Our approach to New Orleans was really interesting, because it involved an 8-hour transit up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico starting around midnight. Sunrise occurred about an hour from our arrival, and I was up early to catch the morning light. This is an easy edit of one of my photos from that morning, although I have many more to go through once we get home. Needless to say, a quiet sail up the river in the early morning was quite special.
Category Archives: Photography
Here We Go Again
We’re headed to Tampa this morning for the last of our Cruise Trifecta.
Off To Work
Kind Of A Sunburst
I liked how the shapes of the canopy give the impression of a sunburst to the reflection in the glass.
Seeing Red
These posts support a portion of the jogging track on Celebrity Beyond. Most people on board would never see them when they are red, because they are only lit at night. During the day they are white.
Not Quite Bernini
Mornings on the pool deck are my favorite times, because the only people out then are me and the deck attendants. 😉
Checkers
This Morning’s Gift
Sunrises have gotten sort of cliche for me lately, but the chance for a sunrise at the beach still manages to get my attention. We spent last night at Fort Walton Beach, FL and I got myself up this morning to see what I was presented with. I gladly accepted this gift of a beautiful sunrise. The crescent moon, Venus and stars were an unexpected bonus!
Postcard From Space Center Houston
Houston, We had no problem. 😉
Kathy & I visited the Space Center Houston Complex, including a tour of the Christopher C. Kraft Mission Control Center, which was the Mission Control made famous with the saying, but also for the center used in all of the Apollo missions and many Shuttle missions. The center has been completely restored, down to the butts in the ashtrays on the consoles. The idea was to make the center look like the workers just got up and went home for the day.
The presentation included snippets from the Apollo 11 mission which landed on the moon. For a long-time space buff it was truly a memorable visit!
This photo also looks pretty good (possibly better) in B&W:
Turning The Page
I hesitated to jump on the “23 for 2023” bandwagon, but I didn’t want to let the old year slip away without somehow acknowledging its passing. For those of us with way more “Before Times” than “Future Times,” I think it is generally better to keep our eyes forward with just the occasional glance in the mirror. But it is kind of fun to look back on the prior year before diving into the new one.
Just to be different, I skimmed through my Lightroom catalog and chose one photo from each month (except April – I took no photos in April, strangely. So I chose two from March). Not necessarily the best or most memorable photos, just one that would represent where I was and what I was doing.
In January, we welcomed Ben to the world. He was born in December 2022 but Kathy & I didn’t get to meet him until January. Ben is my grand nephew, my brother’s grandson and son of my brother’s daughter. Here’s Ben today:
We spent the month of February on cruise ships. It didn’t matter what photo I chose, but I like this one.
In March we visited Stanton, Virginia with friends. I made this photograph as well as the one below it which represents April.
This colorful character was maintaining contact with the outside world instead of enjoying the Conservatory at the Biltmore Estate.
We visited a lot of distilleries in 2023, including Bardstown Bourbon Company in June. I even made a few photographs. 😉
In July we made our first-ever visit to the U.P. of Michigan. I just had to stumble out our friend Jeff’s front door to make this photograph. Thank goodness for articulating LCD screens!
In August, we were visited by the world’s second heaviest gross weight production cargo airplane and heaviest operating cargo aircraft, the Antonov AN-124. It occasionally makes a stop in Charlotte to deliver aircraft parts, and I was fortunate to be able to catch a glimpse from the Airport Overlook at Charlotte Douglas.
September found us back in Bourbon Country again. I managed to make a few more photographs before a tour. We could almost give the tours, but they are always fun.
In October we ventured back to Europe for the first time in 5 years. I actually stink at candid photography but every once in a while even the blind squirrel finds a nut. I found this one during dinner at an outdoor restaurant in Prague.
November found us back on a cruise ship. This scene was a photograph waiting to happen. It was not our ship. 🙂
After our November cruise, we stopped by to visit some friends near Orlando. One evening we visited Disney Springs, and this scene was from the restaurant where we had dinner. A photograph was required.
We have lots of travel already planned for 2024, and I have a few more posts to make from our 2023 travels which I hope to have finished in the next week or so. For now, Kathy & I hope everyone has a joyful and enjoyable year in 2024. Thanks for sticking with us!