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Iceland

I spent 3 weeks in Iceland in September — two on a photography workshop exploring the island’s volcanic highlands and one with Martha visiting the southern tourist spots. The workshop was lead by Erin Babnik (my third one with her) and we explored the southern highlands of Iceland during early September. Iceland has become a very popular photographer destination and Bend friend, Andy, & I were excited to check it out. The workshop consisted of 9 photographers, and 3 co-leaders — Erin, together with two French photographers with extensive Iceland experience. And we were all ably supported by two Icelandic guides, driving two large off-road 4×4 vehicles. Our days were spent driving the rough highland “F” roads and nights were in beautifully situated highland huts. The highlands are a stark out-of-this-world volcanic landscape, filled with an unbelievable amount of water in glacial-fed rivers & lakes, and with little vegetation other than lots of vibrant green moss. It is also known for its extreme and rapidly changing weather — we experienced sun, rain, & snow all within an hour, and two long days of continuous heavy rain & wind. But, best of all, we had many locations all to ourselves!

After the photography workshop, Marcia & Martha joined Andy & me for a short week of exploring the Golden Circle and South Coast tourist areas. Little serious photography occurred due to only midday excursions and the presence of MANY other tourists. Iceland is an incredible location, but is also an incredible tourist magnet — their 350,000 inhabitants saw 7 million tourists last year!

The galleries of my images can be found here: Iceland Galleries

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The Palouse

I just returned from my second trip to The Palouse in SE Washington and I found it quite different from 8 years ago (2010 trip gallery). Both visits were taken in the first week of June, when the crops are in their “new green” phase. But in 2010 there was more texture and contrast in the fields — more different shades of green and more not-yet-planted patterns of dark fields. I also found many of my favorite barns now in sad disrepair and not very photogenic this time around. Lastly, the number of photographers, especially in workshops, who now visit have resulted in many “relic sites” now off limits. Nonetheless, the two days were both enjoyable & productive.

The resulting image gallery can be found here: Palouse Gallery

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Morocco

Early this year, we decided to spend two weeks in Morocco in late March, after a month at our Provence shared house. After a bit of research, we enlisted Journey Beyond Travel to organize a personalized trip for us and our Portland friends, Ann & Bill, with a focus on Morocco’s unique interior. The resulting trip was a wild success in many respects, some of which were:

  • A great sampling of this incredibly diverse country, from lush agricultural to dry desert areas.
  • Great guides who often got us off the “beaten path,” giving us local cultural experiences.
  • Fantastic traditional riads for lodging.
  • Brahim, our excellent driver/guide who was an absolute joy to spend two weeks with and get to know.

On the photographic front, the trip was definitely not photographically focused. But I found Morocco to be full of easily-nabbed, photogenic locations. As a result, I brought home a surprising number of pleasing images, without the usual expenditure of time and effort.

The resulting image galleries can be found here: Morocco Galleries

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