My 7 Super Shots

I’ve been tagged by Kit, the awesome lady behind Seek New Travel, to participate in HostelBookers’ 7 Super Shots. I’ve enjoyed looking at other bloggers’ photos, and am excited to share mine. I hope that you enjoy the pictures as much as I did taking them.

A photo that takes my breath away:

I woke up in Waterford, Ireland to this most beautiful sight. Once I saw the reflection of the sunrise off the glass-like water, I immediately grabbed my camera. I stepped out onto my Granville Hotel balcony and captured this shot of the quay. There wasn’t a car on the road or a person in sight. It was such a wonderful way to begin the day.

A photo that makes me laugh or smile:

On my third day in Rio de Janeiro, I finally touched the ocean. It was a beautiful day on Leblon Beach and uncrowded to boot. I sat in my rented chair in the shade of an umbrella watching these kids play in the water. Although it was a warm day, the water was cold. These kids didn’t care, especially the smaller boy in the black sunga. He was like Odysseus challenging Poseidon. Check him out in the featured photo, too. Those kids made me laugh.

A photo that makes me dream:

Along the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans lies Oak Alley Plantation. I stopped here on a road trip from Houston to New Orleans last September. This is the view from the balcony of the antebellum mansion to the quarter-mile stretch of 300-year-old oak trees. This scene makes me dream of a bygone era where men were genteel and women didn’t sweat; they glistened.

A photo that makes me think:

 On a Sunday morning in the Ipanema neighborhood of Rio, I was having brunch at Gringo Cafe. Over my Farmhouse Breakfast, I saw this lady walking along the sidewalk. Noticing her as well, Xochitl, the friend I was visiting in Brazil, told me that her name is Ana Marie. Known also as “the lady in the white bikini,” Ana used to be an actress and singer before becoming addicted drugs. Xochitl told me that she was known throughout the world for her beauty and that she speaks English, French, Italian, and Portuguese. Now she lives in Ipanema and requires her two brothers to act as caretakers due to her mental illness. Soon a documentary will be released about her life. Here’s a blog and a video with her story. If you don’t understand Portuguese, check out the comments section below for the translation by Xochitl.

When I pointed my camera at Ana Marie, she gave me a sweet, yet tragic, smile.

A photo that makes my mouth water:

My first two nights in New Zealand’s South Island were spent at the Walnut Block Cottages near Blenheim. My private cottage was located right in the middle of a field of grapes. The rolling landscape of the Marlborough Region stood in the distance and a giant walnut tree was a stone’s throw away. When I checked in, the owner pointed out a cherry orchard a short, ten-minute walk through the vines. She said that her in-laws owned it and that I was welcome to pick some. The next morning I walked down to the orchard, bag in hand, and filled it up with some of the most beautiful and sweet cherries I’d tasted. I sat on my front porch and drank wine and ate cherries for breakfast.

A photo that tells a story:

It was a rare, beautiful spring day in Yantai, China. The wind was blowing less than 30 miles per hour and the temperature was above 50 degrees. My husband and I walked along the Yellow Sea and watched the locals watching us. We posed for pictures and even spoke a little broken Chinese. I came upon this scene on the beach. No one was paying attention to us; they were just going about their business. There are so many different scenes in this one photo that could all stand alone. Put them together and they tell a brilliant story.

A photo that I’m most proud of (aka, my National Geographic shot):

After nearly a month in New Zealand, it was time to leave. My next-to-last morning was spent in Tekapo. Famous for its glacier-made lake the color of turquoise, Tekapo is a favorite of New Zealand visitors. Before leaving for Christchurch, my husband and I made the awe-inspiring drive to Earth and Sky, the observatory on top of Mount John. We ate breakfast at the cafe and enjoyed one of the most beautiful views I’d ever seen. After poking around a little more, we made our descent down the mountain. In the distance along the narrow, steep road, we saw a couple dressed in wedding attire followed by two photographers. I pulled over and watched for a bit before capturing this photo. I can’t think of a more spectacular spot to have wedding portraits taken. Smashing.