Old dog, new tricks

Taking a cue from John Barclay, one of my photog mentors and friend, I am revisiting some of my old photos to discern if they are gems or detritus. What a journey this is. I am pleased to find that, even before taking a single workshop where I actually learned how to use all the functions my camera offered, I was shooting some images that were well worth saving.

This image was taken in Switzerland, in the village of Ardez, quite close to St Mortiz, which was our lunch destination this particular day. The picturesque Engadine valley in eastern Switzerland is dotted with attractive villages such as Ardez. Many have houses with painted facades; one depicting Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which I also shot and find the results not at all disappointing. Although I may not have all the tools in my bag that John has, he has taught this old dog some new, and helpful tricks, which make me thankful for his patient guidance. Had he been present when I took this image, I am sure he would have had me pay more attention to the reflection in the window, or to shooting it at an angle whereby all of the lettering would be included. All in all, I am satisfied with the shot as it has captured the essence of the village, even if it wasn't shot in raw....Sacre Bleu!

We were 2 weeks into our Great European Adventure, which began in Lithuania June 2006 and ended two months later in Amsterdam where we loaded our trusty jeep onto a boat and then headed back home to Virginia. Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland, France, Spain, Holland, the wonderful countries we visited. The spectacular village destinations are too many to list. Thankfully I have the photos.