Taiwan 01

As this blog has been maintained for more than a year now, I discovered that it is more fulfilling to post these pictures thematically rather than the relatively haphazard method of posting favorites from a given year. Thus, for the next six months or so I'll be posting one per day based on experiences...a trip hear, a wedding there, etc. I've slowed way down on this hobby - that is, now I'm not taking pictures with near the passion and dedication as in the past. Nevertheless, there is more than enough material to post one a day for at least a year. Then, if it picks up again, I'll continue beyond that time.

I guess there are at least two reasons for the stagnation - one being that creativity waxes and wanes just like most other things in life. Another reason is that I've moved beyond the point-and-shoot experience, but cannot in good conscience purchase the gear needed to move on to SLR - at least at the level desired - with braces, college, band instruments, and other family priorities (which come way in front of this hobby). I told a friend the other night that a good year to pick it up would be 2012, Lord willing, as that would make it one new camera for every five years. That might be enough time to hold out for the full-frame experience. We'll see.

This first posting of the Taiwan series is from a trip that we took in late May-early June of 2007. I still had both cameras at that time - the Finepix 3800 and 7000 - as I had not yet given the 3800 to my nephew. The strategy was to use the 7000 for outdoor shots and the 3800 for indoor shots, as the color balance in indoor situations never failed for the older model.

I've been to Taiwan four times. The first was to ask her father for my now-wife's hand in marriage. The next two times were to visit family, and this last trip was the first in which we dedicated significant time visiting tourist destinations. We encircled the entire island, discovering a treasure of unique experiences...and loads of good shots for even an amateur such as myself.

This last trip was also the first time we'd stayed in a hotel during our stay in the country, at least for most of the almost-three-week trip. As soon as we stepped in for the first night in Taipei I was intrigued by the glass that separated the restroom from the sleeping room. I moved a bouquet of plastic roses next to the glass from within the restroom and snapped it from the other side with the trusty ol' 3800.

During the next morning in Taipei we experienced one of the greatest ironies of the entire trip. The restaurant in which we ate had a cook standing by to fix breakfast made-to-order, right there on the spot. They were the best western omelettes I'd ever eaten!