Penguins, a girl feeding pigeons in Arequipa, Wooly and Raeski in Lima, llamas in San Pedro de Atacama, and a young mountain goat sticking close to mom in Rocky Mountain Natl. Park.
We all have them and sometimes we wish we could try again or maybe take them back. So what do you do with those photos that miss the mark? And this is where the story begins…
I had a photo I really liked but it just didn’t POP. I loved the composition of the tree and the way its white branches led the eye across the photo. However, the white didn’t pop and got lost in the background foliage. I did all the normal things one could do in Lightroom but nothing portrayed what my eye saw.
In frustration I slid the Saturation slider bar to full saturation. And wow did the white ever explode out of the photo! A few more adjustments and I had something I really liked. What a great reminder this was that our photography is an art. Sycamore Acid was created and the “World on Acid” series was given birth.
I would love to hear what everyone thinks of these – both positive and negative comments are all welcome. So please let me know what you think…
Wooly isn’t in the habit of taking photos of shoes since he isn’t much of a fashionista (just ask Raeski). However it does occasionally happen and I found a good one for a fun topic. The photo is taken at Canyon de Chelly overlooking Spider Rock.
There is also a Navajo legend that accompanies this photo. Spider Woman, one of the most important deities in Navajo lore, chose to live at the top of this rock. She had supernatural power at the time of creation. At that time monsters roamed the land and killed the Dine (the people). Because Spider Woman loved the people she found a way to destroy the monsters. She also taught the Navajo the art of weaving. Children are taught the white at the top of the rock are the bones of children who misbehaved. Maybe we should send our politicians there and let the Spider Woman take care of them.
It’s spring in the other half of the world and last month we traveled north to La Serena and the Elqui Valley. Both places sit at the southern end of the Atacama Desert, the driest place in the world, So green isn’t the most ever-present color in the area. But in the valley floors where streams and rivers might flow – green is everywhere.
The northernmost vineyards in Chile are found in the Elqui Valley. These are the grapes which are crushed, fermented and then distilled into Pisco, a brandy-like elixir.
A big surprise for us was discovering papaya is grown here. Grown on the steep sides of the mountains you identify them by their dark green color.
September is bud break time for grape vines.
As you drive closer to the Argentina border you leave the vineyards behind and enter into areas where the most green you may find is on a road sign.
Alicia’s travel theme this week is broken. http://wheresmybackpack.com
Of course windows can be broken….
And sometimes trees break and get jammed against cruise ships…
And sometimes our sense of direction gets broken…
And old historic modes of transportation like many of Valparaiso’s ascensors are broken…
And our hearts break when someone beloved passes on.
It’s spring (Wooly’s favorite time of year) in Chile and nothing says spring to us more than wildflowers. We recently traveled to a small seaside community called Zapallar. (Sap-pie-yar) By the ocean there are two restaurants and a very nice small beach. The signs of spring were evident with bright blossoms everywhere you looked. A nicely maintained path led along the shore past the sandy beach to a rocky shore. It led further but we ran out of time to fully explore the place. But there are lots of pictures to share with everyone. Enjoy the show and please let us know your favorite.
Some roads in South America are noted for their zigzags with good reason. You simply don’t want to take the fast way down. Here are a couple. The first is the main highway from Santiago that crosses over the Andes and takes you to Mendoza. Raeski took this photo from the bus window. The second dirt road takes you to Machu Piccu. If you are like most, you wish the bus driver would take it a little slower.
Some relics we hate to see go because they remind us of a time when things moved at a slower pace and we didn’t feel so rushed. Others are better at adding ‘character’ to fields and yards. Those are probably best left where they are found. Some become monuments leaving us in awe and wonderment. And finally some remind us of a past taken from storybook pages.
I’ve always been enthralled with trees that cling to life in harsh environments. Canyonlands National Park in southern Utah is one of those environments with cold windy winters and blazing hot summers that are occasionally interrupted with lightening, strong winds and short torrential downpours. It is here these extreme elements converge and shape the twists and turns of these trees.
woolyandraeski 