The many faces of Everest (in Orlando!)

The many faces of Everest (in Orlando!), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I look forward to a trek about Nepal, Katmandu, or anywhere in that region of the world,.....but for tonight, the image is from close to home. Yes the ingenious imagineers at Disney Worlds Animal Kingdom Park in Orlando have indeed created quite a realistic vision of what it must be like before that incredible ascent. I guess it might be time to get a bit more in shape before I hire the sherpas for the real deal!

Speaking of Orlando, this week will find me on a show up there after a quick site survey in Tampa. Looking forward to getting back in the groove as the season is starting to ramp up a little. As always, more to come......

Reflecting on the day in Paris

Reflecting on the day in Paris, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

After hitting the ground running for a couple of days in Paris, I gotta admit, it was kind of refreshing to just kick back and appreciate the moment. For some reason on this past trip, I had built up a bit of unnessecary stress before I had arrived. I mean, who sets out on a vacation with a "shot list" of locations and subjects they want to capture?! I mean, thats taking art to an extreme. After a bit of readjusting my focus, attitude, and goals (yes, I still had goals...even on vacation!), while having a cold beer at the top of the Printemps overlooking the incredible Parisian skyline, things just started to fall into place. Yeah, life is good....real good!

If I ever get arround to it, I have hundred of images to work on. Of course, expanding my body of work was a big part of this artistic retreat, but I think I just hit it a bit hard from the start. More to come over the next few weeks and months.

Speaking of art by the way, I was quite excited to receive an email today that I was one of 2 artists that were showcased in Imagekind's "Artist of the day" today. Kinda cool, I must humbly admit :) If you are interested, I link to that site below here on flickr or on the right panel in the blog.

Cheers to a great weekend!

A cool evening in Boston

A cool evening in Boston, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

After another scorcher here in South Florida, I must admit that I am a little jealous of our friends to the North. While up in Boston a little while ago, I wandered about the city (which I am SURE at this point is about 30 degrees cooler than down here.....did I mention that it was hot down here?) and found this typical scene down around Beacon. Actually, I have no idea where I took this, that just sounded kinda cool.

Aaaannnyway....

Getting back to this heat and humidity, its almost like the only place to avoid the heavy moisture is the shower! Its worse than Singapore arround here. I know what your saying, last night I mentioned how important it is to live in the now. Ok then, right now, I would love it to be cooler down here.....is that better?

Geez Mike, relax! This too shall pass. Get a grip here!

Oh yeah, one more thing. I went to a special events industry social this evening to mainly photograph some work of a friend and colleague. It was nice, however, to run in to a few familiar faces. Its nice to catch up every once in a while, recall past events, and brainstorm about new strategies. Realizing that we are all together in these challenging and unpredictable times makes it seem a little easier to except I guess. On a more positive note, I somehow feel that this is a great time for opportunity. After a few conversations with the collective creative talent that our industry includes, I feel there are exciting times ahead for all of us!

A moment taken at the train station in Nice, France

A moment taken at the train station in Nice, France, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

As is often the case, my evening post becomes somewhat of a reflection about the day. A personal blog allows that freedom. Sure I have a few prints that I link to if you are interested, but the real fuel that drives this time of recollection has nothing to do with promotion. We all see enough of that throughout the day in a variety of ways. No, these posts are for the most part quite personal. Hey, if your here, thats cool......thanks for listening :)

I started thinking a bit about a quote I posted on Facebook today. It's really quite a simple one.... "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain". Wow, I mean, how true is that! How much do we all need to live by that today. It seems like everyone is in some way waiting for everything to get better, complaining about the economy, and waiting for things to get back to the way they were. Perhaps this is really a wake up call to refocus on what we all have at the moment, or as my sister likes to say "Living in the now" (I love that one too Lori!) Your reality is all you make of it....no matter what the conditions of the outside world are.

I guess it all really has a lot to do with perspective. When I originally arrived at this station, my own perspective was completely different than when I chose to slow down and notice the details a couple of days later. Arriving a few minutes early, before the train was to leave to a small town I was visiting, allowed me to stop and slow down. It was at that moment that I was able to appreciate the incredible beauty that was around me.....beauty that for what ever reason I choose not to see upon my arrival a couple of days earlier. Rushing into the town, watching my back, stressing about how to get out of the station, avoiding the professional pickpocketers outside the station,.........essentially waiting for the storm to pass. I'm just glad I took the time to go back and dance in the rain :)

Market America Convention (and a Time-lapse Tuesday post)

Market America Convention (and a Time-lapse Tuesday post), originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Like all of our events, there is long planning process, hours and sometimes days of behind the scenes setup and prep, a burst of excitement during the show, and then a "flash in the pan" teardown and exit. For this weeks Timelapse Tuesday, here is a peak into that quick exit......sped up about 30,000 percent!

Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland - from the overlook

Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland - from the overlook, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

To the untrained eye (and initially to mine I must add), this place might seem like a dangerous place to plunge ones body! In fact, its one of the most incredible spas in the world. The Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland has long been acclaimed as the world's leader in therapeutic and wellness treatments. This facility blew me away. Once you block out the geo-thermal activity in the background and get over the initial shock of exiting the showers into the freezing cold, the experience is quite divine. Yeah, I could use a bit of that about now.....

Check back for more images from Iceland later this week!

At the dock in Reykjavik

At the dock in Reykjavik, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

Just in case you were wondering about the ominous, foreboding clouds in the background, yes, they quite literally opened up seconds after I shot this. Cut to the next frame, there goes Mike.....camera gear flapping all over as he dashes for cover into olde' Reykjavik. I gotta admit, I spent about a week there and not only did I never get the pronunciation right, I still have to double check the spelling! Good grief, I mean look at that word!

I was quite excited to find out that several of my images from this trip that I turned over to the client were used in a really cool wrap up booklet that told the story of this incentive program. I was even more blown away that some of my people shots were used as well. This means alot to me as there were a few times I felt as if I was in a bit over my head. I enjoy those visits outside of the comfort zone!

I'll post a couple more this week....stay tuned :)

A look under the Juno Pier

A look under the Juno Pier, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

I passed this pier today on a little ride up the coast on the motorcycle. The image is from a while ago though.....

Looks like fall is approaching and a change of seasons is in the the air. In fact, they say we are having a cold front down here. It was about 90 degrees out there today though, so I'm not really sure what they mean by a cold front! I did enjoy a nice ride today though up around the Juno pier and the Jupiter Inlet......my ole' stomping grounds from years gone by. Lotsa change up there. Better? Well, I guess that all has to do with your perspective. Sometimes too much change is a little hard to accept you know. I was reminded of good times past, with family and friends along this old rustic stretch of Florida coast, or what used to be rustic. Its pretty polished now with condos, paved parking spots, and landscaping.

They say that the only constant in life is change......and sometimes that's a bit hard to except I guess...

A walk along the Seine in Paris

A walk along the Seine in Paris, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

During my last evening in Paris, I found myself tirelessly wandering about the city in a last ditch effort to capture a few images in this "City of Lights." In a way, not wanting the trip to ever end, and at the same time, homesick for my little sunshine waiting for me at home. While wandering around the Seine embankment, I couldn't help but think of the countless times I sat back with my daughter and watched a cute DVD by Disney/Pixar called Ratatouille. Set in Paris, they do quite an incredible job portraying the feel of this city, even though it is seen thru the eyes of a cute little rat! Remy is unlike his fellow rats and dreams of becoming a chef - a dream not shared by the rest of his family or anyone in the catering industry, except one young man...After a series of jobs which didn't work out, Linguini is the new boy in the kitchen. Trying his hardest to make it work this time, he bumps into Remy and the adventure begins.

I was reminded of this movie and especially the scene when Linguini, the new line cook, first realizes that he can communicate with the little critter. This scene happened down along the embankment where I was. I know its sounds a little strange, but I almost felt like I was in the scene of that movie while exploring about. Kinda like I had entered a real life Pixar movie. Perhaps it was the music on the Ipod or my imagionation? Yeah, I guess it was pretty late! Well, just after I clicked off this exposure, I kinda saw a little scurry out of my left eye. A quick double take.....I realized that it was a rat, and for a split second, as he stopped and stared up at me with those cute little beady eyes, I had a feeling that, well, could it be? Like I said, it was late!

Alleys in Varenna

Alleys in Varenna, originally uploaded by Photomike07.

There is a rustic yet delicate old world feel to so many parts of Europe that is simply impossible to reproduce. Sure, we have all seen the sad attempts here in the states from theme parks to new housing communities, but the reality is, they are simply just attempts. I was really quite excited to see the many alleys, cobblestone sidewalks, and architectural details of this Italian village upon my arrival, and used the time during the harsh mid day sun to scout out a few locations for the "blue hour" that was about to arrive that evening. On a night like this, you can almost guarantee a late dinner.....very late actually. Lucky for me, late dinners seem to be the norm.....even in this quiet little lake town.