San Juan Islands

San Juan Islands in Washington State is part of a series of islands accessible by ferry in the area. There is beaches and hiking trails that you can explore (seen below). The beach is mostly rocky though, not sandy, so just be aware of that. There is a lot of opportunity for photographs in this area so keep your eye out for that special gem!

My top five tips for going:

1)      Wear walking shoes (comfy sneakers).

2)      Watch where you are stepping, since the area is rocky it can be hard to slip or lose your footing.

3)      If you are only planning a day trip, be aware of the ferry times. You don’t want to get stuck at the island with no way back!

4)      Like the sign says, do not climb on the bridge! That is dangerous and not very smart.

5)      Make sure you have bug spray if you plan to go during the warmer months, especially if you are walking in the wooded trails!

Carnival Photography

This week’s topic is about one of my favorite things to photograph – Carnivals! Taking photographs at carnivals has always made me extremely happy. There is so much you can do with photographs taken from carnivals or amusement parks in general. You can take photographs of the rides, the food stands (and the food itself), and the games. There are so many vibrant colors that you can capture in your photographs. However, one reason that I really love carnival photography is because you can twist it and turn it into something creepy, something that looks like it came from a haunted or abandoned area.

Here are my top three tips for getting amazing Carnival photographs –

1)      Try to avoid getting people in your shots – unless you want them there. This can be kind of tricky because people are all over the place at carnivals, but just wait for the perfect moment when there are fewer people in the area and snap a few shots. If you need to, you can always crop people out when you edit the photographs.

2)      Be mindful of other people, watch where you’re walking so you don’t accidentally bump into someone else.

3)      If you want to make the images look creepy, put a black and white filter on the image – or mess around with other similar filters. Darken the image up a bit to add a mysterious look to it. Also make sure to keep in mind what images you might want to have this look if you are planning on making the image look creepy. For example, with photograph 2 (the carousel) I took one look at those sculpted faces and thought they looked like the cherubs from the movie The Haunting (1999). That gave me the inspiration to turn this image into something else. I had to crop the image because there was people on the ride, and then I turned it black and white and darkened it up a bit.

What do you guys like about carnivals? The food, the rides, both?

Seattle Aquarium, Seattle WA

Seattle Aquarium in Seattle, Washington is a very spacious and inviting aquarium. They offer a few different exhibits - including birds, a variety of fish, octopus feedings, and mammals such as otters and seals. The aquarium is nicely lit, so it was easy to get photographs – although just watch for reflections in the glass. It was also pretty spacious on the inside, so even when crowded, it was easy to avoid running into people. One other thing about the area is that there are a lot of little shops around the aquarium, and a boardwalk with a giant Ferris Wheel (seen below).

If you want to visit, here is a link to their website which shows how much tickets are as well as everything that they have to offer - http://www.seattleaquarium.org/.

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts is definitely the most historical place I have been to so far. As I am sure we all know, Boston played a big role in the American Revolution (Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party) as well as the ride of Paul Revere who warned of the British invasion. Needless to say, there is certainly a lot to do and see in Boston. There is the Paul Revere house – which I will admit I was not very impressed with, which I will explain further. There is also the Bunker Hill Monument (seen below), The U.S.S. Constitution Ship and Museum (both seen below) as well as many shops for people to explore. There is also an aquarium, but unfortunately it was way too busy to get in the day that I went.

My top 6 tips for visiting Boston-

1)      I would definitely recommend going when it is a bit cooler outside, especially if you plan to do a lot of walking (which is expected in this area as parking is very hard to come by so wear comfy walking shoes).

2)      Boston is a huge tourist area, so be aware of other people and don’t intrude on anyone’s personal space.

3)      In the Paul Revere house, you are not allowed to take photographs so be mindful of that. Also just know that depending on when you go, it can get incredibly crowded in that house – so if you are claustrophobic just know that you might not be able to maneuver through this house without being shoulder to shoulder with strangers – and it is really hot in there.

4)      If you want to go up inside the Bunker Hill Monument, there is a lot of steps to get up to the top and the staircase is incredibly narrow.

5)      Make sure you have cash, as a lot of the places will only accept that form of payment. In the U.S.S Constitution Museum, there is a suggested donation amount so just remember that, and you also have to pay to get into the Paul Revere House.

6)      Lastly, make sure you have a few different forms of identification as you will need it to get onto the ship – you have to go through a security checkpoint basically.

Have you been to Boston? Tell me about your experience and what your favorite part of the trip was!