May 2019

Hi Everyone Last night we had a fabulous farewell dinner on the sun deck. We had arrived at the island of San Cristobal and dropped anchor. You saw lights on the island in the distance. People and civilization. How different. The chef made filet minion and lobster tails. I had two huge lobster tails and we all talked the night away.  Our wake up call was for 6 AM. I was so tired that I immediately fell asleep after dinner. I have always said that a photography trip is hard work. No rest. We all met for our daily coffee and then boarded our Pangas for our last Panga ride. How glorious it was. Saw beautiful frigate birds flying and sea lions playing in the water. How I will remember everything about this trip.  After one hour, it was back to the yacht for breakfast and a quick shower. Our luggage was taken away and put on the Pangas for the airport and we then boarded them when they returned. We debarked in a small town named San Cristobal. Not much doing here. Some restaurants, bars and local stores. We first went to the airport to check in for our flight to Guayaquil.  We were then driven back into town to explore this sleepy sort of fishing village. I wandered around and bought some funny t-shirts and we all met at a local restaurant at noon. It was back to the airport and our flight to Guayaquil. Of course, as soon as I boarded and sat down i fell asleep. This seems to be a habit of mine. Arrived in Guayaquil at 4 PM. Don’t forget, Ecuador is one hour a head of the Galapagos and checked into the hotel we had started from.  Had dinner with some people from the trip and now need to get some sleep since I am leaving for the airport at 6 AM. Now to sum up this adventure. First lets start with Quito. What an enchanting and old city. Cobblestone narrow streets and old buildings. Locals selling food and the hotel we stayed in was so beautiful and majestic.Then the long windy road to Mashpi Lodge and the cloud forest. Seeing something that will probably not exist in the near future. Being challenged with my photography skills. Taking pictures at night in the rain and mud. Seeing little creatures that you had to find. The hummingbirds. They were so beautiful. I wish my pictures do them justice. Now onto the Galapagos. I think the saying “When was the last time you saw something for the first time” is so appropriate. Knowing that you could never see these amazing creatures in zoos. They only exist in the Galapagos. How can I describe seeing the marine iguanas and their prehistoric look and beauty? I fell in love with them. Knowing that they only exist in the Galapagos. Seeing the blue footed boobies was so different. How beautiful these birds were. Seeing albatrosses going through their mating rituals and sitting on their nests. Seeing the giant tortoises in their natural environment. Snorkeling as sea lions were swimming around me. Seeing them dance as they bobbed their way around. Seeing sea turtles swimming as they ate below me. Finally, the cormorants that do not fly. Knowing that there are only nine hundred of them left in the world and they are all in the Galapagos. How fragile this environment is. What about the Galapagos penguins? Penguins on the equator. Only in the Galapagos. These are the memories that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I hope that my pictures tell the story.  Now for some photography facts and thoughts. I took all my pictures in the Galapagos only using one camera and lens. I used my Sony 7riii and 100-400 lens all. the time. My camera is as 43 megapixel camera and I wanted to have some more room for cropping. Furthermore, there were very few times that the subject matter was moving fast so no need for the Sony A9. When I was in Africa last year, I used the Sony A9 almost all the time. My photography skills were challenged. Shooting during the night in the cloud forest was something I had never done before. I used manual mode most of the time. Would use auto ISO and pump up the shutter speed for hummingbirds and other faster moving subjects. Another way would have been to manually adjust the ISO and I used that sometimes. Exposure compensation was constantly being adjusted. Taking pictures in bright sunlight and in the darkness required the adjustments. Lava rocks also needed exposure compensation to bring out the true colors. You want to try to make as many adjustments with the camera and not do those adjustments in editing. The camera captures data and editing does not. This is all technical, but as you know, photography is about the “eye”. Taking unique images, telling a story and seeing what others don’t see or pass over. My next adventure starts in the beginning of August. I am going to Kamchatka. Where is Kamchatka? Kamchatka is a peninsula on the east coast of Russia north of Japan. It is one of the most remote places in the world. I have always wanted to go there. Will be camping out most of the days. Cant wait to see what I find there. Talk to everyone soon Love Larry

Hi Everyone We all woke up at 5 AM. I can tell you that it was rough last night. I woke up several times and all my equipment that is scattered all around my cabin was thrown all over. Still not nearly as bad as the “Drake”, but bad for most of us.  We had breakfast at 5:30 and then it was off on our Pangas to explore Espanola Island. The Pangas were able to make a dry landing on some lava rock out growth. This hike will take four hors over lava rocks most of the time. We started early since the heat and humidity goes way up as the day progresses. Don’t forget, we are almost on the equator. The oldest person on our trip is eight five years old and I am the second oldest at seventy. We were offered walking sticks and he took two. I decided not to use one. Gerry, the oldest, kept on falling over the rocks and crevices and evenly he was helped and a crew member came to meet us to help him. The hike was mostly uphill over jagged lava rocks. You had to constantly look down  to navigate the rocks and avoid twisting your ankles or falling. I have been to some places where I have sweat an enormous amount and almost become dehydrated and this hike ranks up there with some of the hardest and most strenuous. My shirt and shorts became totally drenched and my fingers were dripping sweat on my camera and lens. We finally reached a clearing where there were lots of albatrosses. They come to Espanola Island to breed and start coming here from April and leave in the late fall. They had paired up and started their mating rituals. Albatrosses have only one mate for life. The female lays one egg a season. The eggs are large. We saw some eggs left over from last season which did not hatch. It was fascinating watching the albatrosses go through their matting ritual. I took some great images of this ritual of nature.  We then left the albatrosses and kept on walking up over the rocks. We finally reached a cliff overlooking a bay. There was a large blow hole that was spouting water up under one of the cliffs. The mist and waves created quite a beautiful and different image. Espanola is alsop home to another type of marine iguana. This marine iguana is the pink marine iguana. They have more color than the other iguanas and are only unique to Espanola. I have become very fond of marine iguanas. They are so different and photogenic.  We started to hike on the cliff and took a different route back to the Pangas. Eventually we started a descent and arrived at a flat rocky area that was inhabited by blue footed boobies. I finally had my wish. There are approximately one thousand pair of these unique birds left and I have seen them. Don’t forget “When was the last time you saw something for the first time?” Priceless. The female lays three eggs and they do not mate for life. They are very precious and their feet and beaks are amazing. Took lots of pictures of these birds knowing that in all likelihood this will be my only time to see them and how fortunate I am in seeing them for myself and being given the opportunity to show them to others as I saw them. I started to really feel the heat and humidity. Lisa gave me a large electrolyte pill that i crushed in my water bottle. Hopefully this will do the trick. We kept on walking over rocks in this intense heat. My mind started to think about a cold shower and getting out of these sweat filled clothes. We finally reached the end of our hike. Another group, from a different yacht, were starting their hike. I could not imagine how they would survive. At 10:30 we arrived back at the yacht and my dream came true. Stood under a cold shower and thought of what I had seen. I would do it all over again if I could.  After lunch I worked on my pictures. I download them at every opportunity onto two SSD hard drives. I have become a person who keeps lots of backups. Hopefully, I will never use them. At 2:30 we boarded the Pangas for a trip to Gardner Bay. This is a white crushed coral beach and was not hot at all. No sand. Some of us went snorkeling. I did not since I could not imagine it being better than the snorkeling yesterday where we played with the sea lions. Sea lions dotted the beach . Most of them were sleeping and got up for an occasional yawn and stretch. They were behaving like we were not there.  Tonight is our farewell dinner and cocktail party.  Tomorrow morning we have our last Panga ride and then its to the airport and back tp Guayaquil.  Will wrap up this incredible trip tomorrow night Love Larry

Hi Everyone Got up at 6 AM. The open water crossing was rough last night and I tossed and turned. Finally fell asleep and was woken up by music at 6o’clock. We went for a Panga ride first and then back to the boat for breakfast. The yacht had anchored off of Floreana Island.  After breakfast we went back into the Pangas for a wet landing on shore. We were let off at Post Office Bay. Why is this bay called Post Office Bay? In the 18th century whalers passing through the islands placed a wooden barrel on Floreana Island for use as an unofficial mail box. Before we left the yacht we were given postcards to address to someone. I addressed my post card to Olivia. You deposit your post card in the barrel and sort through the ones left behind. If you find one near where you live, you can then deliver it by hand when you return. I found one post card addressed to an address in Chappaqua, but it was only placed in the barrel last week so I left it behind. The tradition calls for you to hand deliver the post card you take just like the whalers used to do. If you mail it, you will be cursed. We continued back to the beach to explore. There is a little bird that lives here by the name of the “Yellow Warbler”. It is so hard to capture one in flight that Andy has offered a $500 discount on someones next workshop, if he or she can capture a Yellow Warbler in flight and in focus. No one has gotten an exact hit but Duane has been very close. We then boarded our Pangas for the ride back to the yacht.  After lunch is when the activity really picked up. We went snorkeling. Eight of us, including myself, got on our wet suits and boarded a Panga. We were taken to a small island named “Champion Islet” located just offshore of Floreana Island.  We were told by Pablo that a wall existed near the shore and the current was very strong. We needed to flight the current to avoid any injury. As soon as we all jumped in, a group of sea lions also jumped in. They were all over us. They made their circular motions and were so close to me that I touched some of them. Also, a few went right up to my mask. The younger sea lions are very playful. As we swam down the islet, some of the sea lions started to even bite some of our cameras. There were also lots of beautiful schools of fish but the stars of the show were the sea lions. How amazing this site was and to be a part of this experience was unbelievable. This experience will live with me for many years as I remember the Galapagos.  We then headed back to the yacht for a quick shower and then it was off to a wet landing at “Cormorant Point”. We hiked down to a large lagoon where there were large flamingos walking on the shallow water eating what they could find. Also, there were small birds named Stilts that were eating what they could find. An beautiful scene. As the light changed, the reflection of the flamingos on the lagoon created some very interesting images. We then walked back to the beach. We saw some blue footed boobies sitting in their nests. The blue footed boogie is also only found in the Galapagos. We walked down the beach and found another blue footed boobie sitting on her nest. I so wanted her to stand up and expose her feet. I even offered her $50 to stand up, but nothing happened. Just as we were getting ready to walk back down the beach to our Pangas, she took me up on my offer and stood up. There were two large eggs in her nest and her feet were mostly exposed. I couldn’t be happier. To take a picture of these rare birds nesting like this is quite rare.  We then boarded our Pangas for the ride back to the yacht. Before dinner we were given our itinerary for the last full day. Wake up time is 5 AM and breakfast will be served at 5:30. Then its off for a four hour walk through the morning heat to take pictures of the grey albatross. This bird only comes here to nest and this is the time of year they are here.  After dinner we had our last critique and I will miss these sessions. Before dinner I went outside to the back of the yacht and saw a flying fish had flown onto the deck. The fish was still alive and I picked it up and threw it back into the water. I heard some splashing and looked down. Some literally dozens of sharks, both large and small, eating flying fish and anything else. What a scene. I tried to take some pictures, but it was too dark. What an adventure.  Love Larry

Hi Everyone Last night I laid down at about 10:30 and fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. A photography workshop is hard work. You always get up very early and am constantly using the creative part of your brain. That said, we were given one half hour more to sleep and were woken up at 6:30. We then ate breakfast and were told that the Pangas were leaving at 8:30 for either kayaking or snorkeling from the Pangas. I was so tired that I decided to stay on the yacht and work on my techniques in lightroom. Had some more coffee and took a nap. Everyone returned at 10:30 and the snorkeling people told me that they had seen penguins swimming all around them. I felt disappointed that I had not experienced this, but I needed some time to mope around.  At 11:30 Lisa gave a one hour lecture on Charles Darwin. He came from a wealthy family and went to numerous schools during his early years. He was the second choice to go on the voyage of the SS Beagle. One of his mentors could not go and recommend him. The voyage was for five years and went around the entire globe. Darwin would take side trips by himself. The SS Beagle’s visit to the Galapagos was towards the end of the voyage. The voyage started in 1836 and finished in 1841. Darwin never left Britain again. He documented the voyage and gave lectures for the rest of his life.  We had finally arrived back at Baltra. This is where we had landed and started our journey. The yacht needed to refuel and the only place to refuel is there.  After lunch it was time for some more rest and relaxation. I needed the moping time to recharge .At 3 PM we all boarded the Pangas for a visit to Mosquera Inlet. This inlet is located between the islands of Baltra and North Seymour. We did a wet landing on a reef of lava rocks and coral. Pablo told us that this reef was formed due to an uprising. This was a favorite area for sea lions and their pups. They were sleeping in the sun all over the coral reef. One important concept to remember is try not to take pictures that anyone can take. Try to make your pictures unique. I search for that and am constantly honing my eye trying to find those unique situations. An example is on this location.  Anyone can take pictures of sea lions, but what can you do to make your pictures unique? You have to try to capture images of the sea lions interacting or finding some that have a special relationship. Also, try to bring your image into where you are taking it. That is difficult sometimes. An example of that is taking a picture of a marine iguana. Everyone who comes to the Galapagos takes pictures of marine iguanas, but to catch one entering the water is much more unique. That further explains where the picture was taken since marine iguanas only exist in the Galapagos. My photography has reached this level. I know enough technically, but the ability to compose and make your photography unique is an ongoing process that never reaches a goal and you are constantly learning. I captured some great pictures of some sea lion pups playing with each other. I am my worst critic and am always being too selective. Olivia helps me and that.  We boarded our Pangas for the trip back to the yacht. How I have fallen in love with the creatures that call the Galapagos their home. They are all so unique and to be given the opportunity to see them in the wild has always been a dream of mine.  After dinner with Andy and Lisa sat with us helping us on our editing skills. They both have the patience of saints. Everyone has their own style and technique and I absorb so much from learning from them and others.  Tomorrow is a fun day of activity as our journey is drawing to a close. Talk to everyone tomorrow. Love Larry

Hi Everyone Another day of getting up at 6 AM. We had a surprisingly rough voyage last night. Of course, no where near as rough as the “Drake”, but rough enough for you to feel the power of the water under us. I did not sleep well due to this and having too much coffee all day.  We changed our schedule since the volcano we were going to visit was a muddy mess and you could not get near it either by vehicle or foot. We were anchored in a bay off of the island of Isabela. After breakfast, we boarded our Pangas and drove to town or what you call a town in the Galapagos. As we drove by other boats anchored in the harbor, we saw sea lions boarding them and the boats had no people on them. The Galapagos does not allow helicopters, jet skiing, jet skis, para gliding or another other kind of activity that you would normally see on the beach area of most of the islands around the world. You could count the restaurants on your hand and the hotel facilities were very barren. The name of the town is “Puerto Villamil”. As soon as we disembarked our Pangas and started to walk up to our van, we saw marine iguanas and sea lions all over town. They outnumbered the people there. The sea lions had taken over the beach and the iguanas were all over. You had to watch where you walked. We were driven to a long white beach that had lots of black lava outcroppings. On some of the outcroppings were infant marine iguanas. I have grown to love these creatures. They are so photogenic and do not bother anyone. They make great subject matter and look like prehistoric dinosaurs that have been left over. There were also crabs and some more Sally Lightfoot crabs. Made for an interesting morning of exploring and walking around.  We got back to the yacht at about 11 AM. The heat seems more intense in the morning and the humidity starts high and goes down as the day wears on. We all rested until lunch. After lunch Lisa gave a very informative lecture on the Galapagos penguins. They are so unique and there are only about one thousand pairs here. Don’t forget, these are the only penguins in the world that live on the equator and they only exist in the Galapagos. The reason is even though we are on the Ecuador, the water is much colder than you would find in an area on the equator. The Humboldt current brings up cold water from the Antarctic, surrounds the Galapagos and then goes back down to Antartica.  As you already know, we have been wearing wet suits while snorkeling. At about three o’clock, we then boarded our Pangas for a return visit to Puerto Villamil. We disembarked and then boarded a van to go to the Tortoise Breeding Station. This is not a zoo. We had previously seen tortoise’s in the wild. This center was created to protect tortoises during their first five years of life. Giant tortoise eggs are collected and brought to the center where they are hatched and kept for around five years until they are released back into their natural environment.  After leaving the Tortoise Breeding Station, we walked on a long trail through some wetlands. Nothing grows in the Galapagos. There is no soil to grow crops. Everything is on lava. No native or indigenous people live here. The wetlands were beautiful. We walked over mangroves that were growing through back lava. We passed by some beautiful birds and flamingos. Our van was waiting at the end of the walkway and will all boarded it for a ride back to the pier and Pangas. Dinner was amazing. The chef had made sushi and it was very good. Local fish bough in the market made as sushi. After dinner Andy had us each submit three pictures for a critique. The session lasted a good two hours and Andy did a wonderful and informative job.  Talk to everyone tomorrow from this unique place. I am understanding now how the Galapagos changed the world. Love Larry

Hi Everyone Another boring day in the Galapagos. How can any day be boring here? Charles Darwin wrote his famous books about the Galapagos recording the unique creatures. He is buried in Westminster Abbey. Our day started again at 6 AM. Pablo put on some music and we all woke up. At six thirty we boarded our Pangas for a wet landing. What does this mean? Our Pangas were only able to take us so far and then we had to get in the water and walk to the shore. How do you carry your camera gear? You buy a water proof satchel made from a special rubber that protects it. Even if the bag falls in the water, it floats. My bag is made by a company named “Overboard”.  After walking through through the surf, we all met at Urbina Bay on the island of Isabela. We had packed our hiking shoes in the water proof satchel and sat down to put them on. It was then off to following Pablo through the underbrush. This area experienced a major uplift in 1954 causing the land to rise over sixteen feet. The coast expanded half a mile out and the wildlife had to adjust. We shortly saw our first land turtle. There are two types of turtles in the Galapagos, land and sea. Land turtles, of course, never venture into the water. Sea turtles only come out of the water to create their nest and bury their eggs. On one side of our path was a restricted nesting area. It takes about four months for the eggs to hatch and the there are approximately one thousand eggs in each nest. Only two eggs will survive and mature to adults. We walked into numerous land turtles. They were young and older. We even saw two land turtles mating. These are all wild turtles and not part of a conservancy center. When these turtles mate, the male lets out a howling sound and they are interlocked for over one day. The humidity was intense. My clothes became drenched with sweat. I also got quite muddy and dirty by laying on the ground taking images. I always tell people the best pictures are captured at eye level. We also ran into some land iguanas. They are yellow due to the food they eat. Land iguanas live mostly alone unlike marine iguanas who live in huge bunches. Also, land iguanas go into burrows they dig at night and venture out after the sun rises.  After spending about two hours on this hike, we eventually met our Pangas, took off our shoes and got on board for our short ride back to the yacht. I needed a cold shower in the worst sort of way and had to wash my clothes by hand. After breakfast we were given a lightroom session on some maneuvers and techniques until about eleven. It was then time to rest until lunch. After lunch we rested again until 2 PM. A little before 2 we all put on our wet suits and got our snorkeling gear for one hour of snorkeling at Moreno Point. Moreno Point is also on Isabela Island. I put on my wet suit, grabbed my gear and hopped on a Panga. We then drove towards the shore and the Pangas stopped to let us off. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Lots of brightly colored fish and then the first contact with a sea turtle. This sea turtle was so graceful underwater. Its shell had sea moss growing on it. The sea turtle was eating moss off the rocks. I just watched in amazement and floated along with him. We saw two more sea turtles and I explored the rocks and saw some small creatures on the rocks and crevices. What a different kind of world.  After one hour of snorkeling and my shoulders aching, we got back on the Pangas and headed back to the yacht. I immediately took a hot shower and got ready for our next adventure. We were going out on the Pangas to the mangroves and beyond. Imagine seeing mangroves growing out of lava rocks and stones. We saw schools of sting rays swimming alongside our Pangas and lots of penguins and flightless cormorants. This is the last time we will see these amazing birds since they only are on the western side of the Galapagos. We were able to see some of the flightless cormorants nesting and of course, my friends the marine iguanas were plentiful. As we drove further away from the mangroves we saw more and more Galapagos sea lions. Their black skin is so shiny and beautiful. We also saw a mother nursing her pup. The gurgling sound of the pup could be heard. What a wonderland.After our presentation for tomorrow by Pablo dinner was served. Andy them gave us another Lightroom session. I am the last one awake and am feeling my arms and hands being very heavy as i finish this blog. The days of lugging a camera and gear are starting to wear on me.Talk to everyone tomorrowLove Larry

Hi Everyone Why am I so tired? Its 9:27PM and I am exhausted. Why? Lets go through the day and you will see why. The day started at 6 AM. Our wake up call is Pablo getting on the loudspeaker and telling us all to wake up. I slept like a log. The waves were more pronounced than I expected, but calm enough to be a sort of a soothing effect. We all met for coffee and waited for the fog to lift. Our leaders decided to have us eat breakfast first and then go on our Panga to explore the cliffs of “Vicente Rosa Point” on Isabela. Isabela is the largest of the Galapagos Islands. We then boarded our Pangas. Do we all remember what a Panga is? It is another name for a zodiac. We then explored the cliffs of Isabela on the northwestern coast. The cliffs and water were full of life. We saw those amazing birds that don’t fly. What do you mean a bird that does not fly? Only in the Galapagos are flightless Cormorant birds. When I was in China, I saw and took pictures of fishermen that use Cormorant birds to fish. Their birds, of course, fly. These Cormorant birds do not have to fly to eat and through evolution have lost their need to fly. They still have small wings, but do not use them for their intended purpose. These birds waddle into the water and eat. We also witnessed one bringing some small branches out of the water to make a nest. There were also lots of marine iguanas hanging out on the cliffs The second unique creature known only in the Galapagos is the marine iguana. The marine iguana is the only iguana that swims in the water to feed. There are land iguanas here as well, but the marine iguana is the one that is only known in the Galapagos. We saw lots of turtles feeding. We also saw some seals swimming and then climbing up on lava rocks that were outcroppings near the cliffs. Then the Galapagos penguin made its appearance. Penguins that live on the equator. Thats right. Of course, these penguins only live in the Galapagos. Another example of seeing something for the first time. These are smaller penguins and do not look like your typical penguin found in colder climates, but they are black and white just like the others. Most of what I have seen so far is volcanic. The rocks are harden lava and the this in itself creates a challenge in bringing out the beautiful colors of the area.  We then headed back to the yacht to change into our snorkeling gear and go back out. We were each given wet suits, fins and a mask with a breathing tube. I had brought a waterproof camera just for fun. In order to take good underwater photography you need expensive equipment. The images you get from a cheap waterproof camera is not the quality that I would accept. We put on our wet suits, grabbed the gear and got back into the Pangas. We then were driven further in towards the shore. It was now time to jump in. The water was nice with the wet suit on. I immediately saw a school of silver long fish and took some pictures. I then swam into a school of large clown fish. Maybe the biggest clown fish I had ever seen. I took some more pictures and then it happened. My camera fell off of my wrist band and I saw it floating down to the bottom. I dove down trying to catch it, but it was too late. The last I saw of my camera was it falling into a crevice. Furthermore, another member of the group lost her GoPro in the water. Imagine how many cameras are at the bottom of the Galapagos. Oh well, I guess I wasn’t meant to take any underwater pictures that I would have not been happy with anyway. At noon, we all boarded the Pangas and were driven back to the yacht. After taking long hot showers, lunch was served on the sun deck. Rich and myself went to sit in the hot tub after the snorkeling and were late for lunch. I would have turned up the temperature in the hot tub to soothe my aching arms and shoulders.  After lunch was rest time and I really needed some time to myself. It was time for a well deserved nap until 3 PM. We were going on a land hike on Fernandina Island. Fernandina Island is the youngest of the Galapagos Islands and is growing. In March 2018 there was a volcanic eruption and lava added to the size of the island. Tourists were not allowed on Fernandina until the lava had cooled and it was safe. We took our Pangas to Fernandina Island and luckily it was high tide so we were able to be dropped off on the island. Black lava rocks of all sizes were everywhere. We then started to hike and walked right into a huge group of marine iguanas. When the marine iguanas are on land, they like to huddle together for their body heat and warmth. My camera could not stop clicking. I had always wanted to take pictures of marine iguanas up close and this was my opportunity. After some time shooting these amazing creatures, we finally left the location and walked towards the water. There were huge lava fields heading down to the ocean. We then saw some more marine iguanas sitting on some beautiful mangrove wood that had a beautiful texture to it. This could not get any better. I immediately stopped and laid on the rough ground to be at eye level. As I was getting up, I fell and cut my two knees. Dot worry, it was not bad, but am buying knee pads when I return to civilization. We then saw some seals and

Hi Everyone Its been a long day. Called Olivia last night for the last time I will hear her voice for eight days. That alone seems strange to me and being cutoff from the outside world is an experience in itself. Woke up at 5 AM for breakfast and then it was off to the airport in Guayaquil for our three hour flight to the Galapagos. I have always dreamed about going to the Galapagos and see and learn how and why these small islands changed the world. Our yacht has two posters of local wildlife and the posters ask the question “When was the last time you saw something for the first time?” As you get older that question becomes much more difficult to answer. Over the last few years I have been fortunate enough to see things for the first time in many places around the world. Part of my photography tries to bring these unique places, people and animals to others and show others how I visually see those things for the first time.  Our Avianca flight took off from Guayaquil at 8:30. The Galapagos is one hour behind the rest of Ecuador or two hours behind the eastern time zone. Of course, I immediately fell asleep. Three hours later I felt the airplane landing at Baltra Airport on the island of Santa Cruz. Baltra Airport was a U.S. military base from 1840 until after the second world war. You can still see some of the concrete bunkers. The U.S. then handed over the base to the Ecuadorian government. Before we left Guayaquil, we were each given a packet. Inside the packet was our pass to enter the Galapagos and all the detail about our stay and for how long and what we will be doing. The amount of people is limited and you need to make reservations very far in advance. Furthermore, yachts both small and large are only allowed to follow two island by island itineraries. Landings are limited based on the size of your vessel and the number of people per landing is also limited. Fortunately, our group is sixteen and we are on a small yacht so all of us can go on each landing. Similar to Antartica. Going through the registration process is fast and simple. Our paperwork was already done for us and the entrance fees were paid for.  Our Ecuadorian naturalist and guide, named Pablo, met us and we all followed him out the terminal to a large van. Our luggage was taken from us and the van took us to a small dock area. Our yacht was anchored in the harbor. We were each given a life preserver to wear and then boarded two zodiacs. Zodiacs are called “Pangas”. I will continue to use that word during the course of my writings. We each sat on the outside of the Panga and the person driving the Panga took us toward our yacht. Before we boarded our yacht we took a short trip to some cliffs and saw some blue footed boobies. This is the first of many creatures that are new to me. Their feet are this beautiful color of baby blue. There were also grey penguins diving for fish. We finally drove back to our yacht and boarded the “Natural Paradise”. There were two or three other small yachts also boarding. We were first given a lecture on safety. We had to leave our shoes outside. They are all on stands. Shoes are not allowed in the yacht. My room is nice and the crew is very helpful.  We were first served lunch and then we had down time until 3 PM. I took a nice hit shower and shave and went upstairs to the sun deck to  lay on a long chair. The air is very dry and you do not sweat, but you can feel the intensity of the sun. Don’t forget, the Galapagos is on the Equator. We have been told we will be criss crossing the Equator at least five times. That means going back and forth from the southern to the northern hemisphere. I fell asleep on the sun deck and the warm sun felt so soothing. I was later told that my nose got quite red and a need to put lots of sun block on.  At three we all met on the sundeck to be fitted for our wetsuits and snorkeling gear. The water is not warm and is cooled by the Humbolt current.  At four we all boarded to Pangas for a two hour trip around the western coast of Santa Cruz Island and a place called “Eden Islet”. We went into a small mangrove area and I saw crabs named “Sally Lightfoot Crabs”. They are named this way for the way they walk. They are so colorful and different. The rocks are all volcanic lava. The Galapagos is the home to quite a few volcanoes. We then saw lots of terns and penguins doing their diving act. It seemed like the two hours went quickly and then it was back to the boat. At 6:45 were were given a thirty minute talk on the next days activities. The day is packed with adventure and our wake up vis at 6 AM. I can’t wait to see the rest of these amazing and different islands. I feel like I have entered a different kind of world and hope my photography does this experience justice. Love Larry

Hi Everyone How did our day start in Guayaquil? Got up at 5:30 and went down for breakfast with my IPAD to read. Whenever I travel, I never watch TV and always read. Have become accustomed to reading electronic books and now find it almost impossible to read real books. How the world has changed. The question is has it changed for the better? After drinking about ten cups of good coffee, I went upstairs and went back to sleep. I have a strange body chemistry. We had a lecture at 10 AM on wildlife photography. The lecture lasted over ninety minutes and we went over all of our cameras, settings and lenses. Also included was some review of the environment we will be entering tomorrow in the Galapagos. It is important to know your location and the challenges it will bring. If you are doing photography in a wet location, you need to bring special covers and protection for your gear. I have done photography in locations where the temperature dropped to almost forty below. Your camera freezes quickly and your batteries have very short power lives. You need to compensate for all this and even if you do, challenges still arise once you are there. After our lecture, we went to a local restaurant for our group introduction lunch. Six new members have joined us. We are now a group of sixteen including Andy and Lisa, our leaders. Our boat only accommodates sixteen people plus a crew of ten. The boats name is the “Natural Paradise”. The boat is 111 feet long and the pictures and reviews are exceptional. The lunch was served in a restaurant that looked like someones former home with old pictures hanging on the walls. I ordered the mixed grill seafood platter. It was fabulous. The squid melted in my mouth and the shrimp was so sweet and tasty. After lunch some of the group went back to the hotel and the other half went for a walk to the Malecon. Guayaquil is located on a river that leads into the Pacific Ocean. Once we reached the entrance to the Malecon, you had to walk up 444 steps to the top. Each step was numbered with a tile and its number so I now that that number is correct. This was all done in “Africa Hot” humidity. My beautiful wife Olivia, on one of our trips to Cambodia, coined that term. Once you reach the top, you then see a lighthouse and church. At the back of the church, you look down into a barrio. The barrio is made up of colorful houses on a hillside. The barrio is named “Las Penas”. By the way, the stairs are lined with cafes and shops. Las Penas was the first neighborhood of Guayaquil and was built over four hundred years ago. People live there today. After walking back down the 444 steps, half of the remaining group took a taxi back to the hotel and the remaining half decided to walk back on the malecon. I decided to walk back since I doubt I will ever be here again and wanted to see more of the city. We eventually found the malecon and walked past people strolling and sitting on benches watching the river pass by. Eventually we had to make a right hand turn onto a main avenue and then walk about ten blocks to our hotel. The sweat started to engulf me. There were young people selling “Agua”and lots of shops and snacks being sold. I had to stop and buy some bottled water and it felt like I was starting to dehydrate. We stopped at a local church that was quite beautiful and continued walking into a large park. There were statues all over the park and a big water fountain in the middle. Then I saw it. An oasis in my mind. The hotel. How I could not wait to take a nice cold shower and lay down in my huge soft bed. After dozing off, I went down to the bar and met the group for some drinks and conversation. The new participants fit in well with us and we should have a great trip. It is now 10:22 PM. I will be signing off for the next eight days. No internet nor cell phone service in the Galapagos. How many of us can endure this reality? I have been without cell phone service before on some previous trips. Most of Mongolia and Antartica have no internet nor cell phone service. Most of you know what I do with my blog when these harsh conditions happen, but I will tell everyone again. I still write my daily blog since the memories and details are fresh in my mind. I write them on my laptop or IPAD and then copy and paste onto my website when I return. Don’t fret, you will not get eight blog notifications when I return. I still publish one each day so that people get to read them on a daily basis. Wake up time is 5 AM. We are leaving the hotel at 6:45 for a three hour flight to the Galapagos. The Galapagos is six hundred miles from the coast of Ecuador. Get ready to visit one of the most unique places in the world and see creatures that only live there and no where else. Thats it. Hope the world is around when I return Love Larry

Hi Everyone Hope all is well. Olivia told me it rained all day in New York. I want to wish my beautiful wife and all other mothers and wives a very Happy Mothers Day. Our day started at 6 AM in the lobby for coffee. We then boarded a van for a short ride to what has become my favorite place in the cloud forest. We were going back for a second time to take pictures of the hummingbirds. What beautiful creatures they are. They guides set up their feeders and put sugar water inside. They also hung some flowery branches on ropes near the feeders and used a syringe with sugar water to coat the flowers and branches with the sugar water. The hummingbirds started to appear. They had no fear of humans and it even seemed that they enjoyed our company as they buzzed around and past us. I loved hearing the sound of their buzzing. I couldn’t stop take pictures. My arms became tired. Taking pictures of hummingbirds is unique. Imagine the shutter speed you need to use and what focal point you choose and where to put that focal point. I decided to shoot in manual mode and create my own settings. This is a process of trial and error as you are adjusting all the settings of the camera. Furthermore, the light was constantly changing. A real photographic challenge. I had to be told to leave and could have spent hours there watching these beautiful birds. After breakfast we packed. You go through clothes at a rapid pace in this environment. You are either sweating or rain is constantly starting and stopping. Brought my laundry in to do and luckily it came back in time. At 10:30 it was time for our critique. I gave Andy three of my images. One image was of the cloud forest and the clouds interspersed in the vegetation. I love this image since it depicts the environment I had just spent four days in. The second image was of three hummingbirds hovering around a flowery branch. Two of the hummingbirds were perfectly focused. To get one hummingbird perfectly focused is hard enough, but two is much more difficult. The third image was one that was taken with the wrong exposure settings and I wanted to know if it could be saved. The answer was no. We finally boarded our van and checked out of this beautiful Lodge and environment. I will always remember the four days I have spent in the cloud forest. I learned that you have to find the creatures here. They are hard to find, but once you find them, their beauty is extraordinary. Most of the creatures are small which makes it even harder. The uniqueness of the cloud forest should not be missed. As you already know, this unique environment is disappearing from our world. How sad it will be when the last cloud forest is gone. I pray that never happens and this beautiful ecosystem can be enjoyed by many future generations. I also experienced photography in a very challenging environment. From taking pictures of hummingbirds to night photography and trying to capture good images of tiny frogs, it was a real challenge. Also, having to use camera rain covers and always being extra careful with your gear. Imagine walking at night through a creek carrying cameras and lenses with the rain coming down. It was so easy to slip walking in creeks and mud. The way back was the same way in. Four hours of driving over a long winding one lane road with about half the time no pavement. The roller coaster couldn’t end fast enough. We also crossed back the equatorial line from the northern hemisphere to the southern hemisphere. We finally arrived at the airport in Quito for our forty five minute flight to Guayaquil. Guayaquil is located on the Pacific Ocean. We are spending the next two nights here and then taking a three hour flight to the Galapagos on Tuesday morning. We are being given a wildlife photography lecture tomorrow. Then having a local lunch. After lunch we will be walking on the Malacon. I understand the Malacon is beautiful. Love Larry