Camera Phone Snapshots

I have three cameras to document this trip.  I have my camera on my phone, my Canon s90 point and shoot and my Canon 5D Mark ii.  Where ever I go, I like to take photographs with all of them. There is an app that you can get for your iphone that takes photographs that look like the old square ones you find when you dig through old family treasures. To get this look, you can download the hipstamatic application for your iphone phone.  I like to gather a collection of these since they are easy to take and it's fun to switch out the film, lenses and flash right on your phone.

I've been taking them from the start of this journey and I look forward to taking more to share with you.  Here are a few that I've taken that I especially like.  I didn't do anything with the photograph, I just pointed in the direction of something that looked interesting to me and clicked the button.

It's just a reminder that it isn't necessary the tools you have that will give you a photograph you enjoy.  Sometimes we forget to take the time to document what we do, but once you have it on "film" you will be able to cherish it forever.  This summer (and beyond), I encourage you to dust off that camera you have and take some snapshots of your life, where you go and what you do.  Sometimes, I think those are the most interesting shots.  Simple things like eating breakfast, cooking with your family, watching your kids play, items you see on your commute.  I know I can be critical on myself with the photographs I take.  When I take the time to look back on them, I tend to enjoy the simple ones the most.  The ones that take me back to the time when the photograph was taken.  Don't wait for the newest camera, the one you have that's sitting in a drawer will work just fine.  Last year on my journey, I took all of my photographs with a point and click you can buy at any big electronics store for about $100 bucks.  There are even cheaper versions out there as well.  Have fun!  I have to admit that taking photographs has made this journey a little bit more fun, even though Max is a bit sick of it.

Trading Passions

For years my passion was wine.  I loved learning about how it's made, the many complexities, the taste and the experience of it.  I traveled to different wine regions to take tours, witness the process of bottling, and enjoying a glass of wine on the property while I soaked in the sunshine.

Over time, I built up quite the collection.  My friends knew that they would be in for a treat when I had get togethers, with the wine that I served.  I took trips with friends to the wine country and after a while most of my travel plans would revolve around wineries.  To this day, I know what a wine would taste like if someone told me the winery and varietal.

After all the experiences, tasting, learning and drinking wine, it wasn't fulfilling to me anymore.  At first it was intimidating when I didn't know the wine "lingo" when someone would describe the attributes but after many years of "learning," it became second nature.  I felt I reached the point where I wasn't learning about the wine anymore, it was just the act of drinking it that I enjoyed.

I decided that wine was no longer a passion of mine.  Besides the social aspect of drinking wine, the negative outcome outweighed the positive in my experience.

I moved on to another hobby, photography.  Since I spent so much time in my previous passion, I needed something challenging and creative.  I have found both in photography.  My dog, Max and I traveled across the USA last year and at first, I took pictures with my little point and click to document our trip.  After a while, the typical snapshot wasn't what I was looking for.  I wanted something more.  I take a lot of pictures in the hopes that I will end up with something that came close to what I envisioned in my mind. I have shot all of my pictures with my point and shoot thus far and have had fun in the process.

As we are preparing for our next trip across the country, I thought it was about time to give my wine collection to a new home.  Someone that has the same passion I once did.  Why not use trade my old passion with a new tool to help me in my new love?  That's right...I traded 10 years of collecting wine (along with the 188 bottle refrigerator) for a new camera.  I am now the proud owner of a canon 5D Mark ii.  It's the big brother of my current point and click, the canon powershot s90.  Big, big, brother.  There is a lot to learn with it, but after a while I will figure it out.  I am pretty excited about this new learning adventure.

You might have something that you once loved sitting in your garage that you no longer use or need.  Maybe it's time to trade it in for something you currently enjoy!  I have a stationary bike I will trade for a new lens!

I am glad I did and I am looking forward to sharing more with you.

Manifesting Dreams In Joshua Tree National Park

There is something about an idea in your head.  The more you think about the idea, the more you see it right in front of you.  I think this assumption has  always been there, but recently with "The Secret" phenomenon, we can learn that we have the power within ourselves to manifest anything in our lives once we put our mind to something.  Sometimes the whole idea sounds far fetched, but you never know. You may or may not believe it's true, but it "sorta" happened to my twice over the weekend.

As you know, it's a dream of mine to own an airstream and perhaps get a fancy camera (don't read this post my little trusty point and click!), specifically the Canon 5D Mark II.

When I was touring Salvation Mountain, I was snapping away when a young woman in her early 20's asked me to take a picture of her and her friends.  Of course I said yes!  Then it happened.  She handed me her Canon 5D Mark II and asked me to snap away.  I had to get a picture of the group with my camera as well so I had my point and click in one hand and her...sigh...Canon 5D Mark II in the other.  I told her how much I wanted that camera and she said it was the most expensive thing she owns.  She lives in a house with nine other kids her age in order to afford it.  Wow, did I just say "kids?"  Whew...getting old already. The same night I logged on the computer and 2 people wrote status updates that their new 5D came in the mail.

The following day, I headed to Joshua Tree and look what appears out of nowhere, a piece of land with a vintage airstream just sitting there, looking pretty.  I took pictures of it and stood there for a moment to day dream.  Sigh.

I visited Joshua Tree for the first time last Thanksgiving and my second time last weekend.  It really is a beautiful place.  If you are into rock climbing (I know I'm not!), this is the place for you.  If you would rather stay low to the ground (I know I would!) there are miles and miles of desert to walk on and hundreds of cactus...all with seemingly different personalities.

I have found that you really can't beat our beautiful National Parks.  I ranked my favorites here and I look forward to visiting more this year.

Of course this morning I woke up to the today show talking about airstreams and how celebrities are "downsizing" their life to have one of these trailers (click here to view).  Anytime they get bored of theirs and want to get rid of it as a charitable donation, I would gladly take it off of their hands.

Specifically, the Ocean Breeze International 16 model. Ahhhh, she's the one.