My 2024 vacation experiment is now complete. Jamaica does not suck. And speaking of Jamaica, if we could just bottle some of the One Love ideology, the world would be a much better place. My suggestion is we take willing Jamaicans and we drop them on Ukraine, Russia, Israel and Gaza–just for starters–and we let the Jamaican spirit take hold. Drop two, let them meet in the middle and bingo, end of war as we know it. But no one is asking me.
I was under strict orders on this little voyage.
In short, no photography. No project, no workshop, no teaching, no training, no straining and certainly no puking or hook kicks. My wife asked for a real vacation and that is what she received. It helped that we were with friends who knew the area well and were also incredibly thoughtful in regard to what we needed. Granted, we didn’t need much because Jamaica provides. Incredible light, water, sand, people and more.
I did have a good chance to write, but I would give myself a “C” at best when it comes to what I wrote, and how much I wrote. I’ve said this many times before, I consider writing to be the “high art,” but I don’t find writing particularly easy, I just enjoy doing it. Writing takes a certain headspace, one where I can enter a waking dream state. When I’m so relaxed it often makes the process more difficult.
I was also able to do some birding, albeit right in front of the hotel. Jamaica is a goldmine for birds. I added American Redstart, Bananaquit, Yellow-Throated Warbler, Loggerhead Kingbird, White Crowned Pigeon, Royal Tern, and the Greater Antillean Grackle to my list. There were many more I could not positively identify.
Minutes ago, I found out my Spain Workshop is a go. My Europe trip, which will be a blend of Blurb and Milnor events will span at least three countries over four weeks and won’t resemble anything like a vacation, so this Jamaica trip was much needed. I don’t vacation well, but I probably should. By the way, nearly 2500 of you have signed up for my newsletter. I have zeroed in on my software, and once we make a few design changes to the site, expect something from me. In the meantime, I’ve got new photography posts and book posts ready to go. And I’m working on a Vimeo video test and an eight-film series for Blurb, and I just received my Antarctica Journal from Blurb. Have yet to open it…..
Comments 19
Busy boy!
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Always, even when I’m not.
Sounds like a great holiday!
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It was awesome.
My takeaway from Jamaica. Took one good photo (accidentally) learned about a rare hummingbird and discovered “bend down day”
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One is all you need.
Not a lot of people knows this:
Pirelli 1971 Calendar
Photographer: Francis Giacobetti
Models: Calleen Bell, Angela McDonald, Christine Townson, Kate Howard
Location: Montego Bay, Jamaica
This was Giacobetti’s second Pirelli; he shot the 1970 one in Paradise Island, The Bahamas. It took me until 1979 to shoot a calendar in the Bahamas; the best work came from a single day spent on Rose Island, courtesy a very generous guy called Scott Saunders, who took us there in his boat. He was building a home for himself on the island. A man of great foresight, the first structure we noted that had been erected was a bar… 😉 Glasgow never held quite the same appeal again.
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Pirelli Calendar. Say no more.
Seems I have been having difficulties making the link to my website work. So much for putting off the buying of new specs!
IV001X ? WTF is that camera?? 😜😜
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No idea what you are talking about. Nothing to see here.
Good that your wife forces you to relax once in a while. We have a Flemish expression that translates as: “You can’t always keep the bow string tight”
What about the apron sting? 😉
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That ranks up with jumping out and scaring her.
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She wins from time to time.
Good on Ya, glad she’s making you take some R&R. Long boats & sunsets are good for your constitution. 🤙
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It was nice. I would repeat if given the chance.
Just recently got back from vacation myself. Downloaded photos. Made selects. Minor edits. Uploaded to Blurb. Await the magazine.
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Now that’s a good workflow.