tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-274062572024-03-06T23:23:03.686-08:00Through The LensLorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.comBlogger363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-22028671792176325292012-04-07T13:01:00.004-07:002012-04-07T14:31:26.241-07:00NSW: Bondi BeachDay 3 of our Sydney adventure continues, by now we were falling into a nice routine. Ill spare you the long and boring details, lets just say that we woke up early got ready and headed out, past the creepy cemetery and to the creepy train station. Yep still deserted but no zombies in sight, this only further cements the fact that i have seen wayyyyyy to many movies. This day was pretty uneventful, our plan was to hit up Bondi Beach i mean we had been in Australia over a week and still had not gone to the beach.....well thats just not at all acceptable!! 1st though. Remember Cha Time? That little asian tea place that we found the day before? Remember how much we loved it and i vowed we would return? Yeah it happened! Priorities first right, i mean why walk around on a hot day if you don't have a delicious iced green tea thing infused with other fruit flavor goodness to make life bearable. So yeah, Cha Time in hand and we were off to Bondi! Our journey came to a screeching halt though when we had to get oe a bus and realized that all of Sydney wanted to go to Bondi as well. Gotta pay your dues in order to get to the prize i suppose, so there we were in this bus depot surrounded by a bunch of sweaty people waiting for the next bus. I should have mooed like a cow cus it really wasn't far from the truth. While we waited we were treated to watching an Asian guy trying to force his way onto the bus by cutting in line or as the Aussies call it "jumping the queue" I will admit that it took me a while to catch on to what this term meant. When i first heard it i was so confused, i thought that there was a big letter Q on the ground that i wasn't seeing and people where jumping over it or something. Needless to say that i felt like a total idiot when i finally caught on. I learned something standing in that station surrounded by sweaty teenagers and 20 somethings......Australians are really laid back. You always hear of how laid back they are but never think that its actually true. Well its true, take this situation for example they all saw the guy trying to cut in front of the line but nobody really cared. They saw him, laughed and then went on about their business. If this were happening here in the states oh man that guy better watch out cus someones going to go ballistic on him. I must admit that i do get ticked off at stuff like that and get into this mode of "Look at this guy cutting in line! PREPOSTEROUS!! How dare you sir?! What gives you the right?! IM ZO!!!! and the 30 seconds that you are are stealing from me by cutting in front......yeah i want them back or else I'm gonna bring the pain!!" Ok not that dramatic but you know what i mean, in the end it all worked out. He tried to get on the bus, the driver laughed at him and kicked him off which in turn made all of us laugh at him.....it was a wonderful moment. So on the bus we were and finally on our way to the beach, we finally got there and the water was absolutely beautiful. Holy cow though! IT WAS CROWDED!!!! It felt like there was barely any place to move, we walked around for a little while. jen was somewhat reluctant to to go into the water not because she was afraid of it but because i had about 50 grand worth of gear in my back pack and it a little unnerving to leave it on the beach with so many people around. We almost left with out going in the water but that would have been silly, so i convinced jen that we should go for a swim. We found a spot close to the water and went for a dip, the water was awesome. Clear blue green ocean, beautiful sunny day with a few puffy clouds here and there, water was a little chillier than expected but very refreshing. Despite the crowds it was a fantastic 1st swim in Australia :) The area was very beautiful, long stretch of sand, a nice albeit crowded area to walk above the sand and off in the distance houses on the side of the cliffs that invoke great jealousy. Along the boardwalk there were a bunch of vendors that had everything from surfboards to umbrellas for hire (for rent). Definitely a very energetic scene, or an introverts worst nightmare. We spent pretty much the entire afternoon here people watching and sun baking ( laying out ) it was very relaxing. Eventually hunger reared it ugly head and we headed out. We looked for a coffee shop that was recommended by a friend who had been there before but it turned out to be closed. So we made the journey back to the city and went to Darling Harbour where we perused the menus of the many restaurant along the water front. Eventually we picked a place that sounded good and had a tasty meal, Jen had lobster and i ordered a burger. I was excited for my burger and a little scared at the same time, it wasn't anything crazy or anything but Australians make their burgers with a slice of red beet. When you're used to something as time honored as a burger it a little difficult to deviate and try something new. Still i tried it and found it surprisingly delicious! Full and happy and the sun having set we decided that we were pooped and headed back. We headed back exhausted but happy and ready for another day......<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/7052199285/" title="Bondi Beach Pano1 flat by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7274/7052199285_d3b475b520_z.jpg" width="700" height="201" alt="Bondi Beach Pano1 flat"></a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Train-Stations-0046-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Train-Stations-0047-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0019-12-30-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0018-12-30-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0027-12-30-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0016-12-30-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0025-12-30-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0024-12-30-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi-Beach-0022-12-30-2011.jpg"/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-52859212044491214572012-04-05T16:17:00.004-07:002012-04-06T01:41:46.874-07:00Lake Calaveras in bloom.....A few weeks ago i posted a blog entry with some wildflowers that i went out to shoot. Spring continues forward and everywhere there are patches of color, some are huge fields of yellow flowers while others are tiny flowers that you have to hunt for. I decided to go out in search of more flowers to photograph and take advantage of this time before summer hits and they all wilt and die. My wife and i have been hiking and running with out dogs in some of the back trails at Lake Calavera, last few times we have gone i haven't taken my gear. This gave me an opportunity to just explore and see what areas i would want to visit, yesterday i decided to go out and actually shoot. It was fantastic!! Nice 2 mile hike in and not a person and site and some beautiful light and i was practically in heaven. I plan to go out a few more times and try to capture as much as i can get. I really encourage all of you reading this to go out and explore, i know that i keep saying this but i really feel that its important for us to go out and truly learn to appreciate the beauty of our home. If we don't take the time to do so we will never know what we could lose in the name of human progress. ENJOY!!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0469-04-04-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0336-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0344-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0356-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0375-04-04-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0379-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0396-04-04-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0403-04-04-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0418-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0430-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0446-04-04-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0454-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0460-04-04-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0314-04-04-2012.jpg"/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-71438862406351336532012-03-24T10:42:00.001-07:002012-03-24T10:44:32.739-07:00Coming soon....Up next on our Australian adventure....<br /><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Train-Stations-0046-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br />Stay tuned :)Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-48758508761899851582012-03-20T23:01:00.005-07:002012-04-06T01:44:18.651-07:00Spring has officially arrived!!It is official, spring is finally here! Say goodbye to the cold and windy days of winter and trade your warm coats for shorts and flip flops.......its time to bask in the sun. Wild flowers are blooming everywhere do yourself a favor and get out to see them, it'll put a big smile on your face. I guarantee it :)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0039-03-20-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0048-03-20-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0051-03-20-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0088-03-20-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0007-03-20-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Manzano-Dr-Field-0096-03-20-2012.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-46783628803165886902012-03-18T19:10:00.005-07:002012-04-06T01:46:39.351-07:00NSW: Sydney Fish Market, Royal Botanic Gardens & McQuaries PointAs you can see it has been a while since my last post, the inevitable business of the California life has set in and i have had very little time. Still i want to continue with this journey and hope that you will join me along the way. So it may take a while but i will eventually get through our Australia trip, i do have some other posts that i will do that will break up the continuity of the blog as i am working on a little personal project......but more on that later. Also a big thank you to my wife as she was a huge help to me in figuring out what the heck we did on day two. She kept a journal of our trip and it was absolutely invaluable as my memories are complete mush now and i can't remember what happened from day to day. Ok! So day 2.........We got up early, despite our exhaustion from the previous night we were up and ready to face the day. Early mornings were becoming the trend of the trip and they had to be if we were going to be able to do anything and keep to our schedule. If any of you know me well you probably know that i am not what you would call a morning person, and unless you have a big cup of coffee in hand to bring as an offering it is generally advised that you do not disturb my slumber. Strangely enough though i found it fairly easy to get up in the morning while in Australia. Getting up was a bit disorienting the first week and a half or so, i would wake up thinking that i would see my bed and my dogs and when i didn't i had that feeling of "where the heck am i?" Slowly i got used to the fact that we were living in a camper van and that no i wasn't kidnapped by terrorists. So after catching my bearings we made some coffee and ate a quick breakfast of yogurt and fruit and off we were! Begin our hike to the train station, arrive at train station.........still deserted and creepy, be on the lookout for zombies, train arrives and all is well. After our last venture into the city and our trusty iPhones plus a map we were somewhat familiar with the layout and knew what we wanted to do. Todays mission should we choose to accept it (and we did) was to check out the Sydney Fish market and scope out a site from where to watch New Years Eve Fireworks. We got off at our stop and picked our route to see some of the city on our way to the fish market.........but wait.....whats that?! is that an asian tea place i spy with my little eye?! Indeed it is! So we went there 1st, it was a place called Chatime, they had all sorts of Asian drinks like bolba tea (which jen likes for some unknown reason) and for the more normal various green teas mixed with fruit flavors......ummmm yes please! Got our drinks........OMG! DELICIOUS!!! Yeah we would be visiting that place several times again. Off we went to the market and a long the way we check out the harbor area wich had all sorts of fountains and play areas for kids. It was really cool, there were families everywhere, hanging out on the grass, playing at the playground with their kids and little kids swimming in the huge fountains. The cities all seemed to have big central places where people could all get together to hang out, it was really neat to see and really makes me wish that San Diego county had areas like that. i don't know why but we seem to be so antisocial here in the states it really makes for a lonely existence and its depressing to realize this every time we leave california. So we hung out here for a little while and were back on our way, we walked and walked and walked for what seemed like an eternity. I was sore and my backpack weighs a ton with all my gear, it was not really pleasant and on top of that we were hungry but we pushed trough it. Our destination was close, we had read some things here and there about the fish market but didn't really know what to expect. The only thing that we had in our minds was that it was like Pike's Market in Washington but for fish, we were somewhat correct. We were finally there and we saw a lot of seafood restaurants the closer we got to the entrance, there were trucks everywhere taking fish to who knows where and of course tons of birds waiting to get their beaks on some scraps. The crowd became much more dense as we walked towards the entrance, unlike Pike's which has big open areas and parts are outdoors this was all an indoor market. Which makes sense as if you had it outdoors you would be getting attacked from above from all the birds. Finally inside and i could not believe at how many people were there!! They were everywhere that i could barely move a few feet without running into someone. It was complete and utter craziness in there, and everywhere there was people trying to order food yelling at each other because it was so loud in there. It was a complete frenzy of activity everywhere you looked, food orders being called out over microphones, people yelling to get their orders in, employees throwing ice on fish..........i was on overload. The place was big for a fish market but not that big, slowly we moved forward and made our way to see that different places to get food. Despite my introverted nature that made me want to go cower in a dark corner because of the people overload i managed to push through it and get some photos. Once the camera was out i was all business and had a lot of fun shooting, this was the 1st time that i was glad that i had the D700 with me for many technical reasons that i won't get into here but suffice it to say that it allowed me to shoot and get photos that would otherwise not have been as good with my D300. The immense amount of fish and the diversity of it was absolutely amazing. It is unbelievable the incredible amount of diversity that exists in our oceans and that so much of its wildlife provides food for us. Eventually we were able to get some food, we ate some fresh sashimi ahi which was very delicious but not very filling, so we went and ordered a relatively small seafood platter which turned out to be huge and it came with with fish and chips, oysters, shrimp, scallops, octopus and several other things that were all delicious. Full we headed back into the city via train and headed to the botanic gardens, we walked through more of the city exploring different parks and admiring some old buildings. We arrived at the gardens and explored for a little bit stopping to photograph various flowers and plants here and there.......but the real treat was to be what dwelled in the skies. As we moved deeper into the gardens i heard this absolutely terrible sound coming from everywhere, it was an unbelievably annoying squawking sound and i could not figure out what it was or where it was coming from. Then i looked up in the trees and saw that there were cockatoos everywhere! i think i was the only one there that was in the least excited about this because everyone kept looking at me like i was some crazy person being so excited to photograph these birds. Now I've seen cockatoos before in zoos or as pets but to see any kind of animal in the wild is a real treat! As beautiful as these birds are though they have by far the most annoying vocalization on the face of the planet, it is absolutely terrible and they sound like someone is pulling them apart piece by piece. i loved them though and had a great time seeing them interact, my favorite thing though is their feathers on top of their heads. They are so expressive with them and anytime something caught their attention these yellow feathers would stand up......made me smile every time. Alas the one bummer was that i really needed something longer than a 200mm lens......oh well. After all this excitement we continued on and headed to McQuaries point to finish off the the day and catch sunset. McQuaries point was a beautiful area with great views of the harbor and we decided that we would watch the fireworks from here, little did we know what a fiasco that day would be.......but more on that later. For now we just enjoyed the setting sun and the endless beauty of this place and looked forward to another day of adventures. The sunset was beautiful and as the skies darkened the lights of the city came to life and everything took on a completely different energy........cold and hungry we made our way back to the opera house and enjoyed a relaxing dinner. After that we gathered whatever energy we had left and headed back home, again we reached our van and just collapsed happy and satisfied looking forward to another day :)<br /><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0003-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0007-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0009-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0012-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0014-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0015-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0016-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0022-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0026-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0030-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sidney-Fish-Market-0033-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0003-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0006-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0014-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0021-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0026-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0032-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0036-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0045-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0046-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0049-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0050-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal-botanic-gardens-0065-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/McQuaries-Point-0020-12-29-2011-(1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/McQuaries-Point-0055-12-29-2011-(1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/McQuaries-Point-0067-12-29-2011-(1).jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-83193748448072419502012-02-20T14:35:00.000-08:002012-02-20T16:28:59.241-08:00NSW: North Ryde and Sydney HarbourWell after all this time we finally get to the Sydney post, ill be breaking this part of our trip into sections as Sydney was to huge to do it all in one post. We will be here for a while so you'll be seeing sydney for a little bit :) After a quiet night in Albury, we woke up and had a nice quick breakfast and were back on the road for another full day of driving. Sydney was our destination and we were excited to under way, Sydney is just one of those iconic places that you automatically think of when you hear Australia. Its much like NYC in that way, you see it in movies, tv shows, magazines....you name it. Theres a sort of magic that surrounds it and serves to capture the imagination. There is so much to do there, we were there for about a week and barely scratched the surface but in all honesty if you only go to Sydney you're missing out on what Australia has to offer. So on the road we were, the drive was long but pleasant, there was lots of open country and oddly enough as we approached ever closer to the city the landscape changed to big areas of forests and rivers. Definitely not what i had expected as we approached a major city. As we got closer one thing that is prevalent to cities did show up......traffic! Now I'm not a huge fan of traffic but can manage, but traffic through a city is a big source of stress. Cities are all packed into tiny areas and theres tons of people everywhere and not just normal people but stupid people. It seems that the more people you pack into small spaces the propensity for stupidity increases exponentially. Alas it could not be avoided and we had to charge forward stupid people or not. So forward we went, and let me just say that in times like this i am incredibly grateful to have Jen because she plays navigator and does it incredibly well. If it wasn't for her i would probably still be in Australia driving around in circles or driving into a river and eaten by crocs. To my great surprise the drive through the city to our campground was not as bad as i thought it was going to be. It was stressful but i was envisioning thousands of cars everywhere, bumper to bumper traffic, pissed off and screaming people.....you know the works. After 5 hrs of driving though i was exhausted and wanted to stretch and relax. Eventually we arrived to our campsite, it was oddly beautiful to for an RV campsite i mean. Big trees and lots of them and a pattern began to emerge that would continue at pretty much every campground we stayed at. We would see more wildlife at these campgrounds than in most other places we visited, anything from birds, lizards, bugs, possums. It was at this campground that i would meet what is by far my favorite bird of all time, but more on that on a later post. Sadly another pattern also emerged: No campground we stayed at from here on out would come close to the "magic" and simplicity of that open field in Victoria. We made the best of it but always longed to go back.......someday. So we arrived, parked, got situated and had a good stretch and the exhaustion that we were experiencing was completely gone. We were energized by being in a new place to explore and were eager to get our adventures underway. Our campground was in North Ryde which is about 30 minutes outside of Downtown Sydney by train. One of the things that we have fun doing is figuring out different public transportation systems, every city is different and while it can be confusing and frustrating at first it gives you a great sense of accomplishment when you get it down. The train station was about a 10 minute walk from our campground, which doesn't seem like its that bad. But when you're carrying a camera bag that weighs 30-40 lbs it can be brutal especially when you're coming back at midnight and you've been walking all day. To the train station we went, and we arrived it was really creepy. There was no one there! I mean not a single person in sight! Were used to subway stations in NYC were you can't turned 10 inches without someones face being right in your, and all you want to do is to get above ground for a breath of fresh air. Not here, it was deserted, there was an employee in a little booth and he helped us get our passes for the week but other than that it was empty. It was like a scene out of one of those zombie apocalypse movies where everything is deserted and you just see a random newspaper blow across the screen. We sat there creeped out and waited for our train, eventually another person showed up but that was it. The train arrived and we were on our way into the city, the ride was really nice and gave us a chance to sit and relax. Here and there we would look out the window and as we got closer to our destination we could see little glimpses of the harbor. Our excitement grew but it was a frustrating tease to see small areas of the harbor and all you want to see is that iconic view of the Sydney Opera House, that one landmark that has served to identify Australia for many years. We wouldn't have to wait long, as the view eventually opened up to where you could see the harbor and off in the distance was not just the opera house but the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Two huge landmarks right there and yet again we experienced that feeling that drove the fact home WE WERE IN AUSTRALIA!!! I won't lie, i got goosebumps. Seeing the vastness of this place really energized us and we were excited to go explore, we arrived at our stop and made our way down to the waterfront. We realized that we were in the wrong place if we wanted to see the Opera House and bridge especially if we wanted to see it at sunset. Lucky for us Sydney has an incredible public transport system in place at the harbor and you can just catch a ferry to where you need to go. The cost of the ferry was covered by our train pass.....win! We got on the ferry and I'm glad we did because it gave yet another view of the harbor and the bridge which was a lot of fun. I spent most of my time out on the deck shooting tons of photos, the view of the city was just incredible. We made our way around and got to the opera house, it was cool to finally be there seeing this place. To be there and knowing that you can cross something off the list, we had seen it in books in movies and planning for over a year and now here we were at the steps of the opera house. It was very surreal. We stayed here pretty much the entire time as sunset was really close and i wanted to shoot some photos, it was a great way to start our time in Sydney. Sunset came and went and the harbor became even more interesting and beautiful as the light faded and the city lights began to come on. We walked around for a bit still in awe and shock that we were here finally, when before all we could do is wait and it seemed so far away. We took it all in and walked into the opera house, i wish that we could have caught a show there but we were there right in the middle of the holidays and nothing was going on until after we would be gone. Still, it was incredibly beautiful and i discovered that the opera house is meant to look like its sailing across the harbor and when you see it in person from a distance it really does look like its some kind of vessel sailing across the water. It was late now and the rush of energy was quickly fading, we made our way back and got on the train "home". Exhausted beyond belief we dragged ourselves off of our seats and got off at our stop......still deserted and still creepy. The walk back to our van was grueling, being so tired and carrying all that weight was just painful. But we made our way past the cemetery/crematorium, yes you read that right, down the long dark road and got to our van. Tired and happy we passed out as soon as we hit the bed.....soon we would be ready fro a new day and a new adventure.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0005-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0068-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0049-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0057-12-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0047-12-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0043-01-02-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0018-01-02-2012.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane-Cove-River-Tourist-Park-0007-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/North-Ryde-0003-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/North-Ryde-0007-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0023-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0226-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0196-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0179-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0175-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0168-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0124-01-01-2012.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0091-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0080-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0074-12-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0041-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney-Harbor-0035-12-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6792041443/" title="Sydney Harbour pano1 by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6792041443_f993b181db_z.jpg" width="700" height="110" alt="Sydney Harbour pano1"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6792034135/" title="Sydney Harbour Pano 2 by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6792034135_99af05a947_z.jpg" width="700" height="122" alt="Sydney Harbour Pano 2 "></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6913033689/" title="Sydney Harbour Pano 3 flat by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7192/6913033689_b61985273c_z.jpg" width="700" height="297" alt="Sydney Harbour Pano 3 flat"></a>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-86945741079999557812012-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:002012-02-15T20:12:33.965-08:00Coming soon.....The beauty of Sydney Australia!<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/McQuaries-Point-0020-12-29-2011-(1).jpg"/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-54830485904346864432012-02-07T23:22:00.000-08:002012-02-08T00:42:44.755-08:00New South Wales: AlburyAfter an incredible few days in Australia and a very "magical" start to the day in princetown where we saw a field with a herd of kangaroos when we woke up we got on the road and continued our journey. This day was the 1st of a grueling journey to get to Sydney, we had 6hrs of driving ahead of us but we were in high spirits and were just happy to be in Australia. One of the great things about driving in Australia is the fact that there are tons of rest stops everywhere......at least in this part of Oz anyway. It was fairly easy to breakup the drive so we wouldn't go crazy. This makes for a longer day but at least you don't hate each other by the time you reach your destination. The bad thing about driving in Australia is that there is something to see, everywhere you look theres something cool to take a look at. So being the driver can mean a lot of multitasking, which is unbelievably exhausting and finally the one thing that i will never understand about driving in Australia is the speed limits. Australian authorities make a BIG deal about speeding and every 20 kilometers or so you see signs telling you "SLOW DOWN STUPID!!" "SPEEDING KILLS!!" or something along those lines. With all these signs i really could not understand how sometimes the speed limit would be 100 kph ( 62MPH) in unbelievably winding roads in the rain. May not seem that fast for many of you but i wasn't about to make our trip shorter by driving like an idiot. The day was largely uneventful, we drove, stopped, drove some more, stopped and stretched, drove, ate lunch..........you get the idea. My wife and i really did enjoy these drives as it gave us a lot of time to catch up and talk at a level and ease that is difficult sometimes living a busy life with full time jobs. After a full day of driving and lots of open country traversed we finally reached our destination......Albury. This really wasn't anything to write home about, Albury is just a tiny city along the highway but it served well as a place to stay for the night. I was about to discover that every place has its own charm, first though we had to find the stupid campground. One of the incredibly frustrating things about driving in Australia was their road signs or lack thereof, especially when it came to street names. Trying to figure out what the name of the street that you are on or thinking of turning onto is just about impossible and a true lesson in patience of which we quickly ran out of often. Google maps would say one thing, but google and reality would seldom meet so many u turns would be made on our journey. Seriously and i cannot stress this enough but the placement of street signs was just downright idiotic and completely arbitrary! Signs would be on the sides of buildings or maybe on a street light, or hidden behind a tree, NONE OF IT MADE SENSE!! To top it off you would finally find the right street and a little ways down the road it would turn into a completely different street and then into another, many times without any warning! Despite all this we found our way and after someone seeing that we were clearly lost they gave us directions and we found our campground for the night. After parking the van, we realized just how exhausted we were so we decided to just stay where we were and make dinner.......thats when i heard it. Parrots! EVERYWHERE!! At 1st i couldn't figure out where they were and then i saw a big flock of these beautiful red parrots flying around and then more would appear. It was incredible all these beautiful colorful birds..........AT A FLIPPING CAMPGROUND!! There were red parrots on the ground feeding, cockatoos flying in the air and other beautiful colorful parrots just coming out of the trees. The diversity of birds was absolutely amazing, I just could not believe it. well of course all that exhaustion that i was feeling before was now gone, so i went to the van grabbed my camera and my longest lens, sadly it would not be enough. There is a painful truth in photography, your longest lens is never long enough, nothing makes this painfully clear like photographing birds. Birds are small, skittish and incredibly paranoid, they are always on alert., all these factors make them extremely difficult to get close to and photograph. Having a really long lens lets you keep a good distance while still filling your frame. Also, photographing birds in flight is a skill all its own and one that i do not posses, so my hat goes off to all those photographers who can do it well. Despite all these factors i tried to make the best of it, i had beautiful light to work with and very lively subjects to photograph. I didn't get as many photos as i would like but i had a blast crawling on the road on my stomach just to try and get close. Plus we were able to experience some of Australias unbelievable beauty in a very very unexpected place. The sun went down and the light was gone, it was time to quit for the day. Jen had made some delicious Phad Thai for dinner, yes you read that right, there were many instances on our trip where she would go all out in less than ideal conditions, really reminded me just how lucky i am to have her. So we ate dinner and after preparing the van for the night we fell asleep watching finding nemo. Another great day in Oz, but we had to rest for the next day was another long day of driving on our journey to Sydney. <br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0054-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0058-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0059-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0067-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0074-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0080-12-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0084-12-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0090-12-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury-0005-12-27-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-90003108915234334992012-01-30T22:11:00.000-08:002012-01-31T01:03:37.757-08:00Victoria: The Great Ocean Road & The 12 ApostlesOur journey continues! Having picked up our camper van our great adventure could now officially begin. 1st obstacle/challenge......dont get killed. You may or may not be aware but in Australia you have to drive on the opposite side of the road. Since i have driven only in the U.S. i will confess that i was more than a little concerned with my ability to do this well, our second task was to get groceries for our month long trek. The grocery store was a few blocks away, if i could get us there in one piece i would count it a victory. So off we went into an actual roadway for the 1st time in Australia! We took it slow much to the annoyance of the rest of the drivers around me, there were the occasional honks on the horn but i wasn't about to go faster than i was comfortable just because someone was irritated at me. Slowly but surely i began to get the hang of it and we got to the grocery store in one piece. With supplies now purchased we could be underway to the Great Ocean Road. Challenge #2 survive driving through Melbourne and the freeway. Well you know how that ends since I'm here updating my blog, while driving on the opposite side of the road was a little challenging, i truly didn't find it all that difficult and became used to it faster than i expected. The thing that really was the most difficult was fighting the instinct to drive on the right hand side of the road. At busy intersections i found myself thinking about which direction to go or what lane to get into, but in the coming days it would all just become normal to me. I found that the less i thought about what to do the easier it became. So on our way we went and after a long drive we were on the Great Ocean Road. Somethings became readily apparent as we drove to our destination. 1) The thing that really hit us in the face right away and something that would become the "theme" for our trip was.......one month was not enough time not even close. We realized very very quickly that in this stretch of road along the coast you could easily spend weeks exploring and not run out of things to do. This one realization would play out everywhere we went, and while it was in one way disheartening it was also very uplifting as well. Knowing that no matter where we went we would likely see something amazing was in a way encouraging, going on a trip like this you want to see everything but when you have limited time its just impossible. 2) Australias amazing beauty was EVERYWHERE! We had only been driving along the coast for maybe 30 minutes and no matter what direction we looked there was something beautiful to see. 3) Unlike any other trip that we had taken, this one single adventure was going to be life changing. When doing something of this magnitude (wether its a month or over a year) where you are constantly around each other and living in such close quarters you can chose to do one of 2 things. You can consciously make the decision that no matter what, you will do whatever you can to make the other person happy and put their needs over your own, or you can be selfish and only worry about yourself and in the end hate each other. We consciously chose to do the 1st option and this experience brought us closer that we ever thought possible. On we drove, we stopped where we could to rest and take photos but for the most part we had a schedule that we needed to stick to. So while i so badly wanted to spend time in many areas along the road it just was not going to happen. We needed to get to the 12 Apostles by sunset as the next day we would be on our way to Sydney. Not being able to stop and explore was heart wrenching for both of us, so we just soaked in as much as we possibly could and told ourselves that when we returned to Australia that we would spend more time here. For now we were deeply enchanted with the beauty of this country, the Great Ocean Road weaves and turns and everywhere you look there is beautiful green blue waters, rugged coastlines that turn into beautiful forests a few miles down the road. Along the way there are little beach towns that you can stop and explore, everywhere there was something to see. As we got closer to the 12 Apostles the forest became more dense so the chances to see some wild life increased. I was on alert as i didn't want to hit anything and there crossing the road was a big Echidna, which is pretty much a porcupine. It was pretty cool to see it there just crossing the road like it was nothing, a few miles later we saw our 1st Kangaroo of the trip which was very exciting. It sunk in all of a sudden......WE WERE IN AUSTRALIA!!! The road was to narrow and there was nowhere to stop so we had to keep going. Sunset was approaching and we still had a ways to go to get to the 12 Apostles. When we got within 15 minutes of the 12 apostles we made a stop at Gibsons Steps. We stopped at the parking lot and as we approached the cliff the ocean started to come into view. At the edge of the cliff the view opened up to show just how massive the cliffs were and below there was a long stretch of beautiful beach that went on for miles. As you looked west in the direction of the 12 Apostles you could see 2 of the limestone stacks and they were unbelievably massive. We spent a little time here but eventually moved on to our final destination. Sunset was close and there was a storm coming in, we arrived at our destination and parked the van. To my knowledge there isn't a way to get down to the beach so you can view the stacks from the beach, so you just have to walk a long the pathways provided. But this doesn't deter one bit from the impact of seeing the limestone stacks right there in front of you. The area was just beautiful and seeing the forces of erosion at work is quite humbling, the stacks rise out of the ocean like giants. It was incredible to think that these stacks were once part of the mainland coastline but through the power of moving water they have been eroded away and now stand apart. The sun began to set but because of the storm coming in most of that golden light was obscured and the sunset was not what i was hoping for. Still the stormy skies did bring a mood to the area that clear skies just don't provide. It was truly exceptional, and i couldn't believe that i was looking at something in real life that i had previously only seen in photos. With a deep sigh of satisfaction we left the 12 Apostles and were back on the road to find a place to stay for the night. We found a campground that was nothing more than a field but it had bathrooms and showers and a spot to stay for the night and it was cheap. Exhausted but incredibly happy we had hotdogs for dinner and prepared for bed, we laid down in our van not really believing all that we had seen and that our adventure was truly real. We lay there looking up at the stars through the sunroof and fell asleep.....thus ended our day. The next morning we woke up early, as i exited the van i saw that we were next to a big grass field. The sun rose into a sky filled with beautiful clouds throwing its golden light onto the field with brown grass. The scene was beautiful, as i stood there i saw something moving in the distance, one dark blob became two then three and then i realized that off in the distance there was a herd of kangaroos grazing in the field. I shot what photos i could the whole time wishing that i had a longer lens, we ate breakfast and we were soon on the road on our way to Sydney. It was an incredible start to the day and to our road trip. Excitement was at an all time high and we could not wait to see what was next.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6792025439/" title="12 Apostles Pano by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6792025439_6ab9eee1a5_z.jpg" width="700" height="243" alt="12 Apostles Pano "></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6794574269/" title="12 Apostles Pano 2 by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6794574269_f7880e76fc_z.jpg" width="700" height="274" alt="12 Apostles Pano 2 "></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6794561233/" title="12 Apostles Pano 3 B&W by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6794561233_bc8b75c4c1_z.jpg" width="700" height="209" alt="12 Apostles Pano 3 B&W"></a><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Great-Ocean-Road-0006-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Great-Ocean-Road-0015-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Great-Ocean-Road-0026-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Great-Ocean-Road-0046-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Great-Ocean-Road-0004-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0019-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0029-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0012-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0037-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0039-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Gibsons-Steps-0033-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12-Apostles--0056-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12-Apostles--0027-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12-Apostles--0040-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12-Apostles--0042-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12-Apostles--0025-12-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Princetown-Campsite-0016-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Princetown-Campsite-0008-12-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Princetown-Campsite-0033-12-26-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-10590128569270159312012-01-25T18:27:00.000-08:002012-01-26T16:33:19.651-08:00Victoria: Downtown Melbourne & St KildaIts been almost a week since our return to the states, it still feel really odd. Being home has been an adjustment and it has been a bit disorienting, were still somewhat stuck on Australia time (at least i am) so getting to sleep has been a bit of a challenge. Keeping track of the days has also been a little difficult, living in a camper van for a month you stop keeping track of days so everything starts to blur together. Slowly were getting back into the swing of things and things about our trip begin to trickle into our minds to be processed. In the coming weeks i will be updating the blog with a lot of photos and observations, so i hope you're in somewhat of a reading mood. Australia is divided into 6 different states Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territories. When we fist began planning our trip we were very ambitious and were going to drive all the way from Melbourne in Victoria into the outback in the Northern Territories and catch a flight to Pert in WA and then back to Melbourne for our flight home. As we planned more and more we came to the realization that it would be absolutely impossible especially when we realized that Australia is almost as big as the USA. So to go through with our plan would be utter suicide. The decision was made to only stick to the eastern coast and it was the right choice, so we moved on and after much waiting our trip had finally arrived and after a 15hr flight we found ourselves in melbourne. After what seems like forever we finally got through customs and were on our way to our hotel as we couldn't pick up our camper for 2 days. Obviously the biggest thing to hit us right away was driving on the left hand side of the road........it was weird even as a passenger in a bus. Furthermore the steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car and that was even weirder. Excited to get underway we checked into our hotel, i got my gear ready and off we went to explore the city. 2nd thing to hit us was that for a city Melbourne felt completely deserted! The was no one on the streets, it was really eerie. Part of it was that it was Christmas Eve and the feeling of no one on the streets only got worse on Christmas Day when there was literally no one out in the city. 3rd thing to really hit is was that for a city Melbourne felt tiny, when i hear "major city" i envision a sprawling urban landscape like NYC or Chicago. This was nothing like that, we were in downtown melbourne and it felt open, like you could breathe. Not like NYC were you are constantly surrounded by people and feel like a sardine. It was a nice surprise for us, everything felt really laid back and not stressful. Another thing that was nice was that there were people on a lot of the corners in bright colored shirts and their sole purpose was to give information to travelers. It was nice to just be able to ask questions and get some detailed info which is how we found a place to eat at 1st day. One of the challenges in going to another country is the language and slang, even in a country that speaks english. The lady that gave us info on where to find food told us to look for an arcade and look for the alleyway that has a bunch of restaurants. Well we heard arcade and I'm thinking a loud building full of teenagers playing video games. Turns out arcade for them is really more like a mall, or a place with a lot of shops. So we more or less stumbled upon our destination. We found this alley way that was full of grafity and more of a place that you would envision a mugging than a place to eat. But there it was little restaurants everywhere and full of activity, places like this were quite common actually as was the graffiti. Melbourne sees the graffiti more like art than a nuisance so theres quite a bit of it. Melbourne also has a central area called federation square, they hold all kinds of concerts and events here and there a major train station right across the street so getting to it was easy. Being christmas eve they televised a christmas eve special and there was tons of people there watching it. Our next day we went down to explore the St Kilda area, we were greeted by a nice surprise when we went to catch a trolley to St Kilda. We saw a sign that said "all public transportation free of charge today. Merry Christmas" Jen and i were astounded and had to ask an official just because we didn't think that it was true. Turns out it was, something like that is just unheard of here in the states i would almost expect to be charged more because its Christmas Day here. So with a little spring in our step we were off and began to explore. There was lots to see in St. Kilda, between the beach area to all the little desert shops to Luna Park which is home to the creepy Moon Man. We walked all over the place it was an amazing time. We also got caught in some freak thunderstorm, it would drizzle and then it would pour buckets of rain and then lightning and thunder then clear again. This cycle went on almost all day and it culminated in a beautiful sunset down by the pier where we waited out the storm while watching lots of australians celebrating Christmas by drinking and swimming naked in the ocean during a lightning storm. There you have it, that was our 1st couple of days in Australia. The next day we picked up our camper van, little did we know of what was in store for us. For the time being all we knew was that we had just had a great couple of days and we were already in love with Australia. I could write so much more but it would take forever to write down my observations and stories and no now wants to be here that long :) so heres some photos to go along with my babbling. ENJOY!!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6767845489/" title="St Kilda Harbour at sunset by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6767845489_a43d0dbd40_z.jpg" width="700" height="237" alt="St Kilda Harbour at sunset"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/6768230155/" title="Pier at St Kilda harbour at sunset by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6768230155_3f67b1d246_z.jpg" width="700" height="217" alt="Pier at St Kilda harbour at sunset"></a><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0052-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0061-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0065-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0051-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0086-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0088-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0090-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0008-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0076-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0096-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Federation-Square-0016-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Federation-Square-0059-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-Melbourne-0014-12-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Luna-Park-Melbourne-0006-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Luna-Park-Melbourne-0009-12-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0049-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0080-12-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0035-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0041-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0056-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0069-12-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0177-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0024-12-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0108-12-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0145-12-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St-Kilda-Harbour-0171-12-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Downtown-St-Kilda-0006-12-24-2011.jpg"/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-22569201712113301632012-01-14T01:31:00.000-08:002012-01-14T02:13:22.346-08:00G'day!!!Hi! How you going? That would be a typical Australian greeting, took a little getting used to but we got it down in the end. Australia continues to amaze us, its beauty is truly second to none and it is hard to believe that such places exist in the world. Our month here is quickly coming to an end, in some ways it feels like we have been here for years and that this is just home and were on some grand road trip. In other ways it feels like we just got here and it hast sunk in that we are on the other side of the planet, our time here has been some of the best times of our lives, the time we have spent together has brought us closer together. The people that we have met and befriended have changed our lives forever. One thing that i have really taken away from meeting other people from all corners of the world is that we as Americans complain way to much......about everything. Its amazing to hear how people view the US some bad but mostly good and that many still see it as a land of great wonder and opportunity. I for one feel truly blessed to live were we live and despite all the problems we face i think we have it pretty good. Another thing is "no worries", nothing seems to faze the Australian people. While they can be laid back to the point of frustration it is a motto that is rather freeing once you embrace it. I think such thinking comes from living in a place that is constantly changing and is incredibly unforgiving. Theres an understanding that things happen and you can either make the best of it or you can complain to no avail but in the end it all works out. I have not the words to adequately express the grandure and the wonder that is Australia, my pictures don't do it justice by any means. The memories and the emotions that our experiences evoke are forever burned in my mind and in my heart, the photos are really just the icing on the cake. This place, any place and its people really have to be experienced in person with a humble understanding that we are blessed for even being able to be there. Im sure that as the weeks go by and we can look back and reflect on our experiences here the impact of this adventure will become more clear and maybe then i will be able to more adequately convey to all of you our amazing time here. For now i hope that you can catch a glimpse through these photos. G'day mates!<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Our Pics Dorrigo 2012-01-050002.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Dorrigo Forrest 2012-01-050089.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Fingal Bay 2012-01-030337.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Koala Center 2012-01-030018.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane Cove Tourist Park 2011-12-280003.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane Cove Tourist Park 2011-12-290053.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane Cove Tourist Park 2011-12-290067.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lane Cove Tourist Park 2012-01-020043.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Luna Park 2012-01-010057.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/McQuaries Point 2011-12-290059.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Promised Lands 2012-01-040084.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/WhiteHaven Beach 2012-01-120090.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Whitsunday Snorkeling 2012-01-110020.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-74794012311879082982011-12-31T14:27:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:06:09.322-08:00Our Australian Adventure.....The end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 are marked by a historic occasion for Jen and myself, we embarked on our greatest adventure and largest trip to date. We are in Australia for a month!!! We have been driving around this incredibly beautiful country in our little bright green and purple home on wheels. As we spent our 1st few days in Melbourne and drove the Great Ocean Road it became very apparent that a month here was not going to be nearly long enough. In fact i don't think that any amount of time would be enough to explore this amazing place, one could spend a life time exploring Australia and never run out of things to see. So far we've only made it from Melbourne to Sydney and already we have seen so many amazing things. From the incredible coastal beauty of the the great ocean road, to the grandure of the 12 apostles to the spectacle that is New Years in the beautiful city of Sydney it has been an amazing adventure. Then theres the wildlife!! Its everywhere!!! We have woken up to a field full of kangaroos, to walking around and seeing parrots and cockatoos flying free, a cool looking lizard just chilling on a rock at our campground, little furry night creatures and the list goes on and on. Australia's weather is a beast all its own, truly it is an incredible facet of this country and it changes by the second. Thats no lie either, it could be perfectly clear one minute then huge ominous clouds roll in and its completely cloudy. Next its huge downpours, then it clears up, sun shines through, its hot, rains again, lightning, clears again, gorgeous sunset angels sing........aaahhhhhh! Words, pictures, memories nothing absolutely nothing can adequately describe this place, you really must experience it for yourself. If at all possible share the experience with someone you love, as such adventures in fact all adventures should be shared. I am truly grateful to have Jen with me, this experience has stretched us for sure but it makes me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have her. She is my companion to hold as we take that deep breath in appreciation of something beautiful, the other perspective to our great adventure, my navigator, planner, fellow photographer, searcher of vital information, someone to vent to, someone to laugh with, someone to reflect on the days adventures with, our budgeter.............the list is endless. I may get the "pretty" pictures but without her none of this would be possible. Our time here continues, there will be many things that we will see and much more that we won't, some things will be photographed and others are meant to only be a beautiful memory.........until our next trip :) Until next time, there truly is nothing like Australia. G'day mates!!!<br /><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Our pics Sydney Harbor 2011-12-280001.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12 Apostles 2011-12-260033.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12 Apostles 2011-12-260040.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/12 Apostles 2011-12-260055.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury 2011-12-270059 (1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Albury 2011-12-270080.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Bondi Beach 2011-12-300049.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Port Phillip 2011-12-240016.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Port Phillip 2011-12-250042.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Port Phillip 2011-12-250151.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Port Phillip 2011-12-250225.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Royal Botanic Gardens 2011-12-290050.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St Kilda 2011-12-240009.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St Kilda 2011-12-240018.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/St Kilda 2011-12-240022.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney Harbor 2011-12-280076.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney Harbor 2011-12-280163.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Sydney Harbor 2011-12-280187.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/_DSC9633.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-17072025488360478822011-12-08T17:02:00.000-08:002011-12-08T17:46:49.983-08:00The Magic of NYCWe just recently returned from a short vacation to New York City. Cities are generally not my thing, but there is something oddly enchanting about New York that just makes you want to live there. Most other cities i can usually only stay in for about 3 days before i start going batty and look forward to being home, but i could see myself living in new york. We've gone 3 times now and every time its a new experience, some new food to try an new place to see, more history to soak in.....its awesome! This time around i would have to say that my favorite place by far was the Flatiron District, i loved going back to it and catching sunsets there. Not to mention the building itself is iconic and is associated with NYC, every time we've been to New York i always want to visit there but for some reason never got around to it. This time we finally went and i loved every minute of it. I have tons of photos for you so i will cut this short and let you have at them. ENJOY!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Rockofeller-Center-0091-11-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Rockofeller-Center-0101-11-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0074-11-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0157-11-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0170-11-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0195-11-28-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0017-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Flatiron-District-0203-11-28-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0567-11-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0568-11-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0385-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0444-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0434-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0377-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0391-11-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0424-11-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0425-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0491-11-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0498-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0516-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0524-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0353-11-25-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Central-Park-0538-11-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-Park-0231-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-Park-0257-11-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-Park-0268-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-Park-0272-11-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-Park-0204-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0127-11-26-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0135-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0154-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0157-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0158-11-26-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Brooklyn-Bridge-0117-11-26-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-8134369545784812142011-10-11T14:20:00.000-07:002011-10-11T14:39:26.375-07:00Lake Calaveras......a slightly different viewA few weeks ago i decided to revisit Lake Calaveras, its not to far from our house so it was an easy area to revisit. I usually tend to shoot landscapes but this time around i felt like going for something a bit different. Lately i have confined my shooting to mornings and afternoons, to shoot when the light is soft and beautiful. Some might view this approach and limiting my creativity or that I'm taking an easy route since shooting in those times tends be easier. Contrast range isn't as high and many things that look terrible at different times of the day look beautiful in soft golden light. My theory is: why should i break my back trying to make a photo work in crappy light and hate the experience when i can have a much better and easier time achieving my goals by shooting in beautiful light? At any rate i had a lot of fun, got some exercise and photos i was happy with in the process. Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /> <br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0174-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0187-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0195-09-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0210-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0213-09-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0234-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0252-09-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0259-09-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0266-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0283-09-29-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0287-09-29-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Lake-Calaveras-0150-09-25-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-19429320829216460222011-09-27T03:39:00.000-07:002011-09-27T03:45:08.385-07:00Glowing waters....Its red tide right now in Carlsbad, the waves are beautiful and glowing when they crash. I haven't been able to get out until last night, while i have experienced red tides before this was the 1st time that i tried to photograph it. I wasn't out for long as i was pretty tired but i got a few shots off, nothing that I'm all that happy with nut its a start. Im pooped and need sleep so i leave you with 2 of my favorites, keep in mind they are works in progress. Enjoy.<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/warm-waters--0552-09-27-2011-(1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/warm-waters--0555-09-27-2011-(1).jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-39601076069560560102011-09-10T02:12:00.000-07:002011-09-14T01:05:12.795-07:00Winter approaches....Despite our recent heat wave there are signs that summer is releasing its hot grip and making way for its chilly cousin, winter. Nowhere is it more evident that in the coastal regions where the ocean never ceases its relentless attack upon the coast. Here the waters churn and swirl, they pound into the coast with unimaginable ferocity it is here that winters coming chill can be felt the most. It is but a faint feeling of cold right now, but as the days grow shorter that chill will become a permanent fixture in So Cal. Our 80 degree paradise will give way to a freezing 60 degree nightmare that will send all so cal residents running for their fireplaces and taking shelter in, heaven forgive us, pants sweaters and shoes. It is a nightmarish scenario that none of us want to think about.........but it is coming make no mistake. Yesterday afternoon i got a glimpse of the impending doom when i went shooting at the beach, seeing that the cloud cover was broken up but relatively thick i knew that an "epic" sunset was not going to happen. Still there was potential, it wasn't going to be the suns intense golden light that we all love but a more subdued pastel kind of sunset. Turns out my instincts were right and while that golden light never surfaced there was still a lot to take in and i am grateful i was able to go out. I am a big proponent to revisiting areas that i have already photographed, to think that you can photograph an area once and think that you have captured it is really kind of arrogant. Light is not that predictable or boring, every minute of every day light falls on a subject differently than the day before, giving you endless possibilities to the scene before you. With that in mind i decided to revisit the cliffs, i had photographed them in the golden light of sunset before and it was spectacular. Yesterday though, there was mood to it a dark brooding feeling to it that cannot be described, i knew that the tide would be high and i had never been able to photograph it at that time as it is to dangerous to do so from my usual spot. So i decided to to go and see if i could find a new vantage point from where i could take some shots. Man am i glad i made that decision, everything was there the cliffs in all of their grandeur, dark moody clouds reflecting just a little of the suns color, and the ocean.....violent, churning and relentless. This is what i crave, this is where i lose myself not in pretty colors but in the untamed fury of nature and as the suns rays tried in vane to escape their prison of clouds the heat of summer dwindled away and the chill of winter was there lingering.......ever-present. Reminding me that it is coming........i for one look forward to its return and the foul weather it brings :) Enjoy!
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Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-76035703308750034312011-08-31T03:40:00.000-07:002011-09-14T01:07:12.170-07:00Film!!!Several months ago i decided to start shooting film again, my goal was to go out very often and finish it and continue my growth as a photographer. Alas it has taken me a lot longer to finish that roll of slide film and have been trying to finish since January of this year. One of the reasons why it took so long is that with film if you really seek to understand how it reacts to light and how to expose it detailed notes must be kept so that you can compare the images to your notes after the film is developed. To many this is a very tedious and frustrating process, but for me i see it as a way to discipline yourself. It slows you down, you have to study light how it falls on your subject how it hugs its contours and changes in color, you have to think about composition. You have to think about what goes into your photos. Many have said in the past and even now that film is obsolete, that its dead but film is thriving within a community that is alive and vibrant. Unfortunately many of the people who shoot film now do so because it is trendy and gives you that vintage look, it is my hope that these shooters take the time to learn the strengths and weaknesses of this wonderful medium. You might ask what the big difference is between film and digital, some say there is none but in reality there is a big difference. Digital for its many advances and incredible amount of details that it can capture still looks sterile, it lacks depth and for a lack of a better term it lacks feeling and heart. Don't believe me? look at a print one printed from a digital file and one printed from film. Digital looks clean, sharp with lots of detail, while these are good things our brains can only take in so much. Film is an analog medium, its soft, grainy, smooth with a very natural warmth, thats the incredible beauty with film our brains romanticize the look of it. Sort of like the way that one language will sound harsh and another will sound smooth and warm (thats why there area called the romantic languages) we are naturally attracted to one over the other. Consequently it is interesting to to think about how many digital photographers edit their photos beyond belief in order tho add grain and that vintage look, the very things that digital has sought to get rid of we are trying to put back in. Does this mean that one format is better than the other? Not necessarily, they both have strengths and weaknesses but i do believe that we are naturally attracted to one over the other. One thing that i will say is that digital with its infant gratification has bred a shooter that is undisciplined, doesn't understand light and doesn't take the time to learn to strengths and weaknesses of their medium. This is a detriment not just to themselves but ultimately to photography in the long run, Photography is not just art but a fair amount of science, a science that is only understood with effort and discipline. So after all this. What about my roll? 2 things. 1) After 10 or so years of not using it I'm out of practice, so i was a little disappointed. Ultimately i don't take it as a defeat but as a a chance to learn and a stepping stone to greater discipline. 2) i really need to get my incident meter calibrated, many of the shots i took with settings from my incident meter were underexposed. I look forward to shooting more, heres a few highlights for you. Enjoy!
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<br />Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-85602524225572787322011-08-29T14:40:00.000-07:002011-09-14T01:08:32.275-07:00Therapy....It had been several months since i had been able to go out and shoot any landscape photos, in the last couple weeks i began to notice a shift in my attitude towards everything. I was easily irritated, felt stressed about even the smallest things, and was just on edge. It was not at all pleasant and what was even more frustrating is that i could not put my finger on it at all, after some thinking i came to the conclusion that the source of the problem was that i had not gone out to do what i wanted to do. Im working at a photo lab in carlsbad at night now, i get there shortly before the sun sets. Most of the time the marine layer obstructs the sunset, but the times that its clear or there some clouds in the sky makes it difficult for me. Knowing that there is something out there in beautiful light that i could be photographing but am not able to is the worst kind of torture. Im lucky to have a wife that understands this and a boss at the lab that also understands this. When i got the go ahead from jen to go out and shoot on friday after i got off at work i asked my boss if i could leave early, with how busy we have been at the lab i really thought that the answer was no. I was pleasantly surprised when i got the ok to leave early, i decided to head to swamis to shoot. I have lived in north county for over 20 years and had never been there, once i got there i looked for a location to shoot from and planted myself there and waited and watched the light. As soon as i got set up there was a feeling of........i don't know how to describe it but everything that had been getting to me just faded away and i got into the moment. Even the fact that i had forgotten my tripod and limited the pictures that i could shoot didn't get to me. While i waited i found this bush of really weird looking but colorful plants, i shot some pictures of those for a little while and then shot some surfers and watched the light. As the sun went down the light became progressively more golden and red. The clouds over the beach reflected all this beautiful light giving everything this ethereal look to it. All the light just spread all over the place, exposures were easy and so much fun to do, on top of that i also finished my 1st roll of slide film. All in all i had a blast, thank you to my wife and to bonnie for seeing how much i need to do this not just for work purposes but to keep my sanity. I look forward to doing it again soon. Enjoy.
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<br />Ill post more pictures later, the 2 horizontal photos look pretty much the same but one is shot earlier in the afternoon and the other is shot towards the end. I wanted to show the change in the lights intensity and color as the sun gets lower and lower, the transformation is really quite beautiful to experience :)
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<br />Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-31072040361799623162011-08-11T15:07:00.001-07:002011-08-11T15:54:34.658-07:00An untold adventure......A while back i had a little grand adventure with some close friends out in the desert, we hung out all into the wee hours of the night taking pictures and shot many guns the next morning. For reasons that i cannot go into i was unable to share this grand adventure with you all, but it is nonetheless worthy of blogging. One of my favorite things to do while I'm out in the desert and at night time is to tinker with lights and take cool unique photos. Night time adds an air of mystery and a certain degree of unpredictability to everything and the deserts desolate landscape completes the package. Thrown in some fireworks and you've got yourself a winning combination! I love having friends that appreciate my obsession for a good photo and will not only indulge me with being in the photos but have incredible patience as i tweak things around to get the shot that i want. Often many wonder if i have any fun at all on these trips since I'm usually documenting things and not shooting guns or heavily participating in the activities. To be completely honest i have a total blast, i love to have the ability to document all our adventures and have good photos to look back on and relive those times. Plus my tinkering nature goes into overdrive and i love to experiment while I'm out there. I hope to have many more trips out there with good friends in the very near future.......but we will wait for when the sun isn't so stinking hot! Enjoy!
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<br />Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-46520072525235401162011-07-25T01:40:00.000-07:002011-07-25T01:56:11.075-07:00Sleepless nightsOn a very recent trip to the desert with the boys i lay on my sleeping bag in the cool 90 degree night. With the moon shinning bright above there i lay covered in a fine film of sweat and dirt, my back sticking to my sleeping bag. Bugs everywhere whispering in the shadows conspiring amongst each other plans on how to attack me once i lost consciousness, with such favorable conditions why in the world wouldn't i be able to sleep......alas my attempts to drift off into sleeps welcoming embrace eluded me. Exhausted as i was it just was not going to happen, so accepting defeat i quietly as i could arose once again the moon was after all still high in the sky and giving off a lot of light and sunrise approached quickly. No use in burdening myself with an activity that would go nowhere, with camera gear and flashlights in hand i wandered. Off to find something that could hold my interest until the sun rules the skies once more, here is what i found. Enjoy!<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Anza-Borrego-0258-07-23-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Anza-Borrego-0257-07-23-2011.jpg"/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-87754646314537212642011-06-08T03:24:00.000-07:002011-06-08T03:51:42.041-07:00Hawaii......The underwater photosI have many things that i love to do while i am in Hawaii, by far though my favorite things to do is to go snorkel and shoot underwater photos. there are so many incredible creatures that live beneath the waves, some are amazingly peaceful creatures like my favorite green sea turtles and dolphins. others are just downright creepy like eels or mean looking like some of the coral eating fish..........actually now that i think about it most fish are downright creepy. Being out in the water is definitely something that i can lose myself in, i can be out there for hours on end work through hunger and thirst and just keep shooting. by the time that i come back into shore im usually starving and exhausted but always feel such a sense of accomplishment. This year things were a little different, since i have had my underwater housing i have shot all my images with ambient light which has been totally fine for many situations. There are certain situations though that require the use of a flash once in a while, i knew that adding a flash underwater would bring with it some challenges. Still despite knowing this it proved to be one of the most frustrating, exhausting and arduous experiences. Photography already has many variables to take into account shooting on land, underwater that list grows to gargantuan proportions adding a flash is enough to give you a headache. I felt like i was starting from square one all over again, but part of the fun (in the long run that is) is trying new things that will challenge you and help you grow. I shot a ton of images but really only a handful came out being keepers, in the end though despite all of the frustrations i feel like the images themselves have a much better feel to them and i learn a lot and feel like i can do much better next time. For now im spending my time editing through them seeing what works and what doesnt and looking over data to see what settings gave me what results. I am grateful for the experience and love that even after shooting for 15 years i can still be brought down to square one and learn new things. Enjoy!<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kahaluu-Beach-Park-0752-05-05-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Ke'e-Underwater-0996-04-20-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Ke'e-Underwater-1008-04-20-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Ke'e-Underwater-1034-04-20-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Poipu-Beach-Underwater-0290-04-24-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Salt-Pond-Underwater-0028-04-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Salt-Pond-Underwater-0044-04-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Salt-Pond-Underwater-0069-04-27-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Salt-Pond-Underwater-0073-04-27-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Underwater-0684-04-22-2011-(1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Underwater-0738-04-22-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Underwater-0752-04-22-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Underwater-0776-04-22-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-52750742457742085842011-06-01T03:23:00.000-07:002011-06-01T03:43:54.250-07:00Hawaii........the detail photosThe beauty of a place is not always in vast and epic landscapes, beauty is also found in the small and minute details of things. I have always been a big fan of macro photography as it makes breakdown a scene into very small details. Things that are often missed by many can make the most beautiful photos. By now you probably all know that my time on the Big Island was mired by terrible weather, shooting landscapes was just not possible due to constant rains, so i was forced to look for photos in smaller details. Shooting macro photos also proved difficult though as with bad weather comes strong winds and when you are shooting so close youre working with fractions of an inch of focus. Even a slight breeze can throw a composition out of focus.......its very tedious work. In short there were many attempts but few successes, i did try something new this year in the form of a macro panoramic. No thats not a typo its is exactly as it sounds, multiple macro photos shot in a row to make a panoramic photo. These panos are nowhere near perfect but came out satisfactory, suffice it to say that as frustrating as it was to shoot them it will be a technique that i will be working on perfecting. Enjoy!<br /><br />P.S.<br />Again, the 1st 4 photos are links, click on them to view the panos larger :)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/5785480179/" title="Isaac Hale Rocks Pano by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3441/5785480179_771fddd785_z.jpg" width="640" height="282" alt="Isaac Hale Rocks Pano"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/5786039038/" title="Isaac Hale Root Pano by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3028/5786039038_b3dda501e3_z.jpg" width="640" height="319" alt="Isaac Hale Root Pano"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/5786041366/" title="Isaac Hale Yellow Leaf Pano by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/5786041366_100d9a523e_z.jpg" width="640" height="264" alt="Isaac Hale Yellow Leaf Pano"></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenzo27/5786078582/" title="forest preserve pano by Zonager, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/5786078582_25dff5e036_z.jpg" width="640" height="268" alt="forest preserve pano"></a><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Vacation-Rental-Home-0028-04-19-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Hanalei-Town--0051-04-20-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Isaac-Hale-Beach-Park--0013-05-04-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-9272785820420099642011-05-26T18:29:00.000-07:002011-05-26T18:42:18.840-07:00More Hawaii photos you say?!?!Well i can certainly provide :) Heres a small collection of photos from my recent trip to the islands, been pleasantly surprised with the stuff that i have gotten from my trip. I said before that at 1st i was worried since it felt like i had not shot as much as in previous years. I think that the discrepancy is to to 2 big factors 1) the weather on the Big Island 2) Being much more aware and picky about what i shoot and at what times of the day that i am shooting. So while i didnt come back with as many photos the quality of them is definitely better and i dont have to work as hard on them once i get them into the computer. thank you all for following along with all the recent posts, i have several more that i am working on. For now feast on these. Enjoy!<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Haena-Beach-Park-0062-04-19-2011-(1).jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Haena-Beach-Park-0079-04-19-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Haena-Beach-Park-0095-04-19-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Hanalei-Town--0061-04-20-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Holualoa-0003-05-07-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Isaac-Hale-Beach-Park-0075-05-04-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Ke'e-Landscapes-0421-04-19-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Old-Mamalahoa-Hwy-0018-05-08-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Spouting-Horn-Park-0340-04-24-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Landscape-0045-04-21-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Vacation-Rental-Home-0007-04-19-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Wawailoli-Beach-Park-0087-05-05-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-2138910126246690102011-05-24T01:31:00.000-07:002011-05-24T01:43:57.272-07:00Hawaiian Adventure continued.....Well i continue to sort through and process the photos that i took on my recent trip to the islands. So far its been pretty fun looking through what i got and evaluating how well i captured my images and what things i can do differently next time. I came back from the trip a little bummed that i didnt get as many photos as i had in previous years because of the bad weather but i have been pleasantly surprised to see that this was not the case and i have more good photos than i originally thought. As a warning to all of you, i will be posting a lot more hawaii photos in the next few weeks. So if youre sick of seeing hawaii photos please feel free to not follow along, i wont be hurt. They say that every photo has a story behind it and i can tell you that this is very true, and while i could sit here and tell you the story behind every photo we would be here forever. I know youre all just here for photos so here you go. Enjoy!<br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0072-05-03-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0007-05-03-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0151-05-03-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0211-05-03-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0274-05-03-2011.1.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Hanalei-0914-04-21-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Glass-Beach--0188-04-25-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kapoho-Tide-Pools-0106-05-04-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kua-Bay-0299-05-07-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kua-Bay-0318-05-07-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kua-Bay-0339-05-07-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kua-Bay-0355-05-07-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Mackenzie-Park-0240-05-03-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Mackenzie-Park-0249-05-03-2011.jpg "/><br /><br /><img src=" http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Landscape-0052-04-21-2011.jpg"/><br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Tunnels-Beach-Landscape-0164-04-26-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27406257.post-88014362348730255512011-05-23T03:54:00.000-07:002011-05-23T03:58:18.029-07:00A new blog post this way cometh.....A new post will be coming your way later today with more hawaii photos. Stay tuned :)<br /><br /><img src="http://www.fluxphotography.net/webftpzoo/images0382948vk29/Kehena-Beach-0072-05-03-2011.jpg "/>Lorenzo Menendezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02980352804034785334noreply@blogger.com0