The Galapagos offers incredible snorkeling opportunities. Our first underwater experiences were off the black lava beaches of Floreana Island. Although visibility was not the best due to our timing and a strong lunar tide, we still experienced lots of marine life. There were countless giant green sea tortoises and stingray everywhere we looked. Here Jayme...
We are nearing the end of our 8 day tour of the Galapagos. Our last big adventure was a boat ride to visit Los Tuneles, off the southern coast of the largest island in the Galapagos, Isla Isabela. It was about one hour southwest of Puerto Villamil in a fast boat.Along the way, we saw...
The landscape of the Galapagos is dominated by the volcanos that formed the islands. We traveled from our Red Mangrove Lodge in Puerto Villamil to the upper reaches of the Sierra Negra Volcano for a hike along the volcano’s rim. The tops of the volcanos are usually covered in clouds, so we were prepared for...
Isabela Island is the largest island in the Galapagos, and the third island on our Red Mangrove Galapagos Tour. We are staying the the small town of Puerto Villamil, footsteps away from a white sandy beach on the ocean. Palm trees are not indigenous to the Galapagos, but they help to create that storybook tropical...
After a day on Santa Cruz Island, we took the hour and forty five minute boat ride to Floreana Island. Once leaving the island you can see how the clouds linger over the highland volcanos and taper off over the sea. At we approached Floreana Island, we could see a rain shower directly over our...
On the Galapagos Islands, the weather varies dramatically from the coast to the volcanic interior. The center of the islands, known as The Highlands, are normally shrouded by misty clouds. We headed into the Highlands to check out some volcanic terrain, as well as to check out some of the famous Galapagos tortoises. El Rancho...
We checked into Red Mangrove Lodge, which is on Santa Cruz Island in the most populous town on the Galapagos Islands, Puerto Ayora. This is the first of three Red Mangrove lodges that we will be staying at, each of which is on a different island. Even hotel grounds are filled with exotic animals. There...
We arrived in the Galapagos eager to experience a truly epic trip of a lifetime. Be began by traversing Isla Santa Cruz, from the airport on Isla Baltra to the north, across the misty highlands in the middle and down to Punta Aroya on the southern coast. Cactus are prolific in the arid lowlands, while...
This winter has been busy with travel, and I’m currently on my biggest trip yet. Jayme and I are traveling to write and photograph in the Galapagos Islands and Chilean Patagonia. We also have a one-day stop in Santiago, Chile in between. I will be updating the blog and my facebook page as we go,...
This is the last image from my Great American Road Trip adventure! On the road back to Boulder, I was struck by this cool cloud formation. If this was two months ago, I may have had some thoughtful trip summary to write about. But, as it turns out, it’s 5:45 in the morning and I’m...
I intended to get this post finished before my departure to the Grand Canyon! Well, it didn’t happen. These buildings are super cool! Built in 1794 out of adobe, they are still inhabited by people today. They are just off of the Sante Fe trail in New Mexico. I will finish this post after my...
Trying to find mountain biking trails while in the middle of a road trip in a part of the country where you have never been before can be interesting. You have to have a good sense for what areas might be have good trails, use internet resources, and have a little bit of luck. I...
My previous blog post left off with my quick trip through Big Bend National Park. There was no time for delay, as I was prioritizing getting a mountain bike ride in on this day. My first intention was to ride the Contrabando Mountain Bike Trails in Big Bend State Park. But, everything seems to take...
Happy Monday on the Steve Z Blog! When we last left off I was in San Antonio at the photography convention. After that I headed west across the giant state of Texas en route back to Colorado. My next stop on the Great American Road Trip was to check out Big Bend National Park. I...
For most of my professional photography work, I spend a lot of time working to achieve accurate colors. My goal is normally to produce natural skin tone and “honest” photography, where the photo interest comes from composition, expression, lighting, and other factors. I’m usually not about funky or gimmicky processing. Well, that’s fine and good,...
As I drove further into Texas, the weather took a turn for the worse. My visit to Austin was a total monsoon washout! So no photos from that part of the journey. The next stop was San Antonio, for the 2011 Digital Wedding Forum Convention and the Professional Photographers of America annual trade show Imaging...
Upon my arrival in Texas I made a quick stop over in Houston and hung out with DWF friend Jesus Tirso. The next day I journeyed on to Austin. I got a tip to stop at the town of Round Top to have some lunch at Royers Round Top Cafe and have some buttermilk pie....
Crossing the bridge from Louisiana in Texas was like crossing into another world. It was a cold, overcast and dreary day to begin with. The landscape was like some post-apocalyptic Gotham City. I whipped out the camera and snapped a couple shots from the car. This was my first trip to Texas. When in the...
Color photos of nature, landscapes, structures from a winter road trip across southern Louisiana. Ferry ride, bridge, moss covered tree, shrimp boat.
After a quick visit in New Orleans, I headed southwest into the heart of Louisiana. The bayou is an area of the country where I’ve never been, and in the spirit of random exploration, I wanted to head down there and sight-see. For some reason, I couldn’t get Creedence Clearwater Revival out of my head....
