15 Extraordinary Experiences to add to your Bucket List

There are some destinations and experiences in life that are etched into your memory and looking back at the photographs tends to rekindle the wanderlust that’s burning in your soul! It may have been the exotic aromas wafting through the air, the peaceful and serene feelings evoked, the indescribable beauty of the landscape, or the delightful people; most likely a fusion of these events served to secure their designation as extraordinary for you. These are a few of my amazing experiences.

Okavango Delta, Botswana, Africa

Ears tuned to the varied wildlife within the Okavango Delta, leaning against a pillow in a traditional dugout mokoro canoe, transported through the shallow waters with the lulling sound of poles dipping in and out of the water, I was living in the moment.

Bucket List 1

Petra, Jordan

Emerging from the mile long narrow “Siq” trail with rocks towering over 250 feet on each side, the stunning “Treasury”, carved into the sandstone cliff face dating back to the 5th century, leaves you breathless!

Bucket List 2

Sossusvlei Dunes, Namibia, Africa

Ready for some adventure? Try walking the spine of Dune 45 in the Namid Desert at sunrise. It’s only 557 feet tall and you’ll be tromping through sand that is 5 million years old. The views are otherworldly!

Bucket List 3

Deadvlei Salt Pan, Namibia, Africa

Believed to be about 900 years old, the dead skeleton trees are set off by the contrasting colors of burnt orange sand, biscuit cracked earth, and cobalt blue sky!

Bucket List 4

Gudvangen Fjord, Norway Continue reading

Baby Lockland

My newborn baby photography session on Saturday was extraordinary, sweet, draining, and funny!  I drove 45 minutes to the client’s home and luckily they had a huge window in the living room that provided spectacular natural light.  While the mother was finishing feeding the baby, I took some photos of their very active and darling three-year old daughter.  But first, I’ll show you some of my favorites of the baby.  I initially told my friend (the Grandmother) that we should set the appointment up for the photos when he was two to three weeks old.  This being my first newborn photo shoot, I didn’t realize until later that the pros recommend taking the photos when the newborn is 10 to 14 days old.  Lockland is 3 1/2 weeks old, so he wasn’t quite as sleepy and flexible, but he did great!  After checking out poses on Pinterest to come up with some ideas, I brought a large wicker basket with me and took this shot…

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The Grandmother brought a large Christmas stocking for us to place the baby in.  It looks like he’s saying “ho..ho..ho”!

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Of course, I used Lightroom to soften his baby acne…

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My brother and family

This past weekend, I had fun taking photographs of my brother, sister-in-law, nephew and niece.  The weather wasn’t suitable for outside shots, so we racked our brains trying to think of places to get some cool and interesting photos.  We finally decided to meet in Downtown Cincinnati and check out some of the hotels.  This fun Christmas shot was taken in the Westin Hotel lobby.  It took a while because people kept walking behind them!

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There’s a skywalk that provided good lighting…

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What’s Been Goin’ On…

It’s been a busy 10 days, but I wanted to catch you up on what’s been going on with me lately.  In addition to the previous senior photo shoots of Sami Jo and Vivian, I attended a Bengals football party at a friends’ house, but didn’t watch a minute of the game.  I’m not much of a sports watching fan.  I enjoy the conversation with friends at parties and love to be active, hiking, jogging, biking, etc.  I contacted an acquaintance, who is a model, to see if he’d like to meetup at an area park for a quick outdoor photo shoot and to get to know each other a bit better.  He usually does magazine or runway modeling, so I thought a fun casual shoot might be a change of pace for him.  Isn’t he cute…

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Vivian

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”  ~Marianne Williamson

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“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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“To love yourself right now, just as you are, is to give yourself heaven. Don’t wait until you die. If you wait, you die now. If you love, you live now.”  ~Alan Cohen

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“When virtue and modesty enlighten her charms, the lustre of a beautiful woman is brighter than the stars of heaven, and the influence of her power it is in vain to resist.” ~Akhenaton Continue reading

Hula Hoop Girl

I introduced you to Sami Jo in yesterday’s post and wanted to share some of her hula hooping photos from our Senior Photo shoot…

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It’s refreshing to watch someone engage in an activity they’re passionate about…

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Sami Jo

“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”  ~Henry Ward Beecher

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“The soul is healed by being with children.”~Fyodor Dostoyevsky

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“Children see magic because they look for it.” ~Christopher Moore

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“Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” ~Lady Bird Johnson Continue reading

Rock House at Hocking Hills State Park

Hiking to the Rock House at Hocking Hills State Park, these pumpkin colored mushrooms were a delightful surprise!

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Ash Cave and Cedar Falls

The weather forecast for Day two of our Hocking Hills hiking adventure predicted rain late in the day, so unlike the previous day, we left our rain coats, umbrellas, and waterproof camera bags back at the cabin, because we started out early.  Mistake!  While taking in the amazing scenery at Ash Cave it began to pour rain.  Fortunately for me, I was lagging behind taking photographs, under the shelter of Ash Cave, while my girlfriends were caught in the deluge.  Not a bad place to get stuck for 10 minutes!

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We ran into a photographer who was kind enough to take our photograph before the rain.  Even Evan (the dog) posed for the camera…

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The 1/2 mile trail at Cedar Falls leads to the waterfall….

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The sloped forest hillside afforded beautiful photography opportunities…

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Our cabin’s location (only a few miles from Cedar Falls) made it convenient to head back there for lunch before our afternoon hiking at the stunning Rock House, which I’ll save for tomorrow!

 

Hocking Hills Autumn Splendor

A quick two-day mid-week trip to Hocking Hills State Park for hiking followed by soaking in a hot tub with girlfriends was just what the doctor ordered!  Located in Southeastern Ohio, 2 1/2 hours from Cincinnati, the rugged cliffs, breathtaking gorges, cascading waterfalls, and flourishing forests of Hocking Hills State Park, afford visitors a pristine outdoor wonderland.  Our first hike was to Old Man’s Cave.  The well-marked one mile round trip trail, includes both man-made and natural steps.  The view from inside the mouth of the wide cave looks down onto a small stream and stone bridge…

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Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year to visit this park…

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Gretchen

Photographing young people is one of my favorite things to do.  Most have such an open spirit and a fresh optimism that’s contagious.  Gretchen is beautiful both inside and out and was a joy to photograph!

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A brother and sister accompanied her for the shoot and helped me with the props and eagerly threw leaves on her when requested…

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She will be twelves years old soon and these photographs were to celebrate that milestone.  This was the last photo I took.  I saw a children’s slide and had her bolster herself on it while I stood above to capture the shot.

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We went down by the creek for some photographs.  She forgot shoes to match her other outfit and went barefoot although it was quite chilly out.

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I hope to retain the qualities that children possess!

Beautiful Woman

I had the opportunity yesterday to photograph a beautiful woman.  Her name is Carrie Kondor and she was referred to me by the Yoga instructor that I recently took photos for.  Carrie is starting her own business.  She teaches meditation, yoga, and some type of healing; wherein while the person is lying down, she beats a drum to open their chakras.  She reminds me of a cross between Carly Simon and Seane Corn (whom she admires).

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Doesn’t she have a great smile…so full of life!

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She arrived with a variety of outfits and colorful scarves…

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The Search for Autumn

My latest assignment for Cincinnati Refined was to find the most colorful “leaf popping” streets within selected Cincinnati neighborhoods, so off I went, on a 40 mile journey and was amazed that I only found a few colorful trees!  It seems that Autumn is arriving late.  This was the most vibrant tree…

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A peek at a bit more of “the” tree…

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On the way home, this bean field and sky shouted for me to stop…

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So…I’ll be going out again next week hunting for Autumn!

Foggy Morning

I woke before dawn and made my morning coffee.  Peering out the window, everything was encased in fog.  I hastily threw on a jacket over my pajamas, grabbed my tripod and camera, and wandered down the lane in my house slippers to capture the beauty.

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Do you have a favorite?

Gaining Perspective

I received a notice on my blog that someone linked to one of my blog posts entitled “Children of Africa“.  After reading their site, I felt compelled to link to their page here and I commented:

“I give monthly to “Love 146″; an organization that helps victims of sexual trafficking. I’m a very positive person, but have an underlying sense of sadness that remains despite my “good” life. I believe we’re all connected and somehow feel deep in our soul the pain that so many people endure. :(“