Two-Years Ago (14-May-2011) — Belize

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 18: Belize.

Being Stared Down by a Green Kingfisher in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 720, 300 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec).

Being Stared Down by a Green Kingfisher in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 7200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec) (David J Mathre)
Being Stared Down by a Green Kingfisher in Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 7200, 300 mm, f/8, 1/250 sec) (David J Mathre)

Two-Years Ago (14-May-2011) — Belize

Gone to See Central America and the Panama Canal. Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop II with Michael Mariant. Day 18: Belize.

Solitary Small Island in the Gulf of Mexico off the Coast of Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2011 Enrichment Voyage.

Solitary Small Island in the Gulf of Mexico off the Coast of Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)
Solitary Small Island in the Gulf of Mexico off the Coast of Belize. Image taken with a Nikon D3s camera and 70-300 mm VR lens (ISO 200, 300 mm, f/5.6, 1/1000 sec). (David J Mathre)

Sunday (12-May-2013) — France

Gone to See Europe. Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop IV with Michael Mariant. Day 16: Paris, France.

To end a great two-day visit to Paris, I went on an impromptu Photowalk in Parc de Bercy with photographer and friend Thomas Paris. I had been on photography trips before with Thomas in Patagonia (Photo Workshop in 2010 with Thom Hogan) and most recently Tromsø, Norway earlier this year chasing the Northern Lights. In his spare time Thomas Paris leads Photowalks in Paris. I was staying at the Pullman Bercy Hotel – a modern hotel in Paris that caters to foreign tourists. We walked to the local Parc de Bercy.  Spring had arrived in Paris. The trees were green, and flowers in bloom. Lots of locals with families were walking through the park enjoying the warm late afternoon sunshine. The park was bigger than I thought. We passed through a gate that separated an area only opened during the day and heard some drum music and soon found a group sitting in a circle watching a man and woman doing what looked like slow-motion martial arts moves choreographed to the music. I had read about Brazilian Capoeira before, but never seen it in person. The following images were taken while watching the performance. Notice at least one other photographer working the performance.

Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Capoeira Performance in Parc de Bercy. Late Spring Photowalk in Paris. Image taken with a Leica X2 camera (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/5, 1/200 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)

Saturday (11-May-2013) — France

Gone to See Europe and North Africa. Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage on the MV Explorer. Ultimate Travel Photography Workshop IV with Michael Mariant. Day 15: La Havre and Paris, France.

Eiffel Tower Stairway. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 6.7-13 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 6.7 mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec).

Eiffel Tower Stairway. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 6.7-13 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 6.7 mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)
Eiffel Tower Stairway. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V2 camera and 6.7-13 mm VR lens (ISO 160, 6.7 mm, f/3.5, 1/125 sec). Semester at Sea Spring 2013 Enrichment Voyage. (David J Mathre)

One-Year Ago (11-May-2012) — New Jersey

Springtime Nature in New Jersey.

Tree Swallow watching its nest at the Sourland Mountain Preserve. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 85 mm f/1.4G lens with FT1 adapter (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/4, 1/2500 sec). FOV equiv to 230 mm on a camera with a 35 mm sensor.

Tree Swallow Watching its Nest. Sourland Mountain Nature Preserve in New Jersey. Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 85 mm f/1.4G lens with FT1 adapter (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/4, 1/2500 sec). FOV equiv to 230 mm on a 35 mm camera body. (David J Mathre)
Tree Swallow Watching its Nest.  Image taken with a Nikon 1 V1 camera and 85 mm f/1.4G lens with FT1 adapter (ISO 100, 85 mm, f/4, 1/2500 sec). (David J Mathre)