For those of you who didn’t get to join us on the BlogWorld 2009 Photowalk in Las Vegas, I’m embedding a photo slideshow here so that you can see all the pictures from the group that accompanied me on the walk.

We had a great time, and thanks to all who joined in!

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Sometimes people ask me about what it’s like to visit Greece. And I tell them that there is really no place like it. From the crazy metropolis of Athens to the volcanic island of Santorini, it’s unique in every way. And if that isn’t enough, you’ll constantly discover gems like this one…

On the Island of Zakynthos you’ll find one of the most famous beaches in Greece. Navagio Beach, or the Shipwreck, is notable because it is home to the wreck of the alleged smuggler ship Panagiotis; thus, it is often referred to as ‘Smugglers Cove’. If you are going to try and find it, here are the coordinates: 37°51′28″N 20°37′36″E / 37.85778°N 20.62667°E / 37.85778; 20.62667.
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Well, since I’ll be attending and speaking at BlogWorld / WordCamp in a couple of weeks in Las Vegas I thought it might be fun to organize a photowalk if anyone is interested in a get together and an evening of exploration and fun. You see, I’m a semi-professional photographer, and an amateur tattoo artist… (think Talledega Nights people.)

If you’ve never been on a photowalk before, essentially what we are going to do is all meet at one place and then walk around Las Vegas seeing the sights, talking, taking photos, and perhaps grabbing a beer here or there. Also, I’m going to take you off the strip, so you’ll see things that most people never do when they come to Vegas.

Now, there are a few good reasons to participate in an event like this:

• I have been to Vegas more times than I can count. I’ve taken hundreds and hundreds of photos of the city, and I’ll take you right to where you can get some great ones.
• Wandering around after dark by yourself might be a little scary for some people, so a group event is safer and more fun.
• If you love taking photos, then you’ll love Vegas at night. There is simply not a better spot for night photography.
• And finally, if you would like some tips and tricks, I’ll be happy to provide some instruction for anyone who needs it along the way.

As far as the details are concerned, here is what I’m thinking…
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For those of you who haven’t figured it out yet, I’m at Photoshop World in Las Vegas this week learning as much as I possibly can. On Tuesday I was in an all day seminar, put on by Canon and taught by Eddie Tapp and Jack Reznicki, in which we studied lighting and composition theory, actually had a photo shoot with real models, and then came back to the classroom for editing and retouching instruction.

Being completely new to portrait photography, this was a day of firsts for me. I had never worked with remote strobes before (fixed lights that act like flashes which are triggered wirelessly), I had never worked with a professional model, and I had never edited a portrait in photoshop.
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As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, this week is the Photoshop World convention in Las Vegas and I’m here for a week of fun and learning! But after only a few hours in town, I’ve already got a whopper of a story to tell! Screw the whole “what happens in Vegas…” crap.

So Photoshop World is at the Mandalay Bay and thousands of photographers will be converging there from all over the world. In fact they’re sold out. So I had to stay next door at Luxor.

Well, I checked in and dropped off my stuff in my room, then grabbed my camera to go walk and take some photos on the strip. Of course, the Excalibur is the first hotel on the way down the strip, and I’ve taken photos of it literally every time I’ve been in Las Vegas. But this time I took some photos OUTSIDE the hotel, and as I was going to walk through the hotel to get something to eat, a security guard stopped me before I could enter.

He wanted to know my name, where I was staying, and my room number! He told me it was because I was taking photos of the outside of the building! And claimed it was for “homeland security”.
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Unbelievable as it may seem, the Luxor in Las Vegas offers high-speed internet access – but there’s a catch! In order to get it, you need to stretch a wire all the way across the room, and it won’t even reach the desk for you to actually work at it.

The cost for this little act of fire-hazard creation? $15 per day. FML.

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Three years ago on my old blog I wrote about our vacation to the Island of Santorini in Greece and posted quite a few photos. As I look back and review them, I still love those pictures. However, since I’ve been practicing with Photoshop lately I decided to go back and grab some of those old photos and see what I could do to enhance them a bit.

The only problem is that I shot all of these in JPG originally and not RAW. This limits my ability to do some additional editing, but still, I think the results speak for themselves.

Oh, and for the record, these photos are specifically from the town of Oia (pronounced “E-uh”) on Santorini. The famous Oia sunset, considered by many as one of the most beautiful in the world, keeps tourists flocking to the island of Santorini, waiting for the moment when the sun slips down on the calm sea of the caldera. It is truly one of the most magnificent sites on Earth.
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As anyone who has been following me on Twitter knows, I’ve been in Vegas for the last 4 days on vacation. I’m heading back home this morning, but figured that I would share a few of my photos from the trip in case anyone cares to gaze upon them. Hopefully at least a few are amusing.

The interesting thing about this trip is that I did not take my big Canon 5D. Instead, I took only my Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. Its a 10.1 MP Digital Camera with an amazing f2.0-2.8 2.5x wide angle, Optical Image Stabilized Leica lens. The lens is the equivalent of a 24-60mm in a full sensor SLR.

This little camera is pricey, but I remain extremely, extremely impressed. I almost never used the flash, but the camera handled the very low light, high contrast scenes better than I ever dreamed a camera that could fit in a pocket would! I highly recommend it for those with the means. There is also a full Leica branded twin of this camera (the Leica D-Lux 4) which will cost a little more for the Leica badge, but render essentially the exact same imagery. Get either camera. You won’t regret it.

Now, on to the pictures!
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Thanks to my brother-in-law Jason, I had the opportunity to go over to the new Cowboy’s Stadium in Arlington, TX for the season ticket holder’s open house.

For those of you who don’t know, the 3 million-square-foot stadium has an approximate capacity of up to 100,000 fans. As the largest NFL venue ever built, the new stadium boasts the most spectacular column-free room in the world, stretching a quarter-mile in length.

While I was there, I took the opportunity to take a whole boatload of photographs, and even some video – which they would never let you get away with normally. In addition, Cali and Neal came with me and put together the following show on GeekBrief.TV with some of the video segments.
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Seems like every time I go to San Francisco I spend time at Fisherman’s Wharf. Yeah, I know it’s touristy and all that, and I get around to the non-tourist places a lot too, but this place keeps me coming back. Something about all the vibrant colors, constant activity, and variety makes it truly magnetic.

So, I assembled a little collection of shots from up and down the Fisherman’s Wharf area, including some from Pier 39. This is one of the top places to see when visiting San Francisco, so here is a little sampling of what you’re in for when you do.
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Today I went down to the Boudin Bakery on Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco to get some fresh baked sourdough and some of their delicious clam chowder.

When I arrived, there was a group of people huddled around the window where they are usually making the bread. Only this time, a nice young lady was actually talking to the crowd through her wireless microphone system, and taking questions as well.

I was carrying my camera, so I flipped on the video mode and captured the following video. In it, you’ll see how she makes a special bread loaf in the shape of a teddy bear. Very cute, and extremely tasty! Enjoy.
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The Muir Woods are honestly one of my favorite places. Less than 30 minutes from the majestic Golden Gate Bridge, you can be standing in one of the last remaining giant redwood forests on Earth. Surrounded by these magnificent towering creatures, many over 600 years old, it provides a peaceful place to sit and contemplate both the insignificance of what it is to be human, and the impact that we as a species can have on our planet.

Once the northwest was covered by ancient growth forests with trees as old as 3,200, whose bark alone measured up to 2 feet thick. But throughout the 19th century, American logging all but decimated these creatures. Now, the only giant redwoods and sequoias that remain survive in national and state parks. Thank God for small wonders of government intervention.
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