I LOVE NYC

Original: After some tweaking:

I went to NYC yesterday to visit the American Museum of Natural History (which is awesome by the way, and has some really great exhibits right now). After leaving the museum I walked back to the city through Central Park and took these pictures. I was using my circular polarizer filter which captured the deep blue sky....and also made the snow appear blue.

Vietnam Itinerary

Still three months away, but here's my itinerary for Vietnam! I know it may seem a little crazy to have it layed out this early, BUT give me a break! It's going to be a quick trip and there is a lot I want to see :)

Vietnam Airlines seems to work a lot like Southwest Airlines in the US. Similar to how Southwest has a "wanna getaway" rate if you book in advance, Vietnam has a "super saver" rate. Once those are gone, the rates go up. "Super saver" rates were already disappearing when I booked my domestic flights a couple days ago. If I had more time and could be more flexible, I would have just waited to get to Vietnam and see where the mood took me, booking flights as I go. However, with only 11 days to see the whole country I decided it's be best to book in advance. If you're in a similar situation and want to book a few months out, go to Vietnam Airlines and book your flights. It's extremely inexpensive if you are able to book this far in advance. My flight to HCM was $70, Danang was $30, and back to Hanoi was $30.

So here's the basic itinerary...
Night 1: Arrive in Hanoi - not much of a day since I'll be getting in really late
Day 2: Hanoi
Day 3: Ha Long Bay
Day 4: Ha Long Bay
Day 5: Sapa (via sleeper train)
Day 6: Ho Chi Minh (late morning flight)
Day 7: Mekong Delta
Day 8: Mekong Delta
Day 9: Hue (early morning flight to Danang)
Day 10: Danang
Day 11: Hanoi (early morning flight to Hanoi. Flying back to the US late night)

Rose Bud in Winter

Camera: Nikon D40
Aperture: f/2.8
Shutter Speed: 1/4000
Focal Length: 35mm

Body Painting Gallery in New Orleans

"Sax Green"

With limited time in New Orleans I didn't make it to the Warehouse District, which is now known as the Arts District. Luckily, the French Quarter has it's own little art district on Royal Street. I walked in and out of several galleries, many of which are artist-owned. One artist-owned and operated gallery left me in awe. Craig Tracy's Painted Alive Body Painting Gallery is amazing. This gallery will make you appreciate the art form.

He's produced so many great images. It was hard to choose just a few to throw on my website! If you click the title above any of the pictures in this post, you will be taken to an explanation on his website. He goes into detail on each and shows how they were made. Intriguing stuff!

Feel free to admire the following....

"Deeper"

"Maya Cross"

"Sphinx"

"Butterfly"

"Chemistry"

"Inclement"

"Perfect"

"Dream"

You can view his entire gallery here. There are so many more to see! If you plan on visiting New Orleans and appreciate art, this spot is worth checking out.

Snowflakes and a Very Cold Cat!

We've gotten at least 20" of snow here in the last 24 hours. I love a good snowstorm! It was freezing, but I managed to get out on my balcony and take a few pictures.

Important Tips for Travel Photography

I came across these tips for travel photography earlier today. They're pretty good and worth sharing. Check it out. These tips are from What Digital Camera (www.whatdigitalcamera.com)

* Get up early so you can catch good light and skip out on all the crowds. This is always part of my plan, but I really enjoy sleeping. I end up settling for the sunset a lot of times, which is also a great time for good light.

* Give yourself some choices and bring a couple lenses along with you for the trip (depending on what you plan on shooting). If you have a fixed lens on your DSLR and don't feel like carrying a lot around with you, think about bringing along your point-and-shoot camera. This way you may be able to capture some pictures at different focal lengths.

* Don't shoot everything with a wide angle, go in close to your subject for interesting details.

* Don't forget to take vertical pictures. Framing vertically can completely change the composure and feel of your picture.

* Don't forget to look up. There are plenty of interesting shots to be taken above or below eye level.

* Remember your aperture and shutter speed. Check out your manual if you don't know how to use them. If you've lost your manual you can almost always type in the name of your camera along with "manual PDF" and download it.

* You may want to use your flash during the day to remove shadows.

* Capture people. I love landscapes/cityscapes, but you really capture the feel of the place you are visiting with portraits.

* Stick around for sunset. Also, dusk is a great time to take night pictures.

New Orleans