Nov 21 2012

Wild weekly photo challenge: Sunsets

I’m participating in the Lets be Wild, online adventure travel magazine competition.

For the competition, bloggers are invited to share their favourite sunset photographs.

I just had to include some of our magnificent Florida sunsets. I never cease to be amazed at how beautiful and varied they are. These were taken after rushing out of my kitchen whilst preparing the evening meal. It’s so important to get ones priorities right. 🙂

This stunning sunset was taken during ‘happy hour’ at our local golf course.

If you go to Hawaii, it’s almost compulsory to visit Sunset Beach, pick your perfect spot and wait patiently for that sunset to arrive.

Venice Lagoon is also a great place to capture that memorable sunset,

These photos were taken from the Island of San Clemente, on which our hotel stood.

From the motor launch taxi, we got this shot of the setting sun, highlighting the 17th century ‘Basilica Maria della Salute’, which stands in a prominent position between the Grand Canal and the Bacino di San Marco.

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A visit to New England in the Fall, is supposed to be all about leaf peeping, but after a rainy afternoon, it can yield a delightfully surprising sunset moment.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my sunset pics. If you would like to be kind enough to vote for me, please visit this link. http://www.letsbewild.com/photo-challenge/wild-weekly-photo-challenge-6-sunsets/

Aug 27 2012

Ailsa’s Travel theme: Silhouette

Ailsa’s travel theme this week had me searching through my photos. At first, I was sure that I had nothing, except for this one, which isn’t really a silhouette, but a shadow. I took it on our beach when we went to have a look at the local air show a couple of months ago. We sat there until the sun started to go down, and it began to get cold. I saw our shadows on the sand, and couldn’t resist capturing with my iPhone.

I was wrong however, about not having any suitable photos and found these three. The first one, of sunset on Sunset Beach in Hawaii, I’ve posted before, but I think you won’t mind seeing it again. 🙂

The second was taken at sunset from our hotel window in Tahiti.

Lastly, I have a photo taken through the coach window, as we travelled in Spain. The Osborne sherry Bull “El toro de Osborne” is a 14 meter high black silhouetted image of a bull in semi-profile, and is regarded as the unofficial national symbol of Spain. The bull was created in 1956 by Manolo Prieto. These hoardings of cut-out bulls dominate the landscape across Spain. Spaniards see the image of the bull as a national symbol, as it reminds them of bullfights and the beauty of this strong animal.

Just click here, to see more silhouettes which have been entered for Ailsa’s theme.

Jul 25 2012

My 7 Super Shots.

My blog friend, Gilly over at Lucid Gypsy chose me for the http://blog.hostelbookers.com/travel/7-super-shots/ I’m supposed to choose seven out of the many thousands of photos lurking on my computer.

The first is to be one that “took my breath away,” so I’ve chosen this one taken over Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, when I did my first and only helicopter ride. I was lucky to be seated in the front, next to the pilot, and took several shots. This is the one that came out the best, and the view from up there did literally “take my breath away.”

The next is to be the one that “makes me think.” Shamu the magnificent Orca at Sea World in San Diego, made me think about how these creatures are really missing out on their freedom to swim the vast oceans, by being confined in such a limited space for our enjoyment and entertainment.

The third photo taken on Sunset Beach on the north shore of Oahu in Hawaii, is one that makes me dream. What about you?

“A shot that makes me smile,” has to be this one of Dolly the Bottlenose dolphin, also taken at Sea World. She sure does look happy. 😉

“A photo that tells a story,” is quite a difficult one, but I think this one fits the bill. Here’s my granddaughter at her school prize giving, with her awards for academic excellency; a story of hard work and dedication to her studies.

“A photo that makes my mouth water,” will of course have to be food orientated, so I’ll roll out my Godiva chocolate cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory in New Jersey. Absolutely mouth-watering. 🙂

Now for my “worthy of National Geographic” shot. Every time you visit my blog, you will see this photo on my background, taken from the top of Machu Picchu in the Cusco region of Peru. It’s often referred to as “The City of the Incas,” and is a UNESCO site, having been voted one of the new seven wonders of the world in 2007. This is the most awesome place I’ve ever visited, and as you can see, very photogenic.