Travel Archives: Alaskan cruise, ’94

There’s lovely and photogenic Norma on the left and yours truly on the right, having dinner on the M/S Windward. I did several excursions off the boat (the helicopter landing on Mendenhall Glacier in my previous posting), a hike through the Tongass National Forest and a guided tour of the Totem Park in Sitka National Historical Park.

Travel Archives: Yeah, that looks safe.

Picture this. Alaska. Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau. Circa 1990-something (as I recall). During a cruise with my friend Norma, we took this side trip excursion via helicopter. We were given groovy moon boots to wear, then turned loose on the glacier. I toted pounds of 35mm camera equipment and my brand new Sony videocam, which I’m using here. Back then, I apparently liked living (and shooting) on the edge (I know my dad will frown when he sees this shot—I sure am close to that precipice, aren’t I?). So this is why they made us sign that “withhold from harm” paper. Afterwards, I scooped water into my hands and drank straight from the glacier. Norma frowned and asked, “aren’t you worried you’ll get sick?” I figured if the water isn’t pure in Alaska on top of a glacier, we’re all doomed. And no, I didn’t get sick.

More scenes from a wedding

Abbie & Todd, 9.12.2010 © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Design Studio: Holiday Card

Yesterday I photographed my friend Gina and her dogs, Lúc (left, shown howling at a passerby) and Gumbo (looking at me with his one good eye!), for her holiday card. Both animals were rescue/shelter dogs who had special needs—Gumbo had lost one eye to an infection and Lúc had to have a good number of his teeth extracted—but they have found a wonderful home with Gina.

Add a holiday gift border, paw prints (both purchased for a buck each from http://www.vectorstock.com and manipulated/colorized to fit) and a greeting in French (she’s a Francophile and loves all things French), and voila—c’est manifique! Who needs Costco’s pre-printed holiday borders when you have me?

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Honey bee

Green Spring Gardens, 11.14.2010 © Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Lisa and Hilary

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Lisa Fuller Seward: A Missionary’s Life

Lisa Fuller Seward is our cover profile for the November/December 2010 issue of Hearing Loss Magazine, which I design and produce bimonthly for the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). I met and photographed Lisa and her daughter Hilary for the magazine at HLAA’s convention in Milwaukee this past June.

Lisa, husband Tom, and their three children (Hilary, a college freshman studying graphic design; Benjamin, a high school freshman; and Caleb, who just started fifth grade) are missionaries in Mali, West Africa. They are currently in Chicago for the 2010-11 school year, with the intention of returning to their missions work with World-Venture in Mali next summer.

Lisa and Tom are currently helping with the youth program at their church, and Lisa is also a volunteer mentor in the “Mom to Mom” program. Their main responsibility this year on home assignment is to report to their donor base and build new support for the programs they are involved in overseas, including student sponsorships and women’s literacy. Regular updates and pictures are posted on their family blog at www.tomseward.com.

Lisa plans to concentrate on language learning upon her return to Africa, working on the trade language to better communicate with nationals, particularly the women, many of whom have received very little education. She enjoys exchanging cooking styles and learning to live a rustic life, while sharing in the joys and sorrows of weddings, funerals, business ventures, and illnesses. Since their return to Africa after Lisa’s illness and subsequent hearing loss and cochlear implantation, the Sewards have sensed an increased interest in their input by local friends who value their commitment to returning after such a difficult personal life event. The Sewards are eager to increase their impact in people’s lives as their sensitivity to people with disabilities has grown.

Download Lisa’s article are her hearing loss journey in pdf format by clicking the link here: LisaFullerSeward.

Very special thanks to:

HLAA member Dan Schwartz, who connected me to Lisa online through Facebook, suggesting that she might make a great profile subject for our magazine (he was right!);

Photographer Jim Adams for providing additional photos of Lisa and her family for the Mali collage;

and Leslie Lesner, audiologist and owner of Lesner Hearing Center, in Alexandria, Virginia, for affording me the opportunity to photograph various hearing aids at her practice to illustrate Mark Ross’ article in this issue.

Other articles in this issue of Hearing Loss Magazine include:

“We Move Forward When We’re Ready” by Richard Reed
A late-deafened musician tells how he adjusted to a cochlear implant.

The Sounds of Music—Strategies for Improving Music Appreciation with a Cochear Implant, by Donna Sorkin, vice president of consumer affairs at Cochlear Americas

Choosing and Using a Cell Phone with Your Hearing Aid or Cochlear Implant by Lise Hamlin, director of Public Policy at the Hearing Loss Association of America

Convention 2011—A Capital Experience by Nancy Macklin, director events and marketing at the Hearing Loss Association of America

The Hearing Healthcare Professional—The Key Factors in Determining Successful Use of a Hearing Aid by Mark Ross, audiologist and associate at the Rehabilitation Engineering Center (RERC) at Gallaudet University

Want to learn more about the Hearing Loss Association of America?
Check out their website at www.hearingloss.org.

Baker’s Dozen Link Love

1. Joe McNally: Common Mistakes by Photographers
One of my favorite photographers, Joe McNally, created a list of common mistakes people make when starting out in photography. Go check out this great post here:
http://www.joemcnally.com/blog/2010/11/02/mistakes-2/

2. Larry Becker’s Cheap Shots
Through Scott Kelby’s blog (love him, too!), I learned about Larry Becker and his new DIY blog, Larry’s Cheap Shots. This blog resulted from his regular segment on the photography web-based tv show, DTownTV. He offers great DIY projects and inexpensive solutions to your photographic needs. Visit his regular blog, also a great site, here: http://lbecker.com/blog/

3. Dan Williams, Bird Photographer
I met Dan Williams, bird photographer extraordinaire, when he was exhibiting during a Craftsmen’s Classic Art & Craft Show at the Dulles Expo in Chantilly, Virginia last year. I had the chance to talk with him at length about his photography career, including his choice of equipment—the full frame 24.9mp Sony A900. After seeing his work, I have concluded that there is no one better at this genre—so I’m leaving avian photography to him! His work is clean, graphic and filled with color. He describes his approach to composition in his blog post, Keeping It Simple Can Produce the Best Results, here. Another insightful post, Breaking the Laws of Nature Photography, can be found here. Check out his website here and his blog here.

4. Bob Krist’s Compact Location Lighting Kit
After seeing freelance photographer Bob Krist on the Nikon Creative Lighting System video, I decided I had to put together a compact lighting kit like his. My only change was a cheaper travel case—although now that I see his Stormcase has wheels, I’ve got that on my wishlist again. I already had many of the items; I just needed to add some of the accessories—such as the smaller collapsible light stands and shorter umbrellas. (The video is well worth the price—lighting guru Joe McNally and Bob Krist show the amazing results you can accomplish using Nikon Speedlight flashes on location. Check out the DVD here). Krist works on assignment with magazines such as National Geographic Traveler, Smithsonian and Islands. His website is beautiful—check it out here. I traveled with my newly-assembled kit for the first time when I photographed musician Richard Reed in Providence, RI, earlier this fall. I was on assignment for Cochlear Americas and posted the results of our two photo sessions here. Richard wrote an article for the November/December 2010 issue of the Hearing Loss Magazine, which went to print last month. I’ll be posting a recap on that issue shortly.

5. Erik Gauger’s Notes from the Road
I discovered travel writer and photographer Erik Gauger’s blog a few years ago and have had the pleasure of corresponding with him via e-mail regularly. I will be interviewing him and profiling his career in a future post on this blog, so stay tuned. His website is not only beautiful, it will make you want to hit the road in search of adventure! His blog has garnered accolades: “Unexpected frontier of the travel blogosphere…” —Boston Globe; “Sumptuous Site” —Time Magazine; and “The best-looking blog we’ve seen” —Forbes Magazine. Erik’s blog is definitely a must-see, must-read virtual trip. Find out why at http://www.notesfromtheroad.com/

6. Kolby Kirk’s Travel Journal
I met webmaster/graphic designer/photographer/traveler Kolby Kirk through my blog. Check out his newest blog—The Journal. He has several other websites that can help you plan your own travel adventures. Click here to peruse that list.

7. It’s (K)not Wood
I have a thing for anything faux bois (fake wood), from vases to dishes to table runners, so I love Emilyn Eto and Jonathan Lo’s It’s (K)not Wood, the blog “dedicated to all things faux bois.” Oh, and did I mention I also love anything emblazoned with leaves, trees, twigs, birds, bird eggs, bird nests, or bird feathers, too?

8. The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies
If you’re an “old school” graphic designer, you’ll appreciate the trip down memory lane in Lou Brooks’ The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies. Click on any item from “the ghosts of graphic arts past” to relive its use.

9. The Pantone Hotel
On my list of places to rest my weary head, I just added The Pantone Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. For those of you who don’t know what the heck Pantone is, click here.

10. On my nightstand: A Homemade Life
A few weeks ago, I read A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, by Molly Wizenberg, the creator of the blog, Orangette. I found myself sniffling in the airport during some of the passages she writes about her dying father, an exuberant gastronomic. Food and memories are intertwined in this short, sweet read. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry…so good, it even made me want to cook—one thing I just don’t do much of, I must confess. Learn more about the book and Wizenberg in this Amazon.com review here. In honor of your father, Molly, I promise to utilize (soon, I promise, soon) my shiny new white KitchenAid mixer—a well-received birthday present last month from my friends Gina, Karen and Rob. I have always thought that if only I had one of these, then I would be a real cook. Guess now I don’t have any excuses to stay out of the kitchen, do I?

11. Matt Bites Blog
I just love food photographer Matt Armendariz’ blog, http://mattbites.com/. His blog tagline reads, “a man obsessed with food, drink & everything in between.” A former graphic designer and art director in the food industry, he is one of the charter members of Martha’s Circle, a selection of lifestyle blogs selected by the editors of Martha Stewart Living. Check out his food & drink, travel and photography portfolios while you’re there. Just reading his recent recipe for Chicken & Potato Patties makes me hungry—oooh, and they include cilantro, one of my favorite herbs!

12. Mark Berkery’s Macro Photography
This site was featured on the “Freshly Pressed” page in WordPress last week—Mark Berkery’s Being Mark blog. His macro photography is jaw-dropping and if you click here, you’ll learn how he gets these amazing shots (it’s not just equipment—he knows technique, too), as well discover that there’s an inexpensive piece of equipment to add to your arsenal to capture images like his—a Raynox Macroscopic Lens. I’ve never heard of this company until now, but was thrilled to find their inexpensive products at Adorama. I first ordered the DCR-250 ($50 + shipping), which allows really high magnification and includes a snap-on universal mount suitable for lens that range from 52mm to 67mm size (I’ll try it first on my Nikkor 105mm micro, but it can be used on any of my lens, macro or not. They can be used on other cameras, too—not just Nikons). After reading the various entries on this Pentax forum here, I decided I also wanted the option of pulling back from my subject, so I also ordered the DCR-150 ($42.95 + shipping). I’ll do some experimenting shortly and will report my findings.

13. And finally, this one is just plain fun!
I learned about HEMA’s site here a few years ago (via graphic designer Chuck Green’s Design Briefs, if I’m not mistaken) and I still think it’s still one of the coolest retail sites online. HEMA is a Dutch department store chain. Unless you’re from the Netherlands, you probably won’t be able to read any of the product names, but wait a few seconds to see the reason this site is so much fun anyway. Do turn up the sound or you’ll miss some of the action. My flight attendant friend Gina has a penchant for visiting grocery stores in her international travels, so I’m sure when she sees this link, she’ll be making plans to patronize HEMA the next time she’s in Amsterdam!

Family Jewels Milkweed Tree (Asclepias physocarpa)

This species of milkweed is also known as White Butterfly Weed and Swan Plant. Native to Jamaica and South America, this perennial herb can grow to over six feet and prefers full sun and well-drained soil. It is a food source for caterpillars and is a food and habitat plant for the Monarch Butterfly. The small flowers are creamy white and orchid-like, followed by translucent, inflated 2″ green balls covered with soft bristles that are the resulting seedpods. It is a fast-growing tender perennial and grows best in Zones 7-10. Photographed at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria, Virginia

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.

Katydid

This might be a Scudder’s Bush Katydid (it looks a lot like the one here), except this one has more rust coloring. At the very least, I know it’s a Katydid and not a grasshopper (as I originally thought). I photographed it at Green Spring Gardens late this afternoon. This is one of only two shots I could get before he was on to me and off to his next meal.

© Cindy Dyer. All rights reserved.