klickchick

An early morning walk took us by Buckingham Palace. We then moved along to the Tower and Tower bridge. For some reason, I'm missing photos from the bridge (nifty old inner workings there for those with an engineering bent). If I find the damn things you can bet they'll be up here.

I am selling prints in the Sweet Charity auction. I have two specific sets and one option for an 8x10 print of your choice from anything displayed on this journal. All prints come signed and framed. Just go to "FOR SALE" to get a list of people selling themselves to benefit RAINN. You can find me by name at klickchick, or you can select "graphics" from the drop-down menu and then enter "photography" in the "narrow by tag" area to jump right to my area. You might want to check around thought. Lots of other great stuff is for sale!


Here are the two sets of photographs:

The Lady and the Lion






Doors of the UK (England, Scotland, Wales)

I met my husband in London and we spent seven days wandering around, enjoying one another, and taking in what we could. Seven days is hardly enough time to scratch the surface in London. Still, we managed a Shakespeare play, the Tower, Tower Bridge, Soho, Harrods, loads of miles on tube (taking photos for a friend), Buckingham Palace, the British Museum (twice), and loads of great food.



The British Museum - selected shots from collections


















Chuseok celebrations at the British Museum

Aberaeron, just fifteen miles from Abyerystwyth, is a "planned community." The harbor was created when the Reverend Alban Thomas Jones Gwynne obtained a private Act of Parliament. As a result, Aberaeron is an amazingly picturesque small community with brightly colored homes and bobbing sail masts.

Perhaps it was the salt in the air, but Aberaeron reminded me of Galveston, TX. Sure the beaches are vastly different, the landscape nothing similar, and the houses -- well places on stilt legs in sand couldn't be farther from Georgian row homes. Still, there is a pace of life and a similarity of feeling there that I couldn't shake. From the local pub to the butcher and grocery store the place was very much a flashback to my days on the Gulf Coast.

I stayed at Ty Rownd: a sweet little pink lime washed, thatched roof cottage on the outskirts of town ("last house on the Lampeter Road" as the friendly man at the pub put it). One room with a sleeping loft, it was a perfect place to come back to at the end of a long day of walks. I had two days of rain while in Aberaeron, but didn't mind a bit. I got a little writing done in the chair next to the heating stove. The only things missing were my cat and my husband.


The picture perfect harbor town.

Instead of the expected week in Cardiff, I scrambled to find a place to stay. I couldn't even find a place within a reasonable train ride. (Well, actually that's not entirely true. If I had been interested in paying $700 a night I could have gotten the penthouse suite at the Hilton. That's a bit rich for my blood, however.)

In the end, I simply headed north a little early to a B&B in Aberystwyth. Aberystwyth is a University and sea-side resort area on the Cardigan Bay. I chose the place because the rail line dead ends at the Aberystwyth station and I already had plans to stay in a little thatched roof place in Aberaeron not far off to the west. I knew not a thing about town but I wasn't concerned. As long as I managed to get to the B&B I figured I'd sort things out.

Much like Durham, my unplanned time was well spent. From the Norman castle ruins to the University and the National Library of Wales, there was plenty of culture. The pubs were quite nice (everything in town has wireless internet BTW) and the people very friendly. I also had lovely weather for my stay (though the wind did get quite high now and again).



The ruins at Castle Point.










Fun at the shore








Hiking the coastal path










Around Town

Back in 2002, I did a tour of China. It was my first big photography trip. I wanted to go to China, because I wanted to take pictures before the Three Gorges Dam was finished.

While I was away, I wrote up part of my trip. I posted these notices (and a few others when I returned) on my own server in my first blog. I coded it myself, from scratch, emailed the code to my husband from Internet stops, and he put them up. It kept my family "in contact" while I was far away. It's how I started online journaling.

The content was taken down about two years ago as I began to reorganize things. I've decided to post those pieces (and the photos) here. They will be "back dated" to 2002. You will be able to find them by clicking the "china" tag in my tag list. It should take me some time over the next month to get them up here.

As a descendant of Welshmen on my mothers side, I looked forward to my time in Wales. Cardiff was my first stop. Finding lodging was a bit of a task due to the World Rugby Finals but I found a place to hang my hat for a couple of days. While I wouldn't recommend my hotel, the jazz bar I found downstairs had good food, reasonable drinks, and some very interesting people. The live sets were pretty good and they took a shot at some Charles Mingus and Thelonious Monk that I've not heard attempted since my time in Bloomington.



Here there be dragons.


A couple crossing the foot bridge to Sophia Gardens.


Cardiff Central Market.


Y ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn (The red dragon will lead the way).


The coat of arms in black and white.


War Memorial, Alexandria Gardens, Cardiff


Detail shot of the War Memorial.


Lilly's monument, Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff.





Forgotten headstone, Cathays Cemetery, Cardiff.

At the height of the Industrial Age, Glasgow was known as the "Second City of the British Empire." Much of the wealth and renown of the area came from the Scots preeminence in engineering and shipbuilding. Signs of this are everywhere in architecture of Glasgow. Not only are the sandstone buildings covered in carvings but they are also adorned and decorated with beautiful iron work. Railings, gates, doorways, decorative window dressings. When I go back to Glasgow I would like to spend a week doing nothing but photographing the original and intricate ironwork.




Detail of rusting ironwork on the Albert Bridge.


A thistle motif on row house railing.


The underside of the St. Andrews Suspension Bridge, Glasgow Green.


More iron railing detail. Flower motif.


Glasgow is still an industrial and financial center for Scotland. It was also full of rugby fans while I was in town. September 9, 2007. Scotland vs Portugal in a must-win match during the World Rugby Cup Finals. Scotland won and the entire city went wild. You've not lived until you've seen gaggles of Scots in their kilts with Rugby shirts getting a damn fine bender on after a critical win. Spontaneous singing and dancing in the streets. It was bloody Brigadoon!

Glasgow reminded me much more of home than any other city in the UK. It is an "enlightenment" city -- planned out on a grid. There are city blocks and squares just like home and the blond sandstone of the buildings looks quite a lot like the limestone ones back in Indiana. I said as much to the staff at Gandolfi Fish where I had a lovely dinner my first night in town. I watched the world float past the window as I enjoyed my bisque and Dover Sole.



Strolling across the Albert Bridge and the River Clyde (Abhainn Chluaidh) before the rain.


The Doulton Fountain at People's Palace, Glasgow Green.


Cut sandstone detail work.


Gallery of Modern Art, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow.


No, that's not The Doctor and the TARDIS, that's the Coppuchino box and the barista.


More sandstone carving.

Cute and fluffy. Not my usual subject matter.

The Indianapolis 500. It's still the Greatest Spectacle in Racing.



It's also my family reunion. Turn Four. NorthWest Vista.



Back home again, in Indiana



Start your engines!



One of many fourth turn incidents






And the resulting cleanup.

Edinburgh.

Cullen skink, venison pate, black pudding, roast pork with calvados sauce, single malt scotch, buskers, hours of wandering hills and side-streets, even more hours riding the bus system far and wide. A disastrous haircut. Cringing at tourists. Attending a session of Parliament (and nearly getting arrested on my way in the building). Holyrood, Arthur's Seat, The Stone of Scone, the Royal Mile, and The End of the World.

Half my time or more in Edinburgh was spent doing writing research. Still, I had a lovely time and took my camera along.

FYI, if you get one of those metal measuring spoons and forget to take it out of your backpack, the scanner on the way in Parliament will think it is a knife. Security doesn't like that very much.



Scottish Parliament: perhaps the coolest building on the planet.


And this is the BACK of the building.


A photo of the building from nearby Holyrood Park.


The ruins of Holyrood Abbey.

Durham was simply supposed to be a stop on my way north to Scotland (where research and the Highlands awaited). Changes had to be made to my itinerary when my back suddenly decided to express displeasure before I left the states. My intent to camp in the high country was slammed to the curb and my tent and other camping supplies were left at home in favor of sticking to populated areas where I could roam, shoot, and get details for stories long planned. Instead, Durham was a balm I hated to leave and where I now have several locals whom I owe pints when I return (a promise elicited under the influence of both cider and scotch by some of the dearest men I've met in recent years). There is a lazy feel to the river Wear and a bookish intellectualism which permeates Durham and its inhabitants. It's a city of beauty, history, and pride of place. There is craftsmanship and worship at every turn. It feels its age and asks you to humor it in its eccentricities with the touching awkwardness of a Brit meeting a stranger at a fencerow and remarking on the weather.

I'll go back to Durham. When I do I'll make arrangements with the Cathedral so I can photograph what is, without a doubt, one of the six most impressive churches I have ever entered (and the only one on the list that isn't Catholic). I'll also go back to the Shakespeare where I'll get ripping drunk and talk about film and photography and life and music and the difference between east and west coast US with some really great blokes.

But I'm still not letting them feed me a toasie.





















"Grey towers of Durham
Yet well I love thy mixed and massive piles


Half church of God half castle 'gainst the Scot
And long to roam these venerable aisles
With records stored of deeds long since forgot"
-Sir Walter Scott

An entertaining Sunday in the English countryside consists of a picnic and a joust. No, not hundreds of years ago but just last September.



Castle Hedingham, Essex, England
I say, I do believe that beacon is Grail shaped!



Merlin, this is a Norman keep built around 1066 by Aubrey de Vere.
Aren't you a little off time? Oh, and what about those glasses?



Blue v. Reds! Go team red! Put that man's head on a pike!



"My Lord, I must protest! The blues are cheating dogs!"



Purple and orange? Which side is he on? Oh hell, he's cute. Who cares!



Red wins! And doesn't this man look historically accurate with his long hair and beard!



Would you like a few arrows with that?


In all seriousness, a lovely day. Sunshine, not too hot, men (and women) in costumes, and Norman architecture. How can you go wrong? In addition to the staged joust there was a falconer and an archery range where you could give the longbow a go. The grounds are quite lovely for a walk and if you ran out of things in your hamper you could always get yourself an ale and a turkey leg. There was even a jester to entertain the little ones.

Architectural flotsam at Colchester Castle


Colchester Castle - Built by Normans 1075-1080. It was the largest Norman keep in Britain. The castle was partially demolished in 1683, which has led to much speculation about its original height, with the addition of another two stories being the most popular theory.


The Turret Clocks, Colchester. A lovely wild garden and easy access to clock mechanisms for shooting. Sadly, to get the best shots I needed a macro lens and some set lights. Still, I picked up a few other types of shots and I'll be ready on my next visit.


Entrance to the Clock Museum

Portland has the only classical Chinese garden in the United States (one of only two in all of North America). Additionally, Portland as the largest traditional Japanese garden in the United States and also houses the rose gardens. Lots of lovely things to look at and wander.

My general work in these locations was done with my standard zoom lens. I felt keenly the lack of a macro focus lens. My telephoto simply did not work for the kinds of shots I wanted in these locations and has shown, early in the trip, to be a "one trick pony" which will work fabulous for specific applications but will, 90% of the time, take up weight and space until those situations arrive. A macro, however, would have been worked half to death.

Result: will be getting a macro post haste.

The other interesting thing about the gardens of Portland is that they retain copyright to images shot on the property. You may shoot for personal use only. If you intend to sell, you must buy a photography membership -- in short pay fees and share copyright to images. Right now, these are only for my own use but if anyone is interested in images taken at one of these locations please note the dual copyright listing. I'll be adding any fees for sale to prints from these locations and the money will go back to the garden to be used in the maintenance of the facility.




Moss and flotsem in the waters of Inverness, CA's Chicken Ranch Bay -- IR
--A more lovely meal I have never had cooked for me by Vladimir who opened a restaurant in Inverness with his wife, Alena after coming to the US from Checzoslovakia (via Bordeaux). Wine by the glass to die for. Friendly conversations. Rabbit, Duck, and other wonders on the menu. The best flat tire I've ever had.



Hand placed stone walks in the Chinese Classical Gardens, Portland


The garden is based upong that of the Humble Administrator's Garden in Bejing including the ponds full of lotus.



I quite like this bridge though the photo may be too contrasty.



More hand done walkways.



The garden has a functioning tea house where you may choose from many types of tea and linger with small bits of food as you enjoy the view. This was my view.



This particular building houses artwork for sale. Several times a year a couple go over to China to meet with artists and bring back work to be sold here in the US. They actually have some amazing things available. Some are prints but some are also original works. I'm still lusting after an amazing piece of a courtisan in red.



A view of the Tea House from across the man-made pond.



This shot was taken in Portland's Japanese Gardens. This Jizu is in a small spot off to the side of a path where moss dominates the area. It is one of my favorite spots in the garden. Very peaceful.

The ruins of El Morro.



The messa.

Cholla Cactus Garden - Joshua Tree National Park, CA


Arch Rock - Joshua Tree National Park, CA


Joshua Trees - Joshua Tree National Park, CA

Driftwood - Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO 2007



A young girl playing in Medano Creek - Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO 2007



A storm moving in over the dunes - Great Sand Dunes National Park, CO 2007

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado


View from the visitor's center at RMNP, CO


Wildflowers in San Isabella National Forest, CO


San Isabella National Forest - Indian Creek Trail, CO


San Isabella National Forest - Indian Creek Trail, CO