Iceland

Church cemetery near Hotel Glymur on the Hvalfjordur (whale fjord)

Cemetery fenceline on the Hvalfjordur

Cattle, sheep, and Icelandic horses abound

Horses are small and short-legged, but hardy

Iceland is a hotspot for volcanoes, geysers, and hot springs

Scene at Arbaejarsafn (an historic farm in Reykjavik)

A Reykjavik bar and grill

Walkers, bicyclists, and skateboarders only on Reykjavik's main streets

A modern interpretation of gothic architecture, the Hallgrimskirkja  is the dominant church in Rekjavik, here seen inside the clock tower

We visited Iceland for a few days and found it entrancing.  Its landscape is volcanic and bleak, its parliament goes back 1100 years, and its people are hardy and friendly.  The capital, Reykjavik, is small but remarkably cosmopolitan.  Our travel plans have us going to Scandinavia a few times over the next three years, so we'll be back to Iceland to explore some more.

Los Angeles

Walt Disney Concert Hall

Walt Disney Concert Hall

California Plaza Buildings

On a visit to Los Angeles recently we got a chance to tour Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall and other modern landmarks in beautiful downtown LA.  These photos illustrate the sleekness of some of the many new architectural masterpieces in town.  OK, LA is more complicated than this, but you'll just have to wait for the other shoe to drop.

Monet's Garden at Giverney

Garden wall at Giverney

Countryside near St. Lo

A line of trees south of St. Lo

Normandy, France.  The place encapsulizes a great deal of history, especially the WWII period, but also the experiences of 1066.  It's a good place to try new/old foods and see classic architecture.  I could have spent another two weeks recording the details of this place.

3rd Annual Photo Exhibition

Wing Young Huie's Photo Salon

The opening show is 6-9 pm, October 21, at Wing's Studio, 3730 S. Chicago in Minneapolis.

https://sites.google.com/site/2011wingyounghuiesalonshow/home

My work is displayed, but I can't be there in person.  Nevertheless, you will be greeted warmly, offered refreshments, and enjoy the creative work of the 20 other photographers.

http://www.wingyounghuie.com/
THE THIRD PLACE
Photography Gallery
3730 Chicago Ave So
Studio B
Minneapolis, MN 55407

Southeast Asia Revealed

My wife and I signed up for a photo tour of SE Asia in February with Jim Cline Photo Tours.  The group, led by photojournalist Karl Grobl, included seven other people and proved to be a congenial collection of travel companions and an excellent incubator of photography ideas.  Starting in Thailand, we visited photo venues as diverse as the royal palace, numerous temples, seedy bars, and native villages.  In Laos, we boated down the Mekong to Luang Prabang and captured images of monks on their early morning alms walk and nearby waterfalls.  And in Cambodia, we spent days exploring the Angkor Wat complex and a few additional days in Phnom Penh tracing the sad history of the Khmer Rouge and their infamous killing fields.  You can view a book we assembled with the other tour participants at Blurb.com.  After the tour, we visited friends in Chaing Mai, Thailand, and I went to Viet Nam for a week with my son who was also traveling in the area.  Here are a few of my images.

Our tour group at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh.

Hoi An, Vietnam.

Luang Prabang, Laos.

In a village along the Mekong in Laos.

Visiting a "long neck" Karen village in northern Thailand.

Ta Prohm temple, near Siem Reap, Cambodia.

A Second Chance: December 17

Despite the first big snowstorm of the season, the photo exhibition on November 13 went off without a hitch.  Several of us brought snow shovels and we cleared the way into Wing's gallery, and a couple hundred hearty souls showed up to enjoy the show, the refreshments, and the company.  But we heard later that a lot of people were in fact dissuaded from attending because of the weather.  So we've decided to open the gallery again for a reprise of the opening night.  More wine and food, more people, same art. Join us if you can.

6-9 pm, Friday, December 17, Wing Young Huie's gallery, 2525 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis.

https://sites.google.com/site/wingyounghuie2010salon/

Another Exhibition! November 13!

Wing Young Huie is planning a second annual exhibition of photographs by participants in his monthly salon, opening on Saturday, November 13, at 6-9 pm.  In my role as one of the 21 exhibitionists or whatever we're called, I invite all of my friends to stop in for wine, cheese, conviviality, and of course art.  Last year's show opening was beyond-belief successful, and we're aiming to recapture the same vibe this year.  Wing's gallery is at 2525 East Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, near the Riverside exit on I-94. (612/375-0191).