Gone to See Norway 2007 Winter Family Vacation. Day 5: Northbound Hurtigruten MS Kong Harald Norwegian Coastal Voyage (Trondheim and Rørvik).
On the second full day of the northbound Hurtigruten voyage, the ship only stops in two ports: Trondheim (06:00-12:00) and Rørvik (20:30-21:15). Having six hours in Trondheim allowed us to spend some time to see the city. Our first stop was at Nidaros Cathedral. The exterior of the cathedral is a target rich environment for religious statues and gargoyles. But it was cold outside. I would love to go back with a perspective control lens to record all sides of the exterior of the cathedral. After leaving Trondheim, we stopped at Rørvik. The ship only stopped for 45 minutes, so we only had a short time to visit the Rørvik Coastal Museum.
Troll in Trondheim, Norway. Image taken with a Nikon D2xs camera and 28-70 mm f/2.8 lens (ISO 400, 52 mm, f/3, 1/40 sec) (David J Mathre)
Gone to See the World. Semester at Sea Spring 2016 Voyage on the MV World Odyssey. Day 13: Crossing the Pacific Ocean From Hawaii to Japan.
It was a long day. I got up well before dawn, and got a silhouette image of the forward deck statue. Then a so, so sunrise image. In my cabin on the 8th deck was an oil painting, with a brass label and signature on the painting of Claude Monet. I asked one of the art history students if she could identify the painting and if it was the original or a copy? I didn’t really believe that it was the original, but the ship (MV Deutschland) when Semester at Sea wasn’t leasing it as the MV World Odyssey did have a lot of art work (paintings, statues, gold chandeliers, exotic woods, brass fittings, china dining ware, etc). When I got back home, I was able to do a Google image search, and found that it was indeed a painting by Claude Monet “Path Through the Corn at Pourville“. The original is listed as being in a private collection. For sunset, I set up a camera to do a time-lapse sequence on the forward upper deck, which I made into a video. There was a 1980’s disco for the faculty, staff, and life-long-learners (students not invited) in the faculty lounge/bar. To end the day I got an image of the constellation Orion while standing on a moving ship. The sensors on the new cameras are amazing, and can capture images in very low light situations. In the past, I would have had to use a much longer exposure where you would see the stars as jagged lines.
Individual images in the slide show can be viewed here.
The constellation Orion in the night sky from the aft deck of the MV World Odyssey. Image taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 35 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 6400, 35 mm, f/16, 1/60 sec). (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Patagonia 2010/2011. Photography Workshop with Thom Hogan. Day 9: Hosteria Los Notros.
As we were waiting for our rooms at Hosteria Los Notros I saw this painting. I didn’t know what is was, but the names of Charles Darwin and Jemmy Button were written on the side [Despedida de Charles Darwin y Jemmy Button 1834]. With the internet you find things about almost anything. So many things that I didn’t know about the history of Patagonia are intertwined in the painting [link]. Apparently, Captain FitzRoy during the first voyage of the HMS Beagle purchased or took Jemmy Button (a native from the islands around Tierra del Fuego) hostage, and brought him back to England. On the second voyage of the HMS Beagle, Captain FitzRoy and the young Charles Darwin returned Jemmy Button back to Patagonia. I heard that the Hosteria Los Notros is no longer open, and don’t know where the painting is now.
Painting at Hosteria Los Notros “Despedida de Charles Darwin y Jemmy Button 1834”. Hosteria Los Notros (David J Mathre)
Gone to See Florida 2017/2018 Road Trip. Day 11: Big Cypress National Preserve.
The trees are too close together at Clyde Butcher’s retreat to get a good view of the full sky for sunrise or sunset. I found a nearby location near the northern entrance of the Loop road for sunset last night, so I returned for dawn and sunrise. I was not disappointed as the colors in the clouds developed just before sunrise.
Inverse Little-Planet View of Colorful Dawn Clouds. Begining of the Loop road through Big Cypress National Preserve. Winter Nature in Florida Composite of 21 images taken with a Fuji X-T1 camera and 16 mm f/1.4 lens (ISO 200, 16 mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec). Raw images processed with Capture One Pro, and the composite generated using AutoPano Giga Pro. (David J Mathre)
I went back to Clyde Butcher’s “Swamp Bungalow” for breakfast. The baby (one-year old) alligators were out next to the pond. Then it was back to the Loop road in Big Cypress National Preserve, with two goals — more birds and alligators, and pictures of the Cypress swamp. The swamp pictures were taken with a Leica T camera and then converted to B&W.
Gone to See Antarctica 2014/5 Day 4: Ushuaia, Argentina
After spending two days in Buenos Aires we flew to Ushuaia. This is known as the southern most city. The voyage to Antarctica on the MS Fram (Hurtigruten Line, Norwegian Flag) begins and ends in Ushuaia in Southern Argentina. You see a sign as you enter the port that loosely translated tells British pirates to stay away. Argentina does not allow British registered ships into the port if they have been to the Falklands Islands/Malvinas. During our voyage the Hurtigruten line was sold to a British investment group. They are going to have to be very careful to keep the ship registered in Norway to continue the voyages in and out of Ushuaia. Prior to embarking on the Hurtigruten MS Fram, we spent the morning touring the city, saw the Ocean Tramp anchored in the harbor, then spent the afternoon in Tierra del Fuego National Park.
It Appears that British Pirates Are Not Allowed to Dock at the Port of Ushuaia in Argentina. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 32 mm, f/9, 1/400 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)Ocean Tramp anchored in the harbor in Ushuaia, Argentina. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens. (David J Mathre)
In Patagonia, the Wind Only Comes From One Direction. Image taken with a Leica T camera and 18-56 mm lens (ISO 100, 24 mm, f/8, 1/200 sec). Raw image processed with Capture One Pro 8, Focus Magic, and Photoshop CC 2014. (David J Mathre)
