We spent a few days in early September 2006 to visit Xiao and Judy in Seattle. Most of the time we were there, it was gloomy. Luckily, the day before we left Seattle, we saw blue sky. While we walked around downtown Seattle, we took this Space Needle picture.
In early September 2006, we visited Vancouver in Canada. In one of our aunt's garden, she had some beautiful dahlias. Of course, our cameras were up and we got some nice shots.
On 2nd February 2008, we were wandering around Old San Juan where we saw a lot of beautiful old buildings. We walked by this building named "El Convento" and we knew something is special about this nice looking building. However, we know nothing about Spanish and we really do not know what it means by "El Convento".
In June 2004, One of our good friends, Loretta, invited us to visit Exploris in Raleigh, North Carolina. Exploris is a museum where you learn how to connect to people around the world and respect the difference among people from different cultures. In Summer 2004, Exploris invites some Chinese folk art artists over to demonstrate how to do their art works in the museum. Among the Chinese artists, one was specialized in Kite Making.
If you think taking portrait is easy, think again. This is Tom and we took this picture on the Christmas day in 2007 in Pat's house in Chapel Hill, North Carolina when he was 5 months old. Taking a close-up picture for Tom was so difficult. When we said "cheese", Tom had no response. When we asked Tom to look at the camera, Tom just ignored our request. When we turned on the flash, Tom closed his eyes.
In early September 2006, we traveled to Banff, Canada. First site we went to see was the famous Lake Louise. Once we got there, we were taken pictures like crazy. In fact, there was no need to look for good shots. We had our cameras with our hands, hold it up, released the shutters, and got good pictures. It was that easy. Therefore, on the average, we took one shot every 15 seconds.
By the end of August 2007 while it was still hot in the summer, we visited the Chimney Rock Park with some good friends. Chimney Rock Park is a privately-owned park and it is well-maintained. It is located 25 miles southeast of Asheville. We spent a day there hiking and enjoyed beautiful views from there.
On 6th October 2007, we went to the Air Show in the Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. Air Show has always been one of our favorite activities and this one was no exception. The Thunderbird flight show was as amazing as we have seen before. This time, we had our new Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens and we were able to take some close-up shots for the Thunderbird in action.
In September 2006, we spent a couple of days in Seattle visiting good friends, Xiao, Judy, Alex, and Chris. They took us to the Volunteer Park which is beautiful and not so tourist point of interest. It was really nice because we like to experience normal life in Seattle. In the park, there is a Dahlia Garden where we saw a lot of different kinds of Dahlia.
In August 2003, we spent several days in Maine for vacation with some good friends. Our major activities in Maine were to visit the famous Acadia National Park. We grew up by the ocean and so it was not extremely exciting to see it again. However, when we saw the Atlantic Ocean by Acadia, it was just so much different and prettier. Acadia is so famous with a good reason.
When we go some places and take pictures, we try very hard to take snapshots representing that particular places. When we took a picture of this sail boat, we knew that we were violating our principal. How can we convince you that this is taken in Antigua by the end of January 2008? We just can not. Well, you just have to take our words for it. This photo was really taken in the Dickinson Bay, Antigua.
We reached St. Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands, on 27th January 2008 as our first stop of the cruise trip. There were so much to see in St. Thomas. Shopping was supposed to be a big part of it but we minimized to just about half an hour. Even though we managed to have very little time in shopping, we had only half an hour in the Coral World and were scared by those Iguanas when we first saw them. They were everywhere inside Coral World, stairs, walkways, trees. When they stopped us from walking across and we looked at them, they simply stayed still and looked back. After we read a few signs and learned that they were wild iguanas eating only fruits, leaves, and flowers. It meant that they would not eat us and we were so relieved.
On 28th January 2008, the cruise ship we took reached St. Maarten. We got off the ship. Right by the pier, we saw this nice little bar about 12ft by 12ft. Even though it was small but when we looked at it, it delivered a kind of joyful feeling to us. The color outlook was beautifully done. We remember that there was music coming from the bar too. Unfortunately, this picture did not record the music. Next time, we should record a 10 seconds video with sound and that might give better idea on how lively the bar was.
Before we headed to the San Juan International Airport catching our return flight home on 3rd February 2008, we spent a little time by the seashore in San Juan. It was very windy but it did not stop us from moving forward. On that Sunday noon time, we saw a man sitting by a palm tree enjoying himself. In the far side of this picture, it is the famous Capitolio in Old San Juan which houses Puerto Rico's lawmakers. That capital building contains both chambers, the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The basketball team in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has always been a good team in US college basketball history delivering numerous famous players and coaches. In the 2007-2008 college basketball season, UNC team is of no exception. On 3rd November 2007, we went to the Dean Smith Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina to watch one of the UNC exhibition games.
On 2nd February 2008, we were wandering around in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. We saw a wedding going on and the bride and groom walked out of a church. We looked up and we saw the famous Catedral de San Juan (San Juan Cathedral). This cathedral was built in the 1520's and damaged several times by hurricanes. Last major restorations were performed in 1917. San Juan Cathedral still holds religious services on a regular schedule.
Marketing is a big part of any business. A shoemaker in Old San Juan is no difference. On 2nd February 2008, we walked around the town of Old San Juan in Puerto Rico. When we first saw that board, we thought that someone was selling old shoes. But, when we looked further, the shoemaker was advertising home-made shoes. We were presently surprised to see home-made shoes on sale considering most of the shoes in the market are made by machines.
On our south Caribbean cruise trip by the end of January 2008, we had a chance to visit the Shirley Heights which is actually ruins of on old gun emplacements and military buildings. The views from Shirley Heights were breathtaking. From there, we looked over to the English Harbour with boats scattered nicely in the bay.
In August 2003, we spent a week with some good friends in Maine. We had not seen each other for a long time and we decided to have our vacation together there. We rented a house by the Graham Lake in Ellsworth which is very closed to the Acadia National Park.
When we took the cruise trip to the south Caribbean, we spent several hours in Antigua. While we were on that island, we spent just about half an hour in Dickinson Bay, a beautiful beach with lots of people. We were so lucky to spot this couple there. In fact, they were about to get married, so called "Wedding in Water". The bride was in a nice wedding gown. They walked into the water, took their sunglasses out, dropped themselves into the water. Then, they were married.
The day after Thanksgiving in 2007, we went to visit the National Building Museum in DC. When we walked into the building, a very friendly security guard checked our bags. Then, we collected our stuff and stepped into the Great Hall. We joined the tour and we were told that we can rent the Great Hall to accommodate seated dinners and receptions for groups up to 2000 people.
Old San Juan in Puerto Rico is always considered to be playground for photographers. Learning photography is a lot easier there since the view is spectacular. Simply holding your camera up and releasing the shuttles will get you beautiful pictures without too much effort.
During the Thanksgiving holiday in 2007, we spent a few days in DC visiting friends and The Mall. We walked around the The Mall the whole day after Thanksgiving and we were so tired and cold. It was getting dark and we started walking towards the Metro station. DC area is very safe. However, we are trained to watch out for strangers closing by in the dark. So, we looked around. All of a sudden, we turned around, looked up, and saw the full moon up right by the Capitol. It was one of the most joyful moment we have had. Certainly, our cameras were up, clicked, clicked, and clicked.
We have visited many museums in DC during the past 20 years or so. It was a shame on us that we missed this one completely. Finally, in 2007 during Thanksgiving holiday, we walked into the National Building Museum. The building itself is already historical.
When we took the cruise trip to the south Caribbean by the end of January 2008, we got on to the ship "Serenade of the Seas" by Royal Caribbean International. After spending a few days on the ship, we really think that any cruise ship is a piece of artwork. The ship builder will have to design the ship inside out and take good care of every single detail in it. This ship can be considered a city all by itself.
In June 2007, we spent a day in the North Carolina Zoo. It is a wonderful place to visit. The elephants were all out and they gathered around a pond. The water in the pond was very still and the reflection was extremely clear. A combination of the elephants and their reflection in the water constituted a very nice picture.
We have not met any person who does not like rose. We are no exception. In Chapel Hill Community Center in the state of North Carolina, there is a Rose Garden. In October 2006 one afternoon, we took a walk at that garden. It was getting into fall, most roses there were about to go away. Some were still struggled to survive longer. We really admired the spirit of fighting against unfavored environment those roses presented to us. So, we captured their beauty with our cameras.
We always enjoy taking pictures for flowers. They look really nice and they stay still if there is no wind or breeze. We had never had any intention to take pictures for fruit. In early September 2006 while we were in Vancouver wandering in one of our aunts' garden, we changed out mind completely after we saw those tiny little cherry tomato she grew.
We always enjoy Air Show and we try to go as many as possible. On 19th May 2007, we spent a day in the Air Show at the Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. It was a big event, big crowd and a lot of planes.
The beach at Cape Fear in Bald Head Island is always our most favorite place to visit. By the end of June 2007, we went there again. We knew that pictures of sun rise in Bald Head would be nice. But, we would never be able to get up early in the morning to do that. So, we aimed for taking sunset pictures. On 29th June 2007 afternoon, before we knew it, the sun was gone. It just left without saying goodbye. After a moment of silence and disappointment, an amazing thing came to us. The moon was up and it was full moon. It was just one of the most joyful moment for us.
By the end of June 2007, we were invited by Ed and Carol to visit the Bald Head Island by the coast of North Carolina. While the ferry was getting close to the island, the most noticeable building on the island is the Old Baldy Lighthouse. This lighthouse was build in 1817.
After we got off the cruise ship on 2nd February 2008, we stayed in San Juan for just a night. On 3th February 2008 before we headed to the airport, we took a nice walk by the coast around the Hilton Resort area. It was very windy and the wave made big thunder sound.
Dahlia is the city flower of Seattle. It is beautiful. When we visited Seattle in September 2006, we had a chance to walk into the Volunteer Park. In that park, there was a Dahlia Garden maintained by the Puget Sound Dahlia Association.
In 2007 late June, Ed and Carol invited us to the beautiful Bald Head Island off Wilmington in North Carolina. We went to the Bald Head several times over the past 10 years. This time, we had a Nikon D70 SLR. The result of that combination is amazing. We took hundreds of pictures.
During our trip to the south Caribbean in late January 2008, we spent half an hour to wander around the Dickinson Bay in Antigua. Dickinson Bay is a very beautiful beach with big crowds. Anyone could be able to take good pictures on that beach. So, I was trying to do something different in my photography, something more artistic. Luckily, I spotted this person enjoying himself/herself on a beach chair. That beach chair must be a rental from one of the stores there since chairs there look alike.
While we were cruising in south Caribbean by the end of January 2008, we had a chance to visit the Nelson's Dockyard in Antigua. Nelson's Dockyard is a very old English shipyard. While we were there, there was a man rowing a boat. The song "Row Row Row a Boat, Gentle Down the Stream" came to mind right away. However, he was in the ocean, not a stream.
We went on a cruise trip to the south Caribbean by the end of January 2008. During the trip, we had a chance to walk around in the French capitol of St. Maarten, Marigot. While I was wandering around the pier area, I heard a big splash from the water. When I turned around, there was a big pelican. Taking a picture of a pelican on the water did not interest me that much. All right, the pelican wanted my attention, so I gave it my attention by pointing it with my camera. All of a sudden, the pelican took off.
Americans love bald eagle which symbolizes the courage of the people. The image of this bird was captured in Bronx Zoo, New York, in the summer of 2005.
The Old Well in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hall is the symbol of the university. In the morning on the Christmas day in 2005, we walked by the Old Well. Rain had just stopped and the sky was clear and blue. Even though there was not anyone around except us, the Old Well had shown us a welcoming gesture. We have been so happy to capture that particular moment of the Old Well.
This blog is created to post some of our photos taken from around the world. We will try hard to describe on each photo where and how we take it. Hopefully, our photos will let you feel the world smaller and the boundary among nations and cultures are weakening.
