For us that live in the Valley, we know what this means. Downtown Appleton, WI. I have such memories of the downtown. I remember when I was young, taking the bus from Neenah, WI, to Appleton, WI, when it used to be known for shopping. Me, I hanged at the music stores. Then we had a family tradition on Christmas Eve, and we would go and see all of the decorations, including Appleton. So, where did the avenue of angels come from? Back in the day, with all of the shopping, College Avenue had angels on every poll and every intersection. It was so beautiful. Today they do a modification of this. Nothing is more pretty than seeing the angels in the snow. Enjoy this weekend, enjoy family and friends, and don’t forget to consider an angel or maybe two. Merry Christmas.
beauty
Bermdua
One of the places my wife and I wanted to go is Bermuda. So we took a cruise out from New York to Bermuda. Once we arrived in Bermuda, our ship for 3 days was used for our hotel. On our first day, we spent the day at Horseshoe Bay. One of their most popular beach and popular was right. We arrive at about 9 am to be greeted in a line for about 30 minutes to get chairs, an umbrella, and, yes, water. Once on the beach, it is beautiful.
Horseshoe Bay
This beach is known for its pink sand. I have to be honest, I did not see it, but maybe it is because of the morning. There were two areas on the beach. I call the calm area and the wave pool. The water was crystal clear and so lovely in temperature. By afternoon this area was wall to wall with people.
A view over Horseshoe Bay
On our second day, we went for a ride around the island. We hired a person for $50.00 per hour to take us around the island. What an island. We did not see an area of litter or rundown. The people are very friendly and very proud of their island. I have some memories of the next time we go where I would like to spend some time. We went from one side of the island to the other and back. You know you are somewhat tropical because you even hit a rain shower now and then.
A litte shower stops nothing
On the 3rd day, we had a half day. We stayed on the ship because Bermuda has a national holiday and time to celebrate. Big Crickets tournament. If you want to go to this island, be prepared to spend some money, but it will be well worth it—a lovely place, and now it's time for the next location.
Bay of Bermuda
Happy Mother's Day
I want to take this time to thank every mother out there. A job that is so hard but so rewarding. Happy Mother’s day.
Mother’s Day
I recently purchased a 15-35 wide-angle lens and wanted to get out and practice with it. So going to a local park, I went out to practice and came up with a photo for this day. The picture I came up with was the one I wanted. It is a composite because it was a cloudy sky that day, and the sky was boring. So I added the sky in Photoshop. Cloudy was great for the picture because it's a giant softbox of soft light that I like. Now onto the next picture.
Working with what you are given when it comes to travel photography
I love to travel and all of the places I have been to. Most of those have been on vacation—most of the time, it's on a cruise when I am on vacation. When you cruise and arrive at the islands and take a tour, it's not in the so call best light. Take, for example, the island of TORTOLA in the Caribbeans.
The Island of Tortola
My wife and I signed up for an excursion to one of their popular beaches. We are in a van and heading to the beach, looking out the window. Taking what was given me, I was able to pull off some pictures that I felt summed up the island.
The Beach
While not in ideal conditions, I took pictures that I liked. I always want to take something that is not a snapshot. Maybe someday, we may go back and spend time on this island and get those pictures that we all love. Sunrise and Sunset. Until then, I will enjoy the vacation and what I love. Photography.
Rain in the tropics
Beginning to End
Everything has a beginning, and everything will have an end. Nature has away with this. I bought my wife back in December a Poinsettia Plant. The plant is doing great today, but leaves are starting to fall off and thus the end. I looked at the light shining on this leaf that fell and thought, “I wonder what this would look like as a closeup.” The light shining on the backside showed me the life of this leaf. I know, crazy, but sometimes I think this way.
I made a choice to make it black and white because the color did not help or add to the picture. I wanted to show the life of this leaf at one time. Using a macro lens, I set up using window light and then took the picture. It's incredible how we walk past this beauty, or in some cases, it's a dead leaf, throw it away to a photographer, and its documentation ends with a memory.