Posts in Category: Trips
Sunset at Santa Monica Pier
From my 2006 train trip through the Western USA. Taken from the Santa Monica Pier, early evening. Enjoy!
No Shadow of Doubt
Emilia and myself, or more exact, our shadows. A shadow is a region of darkness where light is blocked. A shadow occupies all the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light. The closer to 90 degrees the angle between an elongated object and the direction of the light it blocks, the bigger its shadow. The smaller the angle between the direction of the light and the surface on which the shadow occurs, the longer the shadow is. If the object is close to the light source, the shadow is large. If the surface is curved there are further distortions.<br /><br />(<b><u>Shadow of a Doubt</u></b> is a 1943 Alfred Hitchcock film noir which tells the story of a young woman who thinks that her visiting uncle might be a serial killer.)
Birds in flight
Flock of seagulls (no not THAT one) at Hudson Beach in Florida. A windy, rainy day and using the 500mm Tamron lens resulted in this unique and interesting shot.
Great Smoky Mountains
Took a detour on the way back from Florida and visited the Great Smoky Mountains near Gatlinburg, TN. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the prominent feature of the mountains. It was established as a national park in the 1930s, and with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States. The name of the area comes from the natural haze that often hangs over it. Hydrocarbons produced by trees and other local vegetation, as well as higher humidity produce a bluish cast to the sky. The culture of the area is that of Appalachia, and previously the Cherokee people. Country music legend Dolly Parton is from the Smokies, born and raised in Sevierville. Dollywood amusement park is nearby.
Floridian Sunset
Sun setting over the Grand Floridian Hotel at Walt Disney World. Emilia and I spent New Year’s Eve with friends in Florida.
Gargoyles
These demon looking creatures carved out of stone are called gargoyles. They are one of the many eerie stone figures that adorn the gutters of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris. Gargoyle comes from a Latin word, meaning gullet or drain. That’s what the strange looking creatures are, they’re drainpipes. Each grotesque figure has a passageway inside that carries rainwater from the roof and out through the gargoyle’s mouth.
Grand Canyon
Even in black and white the Grand Canyon is impressive. This was taken just before arriving at Grand Canyon Village, on the Rim Trail.
Mission Santa Barbara
Mission Santa Barbara was the tenth of the California missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans. It was established on the Feast of St. Barbara, Dec 4, 1786. The original buildings were of adobe and unpretentious. As the years passed, there was progress and development. There were three adobe churches here, each larger than the other, before the present church. The third was destroyed by earthquake in 1812. Thereafter the present church was planned. It was finished and dedicated in 1820. The present friary residence was built gradually, first one story, then a second was added. It was not finished until 1870. The beautiful fountain in front of the Mission was built in 1808. The earthquake of June 29, 1925 damaged the Mission Church and friary considerably. Restoration work was completed in 1927 and the towers reinforced in 1953.
Lower Falls – Old Man's Cave
The Lower Falls beyond Old Man’s Cave. There weren’t too many people around and we started exploring the area more. We got chased out by a Park Ranger for being this close to the falls. Actually, he was very nice about it and gave us the required lecture about the dangers of being off the marked trails. He liked the photo too!