Gosh, what a title it has.  Such a neat little camera bag with the big name.

Well, I’m again in the planning mode for a forthcoming trip.  So, this morning I got out my trekker and opened it up.  Inside I found a small bottle of hand sanitizer, a net for wearing over my hat to ward off mosquitoes, an unopened bottle of deet, a cork-screw (yep, complete with small knife for cutting the plastic stuff off the top of the bottle, which concerns me greatly since it went through four TSA security points on my last trip!), some Lee filters and the gizmo for mounting the filters on my lens, six packets of AA batteries, a Sony GPS, a small thermos bottle, a polarizing filter, a fiber towel, 20-feet of parachute cord, an external shutter release, and six packets of kleenex.  I know, I used lots of kleenex on my last trip; cold weather does that to my nose, why so many left?  As to all this stuff, well, I think maybe I did use the Sony GPS.  Why do I pack so much useless stuff?

Course, I asked myself, how did I get two camera bodies, three lenses, my Vosonic VP8360, and two spare batteries in the bag along with all this other stuff?  The answer is simple, the bag is a Tardis.  Yep, it bigger on the inside than it is on the outside.

My intent on emptying the bag was related more to the outside than the inside.  Seems after four years of constant use, the time had come to give it a good scrubbing.  But, I am greatly concerned about what I just did to the environment where I live.  Yes, really concerned.

You see, I know for a fact that the bag has residue from Tern doodoo at the Farne Islands, lots of Sheep doodoo from the Isle of Skye, some bear doodoo from Alaska, maybe some residual dust from South Africa, and absolutely for certain Blue Footed Boobie doodoo from the Galapagos, and gosh knows what else.  At least nothing crawled out of the bag while I scrubbed away.  But as I emptied the tub, I knew that all that residue just went into my local sewer system.  What have I done?  And yes, I did sanitize the tub after use.

So, now the bag hangs in my garage.  I hope it dries out in a couple of days and that nothing which has been dormant inside one of it’s crevices suddenly decides to come forth and multiply!

I know that fellow passengers on my next flight will appreciate that I have a nice clean camera bag in my possession.  During my last trip I did note that two or three folks gave the bag a close look.  I can only imagine what when through their minds.

Course, it did have character.  Now it just looks like another camera bag.

I am just planning a trip to Scotland, one of my favorite places on the Earth for doing landscape photography.  In fact, Scotland may host more landscape photographers than any country in the world. And for good reason, the scenery is simply stunning.

As usual, packing for a trip overseas involves thinking about what equipment will be required and getting serious about packing light.  Landscape photography involves hiking, and any extra weight can make a big difference at the end of the day.  And then there is also the problem of carrying camera equipment on board the aircraft, an issue that is becoming more and more of an issue for photographers.

So, at the top of my list is which lenses I should pack for use with my Canon 1Ds Mark II. And on this trip, I only want to pack two lenses.  Landscape photography will be my major interest, with wildlife photography second.

I have learned that it is a mistake to rely completely on a wide-angle lens when traveling.  There are just too many opportunities that one does not expect which require a decent telephoto lens.  As in Scotland, where one may happen upon Red Deer, or Seals on a beach, or a Sea Eagle.  So I must decide which telephoto to pack. And the choice will be between the 300mm f/4L IS and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L.  Opting for the 300mm means less weight, but one gives up the extra range of the 100-400mm and the flexibility of the zoom.  On the other hand, the 300mm f/4L IS is a very sharp lens, which rivals it larger sister the 300mm f/2.8L.  So here the choice is between less weight and sharpness of the lens, versus more weight and greater flexibility.

In the past, I have always packed my Canon 16-35mm f/2.8L when setting off for a landscape photography tour.  It was always there in my bag.  But recently, after going through hundreds of shots I have done with the Canon 24-105mm f/4L I found that more often than not, the 24-105mm was producing sharper images with less distortion that I have been getting with the 16-35mm.  Here is an example done with the 24-105mm at Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

And here is another shot done in the Galapagos Islands.  Yes, one can do wildlife photography with the lens, course a Galapagos Tortoise doesn’t run away when you approach, so you can get close

Click on the photo for a larger version.

And here is another shot done in Olympic National Park at Second Beach, Washington.

Click on the photo for a larger version.

So, I think that the 24-105mm will be my lens of choice for doing landscape photography on this trip.  Frankly, I think I will get better shots with it than with the 16-35mm despite the fact that I will be giving up some width.  And, with a decent tripod, one can always take two shots and blend them in Adobe CS3. Maybe, not in all situations.

Now the task is to decide which telephoto to pack.  And frankly, flexibility overrules anything else.  Thus, the 100-400mm will be in my camera bag.

So, two lenses, the 24-105mm and the 100-400mm.  I now have an extreme range from 24mm to 400mm, and with the two lenses and my 1Ds Mark II, hopefully I will return home with some decent shots.  And maybe, during the trip, my back won’t hurt at the end of the day.

Yesterday was one of those days when everything came together in a negative way.  The actions of others, all out of my control, had affected me.  I was in a foul mood.  Life seemed to be presenting me with problem after problem, all of which related to properties I own in three different locations. Seems that others have in mind that if you aren’t there, the property they see becomes their own.  I digress.

But today, I went through some of my photographs, and found this one.

The photograph was made very early one morning while I was visiting Rocky Mountain National Park.  I had left early that day, and was driving toward the top of the mountain chain that makes the park so unique.  And, I stopped at this spot to watch first light as it lit the blue mountains below.  At that moment, I was at peace with myself.

When life hands us tough issues, being at peace with yourself is a talent we all need to acquire and use.  What more is there, than seeing light that dances in the early morning hours which brings a sense of well-being and peace that floods our souls?

Find peace within yourself, my friend.

One of the best parts of photography is having great friends who share your love of photography. Sometimes their energy can make you do things you would otherwise not do. Like get up at 0400 hours, drive for an hour, hike up a trail that makes you breath hard, and other such stuff.

Let’s face it, I hate trudging down long trails. I guess that is because I did so much of it when I was in the Army that I sorta resist doing it again. It’s not that I’m a wimp, well, maybe I’m not, but it is the really crazy idea of getting out of a nice warm bed on a very cold morning and then trekking for gosh knows how long to some spot way the heck out in the middle of nowhere while carrying 25 pounds of camera gear and slipping on ice and slippery rocks and not even having had breakfast. I love breakfast!

On this particular morning, my friends rousted me out of bed, told me to get dressed, ordered me to find my gear, and then the next thing I know I’m riding a good way to some spot in Yorkshire Dales. The ride was nice, but when I got out of the Land Rover and looked at the long trail (kinda hard to do when it’s still sorta dark), I whined. It did not matter. My friends told me to get moving. Dern it.

So, I limped along, whining the whole way, and climbed up this place called Twistleton Scar.

And there walked another two miles (well maybe not two miles) and across some rock ledges that make one whimper cause if you slip you can break a leg, and there found this rock.

And I saw faces in the stone. Yep, faces. You can see a larger image if you click on it.

Course I was without breakfast. And still recovering from the whole ordeal.

But, you know, when your friends make you get out of bed, and go trekking somewhere, life sorta comes into focus, for without those who challenge you to do new things, what is there?

It’s good to have such friends. Although, I gotta admit, I like when they sleep in.

The Internet is filled with millions of photographs. And what I find interesting is that many of the photographs I view are all of the same place. For example, if one were to search for “Yellowstone,” one will find thousands upon thousands of photographs of that famous National Park, all captured about 100 yards from a well traveled road.

This is not to say that there aren’t people out there who go to extremely remote regions of this earth and capture splendid light. I admire such people because I recognize the difficulty of just getting to where they were. It isn’t easy and it is often very expensive to do.

Yet, sometimes, there are places that one can get to that others simply have not found. I bet you know of such a place that may very well be close to where you live. I remember a conversation with Steve Sanders of Steve’s-Digicams. One of the early pioneers of doing reviews of cameras, Steve has been very successful in his endeavors. He told me about a photograph he received from a guy who lived in North Carolina. The guy said that he had just bought a new point and shoot camera, had read the manual, and then had walked to a place he knew about that wasn’t far from his home. He enclosed a shot that was simply awesome. It was so good that Steve wrote to the camera manufacturer, sent a copy of the shot, and company instantly bought it from the guy in North Carolina for $5,000. I have seen a print of the shot and yes, it is simply fantastic. Yet, I think, no one else has found the same spot! The point is, we all know of places that others have either never seen or were simply unaware of.

It is important to find the path less traveled.

For example, here is a shot I did while traveling in Olympic National Park. The place is remote but easily accessible. And yes, lots of people know about it. But I seldom see shots done there. It was taken at a place called “Second Beach.”

I am so glad I went there. That I arrived just before sunrise after a long hike and a one-hour drive from my hotel. It is a special place that I hope to visit again.

But I keep thinking that yes I do know of a spot that only a handful of people have ever been to. It’s in North Florida. And, you know, this winter, when the first freeze has killed off all the mosquitoes and ticks, I will go there and camp out and enjoy the cool nights in front of an open fire and early the next morning walk down a path less traveled and hope I can capture a special place to share with others.

I think one of the things that one might consider doing is telling a story with your photographs. Journalists do this every day. How powerful a photograph can be, it can convey emotions, information, or a simple moment in time that is special.

Recently, when I was in Scotland doing photography with a group of friends, one of them used the term “Glen of Weeping” when referring to Glencoe. I had never heard the term before. And, then, later, when one of my friends took me to a spot near the entrance to the famous glen, I took this photograph.

You may view a larger copy of this photograph by clicking on it.

The term “Glen of Weeping” is often used to refer to Glencoe. From Wikipedia: “The Massacre of Glencoe occurred in Glen Coe, Scotland, in the early morning of 13 February 1692, during the era of the Glorious Revolution and Jacobitism. The massacre began simultaneously in three settlements along the glen—Invercoe, Inverrigan, and Achacon—although the killing took place all over the glen as fleeing MacDonalds were pursued. Thirty-eight MacDonalds from the Clan MacDonald of Glencoe were killed by the guests who had accepted their hospitality, on the grounds that the MacDonalds had not been prompt in pledging allegiance to the new king, William of Orange. Another forty women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned.”

I titled this photograph “Passage to the Glen of Weeping” for some reasons.

First, the tree is symbolic of both death and as a warning of what lies in the passage.

Second, the deep colors of red in the heather represent the blood that was shed here.

Third, the Orange colors of the grass represent William of Orange and the one’s whose inhuman killings were caused by him.

Fourth, there are those vistas in the distance, profoundly beautiful and in stark contrast to the dead tree. Here the symbolism is of what has been given to each of us on this beautiful earth, and what can be taken away by the folly of humankind.

I suppose that someone who views the photograph on my website might simply look at it with no further inquiry. But, then, perhaps one in a thousand will search the Internet for the phrase “Glen of Weeping” and there find the story.

That is my hope.

Lots of folks ask me about what it like to photograph Brown Bears up close. I have been fortunate to have excellent field guides who have taught me about what to do and what not to do when around these animals. My first experience was in 2006 when I flew to Hallo Bay with Chris Day and her husband Ken, who pilots their wonderful old classic deHavilland Otter on floats. We landed on the bay and then waded ashore for a delightful day of viewing Brown Bears in their natural environment.

Then, this year, I flew out of Homer, Alaska, to Lake Clark National Park, and stayed at the Silver Salmon Creek Lodge, where I met and worked with Drew, whose experience with approaching Brown Bears is extensive. Drew did tell me of some encounters there were less than pleasant, when bears were aggressive and failed to stop approaching.

Nevertheless, after my first experience in 2006, I have had no fear of these creatures while on foot without weapons in very close proximity to them. On both trips I have been within 25 feet of Brown Bears. Yes, that close. And on my most recent trip, Drew had to tap me on the shoulder and remind me to move away from a young bear that had gotten with 15 feet of where I was. I was on my knees trying to get at the same level of the bear. Bottom line was, I was focused on getting photographs not on how close I was to the bear.

Just yesterday I was going through some photographs made during my latest trip. And I found this one.

And when I examined the shot, what I found was that the bear was very much focused on me! Not all together settling, now that I think about it. But, I go back to the time I was there and I remember the whole experience as somewhat enlightening, that is to say during my encounters what seemed to be occurring was that I was communicating to the bears that I meant them no harm, and they in turn were communicating to me that I was safe around them. Sure, you say, that’s crazy! But, the truth is, that is what I could sense.

And I truly believe, after all my years of being around animals in the wild, that we do share some strange form of communication that links us together. And perhaps it is the lack of fear and a clear communication that I mean no harm, that allows me to get very close to wild animals.

And, please understand, I do experience fear! But, the longer I live the more I realize that our brothers in the wild are very much aware of us and can sense from us our purpose and intent.