Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park in Grand Cayman is a photographer’s paradise! Strolling along its meandering paths you’ll discover beautiful Cayman Blue-throated Anoles…
a tranquil pond filled with flowering water lilies…
a baby blue wooden bridge…
brightly colored potted flowers beneath vibrant wooden trellises…
Winding paths bordered with exotic plants…
The best time to visit Stingray City at Grand Cayman Island is in the early morning, before the cruise ship crowds arrive and before the Stingrays have been hand fed from everyone later in the day! We chose Red Sail Sports to boat out to the area that’s called Stingray City. Although the catamaran could hold 70, there were only 12 people on board so we were free to spread out and relax. Leaving at 7:30am, the sun was low in the sky…
Upon arrival at 8:30am, my husband and I were the first off the boat. There were only two other small boats there before us. We were instructed to get low in the water and reach our arms out wide to embrace these amazing sea creatures…
I was so excited to have this experience and enjoyed feeling their smooth undersides. The underlying sense of danger made me feel alive!
Grand Cayman Island is a warm and lovely place to escape the cold! My husband and I have friends that live there (“friends in all the right places”) and are visiting them for the week. They took us for a tour of the island on Monday. Although it’s quite small, 20 miles long x 4 miles wide, it takes a while to travel from spot to spot. My husband was a bit unnerved with driving on the “wrong” side of the road. Our friends both work, so we’ve spent time at the dazzling blue beach in front of their condo and the sparkling clear pool during their absence.
We took a six-mile hike along seven mile beach and saw a variety of birds…
The resident rooster at their condo…
The beach seems to stretch forever…
Looking back at my photographs from 2015, the year was filled with fun, family, friends, and travel! In the Spring, I drove to Amish country in northern Ohio from Cincinnati and had a wonderful day taking photographs of the lovely countryside!
In August, my annual girls’ weekend at Put-in-Bay, Ohio was so much fun! Last year we had a blast there and decided to return.
My travel business “Travel Spirit Meetup” is growing with over 300 members and in September I took six people to the Mediterranean coast where we hiked along the Lycian Way trail and explored the cute villages. Our second stop to Istanbul exceeded all expectations! Turkish people are so friendly!
The view from our hike along the Lycian Way near Fethiye, Turkey…
I also spent an amazing week in Ireland and Scotland! Edinburgh, Scotland‘s architecture and history can’t be beat!
The ha’ penny bridge in Dublin, Ireland…
Ringing in the New Year, two girlfriends and I spent a week in the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers, Florida area.
Continuing to work as a photographer for Cincinnati Refined, I had 36 photography assignments and wrote nine travel articles. One of the assignments was for the ReelAbilities Film Festival and was excited to photograph Marlee Matlin, Nick Clooney, and his wife.
Laurie Holden from the Walking Dead at King’s Island, Ohio…
The Prohibition Party…
The Urban Trials held at Yeatman’s Cove, Cincinnati…
and the Thanksgiving Day 10k race…to name a few.
I photographed a friend’s birthday party for one of her daughters through my photography business “Sherry Lachelle Photography“.
My first outdoor wedding…
Senior Portraits…
Spending time with family was special! For one of our family get-togethers, my husband and I took our son and his girlfriend to the Museum Center in Cincinnati and we spent an afternoon along the Ohio River.
Our extended family Christmas: My brother (2nd from left), his wife in front of him, my husband (next to me…but you can’t see his face), my brother’s ex-wife on the left and her husband behind her, her brother on the far right, my niece and nephew, and a high school exchange student from Norway.
I prepared lots of recipes this year and enjoyed hiking, biking, trail jogging, yoga, and boating! I attended lots of parties, big and small.
Some of my favorite books this year: The Storyteller, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, A House in the Sky, I know why the Caged Bird Sings, The Goldfinch, Calling me Home, The House Girl, The Enchanted, The Nightingale, Little Bee, The Time Keeper, Secrets of a Charmed Life, and Grandma Gatewood’s Walk.
I can’t wait to see what 2016 brings! Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and thank you so much for your support! xoxoxo
~Sherry
I found some inspirational quotes for all women and especially young women!
“You are more powerful than you know; you are beautiful just as you are.” ~ Melissa Etheridge
“Forget about the fast lane. If you really want to fly, just harness your power to your passion” ~ Oprah Winfrey
“Do you want to meet the love of your life? Look in the mirror.” ~ Byron Katie
“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.” ~ Emma Stone Continue reading
On assignment for Cincinnati Refined, I recently took photos in downtown Cincinnati of an event called Macy’s Downtown Dazzle. Arriving early I captured my required “posed people” shots before Santa was due to rappel down the side of Macy’s Department store.
The atmosphere was festive! Ice skaters at Fountain Square were fun to watch!
A cup of hot chocolate warms you from the inside!
I finally made it out to take photos of a local band called Johnny Fink and the Intrusion last night at the Mansion Hill Tavern in Newport, Kentucky. If you like Blues music, you’ll love them! When they first started playing I couldn’t help but dance!
I’m having fun experimenting in low light settings with my new full frame Nikon 750 camera.
This is Johnny Fink’s girlfriend. Beautiful lady!
This year’s Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo was spectacular! My husband and I went last night before the weather becomes too cold and loved all of the dazzling and colorful lights!
After walking through this tunnel of white lights, you’ll see the tree up above.
Upon entrance into the Cincinnati Zoo, their huge Christmas tree takes center stage!
I was especially impressed with the sound and light display on the lake! The lights would change shapes and colors in time to the music. See all of the ducks swimming?
This tunnel of rainbow colors is new…
If you get hungry, there are plenty of little shops to stop and purchase cookies, hot nuts, s’mores, pizza, and of course, hot chocolate!
The children love to ride the choo choo train!
It’s almost that time of year again…Christmas! Time to be with family and continue old traditions or begin new ones. Last night I was on assignment with Cincinnati Refined to take photos of the Neiderman Family Farm Holiday Light Display in Liberty Township, Ohio. If you live in the area, I highly recommend a visit. It’s free, but donations are appreciated.
You begin the 5 block walk (configured in a square) here…
Bible verses are displayed with colorful holiday lights!
The manger scene is beautiful…
The 106th annual Thanksgiving Day 10K Race was held in Cincinnati yesterday and I was excited to be taking photographs for Cincinnati Refined. Arriving early, I took my requisite posed shots of people, and made my way through the 17,000 runners to the start line. Shooting action shots is exciting and having just purchased a new full-frame Nikon D750 recently, I was anxious to test it out on a race!
Many of the runners/walkers were decked out in festive costumes!
The race was well-organized with signs displaying various running speeds so that the fastest could be in the front. Here they were warming up.
With a minute or two to go, I ventured into the center of the course to capture this photo…
These camels were on display in the village near where my group and I were staying in Kayakoy, Turkey. I’ve ridden a camel in Egypt and have to say I found it to be the least comfortable animal for transport.
But with a face like this…
I was in the midst of speaking with a man about how to get to the tombs of Fethiye when I turned around and saw this lovely painting on the steps.
For the equivalent of $7.00 I had my hair shampooed and blow dried in Istanbul. I didn’t bring my flat iron with me on the trip due to weight and it was nice to get rid of the frizzies for a few days!
In the town of Fethiye…
This kitty was near Kayakoy…
No matter where you are, there is beauty!
The Galata Bridge in Istanbul is symbolic of the link between the traditional old city of Istanbul and neighborhoods to the east that are largely non-Muslim. The bridge spans the Golden Horn (the primary inlet of the Bosphorus) and has been rebuilt five times. These are some of the sites I saw on either side of the bridge and on the bridge itself.
I believe we were headed towards Takism Square here…
I’m also a collector of street graffiti “art”!
Nice view of the Bosphorus…
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The fishing must be excellent!
Sights like this, a cat plumped down in the middle of a table of belts, enriched my visit to Istanbul and created such a fun and surprising atmosphere!
When you pick apart a scene like this to understand why it seems foreign to someone from America, the things that stand out to me are: the cart (it’s unlike those from America), the way the man is dressed on the right, with a long apron, the man in the background carrying a box on his head, the cobblestones, and the foreign signs on the building across the street.
Love this guy’s spirit!!
Each day after taking my group to the included sites on our itinerary, we would split up into groups. Being a photographer, I usually prefer sight-seeing on my own. That way, I’m not worried about holding people up or having to wait while someone goes shopping (ugh). Most afternoons I would head off on my own and on this particular day, I was trying to find better angles of the Blue Mosque and also somewhere to have a nice lunch. There was a man by himself, seated outside of a hotel/restaurant in a somewhat solitary part of town. I asked him if the food was good at the restaurant and he highly recommended it. Oh my, he didn’t tell me what a magnificent view there would be!
I ordered Sea Bass (I think), which was very good and had a nice glass of white wine while taking in my beautiful surroundings!
What’s funny is I thought this was the Blue Mosque that I had such a wonderful view of, but actually it was Hagia Sophia!
Dating back to the 6th Century, the Hagia Sophia Museum (Holy Wisdom) is one of the most impressive and important buildings in the world! Hagia Sophia was converted from a church to a museum in 1935. It was the largest church ever built until St Peter’s Basilica was constructed in Rome 1000 years later. It is the most visited site in Turkey with over 3.5 million visitors in 2014!
I visited the day after seeing the Blue Mosque and was surprised at how awe-inspiring the Hagia Sophia is in comparison!
It literally leaves you speechless!
That’s gold in the ceiling!
It is so stunning and I loved taking photographs inside…the way people’s shadows made shapes on the floor. Maybe you know what I mean, that some places you’re much more excited to be taking photographs in than others.
Sherry Lachelle Travels 