just passed the church. We were let off the train at the train station, all our rolling bags in tow and the only way to go was up. Up, up and more up. Oh, how I craved a big ol’ tank of O2 after that. But, being in that town for a week, well, let’s just say we had some good cardio strength a-goin’ on! By the way, a week in Cinque Terre? Yeah, that’s too long…at least for us. See below… https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/italy monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/4bca0dda-fcd9-4604-98d6-40903e7e08a7/A+courtyard+on+the+island+of+Burano%2C+Italy Blog - Italy - To the left, another example of the color you’ll find on Burano. It’s like this pretty much throughout the entire island. Don’t get me wrong, we spent a couple hours, maybe 3 at the most, which included stopping for lunch, on Burano and saw everything that needed seeing. Along with Murano island, Burano is a great reprieve from the hoards of tourists that flock to Venice. Even fewer go to Burano because, to break it down in the simplest of terms, the island is about lace and colorful buildings. A few places to get some food, great food, mind you, but that’s it. Oh, the usual type tourist shops are there as well, just not as many as other places. During the Summer months, I’m sure this little island gets packed in pretty quick. And most likely stays that way until it’s closing time and the last water taxi can get you back to where you came from. I would avoid Italy, during the Summer months, as you will be beside yourself with all the tourists that will be there with you. If you’re able to plan a trip there during anytime of year that is, a) not a calendar type of holiday and, b) not the summer, or any break from schooling, then you should be fine. Oh, it’s a popular tourist destination to be sure, but it’s more tolerable in off seasons and non-holiday times. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e55688e1-2243-4412-972f-b593a2432aea/One+of+the+main+waterways+through+the+island+of+Murano. Blog - Italy - This photo is of one the main waterways through Murano island. The boat in the foreground most closely resembles the water taxi that we jumped on to get to the island. Water taxis are the ONLY way you’ll get from island to island and from the mainland to Venice. Price-wise, they’re not too bad. We stayed in Venice and adventured out from there. I will discuss Venice at the end of our journey to Italy. Murano is a must see, as well as the gallery of Murano Glass! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b62cd79f-e8ab-44ed-b912-aef2d700d287/Colorful+structures+that+line+the+canals+on+Burano+island%2C+Italy Blog - Italy - To reaffirm with a photograph, to the left, while we were on Burano island in the Autumn you can see just how few folks ventured out to this island. It was awesome. The color, as a photographer, was hard to beat and I could’ve been on Burano for a couple of days and not shot everything the way I would’ve wanted. But those buildings in front of a blue sky were too much to pass up. People in photos is not something I go out of my way to include, but, they can give you perspective in many ways. So, off in the distance, I captured some folks to give perspective. Murano and Burano are two islands I think you would enjoy escaping to if you plan a trip/stay in Venice. In my estimation, 3 days is perfect to not only explore Venice, but Murano and Burano as well. The latter two you can do in a day trip. Venice is bigger and, without much assistance, you can get lost in. Lots of waterways leading you to and fro and you can get lost, although temporarily, you can get a long way off your mark. Maps of Venice I highly recommend. The reason I have not lent any photos in my description of Venice is because I came down with a head cold that laid me up for an entire day and a half. My wife had to explore without me and that sucked! That was half our stay in Venice and the amount of photos I missed makes me sad. And, although I don’t like to go negative, there are things that must be said about Venice. Firstly, it is sinking. Yes, you heard me…sinking. Water levels are rising and actually flooding buildings. They try their best to help remedy things by putting band-aids on geysers, but the inevitable will happen. Second, it smells, at times bad, of sewage. You can imagine an island, and trying to get waste off the island, via toilets and the like, without any issues. Well, there are issues and you can smell them. Lastly, go there knowing that if you want one of the gondola rides you see photos of in magazines, or have heard about from others, the ones were the gondola paddler sings a romantic love song, in Italian, you two are sipping champagne and falling more deeply in love…realize that all of that will cost you TOP dollar. My wife and I only saw one instance where two people were being serenaded and drinking champagne while being aquatically carted around the canals of Venice. All others…no singing, no booze. Venice is, without a doubt, a beautifully old city that has waterways for streets. Water taxis/buses are the only means of getting to other islands or back to the mainland. Even getting to one side of Venice from the other can lay wear and tear to your feet, so take a water taxi/bus and get there another way. Go, go and see and do. I only tell you of those three items to give you an expectation, and it is by no means to be meant as a deterrent, of what you may encounter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c1b255f0-4a55-47f8-a914-7e82edf72029/Murano+Glass+Sculpture Blog - Italy - There are series of islands within the area of Venice, Italy. Two of the more infamous islands, Murano and Burano, are what we’ll discuss today. Both islands are beautiful, let’s get that straight. I will go out on a limb and say that I like both of them, equally, better than Venice. But for selfish reasons I mention this little factoid. First, I would say, possibly in November or December, you might find a tolerable degree of tourism. Or even in January. Since we like to travel during the Autumnal months, we went and there were lots of tourists around. I’ll talk more about that later, when I bring-up Rome. Venice was packed with people, why? Well, because it’s Venice, with its tight fitting canals, gondola rides and the other main attractions, it can be romantic in the right circumstances. Murano and Burano are the roads less traveled in this case. If you are creative, artistic or are good at making beautifully crafted items, then you must see these two islands. Murano is best known for its Murano Glass. Words can almost, NOT, explain the talent and craftsmanship that goes into each piece of glass. You can tour the place where they blow and mold the glass. We got lucky, as we most always do, and toured while they were blowing different pieces and it was explained, in part, as to the process in shape making, etc. They have a showroom that you can go through, a rather large and at the end of the technical tour, and marvel at the hundreds, upper hundreds, of pieces, varying in size from minute to bigger than any living person. The cost, depending on the piece, ranges from reasonable to thousands of dollars. This Murano Glass is known world-wide and is centuries old. We bought a piece and it was expertly shipped to us and looked just as it did in the showroom. The photo to the left and its glass sculpture is one example of the type of glass sculptures they put together on the island of Murano. It’s a short water taxi ride from Venice and can provide a welcome reprieve from tourist overload in there…depending, of course, on the time of year you go. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/268dd593-57c6-43d4-98b9-e30736d9da62/Colorful+buildings+and+sellers+of+lace+on+Burano+Island Blog - Italy - Burano, for me, was a bit better than Murano. I am a photographer first and a tourist second. As soon as my feet hit the ground, wherever we are, I start looking at everything…and framing everything that I look at. I compose and execute my shots before my camera gets near my face. After I had my quota of non-stop shooting, I get into tourist mode. I delve into the history, etc. Burano is a smaller island compared to Murano. But, it holds some of the most colorful structures that you’ll find in Italy. It is also known for lace products. Anything you can apply lace to, from doilies to clothing to tablecloths, and much more, they sew their lace products with centuries-old, intricate designs and methods. Lots of lace shops to shop in and, if you’re lucky, there will be a shop or two that have women either in the front window, or somewhere in the shop, that you can watch stitch some product together. Some pieces, and they can be small, are so intricate and precise in their design that they can take weeks to months to put together. Depending on what they might be putting together, you can watch them in their processes, give it a good ten minutes, and you’ll not know how to explain what it was they were doing. Oh, and it’s ALL hand sewn. No machines, I said that everything you will see on Burano is hand sewn. Go and see for yourselves…it’s awesome and fascinating!! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/432e0e97-3d98-4b32-a947-c685f722cced/Basilica+di+Santa+Maria+e+San+Donato%2C+Murano+Italy Blog - Italy - Also, on the island of Murano, is the Basilica de Santa Maria e San Donato. I must preface this part of our journey by saying that, one of the negative things about leaving at early times to get to places before they get crowded, is that it doesn’t always work. In this case, the Basilica you see to the left was not open. The disappointment meter was a bit high. I researched this particular place and there are beautiful mosaics from top to bottom as well as other artifacts representing Saint Donato. But the things I most wanted to see, as legend has it, are 3-4 rib bones, located behind the alter, that are said to be approximately a meter long and belong to a dragon, once again according to legend, that Saint Doran slayed somewhere in Greece. Well, the would’ve been cool to see…and photograph, but the Basilica was not open, nor did it open while we were on Murano. Still, a lovely and old Basilica that was awesome to photograph. If you go, learn from my mistakes, research the hours and days in which it is possible to go inside. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/jasper-canada monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1511daea-22da-4dd7-ba53-960802e37f0f/Maligne+Canyon%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - As one makes their way through the Maligne Canyon, there are foot bridges that cross the canyon at certain intervals. These scenes really show you how that water just slammed through these rocks to form this canyon. You really cannot take a bad photo in this canyon, even cell phone photos can do you no wrong here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dba141ec-4d34-4347-8292-bfb0fdf4c467/Maligne+Canyon%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - A canyon wouldn’t do itself justice if’n it didn’t open-up and get faster in its flow. The little dabs of color, to help illustrate the time of year we were there, were perfect to balance out the gray and blue tones running through the canyon. Such a beautiful place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dc31c54b-21bb-4083-a8fe-99028579edf5/Tangle+Falls%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - The last place, and there are so, so many others, that I’d like to give you glimpse of is Tangle Falls. This remarkable set of falls is right off the road as you travel around Jasper. Easy to find and GPS will get you there with no worries. The way the water cascades down the rock face, at times, resembles a staircase. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9bb91bb6-a1ef-4edb-8d20-bc6e0afc4dad/Tangle+Falls%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - A crude, dirt parking area, rather small and a 10 meter walk from the car and you’re there! Depending on your sky, I would get there early and try to eliminate as much of it as possible. Unless there is some color above the treeline, then by all means, get that sky in the shot. I had a bright, light gray sky and it was painful to have any of it in any shot. Bring filters with you to help with the contrast. The longer the day goes on, the more people will get there and good luck finding a place to park, much less get good shots without people being in them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ad2863bf-e9de-44ca-bf7c-b8cfabf820c4/Athabasca+Canyon%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - As the water that flows from Athabasca Falls starts to slow, a transformation occurs. The rocky profile of a face that overlooks Athabasca River knows all of that river’s secrets. Keep scrolling… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d5e39789-dd64-48be-9c61-e1ebf81ecb59/Athabasca+Falls%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - One of the most beautiful places I’ve, personally, traveled to in this world is Athabasca Canyon. Athabasca Falls, pictured left, is a rather large and mighty flowing as it drops down into Athabasca Canyon. Because it is flowing so massively, all you see is the white of the powerfully moved glacial water down into the canyon. But once it starts to settle, a beautiful change occurs, drop down to see… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/18a0040b-994f-4c51-a0bd-72ae8d6bf49d/Maligne+Canyon%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - Maligne Canyon was another lovely spot to hike through and photograph. Once again, getting up at Stupid O’clock, getting to the parking lot while it was still dark, waiting for light to break and then venturing in. It is literally a gorge that you hike through and you see the eons of water flow and how its carved its way through the rock to form the path that it has, just from a geologic point of view it was really interesting. But, the need to photograph what I was witnessing was a far greater pull than studying the rocks. Being early in the morning and without sunlight, I found that using an ND or polarizing filter was not necessary. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/43f7e96c-f879-4306-890c-4c250c56de44/Tangle+Falls%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - Once again, the pops of Autumnal color really help highlight the water and the shape of the falls. If you want to see a beautiful waterfall and not hike to the center of the world and back, go to Tangle Falls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/19be6cc5-ec8d-4b7e-9ace-a26923c0b0e5/Athabasca+Canyon%2C+Glacial+Water%2C+Jasper%2C+Canada Blog - Jasper, Canada - When the, “Dust,” settles from the massive Athabasca Falls, downriver, the water settles into a more graceful flow and its true color comes through. Glacier water is blue and this is one of the truest, colored, specimens of that fact. In our vying for optimum shooting conditions, we got up at Stupid O’clock, got to the parking lot while it was still dark and there was, but for one, no signs of life. Parking lot was moody and still, a sketch kind of camper was the only other occupant in the lot. That camper, and its occupants, left and so we were alone. It was early in the morning and the light started to filter in from above. I must say, although I plan for almost all weather conditions, this was a brass monkey kind of cold…AND, the wind wasn’t even blowing. It was still and freaking cold. We soldiered on and got to a bridge that crossed Athabasca Canyon. One side was the first 2 photos you’ve seen and, on the other side, was the blue water, calmly making its way downriver. After I was satisfied with the shots from that bridge, we went a little deeper into the canyon. We came back to the bridge and noticed that people were starting to filter in. I looked at my watch and we had been there for 90 minutes, without another living soul around. It was the best! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/canada monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a1f51781-8987-48a6-8cd4-c9223d835563/Banff%2C+Canada Blog - Banff, Canada - Banff is a beautiful area of Canada. Located in Alberta and nestled in the Canadian Rockies, Banff is one of the most visited areas of Canada. People from around the globe come to Alberta to visit Banff. Make no mistake, if you plan on visiting this lovely town and you plan on a Summer time trip, beware! This is a tourist town to match all tourist towns and will be heavily populated. From a photographer’s standpoint, Summer is the worst time to visit! Just the tourist buses of people alone is cringe worthy! My lovely bride and I went, can you guess, yep, that’s right…in the Autumn! Mid to late September and we learned a very valuable lesson during our initial time traveling together. Get up early! Even getting up at stupid o’clock, before sunrise, makes sense in this area due to all the tourists. You could arrive at a destination at 0700 hours and expect multiple charter buses not more than an hour later. Now, you’re inundated with tourists and you’re lucky, as all get out, if you can get off a shot without someone’s head being in it…or someone kicking your tripod. The photo to the left is taken from atop Sulphor Mountain. There is a lovely, and not cheap, gondola ride to the top and as you can see, provides one with these sweeping views, 360 degrees, of the town of Banff and parts of the Canadian Rockies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9d197700-16f9-4d64-9f04-c824ef419c40/Sulphor+Mountain+Cosmic+Ray+Station Blog - Banff, Canada - Also at the top of Sulphor Mountain is the Sulphor Mountain Cosmic Ray Station. Yep, you heard me, that’s its name. There is a complete history of the place on the boardwalk leading to the remaining structure. A little history for your imagination. There were 9 similar structures built to measure and study cosmic rays. Sulphor Mountain was the most important due to its elevation. At 2283 meters, it had the clearest area to study, unaffected cosmic rays coming from above. This station was built in the Winter of 1956-’57. For your imagination, there was no gondola ride to the top. Airplanes were not facilitated, I will leave it up to you to imagine how all this got built. You could cheat and look it up online, but it’s much more fun to go and read all the info that is provided along the boardwalk, up to the plexiglass door so one may see inside at the living arrangements. One man, for 30 years, manned this station and provided the scientific community with valuable information on cosmic rays. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/83201d38-b346-4483-9896-982b125338c0/Johnston+Canyon+Lower+Falls Blog - Banff, Canada - Johnston Canyon is a popular destination with its Lower and Upper falls. The photo to the left is of Lower Falls. This was one of the first places we stopped at in Banff and we learned, the hard way, about the toils of not getting up and leaving early enough. By the time an hour had passed after the hike into the Lower Falls area, not 1 but 6 tour buses arrived. Where there were but 3 cars in the 2 rather large parking areas provided, now were full of passenger cars plus the aforementioned charter buses. The folks weren’t exactly fluid in trail manners for opposing hikers. It almost took twice as long to get out and back to our car. I took several long exposure shots along the way to the falls, which I kind of regretted, because by the time I got to the falls, I may have had twenty minutes to get some decent, not well thought-out, shots before the wave of other tourists arrived. People jockeying for their own position, whether they got in your shot, or not, didn’t seem to matter. My tripod got kicked so much that it almost flew into the water had I not been paying attention. From that moment on, we got up at stupid o’clock and enjoyed long moments of hiking and photo snapping before any crowds set in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e760b11b-d639-4aad-bfd1-0cd867d917c0/Bow+Lake%2C+Banff%2C+Canada Blog - Banff, Canada - One last thought about Banff. The photo to the left is of Crowfoot Mountain with Bow Lake in the foreground. We got up at stupid o’clock and went for a drive and came across this lovely scene. The sun was just popping up above the Canadian Rockies and provided this wonderful pop pf color on the top of Crowfoot Mountain. The area was empty and still and also provided a beautiful reflection shot. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that it was cold…not just cold, but bloody cold. My wife and I are always prepared for such contingencies and packed appropriately. But the extra layers didn’t fully do the trick, especially when the breeze kicked-up and took away any other reflection shots I might have gotten. Still, beauty wins every time and when a scene like this presents itself, I’m there, camera on tripod, ready to create an awesome memory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8bc6e3f2-5e1b-440b-b268-16d50260b09d/Lake+Agnes%2C+above+Lake+Louise%2C+Banff%2C+Canada Blog - Banff, Canada - Lake Louise is another really beautiful, popular place to visit. The pristine, blue/turquoise colored water is breathtaking. There is a large hotel right on the lake, if money is no object, then I fully recommend a stay at this hotel. It has a mall of designer shops inside to help free you of some wads of cash. But for simple tastes, like ours, we would rather hike for a bit, admire the views along the way, come to a plateau and view the scene to the right. This is Agnes Lake and it is the view from the Agnes Lake Tea House. Yes, there is a tea house at a plateau on this Lake Louise trail that overlooks its own lake. The tea house has a variety of teas, a rather large selection actually, some coffees and a decent variety of snacks to eat. I believe that one of the only heated, breakfast-type, edibles you could get, at the time, was oatmeal. The folks that work at the tea house actually stay in little cabins, one or two person, so that the trek isn’t made daily to the tea house. It is, of course, closed in the winter time for obvious reasons. You just have to go and experience this hike for yourselves. Remember, stupid o’clock is the best time to leave AND get there, as that alone is not an original idea and there will be a few folks there even at that time morning. But it’ll be far less than what charter buses will bring later on into the morning. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/the-grand-tetons monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8fd69ab4-cfcd-47ac-9961-ad275e7c70ee/T.A.+Moulton+Barn%2C+Mormon+Row%2C+GTNP Blog - The Grand Tetons - And this is the barn the T.A. Moulton built on Mormon Row. Sometimes words cannot describe the feeling one gets when one is exposed to something so wonderfully beautiful. This is a must stop for any planned trip to Wyoming especially if you’re in, or near, Jackson Hole. So, the next parts will be mammals, but I wanted you all to see, without mammals, how stunning the landscape can be in the Tetons. If you are at all into photography, anything beyond a cell phone, you will lose your mind, as I did, and you really won’t know where to begin. This would be a good place to start. Lots of depth of field work to be had. During the bright and sunny times you may be there, ND or polarizing filters would come in handy. Almost any time of year would be great to visit. Unless you have the right kind of gear, from clothing to vehicle, I would not recommend winter, although I imagine it brings another depth to the beauty of Mormon Row, I’m not sure I could deal well with frigid temperatures and my camera freezing up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/02459f24-98a0-4379-81cf-2aeae7e610bc/Badger%2C+GTNP%2C+Wyoming Blog - The Grand Tetons - After we walked around the 2 cabins, we walked up to a bluff to see what was on the other side. As we walked back, passed the cabins and back to the car, I noticed something move…it was a BADGER! Now, I’ve never come into contact with one of these critters, but I do know one thing and that is they take their demeanor from bison. They are grumpy all day long. Luckily with my Nikon P1000, I can be a comfortable distance away and still get a good shot. Totally wasn’t expecting this kind of mammal on our visit, but I’ll take it any day of the week! Once again, if you’re into photography beyond what you can use your phone for, bring a telephoto lens with you on trips like these. Or a point and shoot camera with a good zoom capability. The closeness I would have to achieve to use my cell phone effectively would test the boundaries of privacy and common sense. These animals are to be respected and given a wide berth. They’re not domesticated and don’t need to be petted. It can only be bad news for those who try. So save yourself stitches and a rabies shot and appreciate them from afar. You’ll bring back more pleasant memories. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3e90ffe9-4ced-42de-8dfc-84df34d45ce7/Young+Bull+Moose%2C+GTNP%2C+Wyoming Blog - The Grand Tetons - Also near Mormon Row, we were continuing our free styling and came across an area where several cars were parked. We asked a person we saw about what was around that people were interested in. The person stated there was a bull moose and his cow near by. So we followed the easy walking instructions given and we saw, a cow, out in the open grazing away, and the bull was smack dab in the middle of some shrubbery. After for, what seemed an eternity, I could no longer wait for that bull to come out into the open. I just started shooting. Now, were roughly 30-40 yards away from this bull. By his rack size, he was fairly young. So he still may have been unaccustomed to humans and therefore, bashful, and since this was gift, I tried to make the best of it. I could still see that he would turn his head occasionally and I have his left eyeball framed in the branches of that shrubbery, as he looked to his right, and they’re kind of comical shots, but the best one is the one to the right. I turned the photo infrared, in post processing, and his brown fur against an almost stark white foliage, is really cool! After we had our fill of this guy, we headed back to the car but were stopped by a couple of people and they stated that there was an even bigger moose just up the road. When I asked them for particulars on the location, they stated, “Head this direction and look for all the cars.” Below is the result… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a830fb11-f3ba-4551-a141-5a0f2b9fe9ed/Mouton+Barn%2C+Mormon+Row%2C+GTNP Blog - The Grand Tetons - This is the barn that John Mouton built and if you couldn’t, from the photo above, make out the scene in the background…now you can! Like I said, breathtaking views! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/57212147-5aec-496d-9f54-8f332d0fe9df/Shane+Set%2C+Grand+Tetons%2C+Wyoming Blog - The Grand Tetons - My wife and I decided to freestyle a bit and, not far from Mormon Row, we found a pair of dilapidated log cabins. Both were pretty much identical to one another in terms of what is left of them and they both held a secret that most people wouldn’t know about. Those my age, or older, will have knowledge of films of the 1950s and 60s. There was a particular movie made in 1953, starring Alan Ladd, entitled, Shane. These 2 cabins we came across were part of the set used in that movie. The film crew never tore them down, there was a couple more structures and a corral, all of which they broke down and took with them, but not the cabins. There is a placard on a fence post at the VERY small parking patch, that tells you a little about the cabins. While we walked around and inside the cabins, my wife and I noticed that, although the grass was at times calf-high, there were large holes in the ground, maybe 6-10 inches in diameter, and they were definitely ankle twisters, if not breakers, but we couldn’t figure out why they were there. Too big for moles, and the ground wasn’t pushed up, like on a mole mound. Below left is the reason for those holes… https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e0362fef-6722-442e-bcac-9036799ea717/Mormon+Row+GTNP Blog - The Grand Tetons - Good day everyone, I hope you all had a fantastic week! Yellowstone, last week, was a great trip and we saw allot of very cool mammals and raptors. The Tetons had offered up some different mammals that were not accessible in Yellowstone. But before we get to it, I have to say, that, even though the landscape was absolutely stunning in Yellowstone, the Tetons literally took my breath away. The photo to the left, and the one below it, were taken from Mormon Row. Mormon Row was the first established homestead, within Jackson Hole. John Moulton, along with his brother, T.A. Moulton, built the 2 iconic barns that photographers from all over the world come to photograph. The photo to the left is a pink stucco carpenter house that John Moulton built in place of the log cabin he initially constructed. It is a wide-open expanse of land that seems to go on for days, but in the foreground are these few remaining, and in pristine condition, buildings. The winters were indeed harsh, but that didn’t stop the Moultons working it for 30+ years. Lots sold their land and moved to places with less harsh conditions, it was for a different caliber of human to live under those extreme conditions. Mormon Row was started in the 1890’s and the land hasn’t been used as it was when Mormon Row was thriving. It is protected, historical land and none of it is for commercial, or personal, use. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/60958566-7518-44dd-bea4-f1d4edf72984/Mature+Bull+Moose%2C+GTNP Blog - The Grand Tetons - When we came upon this big bull, I almost soiled myself! There is a story with this one but it is too long and I would need to use visuals but suffice it to say, I could die tomorrow and be happy that I got to shoot a giant bull moose in a place where I had dreams about shooting a giant bull moose. This guy was a bad enough customer that he had 2 cows with him. Rather than the standard, one, that the previous one had. And, this guy was given a wide berth as well. There would be nothing pleasant about meeting up with his hooves or antlers. And the rack on him was impressive. I’ve said it once and I will say it a hundred more times…we have been extremely fortunate in the shooting situations that we have found ourselves in during our trips. This one is a prime example of that statement. I can’t speak for others and I don’t know how others would feel if they saw a magnificent beast like this one, but I was over the moon and felt very privileged to have seen one in my life time. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/yellowstone-national-park monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c09cb178-127d-46b8-9829-0e097981ffe1/Elk+Bull+%26+Cow%2C+YNP%2C+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - Did I mention that the Elk rut was in full swing? No? Well, it was and the cow being chased, actually the cow had to practically pitch rocks at the bull’s head so he’d notice her, was what was on the menu. I will say this, even mammals of other distinctions can have performance anxiety. For what ever reason, after thrice attempting to sow his oats…nuthin’, nada, nil, nixt…was happening for the big guy. The cow finally laid in the grass and gave the bull the iciest stare I think I’ve ever seen one elk give to another. There isn’t a specific place I can tell you to go and see elk. You may see them on your own, or you might come upon the scenario I just explained above. Either way, you’re bound to see something worthwhile and memorable. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b1a71716-c946-491c-b0b0-02d641fb3894/Bison+Bull%2C+Yellowstone+National+Park%2C+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - Bison are magnificent beasts and they are grumpy all day long. No smoke breaks, not any kind of reprieve from being grumpy. Bulls will get sassy with each other during a rut, but the extent of their grumpiness stems from…humans. Folks that think they’re Dr. Dolittle reborn, get out of their vehicles, approach a bull and think they can tame the grumpiness that lies within. You can imagine, on your own, how that can fail 100% of the time. The Lamar Valley is where you want to head to. Beautiful, open plains with mountains in the background and loads of bison. Pace yourself, though, you can get inundated quickly, especially when you find yourself stuck on a road because the bison decided that the roadway was much more comfortable to lie down on than the grass. Then you’ll really be done with them after that point. As with any situation, involving animals withing YNP, always practice safety first. There is all sorts of literature at the gates into the park, as well as, general stores and the like that are also within the park. Literature that will help you practice safety first when dealing with the mammals of Yellowstone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/52c213e3-1984-4757-9376-801efbeb55c1/Bull+Elk%2C+YNP%2C+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - A little tip for you newbies to YNP. If you’re driving along the roadways, of YNP, and see lots of cars pulled of to the side of the road and, even more important to the number of cars, you see a ranger on the side of the road as well as all the cars, it means one thing…there is something worthy of your attention. I had a few of those instances and my first encounter, in those circumstances, led me to get a bunch of shots of this Bull Elk. In this little riverbed, just standing there as if to pose, once in awhile shifting his gaze in my general direction, keeping an eye on his herd and drinking occasionally. The patch of land closest to him, in the background, was actually a little island in the middle of the river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3a028cbd-4e3a-42d9-8284-76d99c500abe/Bald+Eagle%2C+YNP%2C+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - My wife and I were walking to a lesser known thermal pool. We parked the car, got out, got on the trail to the pools, walked about 40 feet in, looked up and saw this beautiful Bald Eagle perched up in a dead tree. I, and the few prepared others, could have been there for hours. This bird did not move. It turned its head a few times, more-so looking down in scorn at us, wingless, flightless beings. Whatever the mockery going through its head, was well worth the time we had to shoot this beauty! Even though this wasn’t so much a road less traveled, one still needs to be prepared for whatever pops-up! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c3701024-59b8-4f15-b67b-5fd5edb32eae/Yellowstone+Lake%2C+YNP.+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - Whilst you’re driving, you will see lots, I mean a ton, of thermal pools and lots of steam coming from those thermal pools. In the photo to the left is Yellowstone Lake, a pretty huge body of water that lends to some cool photographic possibilities. If you see a sign for any kind of thermal pool/geyser, go and take a look. If you have the imagination, you can make some of your photos look somewhat, post-apocalyptic, something like a wasteland with the pools and steam and dead trees sticking-up out of the ground, killed by the heat of the sulfur ridden water. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e132292c-17b3-41d4-a0eb-0c977c4e97f8/Grand+Prismatic+Pool%2C+YNP Blog - Yellowstone National Park - So when it comes to thermal pools in YNP, none compare to the Grand Prismatic Pool. I left people in the shot to the left to give a size perspective. The reddish/orange parts around the pool, when you’re down below, gives one an awesome, textured perspective when you zoom into that color. there are ripples in the ground, formed but the heat of the water, time and wind. A nice set of macro shots could be had if you play your cards right. Safety tip: Never, EVER attempt to go into the pool. Unless you want to lose weight, by having ALL of your skin removed from your bones…LITERALLY, then do not enter into this pool, or any other thermal pool within YNP! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a175a580-87ce-45e2-8600-814d31344d44/Great+Gray+Owl%2C+YNP%2C+Montana Blog - Yellowstone National Park - Lastly, when going to some place like YNP, at the very minimal, bring some sort of looking glass with you. Even if you don’t want to take photos, at least bring some binoculars. Case in point, the photo on the right. We passed by a bunch of cars pulled off to the side of the road. There was a ranger doing his best to direct traffic. When asked about the big crowd he stated, “Great Grey Owl.” Since this bird was on my bucket list of photos, I had no choice but to pull over and join the crowd. We were all about 30 yards, give or take, away from the tree where this magnificent raptor was perched. It was explained to me, about 50 million times, what tree and how far up the tree the bird was perched. It took me about 15 minutes to finally get an eyeball on this raptor. This owl blended so well into the tree, as you can see, but once I found him, getting in for some shots was simple. But, having a looking glass of some sort would have helped anyone, from that distance to see what the fuss was about. And a fuss well worth having. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1aa6fa87-0102-4823-9cc6-44107eff4ae7/Buffalo+and+Steam Blog - Yellowstone National Park - In my guess-timation, if you were to ask 3 things of people that they recall from a trip into Yellowstone, henceforth referred to as YNP, the lot of them would say, Buffalo, Thermal pools or geysers and how big it is. I have other memories that I hold deeper than those 3, but nonetheless, there are opportunities within the confides of this park that could last you the rest of your life. If you plan to photograph your way through YNP, there will be no shortage of scenic vistas to capture. The one mammal that is a guarantee to photograph would be a bison. Go in the Autumn, the bison herds come down from the higher ranges to do a massive forage before the winter snows set in. There were so many bison when my wife and I were there that after the second day…I was done photographing them. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/japan-the-conclusion monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/509dbf86-1cb0-4e5d-baf0-5b0f3fe62b8b/A+view+while+hiking+up+Mt.+Fuji%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - This photo depicts the rare sun break that we encountered while hiking to the 5th station. For the most part, it was overcast/foggy and chilly. It can be a strenuous hike, at times, but the number, of retirement aged adults, was awesome. The Japanese fully believe, that a body in motion, stays in motion…,” exercise is needed, on so many levels, to help one lead a productive, healthy and active life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f81157b8-91b8-4036-b137-1fe64fae57af/Nara+City+Deer%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - One of the most popular things to experience, in Nara, is Nara City. There is a very large park, it takes about 4 hours or more to walk around and see everything that there is to see. 4 hours is actually going at quite a quick pace. But one item that will be consistent throughout would be the Nara deer. There is a legend of Kasuga Shrine that states the god Takemikazuchi arrived into Nara on a white deer to guard the newly built capital of Heijo-kyo. Every since that time, deer have been regarded as heavenly animals, protecting the city and the country. These deer roam the town and vendors have even set-up stands and carts that sell deer food that are either compressed pellets or thin disks, for a nominal fee, of course. Some of the older deer, male and female, have actually learned how to bow, for a reward of food. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ebe443c4-c370-42a9-a2d8-635e9977fa89/Rickshaw+Transportation%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - If you’re planning a trip to Japan, and why, gosh, golly, gee and heck, wouldn’t you, a different way to have a Japanese experience would be to have a Rickshaw ride. Rickshaws became prevalent in the 1800s and, not just known for the wealthy to be carted around in, they were known more for being cheaper modes of transportation from horses and automobiles. You should research where you are, as rickshaws may not be available from certain cities/towns. Also, if you see a rickshaw stand, you can just walk-up and, most likely, get a 10 minute ride right then and there. Since 10 minutes really doesn’t cut it for a tour, you’ll want to determine how long you want the tour to last and then figure out a price for the duration. It is not, necessarily, a nominal fee. But, that being said, your, “Driver,” will give you a history lesson of where you are and will help take photographs of you in historically significant places within the tour. My wife and I did not participate as we enjoyed taking lesser known routes to places we wanted to see and to a great many of those we walked. If it were a little too far for a walk, then we took a bus. All these little ways and means to our getting around, for us, was a great additive to learn more about where we were, what there was to see and figuring out a way to get there. Riding a bus is a great, economical way to get around. Our love of walking has, once again, given us opportunities to see things that we would not, probably, have seen had we tried a different way, an easier way possibly, to get to a destination. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/290f69d6-6757-47ff-9c96-77c46c854c57/Mt.+Fuji%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - Mt. Fuji, at 3776 meters, is a recognized landmark world-wide. There are very few places within Japan that you cannot see this awesome stratovolcano. It is the highest peak in Japan and, with Mt. Tate and Mt. Haku, make -up the Three Holy Mountains of Japan. Fuji last erupted in the early 1700s and was added to the World Heritage list and it is a special place of scenic beauty. The photo below was taken on a trail, that our friends took my wife and I to, that climbed to the Fujinomiya Go-Gome, or, Fujinomiya 5th Station. The 5th station is at the 2693 meter mark. When you begin your ascent towards the summit, of Fuji, there are stations, mostly just bathrooms the higher you go, so bringing your own food and drink is highly recommended. Also, you have to pace your, “Waste management,” abilities as the hiking is steep, and the trails are wide enough for 2 people to walk side by side, but it’s one way up and one way down and there is no treeline. If you start at the very bottom, there is a bit of a treeline but it doesn’t last very long. So, you need to pace your intake on food and beverage so that you can get from station to station without soiling yourself or doing something that might be construed as shameful. If you’re at an age to where you’re not willing to go from ground to summit, to a point, you can drive up to, I believe, the 3rd station, and begin your climb to whatever height you wish. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ce879f45-545e-41fd-935c-761609c98280/A+gate+into+Nara+Park%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - The last place I would like to discuss is a city called, Nara. The gate in the photo to the left, is one of the entrances into Nara City. Nara City was once the capital city of Japan from the years 710 to 794 and was the seat of the Emperor at the time. The capital then moved to Kyoto. There are many, many things to see while in Nara including, 20 Buddhist temples, 3 Shinto shrines, 2 National parks, 5 Art museums, 4 large Japanese gardens to walk through and Nara City itself. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/e7a1e58d-147e-43ca-8d5f-af810ffe5469/Nara+Tour%2C+Nara+City+Park%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - This photo depicts just one of the many pathways you can follow in Nara City. As I mentioned above, there is a ton of stuff to see within Nara. There was no way to see it all in just one visit. The shrines and many temples alone would need a few days. I have such a strong desire to go back and see different areas and have different, meaningful experiences. I’m looking forward to delving farther into the history of Japan and how their current beliefs have unfolded from centuries before. The Land of the Rising Sun is full of mystique, wonders and beautiful places. There is a rabbit hole, that is Japan, and I’m ready to dive in! The history stems from some of the most brutal and violent periods in our world’s history. You really need to go, the experiences you will have will be like none other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c74fc1aa-4a7b-45dc-9c01-cbd75083f80b/Great+Buddha+Hall%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - If you’re in Nara, one structure that you must check-out is Todai-Jo, Buddhist Temple. It is also called the, Great Buddha Hall. I don’t often photograph people unless there is a purpose to do so. In this case, I wanted people in this shot to give you a perspective of just how immense this building is. And, it is the world’s largest wooden structure. From an architectural perspective, the inside of this hall is impressive. The way that is was constructed, the massive beams and the fact the it was opened in the year 752. Looking at the inside, the hand-made, ornate beams, all hand-cut and carved, you wonder how they pulled all that off back in that day. There is a history of this structure when you go inside and how it was formed. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/aabbff93-0406-4e70-95b2-c71ff0a0789d/The+Great+Buddha%2C+Great+Buddha+Hall%2C+Nara%2C+Japan Blog - Japan: The Conclusion - This photo is of the main subject to the Great Buddha Hall. This statue is so big! It just adds to awe of everything about, and housed in, the Great Buddha Hall. There are 2 other statues within the Hall that are 100% wooden in their structure. This was a highlight for me personally for a variety of reasons. You must go and see the massiveness of this building and what stands inside. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/22cib2skgphk4z5kh67sbqwgz0p198 monthly 0.5 2022-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2616e519-e39c-42a6-98d4-c9577fce90e6/Kamikochi%2C+Japan Blog - Japan Part II - Also, in that same area of Hida/Takayama, there is a place called Kamikochi. Kamikochi is a wonderful, scenic, hiking area with mountainous vistas, beautiful bodies of water, even a Buddhist monastery that had even more beautiful areas to see. This place is near and dear to my heart as it is where I asked my beautiful wife to marry me. Within that Buddhist monastery, in fact. But, whether that is your plan or not, it is a beautiful place to hike through. There is a snack area/restaurant about mid-way through to satisfy any thirst or hunger issues you might have acquired along the way. The main trail winds up being a large circle, I don’t remember there being other trails that came off of the main one, but I’m sure there are more strenuous trails that travel upward, but we took a long time with photos, proposals and such, that going to another trail would’ve brought us into the night time. Photographic opportunities abound in this area, not many opportunities for longer exposures but the vistas are fantastic! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1c7318d0-4bd3-41ad-9fb0-f591733f976d/Daibutso+Kamakura%2C+Japan Blog - Japan Part II - Kotokuin Temple, in the Kamakura area, has one of the largest outdoor Bhuddas, that you will ever see, in the world. Daibutsu, or Great Bhudda, stands, or sits in this case, about thirty feet high. He is impressive in his meditative posture and there are a few temples in the area that you can go through. We were there late in the day so one of the temples had closed. The history/lore of the Bhudda is awesome. In the 1300s, the Daibutsu was actually indoors. A tsunami came and destroyed the structure around the statue. The village people rebuilt the structure around the Daibutsu, only to have it taken out again, by a tsunami. The village people decided that the Daibutsu was indicating that he wanted to be outdoors, so they did not rebuild the structure that housed him. After that, no more tsunamis came around. If you’re a history buff, on any level, Japan has got to be a trip for you! There is so much to take in that you can’t help but be in awe of the history, and how far back it dates, that has occurred throughout the centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/f6d7260a-2787-474c-a55c-43fa739405bd/Hida%2FTakayama+in+the+Autumn%2C+Japan Blog - Japan Part II - Welcome back! More tales about Japan and the people and places therein. If one thinks about what possibilities exist in Japan, of places to see or things to do, allot of people conjure the cherry blossoms in the Spring, or the vibrant Autumnal colors, as seen pictured to the left. Some even think of feudal Japan and fierce Samurai, along with martial arts. From my perspective, Japan is all of that, but so much more. The shot to the left is from the Hida/Takayama area of Japan. There was a modest bridge that crossed a gorge and this view was on one side of the bridge. For being a series of islands, Japan has a scenic beauty that’s unique to itself. They can have all sorts of weather, including some snow in parts, and the things that one can do in Japan, during the winter months, are unique to Japan. More on that later. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/japan monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b4fd9278-8d1a-48a8-9bed-af736800432a/Inari+Gates Blog - Japan - The next area I would like to talk about is Kyoto. Kyoto is such an awesome city, with so much history, dating back to the early 700’s, that I’m going to discuss this town in two parts. Within the first part we have, Fushimi Inari-taisha, the Inari Temple in Kyoto. The first structures were built around the year 711, in Southwestern Kyoto. It was relocated to where the shrine is located today in the 800’s. The main structure was built in 1499. The photo to the left is of the torii gates. One of the main reason why visitors come to Kyoto is to visit and photograph the torii gates that line the path from just above the main entrance to the top of the hill where there are more, private-type, shrines to pray to. There are about one-thousand torii gates that line the path. It is a lovely place to go to, any time of year, it’s open 24/7 and there is no admission fee. One could have a variety of shots you could take advantage of, if photography is your thing, and you won’t come away disappointed. Autumnal times during the year are most beneficial in getting lovely fall colors to compliment your shots. There is no fear about being in such places at night. None, zero. Long exposures with Inari could prove fascinating and beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0e195c4e-69f3-4e07-b980-fc88461ad426/Himeji+City%2C+Himeji%2C+Japan Blog - Japan - Lastly about Himeji, night time was awesome there and not for the reasons you may think. We walked back to Himeji Castle around 2100 hrs. The gate was open to the main grounds, within the walls that surrounded the castle, and it would possibly equate to the size of a football field, with curves. You would not believe the people that were on those grounds! Folks young and old, out and about and allot of them were exercising. Men, women, boys and girls running around like it was a high school track. Kids running by themselves, no one stalking them, or the single women that may have been there, everyone out in a harmonious vision of cardio-vascular health. No issues, conflicts or other stressful indicators…quite a sight! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/35223d20-4f89-43d8-a933-78603957f984/Inari+Main+Entrance%2C+Kyoto%2C+Japan Blog - Japan - The photo to the right is of the Main Gate into Inari. There are all sorts of prayer shrines before you get to the torii gate path. These are absolutely worth a look and, if you chose to research the proper way of prayer at Inari Temple, you too can, and are welcome to, say a prayer. It’s a wonderful way to spend half a day exploring the grounds, architecture and religion at Inari Temple. I highly recommend it to anyone traveling to Japan! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/01858147-e63e-4ef8-9309-07cbeb289011/Himeji+Castle%2C+Himaji%2C+Japan Blog - Japan - I will start us off with a visit to the town of Himeji, Japan. The photo to the left is of Himeji Castle, which is located in the Hyogo Prefecture. It is the largest and most visited castle in Japan. The first rendering was built in 1333 and was torn down and replaced with a three story structure in the early 1340’s. This was during the feudal period in Japan where the fighting was fierce and Shoguns sending their armies in an attempt to take over castles and land to build their empires. Himeji Castle was built in such a way, within the interior, that warring samurai would gain entrance but their ease of access ended there. The stairs leading to the higher floors were constructed in such a way as to, at the very least, slow the enemy down to where they were easy pickins coming up from the stair case. The steps were uneven and you had to almost squeeze up into the floor. Almost as if the floor was giving birth to you. It was difficult just carrying a camera bag…can you imagine having fifty to seventy-five more pounds of armor to try and manipulate up uneven steps? Plus, you have some weaponry that you’re sporting that kind of stick out and up, depending how your samurai sword is worn. It was like that for every floor and, there was only one egress above and below the floors. No multiple entries of exits to cover and defend. This is absolutely must see on a trip to Japan. The photo and the bottom left is of Himeji City, as seen from the top tier of the castle. The building straight ahead, not the horizontal striped one but the shorter one in front of it, is the train station. I booked us a hotel that was two and half blocks away and we just walked to where we stayed. We also walked everywhere we chose to visit in Himeji. There was a huge, open air market, roll-up door shops that contained allot of tourist type trinkets. It was close to Halloween when we were there and the Japanese love anything that requires dressing-up! They don’t celebrate Western-type events as we do in the States. But, the Japanese love to deck themselves, or their homes, businesses and other places, out in style. There was a Japanese gal in a store that we walked-into and she was playing the role of a zombie and the make-up she had on was impressive and she even put zombie contacts in her eyes for full effect. She was kind enough to allow me, and several others with phones, to photograph her. The pomp and circumstance is what they love the best about the Western holidays when they come about and they like to involve themselves, wholeheartedly, into all of it. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/fb7g1md2iat32ttq2hzt8v63axq8r0 monthly 0.5 2022-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1908da58-128f-4f7e-9675-6bb7b4ffa566/Grist+mill+in+Sudbury%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Not too far from Concord, Mass is another smaller town called Sudbury. Sudbury has some related historical significance as well. Sudbury militia served in the wars of Lexington and Concord. That same militia would snipe at British troops on their way from Boston. The Wayside Inn is also in Sudbury and claims to be the oldest operating inn in the country. Along with the inn there is a church, one room school house and grist mill, all under the Wayside Inn. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Tales from a Wayside Inn,” published in 1863. Henry Ford purchased the land and it’s four historical buildings in 1923 and restored the structures and the left them to a charitable foundation that oversees them to this day. Across from the inn there was a lovely barn that has a large gift shop inside, along with a wonderful display of Autumnal decorations and the like. We on the West Coast, from my personal observations, seem to celebrate and decorate for Halloween. On the East Coast, they are much more celebratory of the change in nature and what it symbolizes in our history. The photos to the left and bottom right are of the grist mill, church and schoolhouse respectively. As you can tell by most of these photos, for mid-October, we had beautiful weather. Most everything I shot was high speed, sometimes adjusting my ISO to compensate for the massive amounts of contrast. I had ND filters but couldn’t be bothered to put them on my camera and then attach the camera onto my tripod and set up the shot properly. I was running to and fro, hand holding and snapping like there was no tomorrow. I sometimes get excitable when in an area that is so target rich for photography. One day I’ll calm down and do things uber properly…one day. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0f5c3799-9355-4683-b0db-307f1fd6852e/A+former+speakeasy+now+cigar+bar%2C+Stanza+dei+Sigari+is+quite+a+hisotical+place+where+you+can+embibe+in+good+drinks+and+great+cigars%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - My last photo, still steeped in history, is of a place I found in the Italian neighborhood of Boston, where my wife and I could have a lovely beverage and where I could imbibe in one of my very few vices. This place was awesome! Actually located within the Caffe Vittoria, the cigar parlor has its own street entrance and it takes you downstairs. If you find you’re fresh out of cigars, you need not worry, they have a fine selection of sticks to purchase. Established in 1929 as the first Italian cafe’. The cafe’ actually has four levels to it, three liquor bars and the cigar parlor in the basement. Also, back in its day, this was a speakeasy! And, being a cafe, you get all the great coffees that they serve as well as desserts and other cafe’ type fare. This place is pretty famous and very cool. A great topper to a great trip! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cbf63194-9413-4112-aa17-98ebc468d29f/Rose+Kennedy+Greenway%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Boston is a pretty easy town to get around in. Most of it you can walk, take twenty minutes of walking and you’re in a different area entirely. If your dogs, (feet), start a-barkin’, then the subway system is easy and fun to get around on. There is a variety of tours to partake in, some even amphibious, if that’s your thing. Rose Kennedy Greenway, partially pictured to the right, was a new place we discovered that wasn’t there from a previous trip we took. It’s a lovely, serene little park with a big bonus for all serious walkers. Constructed out of large, steel girders and heavy steel piping, are approximately eight, really large, bench swings. You can fit six to eight people, depending on size, in one swing! A wonderful way to rest your feet and re-group for more site-seeing. Notice the clock tower in the background. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/156331b4-47bb-4201-a533-31e6f0c79da9/Plimoth+Rock%2C+Plimoth%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Plimoth Rock as it stands today. Partake in the history lesson if you arrive there and find a park ranger around. They love to tell the story of how that rock came to be! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b3a3438f-5d18-491f-af01-1e93dc6bf347/Concord+Minute+Man+Site%2C+Concord%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - After leaving Vermont and entering Massachusetts, I decided to get into some of the history formed here. One place I thought would be a great to start in was Concord, Mass. Concord has the Minute Man Memorial and the Old North Bridge. 400 Minute Men and other militia galleries vs. 90 British regulars. Ralph Waldo Emerson was so moved by the event that he referred to it has, “The shot heard round the world.” I cannot begin to tell you, especially when there aren’t many people around, how moving an experience it is to drink all that heritage in. To stand on that bridge and imagine the event that took place. There are many battlefields to visit on the Eastern Seaboard, to be sure, and this is the one that started them all! A humbling experience with the knowledge of the sacrifices made, way back then, to ensure that we had the burden of no yoke, that we remain a free country. I know there are history buffs out there that, if you have never been, run, don’t walk and get some awesome historical vibes from where our independence began. Between the towns of Lexington, Concord and Lincoln, you will have so much information and awesome historical buildings to take in that you’ll need to take a seat and rest. If you can, take a couple days to see all three areas. The areas between these towns are completely walk able and once in awhile, at a kiosk you may find along the way, there are videos, varying in length, that depict events as they formed and transpired in 1775. You will thoroughly enjoy these areas of Massachusetts and please partake in some of the eating/drinking establishments you find along the way, some of which employ people that are in period costume, to serve you some ale and food. That should be a small part of our lives, don’t you think? Experiences like that are wonderful! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/2406c6e5-fbb6-43d5-8fc6-870c37c1b9fc/Korean+War+Memorial%2C+Nantucket+Island%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - I think, since there is one area left to talk about, that I would talk a bit about how New England feels about its patriotism and support of our troops, past and present. Now I haven’t traveled extensively through the Southern United States, yet, so I cannot speak to what they have and don’t, but for right now, New England has the largest array of war memorials that I have encountered, so far. And in places where you wouldn’t expect to find them. But in every town we explored throughout this trip, we saw war memorials. The one to the right was a beautifully done Korean War Memorial on Cape Cod, very near a memorial for JFK I might add, and all wars and conflicts are represented that Americans fought in. From the Old North Bridge to present day and everything in between. It’s really a lovely thing to see as American pride runs deep in New England. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/8fd4730b-47cd-4539-b803-a30a5a712498/Old+Ironsides-U.S.S.+Constituion%2C+berthed+in+the+Old+Navy+Shipyard%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Finally, sitting in the old Naval Shipyard are two sea going vessels, The U.S.S Constitution, Old Ironsides, pictured left and, the U.S.S. Cassin Young, a Fletcher-class destroyer. The Constitution landed in 1797 and had been instrumental in a number of conflicts, most notably the War of 1812, and remained undefeated for all of her reign. Her hull, made up of thick, oak planking, made it, as it appeared, to be UN-sinkable. Hence the nickname given. It took sixty acres of trees to mold her into the the ship killing machine that she was. She is a three masted frigate and is the world’s oldest ship of any type still afloat. The entrance to the navy yard, the Constitution and Cassin Young are free of charge. A must see for any level of history buff. Truly remarkable! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/55f2e42c-74ce-41b5-a449-962650a338ba/Faneuil+Hall%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Having burned down in 1761, rebuilt in 1762 using non-combustible materials, Faneuil Hall has been utilized for a multitude of reasons, mostly political in nature, including several speeches by Samuel Adams in regards to separating from England. Debates of all kinds have transpired within those walls for centuries. Faneuil Hall sits just to the West of Quincy Market and helps make up Market Square. This was a perfect, mainly locals only, non-tourist scene that I could come up with and I think it’s an awesome shot! Summer time? Forget about it, a sea of people. Read more about its history, some good, some bad but that’s how history evolves. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/c6be84da-6260-49c2-9be2-fed1ace20e57/JFK+statue+on+Cape+Cod+Island%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - This island was a spot for release and centering for our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Before and during his presidency, he and his family would summer vacation here. The Kennedy Compound is located on the Nantucket Sound, on the island, in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. It sits on six acres of prime real estate and contains several structures. There is also a fairly large museum one can tour. There are statues and memorials, such as the one to the left. I actually like this statue allot as it represents what this place did for him. Even as president, with all the pressure that goes along with that position, one can still roll-up his pant legs, take off his shoes and walk barefoot in the sand and re-center himself. He spent quite a bit of time here in his youth and he never let the place lose its luster or healing powers. I think that’s awesome…that life ain’t so tough to where I can’t go to a place and not get myself righted, re-centered and grounded. There is something about a coastline, East or West, that salt air and the waves crashing, that brings a level of peace. I get that way in heavily pine-scented places with lots of big trees as well, but relaxing things happen to your body and mind at the coast, they just do! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/08affad8-2a2c-44a1-be22-1e00c0b563e6/Wayside+Church+and+Schoolhouse%2C+Sudbury%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Sudbury should be a destination. The town itself is wonderfully historic with not many of the looks having changed all that much from when it was a small town fighting off the English. A great many of the homestead structures of been beautifully maintained, farmland is pristine as it once was back in the day. Yeah, there has been some modernization that has occurred over the decades, but not to the point of where it takes away from the history. I love that so much, you can still get a vibe, if you allow yourself, of what life was like back then and what people endured and what prices were paid for the here and now. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/3302d3a3-12fd-48a1-9735-b24106881d84/Home+of+Louisa+May+Alcott%2C+author+of%2C+%22Little+Women%2C%22+Concord%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Well here we are, the final posting for New England. Even though this part of the country is steeped in the history of how \our nation came to be, Massachusetts is filled to the brim with allot of it. So much so that I’m not able to post all of it, due to the fact that I haven’t seen all of it myself, maybe on a third or fourth trip…maybe a fifth, there is so much that, unless you stayed a year and did nothing but tour historical sites, you may get most of them. Anyway, I will share the highlights of our trip through the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The photo to the left is was the home of several well known, at the time, authors including, Louisa May Alcott, author of, “Little Women.” You can tour this and other historical structures in this fine Commonwealth. Author’s note: This will be a bit longer than the first two posts, so much history, so little time! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/ee4204ee-87b7-48c3-b17b-7a0d42a88410/The+Mayflower%2C+replica%2C+Plimoth%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - So it makes sense that even before you get a fix on those much more popular individuals, and more well known, that were our forefathers and freedom holders, that you go back to where they came to. That’s right, you can go to the town that, four-hundred years ago, was the landing point for English Pilgrims seeking a new life. Plimoth is where they landed, in Massachusetts, as they sailed on the Mayflower. The ship pictured to the left is the Mayflower ll. This is a replica of the original ship that was, supposedly in England, broken up in the latter part of the sixteen hundreds and the wood used to build a barn. This replica was built in the mid nineteen fifties. You can tour the ship, not free of course, and get a real history lesson from those aboard, often dressed in period costumes. The whole town of Plimoth is just oozing history from virtually every pore. Allot of history and information about the indigenous contact made by the Pilgrims. Indian heritage runs deep in this town and their history is present here as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1806afc3-7d20-49ea-a6d8-90c961620dda/The+original+Dunkin%27+Donuts%2C+Quincy%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - After Concord and Sudbury, we made it to our next hotel. The Staybridge Suites in Quincy, Mass. A very nice hotel with helpful staff that could not have been more pleasant to talk with. We had a King room and it was great. Short walk to fast food and toiletries, should you need to acquire some. About a 15 minute walk away you could fuel-up at a Dunkin’ Donuts. I mention that for two reasons. First, Dunkin’ is all over the place in New England and has been a staple for a long time. Second, if you’re nostalgic, the original Dunkin’ is still right there in Quincy. The very first established in 1950. The owner opened a donut/coffee shop under a different name, renamed it Dunkin’ Donuts two years later and never looked back. And yes, my wife and I went in to fuel-up and I bought a souvenir, cuz that’s the kinda hairpin I am. I just like that kind of nostalgia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/44f98ab5-67ca-4714-9d46-21e4baf74c24/United+First+Parish+Church%2C+Quincy%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - The only logical place to begin, in Quincy, would be the United First Parish Church. This is the final resting place of our second President of the United States, John Adams, and our sixth President, and son of John Adams, John Quincy Adams. There is a cemetery across from this church, the Hancock Cemetery, where they were first interred and their respective crypts are still there. But they were relocated to the basement of this wonderful church. You can tour the crypt, along with a guide, where the two Presidents are currently interred and not only can you see and even touch their tombs, but you’ll notice the tombs of both John’s and John Quincy’s wives are laying to rest right next to their husbands. I could do a whole thing on Abigail Adams and all the things she involved herself with, but that would be lengthy. You can even see, and tour, the house where John Adams was born and where he lived as an adult. John Hancock plays a pretty big role in Adam’s life and there are several statues of him and history of his part in the molding of America. Such a historically awesome town! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cf1a917d-4801-412f-8672-fba9dd915dcc/Quincy+Market%2C+Boston%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Quincy Market is a main stay in Boston. Constructed in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy. Construction began in 1824 and concluded in 1826. Within the structure food vendors, restaurants and, along the South side, contained in a glassed-in area, are vendors selling various, tourist trap-like, trinkets and souvenirs. During virtually any vacation time that occurs during the year, good luck moving around without bumping into, or stepping on, bazillions of people…especially during Summer months. It gets packed and even getting into Quincy Market may take sometime. Once in, well, can of sardines is the only thing that comes close to describing the UN-comfortableness you feel. We avoid that madness like the plague and go in the off-season. The photo on the right is my best example. Wonderfully UN-crowded, no one in the way of your shots, perfect. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/01c95b7c-3fcd-402e-96ea-7b203ac90cfe/Nausat+Lighthouse%2C+Cape+Cod+Island%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Now, a trip to Massachusetts needs to incorporate two things, sea water and an island. There are a few to choose from and most will require a fee for the ferry ride over. If you have cash to burn, take a ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard. It will cost you a pretty penny to get over there, unless you’re walking on, and I’m not sure it’s worth the price, quite frankly. Bear in mind that the prices are one way only, meaning that you pay the same price AGAIN to come back. Nothing economic about that at all. It IS a beautiful island to visit with lovely coastal communities and lighthouses to photograph. But there are other islands to go to that are cheaper and in a case or two, free. On that note, my wife and I decided to go to Cape Cod, or in New England speak, Cape Cawd, for a few hours to get some salt air into our lungs. We drove to our destination since there is a bridge that connects it to the main land so there was no crossing fee. It’s a fairly big island and there are equally lovely and quaint coastal communities as there are on Martha’s Vineyard. Since we got there sort of late in the day, there wasn’t enough daylight remaining to go and see everything that we wanted. There were a few lighthouse that I was able to capture, the one to the right, Nausat Lighthouse, is in the town of Easthams, which is part of the Cape Cod National Coastline. The lighthouse has seen better days and there was a man on the makeshift platform, at the time, working on renovation. It would be almost impossible for one to get to every lighthouse on Cape Cod, at least to get there and take the time to photograph each one, so I would stay a couple of nights in a central location and then take the time to enjoy what it is that you’re taking the time to see. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/b1219fe0-fdb6-47af-ad2a-0bed071887de/Boston Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - This is the last stop people, Boston! A quick note on the clock tower in the background of the shot to your left. This is the Custom House Tower. Unfortunately, I learned about the detail of it after our trip. The only history I will give you is that it was completed in 1849 and I will let you research the rest. But what I learned, and will apply on the next trip to New England, is that for a small fee there is an observation deck you can ride up to to get three-hundred sixty degree views of the city. The photos I could have snapped up there…oh well, something to look forward to when we re-visit! The other point, about the clock tower, unless you have a taller building than the clock tower, blocking your view, there is almost no place in the city you can stand and NOT see that tower. It appears in quite allot of my photos taken throughout the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/07d8aa13-8b09-4a7a-9af0-5a9aefecb0f5/Plimoth+Rock%2C+structure+containing+what%27s+left+of+the+original+Plimoth+Roch%2C+Plimoth%2C+Massachusetts Blog - New England Part III: The Finale - Also in Plimoth is the infamous, Plimoth Rock. Housed in the structure to the right, you actually have to look down on it. If you can see where the railing is inside the structure, the rock, or piece of it, is located below the railing about ten feet. If you visit and there is a park ranger there, ask them anything about its history and you will get an ear full, in a really good way, an ear full. You will hear the complete history and it’s actually really interesting. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/new-england-part-ii monthly 0.5 2022-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/0a71e65f-5a2b-4eeb-a6a8-fca4c84c5267/The+Norwich+Inn%2C+Norwich%2C+Vermont Blog - New England Part II - Back to the Norwich Inn. Since it was, at the time, really, the only place in Norwich to have a full dining room and bar, it was the place to go. They have a couple of outer buildings that have many more rooms so it is pretty big. The room we had was fantastic! King bed, about as big a bathroom I think we ever had with a room, restaurant in easy and fun access, what more could you want? Well, the staff that worked there was fantastic as well! From check-in, to check-out and everything in between, everyone was awesome! At the front desk, they stocked maps of the area…that’s HUGE for me! Being a photographer, in the position to photo allot of things, I rely on maps to figure what I’m going to shoot and properly putting things in order so as not to cover the same ground twice. Everyone there was awesome…cannot recommend this place enough, well worth the stay! There was even a storage out building, complete with wooden porch, rocking chairs, tables in between the rocking chairs with…wait for it…ashtrays. Yup, what better opportunity to light up a stick, with a lovely beverage and ruminate on the days activities. Such an awesome place! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/29c15b52-0664-4b19-bf9d-eeb129d3502c/A+random%2C+but+cool%2C+barn+found+while+walking+in+Norwich%2C+Vermont Blog - New England Part II - So I cannot stress enough, go off the beaten path. Walk around every where, as long as it is safe to do so, and see all you can see while there is daylight. My wife and I decided to take a stroll, starting at the Norwich Inn and, after allot of driving that day, we wanted to work the kinks out of our lower torsos from sitting too long. We came across an old cemetery, grave markers from the 1700’s but didn’t stay too long and continued on our way. There was a small creek that caught my eye and I composed some shots while my wife continued on. My wife came back to me after a few minutes and told me she found something that’s right up my alley, photographically speaking, of course. There was a little trail that parted from the roadway and went into the woods…then I saw it…an old, red barn, reflecting in a still creek. I almost fainted, well, not that, but it excited me! Now it may not be your thing and I get and appreciate that fact. But from a photographers point of view, this is our bread and butter. On the flip side of that coin, and to promote my point, it could have been a historical grave marker, or a structure that was used to plot how our founding fathers were going to fight off the British yoke, or any number of historically significant things that would intrigue and satisfy you. The point being, try to get off that beaten path as much as possible. We have gotten skunked and have found not a single things in doing so but, we have found more cool stuff in doing so than we didn’t. Most of the time, you won’t be disappointed. Alright, my nomadic friends, that does it for me. One last posting on New England, Massachusetts next time, and then we will move on to some very different locales. Until then, travel well and take those roads less traveled! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/9bb0d348-f4ec-4953-b6e2-792c79d73950/The+Norwich+Inn%2C+Norwich%2C+Vermont Blog - New England Part II - My wife and I have enjoyed B&B type stays in many places, including Europe. With that said, Norwich, Vermont has the Norwich Inn. At first I looked at Woodstock, Vermont, but figured that that would be busier with tourists. About 20 minutes, or so, away is Norwich…I’m glad I chose this town! Unlike, Woodstock, Norwich is THE quintessential, sleepy New England town. It has the Inn, a coffee shop, a gas station, maybe a shop or two…but that’s about it. You can stroll around town and see the churches, homes and other properties that have been around for hundreds of years. As I stated earlier, get in the car, drive for roughly 20 minutes, in light traffic, and you’re in Woodstock. Woodstock has a great many more shops in it than Norwich. More restaurants, more historical things to see, covered bridges, churches, homes, etc. We walked, took back and side roads as we strolled and saw some beautiful and unique places that we most likely would have missed had we just stuck to the main drag. And, these avenues were less crowded with folks. Which meant not too many people in whatever shots I found myself taking. I will get more into the Norwich Inn and the shots I took in the next paragraph. There are three covered bridges that you should see, two of which are more photogenic than the third. First, Taftsville Covered Bridge, a beautiful red bridge that spans the Ottauquechee River and was built in 1836. There is a waterfall behind it and the blue hour, either sun up or sun down, would be optimum for a longer exposure to blur that waterfall. Once the sun gets above the tree line, then it’ll be pretty contrast(y) throughout the day. The second is, Middle Covered Bridge. This is a lovely bridge to walk to that’s in downtown Woodstock. If you can make your way down to the small, slow moving river that runs below it, you could come up with some pretty good compositions. ND filters would go a long way here. The third is, Lincoln Covered Bridge. This requires, as Taftsville will, you get in the car and drive to. It’s a pretty decent bridge, but it’s all in the open. Keep the sun to your back when capturing this one and ND filters will help as well. It crosses the same river as Taftsville but just, not quite as photogenic as the other two. We took the back roads, once we crossed the bridge, and found some unique things to photograph. We stopped and got a couple of ice cream cones for the ride back and had a delightful day of it! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/new-england monthly 0.5 2022-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/d0ec6454-41eb-43d9-b900-762aa32f45c8/Bow+Lake%2C+Bow%2C+New+Hampshire Blog - New England - Hello everyone! Welcome back to another edition of The Nomadic Lensman! We have been back a week, or so, from a trip to New England and I’m going to break this trip up into two separate postings. The second will happen next week. New England is steeped in rich history and the autumnal colors are brilliant if you catch them at the right time. The colors this autumn were both, late and, because of the intense heat nationwide over the summer months, muted. The photo taken, to the left, was of Bow Lake in Bow, New Hampshire. It was a beautiful, warm day for October, in the low 70s. Not typical, but it made it a lovely day for shooting photos. Let’s dive a little deeper. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/5223ac95-7632-4466-90da-3c7a93becaf3/HomeTown+Coffee+Roasters%2C+Manchester+New+Hampshire%2C+a+wonderfully+friendly+place+to+get+a+coffee%21 Blog - New England - So, everyone needs a little high-octane boost in the morning. However you find that, is a personal choice. My wife and I find it in coffee. The better the coffee, the better the experience. A ten minute walk from where we stayed in Manchester was the place to the left of this verbiage. My wife and I walked in, were greeted warmly, served with a smile and awesome conversation and we were then on our way. We always enjoy good conversation with locals, wherever we travel, and it just adds to our enjoyment of living in the moment. As a photographer, picking the brains of those who’re residents of where you’re visiting is really beneficial. I am an introvert by habit, my lovely bride is an extrovert, happily so. She can strike up a convo with just about anyone. She has a warmth and friendliness about her that people respond to in kind. I will time my entry into a conversation and get the necessary info I need, or not, but we all part on the friendliest terms with the additional knowledge of the area…and our much needed jet fuel. If you plan a visit to Manchester, stop by and see these folks. Their service is great, the conversations are smile-filled and warm, they’re a true sentiment to baristas everywhere! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a08b618e-a248-46cb-81d5-1412578e0405/Former+mill+repurposed+in+Manchester%2C+New+Hampshire Blog - New England - Manchester, New Hampshire is filled with beautiful, brick buildings, ranging in size from big to small, or long to short. The history is pretty cool, but short-lived, as businesses go. You can read about Amoskeag mills and how they came to be and what they did to reinvent themselves to hang onto the reputation they had built. What I appreciate about the town of Manchester, and there are many things, is the fact that rather than tear down these old, wonderfully built, beautiful brick buildings and replace them with something more modern, or useful, the city repurposed them and continue to utilize all the square space left empty from the closures of all those mills. The photo on the right is of a particularly long mill building and it currently houses elements of the University of New Hampshire including, classrooms, lecture halls, dorms and admin offices. But not just this building, the buildings continue on down the street. As my wife and I walked around Manchester, there were other businesses taking up occupancy in the smaller mill structures as well. In one structure in particular, used to be an old cigar making factory. The name at the top, still in great form, kept on the building, even though the occupants of this awesome brick structure had nothing to do with the art of making a fine cigar. The longer I live in the Pacific Northwest and the more my wife and I travel to New England, the more I see how the West coast doesn’t quite, fully hold close to its chest, the history of how it became. New England is full, chocked-full, of history almost everywhere you go. Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. If you haven’t ever been, then you must, without reservation, go to these places and wallow in the history of how this country began. Paul Revere’s house STILL stands in Boston! There is a pride in New England for history and the sacrifices committed to ensuring we became a free nation, onto ourselves. You have to go! To not would be to rob yourselves of something special. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/94add3a7-16d2-49c3-b283-52521c30e175/Autumn+at+Bow+Lake%2C+Bow%2C+New+Hampshire Blog - New England - Finally, during our stay in Manchester, we drove to my old stomping grounds in Bow, New Hampshire. Yes I lived there, I’ll get into that more at a later edition. Bow is approximately fifteen minutes North of Manchester. We took back roads, as is our way, and had a wonderful drive. The photo at the beginning of this sojourn, at a lake and this one to the left were both taken at Bow Lake in Bow, N.H. I like the perspective and content of the first shot, and I told you all before, I’m a sucker for a sun flare shot, so we have the second. The lake is a little different than I remember, I don’t think that house was across the way, or there were still trees hiding the house at the time. This was the early 80s so there was allot to take in in terms of the changes. Happily, there was a ton of stuff that was still the same. Old buildings/homes that I remember from that time are still there. The old Bow Meeting House was still there, thankfully. And, they folks of Bow still use it as a meeting house! So awesome! Remember this name, Dunkin’ Donuts. This will come-up again in a later edition. Next up, I’ll talk about Vermont. We spent sometime in Woodstock, Vermont and explored that region of New England for a few days. Until then, I hope you enjoyed the beginning part of our journey together through parts of New Hampshire, parts of New England. I look forward to chatting again soon about Vermont and other places we visited. Everyone take care of each other, go out and travel, see the world, or parts of it, have fun and learn a thing or two about what you see and I’ll talk with you next time! Cheers! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/87510234-e766-4d52-a3bc-7ce10ee494f1/Memorial+Bridge%2C+Portsmouth%2C+New+Hampshire Blog - New England - While we were in Manchester, my wife and I decided to take a day trip to Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Portsmouth is a wonderful place to visit for a few reasons, if not for the salt air you get when arriving there, then for the awesome shops and history walks you can partake in. If that’s your thing, Strawbery Banke museum is something you should hit. The spelling is actually correct, don’t even start…anyway, this is a living museum, for those unaware of that terminology, people dress-up in traditional garb and conduct themselves as if it were the actual era they’re representing. If you happen to stop and talk to one of them, the knowledge base is uncanny. “Wicked smaht,” to coin a phonetic, New England phrase. I’m telling you, people know, and take part in, the history that defined us as a nation back in New England. The amount of pride that they emulate is unrivaled. If you sign-up for a tour, check the official website for rules on photo taking/video recording. Be respectful of these rules. The shops, delis and pubs/bars offer just about anything you want to eat or drink. We all have vices, right? Right!? Well, I am not without one. I enjoy a lovely cigar from time to time. I have gotten into seeking out cigar shops/tobacconists when I travel. If you’re planning a trip to this region and want the name of a couple good ones, email me and I’ll let you know where they are located. You won’t be sorry. I digress, the photo to the left is of the Memorial Bridge in Portsmouth. It crosses the Piscataqua River and onto Badger Island. If you’re interested in how folks live on an island in New England, then take the trip across. There are two other bridges that cross that river and one is part of the interstate highway that takes one into the state of Maine. I’ll talk about Maine in another edition. Portsmouth is a beautiful place to visit and get an idea of how New England life was in a coastal town. It’s also a nice and well scented change from city exploring. I’ll take salt air over city any day! Lots of wide-angle photo opportunities and long exposures in the evening time. You really cannot go wrong with a phone either. Lots to see and photograph and sometimes it’s just more convenient, long exposures aside, to pull out your phone and snap a few quick ones. However you capture an image, there are plenty to be had in and around Portsmouth! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/hbov5dbhcpb1j917ce9ek4c6nm2zal monthly 0.5 2022-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1632334281955-5QG6LVMIYXU2CO7YHLKV/The+infamous+sealions+on+the+pier+in+Old+Town%2C+Newport%2C+Oregon Blog - Newport, Oregon - The Sea Lions of Newport, Oregon The Duet https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1632593893762-BTB0I01GO04S3P7DEI88/Yaquina+Head+Lighthouse%2C+Newport%2C+Oregon Blog - Newport, Oregon The sunsets on the Pacific Ocean can be quite beautiful and staying right on the water, with a room facing West, can be a lovely experience. Staying in a BnB type rental and walking to the water for a sunset is just as good. There are lighthouses to explore, restaurants to enjoy or you can just sit in the sand for a bit and listen to the ocean waves. Depending on if there is any moisture in the air, or not, could determine how any photos you take of a sunset will turn out. If you’re serious about capturing a sunset, then I would try a neutral density filter and a longer exposure to smooth out the water a bit. You can always burn the image into your head and enjoy it endlessly that way as well. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1632595805419-K9VFCASXT7E8ZKM50TRP/A+shot+of+some+folks+walking+along+the+beach+in+Newport%2C+Oregon Blog - Newport, Oregon - For as many times as I have been to the coast of Oregon, I never seem to get the same sunset shot, twice. They’re all unique from one another and, depending on what you’re using to capture your photos, you can really come home with some stellar shots. We love the coast, my wife a little more than me, I like the forests, me more than my wife, but it lends to us having a variety of places to go and explore that we will both enjoy. After a fun filled day of exploring and image capturing, there isn’t anything better to do than relax, have a lovely beverage of your choosing and watching the sunset at Newport Beach, Oregon. It’s definitely worth the trip! https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/9mwrlyq2agjvbn5ps3tp7y8vpqovxf monthly 0.5 2022-04-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633123202088-B4AFTYISIFQS138KK9SJ/An+abandoned+Chevy+truck+on+Guemes+Island%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - I went to Guemes Island late in the afternoon after doing a bit of free styling around town. I drove around the island for about an hour. Taking my time, getting out of the car and looking at different scenes to photograph, found a couple of old, abandoned places that were interesting. But as I was heading back towards the ferry, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this old, terrifically abandoned truck, sitting on the side of this arterial dirt road that led to some private residences. I parked my car on that dirt road, got out and started snapping. I was almost beside myself with glee. I took out my Nikon d850 with its Nikkor 10-24mm and I got some memorable shots. This one, I turned infrared in post production. I love the late afternoon sun reflecting off the slightly opened door. It’s gems like this one, not knowing they exist until you’re right on top of them, that keep me interested and engaged. I love it too much! Go adventure and have fun, camera or not, and color outside the lines! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633035988710-4HTWW5FUJD5OQSEDZ82S/The+ferry+from+Anacortes+to+the+San+Juan+Islands%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - Anacortes is a beautiful little town in Northwest Washington. It sits on Fidalgo Island in the Rosario Strait. The Washington State Ferries have several ferries in operation in this area including, to the Islands of Lopez, Shaw, Orcas and San Juan, which make up, the San Juan Islands. I could write a whole bunch of words in regards to just these islands but you will need to go see for yourself! I will say this, though, the ferry ride is gorgeous going thru the other various islands as you head towards the San Juans. If you go to Friday Harbor, which is the dock for the ferry on San Juan Island, you can get allot for your buck. You can take a self-guided tour of the grounds, where British and American forces had encampments, and learn about the Pig War of 1859. If you go in June, and travel to the Lime Kiln Lighthouse, you could very well see a pod of Orca cruising by as they chase down a seal for lunch. Some folks even rent kayaks and will paddle among the Orca…I’m sure it is thrilling to do that and not get killed, but it would be my luck that they recognize me as a Cornish Pastie, crunchy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and…well, you get the idea. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633131967248-49VASSBAPBABD51COJDK/A+smik%3Drking+goat+at+Hollander+Homestead+Park%2C+Bellingham%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - Now, if the smirk on the face of this female goat, at Hovander Homestead, is any indication of the fun filled adventure you can have, while visiting the Pacific Northwest, then I don’t know what is! There isn’t anything adventurous that you cannot find in this region. From the novice to extreme thrill seekers, all will find something that fits their needs. At my age, well, thrill seeking isn’t such a thing anymore, but I love an adventure and I love photographing those adventures. You have to visit and see for yourselves, get out here and experience the PNW in all its splendor. Heck, you can start in Northern Washington, hit the Pacific Crest Trail, hike down to San Diego, California, then come back again, if that’s the adventure for you! Or you can find a lovely lake, like Lost Lake on Mt. Hood in Oregon, hike around that gentle mile or so circle. It’s awesome here, come see! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633126740011-9SHPJP92RCOJ40AZBRT1/A+piece+of+art+located+in+Bellingham%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - There is one other place in Northern, Washington that I’d like everyone to know about. The place is Bellingham, Washington. You wouldn’t know to look at it, even as you’re driving North from Anacortes, but there is much to see and do in Whatcom County that one can’t begin to know what to do first. I should note, this photo and the photo below it were taken at places that are free to explore. No cost to you for a few hours of enjoyment. That’s fantastic! This first place, named Big Rock Garden, is located at the top of a hill, in a residential neighborhood no less, in a lovely, old growth forest with hiking trails throughout, and has sculptures throughout from local artists. Well, this is one example of the types of pieces you’re going to see. I also have a. “Flare,” for sunflares in some of my shots, as you will tell as we go. It was still early in the morning, the sun had not cleared the treeline, I closed my shutter down to anywhere between f13 and f20 using my trusty 10-24mm, and voila, sun flare. A crude, yet rather small, parking area awaits you at the top, or, take one of the trailheads that start in one of the neighborhoods and hike up. There is no admission to get into the park, they do have hours of operation, but it’s a lovely way to spend an hour, or two, in a place that is representative of nature and art together, but in the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633130179981-UKHFNFSSO8F1FBHI08EC/Hovander+Homestead+Park+in+Bellingham%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - Lastly, there is Hovander Homestead Park. Even though I have gone to Anacortes dozens of times over the years, I still can find things that amaze me. I’ve just recently started to discover Bellingham and I cannot wait to go back! This homestead is roughly 350 acres and in pristine shape. The out buildings are fantastic, the goat and waterfowl hutches are great. There is a garden that is maintained by master gardeners from Washington State University. Back in the early 70’s, the whole farm was purchased from the remaining Hovanger, Otis, for the purposes of becoming a park. There are tours of the residence, but only in the summer time. You can hike to Tennant Lake, taking in some surprises along the way that will occupy some of your time. If you have kids, this is the perfect place for learning about farm life, see old school tools and machines that aided in farming these lands in the early 20th century, there are lookout towers to climb to the top of, playground equipment to use, animals to see…it’s a great place to visit! https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/1633110910191-SM1F4IJUKRTAR0XUBJAH/A+view+of+a+cannery+and+fishing+boat+with+a+partial+view+of+Guemes+Island%2C+Anacortes%2C+Washington Blog - Northern Washington - Anacortes is a delightful little town, in Washington, and is filled with little pockets of awesomeness. Little, and big, scenes of beautiful waterscapes, landscapes of farms, raptors, there is a Blue Heron nesting sight nearby, all sorts of things to see for a small town. Many folks retire to Anacortes and if you make a trip here, you’ll understand why. In the background of this photo you will see 2/3 of an island. That is Guemes Island. This is a literal, 5 minute ferry ride from Anacortes. It’s a relatively small island with not many inhabitants. Some larger-sized farms, some lovely homes that skirt the waters edge on one side of the island. There are cabin rentals to take advantage of as well as doing a little shoreline exploring. https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/category/Travel monthly 0.5 https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/blog/category/Vittles+and+Potions monthly 0.5 https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/about daily 0.75 2024-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/faf1d11d-e9de-41c0-8517-63353f970f8a/DSC_0070_inPixio2.jpg https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/contact daily 0.75 2024-01-17 https://www.thenomadiclensman.com/home-1/travel-and-photography-tips daily 1.0 2024-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/cdcda7ba-3cc0-4544-99e4-d8bd3b087e83/DSCN5875+Yellow-Headed+Blackbird+RWP.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/dc9d6e39-2874-40ed-b784-d6f4a9c47cfc/DSCN6647+Orangutan.jpg Home-Travel and Photography Tips - Travel My main objective is to enlighten you and inspire you to travel, see as much as you can see in your lifetimes and hopefully you’ll document your journeys and have a wild ride in the process. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6145f9cea75a8c1b0c609b9e/a20fad12-c55b-423d-996b-9bdb25609450/Caprese+salad+at+Butchart+Gardens%2C+Vancouver%2C+B.C. Home-Travel and Photography Tips - Vittles & Potions From the dawn of time all the way up to our present days, even into the future, folks have needed, and will need, food and liquid to sustain life. I have comprised photos and, at times, specific names of places for you to enjoy grub and libations during your travels.