TIE DYED IN PI…

I have decided to write this Blog in order give people a place to learn more about the photograph they are thinking about purchasing, have already purchased or have enjoyed viewing on my website larrypannellphotography.com.

My thoughts are to post a Photograph of the Week and include the location, photographic data and insight on what I was trying to convey with the image. Essentially the story behind the photograph.

I specialize in Landscape, Travel and Fine Art Photography. If you are viewing my blog before you have seen my website please take the time to browse the photographs there as well. I have been fortunate to have travelled many places and you will find photographs of Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Vietnam. You may also enjoy my photography of the Western United States and my recent photographs of Yosemite National Park where I currently reside.

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

larrypannellphotography.com

Enjoy.....

TIE DYED IN PI…

Location:       Negros Island

                         Philippines

When:            March 24, 2012

                         8:48am

Camera:         Canon 60d

                         EF 18-200mm

Focal:              24mm

Shutter:          1/640 sec

Aperture:       F/16

ISO:                 800

TIE DYED IN PI…

When the Rhapsody of the Seas pulled into drydock for a month in Singapore my contract had just ended a couple days before and I left the ship in Bali to start my vacation where I spent a few days on the island of Lembongan. Then I flew to Vietnam for three weeks after which I flew to Negros Island and Apo Island in the Phillippine (PI) for a week before returning to the ship and another seven month contract.

While on Negros Island I stayed at a small "resort" named the Monarch Bay Resort. It was about a dozen thatched huts which had bamboo floors and a layered palm frowns for the roof. Each hut also had running water, flush toilets, air conditioning and wifi. All this within 150 feet of the waters edge on a beautiful private beach.

There was also a restaurant/bar within a stones throw of the ocean to enjoy a cold San Miguel and escape the heat. The bartender told me that just before I arrived a group of motorcyclists were there for a week and every cabin was taken. As luck would have it during my four day stay I was the only person and had the place to myself.

One morning when talking to the owner about photography and the interior of the island he offered to rent his motorcycle to me for $4 a day....that was too hard to pass up. So the next day after breakfast I grabbed my camera gear, kick started the 500cc motorcycle and off I went.

As I traveled the islands main road between two villages I noticed a dirt road that headed towards the mountains. After traveling six or seven miles through the countryside I saw a farmer plowing his field behind a water buffalo wearing a brightly colored tie dyed shirt. I got off the bike, grabbed my gear and headed towards him about a half mile away. Looking up he noticed me when I was about half way walking down a muddy trail that wove through the rice paddies. I smiled and waved showing him my camera; he just nodded and kept plodding through the mud as if I wasn't there.

I carefully checked my settings putting the camera on aperture preferred to maintain the greatest depth of field and noted the shutter speed while shooting to avoid camera shake. I framed the image taking various shots from wide angle to encompass the countryside to zooming in tight getting intimate. I stayed in the field and kept shooting for about an hour and at times putting the camera down to take everything in. For myself I find that it is important not to get too wrapped up looking through the viewfinder, to stop for a few minutes and enjoy the surroundings.

After reviewing the photographs I decided on a shot that told the entire story. One where the myriad shades of vibrant green from the vast fields of rice lined by the dense jungle overwhelm you. One where the sky is filled with clouds threatening rain as the ruminants of a storm pass overhead. For me what really makes this photograph is combining these elements with the tie dye shirt and it's bright array of colors as the farmer struggles through the dull, brown mud preparing the rice paddy for the next planting.

I have a handful of photographs that I took in the Philippines that I really like that encompasses the feeling of being there whether it is in a muddy rice paddy or watching boys dive off of a bridge into a river or the solitude of a lone fisherman.

My beach hut at Monarch Bay

Negros Island Philippines

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

larrypannellphotography.com

OVERCAST...

Location:       Yosemite National Park

                         Panorama Trail

                         Yosemite, Ca

When:             May 7, 2013

                         2:15pm

Camera:         Canon 60d

                         EF 18-200mm

Focal:              18mm

Shutter:          1/160 sec

Aperture:       F/16

ISO:                 400

I have decided to write this Blog in order give people a place to learn more about the photograph they are thinking about purchasing, have already purchased or have enjoyed viewing on my website larrypannellphotography.com.

My thoughts are to post a Photograph of the Week and include the location, photographic data and insight on what I was trying to convey with the image. Essentially the story behind the photograph.

I specialize in Landscape, Travel and Fine Art Photography. If you are viewing my blog before you have seen my website please take the time to browse the photographs there as well. I have been fortunate to have travelled many places and you will find photographs of Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Vietnam. You may also enjoy my photography of the Western United States and my recent photographs of Yosemite National Park where I currently reside.

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

larrypannellphotography.com

Enjoy.....

OVERCAST…

I had visited Yosemite since 1964 when I was ten years old, spent my honeymoon there in 1972 and lived and worked there from 1982-1985. Upon leaving the park I started a career in healthcare, became a physician and before moving back to Yosemite in 2013. The two previous years I worked and lived on cruise ships seeing the world and practicing acupuncture.

It was early season and my first of the summer to be filled with day hikes and overnight backpacking trips in Yosemite National Park. I had just moved back after thirty years and taking a break from my career as an acupuncturist.

The road to Glacier Point opened in mid-May and my first hike of the eleven-mile long Panorama Trail was about to begin. It was a cool, rainy day and the clouds hug low in the valley and obscured most of the views usually afforded from Glacier Point. I was sure it would be the same along the trail. However the clouds added character to the usually clear blue skies. It would change minute to minute depending on the wind and the up drafts caused by the 3,000 foot vertical granite cliffs walls.

Having hiked and lived in the Sierras and other mountain ranges the majority of my life I knew the weather could change at any moment. On this hike I experience clear blue skies, rain, hail and even snow but I was prepared. I was dressed in long pants, t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, fleece vest and a lightweight North Face raincoat. This allowed me to remove whatever layers I needed to and put them in my backpack along with my camera, tripod, water and munchies. Of course it was inevitable that I would run into someone on the trail wearing summer gear...and I did. All I could do was shake my head and think to myself...fools. Every year numerous people die in Yosemite and being ill prepared is one reason.

The vast majority of the Panorama Trail is downhill with only about 2.5 miles of uphill when you climb out of Illilouette Canyon. The first few miles of the trail drop into the canyon gradually, which usually grants you wonderful views of the various peaks surrounding the valley below. But with today's weather most of that is hidden from view. About half way down there is a small outlook that oversees Illilouette Falls as it plunges 370 feet over a cliff offering a chance for a few great shots.

After about another mile or so you have bottomed out and find a bridge that crosses Illilouette Creek. Once across you begin the 2.5 mile climb out of the canyon. If you are observant about half way you will notice a narrow side trail. It has been my experience if there is a side trial it is usually well worth a look.

After a hundred yards of pushing my way through manzanita and buck brush I came to a small clear that led to the edge of a cliff. The canyon opened below to Yosemite Valley and directly in front of me was Washington Column, North Dome and the Royal Arches. Slightly to the right were Liberty Cap, the beginning of Tenaya Canyon and the backside of Half Dome...what a great view and a great place to stop for a while, drop the pack and have lunch.

After about thirty minutes I left and resumed my climb out of the canyon for about another mile and a half before the trail crested and once and began to fall into yet another canyon. Near the top of the trail you can see Yosemite Falls off in the distance but you are also very close to Nevada and Vernal Falls. These two waterfalls have been photographed thousands of times by thousands of people. I was looking for a shot that was a little bit different from what you usually see so I headed off trail to find a vantage point high above the falls.

Being careful as I scrambled over rock outcropping, brush and trees to find several places that were just too dangerous to try and reach. It was a very steep drop to the canyon floor below and the footing not very secure.

Finally I saw a place in front of me about fifty feet away. I carefully traversed the mountainside to the spot that was just big enough to hold my tripod and myself. I mounted the camera, set my camera to aperture preferred not worrying about the shutter speed and set the self-timer to two seconds. After double checking my focus I took several photographs until I was pleased with what I had captured. I was looking for a shot that took in the canyon shrouded with clouds adding drama to the photograph and showed Nevada Falls from a different perspective.

Next was the climb from this position back to the trail, which was not an easy task. Finally reaching the trail I topped out, reached the saddle and began the drop to the top of Nevada Falls. As it was still early in the season there was plenty of water cascading 594 feet over the ledge that reaches Vernal Falls (317 feet) another couple miles down the canyon.

Both the top of Nevada and Vernal Falls has been the site of many deaths in Yosemite. Far too many tourists have gotten too close to the waters edge and slipped on the polished granite only to land I the water and be swept over one of the falls. This is especially true above Vernal Falls as the river widens and it appears calm. This area is called the Silver Apron and many have been tricked into the water again only to be whisked away to their death.

The moral of the story is my favorite quote I camera up with years ago..."there is only one rule in nature, you screw up you die, don't break the rule."

After another few miles of taking the hundreds of steps carved into the granite on the Mist Trail you reach the valley floor at Happy Isles and the hike is over.

Self portrait at the top of Nevada Falls

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

SURVIVOR ….VANUATU

SURVIVOR….VANUATU

Location:       Victoria Butterfly Gardens

                         Victoria, Canada

When:             November 30, 2010

                         10:37am

Camera:         Canon 60d

                         EF 18-200mm

Focal:              18mm

Shutter:          1/160 sec

Aperture:       F 520

ISO:                 400

I have decided to write this Blog in order give people a place to learn more about the photograph they are thinking about purchasing, have already purchased or have enjoyed viewing on my website larrypannellphotography.com.

My thoughts are to post a Photograph of the Week and include the location, photographic data and insight on what I was trying to convey with the image. Essentially the story behind the photograph.

I specialize in Landscape, Travel and Fine Art Photography. If you are viewing my blog before you have seen my website please take the time to browse the photographs there as well. I have been fortunate to have travelled many places and you will find photographs of Alaska, Canada, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, French Polynesia, the South Pacific, Southeast Asia, the Philippines and Vietnam. You may also enjoy my photography of the Western United States and my recent photographs of Yosemite National Park where I currently reside.

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry

larrypannellphotography.com

Enjoy.....

SURVIVOR….VANUATU

Many of you may remember that the show Survivor did a season in Vanuatu located in the South Pacific. Well I too "survived" Vanuatu.

My ship, Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas made several visits to Vanuatu and on

same island where the series was filmed though we were on the other side in the port town of Vila.

Vila reminded me and my running mate and ships personal trainer James Mountjoy from Wales a lot like the Caribbean. In fact James said it really reminded him of Jamaca. The town itself was a little rundown with rough roads, a large open air market, several small places to eat and a few stores, many which catered to tourists from the cruise ships that stopped here.

Most of the places you wanted to visit and what you saw on post cards were out of the city like the waterfall, Blue Lagoon and the tourist resorts. However there was one place in town that caught our eye, it was an unassuming, rather plain looking building with a sign out front saying hotel/casino and lunch special for $10....we're there....

Once inside the hotel was beautiful with a very nice dining room overlooking the bay. Better yet outside there was a beautiful pool overlooking the bay as well. James and I went here every time we visited Vanuatu and we decided not to tell anyone about this place and dubbed it "The Hideout". Sometime you just need a place to get away from everyone on the ship both crew and guests. Plus we were afraid if too many began to show up that the hotel guests would get upset and complain to management and we would be kicked out. This has happened at a number of places we visited in Hawaii and Fiji to name a few.

On this day the sky was filled with clouds as it usually was when we were in Vanuatu. The air was warm and every now and then we would get a little rain. My thoughts were to capture the solitude and serenity that James and I sought and found here.

As James sat near the waters edge I went to the other side of the pool in order to get the full scope of our location. Once there is was even better then I hoped as the reflection of the blue sky with white clouds were easily visible in the pool. Another plus that was there were no other people there to have to worry about being in the photograph. Also across the small bay was a number of small vacation huts at one of the local resorts. Another factor that I liked in the photograph was the sailboat near the center of the image having a black hull instead of white. It stood out ever so slightly but not enough to take way from the central theme.

As always I checked my setting for shutter speed and depth of field, held my breath and fired away. The result in my eyes captured exactly the feeling of the place...The Hideout.

In closing I will say that we did decided to share the Hideout twice. As James contract ended before mine on his last visit to Vila we took his girlfriend Caroline. As we walked by James looked at me and said "I wonder what this place is like?" Upon entering Caroline was taken just as much as we were on our first visit, especially when she saw the pool outside. Following her out said said that she was going to go for a swim. Both James and I told her that we better check first as we were not guests. Sitting at one of the tables we waited as Solomon the waiter we had gotten to know during our visits came to our table. "The usual" he asked as we replied of course, two Tusker beers please trying not to laugh as Caroline's jaw hit the ground.

The last time the ship was in Vila myself and three of the "Spa Girls" hired a guide that took us the the Blue Lagoon for a swim and to a waterfall outside of Vila. On the return trip I had him drop us off in the middle of town in front of the hotel. I did the same ploy as James and I did with Caroline only this time she assisted. Once outside and enjoying the pool and a couple cocktails they exclaimed..."so this is where you and James have been hiding all the time!" What could I do other then laugh…

Thank you for your interest and all comments would be greatly appreciated

Larry