Travel Photography

Recently Joe and I purchased a new scanner- the Epson Artisan 810 and, long to the short, . . . I love it.  It’s a fantastic scanner.  So I thought I would try it out on some of my old film photography and got excited when I saw the first image come up onto my screen.  It wasn’t perfect but it was pretty darn close to the original.  Finally, I thought,  I can share some of my film prints with you!  The few that I chose are some of my favorites from my one-year adventure throughout Europe.

The story begins after graduating UCLA. I had a diploma but was left with no idea of what to do next.  So I used the remainder of my school loans to run away to Europe.  In between living and working in London, I  traveled.  At this time, photography was not my business.  It was however, a cherished hobby.  Everywhere that I travelled, my camera was close by my side.

I travelled everywhere by train.  If I wasn’t taking the train, I walked.  I walked with a giant pack attached to my back at all times.  Yes, I was in great shape.  I travelled to Italy, France, Denmark, Amsterdam, Ireland, Scotland, Germany, Turkey, and Egypt.  I slept in hostels, B & B’s, and five star hotels.  It was a very romantic year for me of learning, socializing and simply being an artist.

The Louvre at night . . . I so miss the Louvre.

This was taken during my first trip to Turkey.  I was mesmerized by this man, watching him gather the silk from hundreds of cocoons that would later be used to create some of the most beautiful Turkish rugs I had ever seen.

This little girl caught me in the act.  I was trying to get a candid shot of her but she laughed and posed instead, for a few minutes anyway, before running back inside to her worried mother.

One of my favorite memories from this year, was my 2 week stay in Egypt.  Within that stay, I traveled for 3 nights and 4 days by faluka (a type of sail-boat) that carried us down the Nile.  Every night I fell asleep beneath a blanket of stars, listening to the distant beat of Nubian drums.

This cracks me up every time I see it.  What the hell is happening here?  What exactly is the story?  I never did find out but I think that’s why it’s so interesting.  I can tell you that I was in Amsterdam for this one, on my way to the Anne Frank house, when I noticed these legs in what appeared to be an ice-cream cart . . . ?  It was so strange and so fantastic, I had to get a shot of it.

Yes I decided to throw in a self-portrait, sue me.  Here I am posing (that’s me on the right) with my then “flat-mate.” I had asked her to pose with me, amongst the Ruins of Ephesus.  We felt very regal, as you can see.  I always had a lot of fun with that girl.  Not sure where she is at the moment but when last we spoke she was living happily in Germany with the love of her life.

It truly is amazing to me how fast life can pass you by, which is exactly why I always cherish reflecting over pictures from my past.  They remind me of who I once was, who I have become, and who I long to be.  It also reminds me to always enjoy the journey.  I am so thankful to have had photography as a hobby then and as a career now.  My journey has truly been a blessing.

“The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.”   -Don Williams, Jr. (American Novelist and Poet, b.1968)

A month ago, my Grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s.  It was a disease inherited from her mother.  She always feared she would acquire it but we never believed her.  I always believed that the mind would stay strong as long as your will did.  I mean, my Grandmother loved life.  When last I saw her she was winning three gold medals in her swimming division.  Three Gold Medals, the woman is 82 and she’s the fastest in her freestyle field!  She also walks daily, lifts weights, cooks, sews, socializes, eats well, and is always smiling . . . I don’t understand.  And what’s more daunting, neither do the doctors.  They still don’t fully understand why Alzheimer’s occurs.  They also haven’t made great strides towards finding its cure. So we’re left to hope, for a miracle.  Upon hearing her diagnosis, as well as the shaky lump of fear stuck within my grandmother’s throat, I decided to make the drive out to Arizona to visit her.

My grandmother’s favorite room, her kitchen.  I decided to get a few portraits of her there.

Her sewing room, another favorite.  She used to spend hours in here each day.

It was even clearer, once I had spent a day with her, that her memory was getting worse.  Countless times she went over her plan of attack with me, that she would be staying on and off with her sons while looking into selling her house.  Once the disease became overwhelming, she would then move into an assisted living situation.  This broke my heart, again.  That little house was my grandmother’s first taste of independence.  She went from a little girl, living with her parents in Guatemala to America, where she quickly fell in love, lived with her husband, and raised three boys.  When my grandfather lost his battle to cancer, she was forced to move into a more budgeted situation but I think it was good for her.  I remember when she made the move, how excited she was and how much energy she put into decorating it.   That house marked a first for her and now it was all too quickly changing.  While she’s always embraced new experience, I could clearly see how hesitant she was this time.  The more we talked about it, the more solemn she became.

So as a distraction, I brought out the old albums.  Why live in the now when you can dwell in the past.  We have a very short time with her, before she forgets most of the events within those albums so I decided to have a little one on one time with her, in order to hear the stories that accompany them.  It became an enchanting evening.

My Grandmother is the youngest of four here, seated next to her mother.

Her family would open up their home to the soldiers coming in and out of the Country. Here she can be seen dancing and getting her flirt on, her father clapping for a beat.

My grandfather during WWII, pictured here in France.  He met my grandmother shortly after this.

. . . they fell in love and were married.

This is my favorite picture of her. It’s just plain silly.

Her three boys.  My father is floating on the raft there.

Another silly blast from the past.  Apparently they liked hats.

A locket that my Grandfather bought for her.  He even carefully cut and placed their images inside before giving it to her.  They had one of the greatest love affairs I have ever witnessed.  I proudly wear this locket today.

I loved going through all her memorabilia and needless to say, I went to bed with a whole lot of warm fuzzies that night.

The next morning, Warren came over.  Now Warren is a sort of “best friend” to my Grandmother.  They met about a year ago, his wife had passed away at about the same time as my grandfather.  Shortly after she had passed, he spotted my Grandmother in church and quickly leaned over asking her “do you like to dance.”  She had laughed and repeats the story today with, “he didn’t even ask what my name was or say hello!  He just wanted a dance partner.”  Their dancing, as well as their friendship became therapeutic for the two of them.  It helped them move past the pain of their recent loss.

As Warren walked in that morning, her face lit up.  He smiled and introduced himself.  We made small talk and then he quickly went over to organize my grandmother’s pills, so she wouldn’t forget to take them.  By the time we shared breakfast together we had laughed, cried, pleaded and had openly communicated all of the most recent events.  Warren gave us his honest account of his battle with lung cancer and his wife’s battle with Parkinson’s.  He cried, then apologized but I must say, it was refreshing seeing someone so openly emotional.  I know he’s afraid of going through it again, as is my grandmother putting him through it.  ”It’s so hard,” my grandmother adds, “to watch someone you love slowly slip away.”  That is why they have decided to have fun but when the disease progresses past the point of no return, they’ve agreed to back away and let the family take care of it.  ”There’s no point in him getting involved,” my grandmother proclaims, “I won’t even remember him!”  They laugh together and Warren adds “but in the meantime there’s no reason why we can’t have fun!”  So after breakfast, I challenged them to a dance.  At this point, they were regular partners.  They could often be found at the Senior Center every Tuesday and Sunday night, dancing to the live 10-piece orchestra they have there.  He smiled and quickly put on a record as my Grandmother strapped on her dancing shoes.  He turned up his hearing aid, they stood at attention and then they were off, cutting a rug right there in the middle of the living room floor.  It was so cute and they were great together.  Their dancing was a direct reflection of their relationship- the perfect give and take.

I know he’ll continue to call her, even after she can’t remember.  He may even visit.  For now, he’s the best thing that’s happened to her.  He motivates her, reminds her to take her pills, talks openly with her, and genuinely misses her while away.  He allows her to feel alive even when the odds are stacked against her.  He reminds her of who she truly is, and helps her retrieve her classic smile.  When my grandmother starts to fear the worst, Warren reminds her to dance.

I was a virgin to the whole WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) convention experience.  Heard about it last year but wasn’t able to make it.  This year I decided to make sure that I could be there, to at least get a taste of what this convention had to offer.  I invited one other friend, Robin Manno Photography, and off we drove.  After a 4 hour drive from Los Angeles, we found ourselves transported into the dawn of the Vegas lights.

There we were, 2 small fish in a very large Vegas pond, (the MGM Grand to be specific).  Over 12,000 photographers attended WPPI this year!  We didn’t know where to begin.  There was so much knowledge to soak up, hundreds of vendors to meet and so many products to try.  What were some of my favorites?  Why I’d be more than happy to share my top 10 with you (in no part. order):

1.  Zenfolio- Organize, Present, Protect, Print, and sell your images all through one online company.

2.  Azura Photo Albums

3.  Shoot Q- The first cloud-based management software designed specifically to automate photography businesses.  Mainstream your clients, contracts, and profits.

4.  Simply Canvas- canvas prints.

5.  Spider Camera Holster

6.  Moo- & the Moo ideas book.  Great ideas for advertising and branding.

7.  Cypress Albums

8.  Album DS Design Software

9.  Smug Mug- online gallery system for organizing events with unlimited storage and options to sell prints or albums.

10.  Revolution Image Design- Print & album design co. who also work in conjunction with Azura Photo Albums (#2).

Once the convention ended we decided to play some slots, check out the hotels, and get a few shots in.  We mainly hung out around old Vegas; Fremont Street.  It’s been years since I’ve been there and I have to admit, I’m not a big fan of the Dome they’ve built over it.  It’s impressive on it’s own- The LED display “canopy”, runs from Main Street all the way to Fourth Street.  It’s the biggest T.V. I’ve ever seen and an interesting juxtaposition of old vs. new BUT, all that being said, I liked Fremont street the way it was, the way we used to view it in movies. No matter, we didn’t last long anyway because it was freezing outside, just look at Robin here.  We look like we’re in New York!

Overall, WPPI was a fantastic experience.  I will definitely be a part of it next year with classes included.  If you’re a photographer, I highly recommend you go as well.  It’s hard to stay on top of all the new photographers, technology, and software these days.  WPPI is a great way to do it.  Oh, and last tip- when going to the MGM Grand, I highly recommend “Fiamma Trattoria & Bar.”  Italian cuisine with great wine, and a sexy ambiance.  I highly recommend the Lobster Gnocchi- best Gnocchi I have ever tasted.