Heading to the Desert...

I have exciting news. I'm headed to New Mexico in a few days to volunteer on a Navajo reservation.  I can't wait to get away from my desk and out into the sun, to meet some great people and do a little good for someone else.  Will have to tell you about it later, because it's way past my bedtime as I type this post.  So just enjoy these photos from my field trip with Meghan to the d.c. botanical gardens in the meantime. 

(d.c. botanical gardens, photographed February 2011)

Winter Wonderland

My Christmas weekend was spent in Eagle River, Wisconsin, which is the furthest north I've spent a Christmas.  I flew in from New York City to Milwaukee, where I grew up, and Dad and I then drove the five hours "up north" to Eagle River.  Eagle River is -- for those of you not in the know -- the snowmobile capital of the world.  I kid you not.  There is signage to prove it.  And gets its fair share of "lake effect" snow.  It was a winter wonderland with white, pristine snow coverage.  But yet, despite being far north in Wisconsin, it was sunny and relatively flake free while I was there.  Kind of funny that the big snowstorm happened in New York City instead.

We wanted to surprise my grandmother and other relatives for Christmas (more on that later), but while we were in Eagle River, we also enjoyed the great outdoors.  We hiked (well, more like walked a nature trail while both Dad and I took an insane amount of photographs.  I am truly my father's daughter in that sense) and went snowmobiling (you have to in the snowmobile capital on the world).  It was great to be outside in the fresh air.  I even enjoyed the light, fluffy snow that fell when we were hiking.  Plus it was fun to try to capture it using a very fast shutter speed on my camera.  

I'm headed into a different winter wonderland this weekend - Vermont - to be a ski bunny for the New Years.  Should be a good way to ring in the new year.  Happy New Years to you! 

 

(Eagle River, photographed December 2010)



The Great Outdoors

I'm in Portland, Oregon, again this year for Thanksgiving with my sister and brother-in-law.  This is my second Thanksgiving out here and I'm stoked for the company and for the Northwest.  Only problem is, I'm still up to my ears in work (once again, as evidenced by my lack of postings).  But if I work really hard, I might still be able to find time to enjoy the great outdoors like I did last year.  The hiking trails around here are simply breathtaking, especially to a girl who spends most of her time in the concrete jungle of New York City.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

(Portland, Oregon, photographed November 2009)

Grapes of Wrath (B&W)

As I mentioned here, I visited the Duoro River Valley while vacationing in Portugal earlier this year.  My friend Laura and I rented a car and drove through the hills overlooking the river, stopping at quintas to quench our thirst (for port that is).  But we didn't just sit and sip our port and enjoy the scenery.  We trekked through the quintas, taking photos.  Laura had encouraged me to experiment more with black & white photography, so I kept alternating between taking photos of the luscious grapes in vivid greens and trying to capture in black & white the contrast played in the leaves by the bright sun and dark shadows, as shown here.

I figured that this little study of mine, in black and white, would be perfect for black and white Wednesdays, hosted by the Long Road to China.  I wish I had more time to tell you more, but work beckons.  But once I finish what will surely be a long work week, I'm going to celebrate with a glass of port.  Seems fitting with these photos.

(Quinta do Panascal, Portugal, photographed in June 2010)

iPhotography

I have a new toy.  

I finally took the plunge and traded in my very, very old flip phone and bought an iPhone4.  And I am obsessed, beyond obsessed, with it.  I thought I had some good reasons for holding off on this upgrade.  My primary reason was that I have a blackberry through work, which - although it is a very, very old model - handled my on-the-go internet needs.  I figured it was silly to spend the money on another smart phone and on a big data plan and all the other costs that would go along with it.  Why bother?    

Now I can't believe I waited so long to get one.  

What finally got me to give in was that my sister (who lives on the far other side of the country from me) got an iPhone4.  I'm a sucker for the Apple and iPhone commercials, especially the "face time" video chatting they show as possible with the iPhone4, and I wanted my sister and I to have our own special moments via this iPhone video chat. 

That, and I've been admiring photos taken with the hipstamatic camera app.  Some friends had previously posted these really cool looking, vintage-feeling shots on facebook, and with some digging, I learned they were taken with hipstamatic.  I knew I had to have it.

And so I quickly went out to the store, upgraded, and it's now been about a week and half with my new toy.  Not only did I get the hipstamatic camera app, I got several other photography apps, like vintage shift, vintage green and vintage red.  I plan on acquiring more, too.  My phone has suddenly become the most convenient but fabulously creative camera in my bag.  

And, in case you are wondering, I still haven't video chatted with my sister, as she's now in Japan on vacation.  But with all the other things my iPhone does, I really haven't minded much.  

(nyc, photographed August 2010)

Falling Into A Dream

It's not that I'm ready for summer to be over just yet.  Geez, it flew by so quickly as is.  How did it get to be this late in August?  I feel like I need to have more time to go to the beach, eat more ice cream and sit in the park before summer passes us completely by.  No, I'm definitely not ready to let summer go.

But lately I find myself thinking more and more about the fall.  Perhaps it's the "back to school" ads that are popping up on the television.  Maybe it's the jackets and long sleeved shirts that I'm now seeing in the stores (long gone are the bikinis and tank tops).   Could be that my firm said goodbye to our summer associates and is already in full swing of "fall recruiting."  Yes, despite the persistent humidity and continuing sticky days, fall is quickly approaching. 

I love fall though. Pumpkin spice, brightly colored leaves, crispness in the air, hot apple cider, warm mittens and scarves without jackets, sweater weather, football.  Yes, without a doubt, it's my favorite season.  And looking at these photographs makes me (almost) excited to say farewell to summer. 

These photos are from last fall, when one day in late fall my friends and I escaped from the city and rented bikes out in "the country."  Although we were a little late for the changing of the leaves (or leaf-peeping as people call it in New England), it was a gorgeous fall day.  I'm hoping we'll go again this year, but when the autumn leaves are at their best. 

 (around Pawling, NY, photographed November 2009)

On Vacation...

I'm getting out of town for Memorial Day weekend.  My friend said to me, "don't forget to take pictures."  I laughed.  How could I forget?  In fact, he should have said "please don't take too many photos, please."  Ha!

So I won't be posting for a few days, but I hope to come back with some beautiful photos to share with you.  In the meantime, please enjoy these taken during my trip to St. Lucia a few years back.  Looking at these gets me really excited for this next trip.  I'm *so* ready for more vacation!

(St. Lucia, photographed July 2007)

Into the Wild

I told you in my last couple posts that I took a lot of photos at camp on Saturday.  Don't worry, I won't show them all to you.  I don't want to bore you.  This will be my last camp-related post for the time being, promise. 

Let me tell you something though, as someone who lives in Brooklyn and works in Manhattan, I don't often get out into the wild (and yes, you can consider this part of New Jersey where Trail Blazers camp is located as "the wild." I practically didn't even have cell phone reception.).  But I love being outside, far away from the city, where the air is fresher and the world a whole lot quieter.   Even though it was cold and wet (meaning I got very muddy while we were hiking and mountain biking), it was a perfect day at camp.  I returned to the city refreshed and reinvigorated.

(Trail Blazers Camp, photographed April 2010)