Hiding in daydreams

Long overdue, but here's the previously promised summary of Iceland 2012 (for a more thorough examination, check out Ryan's multi-post write-up; also, some supplemental material can be found here):

Kris joined us from LA to venture into the icy north. We're waiting to check in to our hotel in Reykjavik here.

I don't remember the details of the story, but the gist of it is: tourists mistaken this clear, shiny river near þingvellir for a wishing well, but it ain't, so quit. Incidentally, þingvellir is where Icelandic forefathers founded the world's first Parliament; also where the North American and European tectonic plates meet (or met, and are now engaging in the world's slowest break-up - like 19mm/year slow, which is just a hair slower than the rate your fingernails grow. See, you can learn stuff while on vacation).

Something's happening.

Ryan and Kris share a laugh at Seljalandsfoss, one of the many pastoral charms of the Icelandic countryside.

A wool factory near the town of Vik. Quaint, warm, and a little itchy.

The black sand beach at Reynisfkara.

We were on a whole-day bus tour with the couple in this picture. It's not reflected in this particular photograph, but the woman [in red] walked with a cane, so at every stop (where the tour guide gave us roughly 20 minutes or so to "enjoy ourselves") the man [in black] would carry her, wedding-day style, anywhere from 20 to 100+ meters (in the rain, I might add) to whatever sight it was we were meant to be taking in. I don't know what you'd call that, but I hope to find out one day.

I can't really top that story with anything, except FUCKING GEESE! I don't know why I get so excited. I just do.

Kris finds the much ballyhooed Kaffismiðja coffeeshop, and proceeds to journal. We sat at the kids table but, bonus - lots of art to distract the eye.

Later, we take a cross-country (literally) drive to see the Skaftafell glacial tongue. Pretty scenic drive, I guess.

Oh, hey. What's up, Glacier.

Ryan doesn't quite beat the self-timer on his camera.

Good trip. Us waiting for the shuttle to the airport. Ever sticklers for thematic consistency, Ryan takes a snooze while Kris journals.

Back in the City.

[Iceland // New York, February 20th-26th 2012]

Gathering stories

So, Iceland.

There will probably (hopefully?) be a more definitive/descriptive post about our travels to the mostly frozen north in the coming days, but here's a quick photo dump so I can at least say I tried. I should note that it wasn't until after I'd gotten my prints back from the photolab that I identified and diagnosed a light leak in my camera. Some shots came out okay, others are a little... well. You'll see.

Where the boat leaves from

GOOD FISHIN':
Every now and again, work exposes me to a lifestyle that I'd otherwise not have the opportunity to experience. Which explains how I recently found myself as the second hand on a commercial fishing boat. It ain't Deadliest Catch (thankfully) and it ain't Forrest Gump (regrettably), but I still had a silly grin plastered to my face as I ran around on deck trying to scoop quickly fleeing fish into our catch baskets (flopping around vigorously, it turns out, can be an effective exit strategy).

The Grundéns don't just help you look the part; there's a reason everybody uses 'em.

The Cap'n bringing in the nets.

Don't let them fool you. Those fish still got fight left in 'em.

We were out for fluke, but the catch is always a mixed bag. Rays, mostly. "Lobster bait," I'm told.

Always a good day when it can start like this.

Georgia on my mind

In the wake of the tornadoes that hit the Southern U.S., my buddy Colin and I were dispatched to follow a crew of electric linesmen down to Georgia to capture their part in the relief efforts. In emergencies like these, linesmen from all over the country stream into the disaster areas to repair downed power lines and to get the electricity working in homes again. In fact, if you ever wander into areas recently hit by storms or hurricanes, all you'll find are linesmen and policemen (or, in some cases, the army/national guard). It's something I never really thought about or considered, but these guys are the lead-off hitters in breathing life back into flattened towns and cities.

It was an eye-opening experience, seeing that kind of devastation first hand. Despite all the damage, the Southern hospitality still showed through. There wasn't a day when we were out in the field where locals ranging from high school students to retired seniors didn't drive by to offer the crews food, drinks, and heartfelt words of thanks.

We were pretty busy everyday, but I managed to sneak in some shots during the occasional downtime:

Colin and I standing by while one of the linesmen crews goes over plans. These guys are all characters. It takes a particular breed to do this kind of job. When the displaced are evacuating storm-hit areas, these are the guys going in to turn the lights back on.

Despite the upturned tree, the house behind it was in surprisingly good condition.

Australia, Part III - Melbourne

Melbourne was the last city we stayed in for our trip down under. The urban culture is so diverse and rich and vibrant that it's hard not to find inspiration of some kind or other every time you turn a corner. Unfortunately, I was running out of film at this point, so I didn't get too many shots of the city and its many colorful offerings, so I can only point you to Ryan, our trip historian, for more complete coverage. Some of what I did get in Melbourne and from our road trip down the Surf Coast:

Of course, we had to cap things off with a trip to the Twelve Apostles (as promised earlier). We arrived a couple of hours before sunset, and stayed until about an hour after. Some of what we saw:

Great trip. Ridiculously friendly people, probably the most beautiful coastline I've ever seen with my own eyes, and a healthy appreciation for drinking the night away - what more could you want?

Australia, I'll be back.