travel – LJSteele Photography

Finding Time…

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021 by Lynley J Steele

When do you find the time to write?

I know there are many helpful resources out there to do this (time mgt 101 HA) but I just find that life is too full.

I have time to take the photos, I have time to review them even, which as many of you know take a lot of effort to cull out those that are kind of on the bad side – blurry, no composition, no ‘story’ showing [you know that story that sits right there waiting to be photographed]

But where is the time to write…my dilemma, or is it that I don’t know What to write because I haven’t done my usual traveling? There was a pandemic after all…and in fact we are still in one, but is that really why I haven’t been writing? because I have still been taking photos…

So I’ve decided to jump back on the horse and get back to writing my travel blog with or without’travel’ ?In the meantime here are some photos of what I’ve been taking around during the pandemic…

Salmon season is Bear season. Allyson Point, Valdez, AK.

Getting out on the ocean. Prince William Sound, AK

Evolution of …me.

August 3, 2021October 25, 2018 by Lynley J Steele

Ya know it’s funny how ‘we’ evolve. Not in the hominid sense, but in the evolution of what we see and experience as photographers.

I relate it to my evolution as a wine buff…taking my Introductory Sommelier then realizing “yeah I’m good right here…” I’m not going to be working in the ‘industry’ … or maybe…?”

I first saw photography or rather photographer evolution in this brilliant chap I met one fine winter day, while out freezing our butts off at an ice-climbing festival. So I blame him for me thinking about the ‘me’ evolution in photography.

Ace is a low-key, down-to-earth, talented, well-known, National Geographic Photographer, someone I felt a connection…probably with more than a bit of awe [grin] thrown in. I gave him my pounamu, as a thank you, because in New Zealand the pounamu is considered a sacred gift, and that is what I felt he gave me when he shared his photography tips and more importantly, his photography story.

He talked about how he moved through the various themes of photography…adventure sports then through other themes to finally his travel portraits.

It got me thinking about where I was with my photography… I’m still thinking about it…am I a landscape photographer? Not an underwater photo hound. Oh what about wildlife (I’m surrounded by it in Alaska) or maybe I am a travel photographer, as most of mine are taken as I travel..but I really love the impromptu portraits I have taken…

Whitianga, New Zealand

Musician at Shidner Fest, McCarthy, AK, USA

‘Saltie’ crocodile in Kakadu National Park, Australia

So I realized I still have not idea ‘What’ I want to focus on…then I realize as I look through some of my pics “ya know it’s ok”…I don’t need to be known for any one theme, I can just enjoy My evolution… wherever it will take me.

Traveling with A Good Keen Man

October 5, 2017 by Lynley J Steele

Traveling with a good keen man takes traveling in an altogether rather interesting direction most times.

First let me tell you What a good keen man is, then I can continue with chatting about traveling with one.

A good keen man was first described and is the title of a New Zealand book by Barry Crump. A rugged kiwi (New Zealander) who’s life was being in the native bush (old growth forest to you non-down-under folk).

I see him also as an “attitude about life” – living/ playing in the outdoors to it’s fullest, sometimes off the grid, sometimes enjoying the company of others on his journey’s. It is always with a mind and heart open to whatever to life will bring.

A good keen man is seen as an ordinary ‘bloke’ who enjoyed tossing the urban rat-race aside to ‘go-bush’…someone who can survive and thrive out there, someone who sees the small and large of it’s wonder and someone who needs to be outdoors because it is what makes them who they are. Could a good keen man be a female…absolutely, in fact I know several.

So back to traveling with a good keen man. It is always an experience. One, that more often than not, has the outdoors as a major participant – go figure.

Countries and oceans, mountains and beaches. From New Zealand to Alaska, the Caribbean’s Dutch Antilles to Australia and beyond. Islands with crystal waters and old growth forests. My travels are filled with wonder, painful muscles, fun & laughter, and grumbling about needing to have a rest day for the tired body.

It involves history & living in the amazing worlds moment…yet saying no to the 10 mile hike that started “just a short one”. Then there are the outstanding under ocean views which out-weigh the walking next to sewers in unexpected places, all with only minor grumblings about finding enough power to charge the cameras batteries. Traveling can be an excellent way to see if you can not just get along together but survive together in and out of the ‘bush’.

With that being said, It is easy to continue to smile, be grateful for each day because to quote my Dad… ‘I’m living the dream’ and I am doing it with MY good keen man and life couldn’t be much better than that.

A trip home is always welcome…

November 30, 2017July 31, 2017 by Lynley J Steele

New Zealand is a beautiful country with laid-back people who are full of life and friendly. So going home to New Zealand for me is a cathartic and more often than not a humorous one.
From the slang that is used “sweet as”, “she’ll be right” to “rattle ya dags” to the stunning vista’s everywhere…make me grin and start to breathe deeper of the clean air.

Where you can find a beach with so few people that you feel it is there just for you, or you enjoy a lunch in a delightful small town with a friend.

Going home actually feels like home, for me to explain it is easy yet hard…it’s like stepping off the airplane and drawing in that first breathe and saying “ahh” I am sure you have experienced that at some stage.

And when you leave it is a feeling of sadness and excitement, odd I know. Sadness because you’re leaving and you would rather stay but excitement because you are a kiwi and travel is somehow in the blood and it is what you do ~ you leave and then return, rejuvenate and absorb, laugh and enjoy and plan for the next trip.

~ Lynley

#newzealand #landofthelongwhitecloud #aotearoa #home

Winter Adventures

March 5, 2017March 5, 2017 by Lynley J Steele

What a wonderful world we live in…Alaska and Valdez in particular has a variety to sports adventures that far out weigh the number of people that live in this small community. To get here you can take a 35 minute flight from Anchorage or drive one of the most beautiful road trips you ever could do.

I had the opportunity this Winter to be able to capture some beautiful photos of this stunning landscape, as well as some of the amazing sports that this town offers. Valdez Ice Festival is a climbers dream, both rock and ice saw some action. With world class Canadian climbers Nathan Kutcher and Rebecca Lewis, and Ice and Rock Magazine Hayden Carpenter climbing, along with local Nick Weicht, photos were a fun adventure.

Nathan Kutcher, world class climber from Canada

Rebecca Lewis, Canadian world class dry tooling

And then and then you have some fun…aerial silk performance art.

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Sailing on….part 1

December 12, 2015August 26, 2015 by Lynley J Steele

Have you ever done something so much that you are kind of “okay that’s enough for a while”…I was like that about sailing. Now I have only lived on a boat, raced in boats and cruised on a boat for about 22yrs but I would not call myself a ‘lifer’, in that I MUST sail or life would be worse because of the lack of it…

I enjoyed each of them in and of themselves. Racing, I did many a year on a few boats that raced the once-a-week race night, plus the longer boat races, for me it is a bit of a been-there-loved-that but glad I am not doing now. I also enjoyed the day sails out and about for a couple of hours but in the end just got frustrated with “well let’s stay out for a bit long”…and 5 hours later you get to the dock. Living on a boat, in my case a 44ft monohull, was pretty easy. It could have been the two double staterooms, the shower stall w a seat, the monthly cost of living, the small but fully equipped kitchen or it could have been the blissful existence of just living on the water (something I still love).

Cruising was definitely were my heart lay for all those years yet it wasn’t what we did a lot of…sail from one point to another, on no strict schedule just enjoying the slow sail then thoroughly exploring the next port, meeting the locals, experiencing new smells, tastes and sounds.

With my recent experience of sailing around a few of the Channel Islands of California, my cruising smile was in place…the peace and quiet – esp with head in a book (not while on watch of course!), the sounds and smells of the sea, and just as heart warming was the ‘land-ho’ and heading ashore to check out the island, towns, and the people – the history, stories and atmosphere of it all.

First stop was Avalon on Santa Catalina, or just Catalina as it often gets shortened too, what a place of summer fun…a mixture of history, desert flora, people and places enjoying music, food & beverages and the company of others. To watch it, revel in it from the boat was a treat – the pleasure of having all the delights of home yet enjoying the overall views and atmosphere. Immersing one-self in it also was fabulous, the sights and smells, cacophony of sounds were a sensory delight. Avalon has a botanical garden of the like I have never been too – an amazing array of succulents, cacti and desert growing trees. At the end of the gardens was a view worth the 40 + minute scorching hot walk. A memorial to William Wrigley (yes the Wrigley of the gum and the field!!) was a beautifully tiled structure. The tile coming from the factory that Willian Jr established on the Island in 1927.