Carousel, Downtown Houston

Families gathering around the carousel at the Aquarium, Downtown Houston

The challenge with babies carrying some form of disabilities is to get their attention and make sure they will react to some degree of stimulus. The usual environment may just not do the trick and it is best to go out, if possible. Grocery stores are just fine, aquariums are even better. What I didn't realize is that the aquarium in Houston had a carousel.


The location is pretty amazing and it was great to see the little guy get so interested in the rapid movements of lights and objects, in this case sea creatures. Yes, even the small kids will love it, and that is why they will beg their parents so often to try it, again and again.


Luckily enough, I was carrying my tripod, which I never do so I managed to take longer exposures, especially after sunset. I still can't understand how the three adults and a baby on the picture at the top of this page managed to stay still during the time it took to take this photo, but I am thankful.

Singapore Airport

Rushing to the gate at Changi airport, Singapore

Duty Free, La Changi Airport

In transit from Perth to Paris via Singapore and London, I discovered the giant duty free at La Changi airport in Singapore. I was blown away by the size of the terminal but wasn't prepared to walk into a mall. I could have headed straight to the lounge but decided to stretch my legs, exploring a few stores with my camera. I am glad I was too busy taking pictures, I could easily have bought stuff, you know, the kind of stuff nobody needs.

My lay over was short and as often I took too much time walking around trying to find cool things, so I had to rush to the gate. I suddenly thought about a picture of my cart on one of these very long moving sidewalk .

I was ready for another 13 hours flight!

  

Onion Creek Diapir, Utah

Overview of the Onion Creek diapir 

Being a geologist has some advantages, like having to take classes on the field where rocks are exposed. Utah is certainly amongst the best spot on the planet and Moab in particular. The geology there is spectacular and on display in two great national parks, Arches and Canyonland. Under the massive red sands that makes Moab so famous, rests a massive salt sheet. Evaporite deposits, which do not stand weathering very well, are exposed in the Onion Creek Diapir. To my knowledge, such exposure only exists in three places on earth. Yes, this place is unique although most people would pass by without stopping. 

In the heart of Onion Creek Diapir

The dirt road to get there is an adventure by itself, and one must drive a 4WD while paying attention to the weather. Flash floods can be disastrous when driving in the steep canyon.

Above, I chose to show the diapir, in white, with its chaotic structure while the gentle "S" curve in the road is used to give a more pleasant feeling. On the right, I am using the very stable "V" shape to frame the salt formation. Rendering chaos is quite difficult as the observer can soon become uncomfortable .

Composition improvements

Rule of Thirds, 22mm, f/13

I invested in a telephoto zoom, 70-200 mm, just before going on a safari and I spent most of my time shooting wildlife portraits or at least close shots. Not having the luxury of possessing two camera bodies, I was reluctant changing lens every other minute, by fear of missing some action and also concerned by the amount of dust in the air. I had to switch to a wide angle lens when I saw these two peaceful zebras which would be a perfect addition to a landscape picture of the Masaï Mara reserve in Kenya.
I knew parts of the famous Rule of Thirds which stipulates that the main subject should be aligned to, or be positioned at the intersection of arbitrary lines dividing the frame in nine equal parts as shown in the picture. What I didn't know, is that each intersection does not have the same power and corner 1 should be preferred to any other one, while corner 4 should only be considered last. These rules are of course meant to be broken but I find that paying attention to this detail adds a lot to the overall effect and improves the composition. In this example, not only the zebras are not placed appropriately, they also lead the viewer outside of the frame. A more pleasant picture was obtained when I cropped it three years after framing the shot. Landscape photography does not necessarily mean wide angle.

Masai Mara, Kenya

My cow moment, Montbrun-Bocage, France

Curious cows, french countryside (f/2.8, 1/8000, ISO 400)

Some say photography is all about luck and having the right gear. I don't disagree completely with that statement, for there is certainly a big part of luck. But if you are staying home watching TV, capturing interesting pictures is not going to happen. 
On a nice afternoon in the southwest of France, I decided to finally go check out a farm near my in-laws', where there were supposed to be cows. As often, I wasn't prepared and my camera wasn't set up properly. In a split second, what appeared to be uninteresting subjects, turned into this picture. Yes, each one of them was very busy feeding. Suddenly they realized I was there and started running at me. I was quite scared for a second as I wasn't prepared to wrestle seven 800 pounds mammals, each armed with unpleasant weapons. They all stopped in front of me, stroked by curiosity perhaps. I took the shot and gently walked away, in case they'd change their mind.

Canino Market, Houston

Canino Market, Nikon D300

Just like everyone else, I have been going to supermarkets for years, for convenience. We all have to go buy some food once in a while. In most cases, stands of fresh products look quite nice and can even bring up your appetite. However, with the exception of fish and meat where you buy from the counter, it lacks human interaction. To me, grocery shopping soon became an annoying activity we all have to do.


Thanks to some friends who recommended Canino Market, we checked out this fresh market in The Heights. The first experience was such a blast, we decided, from that point on, only to go there for fresh vegetables and fruits.


Supermarkets all look alike, wherever you are. Sure the food may differ slightly but the feeling will still be the same. A supermarket in Dubai is not very different than one in London, Tahiti or Houston. On the contrary, each fresh market is original, has its own culture. I now try to check out one in each country I visit, or even city. I am sure I will have the opportunity to share more of this in the future.

Canino Market, Lomo

Houston is quite famous for its hispanic community and clearly Canino Market has a mexican flavor. I feel like learning to speak Spanish again. Traveling to a foreign country, whereas in vacation or business, does not always give you the luxury of cooking with fresh and local products. When you live somewhere exotic, or not, it is best to cook local dishes using local ingredients. Of course, it is even better if someone knows what to do with it. I am the lucky one, not only is my wife a fantastic cook, she likes experimenting. So far, the produce we bought at Canino's has a lot more flavor than artificially ripen supermarket produce. What is interesting too is that everything is mixed together, which I am sure can bring ideas to the cooks to think about dishes to make, flavors to associate, colors to mix. But what's best is buying from friendly people who live from their passion, enjoy their job and know their products.

Canino Market, iPhone

Now let's talk about photography. I find this place unique because of the market stands holding such a diversity of products, shapes and colors. I doesn't matter which camera I carry, I always want to take pictures, but I end up spending all my time shopping for fresh produce. Perhaps I should go with just this purpose in mind one day. I took pictures using my camera phone, my Lomo and my Nikon D300. All give very different results but all will give you the taste for the place.

Central Market, Lomo

I thought it would be nice to compare traditional markets with more industrial supermarkets, just because most supermarkets are boring. To justify such comparison, I chose the best location in H-Town, Central Market. All the guests we have received to visit us, have agreed, it was the most interesting supermarket they had to buy from. I still think it is much more monotonous than the lively Canino's, but that is entirely my call. 






With my Nikon D300, Canino Market:

Canino Market, taken with a Lomo

Left, Canino Market using an iPhone, right, Central Market, using a Lomo

Muiron Reef, Exmouth - Western Australia

Coral Reef, Muiron Islands

Scuba diving is another great passion of mine. I have never been a big fan of water until I discovered the underwater world in French Polynesia, Moorea to be more precise. Not only had I one of the most amazing experiences of my life when breathing underwater for the first time, a new world opened to my eyes, a world so beautiful it is worth preserving at all costs. Snorkeling is often enough to appreciate the beauties of coral reefs. 


On my first dive, a friend took his underwater camera to take a few shots. I was fascinated by the results and wanted to do the same so badly I invested in a Canon Ixus 800IS with its underwater case, the WP-DC5 model. 




The picture quality is great especially in places with clear water, like the Ningaloo Reef, on the western coast of Australia, near Exmouth. 


Life around the reef is very abundant and I could have chosen to share some photographs of colorful fishes. Instead, I am showing some pictures of an unusual reef, at least to my knowledge. Muiron Islands are well preserved reefs building up like trees in a forest. The competition for light is fierce under water. It is so much fun to dive in between those tall columns or better, along steep faces .


Comparable to the diversity of vegetation encountered in rain forests, the variety of different corals is mind boggling. I had the chance to dive slowly in this very special environment, admiring the colors and shapes of colonies of polyps. I hope to master the art of diving which is a perfect control of the buoyancy to be able to take sharp pictures. I clearly need some practice and hopefully our next trip to Turks and Caicos will help. 
And who knows, maybe one day I will even be good at underwater photography! In any case, I really enjoy it.