The Year End Round Up or The Bits of 2016 That Weren't a Catastrophe

Oy vey, you guys. What a year, huh? What an incredibly horrific, festering open sore of a year. At this point, it seems like just opening the news is tempting fate. It's like the whole year has been this game of Whack-A-Mole and we're the moles.

But, I think all of us had some good times too. They probably weren't international events, but for each of us there were some really enjoyable moments of 2016 that, if we take a moment to remember, keep the year from being a complete disaster. For myself and my husband, the highlights of 2016 were the new places we had the opportunity to visit. Of the past 5 years, this one was the most enjoyable for travel. Every new place was beautiful, welcoming, and inspiring. They made us stop in our tracks and pull the car over. They introduced us to new flavors and music. They brought us great conversations and lots of laughs. And, of course, they inspired tonst of photography. They basically made this year bearable. Without them, it would have been a long slog through days of frustration, loneliness, and boredom punctuated by the worst news headlines we could imagine short of "Half of Planet Earth Fell Off Overnight and Spirals Off Towards Sun." As our fifth year of living in Europe comes to a close, once again it is the travel which makes everything better. So, without further ado, here are our favorites from this year:

1. The Jaw Dropper
I don't know if I will ever be able to put the magic of Iceland into words. Lots of places are overrated in travel guides, TV shows, and on blogs. Iceland is not. It is just as beautiful in real life as it is in the movies. Obviously, there was zero chance that Iceland was going to be a visual disappointment. From waterfalls to glaciers to ice covered beaches to lava fields to the incredible northern lights, every view was like nothing seen before. It was a visual feast. Even Reykjavik with its brightly painted buildings and eclectic scene was fascinating to explore. There is seriously no place like it on earth. Our trip there was no where near long enough and getting back to soak up some more is definitely on the itinerary. However, I am so grateful we had the chance to experience it at least once.

2. The Dark Horse
The large German cities in our part of the country aren't particularly interesting places, in my opinion. They were mostly all flattened during the war and rebuilt to either look the way they did before or just rebuilt without much of a plan at all (Frankfurt is the perfect example). They're ok, but honestly if you've seen one, you've pretty much seen them all. They all have the same restaurants- 305 German ones serving "local specialities"(which is basically pork, potatoes, or noodles prepared in a different shape and served with a slightly different sauce from the other regions'), döner shops, an Irish pub, various Asian places of varying quality, pizza shops, and then one or two outlier ethnic restaurants with a good TripAdvisor reputation. There's always an Altstadt with one or two cathedrals, Rathaus, and pedestrian area. There's always the same stores and probably a City Gallery mall. They're very interesting for maybe the first year of living here, but after a while a visit to, say, Stuttgart sounds about as thrilling as heading to Columbus, OH for the weekend. It's something to do, but you pretty much know what you're going to get. I expected nothing remarkable from Dresden. Nothing. It was chosen purely because we had passed through on trains headed elsewhere and the skyline looked unique. A unique skyline means a chance for some good shooting, and perhaps the promise that a trip there would feel more like taking a trip somewhere completely new.

However, Dresden was unique. And, you know what? It was a good different. Today, Dresden is probably most famous for the horrific bombing it suffered in 1945. By now most of the buildings of the Altstadt have been rebuilt, but there are still sections that are being excavated. Dresden's unique earlier history as a center for arts, learning, and wealth means that its buildings are akin to something you might see in Paris or Belgium. The architecture is truly magnificent and was a pleasure to photograph. Of course, it still had the malls and shops and restaurants you find all over the People's Republic, but there was plenty there which can't be found anywhere else and is worth taking a look at. It didn't just have a slightly interesting center, it had a stunning one. I'm so thankful we saw that skyline from the train and decided to stop.

3. The Show Stealer
One thing I learned this year was to stop underestimating the little guy. Lisbon had been on my list since we lived in Luxembourg. We lived near a working class neighborhood with a large Portuguese population.  They were the only folks on the block who didn't treat us with contempt. Because of that, I decided that we should visit Lisbon.

It was a very good decision. All I knew about it was that it was beautiful, the people were nice, and the food was supposed to be good. It was all true, and then some. The people of Lisbon were by far the kindest, most generous people we encountered on our travels. For a city that has been enduring an ongoing financial crisis, we never felt unsafe. When I had to go to the hospital I was expecting to undergo one of the year's low points, but instead I was overwhelmed by the sympathetic, helpful, and most caring medical staff I've ever met. Ever.

Yes, the food was amazing too. We never ate better this year. To top it off, it was the most photogenic city we visited this year as well. But, it was the people that made Lisbon our favorite city of 2016. If Lisbon had just been a rubble heap, it would have still been worth visiting to get to experience the warmth and hospitality of the Portuguese. We were absolutely blown away and were genuinely sad to fly home.

4. The All Rounder
Oh, Ireland. It had been a long time since I'd been there, but while specific memories of that first trip had faded, I knew that Ireland had everything we could possibly want in a destination- stunning landscapes, a plethora of interesting sights, great food, and fabulous people. On returning this year, I was happy to know that I was right on all counts. There are few places in the world that are as enjoyable to visit as Ireland. It has that magnificent landscape of natural wonder, dotted with captivating ruins and castles. Even on a rainy day, it is gorgeous. This trip was probably my most satisfying photographically this year. With our own car, we could explore and get a little lost. No matter where we ended up I came across something to photograph.

Of course, we never went hungry. There was fresh seafood on the coast and hearty meals inland. Pints were always on hand, and with it came conversation. We're a bit starved of that here in Germany, so that week in Ireland made up for the whole year. We talked with tavern owners, cabbies, AirBnB hosts, bar keeps, distillery workers, waitresses, and whoever was next to us at the bar. We talked about everything from cars, to Cleveland basketball (which was the big sports news at the time), their cousins in California, my Irish great-grandpa, the ins and outs of Irish Whiskey, history, exploration, and then, inevitably, politics (Brexit occurred halfway through the trip). It was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. Ok, Brexit was definitely not fantastic, sorry.  I meant the conversations. I don't think I've ever been so appreciative of a people who are known for their gift of gab.

The scenery is meant to be photographed and there was great food and conversation. I really don't need much more from a place.  If that's all you really need too, then get yourself to Ireland.

And with that, I'm signing off for the rest of the year! We're headed to Venice for the week for some rest, good eating, and hopefully some good shooting too. Then, we'll be all set for what 2017 can chuck at us. If this was the last year we had to see some more of this beautiful world, I won't complain. It was a true gift.

I hope all of you had something to be thankful for from 2016 too. We have no idea what is around the corner, but my wish is that the end of this year brings you some peace and a little joy too.

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
CG

For the Love of the X70

I don't usually talk about gear on this blog. Once I got over my initial case of gear fixation, I've mostly tried to focus on the process instead of the tools. But, as my father always says, "To do the job right, your need the proper tools." Today I wanted to talk about one of my favorite tools, the Fujifilm X70.

I've been working exclusively with the Fujifilm X Series cameras for about 2 years now (my gear list can be found on the right of blog page). It only took about 6 months after picking up my X-E2 to decide I wanted to switch entirely over that system from Canon. Everyone is different on what they want in a system, just like everyone is different in what they want in a car (or no car at all!). For me, there were a few factors in deciding to switch to the X-Series. First of all, there was the size. Being mirrorless, most of the set ups pack down way smaller than what I had going on with my mid-size DSLR. Secondly, there was the glass quality. Every single lens Fujifilm puts out is professional grade, there's none of this entry level junk. Fuji's lenses are top of the line, solid, sharp, and fast. Thirdly, and this is probably the biggest selling point for me, the X Series is made for those who love shooting manual. The designs hearken back to analog. Instead of menus, there are dials, beautiful, wonderful dials. I wasn't a photographer in the film age, but I have a deep appreciation for the medium. And, the X Series cameras honor that, not only in the design and functionality, but also with the Fujifilm film simulations you can apply in camera or in post. Bottom line, using the X Series system is a blast.

Last September, while we were in Akron, my husband surprised me one morning with a box from B&H Photo Video. Nestled inside the packing material and assorted free oddments, sat one of those lovely black boxes Fujifilm packages their X Series in. I have to admit, I was quite taken aback. I had just two days prior, picked up the long anticipated X-T2 (fabulous, fabulous camera, by the way). I certainly wasn't planning on adding another camera to the fleet already. But, inside that black box was the wee X70 and that was kind of a big deal.

You see, I had been searching for a pocketable camera on and off for a couple of years. I had toyed with the idea of the beautiful X100T, but it measures a bit too large for a pocket camera (at least for the diminutive pockets they put in most women's clothing). One of my main desires was to find something that would fit in a cycling jersey pocket. My old iPhone is all well and good for messaging funny pet pictures to the fam or snapping the local bus schedule for later reference, but it can't hold up to a real lens for any serious photography (I'm sorry, it can't). I looked at other brands like Sony and Nikon, but I really wasn't keen on either's design and functionality in this range. Plus, after using my X-E2 alongside a Canon, I really, really didn't want to add a different system into the mix again. The amount of shots lost due to system switch confusion was a little ridiculous in those days. Anyway, when Fujifilm released the X70, the idea of adding a small pocket camera to the collection didn't seem like a lost cause anymore. 

And so, out of the blue, I now had one! I named it Baby. All the cameras have names, yes. With all the X this and X that it's easier to keep them straight. Before long, what was intended to be a cycling camera became my everyday carry camera. It comes out on dog walks with me, to the grocery store, and all the other times when I want to have a camera, but don't need or want to carry a bag.

Captured with my X70 while out walking The Dog.

I honestly didn't expect to love this camera as much as I do. Here's why it's stolen my heart.

1. Size- while a bit larger than some other models in that market, it fits nicely in my jacket pockets and jersey pockets. It is small and light enough to fit in the bag with other bodies if I want a backup.

2. Design- most cameras of this sort keep the dials and knobs to a minimum, with setting customization being limited and only found in menus. The X70 sticks with the X Series honor of manual control. Your basic functions can all be controlled quickly and easily on the body like the majority of the other X Series cameras. Aperture is found on the lens, exposure and exposure compensation are controlled on the dials, and ISO can be assigned to one of the buttons.

3. That flip screen- Arguably, Fujifilm has always been weak on this feature. All of the early model X series had fixed LCD screens. I generally shoot with a viewfinder, but I found the lack of an articulated LCD very trying when I wanted a more unique perspective or when I was shooting from a tripod. That problem is why I went with the X-T line for my workhorses over the X-Pros. Anyway, the X70 has a pretty advanced screen. It can flip into selfie position, which means we now have a couple pictures together for a change. It is also a touch screen. It can be set to select a focus point or to take the shot. I usually have it set for focus since that's a heck of a lot faster than the select buttons. Since the X70 doesn't have a viewfinder, the advanced LCD makes up for it.

4. Full functionality- It has the same capabilities as the X-E2 like bracketing, burst, time lapse, WiFi, video, detailed display, etc. There is no reason why it can't be the only camera on you. Plus, if I want to pass it over to my husband or someone else, I can just flip it into Auto and they don't have to worry about anything. The JPEGs come out top notch, just as you would expect from Fujifilm.

5. Fixed lens- This may be a deal breaker for a lot of people, but I love the fixed focal length. It's a nice wide 18.5mm f/2.8 meaning it's a great all rounder. It is bright and unobtrusive, making it perfect for street photographers. It is wide and sharp for scenery. It gets out of the way, and let's you craft the image.

Because it's the size of my iPhone the X70 is the only camera The Dog allows me to get close to him with. 

Now for the downside. Rumor has it that Sony quit making the 16mps sensor and that means Fujifilm will be discontinuing a lot of their cameras that used that sensor. That includes the X70. That's pretty sad since it hasn't been on the market for even a year yet. I love this little camera and I'm really disappointed that Fujifilm may not be continuing with it. Hopefully, it doesn't mean they will be scrapping the 16mps models completely by ending firmware updates too. Only time will tell. Of course, there's always the small chance those lines will be rebooted with a new sensor. Who knows at this point since the discontinuation is still just a rumor (although stock is disappearing from some stores in Europe and Japan). While certainly not a flagship, the X70 definitely filled a need for a lot of photographers and its performance has given it top marks from reviewers. I for one will always be a fan and will continue to use Baby until it dies. 

Of course, the one bright side of this is that the price will significantly drop on the X70 if it is discontinued. For now, Amazon.com and B&H still have them fully in stock so if an official announcement is made, they will probably be discounted significantly. Amazon DE and Amazon UK are low on stock (UK is out of silver), so there may very well be something to the rumor. However, I've found Amazon DE sellers generally don't keep a large stock of photo equipment anyway. Be that as it may, this may be the opportunity to take advantage of a great deal caused by a series of unfortunate events. For those who love manual shooting or want to learn it or whole love fixed lens bodies or who want to broaden their photography by using one, the X70 is a fantastic little camera and would make a great gift this season.

Captured Glimpses Black Friday Sale

For those not interested in braving the stores or the mall today, but are still open to taking advantage of a sale, I have good news for you!

If you would like to purchase a print, canvas print, metal print, postcard, photo panel, or cards from capturedglimpses.com, use the code BLACKFRI2016 at check out to receive free standard shipping from today until Sunday!

There are tons of things on sale in the Zazzle Shop today and today only! Use the code BLACKFRISAVE to receive:

65% off Luggage Tags & Ornaments

50% off Fleece Blankets, Gift Tags, Greeting Cards, & Post-It Notes

40% off Calendars, Mugs (including the Magical Northern Lights Mug), 

Pillows, Serving Trays, Tote Bags, & Wrapping Paper

30% off Cases & Playing Cards

20% off EVERYTHING else in the shop!

Have a great weekend! 

Happy Thanksgiving and Such

I just wanted to wish everyone back home in the United States a good Thanksgiving holiday. I know it has been a really tough year and these continue to be uncertain times. But, hopefully today can be peaceful and differences can be set aside. The important thing is to remember that we are bound by our ties as Americans. It is when we come together that we are at our greatest- no matter our beliefs, our education, our salaries, the way we dress, or how we live. Today is an opportunity to begin healing as everyone meets over a meal with family and friends. It is an opportunity to discuss, not to argue. It is an opportunity to listen, not to chastise. It is an opportunity to begin building bridges with those across the table that can be extended across divides. This is not the day to avoid our differences and pretend everything is just fine while harboring resentment, today is the day to right this ship. So talk it out, hug each other, then go have a second piece of pie for me.

The holiday season gets its official kickoff today. If after the holiday (or during) you're feeling like you need a little retail therapy, I have many new items available in my Zazzle Shop. There are eight new tote bags with landscape photographs, a bunch of new puzzles, greeting cards, a whole new collection of Eiger products, some new waterfall items, and a whole bunch of stuff for the holidays!

Of course, I also have new wall calendars available for 2017. They were my most popular item last year and I want to say thank you to all who purchased one! We were able to send on a nice donation to Americas Fund with the proceeds.

This year there are once again two calendars available. There is the 11"x14.25" full color calendar for $28.00 featuring photographs from Austria, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, and Portugal. A portion of my proceeds from this calendar will be donated to PetsMart Charities this year. This charity is the most successful in facilitating animal adoptions and spay & neuter programs in the United States.

Scenic Europe 2017 Calendar

 The second calendar is 5.5"x7" and features black and white photographs. I will be donating 80% of my proceeds from this calendar to the International Refugee Assistance Project. Because of everything that has been going on both in Europe and the United States, I've become very concerned about this issue. Refugees need our support more than ever and the IRAP is the leading organization in fighting for refugee rights and providing services for them. This calendar is $25.00 and features photographs from Germany, France, Iceland, Norway, Belgium, Ireland, Portugal, Italy, Luxembourg, Ohio (yup!), Slovakia, and Switzerland.

2017 Monochrome Calendar

Both calendars can be customized by language and country holidays. They also, like all my other Zazzle products, ship internationally. So, if you are in need of a new calendar or a gift for the upcoming season, here you go! ALSO, today only both calendars are 40% off! Use the code BLACKFRILOVE at check out. Many other items in the Shop are also on sale with the same code.

Ok, get outside this weekend, relax, eat a little too much, and enjoy your holiday! We wish we were there!

A Backyard Park

Blue Hen Falls

Northeast Ohio is blessed to have a magnificent National Park.  Sure, it doesn't have geysers, mountains, grizzlies, and canyons, but it's unlike any other National Park in the country.  Why? Because it's accessible and lived in.  People are just as important to this park as its spaces.  Bald eagles fly over farms and people who live in the cities like Akron and Cleveland can hop onto a trail near their neighborhood and walk or ride into forests.  This is a park for people.

Virginia Kendall Overlook

I was blessed to grown up on its border in the Cuyahoga Valley.  I grew up cycling and hiking there and considered the CVNP and the MetroParks to be an extension of my backyard.  While most young people in the suburbs spend their time in the gridded world of housing developments, I had Hampton Hills, the Towpath trail, Virginia Kendall, and Brandywine.

A lot has changed since I was growing up.  Back then, there wasn't a scenic railroad, Szalay's Farm barely sold more than corn, the Towpath only ran from the old Indian Mound Trailhead to Hillside road, and Hale Farm was barely hanging on.  Peninsula wasn't particularly popular except for those doing the World Tour of Beers at the Lizard.

Today, of course, the Park is the place to be.  The railroad is so popular on the weekends that you need to book in advance, you can ride your bike from Harvard road all the way down to Route 172 without ever leaving the towpath trail, Hale Farm has been revived, Szalay's is has become a popular attraction, and little Peninsula is absolutely packed on Saturdays and Sundays.  It's something to see.

The Beaver Marsh

Of course, this phenomenon of National Park popularity isn't unique to the Cuyahoga Valley.  All the National Parks have seen a massive spike in visitation since the Great Recession.  All of a sudden people realized that the simple natural spaces of their own country were worth seeing more than (and were cheaper than) theme parks and cruise ships.  The National Parks are cool now. A little too cool when you look at the implications.  Unlike the more famous parks, the Cuyahoga Valley is unique in that most of its visitors are local.  It's a park that is a part of the local lifestyle.  It's not just a place to spend a weekend.  In many ways it doesn't feel like a National Park, it still feels like a backyard (with a whole lot more people in it).

It was another one of the special things about home that I was reminded of in September.  First thing in the morning, when only deer and those training for the Akron Marathon were out, I could drive 5 minutes down the road and in be in a magnificent landscape.  That isn't normal, folks.  Shots like this one aren't within 5 minutes of most people's homes.  But, they are for people who live in Northeast Ohio.  And, it's another reason why home shouldn't take it for granted.

The Turnpike viaduct.

More photographs from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and the MetroParks Serving Summit County can be seen and purchased on the website in the Ohio Countryside gallery.

To the People of Akron

Downtown Akron at dawn. There's more to this place than you think.

There are a bunch of things I want to write about from our trip to Akron.  I'm definitely going to milk that trip for a few posts.  But, I wanted to use this first one not to talk about photography really, but to talk to all of you in the Akron area.  We got to see lots of friends and family while we were home, and I think we talked about the following with almost all of them.  Only a few had a clue what we were talking about. Folks are missing it and I think that's a shame. I don't want you to miss it.  So, Akron, I gotta tell you...something's different.

I don't know. Maybe it's a five year thing.  Yeah, we've been abroad for almost 5 years, so there's a good chance that this amount of time has something to do with it.  More than likely when you've been away from your country, your people, your hometown, for about 5 years you start to see all of that with rose tinted glasses.  Sure, I'll allow that.  But.

Two years ago when we came back for our visit, things didn't seem right.  People were gloomy, like more than is normal for folks in Northeast Ohio in October.  There were several times I felt downright unsafe, in places I'd never felt threatened before.  The roads were a mess, like worse than Belgium.  It was disconcerting and depressing.  We were more than ready to come back to Germany at the end of the trip.  Look, I'm not naive about Akron's crime and drug problem.  I'm from Akron, ok?  There have been a few close calls in the past, like "Am I going to get shot?" close calls .  I have a healthy respect for Akron's issues, and in no way do I want to gloss those over.  Akron isn't a shining city.  No city is, folks.  But, I think, I honestly think that Akron is improving.  We were out late and I photographed around downtown by myself at some odd hours a couple of times.  Memory, experience, and common sense told me that this could be risky and to be careful.  But, nothing happened.  Not even when it should have.  At one moment, I thought for sure I was going to have some trouble.  It was really early, still dark, no one was around, I was by myself, and set up on Main St. (it will always be Main Street to me) with quite a bit of gear.  A sketchy looking guy started approaching me.  I was prepared for this sort of thing.  There's no delusion in me that everyone is basically good, that dialogue can get you out of bad situations every time.  Sometimes you have to make tracks, quick.  Sometimes you have to throw a punch.  My gear was in my bag on my back, and I had enough time to take my camera off Brian the Tripod.  I figured Brian would do rather well as a self defense tool since he's kinda beefy when collapsed down.  I didn't run off though.  To be honest, I didn't want to lose the light.  You know what happened?  This guy walked right up to me, and (as I gripped Brian a little tighter) he rather eccentrically said, "Good morning!" He smiled, I returned the greeting, and then he continued on his way.  That nasty, unsafe feeling we had two years ago never showed up.  Ok, yes, the weather was beautiful and that definitely affects peoples' moods.  But, it wasn't just a bit more cheerfulness, it was a lot more cheerfulness.  People we didn't even know, by the way, were downright jovial and welcoming. If it weren't for the accent, at times I would have thought we were back in Ireland.

The Bike Share bikes at Northside in front of the new shiny
Marriott Hotel.

There are new businesses in downtown Akron and they're locally owned and one of a kind.  There were new restaurants and bars, and the ones we tried were all good, like really good.  Sure, a couple more old buildings had been knocked down and there are still plenty of empty storefronts.  But, there are less.  And that's something.  I swear there were more flowers.  There were definitely more bikes.  Heck, did you know that Akron has a bike share now?  The organization is a little clunky, but it's something.  Also, there's even a short section of protected lane on Main St. So, if you work downtown you can rent a bike at one of the many locations, and ride right down Main to Diamond Deli (which thankfully hasn't changed a bit) where the lane ends.

Ok, let me go back to the bar and restaurant topic.  For the past three years going out to dinner has lost its luster.   We go out rarely and usually only because we don't have time to cook.  The biggest decision we have to make is whether we want to order the schnitzel or the wurst.  Drink choices are soda, pilsner, or water.  We get really excited when we travel because there's a good chance we'll get to have something more exciting than pork and yellow beer.  The trips home to Akron are even more thrilling because we get to enjoy all our old favorites that we can't get at all in Europe.  Hello, tacos!  Hello, pizza with pepperoni, Italian sausage, peppers, and onions!  Hello, SWENSON'S, baby!  Hello, you crazy wonderful American craft beer (and unsweetened iced tea and bourbon)!  Really, home leave trips are mostly for the food.  Ok, not totally, but it's right up there with seeing the people we love.  So, as you might imagine, we plan our eating very carefully.  The goal is to hit as many places as possible, balancing new with old.  Must eats every single year are Mr. G's Pizza, Swenson's, the Diamond Deli, and Crave.

Main Street

This year we had few new places on the list- Dante Boccuzzi Akron, Nuevo Modern Mexican & Tequila Bar, and Chop & Swizzle.  DBA and Nuevo have been around for a few years, but we hadn't had chances to try them out yet on past trips.  Chop & Swizzle is brand new.  I can't tell you which one was my favorite.  They're too different to compete and the food at all three was fantastic.  DBA, in my humble meat eater opinion, is a better long term fit for the city and the Northside District than Chrissie Hynde's old place (no offense to the Akron rocker).  They certainly make a much better steak ;-) Nuevo definitely has a way with Mexican flavors and tequila, and we were talking about our meal for days afterwards.  The most unique place, however, was Chop & Swizzle.

Look at these lovely concoctions from Chop & Swizzle!

I used to work just down the road from the old firehouse on Maple and drove by it several times a week.  It's a great building and when it was bought and cleaned up like 6 or 7 years ago I had hopes that something would come to live there.  The neighborhood is a little sketchy though, and nothing ever came in, until earlier this year when the craft cocktail bar opened it's doors.  I heard about it on Facebook and immediately put it on the must list.  We have a thing for cocktails.  We've been mixing long before it was a hipster thing and after years of nothing but German beer and schnapps as alcohol options, we've amped up our mixing game.  Now, I'd much rather enjoy a crafted cocktail or neat Scotch when a little something besides water is the order of the day. We love discovering and mixing out new recipes from modern mixologists and bars like Death & Co.  and The Dead Rabbit Grocery and Grog or mixing the classics from the Prohibition Era.

Where the magic happens.

When we heard Akron had a cocktail bar that made the sort of drinks we loved, we got really excited.  I'm happy to report that it lived up to our dreams.  First off, the service is fantastic.  If you don't like something, they'll mix you something different.  They'll help you find something that may become your new favorite thing.   Oh, and the food is pretty amazing.  I didn't really expect that.  We were going to go someplace else afterwards, but we stayed there.  It was that good.  And it's not just the drinks, food or the service that won our hearts.  They are approaching Akron in a new and exciting way and it's an example of why I think the city is moving in the right direction.  The folks of Chop & Swizzle seemed to say, "Yeah, okay, the neighborhood isn't great.  But, it isn't going to get better if no one ever tries to make it better.  Let's be those people."  They weren't afraid.

There's a ton of people who don't seem to be afraid to make things better in Akron now.  They're taking risks.  They're opening cocktail bars (there's actually another- Northside Speakeasy. We didn't have a chance to make it there this time), galleries, independent movie theaters, boutiques, ice cream shops, children's museums, restaurants, and jazz clubs.  They're organizing neighborhood festivals, making music, writing books, taking photos, making art, and publishing free newspapers (shout out to The Devil Strip).  They're getting their hands dirty.  To my eyes, the eyes of someone who hasn't been around much, these people already accomplished a lot.  My theory is that this is going to snowball.  Positivity breeds positive things.

Lock Bottom Jazz is still happening at Lock 4, one of my favorite nooks of the city.

Norka is back! How cool is that! Please buy those sodas,
they're delicious.

So, my lovely Akron people.  Keep it up!  You're there every day so maybe you haven't noticed these changes.   They may not be as dramatic for you. But, you know what?  Things are better than they were.  I know that the road construction is a huge pain in the neck right now.  But, the really cool thing about it is that it means they are finally fixing the roads!  I mean, they're actually trying to improve the interchange!  They're getting rid of that hated innerbelt.  The City is finally dealing with those glaring problems.  Finally.  You get what a big deal that is?

Please do me a couple of favors while we're still gone.  First, don't listen to candidates that come to town and make Akron sound like a crime ridden cesspool.  It isn't.  Akron isn't out of the woods, I know.  But, if you only focus on its problems in a negative way, you're going to blow your chance to join in the good stuff and improve your town.  Akron has so much potential and for the first time in a long time a lot of folks are seeing it and pursuing it.  So, secondly, focus on that.  Participate.  Support all these homegrown businesses.  Please go out downtown.  Start your evenings at Chop & Swizzle, Northside Speakeasy, Thirsty Dog Brewing, or Hoppin' Frog.  Get your dinners at the one of  a kind places you can only find locally- Crave, Bricco, Nuevo Mexican, DBA, etc.  Get your sandwiches at Diamond Deli, your fast food at Swenson's.  Get your coffees at Angel Falls and Nervous Dog. Go hear stuff at Musica, Blu Jazz+, and Jilly's Music Room.  Go see a flick at the Nightlight. See a show at the Goodyear Theater and The Civic. Invest in your city.  I'm not gonna lie, I really want all this cool stuff to still be around when we get to come home.  I'm depending on you to make that happen for me.

I can tell you one thing.  Right now, for the first time ever in these almost 5 years, we are dying to get back to Akron.  Seriously.  Maybe it's just because it's been five years, or because it was sunny for two weeks, or we are really tired of schnitzel, or everyone is still riding that National Championship high.  But, I'm pretty darn certain this change is deeper than that. We're two people itching to join in.  Two more years feels like a long time, but I cannot wait to see what this new movement is going to pull off in that time.  What we saw, what we experienced, what is to come has us believing that Akron can become the city we always hoped it could.  I read somewhere recently that Akron is more than a few great bands and a basketball player.  Whoever said that is right.  A place is its people, and Akron has some seriously good people in it.  Keep moving forward.  It's a long road, but come on.  You're Akron.  You can do this.  We can't wait to join you.

To print and download most of these photos and others I shot in Akron check out the Ohio Cities gallery on the website!

Project: #GlimpsesofHome

Tomorrow morning my husband and I are boarding a flight to the USA and will be back home in Northeast Ohio for about two weeks.  We usually do this once a year to see family, visit the dentist, see our GP, touch base with our banker, and catch up with friends.  It's a hectic time, no matter how we try to make it as un-hectic as possible.  As the years pass, and this December will mark 5 years in Europe, our home leave trip grows in importance.  Even though we often travel to a new and exciting location once a month, that visit to humble Northeast Ohio is our favorite journey of the year.  For us, the day before the trip has the excitement of Christmas Eve.  Touching down at CLE airport, getting in the rental car, and swinging onto Rt. 480 E is like descending the stairs on Christmas Day.  We can barely contain our excitement.

For those that have never lived abroad for a long period of time, this probably doesn't make much sense.  Isn't living in Europe a dream come true? How can your grungy hometown with its abandoned factories, strip malls, high crime rates, and blighted neighborhoods compare?  Sure, on paper Akron falls short when stacked next to the picturesque village on the Main where we've been living for almost three years.  But, you know what?  It's Home.  Home, no matter where that is, will always have an edge over the most beautiful places on earth.

Usually during these trips I take a lot of pictures.  I generally don't do much with them except to document another magical home leave trip.  Last year, I did manage to get out a couple of days for some more traditional shooting which you can see here and here.

This year, I've decided to do a photo project during the trip.  It's part personal project, part documentary.  Every day, like always, I'll be taking photographs, but this year I'll be sharing many more with you!  As long as WiFi permits, I'll post two photographs to Instagram a day- one of my usual images that are posted daily, and one under the tag #GlimpsesofHome. Images under that tag will be of something or somewhere that is unique about Akron (or a location nearby) and it will probably have a little story with it too.  The goal of the project is to highlight what makes Akron and its environs so special to us, and why that area is worth visiting just as much as the other locations I've photographed in Europe.  Obviously, the biggest draw personally is the relationships we have there.  But, there are countless things about Northeast Ohio that make it special and worthy.  I'd like to show you some of them.  They won't all be scenic, so I ask you to bear with the variety of images I'll be posting.  Home is where our culture comes from.  It's people, food, music, common ground, language, art, and environment.  Our home is a typical small American city.  It's had its struggles, heck, it still has struggles.  But, it also has a lot of magic.  Slowly but surely, that magic is growing and things are changing.  We see it every year.  The place has soul.  Through this project, I'd like you to get a glimpse of that.

So, tune into Instagram to follow my #GlimpsesofHome project for the next two weeks!  Too often we focus on where we've been or where we're headed to next.  Sometimes it's best to turn our attention to where we're from.

Halftime

I love August.  Well, I mean I love August in Germany.  I don't remember it being particularly pleasant in Ohio due to insane heat, the usual drought, and the sense of melancholy that comes with the approach of Labor Day and the end of summer all together.  However, here, even if you have to go to work, it feels like a month of vacation.  Germans, by law, have to have 30 days vacation.  Some can even manage to eke out a little more depending on other variables.  Some choose to spread those 30 days out through the year.  Others take a big lump all at once, usually in the summer, and head off to the Alps or the beach for a couple of weeks.  Oh, and they have to take these days according to the law.  The worker certainly has a pretty sweet deal here, in my opinion.  This, of course, doesn't apply to people like us who are expats with contracts from a non-German company.  Personally, I think companies should give their expats the same vacation days as their native co-workers during their assignment because being the only person working most of the year is pretty taxing.

On the plus side, during the month of August a lot of people are out of town on vacation so being at home actually feels like a holiday too.  The shops are less crowded, no one is is around to dig up the roads (or, unfortunately, fill in the holes they made in July), and the people who are around are just a bit more chilled out.  It's really nice.  The weather is pretty great too.  While we've been here the heat always hits in July and then tapers off come August.  This year it's been downright chilly, almost Autumn-like.  So, here I am sitting on our balcony with a view of the river as I punch out this update.  The only sounds are church bells and birds.  It's a pretty sweet deal for us too.

We've always treated the month of August as a holiday too, just in a different way.  We don't go out of town at all.  With everyone coming and going from the office, this month is a perfect chance for my husband to get a lot done at work.  It's also a chance to get some things sorted out and planned for the rest of the year.  We use the weekends to get things done around the house that we've been putting off, doing some cycling, and exploring the local area a bit more.  I too have been taking August off from a lot of photography, preventing a burn out that would no doubt hit if I ran around at breakneck pace all year.  I might do a little on the weekends or within a quick bike ride of the house, but for the most part I just focus on catching up on some reading, doing a little digging through whatever backlog I have, updating the Zazzle shop, or organizing my files.  It's nice to put down the camera for a bit and see the world with my eyes for awhile.  Keeps me sane.

I decided to kick off this break a little early this year with our trip to Lake Como last month.  Well, circumstances decided a little bit for me, but I'll get to that in a bit.  My husband and I decided to stay at our favorite hotel to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary in July.  We stayed there in 2013 on the way back from a trip to the Riviera.  We were only there for two nights on that trip, but we fell head over heels in love with the place and promised ourselves and the proprietors that we would return.

View from hotel at dinner.  We decided to climb it later that week. 

So, for this trip we decided to spend 8 days there.  Our plan was to do a little photography, a lot of hiking, and even more relaxing.  For once, this was going to be a proper vacation.  Strolls, naps, and afternoon ice cream cones were going to be regular occurrences.  We never take trips like this (the last one was in 2013 to the Riviera, actually), and we definitely needed one.  It's been a long year.

I did want to get out a couple of times for some early morning shooting because, obviously, we were in a prime landscape location.  However, we discovered upon our first attempt that the hotel locks the doors until 6:00am, thus trapping us well after the July sunrise.  At first I was really upset and contemplated asking if we could make special arrangements.  But, I realized that it was actually a good thing.  We both wanted to make this trip more about spending time together and relaxing than getting up at 4:00am and rushing to a location every morning.  I was going to be ok.  It turned out to be exactly what we needed.  We both felt 10x better after the trip, relaxed and ready to face the rest of the year.  I imagine the dinners at the hotel restaurant every night had something to do with that.  The owner totally spoiled us with perfect homemade pastas and local specialities every night.  It was pure heaven, even on the days it rained.

View from the top of the mountain.  Blessed with a clear day
after quite the climb up there.

I really think breaks are important.  Athletes have off seasons, kids get summer vacations, why shouldn't creatives step back for a bit once a year too?  Sometimes I get so wrapped up in photography, I can't even contemplate something else.  Laundry can pile up, I don't get enough sleep, and the cats come in my office periodically to make sure I'm not dead (ok, they may just be there to remind me it's their dinner time).  I admit, I get obsessive.  So, stepping back for a short time is definitely something I need to do.  While we were in Italy, not being able to worry about getting the next shot or chasing the light everyday forced me to focus on the trip and have a really great time.   We did do a lot of hiking and walking, plus we climbed a 8,560ft mountain on a whim.  We weren't exactly sitting with an ice cream all day every day.  But, not having the next shot goal permeating all my thoughts made it possible to have a really relaxing time.  It wasn't work, it was vacation.  You know what?  I was totally ok.  It was ok not to get shots every day, or only have a couple of the two of us (and The Dog) on the card for a change.  It was like coming up for air.

So, I do have a couple mini projects for the rest of the month, but we don't have another photo trip scheduled until October.  In the meantime, check back at my Zazzle shop regularly because I am using this time to add some new products.  If you're already in the market for a 2017 calendar, they are now available!  Next month, is the hallowed home leave trip back to Akron, so you can expect some more cat photos and misc hometown whatnot in my feed pretty soon.  But for now, I'm going to sit back and enjoy this lovely view we've been blessed with, read a little more of Susan Sontag's On Photography, and maybe think about working in the garden.  Maybe.

Oh, I almost forgot!  The name of our favorite hotel is Hotel Europa.  Remember, it's the one in Sorico at the northern tip of Lake Como.  If you are passing that way, there isn't a better place to stay.  At least make sure that you stop for dinner!