BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY

BROKE DOWN ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY - Sometimes, in spite of meticulous planning, things just go wrong. So it was during my trip to Ecuador in 2009. As myself and my fellow participants in Chuck Feil's Tao of Photography Workshop in Ecuador were enroute to meet up with a tour boat that would carry us to Isla de la Plata (the Isle of Silver) to shoot exotic wildlife, our vehicle broke down. The whole idea of being part of a tour group of this type is that you can concentrate on the photo shoot knowing that everything will go according to plan with no unwelcome surprises. Still, as the Scottish bard wrote, "... The best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray.", or something like that. Or, to put it a bit more bluntly, "Sometimes SHIT HAPPENS." So it was on the day of our trip to the island. What turned out to be a flat tire was fixable. But it meant that we would miss our connection with the tour boat, meaning that our trip to the Isle of Silver was KAPUT. Then a miracle occurred. The other group that was scheduled to leave on the same boat was also running late. Under the circumstances, the tour company was more than happy to accommodate everybody. So, despite the breakdown, everything went as planned. The moral of this little story is that one should roll with the punches. Or, to put it another way, don't sweat the little things. The chance to photograph an exotic locale is a once in a lifetime experience for most people. So the last thing you want to do is to let minor glitches derail the experience. In other words, "CHILL OUT DUDE." LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

PROUD PHOTOGRAPHY - AN ONLINE COURSE AT A BARGAIN PRICE

PROUD PHOTOGRAPHY - AN ONLINE COURSE AT A BARGAIN PRICE - I came across an item the other day that I feel I should pass on to you. Before I do so though, I need to make a couple of statements. First the recommendation I'm making in this article is not based on my having actually taken the course. Second, I have received no compensation for making this recommendation. I'm recommending the Proud Photography course with a caveat. If this really is an interactive online photography course as described in the company's website, then at the price being quoted, the course is a bargain and half that again. In fact, the price for this course almost led me to dismiss it as a scam. If you're interested in taking a well rounded photography course online, go to www.proudphotography.com. Again, this is not a review of the course. It's only a recommendation based on what appears on the company's website and a cursory investigation of the claims made. But my gut feeling is that this is legit. So check it out. I think you'll be downright shocked at what you get for your money. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

PEOPLE OF ARIZONA - IT'S TIME TO COME TO OUR SENSES

PEOPLE OF ARIZONA - IT'S TIME TO COME TO OUR SENSES - THE IMAGE ILLUSTRATING THIS ARTICLE IS ONE OF MANY I HAVE TAKEN OF U.S. CONGRESSWOMAN GABRIELLE (GABBY) GIFFORDS. AS VIRTUALLY EVERYONE IN THE U. S. AND A GREAT MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE AWARE, GABBY AND SEVERAL OTHER PEOPLE ATTENDING A 'MEET & GREET' OUTSIDE A SAFEWAY SUPER MARKET IN TUCSON ARIZONA YESTERDAY WERE SAVAGELY GUNNED DOWN BY A DERANGED KILLER. WHY WOULD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPEN IN ARIZONA? WE NEED LOOK NO FURTHER THAN THE IGNORANT AND HATEFUL PEOPLE THAT POPULATE OUR STATE. AND NO, I DO NOT MEAN TO IMPLY THAT ALL, OR EVEN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE IN ARIZONA FALL INTO THIS CATEGORY. BUT WAY TOO MANY DO. I ATTENDED A MEETING THAT GABBY HELD IN SIERRA VISTA PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION. I WAS APPALLED BY THE HATEFUL AND IGNORANT PEOPLE WHO FILLED THE AUDITORIUM. THERE ARE CERTAINLY TWO SIDES TO AN ISSUE. AND THESE PEOPLE HAD A RIGHT TO THEIR OPINIONS. HOWEVER, THE IDEA THAT THE WAY TO CONDUCT YOURSELF AT SUCH A MEETING WAS SIMPLY TO TRY TO YELL, BOO, HISS AND MAKE OBSCENE NOISES IN SUCH A LOUD MANNER AS TO DROWN OUT ANY INTELLIGENT VERBAL INTERCOURSE ONLY SHOWS THAT YOU ARE AN IGNORANT BUFFOON. IT DOESN'T WIN AN ARGUMENT. IT WAS APPARENT THAT THESE PEOPLE DID NOT COME TO EXPRESS AN HONEST OPINION. THEY SIMPLY CAME TO SPEW HATE AND VITRIOL. AND THE SADDEST THING OF ALL IS THAT SOME OF THE WORST OF THE LOONIE TUNES AND SPEWERS OF HATE AND IGNORANCE ARE SITTING IN THE ARIZONA STATE LEGISLATURE. AGAIN, MANY OF THESE LAWMAKERS, LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE AND IN BETWEEN ARE FINE PEOPLE TRYING TO MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION. BUT FAR TOO MANY ARE SIMPLY EVIL OR MISGUIDED PURVEYORS OF HATRED , PREJUDICE AND IGNORANCE. IT IS PAST TIME THAT WE THE PEOPLE DEMAND OF OURSELVES AND OUR LEADERS THAT WE COMPORT OURSELVES AS GOOD UPSTANDING CITIZENS. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, BUT CAN'T WE AT LEAST STOP CALLING EACH OTHER VILE NAMES? AND PLEASE, CAN'T OUR LEGISLATORS LEGISLATE LAWS THAT ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE PEOPLE OF ARIZONA AND CEASE TRYING TO PASS UNCONSTITUTIONAL NIT WIT 'LAWS' LIKE THE ONE THAT WOULD OUTLAW THE USE OF THE WORD SOLSTICE BECAUSE IT DOESN'T APPEAR IN THE HOLY BIBLE OR BOOK OF MORMON? THESE PEOPLE, MANY OF THEM IN LEADERSHIP IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE, ARE NOT RATIONAL LAWMAKERS. THEY'RE MENTALLY DERANGED INCOMPETENTS. DOES THAT SEEM A BIT HARSH? WELL, BEAR IN MIND THAT THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO INSIST THAT INCONTROVERTIBLE SCIENTIFIC FACT (THE EXISTENCE OF WINTER & SUMMER SOLSTICES) IS A PAGAN MYTH AND HOMOSEXUAL PLOT. LET'S GET REAL FOLKS. LET'S LABEL THESE PEOPLE FOR WHAT THEY ARE, MINDLESS BIGOTS. THEN, NEXT ELECTION, LET'S VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE. THAT WAY YOU AND I CAN STOP WORRYING THAT OUR STATE IS GOING TO HELL IN A HAND BASKET AND GET BACK TO TAKING PICTURES. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS PHOTOGRAPHY

FLORAL ABSTRACTS - THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

FLORAL ABSTRACTS - THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX - I shot the image that illustrates this article in Chiang Mai Thailand during the annual Flower Festival. This image is, to me, reminiscent of thick daubs of acrylic paint applied to canvas with a palette knife. While straight shots of flowers can produce marvelous images, sometimes thinking outside the box can take your photography to new levels. Flowers, by their very nature, often result in beautiful and intriguing images of an abstract nature. The next time you're out photographing flowers, try your hand at capturing these abstract forms rather than just strait images. And remember, don't take the whole thing too seriously. Just have fun and see what happens. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

TEMPLE GUARDIANt

TEMPLE GUARDIAN - This temple guardian statue is one of two, virtually identical, that stand guard over a very old Buddhist temple located in Chiang Mai, Thailand just north of the moat, huge gate and remains of a wall that surrounded the original 700 year old city. The golden light shining from one side of the statue endows it with almost a life of its own. The time of day, the cloudless sky and a slight amount of post processing combine to produce this extraordinary effect. The statue seems miraculously to almost come alive. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

HAPPY NEW YEAR

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

PHOTOGRAPHING EXOTIC LOCALES THE EASY WAY

PHOTOGRAPHING EXOTIC LOCALES THE EASY WAY - TAKE A WORKSHOP - The photograph illustrating this article was taken by yours truly in northern Thailand where I was privileged to participate in a ten day photography workshop. Pictured are Chuck Feil, the workshop facilitator and workshop participant Curt Stetter aboard an Asian elephant bound for a remote hill tribe village. When traveling to a remote locale, there are distinct advantages to a photography workshop as opposed to either traveling on your own or as part of a tour group. Attempting to find your way around alone in a strange land can be quite frustrating and, in some instances, dangerous. Traveling with a tour group has advantages. However, with a group that is not focused on photography, your options for capturing the locale on film (or sensor) are still quite limited. With a good photo workshop, you're accessing the talent and expertize of a trained professional who is also familiar with the locale you're visiting. Workshops offer you an environment in which you can work with the confidence that comes from knowing that the nuts and bolts involved in putting together a photo excursion to say the African Congo have been attended to. You can then focus on the job of capturing great images. You'll also be learning from an experienced professional and bonding with other workshop participants. And yes, a two week long workshop in India is going to be relatively expensive. But it will also reward you with an experience you'll never forget, perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience what it's like to photo document s far away land and its native culture. So dive into the deep end of the pool. Research what's available and choose a workshop that suits your needs, then go for it. I promise, you won't be disappointed. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY