When to Save While Traveling and When Not

An insightful article by the NY Times Frugal Traveler on how to travel frugally without going overboard.  I remember, many years back now, taking the bus from Washington DC where I was a Congressional Intern, to Williamsburg, Virginia. Upon arrival at Colonial Williamsburg, I was shocked by the cost for a day pass to the site and, instead, opted for a pay-as-you-go scheme, not realizing how costly that would run.  Ended up only going into a couple of the buildings there, running up a tab almost as high as the full-day admission would have been, and catching the bus back to DC that evening, a couple of bucks richer but infinitely poorer in terms of experience.  I still remember that experience to this day and try not to short-change the experiences of travel to save a few bucks here and there.

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/the-argument-against-pound-foolish-travel/?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20121201

MacArthur Winner: Uta Barth

Yes, photographers sometimes hit the big time.  Uta Barth, a professor emeritus at U.C. Riverside, just became one of the 2012 recipients of a MacArthur Grant - for $500,000.  Popularly called "genius" grants, the award has no strings attached and allow the recipients to do whatever they please - hopefully furthering their artistic or scholarly endeavors.  Now, I only mention this because I've never heard of Uta before today. But in checking out her work, I'm very excited!  Her focus is on seeing the differences in how our eyes see versus what the camera sees and "how the incidental and atmospheric can become subject matter in and of themselves." Definitely not cookie-cutter or traditional photographs, her work definitely explores light and shapes and the qualities that emanate from the very instrument used to record images - the camera.  A cross-section of her work can be found at: http://www.tanyabonakdargallery.com/artist.php?art_name=Uta%20Barth.

And you think YOU make mistakes

I attended a workshop two years ago in Cusco, Peru, with Daniel Milnor as one of the leaders. His blog, smogranch, is always of interest.  But his latest entry, on mistakes made, is one of his best. And unless you've made your share of photographic mistakes (let's not even get started on mistakes in life!), you're not trying hard enough!

http://www.smogranch.com/2012/11/19/failure-as-friend/

Insight

Richard Lacayo, in a Time Magazine essay on a photography exhibit on War, made a particularly insightful point: "...even in a world that contains too many pictures, pictures of war, the best ones, still have the power to stir your emotions." With cameras everywhere and photographs being taken incessantly, there is still a power in an iconic image. It has never been the quantity of photographs that count, but the quality.  Ever more so now.  There is constant change in our lives and in our surrounding universe and always the opportunity to create a powerful image.    

http://lightbox.time.com/2012/11/19/this-means-war-a-look-at-conflict-photography/#1

Decisive Moment

Henri Cartier-Bresson is credited with coining the term "decisive moment." "I suddenly understood that a photograph could fix eternity in an instant." The challenge that photographers face is being ready for that decisive moment and following through - taking the photograph at just the right moment. 

The women were walking down a side lane toward me, approaching the sacred Lake Pushkar. Ranging in age from pre-teens to grandmothers, for some, many, most, it would be there first journey to the Lake, second only in holiness to the Ganges, corresponding to the November full moon.  I could see that there may be a photograph and quickly positioned myself head-on.  And just as I got ready to take my first shot, Lake Pushkar came into their view.  Their expressions say it all -reverence, awe, and excitement - the decisive moment.  Did I know that their expressions would take on such meaning?  No.  But I was ready for whatever came. 

And, honestly, I didn't know what I had frozen in time for quite some time.  The photograph was not shot as a panorama.  It was not until much later that, as I kept coming back to the photo, I really mentally zoomed in on the image and their expressions - and cropped the photo into the resulting panorama, focusing on the women's faces. It has subsequently become one of my favorite images - full of meaning and having the ability to convey meaning. 

Another Travel and Life Option

An intriguing article in the Wall Street Journey last week explored the option, for some folk at least, of selling everything and just traveling.  And we're not talking about twenty-somethings - but retirees in the 60's +.  Not a cheap option, but not all that expensive either. The couple featured in the article were spending around $7700/month when living in their home in California (and that budget did not include travel).  On the road, there monthly expenses ran from $3450 (in Mexico) to $6800 (in London).  Does require some source of funds (duh), and pretty good health.  And, of course, wanderlust. Sound good?   

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443720204578004131575356160.html

More Travel Websites Worth a Look

In preparing "Journey On! Taking Your Travel Experience to the Next Level," I did a lot of research on valuable websites (in case you haven't checked lately, there are a lot of non-valuable websites out there!) and discussed the key ones.  The web, of course, represents at its best constant change.  The NT Times Frugal Traveler pointed out some of the newer sites that are worth a look in today's NY Times.  All sound worthwhile.

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/09/10-travel-web-sites-worth-bookmarking/?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20121013

Audio Slide Shows

Our family took a classic American road trip this past summer - from our Northwest home to Nevada's Great Basin National Parks, then on to Utah and Arizona to visit Cedar Breaks, Zion, Grand Canyon, Bryce, Kodachrome, and Capital Reef parks.  Camera in hand, I took more than a few photographs and was overall pleased with the results. 

Then comes the question: how best to share the photos with others?  One technique is via an audio slide show - in this case, the audio is provided by a music score.  I choose what I considered my best photographs from the trip and imported them into Windows Live Movie Maker.  The software name notwithstanding, it does slide shows in addition to movies. 

Once in Movie Maker, I inserted title slides announcing the next park, an overall title slide and a credit slide at the end.  Movie Maker allows you to set various transition modes (how one slide moves on to the next), the timing of each, etc.  Fairly simple to learn and use. 

Next came the music.  Since I wanted to share via YouTube, it was really important to take music copyrights into account.  So I went to http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/ which has a wonderful selection of mood music to accompany slides shows or even movies.  Use of music from the site only required attribution, which I added to the credit slide.  The music I choose was just about the right length (under 4 1/2 minutes) for the 40+ photographs, so I clicked the box that automatically set the slide show duration to match the music.  And I was done.

The result can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/LYQpD9IxOVY.

Salvaging a Photo

When leading photography workshops, I stress the importance in "getting it as right as possible" at the time you "snap" the photograph, rather than relying on software for the "save."  That said, all digital photos require some degree of enhancement since there's usually a slight gray cast over digital images.

And that said, there are times when an otherwise nondescript photo CAN be saved and SHOULD be saved during the after capture process.  Here's an example taken on a lonely state highway at the "city limits," such as they are, in Baker, Nevada (the home of Great Basin National Park and Lehman Caves). The photo, with the moon just beginning to rise at the left edge, does convey some sense of the long, lonely road; with some subtle colors.  But took much sky and, actually, too much foreground, with the yellow and white lines stopping before the bottom of the frame.

So, with some adjustments in Adobe Lightroom, and cropping the photograph in more of a panorama, it more striking photograph resulted - and one more in keeping with my initial vision. The wider sweep of the desert landscape, darker tones and more "dusk." 

So, before you discard a photo file, take another look and see if there's an image within the image that's worth keeping. 

New Chihuly Museum - A Photographer's Dream

I was a sceptic when it was announced that a museum dedicated to the work of Dale Chihuly, the master glass artist, would be built in the shadow of Seattle's Space Needle. While I had enjoyed photographing within the Museum of Glass in downtown Tacoma, I had now particular intention of visiting the Chihuly Museum in Seattle which opened this past summer. But a perceptive friend invited me along for a photographic adventure.  And am I glad!  As I recall, there are seven interior rooms, each with a motif or theme, followed by a glass-enclosed atrium and then an outdoor glass garden. And each room and space has photo opportunities galore. 

   



This photo was taken in the first room, made up of tall glass tubes of varying colors. Fascinating and photo-worthy in itself, I experimented with zooming the lens at a slower shutter speed to obtain this color abstract.  The photo that follows was taken in the glass atrium with glass flowers hanging from the ceiling and framing the iconic Space Needle that seemingly looms overhead.  In three hours or so, I shot 200+ photographs and could definitely go back another time and obtain different images and just enjoying the artistry of Dale Chihuly and his artistic associates.  Check it out!



 



Zero In on Subject

Our eyes zero in on subjects without us really know it.  Its only when we take a photograph that we see all of the extraneous material that our "eye" did not see but our camera lens DID!  Sometimes it takes a while to fully comprehend what the subject is.  Or, just maybe, there are several ways of presenting the same subject - one in a more "environmental" setting and one that is close-cropped, centering on the "real" image. 

One of my favorite photographs from last fall's journey to Rajasthan and the Pushkar Mela was of a young girl, perhaps 10 years of age - though looking more wizened than that.  The daughter of itinerant salespeople, she naturally composed herself for this first image. The "environmental portrait" included the tools of the family trade and the jumbled surroundings of sand and litter.  And those "Raj Girl Eyes" always have drawn me in. 

Recently, in looking at the photo again, I realized that there was a second image - and I think a stronger one - that zooms in on the face and the eyes. The wizened beyond years look is more pronounced because our eyes are now longer distracted by the surroundings, but can zero in on the face. Both images are, in my humble opinion, wonderful.  Each has its place. And as you review and edit and view and edit some more, look at options to more tightly zoom in the the "meaning" and "subject" of your photographs. 



More Than an Observer - Witnessing

With a camera separating our eyes (and body) from the subject, its often easy to be a dispassionate observer of our world. Yet there are times when we become engaged not just in the creation of a photograph, but in the setting or event that we are witnessing.

Photographer Ed Kashi wrote the following about a funeral that he was photographing in a small Romanian village: "I broke down in the church, thinking of how beautifully this man's death was being witnessed. The tenderness, ritual and attention to detail (all the pallbearers had cellophane wrapped new shirts pinned to them as an alm from the family). ... We at least try to create a memory and belief that these acts will make sense and give meaning to it all." (PND News, August 2012)

Maybe when we photograph the Grand Canyon we are merely observers; but when we photograph a human interaction, be it a dance, a or child's music recital, or, yes, even a funeral, we become a formal witness to life. 

Salak's Four Corners - A Recommended Read

I've just completed reading what is, perhaps, my favorite travel narrative of all time - and that's saying a lot with well over 200 such titles in my personal collection.  Kira Salak's "Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea," is filled with personal tales of triumph and near tragedy, of pushing one's limits but being aware of one's vulnerability, of traveling solo (and as a woman) to prove something to one's self and of being open to the road less traveled, and of an understanding of cultures and different ways of being.  Full of serendipity and with the machete ever-ready, her travels are expertly relayed in wonderful, detailed, yet straightforward prose. 
Talking about a intricately carved canoe and paddle that she and a male companion purchase for an on-going journey down the Sepik River, she writes:

In the West, this might be called extravagance, a waste of time. If the purpose is to create a canoe, why bother with superfluous decoration? But in PNG, time is wasted when one makes something purely pragmatic reasons because then nothing is honored in the process; one creates an object without meaning. As the crocodile figures in all of the local creation myths, its carved presence on paddles and prows revels a reverence for the divine, which coexists closely with daily life. 

 And at the end of her journey, she realizes the world of travel is multi-faceted:

In the end, I see that there are many kinds of journeys, and one isn't necessarily any better than another - just different.   

*****

http://www.kirasalak.com/FourCorners.html

Artist Statement

If you are fortunate enough to have your photographs displayed at a gallery on in a magazine (print or on-line), you will likely be asked to include an "Artist's Statement." This involves writing down your photographic goals, either specific to the show or a more general overview of your photographic intent. My "official" version is four paragraphs in length (www.chuckkirchner.zenfolio.com - About) but boils down to two sentences at it's essence:

Chuck’s photographs have the ability to capture the season, the sensations, the memories and, most importantly, the spirit of place and of life. The tools of the trade involve technical acumen, artistic vision, patience, good timing, and, of course, a bit (or lot) of serendipity.

In the July 2012 edition of Photo District News (PDN), several "outstanding and undiscovered fine-art photographers" are featured, each with a brief statement that are generally to the point. While I won't go into the photographer's names, quotes range from

When these items are rendered in a traditional black-and-white format, the information that remains is merely an abstraction of its previous form.

to 

These are not real photographs of real things.

to

When capturing the still recordable milieu I am examining the parallel of a general tendency and personal stories: as resilient humanity condensing into symbolic destinies takes shape in the face of mortality. 

I personally find the last one to be something I might expect from an academic or a critic from a major newspaper, rather than from a photographer.  I believe that we, as artists, need to be accessible to our viewers, and that includes our written word.

Its All in the Sky

Common sights, like the Space Needle, are often the subject of lots of photographs taken on any given day. What makes one standout among others can sometimes come down to the sky.  Totally sunny, cloudless days can be mundane, while totaly cloudy days downright distracting (bright spot with no interest). But then there are the "partly cloudy" days, like this past Saturday in Seattle. Blues and wispy clouds of all shapes and hues can add considerable interest to a common sight. And having a friend point out the sky when our focus is so much ground-ward, well, that's even better.

Fortune-Tellers, Travel and Life

I have a weakness for travel narratives. Eighty-plus percent of what I read can be classified in this particular genre, ranging from William Least-Heat Moon to Robyn Davidson to Paul Theroux. And many many more. Most are pretty good, a few more than I'd like to admit are pretty mediocre.  And then there are the exceptional ones - the ones that are fully engaging, that take the reader in new directions (not just geographically), and one's that inspire or nurture the spirit of travel and of life. 

Tizian Terzani's "A Fortune-Teller Told Me" falls into this exceptional category. The author, an Italian journalist based in Southeast Asia, and with journalistic curiosity, visited a fortune-teller in Macao. The prophecy, if you want to call it that, was that something terrible was going to happen to the author in the coming year and he must not fly. A difficult proposition for an Italian journalist in Southeast Asia for sure.  And one, before the start of the year, Tizian decided to follow. 

The narrative following Tizian as he moved about Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Burma and then on to Europe via China, Mongolia and Russia, all the time consulting with other fortune-tellers - some close to the mark, others without a clue. Wanderlust, journalistic fervor, spiritual encounters of all kinds, and an overall sense of fascination fill the book and leave the reader to ponder the world that we see and the world that may be just beyond our vision and experience.

"Think of how many wonderful people we meet without realizing it, of how many  beautiful  things we pass every day on the way home without realizing them. It always requires the right occasion, a particular event, a person who stops you and draws your attention to this or that."

Festival at 15000' and Travel Expectations

Two interesting articles in this weekend's NY Times.  The first is on the Qoyllur Rit’i — the Snow Star Festival, held outside of Cusco, Peru. Elevation 15000.' Part Catholic, part earth-based spirituality. Dancing, commemorations, candle-lighting, arts, crafts, sheer beauty, and fervor. Sounds like my kind of festival, though the elevation gives me considerable pause.  http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/travel/celebrating-the-snow-star-festival-in-the-peruvian-andes.html?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20120512 

The second article focuses on a mother-daughter spring break vacation to south Florida. Wrong place to stay, no clear expectations on what to do and when, costly, and anything but connecting one-on-one. Points to doing your own research on lodging, talking with your traveling companion (even if family) before you go re expectations and objectives, and taking recommendations from friends with a grain of salt.  Makes for a good read and food for thought - especially when traveling with teens and 20-somethings!
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/travel/a-mother-daughter-spring-break-on-fisher-island-florida.html?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20120512

Drawn to Out of the Way Places

I've been re-reading "The Road Wet, the Wind Close: Celtic Ireland" by James Roy.  It caught my eye many years ago and led directly to me visiting one of the world's more obscure and isolated locals - Skellig Michael, off the coast of County Kerry, Ireland. In re-reading, I came across this:

We have come to Skellig Michael because of what we've read. [How true!!] We find ourselves drawn to obscurities, or perhaps it's just the urge to go places where no one else sees value. For whatever reason, on this island, I think, is the very essence of Celtic Ireland."  Takes me right back there, to the cold and windswept day in a distant October, where just two of us had the monastic site to ourselves. Obscurity, of value, and Celtic essence.

Books, and not just travel guides, can be a great influence on future journeys.  Whether Skellig Michael, or the Floating Tori Gate at Miyajima Island, Japan, or ...  I've felt called several times to visit the non-Eiffel Towers of this world. And will continue to follow the call.

Authenticity

There are those who feel that we should travel in certain ways - connecting with the locals - seeing certain sights - eating at certain "local" places. While I'm certainly one who wants to explore the cultures of the places I travel to and through, I really don't feel compelled to follow someone's dictates as to what constitutes the right way to travel. 

Gideon Lewis-Kraus book, "A Sense of Direction: Pilgrimage for the Restless and the Hopeful,"  relates stories about pilgrimages and the reasons why some of us do them these days. And the question becomes, if not done for the original reason (usually spiritual or religious), "is it still authentic?" And Gideon has a really noteworthy response: 

"My own feeling about authenticity is that we're all best off when we don't worry about it too much and just get on with the business of trying to travel in ways that feel meaningful to us, for whatever reason."

Know why you're traveling and make the journey your own - how more authentic and meaningful an experience can you ask for!

BTW, Gideon is interviewed on his pilgramage experiences on the WorldHum website: http://tinyurl.com/congnzz. 

Why Travel?!

Why travel? Because the world is out there - full of sights and sounds and people and cultures and landscapes. The travel experience presents new ideas and opportunities to understand and to be receptive to other cultures - whether of another state, region or country. It's also a great way to spend quality time with family or friends, to get away from everything and everyone, meet other people or just mellow out. Travel provides a chance to rekindle a romance, start a new one, or check out if you're really compatible! And, of course, there are airline and train seats that would otherwise go unused every day. Why Travel?  Because!

From the Introduction to "Journey On! Taking Your Travel Experience to the Next Level." Available from The Traveler, Bainbridge Island; Wide World Books, Seattle; your local bookseller, or through Amazon.com (http://tinyurl.com/c65bega).

Worthwhile Quotes

In this month's National Geographic Traveler, traveler Edward Readicker-Henderson wrote a fascinating piece on why he travels - and still travels to this day.  This in spite of the fact that doctors told him many years ago that his medical conditions would result in only months to live and would make travel impossible. 
Two memorable quotes:  "Whoever created the world went to a lot of trouble. It would be downright rude not to go out and see as much of it as possible."

and

"It's not a matter of better or worse, but simply this or that."

I especially like the latter; for most decisions, especially related to travel, there really isn't a right or wrong decision. Rather, its simply a choice between or among options, any of which could result in a serendipitous moment. And that is what travel is about.

Besides the NG Traveler article, Edward has a website with additional writings about his travels. http://www.routeofseeing.com/home.html

Upcoming Workshops & Presentations

Journey On! has a busy spring ahead.  Here is a list of workshops and presentations:

Presentation on my new book "Journey On! Taking Your Travel Experience to the Next Level," May 15, 7-8pm, Wide World Books, Wallingford neighborhood, Seattle.  Free

Vacation Photography
Monday evenings, June 4-25, 6:30-8:30pm at The Traveler, downtown Winslow, Bainbrige Island
Registration through Bainbridge Parks-and-Recreation. www.biparks.org.

How to Enjoy Your Vacation and Still Take Great Photos. This workshop focuses on taking photos you can be proud of while taking a vacation that you and your family can enjoy! We'll discuss how to prepare to take great photos, what to do while on vacation so that photography and vacation ae not mutually exclusive, and what to do once back home to share your photos in a way not to turn-off the viewer! All camera formats are welcomes - digital or film - but you need to know basic camera operations.

For more information, contact Chuck Kirchner at 206-780-5671 or chuck@chuckkirchner.com

Thin Places

This weekend's edition of the New York Times travel section has a thoughtful article on thin places," where heaven and earth come near. These are places that transform us. For me, it's the ocean's shore, especially the solitary experience of the north Pacific coast.

Other places that come to mind have been time spent observing, gazing at and photographing the floating Torii Gate on Miyajima Island, Japan (apropos, given that Torii Gates are considered the portal between the sacred and the profane, between heaven and earth); and an end-of-the-season journey to Skellig Michael, off the wild coast of County Kerry, Ireland.

There was a sense in these places of being other-worldly, of being at the edge, of longing to be there, of being called. Listen.      

http://tinyurl.com/8668x3j

OR

http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/travel/thin-places-where-we-are-jolted-out-of-old-ways-of-seeing-the-world.html?nl=travel&emc=edit_tl_20120310

Photography Tours

I'm generally not one to take organized tours. Whether I travel alone or with my family, I usually do all of the trip planning (with their input of course!), finding hotels, making air and car rental reservations, etc. But there is one exception - and that's the photography tour. I've been on four such out-of-the-country tours over the years.

•  Nevada Wier - Bhutan
•  Daniel Milnor/Adam Weintraub - Peru
•  Douglas Beasley - Guatemala
•  Deriusz Klemens - India

Could I have done these on my own?  Well, in three cases, probably. Bhutan is the exception (while independent travel is theoretically possible, the governmental requirements are such that practically everyone visits as part of a tour group). But by traveling with a group of photographers, led by a professional photographer (with local logistical assistance), you gain so much.  First, you get to hang out with the pros and with like-minded photographers and travelers. Second, the leaders know what time of day to be where and often the local assistants can arrange special access, etc.  Third, you live and breathe photography (and travel) for the length of the tour. Fourth, the interaction with the rest of the group actually improves your photography as well.  Many of my best photographs have come from these tours.  Now, admittedly, its really hard to go too-wrong in Bhutan, Peru, Guatemala and India - especially India.

What to look for in a photo tour:
1. Do you like the photographic style of the group leader? Always check the photographer's website and ask yourself: "Do I like their work? Can I learn something from their style?"

2. Are spouses or partners encouraged?  (In only one of the 4 tours above were some spouses along - and it was a definite drawback in that they had only passing interest in photography. They also made, in my opinion, wind-down and meal times less interesting, less focused on photography.)

3. How big a group? Photo tours can have anywhere from 2-48 members from what I can tell.  Again, in the case of the four I've been on, the participant numbers (sans instructors) were 2, 5, 6 and 18. The three smaller groups were definitely more interactive than the larger group, though I will give the leader of that group credit for really interacting with everyone, especially the photographers in the group (this was also the tour with a number of spouses along). I'm still in touch with folks in the 2, 5 and 6 person groups; not the 18 person group, other than the instructor. 

4. Am I getting value for the money?  When I booked the India tour (Rajasthan including the Pushkar Camel Fair), I had the choice of about 1/2 dozen photography tours offered by different photographers with tours ranging from $4K to $8K. I knew where in India I wanted to go and tried to match it as closely as possible. And my real desire was to spend a 5-7 days in Pushkar, which narrowed the choice down to 2! I also wanted to stay in local-style hotels and guest houses than 4* and 5* accommodations.

These are all considerations in matching your interests, your preferences and your wallet to the right tour.  And, in reality, I think its hard to go too wrong when you're traveling with photographers who are also travelers!

One Way to Make Subjects "Pop"

During a visit to Wales, I attended the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod, an engaging event focused on music and dance. As with many such festivals, getting the right angle for a photograph is difficult, especially when dealing with the background. One of the dance performances featured a whirling dervish, all clad in white. The beautiful trance-induced movement was mesmerizing. And, as a photographer, I want to get "just the right shot."    

My favorite image was this one, with the "whirling skirt" in motion, forward facing and nice hand gesture. But then there's the background. The stage was surrounding on all four sides by viewers and folks in constant movement (just like the Dervish). The gentleman in red was a particular distraction photographically. While I use Adobe Lightroom for 99.9% of my edits and adjustments, this was clearly a case where something more would be needed. There are techniques in Photoshop to totally strip away the background. But, to me, that seems a bit dishonest - he was performing (which is not a word I like to associate with the Whirling Dervishes since they make it clear that its really a religious experience for them) in front of a crowd.

So I utilized a different Photoshop technique - changing the background to black and white and then reducing the background's brightness and saturation. Using layers and lassos is not a quick process,  but worth it in this instance.

The viewers are still there - so the setting is real - but now the Dervish visually "pops" out. The only remaining color are his hands and conical felt hat. This, by the way, explains the need to tone down the background, not just convert it to black and white.