PhotographyBanzai.com

A friend of mine set up a meetup at Anderson Gardens. We had initially intended to have this meetup focus on cosplay photography, but as things work out often in Rockford, only one cosplayer was able to make it. The largest issue being that most people in the convention scene live in the Chicago area.  EDIT: If you have plans to visit this garden, please respect their policies regarding photography. Groups would need permission or more likely paying for access after hours. They've had issues with cosplayers and photographers over the years, so be someone that sets a good example instead!  A pathway of the garden. The garden has a lot of chipmunks!  I’ll admit it is difficult sometimes making the 90 mile trip to the Chicago area for conventions and other events, so it’s understandable. The girl cosplaying is a character from the popular Sailor Moon (a show and manga target toward girls and women). EDIT: Dani, Rest in peace. :( Here are a few highlights of the excursion: ...

Like any photography at around sunset or sunrise, it’s a unique and wonderful time to take photos. The sky of Arizona turns into a mixture of strong blue with deep yellow. The yellow casts a tint to everything around making it seemingly glow. Not often are there clouds, so the true vibrant color is there on the forefront.  I stayed out one evening toward the end of sunset and managed to also include a sliver of the moon, which added even more dramatic flair to the overall atmosphere. When the weather does stray from the empty sky like from a quick downpour, be prepared for sights of rainbows offsetting the yellow tinged expanses. 

I’ll be posting a few photos of various types of scenic views of Arizona. My first is a set of canyon and general scenic vistas from the northern areas of the state. Primarily the Grand Canyon and Canyon De Chelly.  While on the south rim, it was further east and quite a ways from the major tourist trap area. The expansive but shallow ranges felt very impressive. Self portrait shadows always appeal to me. Down at the bottom in Canyon De Chelly I really liked the rock formations to the east. Hint of fall color in Arizona. Taken from a rain water exit hole. A small hint of the river is visible.

This was the last day on the ship. I mush have wanted to put in a good effort photography wise because the results are nice in my opinion, considering a full day sailing again. One of my favorite areas of the ship, absolute forward: Ocean vistas… I really liked walking the top deck at night and taking photos: They had a circus parade on main street: That’s it for the cruise photos. While the whole atmosphere and feel of a cruise vacation was foreign to me, it was a fun trip overall. Many thanks to my aunt and uncle for sponsoring the trip. I think if I were to go on another cruise, it would be one that visits many ports for most of the vacation.  There is only so much I can do on the boat, but I could see a major benefit in having a “home” to store luggage and have meals on hand. A three week Mediterranean cruise would be great in that respect.

Not too many photos on the 24th. We started sailing back to Florida on the 24th, so more ship photos. They had another event on the main street deck (5) which was pretty interesting. Everything from towel folding to food carving demonstrations were being shown. By then they started selling cheaper merchandise such as watches and womens’ accessories. A self portrait of sorts. Two of the days we were required to wear formal attire. Honestly, I’d rather not do things like that on a cruise as it just means a lot more unnecessary baggage to carry that isn’t used much. The fruit carvings demonstration: An ice sculpture made on site: They seem to like having employees dress-up on cruises:

After St. Martin, we went directly to our second and last port of call, St. Thomas U.S. Virgin Islands (18°20’N 64°55’W). According to the wiki, the island was acquired in 1917 as part of a defensive strategy. Residents were given US citizenship in 1927.  We opted again for a tour, but this time we didn’t have anything scheduled. We eventually had a tour provided by "sunny list on tours" with our guide named Elvis.  Classic Caribbean island look: Our ship, Freedom of the Seas at port: Before we left port, there were some good views to be had on the top deck of the ship: Very busy port: Another cute little reptile:

On day 4, I didn’t take any photos which is why I’m skipping it. For day 5 we arrived at our first port of call. It’s an island called St. Martin / Sint Maarten that is located in the Caribbean sea ( coordinates 18°01’N 63°03’W ). The highlight of the trip was a tour of our island by an American expatriate named Jose “Pacman” Jean. Look him up if you are interested in a fun tour. Most of the images below were taken on the tour bus or at points were we stopped. You can check out Jose’s new business called Double The Fun Tours on Facebook. One of my favorite images from the tour. Taken with the DA 50-200mm WR lens in a bus through the window. The iguana was bobbing its head up and down as it was trying to communicate something to us. The sea water is an amazing color in the Caribbean: I love the look of boats that still use sails: Most of the markets and shops sell the same stuff: I think I preferred the feel of the French side of the island: Back on the ship:

Day three was still a full day on the ship because our first destination was canceled. I spent most of my time taking photos of the ship and the ocean. “The gleaming sun.” The ship life boats on the horizon. The absolute forward of the ship. One of my favorite areas. They really try to make the ship seem grand with how it is laid out and the material used.

The second day of the trip we boarded the boat and waited for it to sail off to our first destination, which was Coco Cay (technically it ended up being St. Martin due to bad weather in Coco Cay). A large Christmas tree was on the main street deck (level 5): I managed to get a few nice bird images when waiting for the safety drill on deck 4: A nice little cozy nook near one of the bars: The boat is really dolled up with glass and shinny fixtures: