Travel

Had a lovely weekend in Vacouver, BC. This was the view from our hotel window.

(Leica M11-P, Summilux-M 1:1.4/50mm ASPH., 1/400” 2 f/5.6)

We stayed in Tofino, British Columbia, for the period between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, 2023. During the first day or so there, there was a full moon (extra high tides) coupled with a strong north Pacific storm that made beach conditions hazardous. I took this photo from a safe location, but the waves were very impressive.

(Leica M11 Monochrom, Summilux-M 1:1.4/50mm ASPH., ISO 125, f/3.4 @ 1/640”)

We visited a farm-to-table restaurant on Whidbey Island for Christmas and ran across this scene on the way there; it was very moody and ominous.

(Leica M11-P, Summicron-M 1:2/28mm ASPH, ISO 500, f/2.8 @ 1/160”)

A view of the waterfront in Coupeville on Whidbey Island.

(Leica M11 Monochrom, Summilux-M 1:1.4/50mm ASPH, ISO 125, 1/500” @f/11)

I encountered this beautiful creature on a trip to a ranch in west Texas. This is one of the first photos I’ve taken with a new film camera. Film/analog photography has gotten popular in the last few years, and I suppose I’ve jumped on the bandwagon. It’s been more than 20 years since I sold my last major film camera (apart from large format) and went digital. New hybrid workflows mean that I no longer have to deal with developing, but I did get a scanner so I can have quality images like this.

(Leica M-A, Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2.0, Kodak Tri-X 400, exposure NR)

The Hotel Emma in San Antonio, Texas, is built in the shell of the former Pearl Brewery. From the brewery, it inherited a library of technical books but the hotel has supplemented it with a collection of volumes with which we could rebuild the world in the case of an apocalypse, according to a hotel employee.

(Leica M11 Monochrom, Voigtlander Ultron 35mm f2, ISO 3200, f/5.6 @ 1/25”)

It’s really difficult taking photos during a hot, cloudless day. There’s too much contrast and the shadows are harsh. But sometimes you run across scenes that can’t be deferred. We were driving home from a weekend in Winthrop, WA, and saw these goats on top of the rocky overlook on the right side of the frame; unfortunately, they ran off when I approached, but it was still a lovely view.

(Leica M11, Summicron-M 1:2/50, ISO 64, f/5.6 @ 1/250”)

Spent a lovely weekend in Vancouver. This is a familiar sight on Granville Island near the famed Public Market; I’m lucky the weather was as nice as it was.

(Ricoh GR IIIx, ISO 200, f/5.6 @ 1/500”)

Kylemore is now home to a religious order and is situated inside Connemara National Park, Ireland. It has a beautiful Victorian walled garden and is in a stunning setting.

(Leica Q2 Monochrom, Summlux 1:1.7/28mm, ISO 250, f/1.7 @ 1/2000”)

Driving home this morning from Winthrop to Leavenworth, we passed this imposing structure (and beautiful sky) along the Columbia River.

(Leica M11, Summicron-M 1:2/50mm, ISO 64, f/13 @ 1/100)

February 2014.

(Fujifilm X-E2, XF35mmF1.4R, ISO 400, 1/340 @ F1.4)

In September, 2019, I was lucky enough to go on an expedition to the Great Bear Rainforest in northern British Columbia. It’s been several years since then, and I’m still running across some lovely images that I captured at the time.

Should this go in Wildlife, Landscape, or (as I selected) Travel? I suppose it doesn’t make a difference, as it has aspects of all three.

(Fujifilm X-T3, XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR, 70mm @ ISO 250, f/4.0 @ 1/150”)

We had a substantial winter storm between Christmas and New Year’s this year (2021) and there were very cold temperatures and a lot of snow on the ground. When it cleared a bit, I went for a drive through the North Cascades and the Samish Flats area of Skagit County; I encountered this rundown shack near Colony Creek in the rural community of Bow, Washington.

(Fujifilm GFX100S, GF500mm F3.5 LM WR, ISO 100, f/8.0 @ 1/100”)

Taken as we descended out of the clouds on final approach to Reykjavik’s Keflavik airport, this is looking north across the Reyjarnes peninsula with the new volcano on the left. Reykjavik is in the distance, and beyond that is the Snæfellsness peninsula. The rain on the airplane window helps give a painterly feel to the image.

(Apple iPhone 12 Pro Max, 7.5mm, ISO 20, f/22 @ 1/470”)

Granville Island is a little oasis of shops and the famous Public Market near downtown Vancouver.

(Leica M10-R, Summilux-M 1:1.4/35mm ASPH., ISO 100, f/9.5 @ 1/125”)

Drombeg is one of the more famous stone circles in Ireland. It’s large and well-preserved, and contains remnants of ancient houses nearby in addition to the circle itself. I arrived on a sullen, wet morning, and you can see remnants of the rainstorm in the distance. I selected this view because you can see the Atlantic ocean in the distance.

(Leica Q2 Monochrom, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm, ISO 100, f/4.5 @ 1/320”)

We were only able to spend a few days in Iceland, and we took the long way back to the airport on our final day, driving across the Seltjanarnes peninsula, where we ran across this herd of friendly horses in the midst of all the volcanic rock.

(Leica Q2 Monochrom, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm ASPH, ISO 200, f/4.5 @ 1/320”)

Whilst out traveling about Iceland on an all-too-brief weekend visit, I ran across this farm near Selfoss that had hundreds of brassieres (along with boots and other clothing) hanging on its fence. While the history of this is somewhat fuzzy (you should Google “Iceland bras fence”), it makes a rather unexpected image.

(Leica Q2, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm ASPH, ISO 100, f/5.0 @ 1/500”)

This is my usual lunch joint whilst roaming about the rural areas near my home in northern Washington. Their spicy salmon sandwich is great.

(Leica Q2 Monochrom, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm ASPH., 28mm, ISO 200, f/5.0 @ 1/640”, orange filter)

A set of 60 bronze shoes along the Danube near the Parliament building in Budapest, this monument remembers the Jews of Budapest who were shot into the river by the fascist Arrow Cross militiamen during World War II. It is a very moving sight; check the Wikipedia article for complete information.

(Leica M10-D, APO-Summicron M:2/50mm ASPH, ISO 500, f4.8 @ 1/250”)

A view across the Thames from the observation deck at the Tate Modern museum, 2014.

(Fujifilm X-E2, XF35mmF1.4 R, ISO 400, 1/220 @ F5.6)

On the long, lonely highway, far outside the scarily-remote town of Marfa, Texas, is the local Prada store. It’s actually an art installation, and it is certainly stunning to come across it. Did I mention that it’s remote? Like, as remote as you can imagine, then 50 miles further on.

Iceland in the winter is as one imagines it. Cold, stark, desolate, and full of stunning beauty.

(Leica Q2, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm ASPH., ISO 100, f/2.8 @ 1/2000”)

Yes, this is almost the same photo as my black-and-white version, but taken with a different camera and a slightly different field of view. The B&W version has been honored by selection to various competitions, but I also like the color version.

(Sony A7rIV, FE 70-200mm F2.8 GM OSS, ISO 100 @ 70mm, f/6.3 @ 1/640)

This lovely church is the centerpiece of Reykjavík, Iceland. Its design draws inspiration from the natural world; for example, the pillars on the front are modeled on the basalt columns extruded by the numerous volcanoes on this remote, isolated island.

(Leica Q2, Summilux 1:1.7/28mm ASPH, 28MM @ ISO 100, f/5.0 @ 1/400”)

The cathedral in Cologne, Germany, is one of the tallest in the world (quite possibly the tallest; I don’t recall). The bridge crossing the Rhine draws the eye towards the church and is an iconic scene.

(Leica M10-D, APO-Summicron-M 1:2/50mm ASPH, ISO 640, f/8.0 @ 1/180”)