Today we traveled to Strasbourg, where I had been over 40 years ago as part of a ninth-grade class trip when I was going to school in Brussels. I remember little except that I had bought some cherries at the market near the cathedral and offered them to the girl I had a crush on but who had heretofore ignored me. But that day I got not only a ‘thank you’ from her but also a smile. I was in heaven.
I took the first picture on that trip and the second one today. It’s nice to know that in a world of constant change, some things remain the same:
You came here to see photos, I know. But let me tell you what you’d miss if you saw my latest pictures from India, where I am now:
Before I took up photography, I used a journal to record my impressions of the faraway places I visited on business: Rio, Singapore, Taipei, Caracas. But like many of us, I’ve succumbed to the immediate gratification of a snapshot taken with a phone.
Unfortunately, pictures don’t do India justice. They may convey the shimmering colors of women’s silk saris, or the deep azures, vermillions and magentas of ceremonial powders displayed in such perfect cones that one doesn’t dare disturb them through a mere purchase.
But pictures can’t convey the constant honking of cars, cabs, trucks, buses, motorcycles, scooters, and the ubiquitous yellow-and-green autos (aka tuktuks, everywhere else) as they all jockey for better positions on crowded boulevards or as they wind their way through streets so narrow that pedestrians have to escape into store entryways to make room.
Pictures don’t transmit the shouts and hawks of vendors in the market as they invite attention to their wares with melodic bellowing or urge buyers to make up their mind with the staccato-like hectoring of ‘balla-balla-balla-balla’.
Pictures don’t portray the close proximity of people, the constant brushes against others as you try to pass on too-narrow sidewalks or enter too-narrow doorways.
Pictures don’t let you smell the mix of spices, rotting fruit, exhaust fumes and wet asphalt, the fragrance of burnt nuts and corn-on-the-cob wafting in clouds above the rolling food carts that meander through traffic, the aroma of fresh flowers being weighed using hand-held brass scales, the occasional whiff of cow manure, the bouquet of spicy coffee served in paper espresso cups from corner stalls no bigger than a coat closet.
Pictures don’t let you feel the invisible dust that covers your skin as soon as you step outside, or the cool air wafting out of stores fortunate enough to have a fan, or the heat that stings your skin as soon as the sun breaks through the monsoon clouds.
Pictures don’t convey the drizzle that threatens to turn into a monsoon downpour that never comes, or the screech of a bird that is so jarring because it is so rare, or the dogs slinking through the throngs of people looking for scraps of food and getting no affection, or the thousands of smiles flashed at you in the hope of a bit of charity.
Pictures don’t let you feel the flakyness of a barota dipped in masala sauce, or the crispness of a roti served with an assortment of chutneys, or the softness of a slightly charred naan combined with butter chicken.
Pictures don’t convey the near-misses between cars inches apart in heavy traffic, or the flow of traffic around pedestrians crossing the street without any sign of hurry or panic, or of commuters boarding a bus that has already pulled away from its stop, its doors left open to allow stragglers to jump aboard before picking up speed, or the haggling that precedes the boarding of any conveyance.
All that is lost with photography. What’s also lost is our attention span — we see something, we snap a picture, we move on. Gone are the days of quiet contemplation triggered by a desire to ‘remember the moment.’ Our memory has been outsourced to photo storage in the cloud.
I don’t recall the few pictures I took so many years ago in Rio, Buenos Aires or Provence, but my recollections are nevertheless vivid, indelibly stored in my mind through the act of writing them down. So if you want lasting memories of your travels, maybe it’s time to put down the camera and pick up a pen?
Captured this Air Force veteran at a motorcycle rally in Ennis, Montana this past weekend. Loved his jacket. And had a nice chat with him and his wife.
Canon EOS 5D Mark II, EF24-70mm f/2.8L USM, edited in Adobe Lightroom
Stopping at South of the Border (between N. Carolina and S. Carolina on I-95) is like a trip back in time. This giant truck stop is definitely a 50’s throwback! Click on any pic to see them all in slideshow format. I especially liked the restaurant shaped like a sombrero.
This lovely park contains wonderful distractions: lakes with row boats, a childrens’ amusement park, endless trails through sun-dappled woods, the new Louis Vuitton Foundation building, and much much more.
On a recent trip to Paris, I strolled through several of the beautiful covered shopping arcades that were built in the early 1800’s. Click on any picture to see them in slide show format.
I was inspired by this lovely post on a blog I follow, which has great insider tips about Paris. Thanks Theodora!
Driving through Montana I am always fascinated by the wide open spaces, probably because there aren’t many in Connecticut. The bottom one is of the battlefield of the Little Bighorn, site of Custer’s Last Stand.
I spotted this take on the classic 40’s roadside billboards from Burma Shave right here in Connecticut. Well done, whoever did this, and happy holidays!
To learn more about this iconic advertising campaign, check out the wikipedia page.
Canon 5D Mark II, EF 70-200mm
ISO 400
f/8.0
1/100 sec
On a tour of the Rocinha favela in Rio we watched these boys showing off some amazing footwork with a beat-up football. Click on any one of them to see them in slideshow format.
The Brazilian fans are the best and happiest fans (maybe because their team keeps winning). These were from the Brazil-Cameroon game, caught in the Rio de Janeiro Fan Zone on Copacabana Beach.
Yesterday we watched the Uruguay – Colombia match in the Maracana stadium on our last day in Rio. We drove to the stadium during the second half of the Brazil – Chile game, and the streets that are normally clogged with traffic were completely empty. We felt like we were in a Sci-Fi movie where we are the last survivors on earth. Very eery! But as a result, we got there in record time and were able to watch the penalty shoot-out of the Brazil game while sitting in the stadium with thousands of other fans who had arrived early. Since we had tickets in a Uruguay block, we decided to wear the Uruguay colors, but to no avail: Colombia won 2:0, one of the goals the best of the tournament. But we were glad that the game didn’t go into overtime, as we had to leave right at the end of 90 minutes to get to the airport and catch our flight back to New York. What a wonderful vacation it has been. More pictures from beautiful Rio to follow in other posts.
No wonder Brazilians are great at soccer (futebol), they start early and on the beach, which is much harder than on grass. This kid was already delighting onlookers with impressive shooting skills.
Never mind that this was at the Belgium-Russia game — these fans were cheering for the US, who were playing later that day, in a totally different stadium and city.
Bruges is full of small streets, unexpected views, and gorgeous canal scenes. It’s definitely my favorite small city in Europe. Plus, the chocolate and fries are to die for.
On a recent business trip to St. Louis I took advantage of sunrise to take some pictures on historic St. Charles’ Main Street. Click on any picture to see them in slideshow format.
I spent a day last weekend in Montana with my son and we spent the entire day taking pictures. Here’s the first batch, of the scenery while driving from Bozeman to Virginia City.
Canon 7D, 12-20mm lens, adjusted with Nik HDR Efex Pro
Many country claim to make great chocolate (Switzerland, Germany, Italy), but none have as much variety as Belgium. Here are just 3 of the dozens of chocolate shop windows I drooled over in Bruges.
This little bakery is called Hinkel and is in the ‘Altstadt’ (old town) of Düsseldorf, Germany, where I recently bought some delicious sweets. I wish I had enough room in my luggage to bring back some of that tasty bread. Here’s my last post on bakeries.
I enjoyed the challenge of taking pictures of the memorials on Washington, DC’s Mall that are different from the millions of pictures taken there every day.
These windmills look pretty indestructible to me, and are about 20 times bigger than an old-fashioned windmill.
I’ve started using Nik Color Efex to enhance some of my photos. This is a good example what that software can do for a mediocre picture (original below):
Canon EOS 7D, EF-S 15-85mm
ISO 100
f/5.6
1/800 sec
Snapshots For Sore Eyes 