New Chihuly Museum - A Photographer's Dream

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

   



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



 



Why Travel?!

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

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

Worthwhile Quotes

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

and

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

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

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

Photography Tours

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Would Chuck Stay Here Again?

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.