Category Archives: travel

The Canal (part 2 of 7)

On May 4, 1904, the United States took control of the property that would become the Panama Canal. Exactly 83 years later I found myself on a spontaneous flight to Panama, joining Trent Palmer and crew of Challenge. The sloop was anchored in Colón on the Atlantic side and destined for California. The next morning we began our journey through Panama Canal.

Entering the canal zone, our pilot came on board to direct us along the way.

Approaching Gatun Locks, we saw two large ships ahead of us. One had already entered the first chamber while another waited in line.

When it was our turn. I was struck by the chamber’s size and amount of water needed to fill it.

Four sailboats rafted up behind us and we were all bridled to counter turbulent rising water.

The water source comes from manmade Gatun Lake, a result of dams at the Chagres River. The lake stores more than enough to operate the locks and is recharged by surrounding rain forest. They never run out of water.

With the chamber filled, gates open to allow entry to the next step.

After going through 3 chambers at Gatun Locks, the last gate opened and we entered Gatun Lake, 85 feet above sea level.  While we exited, a large vessel waited to enter, heading in the opposite direction.

Once out on the lake, canal pilot Jim Wood took us to a shortcut, saving considerable time.

The shoreline along the lake is dense jungle that once overlooked a lush valley.

Perched on the bow of Challenge, first mate Billy Burr took in the scenery. Transiting Gatun took about 3 hours. Then arriving at Pedro Miguel and Miraflores Locks respectively, we descended into the Port of Balboa on the Pacific side. It totaled 8 hours for us to get from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Challenge was moored at Balboa a few days while we gathered provisions.

Getting underway May 9th, we motored toward the Pacific under the Bridge of the Americas.

 

 

Deliveries (part 1 of 7)

April of 1987, I was putting finishing touches building my place in Waves, when I got a call from a good friend. For several years Trent had been sailing the Caribbean as captain of Challenge, a beautiful 70-foot sloop. Owner John McVie wanted the boat relocated to the west coast so Trent asked if I would crew. I jumped at the opportunity, plus it was a chance to explore new photography. 

After transiting the Panama Canal, we sailed up the west coast, stopping intermittently. We anchored at the very tip of Baja near Cabo San Lucas, alongside an 80-foot ketch called Escapade.

Next day as I walked a Cabo beach, I shot this cruise ship that had just departed. My former agent, SuperStock had sold this image for me internationally a number of times.

The following year, we delivered Elysian, a 53-foot Swan, round trip between Fort Lauderdale and Connecticut. On the south bound voyage, I photographed Dale Parker as we entered tropical waters off Florida. It too, became a lucrative stock photo.

Earth Day

With Earth Day officially two days ago, I thought about some natural wonders that I’ve seen. During the 80’s and 90’s, I made quite a few trips to play and photograph in Costa Rica. They were all diverse, fantastic experiences, and I especially admired tropical rainforests.

On a 1994 trip, traveling with long time friend Allen Jones, we hiked into remote Corcovado National Park on the Osa Peninsula and spent a better part of a week camping, exploring and taking pictures.

Considered one of the most biodiverse systems on earth, the park at Corcovado is a classic example of old growth tropical rainforest.

Leaving Corcovado, we noticed a logging road just outside the park so we drove in. A huge clearing indicated lots of tree cutting.

Continuing down the road, we watched a truck leaving, loaded with huge logs.

The red dirt road meandered up into a dense forest.

At the end of the road, workers were dragging logs from the woods then loading them onto a truck.

It was a good time for my limited Spanish to came in handy. We introduced ourselves and asked if we could take some photographs.  They welcomed us and continued working.

Logs were skidded from the forest one at a time then cut to length for transport.

Back in the forest were bare stumps selectively numbered for harvest.

With such beautiful heartwood, the trees must have been quite old.

While cutting a log, the man on the left caught a small wood fragment in his eye. I got my first aid kit equipped with some eye drops to wash it out, a technique I learned as an EMT. He was quite appreciative. Despite destruction of the forest, I had to respect these men, working so hard to earn a living, supporting their families.

Decades later I wonder how much if any, of that virgin forest is remaining.

 

 

 

Road Trips

A few years ago I was introduced to the touring band Lord Huron. I loved their music. My wife was captivated with the group too, so we went to concerts any chance we could.

It didn’t hurt to have a personal relationship with guitarist Tom Renaud either. He gave us passes to enjoy the shows even more, including photography access. With constantly changing lights and performances, I found the shooting to be vastly different from my norm yet highly satisfying.

The first time I saw them was in 2015, during a sound-check at The Ritz in Raleigh, North Carolina. Their album Strange Trails had been out just a few months.

The following year I saw them again at the Red Hat Amphitheater also in Raleigh.

In April of 2018, we traveled to Kansas City, Missouri for a show at the historic Midland Theater. Their new album, Vide Noir, had just been released.

In April of 2019 Lord Huron returned for performances in Raleigh, Richmond, Norfolk and Asheville, all within a week. Like groupies, we went to all 4 towns. The above photo was taken at The Ritz.

At Norfolk’s Norva Theater, I enjoyed watching Tom jam with one of his Guild guitars.

The concert in Richmond, Virginia was held at the National Theater where there was plenty of room in the wings for some stage level shots.

At the Norva, I caught the encore from the center balcony with a wide-angle lens. Like all the other concerts that week, it was sold out.

Perhaps my most interesting take was in Richmond, when singer-songwriter Ben Schneider performed Wait by the River behind a life-size skeleton puppet shrouded in fog. The crowd loved it!

Los Angeles-based Lord Huron has been touring here and abroad for years. They’ve appeared on major TV shows, commercials and motion picture sound tracks. Find out more at www.lordhuron.com

 

The Liberty Memorial

Last year when Denise and I visited relatives in Kansas City, Missouri, we were treated with a great tour of downtown. There were so many interesting things to do and see.

One of the finest museums that I’ve ever visited is prominent in the landscape. The National World War I Museum was opened in 1926 and features a 265 foot stone spire as a tribute to those that served in the First World War.

One can spend days, weeks or longer going through the complex. Our second day visit was on a rainy morning and as we went in, I was attracted by the glass ceiling over the lobby entrance, so I went back out in the drizzle and made two exposures over the wet glass panels. One was vertical and another horizontal. They were quick, handheld shots with my current camera of choice, a Lumix mirrorless body with interchangeable lenses.

One of the most prestigious local art shows here is the annual Frank Stick Memorial Art Show hosted by the Dare County Arts Council. It began 41 years ago and I’ve entered a piece in nearly every one.

This year I decided to print the above mentioned photograph and apply an age old photo technique. I remembered experimenting with solarized prints in my darkroom around 1980 and the results were usually surreal and unpredictable.

Tones are often reversed resembling a negative. Photoshop made this easy to accomplish and turned a drab day into one looming and dramatic. I entered a 16×20 print and was given an Excellence Award. There were over a hundred entries and ribbons for me have been rare in this venue.

This year’s show was poignant in that it was dedicated to my friend and prolific Nags Head artist Glenn Eure who passed away last September at the age of 86. He was a well-known and gifted artist. A Purple Heart recipient, he served combat tours in Korea and Viet Nam. I think he would have liked my print entitled TRIBUTE IN KC.

The inscription on the monument reads: IN HONOR OF THOSE THAT SERVED IN THE WORLD WAR IN DEFENSE OF LIBERTY AND OUR COUNTRY