Diana's Travels - 2010

I've moved my blog

2010-09-19T20:16:00.001-04:00

I've moved my blog over to my website at:

http://www.dianarobinsonphotos.com/blog/

See you over there.

the only place to be in this 100 degree heat!

2010-07-24T16:30:00.000-04:00

Ferry from Brooklyn to Governors Island

2010-07-17T11:25:00.000-04:00

Although it was over 90 degrees it was a great day to be out on a bike. I took the FREE ferry from Lower Manhattan over to Governors Island then took the FREE Water Taxi ferry over to Brooklyn from Governors Island. It was great to be out on the water and cool off a bit. The bike path along the shoreline of Governors Island is loaded with outstanding scenery including the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. This shot was taken with my new iPhone 4. It has a great 5 megapixel camera.

Brooklyn Bridge at Night

2010-07-11T22:05:00.000-04:00

I rode my bike over the Brooklyn Bridge to the new Brooklyn Bridge Park for the sunset. I took my tripod and was able to get some interesting shots.

Shakespeare in the Park

2010-07-08T18:21:00.000-04:00

Last night I saw Al Pacino in The Merchant of Venice. The show was great even with the temperature still in the 90s.

My folding bike on the bike path

2010-06-14T11:41:00.000-04:00

My Citizen folding bike is wonderful for traveling. I take it
everywhere I go

Indian Creek Bike Path

2010-06-12T10:53:00.000-04:00

I got an 18-mile bike ride in this morning before the rain started.

Last morning at the Hotel Lakeside

2010-06-11T20:07:00.000-04:00

You check out but you never really leave. On to Kansas City.

Leaving Monroe, Louisiana 6 am

2010-05-20T09:28:00.000-04:00

Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Monroe, Louisiana

2010-05-18T20:27:00.000-04:00

I spent this morning hiking in the beautiful Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge, in Monroe, Louisiana. There were lots of bugs but it was worth it to see all the colorful birds, turtles, wildflowers and trees. Below is a hummingbird that seems to enjoy posing for me for the thirty minutes or so that I stayed in the area. The turtle in Black Bayou Lake below was cute because he balanced himself on the log and raised his feet up to dry them.

Pulled Pork and Cole Slaw in Louisiana

2010-05-18T13:03:00.000-04:00

Monroe, Louisiana

2010-05-17T23:47:00.000-04:00

I drove through Mississippi today and made it to Monroe, Louisiana. I stopped at the Simmons-Wright Company store which dates back to 1884 and got to talk with owners Gary and Janice Pickett. They were great about letting me wander around taking photographs. I stopped in Vicksburg and walked around the historic downtown, the courthouse and the Mississippi River waterfront. The photos below are two baldcypress trees (with reflections from a Louisiana bayou wetland and an old flat iron from the Simmons-Wright Company store.

Stopped for the Night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

2010-05-16T21:15:00.000-04:00

I'm sorting through some of my shots tonight. Here are some wildflowers in Virginia. I'm going to post my photos of Jefferson's Monticello soon.

Ominous clouds in the Great Smokie Mountains TN

2010-05-16T14:15:00.000-04:00

Visiting Charlottesville, VA

2010-05-15T21:25:00.001-04:00

I had a nice visit to Charlottesville, VA. I saw Jefferson's Monticello, the historic Charlottesville downtown, drove along the Blue Ridge Parkway, hiked in the Shenandoah National Park, had dinner with some friends, saw some jazz at Miller's. Heading to New Orleans now.

Amazing Welcome Center near Joplin, MO

2010-03-31T22:11:00.001-04:00

At the Missouri Welome Center (Exit 2 eastbound on I-44) near Joplin, Missouri, I met several interesting folks quite by accident. I stopped to eat my lunch and stretch my legs. When I sent inside the Welcome Center to wash my hands I saw the most amazing wall mural made from recycled license plates from many states. There were four highway workers posing in front of the mural and seeing that I had a camera around my neck asked me if I would mind taking their group portrait. I happily obliged them and as we started talking about the mural and the Welcome Center the workers told me that today was their last day working at that rest stop. After several months working together at the Welcome Center they had all been transferred to another rest area down the road. They were happy that they had been transferred as a group but were sorry to leave the Welcome Center and I could see why. It was a lovely place, especially with the public art mural.

Zane Livengood, who manages the Welcome Center saw us conversing and came over to point out an interesting piece of serendipity within the mural. He told me that his wife had passed away four years ago but pointed to his name on a vanity plate on the wall. Amazingly, he next pointed to his wife's name two plates away - Dora. Zane had given these two plates to the artist to be used in the mural but Matt Dehaemers, the Kansas City artist who created the mural told Zane that he had no idea that Dora was Zane's wife when he put them up almost side by side.

Group of Welcome Center workers on their last day.

Zane Livengood pointing out his name and his wife's name on license plates on Matthew Dehaemer's mural.

Matthew's website is http://www.matthewdehaemers.com/. You can read about the 2009 Public Art Commission for the I-44 Welcome Center for MODOT in Joplin, MO at http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/local_story_352211833.html.

Here's another shot of Matthew Dehaemer's mural.

Leaving New Mexico

2010-03-30T21:00:00.000-04:00

As I drove out of New Mexico headed into Texas I saw this interesting cloud formation. I used my newly discovered "Bill Allard" drive-by shooting technique for capturing the scene along Route 40. There are so many things I learned last week and everytime I pick up my camera I think of many of them.

Trip Along the High Road to Taos, New Mexico

2010-03-30T01:00:00.007-04:00

Today I drove from Santa Fe to Taos via Chimayo, Truchas, Las Trampas, Rancho de Taos and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. It was an excellent photography day with clear blue skies and great New Mexican scenery. A few unrecorded events of the day included a wolf crossing the road on New Mexico Route 68 on the way back to Santa Fe and the police escort of pilgrims on the way to Chimayo for Holy Week. I was in Chimayo in the morning and was able to witness the arrival of a small group of pilgrims as they progressed from the road to the El Santuario de Chimayo. They sang and prayed as the neared the church. This northern part of New Mexico reminds me of the lovely little town of Morelia which I visited some years ago for the Day of the Dead festival.

Bandelier National Monument, White Rock Overlook, Camel Rock Sunset

2010-03-29T23:30:00.059-04:00

It was a busy day hiking in Bandelier National Monument, climbing ladders at the Tsankawi prehistoric site, taking panoramas at the White Rock Overlook and finally a few sunset shots at Camel Rock near Santa Fe. How can I ever leave this place?

Let's start with the sunset at Camel Rock. I shot this silhouette of a large tree near the Camel Rock monument.

Abiquiu, New Mexico

2010-03-27T22:20:00.010-04:00

On Sunday I drove up from Santa Fe to Abiquiu to visit the home of Georgia O'Keeffe. I read that you had to have a reservation for tour the home and that they were closed on Sunday but I wanted to visit the town and surrounding area. O'Keeffe moved from New York to make New Mexico her permanent home in 1949, and lived either at the Abiquiu or Ghost Ranch houses until 1984, when she moved to Santa Fe because of ill health. I had seen paintings she had done in Abiquiu at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe and wanted to see the colors she vividly described in her writings.

Driving up the dirt road off the main highway I got the feeling I was traveling back in time. Modern Abiquiu is a quaint village clustered around the historic church of Santo Tomas. The town square was extremely quiet except for a rooster crowing.

I parked in front of the Abiquiu Library and took a stroll around photographing a man sitting outside his house whittling.

I walked over to the O'Keeffe compound and took a few shots outside the walled area when over walked Leonard, the person in charge of security for the day. He and I chatted and he told me much about the town. It turns out his grandfather used to own the land that the O'Keeffe house now stands on and he himself had lived in the village all his life. He was very engaging and told me about a great restaurant for chile rellenos nearby. I asked him if I could take his portrait (having learned these techniques from Bill Allard at the National Geographic Workshop) and he posed quite a while for me.

I walked up the hill on the dirt road to the mesa top Pueblo of Abiquiu that was established by the Spanish in 1754. The three crosses on the hill stand out against the snow capped mountains in the background. The stations of the cross were situation on an adjacent hill. The view was spectacular and I can imagine Georgia O'Keeffe strolling up this hill to paint and enjoy her view.

Last Day of National Geographic Assignment in Santa Fe Workshop

2010-03-27T19:08:00.002-04:00

Bill Allard puts his feet up after a long week traipsing around Santa Fe with his 12 students. What an inspirational experience! (iPhone shot)

Wonderful Santa Fe

2010-03-26T19:51:00.000-04:00

I'm really enjoying my time in Santa Fe. The opportunities for photography are endless and the instruction at the Santa Fe Photography Workshop is outstanding. I've had great input and critiques that have helped take my photography to a new level - all in seven days. This has been an outstanding trip. I'll post more photos once I recover from the hectic week of shooting. I have lots of photographs to sort through. Tomorrow is the last day of the workshop.

Snow and Sunshine in Santa Fe

2010-03-25T23:51:00.003-04:00

Another great day of photography in Santa Fe. The weather has been odd but it has given me the chance to photograph Santa Fe in the snow and the sunshine.

Egg Burrito with Green Chili Sauce

2010-03-24T17:48:00.001-04:00

Photographing Ghost Ranch today. We got more snow last night. Santa Fe is a wonderland.

Sunny Sunday in Santa Fe

2010-03-21T18:12:00.001-04:00

The snow storms are past and the sky is clear and blue again. I strolled around the Santa Fe Plaza and got a few shots.