Travelin' About

The nice thing about Photo Meet-ups is that you learn from the folks you hang out with.  I guess I've always taken pictures of unusual signs. I have one in my office that I got in Hawaii that says "Quiet. Trees at Work." And here's one we found in Big Bend this past spring.  Good advice if you should run into a lion (and there was an absolute possibility that could have happened there). It's also useful when traveling to photograph signs that give you information about where you have been. I could never have remembered the name of this place without my helpful image. But my photo buddy just loved taking photos of murals and letters and symbols for her own personal archives.  She pointed out my initials as we walked around in downtown Austin. That's pretty cool! She recommended keeping an archive of favorite signs and words = "you never know when you're going to be able to use them."  So, now I am prepared for anything as I gr...

"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."                                                  –Albert Einstein I am feeling totally inspired after reading an ebook provided absolutely free (for a limited time) by one of my favorite photographers, Robert Rodriguez, Jr.  This 45 page .pdf book, "Insights from Beyond the Lens: Inside the Art and Craft of Landscape Photography" can easily be downloaded for an ipad or as a .pdf. I actually did download it onto my ipad a month ago, and immediately enjoyed looking at the pictures.  Rodriguez's stunning landscapes are always amazing – he captures breathtaking images of seemingly perfect settings. His philosophy, "less is more," and his holistic approach to enjoying th...

I belong to several Meet-up groups. They are a great way to hang out with other photographers and shoot different things than you normally might shoot. I was intrigued recently when I got an invite to join a session of "Levitation Photography." People floating in thin air? How can we make that happen? I was wondering if there was going to be some machinery that allowed people to be blown by strong air currents into a floating position. No such luck. When we arrived, it was explained to the group by the leaders, that Levitation Photography is actually a popular cult technique that students and photographers are playing with. Google it and you'll see all kinds of images others have come up with - you'll even find several You Tube videos telling you how to attempt it. Or, go here to see more. Organizers Bryan and Allen told us all that there are two basic ways to achieve a "floating blissfully in the air" look. One is by instructing your subject to ...

I've been working at re-creating my website, chriscina.net . It had been a place where I uploaded just about everything I shot and so it had gotten very cluttered and unwieldy.  It was time to clean it up and try and show, and hopefully sell, prints of the very best photos I've taken. It has meant a visual trip through many trips taken in recent years.  Looking at my Hawaii photos from 2003 reminded me of what a great trip that was, but showed me that I have improved as a photographer since then.   While it was great remembering the seal we almost tripped over on a beach, most of the images were small .jpgs and fairly poor quality. The image above of the Na'Pali Coastline, taken from a helicopter window, was one of the best. Last week I revisited the Aran Islands in Ireland (a place I go back to in my thoughts when I am having difficulty sleeping).  The photo above is my husband stopped on his bike, patiently waiting for me to take the picture. Oh how I ...

When I first arrived in Austin, someone told me to check out Georgetown for it's charm and architecture.  It's been on my list of places to explore for the last seven months, and now it's on my list of places I must go back to - preferably on a Sunday morning when the light is low and the crowds are negligible. This trip, unfortunately was on a blazing hot mid afternoon which I know is not a good time to shoot, but somehow I can't help myself.  I just love reflections and Georgetown has a great old town hall right in the middle, with all kinds of coll shops surrounding it on four sides. Here is a reflection of that traditional building. The newspaper building has a "paper lady" sitting outside, made up of all kinds of cool headlines. Naturally she is reading. Cool architecture, fun artwork and a real sense of community, I stopped in a few stores (for air conditioning and research) and it really felt like a place I'd love to live in...or even ...

A recent trip to Long Beach Island, on the Jersey shore, brought home to me just how wonderful it is to be beside the ocean. Besides being close to the invigorating water, there are all kinds of special treats at the beach. World's best crumb cake, sticky buns, clam chowda and other assorted foods you just can't enjoy anywhere else.   And there are great sights and sounds.  The smell of the ocean, the feel of the sand beneath your feet, people watching... The boy in this photo is only 3 years old!   And gathering with friends and family is always the best part...sharing meals, playing miniature golf, hanging on the beach...  And, as if that isn't all good enough, the icing on the cake was when my good friend Suzi Hoffman brought me to Watermark Gallery in Tuckerton, NJ.to show me that some of my photographs (as well as some of her beautiful watercolors and my son-in-law's lovely oil paintings) are on display and ar...

My sister and daughter posing in front of a Peep Show. I always live for the next vacation and I generally pack a lot into to every trip. We just returned from a terrific, jam-packed, family and friend visiting, wedding-filled, fun times trip to New York.   Unfortunately I had written this whole blog and somehow ended up deleting it - so, heavy sigh, here I go again.  During our month-long trip, we got to 2 weddings: One, a very old friend's daughter who looked exactly like her mother did many years ago. Jessica and John Murray And a grand niece of my husband's who did such a great job with making her special day unique and fun. She wore hot pink shoes, the guys wore orange Converse sneakers and the girls wore flip flops with orange and pink flowers. The party was in an open barn and the day turned out spectacularly with lots of children dancing and good old fashioned family fun. Justine Marsh toasting Jennifer and Robert Treto. Naturally I had to sq...