Caribbean 2013

Old San Juan Fort El Morro
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

It may seem like bad timing to write a “happy” post about a cruise right now. But I am going to anyway.  I do think it is appropriate to comment on the events of the last couple weeks, however:

You would have to be pretty “out of touch” not to have seen some of the numerous recent “news” shows exposing the negative side of the cruise industry. For those passengers and their families who have experienced it, I have no doubt it is every bit the “nightmare” the media have dubbed it. I am truly sympathetic to them. And it goes without saying, that the gutless and criminal acts of the captain last year, whose irresponsible acts took the lives of passengers is reprehensible. We cannot excuse such conduct. But at the same time, we cannot stop living our lives. In the past week I have wondered why the cruise industry as a whole hasn’t taken a hard inward look at their safety and disaster response programs. Wouldn’t it be feasible, for example, for the industry to coalesce to build and jointly own a small fleet of “rescue” ships, dedicated to responding to these situations?

There is a lot of “good” news in the cruise industry, too. For each of the disasters we have seen in the past couple years (and I have no doubt there have been numerous, previously unreported – or lesser reported situations – after all, these are man-made mechanical contraptions being run by imperfect human beings), there are hundreds of “event”-free cruises. Far from veterans yet, my wife and I have been on 3 cruises in the past 3 years and are headed on what might well be the most exciting one to come, in the Mediterranean, in September. More (lots more) on that later. So far, ours have been all of what we expected. Maybe if we have a bad experience, I’ll sing a different tune, but for now, we will keep participating.

For the traveling photographer (and probably for lots of other travelers), cruising has its pros and cons. The main advantage in our minds is that we get to see parts of the world we have never seen. In some cases, we may see parts of the world we might not otherwise see (without being on a boat of some description, we could never see some of the things we did during our Alaskan “Inside Passage” cruise). A secondary advantage is the existence of nice quarters which do not require us to repack and move our luggage several times. Having a 5-star restaurant aboard, with “regular” reservations is an added plus.

For the traveling photographer, cruising has its pros and cons

We had formerly cruised on one cruise line (Princess), partly because we have been very pleased with their accommodations and the way they handle things, and partly because we thought it made sense to gain the “status” that repeat cruisers get. But this year, we were given a unique opportunity to join nearly 100 other members of a private “wine club” we joined on our 2011 visit to Napa Valley, California. Bart and Barb Obrien, the proprietors of O’brien Estate vineyard and winery, became our gracious hosts for a week long Caribbean Cruise adventure on the Celebrity Reflection. They offered a package, which included a (not surprisingly) several wine-oriented events during the week, as well as all the other expected cruise amenities, and ports of call. This third cruise for us was the first time my wife and I ventured on a cruise without knowing any other passengers. We are glad we went, and we made some great new friends. It was great getting to know you, Bart, Barb, Lou, Penny, Jay and (the other  ) Lou, John, Agata, Mike, Susan, Mike and many others. We had so much fun, I barely had time to devote to photography.  There were lifelong memories and hopefully, lifelong friends gained from this cruise.

Old San Juan Artisan’s Market
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

Our Cruise Ship from the Fort San Cristobal; Old San Juan
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

For photographers, there is the proverbial “good news and bad news.” The bad news, is that you are often (usually) in ports during the worst shooting light (arriving in the early morning and usually departing in the late afternoon to early evening – precisely the times when most of us want to be set up and on location). Along with that, ports of call are commonly no more than a day, during daylight hours. This means very little time to find, and shoot scenes. The opportunity for night shooting on shore is rare. And, most cruises (it’s the nature of the thing) have some days when you are “at sea” between destinations. There is not much to point your lens at off the boat (unless you like vast expanses of open ocean), and only so much to shoot on board. Once you have “been there and done that,” it may be time to put the camera down and just relax and enjoy a little downtime and your family.

There were lifelong memories and hopefully, lifelong friends gained from this cruise

On the other hand, there are some unique opportunities from the deck. We have spoiled ourselves. I have never been in an “inside” berth and cannot see the point. If I am going to pay the $ for a cruise, I want my own balcony deck. On the inside passage cruise, my tripod lived on the deck and much of the time, I was out their behind the lens. That deck could be seen from some folks on higher decks, and I got to be known as “camera guy” by some of our neighboring passengers as they would ask what I was seeing. We try to do our homework and make sure we are in the right side of the ship to see things we may cruise by.

Old San Juan Harbor
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

Being up on the high vantage point a cruise ship affords and out in the water, you often have unique views. The image of “Old San Juan” from off shore, could only be obtained by a boat or a plane. And a small boat would not have given us the high vantage point (the downside is that you are moving rather fast, relative to your subject).

Being up on the high vantage point a cruise ship affords and out in the water, you often have unique views

One of my favorite images (myonly regret is that it was taken handheld with my Canon G12 P&S—the only equipment I had with me) is the (2012) dawn images of the boats moored in St. Thomas, with the lights of Charlotte Amalie up the hillside in the background, as our cruise ship came into port early in the morning. This kind of “birds-eye” view perspective could only have been accomplished from the unique vantage point of a large ocean vessel that could get me high above the water—like a cruise ship.

St. Thomas Harbor
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

This year’s Caribbean Cruise took us to Old San Juan, Puerto Rico, back to St. Maarten, and to St. Kitts, as our ports of call. The old fort(s) on San Juan were the highlight, photographically, in my view of this year’s Caribbean adventure. San Juan is a major starting cruise port for the Southern Caribbean, and I can see spending a day or two back there before boarding the ship on our next Caribbean cruise (which will likely venture into the Southern Caribbean). We arrived in port a about 3:00 in the afternoon, and were back on the ship by 10:30, so it was a different time frame than we were used to. There are colorful buildings and narrow streets in Old San Juan, and I am sure there were some night shooting opportunities. We went ashore with our new friends Lou and Penny and focused (pun intended), tripod-based shooting was not in the cards. We did get nice images from the high view of the San Cristobal Fort, however. I think the colorful, pastel palate of much of the Caribbean is made to order for color photographers.

Old San Juan from San Cristobal
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

The old fort(s) on San Juan were the highlight, photographically, in my view of this year’s Caribbean adventure

In 2012, I fell in love with the laid-back, “island feel of St. Maarten.” However, we confined our day to Philipsburg, on the Dutch side, and I wanted to “explore” the rest of the island this year. This year, we took a tour of the entire island, spending an hour or two in the French capitol city of Marigot, and seeing most of the other sites. We ended at the relatively famous bar that skirts the beach at the Princess Juliana International Airport, where I have my on major regret of the trip. I really messed up here with one of the things I have preached and preached on this blog—the old “Boy Scout Motto,” be prepared! This is the beach where the planes land coming in directly overhead. It is a pretty awesome sight, and one which, while hackneyed, would be nice to have in your portfolio. We were there for only an hour and only one jet liner was scheduled to land. We had about 45 minutes to its scheduled landing, so we sat at the bar and ordered a drink. We were at a major tourist destination with hundreds of people, so I left the camera in the backpack I was carrying to be more discrete. The plane arrived and landed 20 minutes before the scheduled time, while I sat and watched, my camera still in my backpack! . Of course I know planes are often ahead and/or behind schedule. I will probably be on St. Maarten again, and will probably go back better prepared.

Somewhere in St. Maarten
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

It’s hard not to like the Caribbean Islands

Our last stop was St. Kitts. The islands of Nevis and St. Kitts are an independent sovereignty. The population is very diverse, but appears to be very British influenced, with English being one of the main languages spoken. They also drive on the (“wrong” ) side of the road there, which can be an unnerving experience for us “ugly Americans.” Up until 2005, the main economic engine of St. Kitts was its state-owned sugar cane industry. Due to economic conditions, including the removal of subsidies by the EEC, they closed down this industry in 2005. Our guide told us there were refineries, rum distilleries and the like in St. Kitts until that time. Now, their primary industry is tourism and they have been in the process of gearing up for the Cruise line industry. They only have docking facilities for at the most 3 cruise ships (when we were in St. Maarten, there were 8 ships in port), at this time. There are several towns in St. Kitts and its diverse geography includes beautiful sandy beaches and a complete rainforest.

Abandoned Sugar Plantation; St. Kitts
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

It’s hard not to like these Caribbean Islands. Its warm, the people are friendly, and the food and drink is good. I know I’ll travel back to explore those places I haven’t yet seen, and to return to some of them I have.

St. Kitts
Copyright 2013 Andy Richards

Barns (Part 3)

The Moulton Barn, Mormon Row, Grand Teton NP, Wyoming, is perhaps the most photographed barn in the West.
Copyright Andy Richards 2012

As we move west in our vast country, the look and character of barns changes. My only opportunity to photograph barns in the West so far has been in Grand Teton National park in Wyoming. I have read and viewed wonderful photographs of barns and farms in the Pacific Northwest; especially in the Palouse region of Washington. While this area is on my photographic “bucket list,” I have also read that many of the wonderful old barns are being razed and in some cases, replaced, with less photogenic new structures. I can only hope I will get there while there are still some left.

Thomas Moulton Barn, Grand Teton NP, Wyoming
copyright 2012 Andy Richards

While in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming in May of 2012, I had the good fortune to photograph two of the more famous barns in the United States (indeed, the first “Moulton Barn” pictured is reputed to be the most photographed barn in the world), the “Moulton Barns” in Grand Teton National Park. While these barns are both traditional “Western” barns, what makes them spectacular is the backdrop of the Grand Teton Mountain Range. We got lucky, finding snow covered peaks. Unfortunately, we worked and worked for it, but couldn’t find any dramatic skies. I will be back there.

Rich Pomeroy contemplating his shot of the North Moulton Barn, Mormon Row, Grand Teton NP, Wyoming
Copyright Andy Richards 2012

He thinks my judgment is flawed, but my favorite image of the second Moulton Barn is of my best friend and photo-traveling buddy, Rich,contemplating the magnificence in front of him.

Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

When photographing these barns, it is easy to overlook a couple of the other barns nearby.  These barns are in an old settlement known as “Grovont.”  The first one is an old homestead just beyond the second Moulton Barn.

Grovont Barns, Mormon Row, Grand Teton NP, Wyoming
copyright 2012 Andy Richards

The other is directly across the road from the iconic first Moulton Barn. I am told there are some other photogenic barns and ranches in the near vicinity and will seek them out for sure on my next trip to Grand Teton NP.

Fall Color in the “UP” – 2012 – Part 5 – Lake Superior Shoreline

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

When Pennsylvania pro, workshop leader, and Master Landscape Instructor, James Moore and I first began discussing a fall workshop in the UP, what showed through to him was my enthusiasm for the variety of photographic subjects and composition. After spending a week driving the Hiawatha National Forest and the Lake Superior shoreline, I think Jim is in full agreement. Typical fall photography venues, like New England (in my view the number one spot for Fall Foliage photography), the Smokies, and even the western states offer dramatic landscape, colorful, foliage, and often a variety of wildlife. But other than perhaps Maine’s ocean coasts, none offers the variety we saw in Munising, including forests, waterfalls, sandstone formations, lakes and perhaps most unique of all, the shoreline of Lake Superior.

Au Train Bay, Lake Superior
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

If you have ever planned a foliage-oriented trip, you know it is always a lottery whether you will hit peak foliage and the weather conditions will cooperate. What I was able to assure Jim was that no matter what happened with those variables we would find something worthy of shooting for the serious landscape photographer. As you can see from the images here, the foliage, in some cases, enhances the image, but is not a critical element.

Sable Point Lighthouse from Log Slide
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

It is always a lottery whether you will hit peak foliage and weather conditions

During the short time we were in Munising, it was simply not possible to cover all the potential photographic opportunities. Because colors in the forest were particularly good this year, we concentrated more there than along the shoreline. But the shoreline offers some dramatic photographs, from Marquette all the way east, to Sault Ste. Marie, on the east coast of the UP. From Munising to Grand Marais, The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore holds colorful rock formations, arches, and waterfalls tumbling (and sometimes trickling) into Lake Superior. There are three picturesque lighthouses (one which can only be seen by boat) along the shoreline. Near one of the lights, the Sable Point Lighthouse, there is a sandstone reef extending a mile out into the lake which was the end of many lumbering and mining ships before the advent of modern navigation and shipwreck timbers can be photographed along the shoreline near the lighthouse. Time constraints kept the group from our planned trip up to the lighthouse this time.

Au Train Bay, Lake Superior
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

We did start our several of our days out on the Lake Superior beach and spent one sunset there. While on the beach, we concentrated on the pre-dawn twilight and looked for dramatic skies. We also looked for spots where the dune grasses could act as a foreground element and frame photographs. The image of the beach near Christmas, Michigan (just west of Munising), combined these elements, giving all but the dramatic lighting we so often seek for these images. Mineral deposits and seepage of mineral-laden water through the layers of sandstone give the stone its characteristic streaked colors and the bottom the turquoise blue seen reflected up through much of the waters.

Lake Superior Shoreline; Christmas, MI
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

My week in Munising will be among my more memorable photographic trips. While there, I had the privilege to meet some folks I had either “known” from the internet, or admired from afar over the years. While shooting at Council Lake one morning, I ran into and had a nice chat with well-known pro’s John and Barbara Gerlach. I have several of their books on my photography shelf. We spent about an hour shooting in the same vicinity as their group. I was struck by the fact that neither John nor Barbara were carrying cameras. Instead, they were being attentive to their paying customers, answering questions, giving advice when appropriate and generally being “good hosts.” Seems like a sure formula for a successful outing to me, and I would enthusiastically endorse and recommend their outings based on what I saw.

Sunset on Miner’s Beach; Lake Superior
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

I also met Wisconsin pro and fellow Nature Photographers.net member, Nick Bristol and had a nice chance to chat with him. I know he has since spent some time reading here, so Nick, it was nice to meet you and to chat.

My week in Munising will be among my more memorable photographic trips

We met a pro from Minnesota who leads tours on the North Shore and who we will likely contact the next time we travel there, and a local guide and kayak outfitter who specializes in photo tours right there in Munising. All in all, a very enjoyable and profitable trip.

Au Train Bay, Lake Superior
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Fall Color in the “UP” – 2012 – Part 4 – Color in Abstracts

Fall Color Abstract; Pete’s Lake
Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Often in our enthusiasm for fall foliage conditions and trips, we single-mindedly seek the “grand landscape” shots, showing a wash of brilliant color set in a dynamic mountain or lakeside landscape. The reality is that this type of photographic image is really, really hard to pull off, except in the best of conditions. There are, of course, places in our incredible land that offer nearly studio-like conditions for the grand landscape, and if we have the good fortune and timing to be at these places when the foliage, wind, sky and light conditions all come together, we will get the opportunity to make such images. But the instances (especially for those of us who shoot in limited time windows) of these proverbial “stars aligning” are few and far between. And if you think it is different for “pros,” think again. There is just plain old perspiration and persistence involved in a great “grand landscape” image. This means dragging yourself out of bed pre-dawn day after day, missing meals in the evening, and often going to the same location time after time to wait, until the ideal conditions come together. What pros have that we often don’t is the fortitude (and sometimes the time) to do that and the skill to be ready for capture when it does come together.

The reality is that the “grand landscape” image is really, really, hard to pull off

So what does a hobbyist who took one of her/his 2 vacation weeks and planned a trip to, say Vermont, in 2012 during the first week of October do, when the conditions just don’t cooperate? (I didn’t make it to New England this year, but I keep in touch with my numerous information sources who are on the ground there every year, whether I am or not. They uniformly reported that it decided to be rainy and cloudy during a week of peak color in parts of the state the likes of which we haven’t seen for several years). Look for abstract images. Try to find the intimate views that exclude the element(s) that aren’t “working” for you. Color is everywhere to be found during the foliage season, even the skies just aren’t right for the grand landscape image you covet.

Birches; Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Even when conditions for the grand landscape are ideal, it is still important to look around for those abstracts and intimate views. This year, the conditions for landscape photography were pretty good during most of my time in the UP. But there will always be times when conditions don’t work for those “big” images. This was a year where the luminance of the colors and the variety of different colors all coming in at the same time was unusually good in my view. So I was able to make some sectional images with colors juxtaposed, some more intimate captures of parts of the forest, and some abstract images, including reflections, working with depth of field, and playing around with the zoom on my lenses.

Look for Abstract, Sectional and Intimate Images in the foliage

The first image above was taken the same morning I made the moon over Pete’s Lake image. Shortly after the sun rose, the quality of light on the bank of trees became “hotter” than I thought was optimum for the “big picture” image–and I had made “my image” for that morning. So I turned my camera to the water, zoomed in on the ripples and made the resulting reflective abstract.

One afternoon, workshop leader, James Moore and I took off, exploring the forest roads. One image Jim had in mind was a birch clump image. After following Jim through more “Deliverance” territory, we eventually split up, as I went to scout the next morning location. Jim later found the clump of birch trees and sent me back to find it for myself. The image he made was very different from this one, which demonstrates how individuals can “see” things differently.

Maple Sapling in Color
Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Another afternoon, while waiting for the group to complete shooting an area they found intriguing, buddy, Rich and I moved ahead to shoot a brilliantly lit red maple he had staked out. It didn’t “send” me photographically for some reason, and I and walked into the forest with my longest lens. I made this image with the aperture wide open, to render the background as out of focus as possible, “suggesting” forest and color in the background, but highlighting the small maple sapling.

I played around with this same sapling for a while, setting my shot up for a relatively slow shutter speed and turning the zoom ring on my lens to “zoom out” during exposure.  This shot may require Dramamine for for safe viewing .

Fall Color Abstract
Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

Driving the forest roads those afternoons, we knew the sky was too blue and and the light too bright to make good images of grand scenes, so we looked for “sectional” images, where colors contrasted, were complementary, or otherwise stood out. As I made the image with the variegated red/orange/yellow leaves, the sun alternatively ducked behind and then back out of the cloud cover. I was able to make a number of differently lit exposures of this scene and this brightly lit one was the most pleasing to my eye, once back home and on my monitor.

Forest Color; Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards

I have looked for an image like the landscape-oriented shot below for many years. The mid-morning lighting on this image is unfortunately, “hot,” but the bank of color variation from green/yellow/orange/red/rust and scarlet makes a very nice study in color. This was representative of a lot of the color we saw this year in the distance as we drove throughout the UP.

Forest Color; Hiawatha NF
Copyright 2012 Andy Richards