NORTH DAKOTA
Abandoned buildings and farmsteads are abundant in North Dakota. We shot those exclusively around the 49th parallel with in a radius outside Bottineau. We shot abandoned churches, schoolhouses, barns, a “haunted” movie theater, and an insane asylum. Inside the buildings were artifacts left from a former way of life, which was simpler, but by far more demanding. The beauty of the old, the forgotten, is something to be remembered and cherished.
ANTIGUA, GUATEMALA
The crowds flood in from every direction. The week of Semana Santa is a celebration of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Men garbed in robes of purple, red, and black carry mahogany floats depicting images of the suffering Christ through the narrow streets of Antigua en route to one of the designated churches. With heads lowered, up to forty on a side, they shuffle through the cobblestone streets in step to a band marching reverently behind. The people create “carpets” of flowers, fruits, and fronds, the most intricate on the floors of the vestry. In the evening the cathedral is wrapped in purple light penitent faces aglow from the candles.
ARIZONA & UTAH
Traveling through the West, it is not impossible to drive from one national park to another, taking it a few national monuments along the way. Many are within a half-day’s drive. In Arizona we traveled from Sedona with its red rocks to the Grand Canyon. One day we even experienced a snowfall, which gave an entirely new look to the canyon. Montezuma Castle National Monument is nearby in Arizona. On the road to Zion we stopped at the Checkerboard Mesa. Then on to Bryce.
BALKANS
Lined up along the Adriatic Sea are the Balkans: Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina where lie scenes of mountainscapes, beaches, ancient bridges, walled cities, and quaint towns. Once a troubled region, the scars of the Yugoslav wars are fading, and the area is being revitalized. Landing in Podgorica, Montenegro, we drove along the Adriatic coast to Dubrovnik. Sarajevo had more war scars, but the loveliest of the cities was Ljubljana, Slovenia.
BIRDS OF ECUADOR
Hummingbirds are known as “flying jewels” so radiant are their luminescent feathers. Ecuador has 130 different varieties and is called “The Land of Hummingbirds.” Outside the lodge in Tandayapa in Ecuador’s Andean Cloud Forest they sip nectar from the flowers their beating wings sound like bees. Spracket Tail, Tawny Bellied Hermit, and Sword Billed hummingbirds are just some of types. We found a location to photograph the local cock-of-the-rock with his red head.
BLACK AND WHITE
Monochrome photography includes all forms of black-and-white photography, which produces images containing tones of neutral gray ranging from black to white. Other hues besides gray, such as sepia, cyan, or brown can also be used in monochrome photography. In the contemporary world, this style is mostly used for artistic purposes. Black-and-white photography is used to add an emotional touch to the subject, compared with the original colored print, it is more subtle and interpretive.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Hartley Bay can be reached only by ferry. It is a First Nation community of 180 people. It is also the launching port for the rocky shores of the Great Bear Rain Forest where Marvin, our guide, led us. He selected a spot on the edge of a river where we set up and before long a majestic white beast emerged into the clearing. More bears appeared unaffected by our presence. Spirit bears, a type of black bear, but white, are sacred to the tribe members. Marvin is a spirit bear whisperer.
CHILE & PATAGONIA
The Atacama Desert to the north, the Andes Mountains to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Patagonian Ice fields to the south are the borders of this diverse country. Santiago is a jump off point for several side trips—the Malpo Valley in the Central Valley is well- known for its wines. The artistic city of Valparaiso set on a hillside is a graffiti marvel, and to the south is the Moreno Glacier of Patagonia. Near the Strait of Magellan inhabits a colony of the Humboldt penguin.
CUBA 1
My first trip to Cuba was magical. Just ninety miles across the ocean, this country I had heard about so much, was bigger than life: the music, the color, the friendly people. One woman hugged and said, “Ah! The Americans are back.” We are their hope. We traveled from Santiago de Cuba across the island to Havana. We flew into Santiago de Cuba and drove west through Bayamo, Camaguey, Trindad, Santa Clara, Cienfuego to Havana staying at El Presidente.
CUBA 2
My second trip to Cuba was to revisit the cities of Havana and Trinidad. The embargo had been lifted and the country was getting stronger. People were opening small businesses on the bottom floors of their homes and the old American cars were still rolling down along the Malacon. Music, the lifeblood, was still everywhere. We visited the boxing stadium, the flamenco studio, and a cigar factory. Many buildings have fallen in ruin but a number are being restored.
DEATH VALLEY & RED ROCKS
Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world having reached temperatures of 134 degrees. We stayed at the Furnace Creek Inn, an apt description. Working with Jennifer Woo requires you to begin shooting at the crack of dawn and staying up to shoot the stars at night. We shot Artisi’s Drive, Zabriskie Point, and the Racetrack Playa. The Red Rock Canyon outside Las Vegas has a one-way loop road and showcases a set of sandstones peaks and walls.
DENALI NATIONAL PARK
Denali is six million acres of wild land bisected by one ribbon of road. The land rises from a low–elevation forest to high alpine tundra culminating in North America’s highest peak, Denali. The fall season is especially spectacular with red and yellow land cover. Among the animals that roam the landscape are grizzly and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose, Dali sheep, squirrels, and foxes. Birds include eagles and their state bird the ptarmigan. We came upon two Caribou fighting.