travel Archives - Page 21 of 35

September 29, 2016September 29, 2016

Saturday Afternoon in Stanley Park

This is a Saturday afternoon in Stanley Park. I was here not too long ago after returning from Alaska. I could have flown straight from Anchorage to Florida, but being so close to Vancouver I couldn’t resist a quick weekend stopover. This is a panorama of four images that I stitched together to get a wide perspective. Sometimes I use a wide angle lens, but in other cases I find it works better when I take four vertical images and combine them. For one, the resolution is much higher. That makes it easier to produce large prints. As well, I like to zoom into photos and explore all of the little details.

Daily Image

This is the second time I’ve take an image from this perspective. The first time was several years ago using a wide angle lens. I don’t mind repeating myself because as an artist my approach and inclinations change over time. Its fun to go back and play old songs, I hear new things as I grow and evolve. Same goes for photography.

favorites gallery

Actually I’ve been redoing a lot of iconic locations lately. Iconic locations resonate in a way that invites new interpretations, new angles, different light. And besides, they are typically fun places to go. So if you see me repeating some old locations, you’ll know I’m seeing something different as well as having a good time.

September 23, 2016September 23, 2016

Central Foyer

This is the central foyer of the Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. I took this early one morning which is the only time that no people are present. The central column is about eight stories high and is serviced by elevators and stairwells. In the evening this is augmented with a colorful lighting display. I found this perspective through a glass portal at the very top.

At the very bottom is a bar, the next up is a Starbucks, then a champagne bar and so on up the levels. There are game rooms, libraries, areas for lounging, each level is unique. Often we would lean against the banister and watch the band playing music below or perhaps watch a demonstration on cake making. Certainly there are things to do outside, but on an Alaskan cruise there is plenty to do indoors as well.

This is a small ship by todays standards but it’s a sister of the first ship I ever saw, the Jewel of the Seas. I was and still am amazed that this type of space and architecture can exist on an ocean-going vessel. Yet to the truly big ships this is unremarkable. I’m a simple man, and to me, this is really really big. Getting on a bigger ship seems like maybe going to the mall with a hotel that floats. The sea is almost incidental.

more abstract photos

Anyway, my impression of these ships is one of awe, how they build them is way beyond my ability to comprehend.

September 15, 2016September 15, 2016

Star Princess

As we were sailing out of Skagway the Star Princess remained parallel to ours for about thirty minutes. The straight is not that wide and the sight of two massive ships in the light of dusk silently passing through must have been quite the thing. Only these areas are uninhabited save for the wildlife, so we were unnoticed save for the eagles sitting on treetops.

Daily Image

There were four or five cruise ships in Skagway that day, I believe this is the same one I posted a picture of earlier. It’s hard to tell because in that picture I was standing next to it on the dock and it’s hard to get the full perspective up close.

The low light capabilities of the Sony A7RII allowed me to capture this at ISO4000. These kind of shots still amaze me when I think that just a few years when this type of shot was impossible. My preference is to shoot in low light, I prefer the moodiness of it.

Alaska images

My ship was Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. I wonder if there was someone on the Princess ship watching our ship and taking a similar shot. If you’re out there somewhere let’s swap photos so we can see our own boat, eh?

September 7, 2016September 8, 2016

Red Light District

Back in the days of the gold-rush this was the red light district of the town of Ketchikan. Those days are long gone but naturally there are recreated saloons and bordellos along with souvenir shops.

There’s a lot of history in towns like this. All I know for sure is that the early settlers of Alaska had to be heart when you consider the hardships required to get here and then make it though a winter. It’s no wonder many spent their money here.

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I was here in the summer at the peak of tourist season, but I’d be curious to see what it looks like in winter. I imagine most of the shops are shuttered with only a few open for residents. Most of the people that work in the shops are from the lower forty-eight, almost everyone I talked to was from somewhere else. I suppose Alaska and Florida have that in common.

Anyway, these buildings on stilts are typical of the area. I took this as I walked around the town on a rainy day.

August 28, 2016

Leaving on an Airplane

I’ve had jobs where every week I’d be leaving on an airplane. It still happens sometimes but not as much. So when I’m not traveling I like to take the time to do what “normal” people do. Meaning, going for a drive, letting time pass, waking up in my own bed. When I took this shot the jet in the sky brought those memories to my mind. I was the guy up there looking down at the people enjoying the rest of their Sunday.

Being up in that plane is neither good nor bad, it just is what it is. But there is another perspective rooted on the ground. It’s the perspective of, well, being rooted. I have moved around so often it feels I have no roots. I feel like an outsider even where I live. But I have a place I call home, and for that I am grateful.

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Home does not have to be the place we were born or even grew up. It’s a place to return to, or maybe just a place to rest our head. With all that is happening in the world I am grateful for that simple pleasure. But nothing on this earth is forever, not even roots. Eventually a time will come when we depart one home en route to another. And when that time comes we will carry our home in our hearts.

August 22, 2016

Blue Thunder

I visited the Hubbard Glacier on a cruise over the summer. We arrived in the morning and the first thing I noticed was a sound like thunder as the ice breaks off the edge of the glacier. I’ve seen plenty of pictures but the noise that accompanies it something unexpected when first there.

To be honest I was found it difficult to get a sense of scale. We were about a kilometer away from the wall of ice which was taller than the ship. Our ship rose about thirteen stories above the water. So when these columns of ice broke off it created massive waves. I felt safe because we were a far enough back and we were in a big boat. But I cannot imagine traveling through here on a small craft.

Of course much of the ice is below the surface. That too gave me pause and again I was glad to be on such a large ship. Just sailing into this area we grazed chunks of ice as big as a house. I suppose ice that size is of little consequence to a large ship, but I shudder to think how a small vessel could ever navigate here.

landscapes from the gallery

We stayed here for a few of hours to observe the glacier. I was glad that we had an experienced captain who knew the area. I’m sure he sails here all the time, but it was a first for me and even as a passenger I found it a little unnerving. Having said that, once we returned to the open sea I felt a little less concerned. I was left with an impression of this massive field of ice, it is beautiful, spell binding and not to be trifled with. This is the raw force of nature in all its glory.

August 2, 2016August 2, 2016

Safely Docked

I was in Alaska at the peak of cruise season which means you can get a look up close of these massive ships. And as big as they are they’re still about half the size the ships in the Caribbean, but I digress. This was in Skagway and I took this as I walked back to my ship which was behind this one. I believe this is a Princess ship but I didn’t make a note of it at the time.

I am still amazed at how big these ships are and how they operate. The elements can be unforgiving and the crews that sail them must be the best.

This year there was a YouTube of the wind pushing a ship into the dock and causing some damage in Ketchikan. When I was there a few weeks later I inquired about it because I saw no damage. The dock was already fixed, and there were no signs of the incident. It turns it was pilot, not he ships captain, at the helm that day and thanks to his quick thinking he avoided what would have been much greater damage. These pilots are retired ferry captains that know the waters like the backs of their hands. This pilot in particular decided it was better to take out the dock than hit one of the other ships. As it was explained to me, he is considered a hero for what he avoided rather than what was destroyed.

more clouds in the gallery

After hearing the story I had a whole new level of respect for the men and women that sail the Alaskan waters.

July 26, 2016

Drifting Off

This was taken off the coast of British Columbia a couple hours out of Vancouver. I was on an Alaskan cruise and spending time on the balcony watching the scenery and drifting off. Its like soothing scenery overload. It puts you in a relaxed state of mind and before you know it, La-La land.

Actually it was probably more a reaction to the massage. As we boarded in Vancouver the spa personnel were out offering first day discounts on massages. Having a sore back I jumped at it. After that I headed back to the room and sat on the balcony alternately snapping pictures of the coast and falling asleep. A good way to start the week.

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Many of us lead hectic lives and when we slow down our bodies use the opportunity to recharge. I wish I could do that more often, but then maybe I can on weekends or a little every day. In any case it was good to get away, watch the scenery go by and not think about a thing.

July 25, 2016

Mountain Tunnel

This is on the White Pass and Yukon Route railway outside Skagway. If you ever get a chance to visit this part of Alaska I recommend an excursion on the White Pass. It winds its way up a mountain range from the sea with spectacular scenery at every turn.

The best part for me is that each car has an outside platform where I could stand and take photos. I hardly sat in my seat the entire three hours. On the way up we were in the first car behind the engine. When reached the pass at the top of the mountain we pulled onto a siding where the engine relocated to the other end of the train. Now heading down the mountain I had an unobstructed view out the back of the train. This was one of a couple of tunnels high up the mountain.

Travel photos from the gallery

There’s nothing quite like traveling through a tunnel on a train. This one is near the top of the mountain so when you come out the other end there are amazing vistas. As we were on the last car I shot this looking back as the entrance receded into darkness. In the next moment we came out along a high slope where we could see dozens of miles out to the sea below. Put this one on your list of things you must do.

July 20, 2016

White Pass Summit

If you visit Alaska perhaps one the places you will see is Skagway. The biggest employer in that town is the White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad. It winds from the sea port up the mountains into British Columbia. If you like trains then add this to your list because not only is the scenery spectacular there’s a lot of history preserved in these trains and the rail museum in town.

We took an excursion up to the top of the pass which takes about an hour-and-a-half one-way. On the way up we were in the first car behind the engine but on the way back the engine reattached to the other end and we were at the rear. That afforded me the chance to stand out the back and capture this other train as we entered the main track from a siding.

favorites from the gallery

This is a popular attraction and for good reason. When we booked the trip there were no more standard tickets so we booked the first class parlor car. Boy, that was nice, we had soft cushioned seats, an attendant and all the food and drink we wanted. However I couldn’t manage to sit still, I preferred to stand on the outside platform taking picture most of the way. When we finally got back to lower elevations I came back in the coach to find everyone asleep in their comfortable chairs. That was pretty funny, but I’m still glad I stood outside and enjoyed the scenery from the cheap seats, even if I did pay for a comfy chair inside.