The very first thing that comes to my mind when I think “cemetery” is a polka. My favorite polka actually. Specifically Tom Waits “Cemetery Polka“. The second thing I think of is a night I jumped a fence in eastern France with a Moroccan archaeologist, a Spanish archaeologist and a French kid who said “Ya. [...]
Tag Archives | art
Where the Fairy Tern is Winging: Convicts, Mutiny and Executions: A Guest Post by Jim McIntosh
Editor’s Note: Brutal rule by an oligarchy is never as far off as we might think. It is something that has happened far too often throughout history and it is a danger the supposedly democratized “Western world” is dangerously close to falling back into at the moment. Too few people hold too much power and [...]
Dutch East India-Netherlands Monument in Amsterdam
Joannes Benedictus van Heutsz was one bad dude. As Military Governor of the Aceh Province in what was then known as the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), van Heutsz set out to crush the twenty-five year old rebellion against the brutal Dutch rule. He was wildly successful. Of course it is estimated that some 70,000 [...]
Snow on the Colombine-Hondo – My Shot of the Day – December 17, 2012
The kids and I were out in a foot of fresh powdery snow most of yesterday. We were up in the Arroyo Hondo valley north of Taos New Mexico on the north edge of the Colombine-Hondo Wilderness Study Area. We built a snow tunnel, followed animal tracks and built a little fire to warm up on [...]
Glass Blowing – The Ancient Art of Shaping Light
As far as we know, glass blowing was invented by the Phoenicians somewhere along the Lebanese coast a little more than 2000 years ago. I’ll be honest – in my opinion, it has to be older than that. You can imagine some ancient seamen, hungry, preparing a meal on stones over a fire, noticing that [...]
Shooting HDR with Nikon D3000
When I bought my Nikon D3000 nearly three years ago, I had no idea what HDR (High Dynamic Range imaging) was. And yet, I was seeing these images out there on the web (many from photographers I know personally) and in some magazines that were very frustrating to me. Even with all my years of experience [...]
Five Special Museums in London
Museums in London are famous. From the British Museum to the Tate. From the National Gallery to Madame Tussauds. London museums have everything you want – and more. It seems that a return to Finland is in store late next summer. On the way, I’ll be making a stopover in London – one of those [...]
Faces of the Colorado State Fair – 2012
One of the things I like most about the Colorado State Fair – and all county and state fairs of the United States for that matter – are the interesting and unusual people you meet. I mean, really. Who in the hell actually runs away and joins the circus? Well, these people did. And in case you [...]
The Ferris Wheel. My Shot of the Day. August 31, 2012
The intrepid Pietro della Valle reported a large and sophisticated and rapid ferris wheel at the Ramadan Festival in Constantinople in 1615. It was the beginning of his Pilgrimage to India. The ferris wheel Peter Mundy stumbled upon in Philippopolis was: “…like a Craine wheele att Customhowse Key and turned in that Manner, whereon Children sitt on little seats hunge round about in severall [...]
Dystopian Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – My Shot of the Day, August 13, 2012
Dystopian Taos at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge Some might get upset at my characterization of the mass of ad hoc vendors on the west edge of the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge as “dystopian” but there is surely something Mad Max-ish about the whole scene. “Circus” would not be a reach. I mean no [...]
Guest Post: How to Take Creative Photographs – Painting with Light
By Robert Lobitz Photographers are by nature gifted with creativity and imagination. They can ‘see’ beauty and uniqueness in objects or people, and capture that elusive image in a photograph for the rest of us to marvel at and enjoy. Because photographers have this ‘creative streak’ their imagination and innovativeness can create outstanding effects in [...]
Traveler’s Product Review: OlloClip 3-in-One Lens for iPhone 4 and 4s
Shameful perhaps for a photographer to admit but there are many times that I just cringe then balk at carrying around all of my Nikon camera equipment. I’m one of those “go lightly and quickly” sorts. Believe me, I regret the decision to leave it all behind more often than I’d like to admit. Will [...]
Purchase Fine Art Prints and Books by Jim O’Donnell
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Twenty-One Beautiful Birds of Panama – Birdgasm!
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Spring Rainstorm Pictures – My Shot of the Day – April 1, 2013
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Seeking Some Sassy Ceviche at the Fish Market in Panama City
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Arabian Sea Sunset
