Pearl Harbor and “A date which will live in infamy”

I visited our country’s Pacific naval base many years ago on an orchestra trip. We were returning from a three week tour of China and had a few days in Hawaii on the journey home. I was only fifteen at the time, but I remember the place, haunting but beautiful. I remember looking down in the seawater, watching oil seep to the surface from the sunken Arizona battleship. I remember the Memorial, blazing white in the midday sun. At that time it was difficult for me to understand the attack on my country years before. A strange juxtaposition arose in my mind because at the same time of our stay, the Japanese were remembering the 40th anniversary of the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. I felt confused about how humans could act so viciously towards other humans, and yet i was passionate about defending our honor. It was a day of awakening in a young boy. A day of grown up questions which had no answers. Please take a moment and reflect on the peace and tranquility of the image below, remembering each human that gave their live to preserve humanity’s path.

Fields in West Chester

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/20 ISO 100 5 image HDR

Dawn at Blue Marsh Lake

A few months ago I photographed my first triathlon at Blue Marsh Lake which is just Northwest of Reading Pennsylvania. That day it was so cold in the morning that the people in charge of the event called off the swimming part of the race. I was there early and was busy taking pictures of people preparing for the hours of physical exertion ahead, when my attention was pulled to the sun rising in the distance over the lake. The morning was full of fog and mist, but I made note of the location just in case I would find myself there again at that magical hour. Sure enough last week I was able to arise very early and was rewarded with the image you see below. Weeks earlier the water level was much higher. In advance of Hurricane Sandy it was dropped five feet to limit some of the expected flooding. Where the camera snapped away for this nine image HDR (high dynamic range) photograph would have been twenty feet away from shore, three feet under. Which means that this scene will look totally different come Spring. Another photo opportunity :)

Dawn at Blue Marsh Lake

Nikon D800 Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 @ 28mm f/18 ISO 100 9 image HDR

Canada Geese not Canadian Geese

For years I had referred to the geese in my area as Canadian Geese, which I discovered today is just plain wrong. They are Canada Geese. From my reading, their name means from Canada, but I suppose since geese don’t technically have nationalities and freely migrate without passports or birth certificates between the United States and Canada they are not “Canadian”. What has always been a bit of a mystery to me was there propensity to fly in a particular formation, often labeled the “V” formation. I knew it was supposed to make it easier for them to fly greater distances at reduced exertion, but I had no idea how effective it was. When a skein (not a gaggle, that’s when they are not flying) of 25 geese is in the “V” formation each bird reduces its drag by up to 65 percent and increase its range by 71 percent. Pretty impressive, especially thinking how we humans have difficulty forming a queue entering a movie theater.

A Skein of Canada Geese

Nikon D800  Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 @ 24mm f/9 ISO100 1/160 second

#TravelTuesday Venice

My honeymoon was in Italy a few years ago. My wife and I fell in love with Venice. The romance, the ambience, the gelato and of course the novelty of boats instead of cars. With it’s intricate system of causeways and bridges, Venice is a walkers paradise. There is also a thrill knowing that while visiting a city that is old and full of history the land itself may not be around much longer. The city floods several times each year and with much more frequency than in past centuries. Future generations may have their hands full reclaiming Italy’s gift from the sea.
Grand cathedrals, quaint niches, wonderful food, and friendly people await you in Venice. It is a beautiful place to visit. I must mention one thing I found a bit unnerving though. Often walking paths end abruptly at a canal. So be careful strolling after sunset, for some streets are not well lit, and a quick turn down a side street might have you swimming back to your hotel.

Venice