Photo: The Mystical Waters of Sonoma Coast

Here is a magical photo that Dave Selden of www.costaricadailyphoto.com took while on the rugged but beautiful Sonoma Coast in Calfornia.

This photo was taken with a neutral density filter with a long exposure.

Dave took this photo on  a photography tour last year with Justin Black of Visionary Wild and Jerry Doodril. Both were great photo instructors.

Have a happy Monday!

We have new photos on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week we are showing photos of the Spanish colonial architecture of Grenada, Nicaragua.

Photo: Kite Flying on the Beach!

Summer is a popular time for people in Scottsdale/Phoenix to head over to the California coast to enjoy the ocean, cool breezes, and attractions.  This is a view from one of the bluffs along the beach between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, looking down on a kite flying above the waves.

This week we are showing photos of the wildlife of Tanzania on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.

Photo: Super telephoto shot

This photo was taken from the same spot as the photo of the last two days.  Compare this photo with the photos from the past two days.  The cupola of the Hotel Laguna is barely visible in the first photo, yet it dominates the frame of this zoomed shot.  The new little cameral that we bought is a Nikon Coolpix P510.  It is a compact digital camera, less than one pound, fitting in the palm of one's hand.

The most remarkable thing about the camera is that it has a 42 times zoom lens.  It is the equivalent of a 24 mm - 1,000 mm zoom lens on a DSLR camera.  This camera does not match the features or quality of the lenses of our Nikon D7000 or D90 DSLR cameras, but it is an amazingly versatile and convenient to use.  The quality is surprisingly good for a small camera.  This photo was taken, hand held, from a long distance, as you can see in the comparison to the photo posted two days ago.

Dave bought this camera because of the series of photos that Cathy posted on St. Petersburg, Florida Daily Photo. She posted several photos, also taken on the beach, to demonstrate her new camera, which is a similar model, although hers has a 28 times zoom.

The beaches of Southern California are popular with Arizonans because the weather is perfect, and in Phoenix/Scottsdale during this past week we have just had our 101st day this year with more than 100 degrees F (38 C).

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week I am showing some photos of the colors of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Photo: Main Beach, Laguna, California

This is a photo of Main Beach in Laguna Beach that was taken from the same spot as yesterday's photo, using a zoom setting for the lens.  The new camera we bought is a glorified point-and-shoot camera with an amazing zoom lens, as I will explain and show again tomorrow.

This camera does not replace the DSLR cameras that Dave and I use, with multiple lenses.  The camera is for occasions when we do not want to carry our heavy camera equipment.  This photo was taken without a tripod.

Main Beach in Laguna holds special memories for my husband, because this was the beach where he took his sons when they were little.  His father would drop them off and then return in the afternoon to pick them up at the appointed time, as that solved one of the major challenges of beaches in Southern California -- finding a place to park.

My brother has profound memories of this beach as well.  He was body surfing here a few years ago and the wave crashed and drove his shoulder into the sand.  He heard his bone break through the water.

Today is Sunday, so we have new photos posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.  This week I am showing some photos of the colors of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

Photo: Trip to Laguna Beach; New Camera

This photo is clearly not Scottsdale.  It is Laguna Beach, California.  In the summer, many Arizonans head to the beaches of southern California for relief from the heat.  San Diego is the most popular summer destination.  My husband and I like to go to Newport Beach and Laguna Beach in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles.

This is a classic view of Main Beach at Laguna Beach, taken from Heisler Park.  I am showing this photo for several reasons.  Besides the allure of the beach, I will demonstrate a new camera lens in my photos from this spot during the next few days.  I think you will be amazed.  

This week we are showing photos of the amazing ancient Khmer temples of Siem Reap, Cambodia posted on our Viva la Voyage travel photo site.