JOURNEY ON!

One Way to Make Subjects "Pop"

2012-01-05T11:22:00.000-08:00

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.

A Couple of Random Thoughts at Year's End

2011-12-29T12:01:00.000-08:00

Just finished watching a video "Focus On Your Passion: Tim Mantoani." I'll admit I was doing other chores while watching (or listening to be more accurate). But two things caught my ear: "What is your dream project?" and "Do you have friends that support your work?" I'll be pondering the former over the course of this weekend, though I think I know what it is - working on a new book. And I'm very fortunate in knowing the answer to the latter - YES. LG and I check in every Thursday or Friday on "what artistic or creative step have you taken this week or this evening?" Keeps us focused at least weekly on the creative side of our lives. We call it "Art Night" and I think we've both benefited from it over the year or so we've pursued this simple check-in. Highly recommend it!

Twenty Questions

2011-12-25T00:55:00.000-08:00

John Paul Caponigro, a fine art and digital image photographer/workshop leader, has asked a number of famous photographs to answer a series of questions. I thought I would take the same list and answer many of the core questions myself. You can see JPC's Q+A sessions at:
http://www.johnpaulcaponigro.com/lib/q-and-a/index.php

What's the best thing about photography?

Rendering an emotion in two dimensions.

What's the worst thing about photography?

Taking and editing hundreds if not thousands of shots to find just the right ones - the ones the convey meaning, emotion and technical skill.

What's the thing that interests you most about photography?

The relative simplicity of the medium - mostly visual rather than technical.

What's the thing that interests you most about your own photographs?

How I've gone from f64 sharpness to fluidity and motion and emotion.

What's the thing that interests you most about other people's photographs?

Nearly the same place, nearly the same time, totally different images.

Who were your early photographic influences?

Ansel Adams, Ernest Haas.

Who are your photographic influences now?

Doug Beasley, Nevada Wier, John Paul Caponigro, Joel Meyerowitz

Who were your early non-photographic influences?

My dad (a violinist), Picasso, Bach, Monet

Who are your non-photographic influences now?

Artist friends, Arvo Part, pipe organs, religious rituals, all things Celtic, the Tango (music and dance), and still Monet (Water Lillies).

What's the most inspiring work of art you saw recently?

A series of ocean horizon shots appearing in National Geographic magazine. So unlike NG. And a photo spread on Cate Blachett in the NY Times Style Magazine. So unlike ME.

What's the best thing about gear?

Amazing options for turning one's vision into reality.

What's the worst thing about gear?

Too many options, buttons and dials for turning one's vision into reality.

How do you know when an image doesn't work?

Bland, no connection, boring, "next photo please"

How do you know when an image is good?

A quick smile, expectations met

How do you know when an image is great?

I shot that?!?!? A gut feel - several times over - that this is something special, different, worthy.

Do you practice another art form? (If so, which?)

Writing, concertina, keyboards and occasionally the hammered dulcimer.

What benefits do you get from (this/these) other art form/s?

Writing - thoughts; playing music - muscle memory, relaxation, spacing out

What was the most significant visual moment in your life?

An hour or two spent in the remodeled Orangerie in Paris, gazing at Monet's Water Lilies - perfection in art and perfection in interior architecture - visually stunning, yet contemplative, moving. And a great venue for creative photography as well.

Which was the most important image to you that got away?

Recently in Jaipur, India, at the Amber Fort. A young woman, perfect light, split second decisions, and out-of-focus images where they needed to be tac-sharp. Too many buttons and settings. Oh, well, I still remember her and the setting and the light.

What accomplishment are you most proud of?
Leading photography workshops for adults and children - passing on knowledge and learning from others.

What's the thing you most hope to accomplish?

Inspiring others - whether photographically or in life.

If you had to do it all over again, what would you change?

Given that we are the sum of our experiences, I probably wouldn't change much. Well, maybe discovering sushi and razor clams earlier in life!

If you had another life to live a completely different life, what would you choose to do?

A photography instructor and travel photo group leader; maybe as an Episcopal (married) Jesuit!

Range of Focal Lengths

2011-12-22T15:55:00.000-08:00

My favorite lens is a Nikon 18-200 wide-angle-to-telephone zoom. Its not the fastest lens in the world, but with vibration reduction it manages to work in most situations. But not all. A faster lens would have helped in a few instances while in India for sure. But there's no such thing as a fast extreme zoom. I would have to switch to two lenses - probably 18-70 and 80-200 or so - to achieve the same range and speed things up (and weigh things down - fast zooms are heavy). And switching lenses, especially outdoors in the dust of India, would have had its own series of problems.

So before I made any drastic decisions, I looked at what focal lengths I used while in India. I choose the first 667 shots (out of 1950 or so) and, checking the metadata in Adobe Lightroom, plotted out the focal lengths of all shots and then my "*****" favorite shots (28 out of 1950). The results:

                All      *****
18-30       17%     18%
31-40       13%     14%
41-50       10%       7%
51-60       10%       0
61-70         8%      7%
71-80         3%      4%
81-90         3%      4%
91-100       3%      7%
101-110     2%      0
111-120     3%      7%
121-130     2%      7%
131-190     7%      0      (few shots taken in this range)
191-200   18%    21%

Over half of the photographs were taken between 18-70mm (27-105 given the size of my digital sensor on the Nikon D300). BUT then there were those 18-21% shot at 200mm. Changing lenses would definitely have been a drawback in an active environmental like the Pushkar Mela. I noted that as I recorded the data, I would jump from 18mm to 50mm back to 18mm and then to 200mm in consecutive shots. So changing lenses would likely have resulted in missed opportunities. On the other hand, with a faster lens with even higher quality glass, I may also have had some * and ** shots turn into **** and ***** ones.

While a time consuming exercise, I think it was worth it to get an understanding of how I use my lens - and that the use covers the full focal length range of the lens. That doesn't mean I won't consider a faster lens, probably covering the wide-angle to normal (18-70) range; it just means that when I'm in an active festival-oriented environment, I'll probably stick with the trusty 18-200 model for quick response to changing circumstances.

You might want to do the same exercise to see how you use your zoom lenses, especially before buying something new.

All Things Raj

2011-12-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

Finally coming down from an uplifting and overwhelming experience twelve times zones away - two weeks in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Half the time was spent in the chaos of Pushkar during the Pushkar Mela (camel fair and Hindu pilgrimage); the other half a slower-paced exploration of the amber, blue and pink fort towns of the Raj. Photo opportunities galore among the coughing, smiles, dust, joyousness, blaring loudspeakers, intimate encounters (no, NOT that kind), crowds, majesty, poverty, bubbas and sadhus, a/c vans, auto rickshaws, dogs and cows that make up just a portion of the experience that is India. You really can't prepare yourself for it; you just plunge in and take it as it comes - and it will come and blow you away.

Some 2000 photos later, it's clear to me that my photography headed in yet a new direction compared to past journeys. More people, less landscapes. And more up-close-and-personal photos. Personal space is not much of an issue in crowded India; and few mind if you take their photography, even close-up. It still takes a while for this Westerner to get close and not feel as an intruder. But that's the luxury of 7 days in one town - overcoming personal resistance and taking photography - and interpersonal interactions - to the next level.

The Emotions of Photography

2011-10-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

I've been doing a broad look at my photographs shored in Lightroom today and noticed every now and then that a quick smile would come across my face. A photo taken as long as a decade ago would trigger that smile - a place, a person, a sunset, a scene that brings back great memories. The photo might not be the greatest in the world or even in my world but that doesn't matter. Not all photos - or even most - are destined for the wall or a blog. They're just there for the memories - and is there anything better?

And a Third Show: Tango

2011-10-08T11:21:00.000-07:00

While the Stained Glass show at 11 Winery Tasting Room on Bainbridge Island is in the past, I have a new show at the 11 Winery Tasting Room in downtown Poulsbo, Washington. "Spirit of Tango" is up through the month of October and represents several years of shooting at the Northwest Folklife Festival.

A Second Show

2011-08-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

Opening today and running through mid-October 2011 is an exhibit of my photographs of "Crosses" taken in New Mexico in 2008. The show is in the "Art in the Parlor" gallery at St. Barnabas Church, Wyatt Way at Gowen Place on Bainbridge Island, WA. The parlor is open from 9 am - 2pm weekdays and from 8am - noon on Sundays.

Entertainment on Domestic Airlines

2011-08-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

I just came across a recently prepared matrix showing the availability of in-flight wifi, TV/Movies, Music, and Games on domestic airlines. Best airline for in-flight entertainment appears to be Virgin America (I've flown them once and enjoy the experience, even if less than 2 hours); the worst is clearly Spirit Airlines (never flew them; probably never will).

http://www.jaunted.com/special/ife-status-update-2011

Sense of Awe - The Stained Glass of Paris

2011-07-31T21:35:00.000-07:00

Opening this Tuesday, August 2 and running through Wednesday, August 31 is my photo show: "A Sense of Awe - The Stained Glass of Paris." The exhibit is at the Eleven Winery Tasting Room on Bainbridge Island, Washington, 287 Winslow Way in the heart of downtown. The tasting room is open daily, 1-7 Monday - Friday, 12-7 Saturday, and 12-5 Sunday.

And advanced notice. I'll have another show, this one featuring the Spirit of Tango at the Eleven Winery Tasting Room in Poulsbo, Washington beginning October 1.

The Importance of Travel Planning

2011-07-24T06:37:00.000-07:00

After a three week hiatus journeying through Holland and Croatia, I'm back in the blogosphere. I'll be sharing some of my travel and, hopefully, photography, insights with you in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I direct your attention to an article in today's New York Times on "Planning the Perfect Vacation." Its generally very high-level, but certainly re-iterates my personal view that the "planning" part is critical in translating into a great travel experience. The article includes the results of an Netherlands study showing that a majority of vacationers were happiest in planning the vacation! I've certainly noticed this is many a trip I've taken. While the trip itself was everything I could have hoped for, the anticipation was even better. The mind works in funny ways, sometimes! OK, usually.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/travel/planning-the-perfect-vacation.html?nl=travel&emc=tda3

Which also leads me to an upcoming book that I've written on the Vacation Planning process. Should be available by the end of summer and will provide a much greater level of detail on how to plan for and budget for your next great adventure. Stay tuned for details.

Creative Quotes

2011-06-12T19:47:00.000-07:00

For your consideration:
"Creativity is taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary." Chris Orwig in "Visual Poetry." That's what makes great photography an art.

"Doc was at ease with himself and that put him at ease with the world." John Steinbeck in Cannery Row. This evening, with ease, I print.

"What I am saying is that you need to begin to define what inspires you. Then you need to dedicate time to that endeavor." Chris Orwig.

As I'm printing some of my latest "Tango" photographs, I'm reading Orwig's "Visual Poetry" and getting inspired to photography, print and share. And to focus on my creative side in the way I do best - photography.

Travel Writing and Photography at its Best

2011-06-11T17:44:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to plan a trip this fall to India (yea!) and in looking through back issues of travel magazines (yes, the printed kind), I came across Pico Iyer's article on Varanasi entitled "Maximum India." Superb prose, accompanied by just awesome (not a word I use very ofter) photography by Peter Bialobrzeski. Makes me want to go all the more or maybe just stay away in the comfort of my own home. That's the call of India. http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503351

Tango 2011

2011-06-11T17:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite photo subjects is of the Tango. A sensual, stylistic dance, accompanied by amazing music (accordion and all!), the Tango is a visual treat. And so, one again, I attended the Tango Dance at Northwest Folklife Festival over Memorial Day Weekend. And, one again, watched some amazing dancing, especially the Tango demonstrations by the "professionals." The lighting in the Seattle Center House changes by the moment, with sun streaming through the skylights one minute and then blocked by clouds the next. Shadows on the floor one moment coupled with bright sun on the dancers. And of course, there are the crowds all around that encroach more and more each year, limiting what I view as the "perfect" shot. But its all part of festival shooting.

One of my favorite photos this year was of this couple - her teal dress and shoes played off well against his dark suit, and the dance floor just washed out, creating what I think allows the dances to "pop." I then decided to take it one step further and "wash out" the dancers themselves a bit - it becomes more of a drawing - using "fill flash" and some color saturation adjustment in Adobe Lightroom. Such are the possibilities of "fine art" photography!

Don't Let This Happen To You

2011-06-11T08:55:00.000-07:00

Veering off the normal topics just a tad, I want to share with you this blogpost on the top five regrets that people have when near death. It just might make you want to pick up that camera, book that next trip or call that friend. http://thenextweb.com/lifehacks/2011/05/31/the-top-5-regrets-people-make-on-their-deathbeds/.

Slow Travel

2011-05-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of the Slow Food movement - locally grown, cooked to order, the opposite of fast food chain restaurants or even the TV dinner (or should I say the Hulu-dinner) at home. The current edition of Verge Magazine (a volunteer- and youth-oriented quarterly published in Canada, has 7 tips on "Slow Travel," taking your time while traveling to experience the local culture on local terms. Among the tips are:

Thou Shalt Have No Other Gadgets Before Thy Flip-Flops.
Thou Shalt Not Make Lonely Planet Your Idol, and
Remember the Meaning of Adventure, and Keep it Holy.

Worth checking out. http://www.vergemagazine.com/news/86-contributing/569-ten-ways-to-travel-slower.html

Some More Quotes for Inspiration

2011-04-29T15:36:00.000-07:00

The first is from Paul Theroux, author of some great travel narratives, as quoted in the NY Times: "...the fact that a place is out of fashion, forgotten or not yet on the map doesn't make it less interesting, just more itself, and any visit perhaps more of a challenge."

The second is from my friend Betsy who is traveling around the world with her husband for some indeterminate amount of time, as quoted on their website http://www.marriedwithluggage.com/: "Life is short. Live your dream."

A quote from k.d. lang: "To be happy, you have to make that decision."
And finally a quote from an obit of a person I didn't know but spoke the truth: "She did what she needed to do to find her own fulfillment, and she succeeded."
Inspiration is where you find it or read it. These 4 quotes struck me as well worth reading and remembering.

Travel's Special Moments

2011-04-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Travel is at it's best when it results in great stories! I've blogged about this before, but Stanley Diamond just posted a reinforcing piece on his blog about those special unplanned moments while traveling: http://www.travelblogexchange.com/profiles/blogs/those-special-unplanned-days.

New Photo Portfolio

2011-03-19T10:49:00.000-07:00

My new photography portfolio is up and running. Check it out at: photography.chuckkirchner.com.

How Travel Has Changed

2011-03-19T10:41:00.000-07:00

Check out these two websites:
http://news.travel.aol.com/2011/03/01/travel-then-and-now-through-photos/
and
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/travel-tips-and-articles/76543?affil=lpemail.

The AOL site shows side by side photographs of how travel has changed over the decades. The Lonely Planet page describes more recent changes in how we research trips. Both are insightful and worth a gander.

Keep it Simple

2011-03-11T20:28:00.000-08:00

I came across a great quote in a book I've just started entitled "Visual Poetry" by Chris Orwig. "The trick of great poems and photographs is to tell just enough." Keep the photo simple, minimize extraneous elements. I'm reminded of a sketch by Pablo Picasso that is made up of 4 lines yet makes its subject very clear. http://www.art.com/products/p10290468-sa-i724882/pablo-picasso-femme.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=5000016&ui=ecb7b2a7f81544fcb44931ec0686438a. Boil your subject down to its most basic elements; try to exclude extraneous elements, and your photos will be stronger for it.

A Quote from Ansel

2011-03-09T14:55:00.000-08:00

"A good photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels." Oh, so true!

Life Is Good - Arthur Meyerson

2011-02-23T15:34:00.000-08:00

One of the great photographers of our time - Arthur Meyerson - discusses his art, his creativity and a life in balance - including the quote "Life Is Good." His color photographs are inspiring (at least to this photographer) - simple but memorable. Check it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZWNwqkat4o

Is It Safe To Travel?

2011-02-16T20:27:00.000-08:00

One of the questions I am asked whenever I travel outside of the US, Canada or Western Europe is: "are you sure its safe to go there?" It was asked of me just before leaving for Turkey which, coincidentally, was just after the Oklahoma City bombing. It was recently asked of me before we headed to Puerto Vallarta for a pre-Christmas trip - the Mexican drug wars were the big news story. On the other hand, when the earthquake hits your home, or the tsunami strikes or the tornado sets down in your yard or the hurricane roars through, it might not be safe at home either.

Should you exercise caution while traveling? Of course. The US State Department website (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_1764.html) posts travel alerts that may frighten you - its their job to point out potential problems. But its good to balance those alerts with other points of view. One site worth checking is: http://safety.worldnomads.com/. World Nomads specializes in travel insurance for folks taking longer than usual journeys in places throughout the world. Their site offers lots of advice on a variety of safety topics, as well as a question and answer forum.

Would I travel to a Mexico border town right now? No. How about Somalia? NO. And probably the same for Afghanistan and good portions of Iraq. But using common sense, some street smarts and armed not with a gun but with good current information, I feel that travel to almost anyplace else can be a safe and enlightening experience. Journey On!

Distinctive Portfolio

2011-02-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

A distinctive photographic vision is the key to success in photography. The works of Ansel Adams, for instance, are readily obvious, even though the photographs were, for the most part, taken in places where countless thousands of other photographers have also practiced their craft.

Lois Greenfield also has such a distinctive vision. One of her specialties is dance, a subject that vacation and travel photographers run into from time to time at a festival or street fair. Many are in sharp focus, while others use motion to convey action - one of my personal favorite techniques. Her photography of Sham Mosher, the 1st one in her "Airborne" portfolio, is one of my favorites. And her entire portfolio is worth a gander for multiple examples of shape and design as key factors in dance and motion photography. http://www.loisgreenfield.com/galleries/airborne/index.html

Journey On!

2011-02-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

I've been writing this blog for nearly two years now. Looking back over 88 postings I've made so far, the topics range from pure travel to pure photography to a mix of the two and, finally, to what's important in life. It has all been part of my life's journey as a photographer, workshop leader, environmental consultant and a social being. Today I changed the heading of the blog to "Journey On! Photography, Vacations and Life." The new title is more indicative of what has been posted and where I'm personally headed in my creative life.

Workshops will still be listed, as will upcoming gallery shows. And I will try on a more regular basis to discuss the nuances of vacation photography which I think is one of the more challenging genres out there given how wide ranging it is. And I'll post, as I did earlier today, articles and musings on the importance of an integrated life where the creative arts, world culture and one's personal interests intermix.

I hope you continue to enjoy the Journey!

A Good Read

2011-02-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Came across an interesting blog post this morning covering the pleasures of buying a book. Its not really about travel or photography, though its set in Madrid; rather it's about indulging in what's important to you. It also brings to mind running out of reading material while traveling and finding a bookstore with at least a limited English language section and buying a book regardless of price. For a good read is important to me while traveling, even if I don't finish it until well after I reach home.

http://www.travelblogexchange.com/profiles/blogs/one-morning-at-petras

Faster than the Speed of Light?!?

2011-01-20T13:31:00.000-08:00

While I try to keep my blog posts focusing on travel and photography topics, I sometimes come across an article that just causes me to stop and go - woo. Such an opinion piece appeared in this past Sunday's New York Times. Brian Green's article is about the expanding universe - the speed in which its expanding (possibly faster than the speed of light!) - and how at some time in the future, most stars in the night sky will disappear from Earth's view. And not because they are being extinguished - just that they are moving outward over time in an ever expanding (so far) universe. A think piece that still almost triggers the "reboot" button in my brain. I highly recommend reading it - followed by a Tylenol!

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/opinion/16greene.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=darkness%20on%20the%20edge%20of%20the%20universe&st=cse

Always Someplace Else To Go

2011-01-15T08:12:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday's New York Times Travel section had one of those articles that I usually despise - "The 41 Places to Go in 2011." Based on what? And 41?!?! But, intrigued, I at least ran through the list of suggested places and came across two in my home state - San Juan Islands and Olympic National Park, and a number of other places I had already been to in my years of travel (Singapore, Melbourne, Miami, London, Oahu). But there were also places I never heard of - and at least one of them sounds like my kind of place - Fogo Island, Newfoundland. "A remote island off the coast of Newfoundland with a dwindling population of 3,000 residents..." And a growing cultural scene. Having never been to Newfoundland but having always want to go, I now have a new incentive - a new place to explore. So, in spite of the article's title, it was worth at least a glance - and may be worth a glance from you as well.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/travel/09where-to-go.html?ref=travel

Photos to Convey Meaning

2011-01-01T17:46:00.000-08:00

When I lead photography workshops, I talk about the importance of taking photos that convey not just the "stark image," but also the emotion behind the image. The f64 school of landscape photography, with all elements of the image in sharp focus as exemplified by Ansel Adams, conveys the beauty of the natural setting.

A different type of landscape, that of the spirit of Varanasi, India, might not be well served by the f64 school. Rather, fleeting images taken by Peter Bialobrzeski are used to illustrate the splendid and moving story by Pico Iyer entitled "Maximum India" in the January 2011 edition of Conde Nast Traveler. Varanasi is where devote Hindus come to die and deal with their mortality. And the photos do an outstanding job of supporting the article, showing respect to the devote, and encouraging me to make my own pilgrimage to this most holy of cities. The following link will take you to the on-line story - BUT NOTE THAT THE PHOTOS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE PRINT EDITION. Check it out at your local newsstand, bookstore or library.

By the way, Pico Iyer's article is also one of the more evocative I've read in a while and probably provides a better insight into the experiece of visiting Varanasi that you would ever find in a travel guide. Whenever I wonder aloud whether I should eventually travel to India, I'll come back to this article and go for it.

http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/503351

Art Night Print

2010-10-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Tonight being Art Night (see blog from earlier this month concerning Art Night), I worked on a 2008 photo taken in Santa Fe. Adobe, blue skies, clouds and a white cross with shadows all teamed up for an evocative shot. I cropped the image a bit to have the cross in the upper third and left third of the image. What has not adjusted was the placement of the cross in a blue space as though it were separating the clouds. It was a purposeful composition in terms of its key elements. Its one of my favorite images and may ultimately be part of a series of "religious symbol" photos. Or just a nice standalone photograph.

Refinement

2010-10-25T18:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I came across a photograph made earlier this year that I really liked (see yesterday's blog entry). I've had a print of it on my desk during the past day and while admiring the abstract blue color on the left side of the photo, I realized that it actually distracted from the core image - the two heads as discussed yesterday. So I've simplified the photo even more - to get to its essence.

Just because you've edit and printed a photo doesn't mean that the artistic effort is done. If you see a way to improve a photo or view it in a different way, go forth. It's the wonder of photography!

Today's Print

2010-10-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

If you take lots of photographs like I do, you may also fall into the same rut of looking at them once and then "saving" them for some future use. I've been working on a couple of book projects and an exhibition, but also have a lot of other really good photos that don't fit into a specific project. So, I've decided that I need to relook at two or three of these photos each week and post them to the blog.

Today's photo is of a couple performing a traditional Croatian dance at a special event last spring here on Bainbridge Island. As you may have gathered for blog entries or from perusing my portfolio, I love dance and taking photos of dancers (and musicians). I love this photo for its simplicity and color and the look in her eyes. If the photo had been in sharp focus, I think it would be missing some of the emotion that motion can convey. And zeroing in on the shoulders and heads simplifies the image - no need to show everything to still convey the meaning.

And Now for Animation

2010-10-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

There's an interesting new website that allows you to create your own animation of a sort. Its http://www.xtranormal.com/. I ran across it recently based on a recommendation to watch a video on "I'm going to be a Travel Writer." Its one of the most hysterical pieces I've seen in a long time and was produced with the Xtranormal software. You can watch it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN6Khbe_MKM. Warning: there is some profanity in it.

I couldn't resist doing my own quick video on the corollary topic: "I'm going to be a Travel Photographer." A bit more basic, video-wise, but hopefully with a bit of biting humor as well. (And NO profanity.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64xgSQ4U-AY.

Would Chuck Stay Here Again?

2010-10-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

Well, I've finally moved into the video-era, several decades later perhaps, but progress is progress. I just completed a workshop with Bainbridge Island TV on creating your own YouTube video. The project I assigned myself was the start of a hotel review series entitled: "Would Chuck Stay Here Again?" The results are on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WU5rZb9xM0k.

The workshop entailed learning about the use of video cameras, video techniques, use of iMovie software, and the melding of video, graphics and audio into a cohesive video. It was really a lot of fun and I'm generally pleased with the result. With cell phones of the iPhone variety in wide use and with the newest digital SLRs incorporating video capability, its clear that video is taking on a larger role in our photographic life. If you have the opportunity to take a video workshop in your community, I strongly recommend it. Enjoy.

The Best Camera is the One You Have

2010-10-15T20:32:00.000-07:00

This past January, I posted a brief article on how my iPhone was liberating - always having a camera with you means never missing a shot. Now, admittedly, the quality of an enlargement is not the same as a digital SLR. But still pretty darn good. And for web posting, its great. I just went through my first year's worth of iPhone photos - and was really suprised as to see how many decent shots I was able to take with this most basic of cameras. Here's a sample. Looking forward to another year with my iPhone by my side (or in my shirt pocket).

Catching the Train, BART, San Francisco

Sunrise, Mt Rainier from Rich Passage

The rusting Hyak departing Seattle

Evening Spotlight on Downtown Seattle

Quinessential San Francsico

A Grey, Foggy Morning, Seattle

Rush Hour, or Why I Don't Live in Seattle Anymore

Ocean Bent, Puget Sound, In Camera Believe It or Not

Reflection, Belltown, Seattle

Sunrise from Bainbridge Island Ferry

Port Blakely Cemetery, Bainbridge Island

Art Night

2010-10-07T16:45:00.000-07:00

Need motivation to work on your photography? Given how "busy" our lives are these days, its not surprising that "art" takes a back seat to most other activities in our lives. And that's just plain sad. A friend of mine and I have come up with a weekly "Art Night." We've committed to one another to spend one evening a week pursuing our artistic endeavors and then e-mail each other that evening or the next day with a progress report/update. Its gentle pressure and usually just enough for each of us to delve into our artistic interests. Some weeks the night changes, but I don't recall that we've missed a week yet.

Maybe "Art Night" might work for you too?!

Definitely Journey On!

2010-10-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Two acquaintances, one 58 and one 68, passed away from heart attacks during the past 6 weeks. You just never know when your time will be up. The obituary for Warren, as published in today's Seattle Times, included a really important insight into his philosophy of life - one that's important for all of us to consider.

Mr. Argo was born in Fresno, Calif., in 1942, and graduated from Fresno State University with a degree in mechanical engineering. After working for Hughes Aircraft in Los Angeles for two years, he decided to leave the defense industry to play music full-time. "He said he had been to see some Shakespeare play where they talked about following your heart, and he cried so hard the tears squirted out of his eyes," said Leuba (his partner). "He just went blue sky. He got in the Volkswagen van and drove away. And he never looked back."

Amen.

Its All About the Stories

2010-09-18T09:18:00.000-07:00

...and the experiences and the photos and the friendships and the ...

But today its about the stories. All great trips, as witnessed in the best travel narratives by Paul Theroux or A.A. Gill or Robyn Davidson, are about things that go wrong or at least not according to plan. I had the pleasure this week of being a panelist at the Meet-Plan-Go event in Seattle and of discussing travel in Japan at an event here on Bainbridge Island. And what really got my juices going were sharing the stories of travel.

Asked of my most harrowing experience on a lengthy trip to Europe, I told the story of being on a TAP Air Portugal flight departing the Atlantic island of Madeira and, half way down the short runway having an engine blow (due to a bird strike). When the 737 came to a shuttering G-force stop and turned off the runway, there was at most 100 feet left before the runway ended and the Atlantic Ocean began (after a several hundred foot drop!). The truly scary moment was 4 hours later when we reboarded that same aircraft with the same flight crew and blasted down the runway for the second time knowing what could have happened. Clearly all went fine the second time since I'm still alive to tell about it. And tell I do!

The stories of travel don't often come out of what was planned but rather out of what actually happened that could not be predicted in advance. Some stories are scary (see above) and some reflect our willingness to expand our personal boundaries (eating sashimi for the first time in a Japanese Roakan) and some are about bonding (the close bond created by four photographers on a life-altering journey to Guatemala).

Journey On!

Upcoming Free Event on Bainbridge Island

2010-09-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

Cherry Blossoms, Torii Gates and Geishas: A Japan Odyssey

Spring break, cherry blossoms, Geisha performances, frequent flyer miles, Torii Gates. The combination points in a clear direction - Japan. Join island photographer and travel coach Chuck Kirchner for an evening of photographs and stories on the Land of the Rising Sun, focusing on a family spring break journey to Tokyo, Miyajima Island and Kyoto.

Chuck Kirchner, a photographer and travel coach as well as a transportation and environmental planning consultant, has traveled extensively in the US and abroad for both pleasure and business. And he’s always planning the next trip! His photographs have been published in local and national publications and have been exhibited at various Puget Sound area venues.

Friday September 17, 7:30pm, Island Center Hall, 8395 Fletcher Bay Rd NE, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Depends on Your Definition of "Experience"

2010-09-02T13:52:00.000-07:00

I've written several times about the importance of "experiences" when it comes to travel. I just came across an advertisement in Conde Nast Traveler where the tag line reads "Collect Unforgettable Experiences." Sounds really good so far. Aimed at the "discerning traveler," the ad goes on to say that travel is "about collecting experiences that bring you closer to the heart of every place you visit." It then goes on to offer clients a chance to "roam those storied aisles [of Harrod's Department Store] after closing with a personal shopper and then to arrange a "perfect night out to show off your new finery,"

Well, I guess that's a travel experience for some. Its all a matter of perspective, I guess. More to my way of thinking is the following:

In last Sunday's Frugal Traveler column in the New York Times, Seth Kugel talks about going "off the grid" in traveling to a town in Mexico for a week's stay - a town not covered in travel books - truly off the tourist/traveler grid." He discovered that the town "was jammed with intriguing customs, welcoming residents, unforgettable meals, beguiling landscapes and rich history. In other words, all the things that may travel great." www.nytimes.com/frugaltraveler

Different experiences for different folks.

Travel As Relationship

2010-08-17T11:22:00.000-07:00

“Give a month at least to this precious reserve,” said John Muir when he was trying to tell America how essential Glacier [National Park] was. A month? Who has a month anymore? Our holidays are speed dates, quick hookups with the 1,000 places you need to see before you die.” - Peter Fish, “The Road to Awe,” Sunset Magazine, August 2010

Way too true for many of us. Many have come to view trips as no more than a one night stand or, at most, a casual relationship. There are others view it as a full time all the time continuous journey where travel almost becomes, or is, a job. For proof, watch “Up in the Air” with George Clooney or check out NomadMatt website. In most good and healthy relationships, there should likely be times of intensity and times of apartness (not sure there is such a word, but, if not, there should be).

So it is with travel – a refreshing weekend getaway, then a spring break or summer vacation for a week or two. And then the occasional longer break – to see the “precious reserve,” to see how essential the world is – not just your corner of it. All are part of our relationship with travel – a relationship of learning, trusting, experiencing, and getting to know a sense of place, of others and of self.

A Few Images That Speak of Place

2010-08-06T11:16:00.000-07:00

One theme that I stress when talking to folks about photography and travel is the "Icon" photograph. This is a photo that immediately conjures up a place or event or memory; it can stand alone without text, and is a photo that you are proud of. They're the photos that you print and possibly even frame and put on the wall. In Japan, I took three icon photos - Cherry Blossoms in Tokyo, the Miyajima Island Floating Torii Gate and a Geisha in Kyoto.

Even though I've been to New York numerous times (and lived there for almost 2 years), I'm always called back to Times Square at least once during each trip. And to a ride on the Staten Island ferry. This remained a calling during my trip to the TBEX conference in late June. Of 193 photos I took during the long weekend (most of the time spent at the conference), I narrowed it down to 5 - four of Times Square and one of Lower Manhattan from the ferry - that speak of NYC.

Taxis and Broadway Plays - what says NY more than that?

Plus crowds of people waiting until I said cross!

Speaking of taxis - one of my favorite subjects in NYC - here I tried to get to the essence - no need to show the entire cab - just enough to know what it is and then show motion.

And then the layers - car, taxi, bicycle.

And finally, the Lower Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island Ferry with another ferry just about to dock. Given that this photo was taken around 11 a.m. on a warm, humid day, I was actually amazed that I could get a terrific shot without much in the way of post-processing adjustments.

Not sure whether any of these will make their way to my wall - but am pleased with all of them and getting 5 pretty darn good photos out of 193 is pretty darn good.

Telling A Story

2010-08-05T22:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I attended the Pacific Northwest Highland Games in the Cascade foothill town of Enumclaw. Its was a cool day (until 3, when the sun finally broke through and then temperature sky-rocketed in a matter of minutes), but the crowds were out in force, as were the games participants, the pipe and drum bands, the dancers, the musicians and the vendors of all things Scottish (and Celtic). Photography at events is one of the more challenging endeavors, with crowds and sky and a multitude of things happening all to contend with. Having been to the event several times over the years, I had some idea of what to expect and a few "shots" that I wanted to get for sure. But a lot was being at the right (or wrong) place at the right (or wrong) time and getting THE shot (or not).

In editing the 338 photos taken that day, I quickly got down to 79, then 28 and then 11. I was hoping to identify 2 or 3 really good photos, but then realized that the eleven I had whittled it down to represented a good cross section of day's various events.

For photos of musicians, I looked for unusual positions, such as this shot taken from behind the stage, or for great facial expressions, such as the photo of the three musicians (members of Golden Bough).

The sporting events were the real challenge, given overcast skies and midday light - bad combo. And then factor in fences, multiple events occurring simultaneously and crowds. But with a zoom lens and some close cropping, it proved doable.

These two shots of Elite class participants throwing the Braemar Stone (never heard of it, either) show strength and determination and that sports and kilts are not mutually exclusive.

And now we're down to the pipe bands - my real reason for going to the games. There were at least 14 pipe bands from as nearby as Tacoma and as far away as Denver. And with all of them participating in the Massing of the Pipes, it was a sight and aural treat to behold (or run and hide from depending on one's preferences).

Military precision, all playing the same march (as far as I could tell) and the seriousness of the drum major were all components of this photo. And I couldn't resist the "Hall of the Vendors" sign in the background!

And, thankfully, you just luck out - whether its the side glance of the piper, or the florescent lime sunglasses on a kilted lad. Or looking at things from a different angle, such as the following shot of drummers drumming.

But after a day of walking and snacking (great corn dogs and Fisher scones!) and taking way too many photos, you come to appreciate the dedication of the athletes and musicians and dancers and pipers. And are thankful that all you have to carry around is a camera - rather than walking and playing and blowing into the chanter all with all your breathe and all at the same time.

And, yes, I ended up with 9 (not 11) photos for this blogpost - editing continued while I wrote. It's never ending.

Never Tire of the Road

2010-08-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

A great name for a great ballad, a tribute to Woody Guthrie, composed and performed by the Irish ballad singer Andy Irvine. The call of the yonder which Woody listed to his entire life. Not a travel tune in any traditional sense, but a tribute to following your calling in life. We all need to never tire of the road!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRg6X1sHBt4&feature=related

Its All About the Experiences

2010-08-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

When it comes right down to it in life, its all about the experiences. Its not about the biggest TV, the largest house, the newest fashion or even the iPhone (well, OK, maybe the iPhone!). Its really about the memorable experiences in life. Its not counting the number of countries you've been to or checking off the museums you've entered. Or even about the number of frequent flyer miles you have accumulated (just ask George Clooney in "Up in the Air"). The greatest travel narratives are usually not chronological - today I saw this, then this, then this, .... They are about chance encounters, troubles along the way (usually successfully resolved), sounds and smells and feels and tastes and sometimes even sights.

I'm thinking back of travel taken and would have a hard time thinking of more than one painting in Madrid's Museo del Prado that I can remember (I do remember long long hallways - the experience of walking, I guess). Its more than a work of art of the wall - its the experience of place - its setting, the other onlookers, locals and tourists. My most memorable museum experience was in Paris - at the Orangerie, home of Monet's Water Lilies. I spent two hours in one of the galleries, absorbing the Impressionistic gardens and the architecture of the place and the comings and goings of the other gallery visitors. The rooms had wonderfully repeating ovals - in the flooring, the ceiling and the room shape itself - which worked well with a curve of each of the Money paintings. And then the three tourists came by, all walking at an even pace, their cameras aimed. They entered the room, walked around once, and left.

Much more effective photo than just of the paintings. I'm not sure that any of those three travelers remember that painting or that room or even that museum today (but who am I to know!). But I sure do - I "experienced" the paintings and their setting. I know there were other works of art in the building - I walked by all of them that day. But have no real memory of them. But having truly experienced the Monet's, I'll always remember and cherish.

Thinking of other memorable travel experiences, they all involve something not stationary, but involving several senses and, often, motion. Folk Music Festivals - in Butte, Mission BC, Vancouver BC, Seattle, San Francisco, Stornoway (Isle of Lewis, Scotland), Middlewich (England), Llangolan (Wales); the Gamelon concert at the hotel on Lombok Island (Indonesia); the Buddhist Festivals in Bhutan; the concertina concerts and workshops in County Clare (Ireland); photography workshops in Bhutan, Guatemala, Peru and Santa Fe; the late night music and art walk through Mt. Ste. Michel (Normandy, France); the Nocturnes at Notre Dame Cathedral (Paris); the daily Offices at Christ in the Desert Monastery in New Mexico' taking a rowboat trip off the coast of Kotzebue Alaska with local bakers; and operating narrowboats on the canals of Ireland, Wales, England and France. These are but a few of my favorite experiences.

As you plan you next journey or the next steps in your life, remember its all about the experiences - those will be your memories - not who won American Idol this week - unless it was YOU!.

State-By-State: My 5 Favorite

2010-07-17T19:55:00.000-07:00

I've managed to hit all 50 states in my travels - some more than others, but all nonetheless. As I was walking today, I started thinking about my favorites - not the 5 you MUST see before you die, but just the 5 that I have I enjoyed the most. All 50 have their pluses; these have had the most, IMHO.

I'll start with Maine.   Lobster piers, rugged shoreline, lots of islands. Real summers and real winters. Forests, off the beaten path. And a great accent.

Then we'll cross the country to my home state - Washington. Lots of water, lots of islands (a theme, OK), big contrasts between Western and Eastern Washington - forests and deserts, water and crops, democrats and republicans. And, at least in the western part of the state - real Springs and real Autumns. And Dungeness crab.

Since we're westward-bound, let's keep on going to Hawaii. Water, islands (the theme continues), international and indigenous cultures, warmth. Nearly year-round summers, great beaches, snorkeling, big waves. And plate lunches.

OK, now for a diversion - inland to a state not known for water or islands - New Mexico. My favorite inland state - pueblos and sand dunes, and the arts and red rocks. Multi-cultural (another theme), great southwest cuisine. Shiprock and Acoma. Santa Fe and Albuquerque and Alamagordo.  And chiles - when I used to be able to eat them.

Narrowing the final 46 down to 1 was a challenge - the 1st four, if truth me told - which it is - came into my mind just like that. Snap. The 5th was much more challening - do I go with another coastal state - Oregon, California, Florida; or with another cultural mix - Louisiana (OK, coastal as well), or with a heartland state like Missouri (lived there for 5 years), or with the wild west - Montana or Wyoming. Well, I finally went with diversity - diversity of landscapes, cultures, cities, beaches, national parks, commerce. California. The Bay Area, Yosemite, Mt Lasson, the Redwoods, Death Valley, Santa Barbara, Lake Tahoe. All in one state, albeit large. And the Pacific Ocean is always a tie-breaker for me.

So, there.  My 5 favorite states and a quick summary as to why. In the coming weeks, I'll look at the other 45 as well - all with sights and sounds and experiences worth checking out - whether in this lifetime or next or next or ...

Music and Travel

2010-07-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Music is an integral element of many of my travels, whether its a music festival in Butte, or a concertina workshop in County Clare, or listening to a gamelon concert in the hotel's gazebo on Lombok Island. Listening to folk, concertina, or gamelon music to this day transports me back to those wonderful moments. Travel is not just about seeing or tasting (though a good meal can make a day!), but about all of the senses.

As I write this, I'm listening to streaming "Bollywood" movie music from India. I've never been to the subcontinent, but a journey there is hopefully not too far away and one experience that I'm really looking forward to is to attend a Bollywood movie while in India - experiencing the crowds and sounds and vision and smells - and probably feels. As well as attending music and dance festivals, of course. It certainly won't be a Sounds of Silence trip.

A Different Type of Travel Magazine

2010-07-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

I've been reading AFAR magazine faithfully and cover-to-cover since its first appearance a year or so ago. And it has not disappointed me even once. The bi-monthly magazine is about the journey - not just the destination. Its about culture and festivals and food. Its about the people who travel and the people you might meet once there. Its about traveling with a purpose - consistent with my travel philosophy that you have to know WHY you are traveling in order to really enjoy your travels. Check it out.

http://www.afar.com/

Mount Hood and Portland

2010-07-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

We just returned from a 5 night trip to northern Oregon - focusing on the Mount Hood area and the City of Portland. I wanted to share our hotel booking (and staying) experiences. When looking to stay in the Portland area, I first check out http://travelportland.com/. Operated by the City's tourist bureau, the site often offers some amazing deals on stays in area hotels. It was hear that I found out about the Resort at the Mountain. Not exactly in Portland - actually 50+ miles to the east - it was nonetheless covered by the site which offered a far lower price than did the hotel's own site. The rate also included continental breakfast at the hotel and a discount coupon book for Portland area restaurants, shopping and attractions.

The Resort at the Mountain was really quite a find - nicely designed two-story buildings built around a central garden area with outdoor pool and hot tub. Breakfast is served in the resort's main restaurant - Altidude. Apparently few people book this particular package, since the restaurant's waitstaff had a hard time determining exactly what was included in the continental breakfast! The first morning we received a fruit plate and two muffins, plus juice. And they charged $7.50 for our daughter since the "special" only included meals for 2 people. The next morning, we order two of the fruit plate - muffin - juice plates and then an egg-toast-bacon breakfast. And we weren't charged anything! Go figure.

The rooms themselves were great - comfortable bed, nice patio with chairs, flat screen TV and a very nice shower with rainfall showerhead. Very quiet room as well. The Resort complex also had a putt-putt golf course, lawn bowling and/or croquet - all at no additonal charge. There's also a golf course and spa (at, of course, an additional charge). The Mallard cafe serves lunch and dinner - we loved our dinner there - reasonable prices, though the setting is a bit like a large conference room rather than an intimate cafe.

As a side note - we had lunch at the Ram's Horn bar at Timberline Lodge - 20 or so miles from the Resort. WONDERFUL food in a great setting with views of the ski slopes.

Now, when it came to actually staying in Portland, the best deal was NOT through travelportland.com but directly with the Marriott Courtyard-Convention Center website. They had a bed-and-breakfast deal (not continental but full buffet) that was lower priced even with the $12 per night parking fee. The hotel is a 5 minute walk from the Max rail line to downtown Portland (and within the free ride zone), making the journey to downtown restaurants and sites a breeze. Rooms were fine, quiet, though with softer-than-I-prefer mattresses. And the breakfast buffet was simply great, with made to order waffles, egg dishes, etc.

Whenever booking hotels, always check out several websites - you never know where the best deal will be found on any given occasion.

Its All About the Light

2010-06-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

When taking photographs, the difference between ordinary and special is usually in the light. This applies whether its a portrait, architectural or landscape. This is especially true in gardens. I recently spent several hours at the Bloedel Reserve here on Bainbridge Island. Most of my photographs from that morning were "OK." But just as I was getting ready to leave, about 10 am, a full 4 hours after sunrise, I came across "the" shot of the morning. The light was intense on this single tree, while the background was dark. The limbs almost float in the air, since the tree trunk was also in the shade. The resulting photograph is a study of light, and that's what an arresting photograph is all about. So, be on the lookout for light and contrast, whether at sunrise, sunset or even midday.

The Alternative Grand Tour of Europe

2010-06-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

I recently received an e-mail newsletter from Lonely Planet with their "10 Essential Stops in Europe." The list included London, Paris, Rome and the like. You can find the list at http://tiny.cc/2hptk. It got me thinking about my "Favorite 10 Stops in Europe." None of their 10 made my list - but that's neither here nor there. Your list may be similar to theirs or mine, or totally different. I'm not much for lists of "Bests" or "Musts." But lists of personal favorites can trigger ideas for others. And make be long to return to some as well!

Anyway, here are my recommendations for an Alternative Grand Tour of Europe. Enjoy - and send postcards!

Brugge, Belgium - a Monet landscape around every corner
Dingle, Ireland - great small town, wonderful pubs, amazing scenery nearby.
Glasgow, Scotland - my favorite city in the UK - vibrant and gateway to the highlands and islands
Krakow, Poland - monumental town square, great castle, and well positioned for day trips to Auschwitz and Częstochowa
Mont Ste. Michael, France - spectacular setting, especially at high tide
Portofino, Italy - picturesque; and strolling through the surrounding vineyards and groves makes it all the more worthwhile
Rhodes, Greece - the good parts of Greece in a small package
Santiago de Compostela, Spain - the Cathedral is probably my favorite in all of Europe
Venice, Italy - an Adult Disneyland - if you like boats and canals and walking, its gets no better than this
Vianden, Luxembourg - small town Europe gets no better than this - medieval feel

Editing Your Photos

2010-05-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

I spent yesterday afternoon at the Northwest Folklife Festival, primarily eating, hanging out with a friend, and taking photos at the Tango event in Center House - one of my favorite photo opps of the year. This morning was spent editing the 380 photosraphs. I picked up a great editing system from fellow photographers at a recent workshop in Cusco, Peru. Using Adobe Lightroom's (which is my software of choice in editing and post-processing) starring system, I did an initial edit of shots that showed "some promise." In this case, I ended up with 146 "**" photos.

The next round was a more critical examination of the shots and weeding through some near duplicates, ending up with 85 "***" photos. Still way too many for most purposes, but I was clearly getting down to the better shots. Now I paid a lot of attention to the edges of the photos and other "extraneous" elements that detract from the subject of the photo. This edit brought the working total down to 29 "****" images. These are likely the ones that, over time, I will make color, saturation, and other minor adjustments (even some cropping as needed).

But there's still one more edit to go - those "best of the best" shots. Here I did side-by-side comparisons in Lightroom's "Library" mode to narrow the field. I finally settled on 7 photos, or about 2% of the original photos, for the "*****" rating. These are the shots I'll start with and will likely print several of these for upcoming exhibitions. All of this took about an hour and was relatively easy and painless - probably equally divided time-wise since its clearly harder as it goes. Photoshop and other software programs offer similar ways of quickly going through and editing photos in a series of iterations. Highly recommended!

By the way, the above photo is one of the "7." I selected it because its shows both motion and emotion. (And it's hard to go too wrong with a touch or two of red!)

Church and State: Holy Week in Cusco

2010-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

My first photography book for general circulation and sale is now available from Blurb. "Church and State: Holy Week in Cusco" documents the religious processions and events on Holy Week in Cusco, Peru, as well as the strong governmental and military presence that is integral to the observances. The link below takes you to the Blurb site and includes a preview of the book.

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/1318592

Peru Travel Narrative and Photographs

2010-05-02T21:26:00.000-07:00

Just posted my travel narrative and photographs from Peru - Cusco during Semana Santa (Holy Week), the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. http://realtravel.com/u-88521-ever_onward

Great Vacation Photography Workshop

2010-04-29T17:36:00.000-07:00

I had a great time the past two weekends leading a Vacation Photography workshop here on Bainbridge Island, Washington. We discussed how to take great vacation photographs while still enjoying your vacation with friends and family (or even solo!). The workshop participants were actively engaged and even did their homework assignment! So did I - though I used my iPhone to take special shots here on the island. One of my favorite spots to just "get away" (temporarily at this time!!!) is the Port Blakely Cemetery. This image, with both black-and-white and color elements, struck me as simple yet with a clear story to tell. While I usually shoot with a digital SLR (Nikon D300), I like experimenting with other tools from time to time, such as the camera phone.

Anyway, I'm planning on doing another Vacation Photography workshop this fall. If interested, please send me an e-mail to get on the list!

A Festival About Gelato! Sign Me Up!

2010-04-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

Came across notice on the "Dream of Italy" website of the Florence Gelato Festival, May 28-31. I'm always up for a music festival - but a festival about Gelato? Count me in! They even have a daily session explaining ice cream (gelato) to kids. ? I don't recall the need to explain ice cream to my daughter! Anyway, if you find yourself in Florence in late May, consider yourself very fortunate!

http://www.dreamofitaly.com/public/42.cfm

Make Your Grandkids Proud!

2010-04-24T19:28:00.000-07:00

On Julia Dimon's blog, she describes herself as a "Travel Junkie." She's been around the world several times, visited 80 countries (compared to my 40 - &#^&*$) and obviously loves to travel. What started her obsession?

"So what prompted this desire to gallivant across the globe? Strangely enough, it was an inspirational postcard I found at a dingy backpacker bar in Byron Bay, Australia. It read:

“Why tell your grandkids you worked 9-5, five days a week for 40 years and quietly sat in traffic jams while people went to war, suffered disease and shot their own classmates? Tell them you refused to live in fear. Tell them you crossed the Amazon, saw the Lost Cities of Gold and met your soul mate in Casablanca. Travel to the ends of the earth. Go now and live adventures that will make your grandkids proud.”

Definitiely gets you to thinking, doesn't it? Especially on a Monday morning.

http://www.traveljunkiejulia.com/

Finding Time for Travel and Photography

2010-04-20T09:31:00.000-07:00

I know - you'll get to it later, or when you retire or sooner or later or ... Finding time seems to be our bane - assuming you have enough resources for food, shelter and clothing of course. But for most of us, its finding the time for ourselves and our passions seems problematic. In glancing through the April issue of Sunset magazine - not exactly the publication where this kind of article normally appears - I came across Anne Lamont's feature on "Time Lost and Found." Definitely worth a read.

http://www.sunset.com/travel/anne-lamott-how-to-find-time-00418000067331/

The Volcano puts it All in Perspective

2010-04-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

Eric Weiner, in an article on World Hum, outlines the 7 lessons learned from the eruption of the Icelandic volcano. I agree with them all, especially - most especially - number 7.
http://www.worldhum.com/features/eric-weiner/seven-lessons-from-the-great-volcano-shutdown-of-2010-20100419

Memorable Travel Moments I

2010-04-19T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the most memorable travel moments arethe simplest. I had attended my cousin's wedding near Devils Lake, North Dakota. My next destination was Ireland (via Minneapolis, Chicago and London!). So when it was time to board by United Express flight to Minneapolis (via Jamestown, ND), a number of my relatives drove up to see my off. The Captain, seeing the gathering crowd, suggested I do the "Presidential" wave at the aircraft door. And to the cheers and waves of the crowd, I began the continuation of my journey. Almost ten years have passed, but its still a profound memory of my travels. Travel and the stories that travel generates are best when they are personal - and worth sharing! Journey On!

Travel Observations

2010-04-13T08:37:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a 2 week trip to Peru, attending a photo book workshop (more on that later) and visiting the Sacred Valley, including Machu Picchu. In the course of the trip, I made several observations which I think are worth passing on.

1. When reclining your seat on an airplane, do so SLOOOOWLY and only as far as you need to. The person in the seat behind you will be appreciative! This applies in Business/First class as well. I experience the guy in front of me reclining his seat as fast and as far as he could at the first possibly moment in flight and then forcing it back even more by pressing his feet against the bulkhead and then bouncing in the seat. I would almost have rather been in an exit row in coach than in the domestic first class seat. (Note: "almost" is the operative word here.)

2. Always carry an extra pair of socks in your carry-on bag in case you beat your luggage to your destination. It was easy to get toothpaste and a tooth brush; not so easy to get a pair of socks during the 30 hour delay in getting my checked bag in Cusco.

3. After an all day and all night flight, avoid a 5-hour layover before your final connecting flight. 'Nuff said.

4. Airport security varies WIDELY among airports. I went through security screening at Seattle-Tacoma, Lima, Cusco, Lima and Miami on this trip. Shoes off at SeaTac and Miami, thorough carry-on baggage search in Cusco and Lima, body pat-down on the return flight from Lima. Never took more than 5 minutes to get to the front of the security line.

5. American Airlines serves the BEST ice cream sundies in its business class cabin!

6. The Alaskan Airlines digiEPlayers are an interesting feature - a dozen or so movies, television programs, music, etc. I kind of prefer the seatback systems that the major airlines use on their trans-continental and international flights, but its a reasonable alternative. And certainly beats the lack of personal video entertainment systems on the American Airlines 757 fleet. As soon as they've scrapped their MD-80 fleet, they need to purge their domestic-type 757s. And, believe it or not, TACA airlines actually had in-flight entertainment on their Airbus 320 planes on the 70 minute flight between Lima and Cusco. Nice planes too.

7. The check-in agents at American are great; not so great at Alaska suprisingly. On board, its the opposite - Alaskan flight attendants are THE best, while it was more of a mixed bag at American.

8. All 8 flight segments were on-time and I made it safely back home. That's really all I can ask.

9. If you want to go to Machu Picchu by train, do so quickly. The line just re-opened after a two month closure due to floods, mudslides, etc. The trackbed still looks precarious and its hard to imagine that the tracks can survive another round of torential rains like they experienced earlier this year.

10. In spite of delay luggage and other minor inconveniences, the trip was definitely worth it - as are nearly all trips! So, Journey On!

Its Always the Fine Print

2010-03-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

I booked an airline/hotel package this morning for a June conference in the Big Apple (NYC). Checked Expedia and Travelocity and found identical flights and an identical hotel. Expedia was $743 and Travelocity was $734, a $9 difference. (And, by the way, an amazing deal - far better than I could have gotten had I booked airfare and hotel separately.) So did I go with Travelocity? Not so fast. I checked the change and cancellation rules on both sites and, to my surprise, they were substantially different! To cancel my package with Travelocity was going to cost a minumum of $345 and could go up from there depending on when I cancelled, while at Expedia, the cancelation fee was $100 as long as it was done 24 hours prior to departure! So, Expedia won.

But wait, there's more. Expedia offered an insurance plan, for $35, that would allow one change or cancellation without further penalty. But in digging deeper, there was a caveat that any airfare involved would not be refunded but be fully credited again a future flight on the same airline. I concluded that the $100 cancellation fee with full refund of the package was actually the better deal in this instance. In either case, the Expedia deal was clearly better than Travelocity. That doesn't mean it was be the same next time I (or you) book a trip. Always check the "fine print" and go with what you think is the better deal in your circumstances.

Vacation Photography Registration Form Now Posted

2010-03-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

I'm getting really excited about the Vacation Photography workshop that I'm leading here on Bainbridge Island in April. We'll discuss how to prepare for the trip (from a photo standpoint), how to take great photos while on the trip, and then how to share them with friends, family and co-workers without boring them to death!! The registration form is now available for printing - see the link under "Pages" on the right side of this blog. You can then send it into the Traveler or drop it by their store on Winslow Way. You can also call The Traveler (206-842-4578) and register by phone. Details under "Upcoming Workshops" on the right side as well.

Its All About Creativity

2010-03-14T14:00:00.000-07:00

Whether you are traveling, taking photos, or just living life, the way to end the same-old, same-old is through creativity. Do something a bit different, whether its eating sashimi for the first time (which I did and lived to tell about it), zip-lining over and through the jungle canopy (not yet) or getting married on a beach in the South Pacific (highly recommended!). I came across a Youtube video last evening (already seen apparently by millions - I'm a bit behind) that shows how you can take a special event (a wedding) and, with a little creativity (even without a beach!), make it a truly special and memorable event. Get the creative juices flowing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-94JhLEiN0

Video on Coaching, Spring Break and Websites

2010-03-12T16:44:00.000-08:00

I'm making my TV and YouTube debut today! I was fortunately enough to be interviewed by the wonderful folks at Bainbridge Island Television (BITV for short) about travel planning and coaching. We discussed spring break travel opportunities, some great websites to check out, and what travel coaching is all about. And its already on YouTube! It will also be broadcast on BITV channels 12 and 22 at various times over the next 2 weeks as part of their weekly newscast and is archived on their website: http://www.bitv.org/. Check it out! And, as always, Journey On!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9EE3NSJqe0

Incentives to Travel

2010-03-10T11:14:00.000-08:00

I came upon several great quotes yesterday as I searched the web and looked at the day's "tweets." Maybe they will provide an additional incentive for YOU to travel!

"Full day today: eat, wander, take photos, eat, massage, nap, wander, eat, beer, sleep." (by Johnnyvagabond as quoted by David Lee via Twitter 3/9/10)

"Procrastinators put off pleasurable things as well as the un-pleasurable, according to marketing professor Susann Chiu at UCLA Anderson’s School of Management who cites the outstanding hundreds of millions of frequent flier miles that we let expire or unused vacation time collected each year." (from http://yoursabbatical.com/)

I've known folks who have let their vacation time lapse, not because of overwork or tons of pending deadlines but because their work was their life. Time to expand your horizons and see the world - or at least your hammock! An ideal candidate for travel coaching! Contact me at chuck@chuckkirchner.com.

Event Photos - Its All in the Position

2010-03-01T10:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was the annual Chilly Hilly bicycle tour on Bainbridge Island. Considered one of the 4 classic bike tours in the country, the Chilly Hilly draws around 4000 cyclists from all over to ride the 33 mile course. The "chilly" part was more than a tad absent this year, with temps around 50 degree (F) under partly to mostly sunny skies. But the "hilly" part remained, with an estimated elevation gain of nearly 2700 feet over the 33 mile course (even more amazing when you consider that you start at sealevel, end at sealevel and pass along the shore several times during the course of the tour.

For a photographer, the event offers lots of options. One of my favorite spots in the past has been the ferry terminal, taking photos as the cyclists get off the ferry (en masse) and reboard the ferry (again, en masse). The great spot for this is the overhead passenger boarding area at the terminal (assuming the ferry is using slip 1). Another spot is on the ferry itself looking down on the riders as they embark or disembark.

Since the tour is all about the hills, I focused my work this year on the granddaddy of all the island's
hills - Baker Hill. The first place I went was the top of another section of Baker Hill (actually anothjer hill) to get a "full context" shot, showing the cyclists as they slowly (some VERY slowly) made there way up the long hill. Then I headed to the bottom of the next hill to get the riders as they (kinda) slowed down to make the turn onto Crystal Springs Drive.

Being at a corner provides a great opportunity for head-on shots (and, possibly, head-on collisions which I managed to avoid!), as well as detailed shots as the cyclists turned the corner. As I am accustomed to do, I like showing motion in my photos as well as context, so getting riders as they turn and others as they still are heading down the straight-away has particular appeal.

The same thoughts concerning positioning yourself at corners applies to parades, processions and other "linear" events. Practicing those skills at events near you will pay off when you're traveling elsewhere in the world.

Overnight at an Airport

2010-02-24T07:46:00.000-08:00

Next time you're stuck at an airport overnight (yikes), here's how to make the best of your time - make a video! Hilareous and inventive.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv1va9Jdt7g

Go With The Flow 1

2010-02-23T10:03:00.000-08:00

Travel is about experiences - good and otherwise. And in the end, an "otherwise" experience, which leads to a story later, is good as well. One just needs to go with the flow while traveling and see where the stream takes you. Here's the first of an occassional series on Going With The Flow.

The dozen or so of us had already made our way through passport control at Siberia's Magadan Airport. Our Alaska Airlines 727 was on the ground ready to take us on the next leg of our journey to Khabarovsk. As departure time get closer and closer, there didn't seem to be much happening either near the aircraft, which was parked out on the tarmac, nor in our waiting area. Departure time came and went and finally the Alaska Air agent popped by to tell us that "there was a problem." Not with the aircraft, but with Soviet customs and immigration. It seems that the chief who had approved of this flight was out of town on business and his assistant had not been briefed on this most serious of issues - foreigners taking a foreign airline on a domestic flight. No way. No how. Our agent was "working the issue" and told us to relax. In the meantime, through the bank of windows overlooking the tarmac and runways, we saw "our" Alaska 727 taxi away from its stand and before we knew it, it was airborne. "Cool" was my first thought - this should be interesting. "Panic" was the first thought of some of my fellow travelers (no, not in the Communist sense!). The agent came back a few minutes later and said that our luggage was on its was to Khabarovsk on the Alaska flight and that we would be on our way shortly - on Aeroflot. The "Panic" folks went into high gear - "We're going to die. All Aeroflot planes crash. No way am I getting on Aeroflot. How dare this happen to us. I knew we should have taken this tour." Of course, in the hour or so that of al this transpired, a half-dozen or more Aeroflot jets and landing and taken off, and not one had crashed! I was getting more excited by the moment - another experience - another airline - another aircraft type! Yes. We then noticed a dozen or so folks getting off of an Aeroflot jet. Our jet! Basically, Aeroflot kicked off the 12 passengers in the 1st two rows of coach on their flight to Khabarovsk and sold the seats (I'm sure at a greatly inflated price) to Alaska. We boarded, many reluctently, to the intense stares of the other 150+ coach passengers. The doors closed, the plane shot down the bumpy runway and 90 minutes later we touch down in Khabarovsk - we didn't crash, we enjoyed (or some of us enjoyed) our snack of a roll and a boiled egg, and our luggage was waiting for us. And the group, both the panicked folks and the cool folks, had another story to tell when they got home. Its what traveling is about. Cool.

Another Interesting Website

2010-02-17T14:33:00.000-08:00

With some 70 million travel websites out there (based on my last Google search), finding a really good and interesting one is like finding a needle in the haystack. So, here's the latest needle I've found: Uncornered Market. Audrey and Daniel are roaming the world and reporting back on what they've seen and experienced. Very professional, nice photographs and a good read besides. Check it out.

Photo Coleslaw

2010-02-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Jennifer Spelman's photo blog, Photo Coleslaw, combines witty yet to-the-point narrative with great photographs and insights. I had the pleasure of meeting and working with her at Chris Rainier's workshop in Santa Fe last summer. She's now leading her own photo workshops at Santa Fe, a well-deserved role. Check out her blog from time to time for inspiration and a laugh or two.

My 10 Best International Travel Experiences

2010-02-10T17:47:00.000-08:00

Everywhere you look these days, you see "Top 10" or "Top 100" or "Top Whatever" lists: places to go before you die, places to see while you can still walk, places to eat before they close, etc. While they can certainly spark your interest, what is "best" to one person may be of no interest to the person sitting next to them. I've always kept my own list of favorite places. What constitues "my favorite" probably relates to the mood I was in, the events happening around me, the weather that day and a multitude of other factors. Whatever the case, I have vivid - and favorable - memories of these places to this day. Whether you would find them as interesting and moving and I did is the great unknown. But so is the best of travel! So, here's my list of my favorite international travel experiences (in no particular order, since the order could change the time I finish the list!!!)

Town Square, Krakow, Poland. Huge, medieval square with the market building in its midst, sidewalk vendors, people going about their daily lives, and a great restaurant on the corner. My hotel was a block away and across from a "nunnery" where the angelic chants awoke me each day. The full experience package deal.

Fish Condos, Moorea, French Polynesia. The dock at our resort ended at the edge of an underwater ledge. Entering the water with snorkle gear on, you you could see fish darting in and out of the porous wall as far down as the eye could see - like a huge condo complex. Unforgettable. Oh, and the water was warm.

Town Square, Antigua, Guatemala. Whether it was the sounds of silence at night with the glow of street lights, or the All Saints Day/Day of the Dead processions around the square, it was always enticing. And the bars were memorable too.

Skellig Michael, off the coast of the Ring of Kerry, Ireland. It was just the two of us on this tiny island rock outcropping on this bracing fall day. The wind was blowing and there was a slight mist. Just us and the spirit of the monks who inhabited this desolate spot 1000 years earlier. Wow.

Isle of Barra, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. Maybe it was the hot dog stand that caught fire during the island's Highland Games. Or the B+B proprietor, a sea captain, who had fresh-baked treats each evening and lots of stories to tell. Or maybe it was the tour of the castle in the bay (thus the name of the island's only town - Castlebay) by one of the hereditary descendants of the former rulers. Or all of these and more - yes, there were pubs, too!

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Kaustinen, Finland. My first trip to Europe was to Finland (don't ask why) and the highlight was the long weekend I spent in this small town in west-central Finland listening to music, dancing with the locals, and just hanging out. My favorite music festival ever!

Miyajima Island, Japan. The floating torii gate off of Miyajima Island was the draw; the experience of staying in a traditional Japanese Inn, complete with multi-course Japanese dinner was the equally enchanting memory. And the fact that no one was allowed to die on the island (its sacred, after all) made it a place where I could live forever!

Bhutan. Yes, an entire country. Festivals, scenery and wonderful people in traditional garb made it like walking through a copy of National Geographic each and every day. Talk about 3D!

Bali. Yes, an entire island (OK, so was Barra). Festivals, scenery and wonderful people, puppet theater, gamelon groups, even a cremation ceremony. Didn't even make it to the beach, that's how good it was.

Venice. An adult Disneyland, no kidding! Boats and bridges and gondolas and water and old buildings and more boats and narrow carless streets. Oh, my.

OK, that's my list. Hopefully it gives you a few ideas and triggers in your mind your favorite places. Journey On!

New Photography Portfolios On-Line

2010-02-08T12:01:00.000-08:00

I've added a link today to my new on-line photography portfolios (see the right side of this blog for the regular link to Photography Portfolios). The portfolios include dance, ritual, landscapes, portraits and travel. I will be added photographs on a regular basis, so check it out often!

http://chuckkirchner.photoworkshop.com/

Plan Ahead and Adapt

2010-01-26T14:23:00.000-08:00

Last week featured several of the more amazing sunrises I have seen in many a year. One morning in particular I remember red skies and the cloud cap atop Mt Rainier and the calm waters of Puget Sound. I was on a bus heading off to the ferry at the time and could not even grab the iPhone in time for a quick photo. Some moments are just that way.

This morning featured fog and the potential for some amazing skies yet again. And this time I was prepared with my Nikon D300. Setting out a bit before sunrise, I drove to the spot where I had witnessed the red sky/Rainier view the previous week. The fog was of varying intensities and shrouded a passing ferry. Mt Rainier was clearly blocked by clouds or far distant fog. So the image I had planned for was clearly not going to materialize. But there were other photo opportunities that presented themselves, for instance a ferry passing through the fog. I'm partial to ferries and fog (witness my blog "header"), so this was a natural shot for me.

But my favorite and most unexpected shot of the morning for the march (or float) of the ducks. There was little color due to the fog; I went even further and de-saturated the image in Lightroom and then cropped it into more of a panaroma to strengten the horizontal layers of the photo. It becomes almost a compostional study, rather than a wildlife or landscape.

There was a reason that I went out this morning, camera in hand. To take photographs. Only the subject was different than I had planned. Adapt! And, maybe next time, a red-capped Mt Rainier may be the subject. Or not.

iPhones and Camera Liberation

2010-01-23T19:38:00.000-08:00

Advise usually given to those striving to be a "Photographer" with a capital "P" is to carry a camera with you at all times - you never know when THE image/scene/event will come into view. Easier said than done, especially when your camera is an SLR (single lens reflex) that doesn't fit in your briefcase and weights more than you would like to carry to and from and within everywhere.

Point-and-shoots have been the "back-up" option, usually much smaller and lighter, often fitting into a shirt pocket or purse (no, I'm not into purses personally). Resolution and lens quality suffer, of course, but sometimes better than no camera at all. I've never been too thrilled with the results of my shots using a point-and-shoot, even when I've post-processed the digital files in Photoshop or Lightroom. Too much effort for too little results.

Then I discovered the iPhone. OK, lens quality, when compared even with point-and-shoots, basically sucks, as does the 3mp resolution. But, since some/many/most photos these days are shared via e-mail or blogs or via Facebook, the smaller images and file sizes are just fine. And with the amazing ease of exposure adjustment (such touch an area of the screen to darken or lighted the exposure), the results can be suprisingly good. And using a program such as PS Mobile (a free Adobe app!), other simple and creative adjustment can be made. And then sent off to the 4 Fs (friends/family/fans/followers) with suprising speed and ease.

"Sunrise Through Downtown Seattle"

Will I rely on my iPhone for travels and fine art creativity? No, of course not. I still want the multitude of adjustments (shutter speed, aperture, white balance, ISO speed, etc.) and lens options that my SLR gives me. But as the carry-at-all-times option, I don't leave the house without my iCamera. Oh, I mean iPhone (I think I can make calls on it - need to check!).

Two Alternative Ways to Travel

2010-01-12T19:35:00.000-08:00

I've been following two bloggers recently doing two out-of-the-ordinary trips. The first, Nicolas Rapp, is intent on driving around the world (with a few water crossing enroute). He's been on the road since November and is current in Costa Rica, having experience several vehicle breakdowns enroute. His blog could use some spell and grammer checking and his photos are OK, but its still an interesting endeavor he's undertaking and I'll probably keep follow his blog as he travels onward.

Andrew Evans, who left DC on New Years Day, is traveling to Antarctica by bus. Interesting concept (again, a water crossing or two or three enroute). He's already made it to Costa Rica and is now onboard a National Geographic cruise ship to Panama. His blog, naturally, is hosted by NG (he's a contributing editor to NG Traveler). The writing is crisper and the photos a bit more illustrative and the trip, clearly, a bit faster paced. Not that I envy days and nights in a row on a Greyhound, let alone a Guatemalan chicken bus. But, to each his/her own - but I'm always envious of folks on the road.

http://blogs.nationalgeographic.com/blogs/intelligenttravel/2009/12/introducing-the-bus2antarctica.html

http://transworldexpedition.com/

Dawn's Changing Light

2010-01-07T17:39:00.000-08:00

Its already getting a bit lighter a bit earlier now that the winter solstice has passed and on this morning dawn coincided with my mind-wandering time. Looking out our upstairs window, the light was pretty amazing. And, instead of just sitting and staring, I dashed for the camera and starting taking what "I knew would be" wonderful photos. And then I noticed that there was no memory card in the camera. The universe speaks in its own way sometimes. But, also believing that the universe was not telling me never to shoot again, I inserted a memory card, went out on the balcony, and captured the passing moments of changing light. First the purple lights of dawn across Port Orchard Bay; second, the golden tones of sunrise through a Twilight-inspired forest portraying motion and apprehension; and finally the blues of the sky overhead in an abstract as dawn makes way for day. All within a ten minute period, all from basically the location, all of the same sky - only different!

The Traveler's Inner Journey

2010-01-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

"Yes, the desire to go traveling is not always about wanting to reach place X or Y. It's about making a particular change in ourselves. The journey we really require is inner. Therefore, it would be good if people in the travel industry gave a little recognition to this." Alain de Botton, from an interview by Frank Bures on WorldHum.

This is the sentiment that I convey, though maybe not as eloquently, in my Travel Planning workshops. Its the "Why" of travel, rather than just the "Where." Its what makes a trip satisfying and beneficial, what makes us want to keep traveling and willing to put up with the really-in-the-long-run-minor hassles that attempt to discourage us in our travels, but really have no effect on "our journey." Journey On!

http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-interviews/interview-with-alain-de-botton-a-week-at-the-airport-20091031/

Taking Photographs that Move You

2010-01-02T14:01:00.000-08:00

It was quite clear the moment we arrived at Del Rey Beach that I was in my element. Midway between Astoria and Seaside along Oregon's northwest coast, Del Rey is a flat, sandy beach fronting the wild Pacific Ocean. Tillamook Head is visible to the south; fields of golden dunegrass top the sand dunes; and the relentless waves keep coming. I hadn't taken "non-family" photos in a while, but within moments of arriving, I was doing nothing but.

There is no place closer to heaven and the Spirit than at an ocean beach (IMHO). The winds blow, the waves come, the sky goes on seemingly forever. At locations such as Del Rey, there is little human habitation in sight (especially when looking out to sea!). The power of the waves, breaking off shore and then rolling up the beach in unpredictable ways, is awe-some and mesmorizing.

Arriving there close to sunset meant an everchanging palette of sea and sky unfolding before me. By re-framing the shot, I was able to portray the ocean as one of power and might or as a place of seemingly calm solitude. The colors, too, enforced the themes, with the golden hues connoting royalty and power, while the blue tones denoting solemnity and quietude.

Two memory cards later, with the sun down and the sky ever darkening, it was reluntantly time to move on. I returned to the Pacific the following two days at different times of day and different locales, always driven to photograph yet again. Sometimes we need a little push to get back in the photographic mode. When you need that push, going to the place where you can be in "Your Element" is a sure jump-start. The ocean is one of those places for me. Find yours.

Check Out Lightbox Gallery in Astoria (Oregon)

2009-12-29T18:00:00.000-08:00

We're down in Astoria for a few days and stumbed across a real live photography gallery. The genre is becoming few and far between these days (the Benham Photo Gallery just closed in Seattle). I had a pleasant chat with Michael, one of the gallery's owners. The gallery is striving to provide a venue for photographic exhibitions, a B+W and color lab for use by gallery members and is moving into the offering of workshops in the near future. Photo prices are most reasonable (the range for framed prints seemed to be from $75 to $400), with the gallery believing that the right price will result in more overall sales. Check it out next time you're visiting the Oregon coast.

http://lightbox-photographic.com/

Travel Planning and Vacation Photography Workshops

2009-12-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

I'm please to announce that I will be offering two workshops this winter/spring. The first is an Introduction to Travel Planning - March 13 and 20, 9:30am - 11:30 am at The Traveler on Winslow Way, downtown Bainbridge Island, Washington. The Traveler, a great travel bookstore and travel accessories emporium, is sponsoring the workshop. A hearty thank-you to Susan and Barbara, the co-owners of The Traveler.

The second workshop is on Vacation Photography. It, too, will be at The Traveler, April 17 and 24, 9:00am - noon. Additional workshop details, etc. will be available soon. Please contact me at chuck@chuckkirchner.com to be put on the mailing list for details.

Great Railway Bazaar II

2009-12-22T19:45:00.000-08:00

Probably my favorite travel narrative ever is Paul Theroux's Great Railway Bazaar. It captured my imagination and accompanied me on a coach potato journey from Europe to Asia and back. Thirty-three years later (YIKES!), Mr. Theroux undertook a similar journey from London to Singapore to Tokyo to Moscow to London, mostly via train once again. Paul is definitely more acerbic than he was 33 years ago, but perhaps less so than in some of his more recent tomes.

It took me a while to get into the book, but once I was on board the train through Georgia and Azerbaijan, I was once again hooked. Definitely a if-its-Tuesday-it must-be-Bangalore type of narrative, he includes enough encounters of fellow train cabin mates and locals in big and small towns alike to keep you wanting more. His political observations on the ruthlessness of national leaders such as the head of Turkmenistan and Singapore can be a bit ponderous (though right on the mark IMHO), but its what we've come to expect from Mr. Theroux. All in all, I heartily recommend the book and wish I had the guts (and time) to undertake a similar journey. And, since he's older than I, maybe I will!

I Can't Imagine Not Having Art

2009-12-07T13:35:00.000-08:00

The YouTube video linked below succintly states the importance of art to the artist. Worth a view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkMGb2Y3Ttw&feature=player_embedded

An Empowering and Exciting Time in Photography

2009-11-30T10:52:00.001-08:00

"Photography is not dead and if we can harness all the creativity and tools available to us, we can make some amazing work and deliver it to audiences we never dreamed of reaching before. I see this as an empowering and exciting time." Ami Vitale, documentary photographer, as quoted from her website, http://www.amivitale.com/.

Ami is an amazing photographer. I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with her and other photographers in 2008 discussing documenting life and making extraordinary images of the same. It was a weekend well spent and I've redoubled my photographic efforts since that weekend. Her quote above, of very recent vintage, comes at a difficult time for many photographers and may be just the inspiration to get the creative juices flowing again.

Also check out her video shot with the new Nikon 300S at the same website.

Awe - Blue Highways

2009-11-24T20:09:00.000-08:00

The first travel narrative I ever remember reading was William Least Heat Moon's Blue Highways. I always think of it when I start planning a road trip. CNN.Com has an interview with the author, who has just completed a new journey to many of the same places in a book entitled "Roads to Quoz" (which I haven't read yet - waiting for the paperback version to come out!) His insights on changes in the American landscape and in Americans themselves reflect the changes I think we all have seen but maybe not formulated in as concise a manner. Worth a quick read. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/11/18/bluehighways/index.html

A Travel Tip Actually Worth Considering

2009-11-15T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm not a big fan of the lists of "travel tips" found in travel magazines. Most are either too obvious or too weird. But I actually stumbled across one in this month's Budget Travel that caught my attention. "Buy a postcard each day and job down a few sentences on the back" as reminders of the day's highlights or a special thought. When you get home, there will be both written and pictorial reminders of your trip. Not a bad thought. In this digital age, one could also take a quick photo with your iPhone or similar devise and then attached it to an e-mail to yourself with a few lines of text that would then be waiting for you upon your return home. Maybe this is an obvious tip or just too weird. Then again ...

Two Roads

2009-11-13T08:36:00.000-08:00

I'm not much of a fan of the Wall Street Journal, especially the editorial page. BUT, in today's edition (11/13/09) that are two great travel-related articles. The first is an interview with Cormac McCarthy, the author of that most depressing yet hopefully fictional (we hope) travel novel, The Road. The interview's Q+A is fascinating with insights on writing and movies and life. When asked about how involved he is in movie remakes of his novels, he replies "No, you sell it and you go home and go to bed. You don't embroil yourself in somebody else's project." Forthright for sure.

The second article is on Tim Cahill's Montana log cabin, down a 20-mile gravel road from Livingston. "It often hilarious to me that I'm writing about Tonga or some tropical place and there's a blizzard outside and the cows are on their backs with their hooves in the air." Tim's travel narratives are some of the best around, and include "Jaguars Ripped My Flesh" and "A Wolverine is Eating My Leg." Check them out.

And check out the two WSJ articles at your nearest library.

And There's Always Someplace New

2009-11-07T09:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend's New York Times Travel section includes an article on the islands of Bijagos, Atlantic islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau. Simple lodging with only 4 rooms along a wonderful beach with no other travelers; freshly-caught fish grilled on an open fire; just wild beauty.

"... to arrive in the Bijagós after the two-hour ride in a small speedboat from the decrepit yet ingratiating capital of the country, Bissau, is to enter another world and another century, though it would be difficult to pinpoint exactly which ones."

Makes you want to go, doesn't it? Well, it does me.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/travel/08Bijagos.html?nl=travel&emc=tda1

Anywhere I Would Be Going Would be Fine

2009-11-02T22:13:00.000-08:00

Pico Iyer, a wonderful travel writer (Video Night in Katmandu, among other books), is featured on a quirky video on the more obsessive frequent flyers around - folks who fly for the sake of flying and earning miles and flying some more. His closing quote, something to the effect of "anywhere I would be going tomorrow would be just fine" is not a bad outlook for travelers.

http://vimeo.com/7167640

Q and A

2009-10-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-10-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

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)

Mistakes on the Road make Great Stories Later

2009-09-28T20:21:00.001-07:00

Robert Reid, a blogger on the Lonely Planet website, has an interesting list of "47 or so Dumb Things I've Done Traveling." Worth a read (check out: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/travelblogs/68/1256/47+or+so+Dumb+Things+I) if for no other reason than to prime the pump of your own brain storage device and remember some of your own dumb things. I'm sure I can come up with 47 or so given time and a Mai Tai or two. But for now here's a start.

1. On a day trip during a visit to Washington DC, Greyhouding it to Williamsburg, Virginia and then refusing to pay the then outlandish fee of $10 or so for a day pass to tour Colonial Williamsburg. I ended up pay $3 or so to visit each of first 2 buildings in the complex and then looking through the windows of others - all to save $4. Chuck's rule #1 - don't skip on the admissions. After paying air/bus/rail/car rental/gas/hotels/visas/meals, don't skimp on why you're actually there - seeing and experiencing the place!

2. Not going back to the festival site in rural Bhutan (OK, OK, almost all of Bhutan is rural), wanting instead to nap and get over my cold. Actually, Nevada Wier, the master travel and cultural photographer and trip leader, talked my out of napping and encouraged me to grab the camera and go back to the festival. Her logic - you're in BHUTAN, for goodness sakes, likely a once in a lifetime experience - save the nap for later - see and experience now! Good advice! (I did pass, later on in the day, on an excursion to another temple, sans monks and festivals. Consensus of the group was that I had made the right choice - both times.)

3. Not going to San Miguel Allende for Holy Week several years ago, with family in tow, and joining up with a good friend for the festivities. While it made sense on one level not to go with a 7 year old, I missed an opportunity to visit with a photographer friend who, sadly, died a year later.

4. Making a reservation at a motel in Cortez, Colorado a day or two before our arrival because the lodge in Mesa Verde National Park was full. We passed the park entrance, drove to the hotel, checked in, and then drove back to the Park only to see the sign at the entry booth - rooms available at the Lodge! #*$)# Even more so when we saw the Lodge. %$(*&%

5. Passing up a stop in Bilbao, Spain to see the Guggenheim Museum designed by Frank Gehry, because the weather was threatening, we were tired and didn't want to deal with the town's traffic. Over the next several weeks, the weather wherever we went was always threatening and we missed seeing one of the architectural highlights of the world.

Oh, well. Enough for now. I'm sure I'll think of others soon. And so will you.

To Photograph or Not To Photograph

2009-09-21T19:53:00.000-07:00

A recent article on World Hum, by Doug Mack, ends with the phrase "The best travel moments, it turns out, are not the Kodak ones." As a photographer and a writer (more the former than the latter), and most of all a traveler, I carefully read the article (Doug is more a writer than a photographer, but definitely a traveler as well), I came to a more mixed conclusion. Its the circumstances, its my mood and my interests that will be involved in defining a "best travel moment." Listening to a gamelon performance in the evening on Bali sans camera is a forever memory. So were the photographs taken of stained glass in Paris that will live in my memory AND on my walls forever as well. We each bring our interests and skills and priorities and moods into each and every experience. And what comes out of the experience will be ours and only ours.

The article, entitled "The Best Travel Photo I Never Took," can be found at: http://www.worldhum.com/features/speakers-corner/the-best-photo-i-never-took-20090826/

New Photography Exhibit

2009-09-13T14:37:00.001-07:00

An exhibit of my photographs of the stained glass of Paris has just opened at the "Art in the Parlor" at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Finch at Wyatt, Bainbridge Island, Washington.

The photographs were taken in Paris during the fall of 2008 at Sainte Chapelle, the Cathedral of Notre Dame and the Church of Saint Eustache (the above photo was taken at Notre Dame). I’ve used motion to bring a sense of liveliness and, hopefully, awe to what would ordinarily appear in a photograph as just another two-dimensional sedentary object.

Art in the Parlor is open weekdays 9am - 1pm and Sundays from 8am-noon. The show will be up through New Years.

You've Got To Be Kidding

2009-09-06T12:38:00.001-07:00

According to an article on the importance of taking vacations for your own health, 34% of American workers do not use all of their vacation time. There's a whole world out there, even if close to home!!! Rest, refresh and experience! The article, by the way, can be found at: http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/501374.

Travel Writing 101

2009-09-05T14:43:00.001-07:00

Sicne this is a travel and photography-oriented blog, travel writing surely fits in. As with breaking into any profession, travel writing has its hurdles. A straight-to-the-point yet interesting (good writing always requires the latter) article is found on the Verge Magazine website.

http://www.vergemagazine.com/articles/40/100-6-tips-for-aspiring-travel-writers.html.

By the way, Verge magazine, a Canadian production subtitled "Travel With Purpose," is aimed at a younger (or younger-at-heart) audience looking for adventure, planning a "gap year" journey, or hoping to live and work overseas while on a longer journey. It kind of fills in for "Transitions Abroad," a magazine that I thought was a bit more well rounded but that bit the dust last year, but that still exists in cyberspace: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/.

World Hum - Travel Site of the Day ... or Week

2009-09-03T20:13:00.001-07:00

Anyway, I recently returned from a wonderful conference in the Bay Area devoted to Travel Writing and Photography. And during the course of the 4 days I came across a number of travel websites either for the first time or was re-introduced to sites I had once perused. So, I though I would start sharing some of those sites on the blog that I find particularly useful or interesting. Hope you do to.

So, the first site is www.worldhum.com. It contains a wonderful mix of well-written features, a multi-category blog, photo slide shows, videos, etc. And the best part is the specifics of the destination is often not the story - rather its the journey itself which makes it rather refreshing!

A recently posted feature by Sophia Dembling on India is a great intro to the type of articles you;ll find on this site:
http://www.worldhum.com/features/travel-stories/the-bucket-and-the-cup-20090828/

Enjoy!

Wanderings

2009-07-13T06:41:00.001-07:00

For those of us who are full of wanderlust, even if bound to home much of the time, I have a book recommendation that may get you on the road sooner than you think. "The Way of the Wanderer: Discover Your True Self through Travel" by David Yeadon, was the perfect book to read WHILE traveling. David discusses those serendipitous moments that I think we all have while traveling that make all of the inconveniences and risks and cost (time and money) worthwhile. A world traveler who lives both in Japan and upstate New York (another dream of mine in concept if not specifics), David in a very conversational style (illustrated with his own sketches) matter-of-factly lays out spiritual or magic moments in his travels, some of which came while walking through the valley of the shadow of death. It brought to mine several that have occurred in my own travels and caused me to start writing those thoughts down which I MAY share at some future time.

If you been blessed with serendipitous moments or wish you had, then get a hold of a copy of Yeadon's book - you won't be disappointed.

Holy Cow Indeed!

2009-06-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

As my home library attests, my favorite book genre is the travel narrative. Starting with William Least Heat Moon's Blue Highways, the collection runs the gamut from P.J. O'Rourke's crazy journey from Tierra del Fuego to Prudhole Bay, to Steinbeck's Travels with Charley, to Robin Cook's solo camel journey across the Australian outback. I just completed one the best ever - "Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure" by Sarah Macdonald (2002, Broadway Books, New York). Part travelogue, part spiritual journey (and what better country for spiritual journeys than India - read the book and find out why), and part autobiography, Holy Cow mixes humor, insight and adventure with the realities of ex-pat community, societal conflicts and the pitfalls of newlywed-ism. As close to a page-turner as an travelogue ever gets.

My favorite passage - a quote, from the guru Krishnamurti: "When one loses the deep intimate relationship with nature then temples, mosques and churches become important."