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Piazza San "Empty" Marco Piazza San Marco is the most visited attraction in all of Venice, Italy. The masses that flock to Piazza San Marco during the day take something away from the essence of the Venetian square. By visiting San Marco Square before sunrise I was able to visit this remarkable piazza without the buzz generated by hordes of onlookers. A remarkable experience! Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream)
Polar Opposites: Travel with Nikon D3 or Canon S90 I will leave San Diego this summer and venture to the northern stretches of the European continent. Hopefully my journey will take me into the Arctic Circle to experience nearly 24 hours of daylight! With this northern exposure in mind, I am preparing a list of camera items I will need for my backpacking excursion. The real dilemma comes down to which camera system I should take, the Nikon D3 or the Canon S90 (article link: The Canon S90, to Asia and Back). Every camera is a balance of factors; my two choices are no different. The Nikon D3 and my 17-35mm f/2.8 weigh nearly 4.5 pounds. Once a camera bag, filters, memory cards, batteries, charger, tripod, and ball-head are factored in, my Nikon D3 travel photography kit weighs over 10 pounds (on top of 50 pounds of gear)! This weight directly translates to quality, flexibility of composition and printing alike. My inclination is to take the Nikon D3. After traveling Asia with a brand new Canon S90, I realized that this little compact camera is the best I have owned. The weight of the Canon S90 is not worth mentioning, and the size of the camera is negligible. The Canon S90 was an afterthought while in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Hanoi, and Ha Long Bay because the camera slipped easily into tight-fitting pants. The S90's manual control rings and custom settings are the best I have seen in a compact camera, but the resolution leaves something to be desired (e.g.: very sharp at the center and blurry from the image's middle to periphery). For this reason, I lean towards taking the cumbersome Nikon D3 on my upcoming European adventure so I will not have to rely on center crops for prints. As I decide which camera compliment I will take on the journey, I am perplexed by two issues: weight and quality. The Canon S90 is revolutionary for what it is; a pocketable, high-resolution, low-light capable, image-stabilized digital camera. Ergonomics are good. Weight and size are not worthy of consideration. (The Nikon D3's charger is twice the size of the Canon S90!) However, image quality is my biggest concern. When I get to picturesque locations I will want to record the scenes on the D3's full-frame sensor. On the other hand, the Canon S90's tiny package allows photographers to go unnoticed whereas the Nikon D3 draws all sorts of unwanted attention. What is a photographer to do? If you have any suggestions, do not hesitate to comment or email me. Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) June 3, 2010
Follow the Lines The simple composition in this image is complimented by the subtle undulating lines of the sand and surf. The sand seemingly flows from the kelp to the beach boulder and then into the receding waves at Torrey Pines in Del Mar, California. Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) June 2, 2010
Currency Roulette (Photo Title: Feed Me Taxes - Doge's Palace) In 2008 I traveled to Europe and relied on credit cards and ATMs to pay for my journey. This was certainly easier than departing the United States with euros, but AMEX and ATMs charged over 2.7 percent above inflated exchange rates. As I started to plan an extensive European tour for 2010, I knew that I needed to take cash with me to avoid unfavorable bank fees. As you know, the world economy is still uncertain and the European Union is no exception. With this in mind I played "currency roulette" and decided to wait to purchase foreign currency as close to my trip as possible. Thankfully my gamble paid off! When you read exchange rates, one must keep in mind that the advertised rates are for institutional-sized transactions, such as $1 million. When I contemplated purchasing foreign currency, Bank of America offered the best rate, $1.38 per euro and $1.60 per pound sterling. I put my chips, so-to-speak, on the table and waited for more international turmoil to take place. At the time Greece was faltering and other Euro-zone countries were struggling. Fortunately my prediction was correct and I nabbed euros at $1.30 and pound sterlings at $1.50, a significant savings! I hope the world economy will one day achieve stability and gradual growth; please, no more bubble economies! In the meantime, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel the world and be blessed with a loving family and friends. I could not ask for more! The image above was taken at the Doge's Palace in Venice, Italy. The mouth of the male sculpture was used to collect local's taxes. Even the powerful Venetian empire relied on taxes to supplement other revenue sources. I took this image because the face seems a little perturbed and evil, two characteristics that the taxpayers probably did not appreciate! Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) May 31, 2010
A Day on the Bay - San Diego I spent the day on the San Diego bay. What a treat! The warm sun perfectly counter-balanced the cool sea breeze. The Canon S90's manual controls helped me capture the photograph I envisioned. I love the two control rings in the front and back of the camera! May 30, 2010
Indoor Fountain Swirl Reminder: I launched blog.jstuartstudios.com this week. The blog has all of the photos within this Travelogue, but it is more user-friendly. Don't worry, you can see the large images you are used to by clicking each image. While traveling photographers constantly look outside to find the next image, but sometimes great photographs can be had indoors at the hotel. The picture above was taken in the atrium of my hotel just before I ventured outside to capture the deep blue hues after the sun set. To increase depth of field and create a swirl effect in the water, I used f/16 at 8 seconds for this exposure. Tripods may be cumbersome in certain circumstances, but it’s the pits when you are left struggling to stabilize the camera on makeshift supports while traveling. I always take my tripod with me when I know I will photograph at sunset or after. Look on the bright side, carrying a little extra weight equals a stronger grip that will come in handy for long photo jobs! May 28, 2010
Castle in the Clouds Southern California has diverse scenery that present photographic opportunities around each corner. In March I headed down to Coronado, California for some San Diego photography in the sun, only it was a gloomy afternoon. After I parked my car and explored the main street in Coronado, I headed over to the wide sandy beach fronting the Hotel Del Coronado. Looking out to Point Loma and the setting sun was a little generic for the day. I pointed my camera in the direction of the Hotel Del Coronado, and after a few minutes of experimenting, I determined how best to take a new look at Hotel Del. Above, the Victorian style Hotel Del Coronado looks like a castle perched in the clouds. This image was taken below a thicket of ice plants to create the illusion of a floating castle. The sun was falling in the sky as I exposed this image. The warm rays of the San Diego sun gently licked The Del’s façade and washed the clouds with light orange hues. Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) May 25, 2010
Into the Olympic Wilderness My photo excursion to the Pacific Northwest proved fruitful. This San Diego Photographer greatly appreciated the lush rainforest, rocky beaches, and a general change of scenery from Southern California. The Olympic Coast in Washington State was ideal travel destination. As you can see in the image above, my journey was blessed with blue skies, which rarely occur during the winter months. On this outing, I hiked through an area of relatively small trees blanketed by a thick carpet of monster-sized ferns on the forest floor. Gently babbling streams and soothing winds marked the otherwise soundless landscape. Serene. Stepping into nature, and sometimes out of one’s comfort-zone, is a great way to both explore and self reflect. I found that on this journey I was at peace being part of the landscape. I could not have asked for more! Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) May 24, 2010
California Spires Today I launched a new and more user-friendly blog, blog.jstuartstudios.com. Content will still be posted to this gallery, my Travelogue, and the new blogger-specific website blog.jstuartstudios.com. The challenge of marrying my two websites together was a fun exercise; hopefully this new change will better serve you, the reader. From movies to advertisements, the palm tree is synonymous with Southern California culture. However, when I look at the image above, I think that the sky is the limit. We all have immense potential and we must take each opportunity to better our world and ourselves. For me, this image is hopeful with the trees creating a staircase to the heavens. I photographed this grove of palm trees in North Park, a community north of Downtown San Diego. The day was hot and the sun was bright. I stepped into the shade cast by an enormous palm tree. When I looked up, this picture came to me. Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream) May 23, 2010
Piazza San "Empty" Marco

Piazza San Marco is the most visited attraction in all of Venice, Italy. The masses that flock to Piazza San Marco during the day take something away from the essence of the Venetian square. By visiting San Marco Square before sunrise I was able to visit this remarkable piazza without the buzz generated by hordes of onlookers. A remarkable experience!

Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream)
Piazza San "Empty" Marco Piazza San Marco is the most visited attraction in all of Venice, Italy. The masses that flock to Piazza San Marco during the day take something away from the essence of the Venetian square. By visiting San Marco Square before sunrise I was able to visit this remarkable piazza without the buzz generated by hordes of onlookers. A remarkable experience! Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream)
Piazza San "Empty" Marco

Piazza San Marco is the most visited attraction in all of Venice, Italy. The masses that flock to Piazza San Marco during the day take something away from the essence of the Venetian square. By visiting San Marco Square before sunrise I was able to visit this remarkable piazza without the buzz generated by hordes of onlookers. A remarkable experience!

Ago vita vos somnium (live the life you dream)
See photo in original gallery.
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