Q and A

I came across 2 videos yesterday that really got me thinking - about travel, music and life. The first asked 50 people a seemingly simple question - where would you like to wake up tomorrow? The answers were all over the board, though the most common was in their own bed next to their partner. A second category was Paradise, a moon made of cheese and other spiritual, mystical or fanciful locales. The third category were exotic locations, especially Paris and the South Pacific. Funny that Cleveland or Buffalo didn't come up. http://vimeo.com/2540216

The second video, via youtube, is of the great Irish singer Andy Irvine. And the tune is O'Donoghues,' an essay on the importance of pubs in setting career goals! The last few lines are especially memorable: "I never could have guessed as I walked through the door with the future had in store - a blueprint for my life I saw lying there before me."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLP92-enW6Q

Now, you may ask, what do these have to do with each other and with this blog - travel, photography and life. Well, you never know what you will find when opportunities arise - waking up in some exotic locale, walking through a door and having a new experience. Isn't that part of what travel is about? And, as a photographer, you never know what new opportunity will arise when you look around - ahead, behind, to the side, up or down. Life is full of opportunities and when given the option, shouldn't you at least peek through the door to see what's on the other side? The safe route - waking up in the same spot - has its merits. But so does taking that leap. I think my answer would be safe and exciting - waking up next to my partner and finding us BOTH somewhere new, different and exciting! And if there's a pub nearby, its probably worth a pint to see if life has something new in store.

Fine Examples of the Visual Art Form

I came across two extraordinary videos this morning that should inspire travelers, photographers and artists of all stripes. The first, filmed in the Ukraine, is a 10-minute video of a woman using sand and light and music and sound to tell a story like you've never seen done before. The second, filmed in London, is of the Underground and the wind that blows through the tunnel and stations, with short snippets and a great musical soundtrack. Both well worth the time, IMHO.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvXVkZysOrc (Ukraine Video)
http://vimeo.com/5721277 (London Underground Video)