…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 38)

Posted on June 28, 2021 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

As soon as I heard that baritone saxophone, I knew it had to be Lisa Simpson joining Bart, Marge, and Homer over at the neighborhood bench. Lisa may only be eight years old, but she can play a mean sax! She is also good on electric bass and piano. In addition, she has played some trumpet, accordion, violin, tuba, french horn, and has a powerful singing voice.

It’s Lisa’s love of jazz that makes her my favorite of the Simpsons, because it’s a passion we share; however, we have some values in common as well. We definitely lean the same way politically (liberal), and she is a big believer in science. Although I am not a vegetarian like Lisa (I love seafood), her ethical beliefs are quite admirable—especially for a second-grader! Lisa is a member of PETA and is also big on women’s rights. She is also concerned with world affairs; and, in the 1990’s, she had an “End Apartheid” poster in her bedroom. Good on her!

Lisa is a lot more intelligent and innovative than I ever was in the second grade (or ever), though. As matter of fact, she has a genius IQ and is a member of Mensa in her town of Springfield. (Thankfully, she got her smarts from her grandmother rather than Homer!) Between her intelligence and musical talent, she is quite the child prodigy! After all, how many infants do you know that can change their own diapers and solve mathematical equations as an infant?

Another thing Lisa is really good at (and I am not) is foreign language. That girl can speak Italian fluently, and she also knows a bit of French, German, and Spanish.

When it comes to her home life, Lisa has a difficult relationship with her dad and brother—something I could relate to when looking back on my childhood! She fights with her older brother just like I did when I was her age. Lisa and Bart really go at it! Still, though, her very first word was, “Bart!” (Interestingly, the third thing she ever said was, “David Hasselhoff.”)

Lisa is fashionable, usually wearing her a short, strapless red dress with a zigzag hem, matching red Mary-Jane shoes, and a white pearl necklace that was given to her by her mom, Marge. (When I was in the second grade, I HATED wearing dresses, and was known to pair a checkered shirt with striped pants, when I dressed myself.)

These are a few of my favorite quotes by Lisa Simpson:

“Dad! The Second Amendment is just a remnant from the Revolutionary day. It has no meaning today.” (Amen to that.)

“Don’t you think we ought to attack the roots of our social problems instead of jamming people into overcrowded prisons?”

“I just think it’s a fantasy. If you believe in angels, why not sea monsters, unicorns, or leprechauns?”

This nearly completes The Simpsons family. Will Bart and Lisa’s baby sister be next? Stay tuned to see if Maggie crawls her way to the bench!

…AND, ANOTHER LITTLE RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS (Act 8)

Posted on April 13, 2021 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

The Peanuts Gang took the day off, yesterday, and earlier this morning, the bench near my house remained bare. When I passed it by on my way to getting my second Moderna vaccine, I was sad to see it empty.

When I returned, my spirits lifted when I spotted a new addition: Rerun!

Rerun van Pelt is Lucy and Linus’s little brother. Born on May 23, 1972, Linus decided to start calling his baby brother “Rerun,” because big sis, Lucy, compared having a second brother to TV reruns. (I’m sure that’s what my big brother thought of me when I came along after living his first 3-1/2 years with two older sisters.)

Always sporting a cool pair of overalls and spiky hair, Rerun was most often spotted on the back of Mom’s bicycle looking terrified.

At the ripe old age of 1, Rerun joined Charlie Brown’s baseball team. A few weeks later, their team actually won their first game; however, they were forced to forfeit, due to a gambling scandal. It was later revealed that Rerun had bet on the game with Snoopy. At his tender age, it appeared as if Rerun was already making a shady reputation for himself. As for Snoopy, well, we all know about his shenanigans!

Following the scandal, Charlie Brown wouldn’t let Rerun play on his team, telling him he was too young and too small. Rerun accused Charlie of discrimination, obtained a court order (signed by no other than Snoopy, the “World Famous Attorney”), and finally got to play.

Rerun also had a go at basketball, when Linus attempted to teach little bro how to play. The tyke wasn’t any good at the sport, though, and often kicked the ball in frustration, only to have it bounce back at him. At one point, Rerun tossed the basketball in his closet, closed the door, and said, “You can come out when you learn to behave.”

FESTIVE HOLIDAYS IN NAPLES, LONG BEACH

Posted on December 25, 2019 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

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Although I was raised Jewish and don’t celebrate Christmas, the highlight of every holiday season was going out with my family to see Christmas lights. In Long Beach, California, where I grew up, the most beautiful light displays were always in the community of Naples, named after Naples, Italy. The community is built on three islands divided by canals which open into Alamitos Bay.

Naples is an affluent community with large homes and accompanying private boat docks that line the canals. Each Christmas, the community sponsors a themed competition for the best house decorations and light display. This year, the theme was, “Under the Sea.”

Until I returned home to SoCal last holiday season to see family and friends, it had been several years since I had visited Naples. I had forgotten just how beautiful it was, and I was in awe of the beauty of all the colorful lights reflected in the still water of the canal. It was early in December on a weeknight, so it was uncrowded—perfect for doing photography with my brother and sister. We had fun experimenting with our cameras and trying out different creative techniques to capture the colorful lights.

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Amazed at how completely over-the-top some of the light and decoration displays were, we gawked and laughed as we hunted for the next photo opportunity. That time with my siblings was special; a lot of fun, much laughter, and some fun photos to remember it by.

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This year, we returned on Sunday, just a couple of days before Christmas. As it gets closer to the big day, the crowds get larger, and the atmosphere gets more festive. None of my pictures could possibly convey the joyous mood and energy that flowed all around me. I found myself spending more time with my camera by my side rather than in front of my eye, so I could soak it all in.

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“Under the Sea” Sweepstakes Winner

This was just a small section of the display by the winner of the Humor Award

This swimming pig was one of many displayed by the owner of the Naples Rib Company, a local restaurant.

There is nothing I had ever experienced during the holiday season that ever compared to the scene I was immersed in with my brother and sister that evening. Although the crowds grew as we meandered through the canals, everybody was laughing, gawking, and so pleasant to each other. Joy was in the air! Musicians were playing Christmas carols, a youth group sang, some kids were selling hot chocolate, and a man passed out candy canes to all who passed by. Meanwhile as decorated Long Beach Transit trolleys filled with spectators passed over the canal bridges, singing gondoliers below navigated through the canals as their passengers enjoyed the views up above. There were SUP paddlers with lit up hats, decorated Duffy boats full of partiers, and all sorts of other watercraft passing under the bridges as we looked on at the spectacle. My brother and I just stood and stared, remarking how beautiful the reflection of the lights was on the rippled water below.

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During this most divisive time in our country I have ever experienced, it was such a delightful reprieve from the anger and hostility that has permeated our lives all around us. Joy to you all, dear readers!

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AMERICAN QUEEN STEAMBOAT COMPANY PHOTO CONTEST

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Note: My Adriatic Coast blog posts are still in the works. It has been a slow process in between our busy craft show season; however, more posts will be on the way soon!

A few months ago, Bruce and I were sitting in our booth at the summer Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair, pouring over some photographs during the late afternoon, and the crowd had left for the day. American Queen Steamboat Company had announced their photography contest in the Steamboat Society of America’s monthly newsletter, The Paddlewheeler, and I was trying to decide which photos to enter. We each had ranked my final selections and agreed that this photo was our favorite:

We were aboard the American Queen in 2017 during a 23-day “Mighty Mississippi” cruise when the American Duchess embarked on her maiden voyage. We met up with her in Paducah, Kentucky when I shot this photo. This past January, we cruised aboard the beautiful paddlewheeler.

After entering the contest, I forgot all about it. Today, we are sitting here in our booth once again for the fall Gatlinburg Craftsmen’s Fair, and I checked my e-mail in between customers. Surprise! The latest edition of The Paddlewheeler was in my inbox. I clicked on the link, scrolled down to see the winners– all much better than my entry. Oh well; I lost. I scrolled down further to read the remainder of the newsletter, and I saw the second place entries, and there it was! I won second place! We are going on another cruise aboard the American Duchess, so I will get to use my credit then. Fun!

Well, the band ended their set, and the customers are cruising the aisles once again, so it’s back to work!

Stay tuned for another Adriatic Coast post soon!

IT’S STILL MY FAVORITE SHOT!

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Since starting my blog nearly five years ago, I have been pleasantly surprised by the wonderful comments I’ve received not only from friends and family, but also from other bloggers who have read my posts from all over the world. It has been very gratifying!

Yesterday, I received a very different response to my blog. I was introduced to a company called Light. They are a start-up aiming at perfecting a new camera technology that was shared with me along with their Vantage Project on Pinterest. I was asked to write a story about my favorite photo for their site.

Rather than pondering my options, I immediately decided on my favorite photograph that dates back to 1987. It’s hard to believe it has been almost thirty years since I captured this shot at the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta! I was excited to try out my new Canon A-1 (identical to my dad’s beloved camera) and two Tamron zoom lenses.

As a (mostly) self-taught, (mostly) amateur photographer, I shoot photos for my own satisfaction, concentrating on what makes me happiest: COLOR. One of my passions is travel photography, and color is like a magnet for me. I see something colorful, and I am immediately drawn to it.

In Albuquerque at the hot air balloon grounds, I was like kid in a candy store– or, more accurately, me in a chocolate shop! Color surrounded me, and I didn’t know which way to turn first. There were literally hundreds of multi-colored hot air balloons in various stages of inflation preparing for a mass ascension into the crystal clear New Mexico skies, and I wanted to see– and, photograph– them all.

Back then, digital cameras and SD cards didn’t exist, and the cost of film and developing was expensive. I was on a tight budget, so I had to balance being selective with not letting great shots go by uncaptured. (Wow, how photography has changed…)

The warm hues of this particular balloon grabbed my attention, because of the way they looked so saturated in the early morning light. The stripes also made for interesting composition– especially since one of my favorite “rules” in photography is the Rule of Thirds: The Rule of Thirds states that an image is the most pleasing when its subjects or regions are composed among imaginary lines which divide the image into thirds– both vertically and horizontally. (www.cambridgeincolour.com)

As I approached the inflating envelope of the hot air balloon, one of the crew opened a flap and invited me to take a peek inside with my camera. I looked towards the lighter side of the envelope and was delighted to see the shadows of others watching the balloon being inflated from the other side. The man with the baseball cap grabbed my attention, as did the child who was waving his arms.

One shot is all it took. I trusted the terrific metering of my new A-1, and I knew the photo I had captured was exactly what I was after: Saturated color, composition using the Rule of Thirds, texture from the wrinkled fabric of the part of the envelope still bunched up on the ground, and those great shadows. Other than knowing the photo was shot using my Tamron 28-70 zoom lens with the camera on auto, I haven’t a clue of the technical data. Who had time to notice? “Mr. Peanut” was about to launch from the other end of the row, so I made a mad dash in pursuit of my next shot!

At the time, I was sure I would be happy with that photo and others I had shot at the balloon grounds, but I had no idea what the future would bring as a result of my favorite shot.

My dad encouraged me to enter some photo contests with it, so I entered it in the Del Mar (San Diego County) Fair as well as Price Club’s photography contest. (Price Club is now Costo.) Much to my surprise, I won “Best in Color” at the fair and Price Club’s grand prize!

Between the video camera I won from Price Club (and sold), and cash prizes won from various contests, that photo netted me more than enough money to pay for all my film, developing, photo albums, and travel for that Albuquerque trip, and more.

After nearly thirty years of incredible travel photography experiences, I would have to say this is still my favorite shot!

LIFE’S LITTLE PLEASURES: YOU JUST MAY NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU’RE MISSING

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

In my August 14, 2011 blog post, I SEE MORE WITH A CAMERA IN MY HAND, I wrote about the details I discovered when photographing macro—things I would ordinarily miss when I am not shooting pictures. Some people would argue that travel photographers miss what is going on around them while they are shooting photos, but those of us who take the time to study our subjects and compose our shots (rather than carelessly snapping away) would passionately disagree.

Sure, there have been plenty of times I have quickly snapped shots on the go when I didn’t have the time and luxury to stop, but given the opportunity, I thoroughly enjoy taking the time to study my subjects. Beautifully displayed fruit, photographed for my 2011 blog post are a perfect example. Having a camera in my hand inspired me to stop, study, and shoot. I left with a greater appreciation of the beauty of the fruits and vegetables I enjoy eating so much, because I saw them as more than just food.

Today, after dropping Bruce off for kayak fishing, I grabbed my camera and took a stroll along the shoreline near the boat ramp. The previous day, we had seen hundreds of crabs scurrying about in the sand, but we didn’t pay much attention as we launched our kayaks. This time, though, with camera in hand, I bent down to study these little creatures and see if I could photograph one before it ran off.

Setting the camera to shoot macro, I was able to fill the frame with this little guy that was perhaps an inch wide. As he stared at me with his claw open and ready to defend himself, I admired his interesting features. Who knew a little crab could have such fascinating eyes?

ollowing my short stroll along the Guana Reserve shoreline— there was no way I was going to venture too far off the beaten path and meet up with another alligator—I made my way to the beach to enjoy the sound of the Atlantic Ocean waves crashing on the shore. The tide was low, so the beach was very wide and full of little shells that had been deposited in the sand by the rolling surf at high tide. As I gazed out at the waves and reflected back on my kayak surfing days in California, I could hear the crunch of the shells underfoot as I made my way along the beach. I didn’t give it much thought; the sound was appealing to me, so I continued to absent-mindedly walk across the shells.

I had my camera with me, though, and the mood struck to bend down and take a look at what was creating that crunching sound as I strolled along the beach. At that moment, I discovered just how beautiful all those tiny shells (most no larger than my smallest fingernail) were that I had previously taken for granted and not given much thought about. I never knew what I had been missing until then—one of life’s little pleasures.

PHOTOGRAPHING FLIPPER AND FRIENDS

Posted on September 30, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When I reflect back on my experiences doing action photography, there was only one subject more challenging than photographing dolphins in the wild from a kayak: snapping shots of small, fast-swimming fish while SCUBA diving (or even worse, snorkeling). Back in the 1980’s when I did underwater photography, digital wasn’t yet available, so I shot 36-exposure rolls of film using my dad’s Nikonos underwater camera. Getting one or two good shots from a roll was considered a success in the world of underwater photography, so the expense added up shooting through so much film in hopes of capturing a fish in focus and well-composed in the frame.

Fast forward to the 21st Century, and I feel very fortunate to utilize digital technology in my photography. Although I no longer SCUBA dive, I shoot plenty of topside pictures during my travels, so it’s nice to be a shutterbug without the concern of expense.

Thankfully, that was the case today back at Fripp Inlet, because I shot dozens of dolphin photos that ended up in my netbook computer’s recycle bin, never to be scene again.

Photographing my dorsal-finned friends while they hunted down fish for lunch was a challenge, but it sure was an enjoyable one! It was so relaxing being out on the water listening to nothing but the sound of water lapping up against my kayak and the pfffffft sound of the dolphins exhaling through their blowholes. (Of course, it seemed like that mostly happened just before I had my camera focused on the right spot. It’s impossible to accurately anticipate exactly where those dolphins are going to pop up!)

The greatest thrill was seeing a dolphin jump out of the water right in front of me, and then repeat the aerial show twice more in rapid succession. I think he was taking a good look around to see just what (or who) that was floating on that pink thing above him (or her?). As you can see, my timing in capturing this acrobat was a bit off, because my waterproof camera lacks a burst mode. Oh well, better late than never!

EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISE: PHOTOS TO REMEMBER IT BY

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

I have completed my photos from my European river cruise and would love to share it with you! Check out my photo-sharing website at: www.ExquisiteCards.fototime.com

Scroll down to the bottom of the “Welcome” page to view the last two albums. If you would like to read the captions, click on the first photo of each album, to view a larger image. Click through from there and enjoy!

If you prefer to view it as a slide show, click on the album then select “Start Slideshow”, under “Tools”.

I hope you enjoy the show!

I SEE MORE WITH A CAMERA IN MY HAND

Posted on August 14, 2011 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

When I first followed my father’s footsteps exploring the hobby of underwater photography, my dad handed me his camera with a macro set up and gave me these instructions: “For this dive, we are not going to cover a lot of territory. See that coral head down below? We are going to spend the entire tank seeing what little critters we can find to photograph.” I replied, in disbelief, “The entire tank (about one hour dive time at that depth), on just that coral head?” I thought my dad had lost his mind! “But, what about seeing the rest of area? We are going to miss so much!”

That was the last time I ever said such a thing. I saw more during that one hour of SCUBA diving than I had ever seen diving before, because I was forced to slow down and really look at details. I saw things I had never noticed before, when I wasn’t shooting photographs, and it changed my perspective of the underwater world from that day forward.

That was the best lesson my father taught me about photography. And, little did he know, it was a lesson that went on to serve me well in life: Slow down and explore; don’t just take things for granted or you might miss something really special. You might even observe a new and amazing feature about something you thought you were familiar with all along!

So, this is the approach I take when I have a camera in my hand. And, even when I don’t, being a photographer has trained me to be more observant about everything I see, and to appreciate things so much more.

Food is a perfect example of how I have learned to really appreciate something that many take for granted. A farmer’s market, especially when I travel, is no longer a pit stop where I grab some fruit snacks on the run or do my grocery shopping; it is an event- a destination. All five senses become engaged while I visually compose photos in my mind, then with my camera.

As a visual person, my strongest sense is sight, and I am drawn to bold colors, shapes, and textures. But, engaging the other four senses makes for a much more enjoyable experience.

Take a basket of strawberries at the farmer’s market, for example. Not only are they a gorgeous shade of red; their scent is intoxicating and their texture fascinating, with all those little seeds! But, what is that I hear being discussed between the farmer and his customer? That’s an interesting twist on a recipe for strawberry sorbet! And, I haven’t even tasted one of those strawberries, yet! But first things first; a tight close-up shot of just three of those delectable strawberries…

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Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

Category Archives: Travel Photography