Howdy!
More pictures! More stories! More photography info!!
But first, I need to get some traveling under my belt. I’ll be heading to Costa Rica and Colorado over the next couple of weeks to see what there is to see, meet new friends I never knew existed and, of course, take a photo or two.
Costa Rica was a trip I was lucky enough to win, through a random drawing sponsored by Zozi and MatadorU. It includes a few days at a surf camp on the Pacific Coast and for those three days I plan to do…..nothing. Well, nothing resembling work. I haven’t taken a work break in a very long time because every trip tends to have little pulls of “Oh, write that down for next time,” or “Get a quick shot of that pattern for the slideshow.” Being freelance, you often forget to STOP! So I’m doing that while I learn to surf, which, other than half a day in Hawaii, will be new for me.
Otherwise I have a couch to surf when I land and I’ll make up the rest as I go.
After Costa Rica comes Colorado. What started out as a chance to stop and see friends and maybe do some climbing, has turned into a press trip invitation from Colorado Tourism. They invited me to visit the state and explore the H2O side of life. Which, if you know me, is perfect! I love water; being on it, near it, in it. This trip will be centered around the Roaring Fork Valley, an area I’ve never visited. Aspen, Glenwood Springs and the like. Activities are set to include (yet subject to change, as all press trips tend to be): White water rafting, white water kayaking, fly fishing, paddle boarding (in Colorado?), hot springs….lots of hot springs, zip lines, a rodeo, chance to see an ice age archeology dig, jazz festival and more.
For those that haven’t gone on a press trip this might seem like paradise. Part of it is, I’ll admit. It’s some very cool stuff in an awesome looking location. And it’s also packed into a small amount of time. That’s the kicker. My favorite line to describe something like this comes from Cyprus Hill, “It’s a fun job, but it’s still a job.” Different hotels every night, constant movement and a lack of finding your own way make it different than a family vacation. I’m certainly not asking for pity, I’m just trying to paint the event in a realistic term. It’s going to be fun and nonstop.
I think I’ll need a vacation when I get back.
But I won’t get one because I have it in me to fill in more of the holes in the 31+ Days To Better Photography as requested by many of you. I want to get into flash use, depth of field, some post processing and more. I also have much to add about some filters and and and….
Lastly! I am looking into presenting more offerings for my workshop series. I already have Level 1 and Level 2 scheduled for Portland, Oregon and a full weekend workshop on Whidbey Island, Washington, as well as tours to Bhutan and Nepal. What I will be adding is online workshops for Lightroom and how to get the most out of it. Just working out the details now and will pick it up in July to make it a reality.
Ok, that’s about it for now! Thanks for reading and I look forward to offering you more inspiration and instruction in the near future!!
Enjoy the vacat . . . er, job . . . and I’ll look forward to seeing you around again, no doubt exhausted with all the work, in a couple of weeks :)
Colorado? The Roaring Fork Valley?
If you do get to Aspen, stop by The Aspen Times (the purple building next to the Hotel Jerome) and say hi to everyone for me. Dottie should be at the front desk.
The Valley was my old stomping grounds from Glenwood to Independence Pass. Lots of fun stuff to do. And yes there is paddleboarding. You’ll find them on the quieter areas of the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers.
Discover the less touristy parts of Aspen.