We’re back in British Columbia for the summer and we’re all set up at our favourite spot at Thunderbird RV Park in Campbell River. Opportunities for wildlife photography abound here, but I’ve noticed that lately my attention has fallen on one particular individual: Larry the Mute Swan. Over the past few years we’ve been coming here Larry has become a familiar sight and we … [Read more...]
Day Trip to Big Sur California
Since we started travelling in the RV 6 years ago, Ray and I have become “bushed”. It’s a term my mother used for people who spent too much time in the bush and can’t handle being around other people anymore. We spend a lot of our time out in the desert, not in the bush, but often completely on our own, so I think the term still applies. We love the wilderness and quiet … [Read more...]
China’s Terracotta Warriors
The day after my mother died, I found myself in a very strange place - the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of China. How odd to be looking at the faces of thousands of warriors who would protect the Emperor on his journey to the afterlife on the very day when I would be contemplating my mother’s same journey. It was odd to be out photographing at all, but the photographers I … [Read more...]
7 Best Topaz Plugins for Photo Editing
The thing I love about Topaz Plugins is that they cover everything you would want to do with your images from subtle adjustments that make your photos pop to some not-so-subtle impressionist, HDR and texture effects. The Complete Collection includes 17 different plugins that you can use in conjunction with Lightroom, Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, or PhotoFXlab. But if … [Read more...]
Gold Butte National Monument – Nevada’s Piece of the Grand Canyon
One of my favourite photography spots in Nevada has recently become one of the USA’s newest National Monuments: Gold Butte National Monument. It’s not hard to see why. It covers almost 300,000 acres of the Mojave Desert and it’s the only place I have been where you can see rock striped with all the colours of the rainbow and Joshua Trees at the same time. The rock is … [Read more...]
10 Quick Must-Have Photography Tips
To create a truly great photograph, a lot of different things have to come together - both in the field and back at your computer. Getting any one of these things wrong can turn your dream shot into a snapshot! (We’ve all had that happen - don’t worry, you’re not alone!) Here are a few quick tips to remember when you’re in the field: 1. Choose Your Light When you find … [Read more...]
Hongcun, China
Famous for its Ming and Qing architecture, Hongcun sits at the base of the Huangshan Mountains. When I arrived, there were dozens of art students lining the paths painting the scene in a variety of different styles. It was fascinating to see all the different interpretations and styles of painting. They were so good! I was so enthralled with seeing all the paintings, that I … [Read more...]
Huangshan – The Yellow Mountains of China Part 2
Most people who visit the Huangshan Mountains do a day trip from the city of Huangshan by taking the cable car up one side, walking around at the top, and then taking a different cable car back down so they only have to walk one way. There are 60,000 steps after all! You don’t have to do all the steps, but there are still more steps than you’ve probably ever seen before. I … [Read more...]