Isle of Mull, Tobermory, Scotland

I recently returned from a nice trip to Scotland, concentrating on the west coast and Islands. After visiting Iona, we had time to travel to Tobermory. Tobermory is one of those places where you can't take a bad photo. Much like the Greek Islands. I swear, if you drop your camera and it takes a photo, it will likely be a good one. Of course, the old adage, "F8 and be there" applies. You have to get there to take the photo. Driving on the left hand side of the road was not a problem for most of Mull. The roads are only one lane wide and you drive at highway speeds (60 m.p.h. in most of Scotland) constantly playing 'chicken'. Nothing like the rush of head on collision, potentially, to keep you aware, awake and hyper-vigilant! I'll post some more of my photos from this trip but this one is ready...

It also helps to have cooperation from the weather. It just happened to be a sunny day that day! It was also quite warm, which is an anomaly in Scotland. This was taken with my Nikon D300 using the 10-24 zoom. A little custom cropping was done to concentrate the image and reflection to emphasize the colours as well. What I really like about this one? The fact that it reminds me of the really good bakery found along this line of buildings! The main reason I went to Scotland? The bakeries of course...

Well it's been a while... but I went for a walk and couldn't help but notice some of my favourite things. Blues. Spring Azure Celastrina ladon. Beautiful little butterflies that most people just ignore. I do not. Please enjoy them here. 

Cruise?

OK. So the madness is over. I really do love to travel, but I really don't like the crowds. Why do so many ignorant people need to travel? Who would go on a trip while infected with Novovirus? Lets see, lets put 2000 people onto a ship, along with 1000 crew, and add 10 to 15 cases of Novovirus... Duh! Thankfully, I (nor my wife) contracted the dreaded GI tract infection and accompanying symptoms. It is getting to the point now where they shouldn't let you on board until they have observed you for 15-20 minutes prior to boarding. I love travelling by ocean... I guess it stems back to my days as a sailor, when I was young and joined the reserves to make a little money while attending Ryerson. It was a PI back then, not a PU as it is now. RPU just doesn't sound right. Regardless, there I was on the MS Rotterdam, held captive for one week in Caribbean waters. Not a bad place to be imprisoned, except for the virus. I did enjoy the weather, and the water, and who can complain about the fresh sea-salt spray infused air? Coming from the upper reaches of the Northern Realms, I was very happy to be in the Caribbean. Of course, I was heavily equipped with my cameras... a Nikon D300 and my trusty P7000. Throw in an extra lens, and I was very happy. I was also fortunate to have a "veranda" room on the 10th deck, which placed me near the top level of the ship itself.

This of course gives you specific views that cannot be resisted. I do like being on top. No pun intended. Of course being on a cruise, there is much to see in new places... never having been to the Turk's & Caicos, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas USVI, I had my share of new things to see. From my perspective, not that of a tourist. I loath tourists. I'm sure they look at me when I am out and about taking photos, and they must think to themselves, "Hey, he is pointing his camera in the wrong direction..." Ya, right. 

Of course, I would say back, "Open your eyes and look around you. You're missing everything." Yes, this nice little Osprey cruised right overhead. If I were an Osprey, I'd sail down to the Turk's & Caicos for the winter as well. I don't think anyone else on board saw this guy except me, until they saw me looking up with the camera. 

One of the trips was to go to a rain forest on Puerto Rico, and I've never been to a real rain forest before. Once again, into the breach. Far too many people on this trip but what did I expect? I did what I could. Not only were we on the trail as a bunch of 'tourists' with a guide, but we also shared the trail and sights with the locals, who were on their Christmas/New Year's break as well. Apparently it is a favourite with locals to go to this particular waterfall and bathe in the pools. Therefore, in my book, the people become the subject of the photos. 

Here, I used a nice long exposure to blur the water, and hopefully, the people there too. Now, try to imagine the scene without people. It really is a pretty place. Thanks to my 10-24 mm lens here. This was set at 10mm. I didn't take a tripod either. I always try to utilize some solid object to act as one, and in this case, the concrete supports on the bridge worked nicely.

Well, you never know what is going to show up next in this blog, but stayed tuned. 

Metcalfe Rock from Bruce Trail

Well, here it is the 23rd of December... Just came back from a hike near Duncan Ontario, on the Bruce Trail. I took along my trusty little Nikon P7000. Nice kit that. I particularly like the simulated wide angle I can get by taking panorama shots and putting them together back at home. Considering the snow and lighting you get this time of year at this particular latitude, these are demanding situations. The P7000 looks after it well.

I also looked at the newer P7100... I found right away that the camera is much thicker than the P7000, and heavier. I think this is to accommodate the folding display screen. Personally, I saw that as a drawback, needing the smaller size for getting into remote areas and being mindful of the weight of the stuff you are carrying. This particular image was taken from the top of the bluff overlooking (to the left) Metcalfe Rock, and almost encompassing 180 degrees of view. A few steps straight ahead equals a 60 Metre fall to the valley floor. The hike through the Bruce Trail to this vantage point was on pristine trails, with a skiff of snow on the ground, and not a single foot print. This completely complies with my desire to hike in areas that are remote in nature, and lack the crowds. Interesting thing I found out about Duncan... You plug "Duncan" into the GPS and it doesn't find it! Perfect. 

Another Day

Well, another day. Remarkably beautiful outside, this time of year. I have just finished processing about 40 kilograms of fresh honey and it is fantastic this year. There is no sensation like opening the hive (I am a beekeeper, after all) and listening to the bees hum, smelling the scent of fresh bees and honey and soft beeswax, and licking your fingers as you pry apart frame after frame of sweet honey. What is more amazing, is that the bees allow you to remove part of their home, and steal their honey, and they don't get too upset about the whole process.
One of the problems I had with this blog, at the start, was after I completed, where did it go? I was a little snarly in the first post, but I still stand by what I wrote. It took me a while to find it again. Should have book marked it!
I was out in Peterborough Ontario taking a few photos at the "Head of the Trent" for my daughter, who is a team coach, (sort of like getting paid, you have to do these photos, like it is a family obligation!) so they were more or less, cheesecake photos. I hate cheesecake photos... but then, it was more like sports photography. I don't mind that so much! I used my Nikon D300 and the Nikkor 24-120 1:3.5 - 5.6 G ED lens. It was a beautiful day as well. Just downloading the photos to the computer now. Shooting RAW at 200 ISO, and what the hell, why wouldn't you shoot RAW? I could talk about that all day. That is why I actually purchased the Nikon P7000 - it shoots RAW! And it's a lot smaller than my D300 for back packing across Gros Morne National Park. Regardless, I digress. If you have any questions about any photo or anything I've said, then please respond. (Of course, up to now, I don't have any followers! ;-))

A good start

Gros Morne National Park Newfoundland

I really hate people. I need to go where no person is standing in front of the scene I want to shoot and smiling like an ID-10-T into a point a shoot camera to prove they've been somewhere. Particularly when they are doing a self-portrait. I yearn for the Trans Labrador Highway... the Dempster Highway, anywhere I can get away from people in greater numbers than a city has to offer. I have been to these places, and I want to go back. Gros Morne is another one. Nice place with fewer people and the ones who are there? The nicest people on the face of the planet (Newfoundlander's). I could live there... I am going to use this blog to post my photos and details of my trips. I will let you know what equipment I use as well. I am, afterall, a lifetime photographer. I have taken pictures and made pictures all of my life. I have even been paid professionally for this service, but the pictures I like, are the ones no one pays me for. I don't show off my pictures very much, and they are very personal. Now that I am paid to stay away from work, I can do this even more.