Down under and back again!

Still trying to get into the regular rhythm of updating a blog....

So the March trip to Australia has come and gone. Was a great trip, and it’s definitely a place I want to visit again.

A lot of things to see, a lot of things to do, and the people are just so nice. The 13 hour flight from LA to Sydney wasn't all that bad, considering we walked for 8 hours prior to getting on the plane, so we just conked out from being so tired.

I didn't have any issues with camera gear as carry-on. The flight from Montreal to LA was my only worry as the carry-on rules stated I could only have 1 carry-on item and 1 personal item. I had planned on a backpack and a camera bag with my body, lenses and accessories. The rules stated that I could bring a camera bag as long as it only held a camera. So I figured I'd try my luck with my Lowepro Classified as my camera bag, but as a backup plan, I could put all my gear in the bottom part of my backpack, put the Classified in the top part of my backpack and carry it all on, with a possible issue with weight limitations. When I got to the ticket counter at the airport, I asked about the camera bag and they instructed me to go chat with a security official. The only thing the security official asked was whether only camera gear was in the bag, to which I said yes, and I was allowed to carry it on. So tripod packed in my checked bag and the rest of the gear with me, I was able to go on my trip.

I visited different climates, which ended up being a slight strain on my little Rebel. From country living in the wine region, tropical rain forests and the salt water near the Great Barrier Reef to the dry desert with the blowing red sand. Seems that my camera didn't agree with the salt water. While I did my best to keep it safe and stowed away while the boat was moving, I still got some salt water residue between the setting dial and the on/off switch. So each time I would turn the camera on or off, it would change my shooting mode.  What a pain.

I took a total of 3500 photos. Sounds like a lot, but when you visit a place you don't plan on going back, to take as many as you can, different angles, different times. I lost count of how many pictures of the Sydney Opera House I took. Each night, back in the hotel room, I would copy all the photos onto my netbook and do some minor editing so my wife could use some images for her blog.


You can read my wife's travel blog here http://aussietripandrea.blogspot.com/

Now on to some of the images!




A week or so before leaving, a co-worker showed me his photos from his trip to Hawaii. They were all printed and in a hard cover book, which was a great idea. He told me the site her used to get the book done was http://www.blurb.com/.

I just finished putting together a 108 page book, which contains over 200 photos and am waiting for shipment. I hope the quality works out. Well, thats a quick summary of the trip.

Hope you like the photos.