Category: Travel / Nature Blog

I’M NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE

Just back from Salina, Kansas where I photographed Blue Heaven Studios’ 15th Annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads concerts. The live music was inspirational and aided by the superb acoustics in the converted church studio. It was a fun-filled weekend hanging out with Michael Fremer, Chad Kassem, Kevin Gray and many others. Continue reading “”

AN APPROACH TO AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY

Number four in my series of RANDY’S PHOTO TIPS a.k.a. his creative photographic process:

When approaching automotive photography, one of the first challenges is the belief that you can fix everything in post-processing. Unfortunately (or fortunately), a car’s complex bodywork and glossy paint reflects everything, especially on dark colored vehicles. So, unless your location and background are clean and well thought out beforehand, you could be left with an image that needs a lot of complicated retouching. Continue reading “”

WHY WE NEED HEROES

Neil Armstrong’s passing on Saturday left me wondering: Who are our heroes in this country today? Man’s first walk on the moon in 1969 seems long ago, and maybe a bit distant to our growing global challenges. Yet it was the natural culmination of a journey that started less than 110 years when the Wright Brothers flew for the very first time. Continue reading “”

VACATION

Vacation. From the Latin word vacatio, meaning freedom or exemption. A restful respite. A period of exemption from the world. A soulfully fulfilling experience of freedom.

An island in Washington state’s South Puget Sound holds a recluse that my wife and I can escape to for a couple of days every month. Once or twice a year we spend two or more weeks at a time there. Continue reading “”

10 DAYS ON THE ROAD : BACK WITH A TROPHY

Just back from a road trip that will generate more photo stories for me in less time than any other. I traveled from Seattle to Salt Lake City and back again in my modified 1972 911 T/ST, about half of it on back roads.

The Porsche Club of America held its annual Porsche Parade event in SLC – a land of religious freedom and ultimate land speeds (some of it in in record-breaking heat). 110 degrees Fahrenheit is fine if you are sitting in your air-conditioned car. Unfortunately, I did not have that luxury. And neither did Jeff Barstow, my co-driver, when it came to laying down some fast runs at PCA national level autocross competition. Continue reading “”

1960’S LAUREL CANYON, LOS ANGELES REVISITED

In 1969, the Aquarian themes of Woodstock (peace, love and music) were being played out on a smaller scale in the secluded Los Angeles neighborhood of Laurel Canyon, which is defined by a road that links Hollywood Blvd. to Mulholland Drive. Two years earlier Joni Mitchell had purchased a wooden cottage that had been built by a jazz musician into the side of a hill on Lookout Mountain Avenue. Several of the songs Mitchell wrote at the time, including the title track of her third album, were a direct result of her embracing that slice of bohemian counter-culture. Continue reading “”

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ALL-AMERICAN ROADS

When America’s best scenic drives are discussed, a few always make the list. US Hwy 1 on the Pacific Coast is an obvious choice, as is Going-to-the-Sun Road in Montana. As amazing as these roads are, over 20 more are considered “All-American Roads” (see below), and one in particular stands out above all the rest as being both uniquely uncrowded and spectacular. Continue reading “”

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OUTLAW 356 AND 911 : BLACK AND SILVER

Once again, Excellence magazine has chosen to feature some remarkable Porsches. This month’s issue (#201) includes a black 1958 Porsche 356A sunroof coupe that became a Willhoit GT special and a silver 1972 Porsche 911 hot rod that returned to the street after many years as a race car.

I was fortunate to have covered both of these California cars in photographs and words. Each owner, Dick Moran and Chris Messano, is a true enthusiast intent on fulfilling their aspirations. Thanks, guys, for being who you are… Continue reading “”

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SCOTLAND

Magical moments are something we photographers live for. They are one of those times when we feel most alive.

This was one of those moments. My wife, Andrea, and I were touring Scotland and realized that the following evening would provide a full moon at dusk and a high tide reflection of the Eilean Donan Castle lit by the western sky in a nearby bay. It’s something that happens maybe once a year IF you are lucky and the weather is clear. Continue reading “”

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GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK

It’s only the first day of Spring, but never too early to be thinking about where to go. By mid-April flowering dogwood trees and early morning fog combine to produce wonderful scenes in a national park that deserves to be savored slowly. Straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a traveling photographer’s delight. Continue reading “”

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WHERE TO GO NOW?

In years past I’ve blogged about late winter locales such as Florida, Washington D.C., Death Valley, New Orleans, Australia, and New Zealand. Another desirable destination this time of year is Mexico. It’s very accessible, reasonably affordable, and the cuisine can be some of the best around. I’d avoid the interior right now and concentrate on small coastal towns. Continue reading “”

INSPIRED : ANTARCTICA

The last installment in this “inspired” triptych is water/air. Nowhere is the balance between these two elements more delicate than in the ice-bound ecosystem called Antarctica.

Antarctica was the last continent I visited in the 1990’s. After four days of travel, I finally arrived at this serene environment. The eeire silence was punctuated by the sounds and sights of humorous penguins. “Otherworldly” is the best way I can describe my experience there. Continue reading “”