Cancún 2024 - Pink Flower against B&W Background

This was on one of the tables set up for the reception; full color version below:

So ends the Cancún series.  Think next we'll go to Costa Rica for a very short series...

Cancún 2024 - Hors d'oeuvres at Reception

Had to take a pattern pic of these hors d'oeuvres during the reception, increasing the aperture to augment the bokeh a bit.

Cancún 2024 - First Look

I was asked to capture the "First Look", a thing in weddings now.  When the bride gets into her wedding dress and finery, she emerges from the dressing room so that her mom (and/or other important persons) can set eyes on her for the first time.  I arrived at the location in time, and was glad to see that a couple of other photographer relatives/friends were there to do the same thing.  Good to have backups.  The lighting and background were atrocious so we had our work cut out for us, and frankly I didn't have much confidence in the Bigger Cahoona's ability to make sense of it all.

There was a little delay before the bride was ready, so while I, along with the other two designated photographers, waited, we took lots of test shots to see if the situation was salvageable.  It was definitely going to be difficult; the sun was out strong and in just the wrong place, backlighting a very busy pattern on the curtains.  I was worried.  Are we going to end up with silhouettes here?  Yet to see...

After taking our test shots there was still time, so I began to look around for more interesting stuff to capture, and settled for the ceiling fixture above.

Finally the bride comes out, with mom looking on.  I must admit it was a touching scene, and got a little teary-eyed myself while everyone boo-hooed and blubbered about.  And in spite of the conditions working against us, I was able to create something useful:

The curtain pattern was done in hues of blue and was really distracting, especially since it was backlit by the sun, so I totally desaturated the color and gave it a Gaussian blur.  This allowed the eye to focus on the subject a little better, and in the end I was pleased with the story that it told and the result in general.

Cancún 2024 - Wedding Centerpiece

Since we were in Cancún for a wedding, thought I'd include a pic or two of decorations and other peripheral items.  This was a centerpiece in the "altar" area.

Cancún 2024 - Night Entertainment Reflection Shot

Just like on a cruise ship, these all-inclusive resorts have shows every night in various venues.  Because of its relatively slow lens I've learned not to bother carrying around the Bigger Cahoona at night, opting to capture any night shots with the handy and now-trusty iPhone 15 Pro Max, which did a passable job with this reflection.

Cancún 2024 - Coatimundi

Now THIS guy was a surprise.  Coatimundis were all over the place down there, sniffing out the trash cans or the occasional morsel dropped by a tourist.  They were just as pesky as the iguanas, being shooed back into the bushes if bothering guests in an open-air restaurant.  Saw some of these later during a trip to Costa Rica, so must have a range that extends throughout Central America. 

Images below captured with an iPhone: 

 

Cancún 2024 - Tree-dwelling Lizard

Look up into the trees and you're likely to see one of these guys...

Cancún 2024 - Restaurant Iguana / The Tournament

In an earlier post from 2017 I mentioned the population of iguanas running around in southern Mexico, comparing them to the squirrels in Houston neighborhoods.  I'd bet that our miniature Australian shepherd Koko, however, would only try to chase these guys once...

There were so many on the resort property that the wait staff and custodians were evidently quite used to shooing them away from customers in the outdoor eating venues. 

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Guns were a big part of growing up for me in Orange, Texas.  From my earliest years I've been enamored with the shooting sports, whether with my friends out in the woods with BB guns or later in life with real firearms.  And so far as I know, I'm the only one of my siblings who took to the hobby/sport in any serious way.

Back in the '60's it was a rite of passage when you received your first BB gun, either as a gift or with months of saved allowance money.  I don't remember ever owning a BB rifle, but remember quite vividly my first BB pistol.  Mine was the pride of my friend group because it could shoot either BB's, pellets, or darts framed in an automatic look-alike, so looked like a real gun (and was heavy like a real gun, too).  My buddies and I spent gobs of time out in the woods plinking at whatever could serve as a target, moving or otherwise.

My passion for guns did not go unnoticed by Dad, who bought me a used Winchester .22 rifle for $35 when I was eleven years old, then joined me in a rifle club so that I could learn safety and responsible gun ownership.  The meetings were in the Orange Community Center (at 20th & Burton Streets), so every Monday night Dad and I would go there to first hear a safety talk, then practice shooting in the indoor range.  A new member would always start in the prone position, then move up to the sitting, kneeling and standing positions as proficiency in each was reached.  I've always had a steady hand, so scored well and moved up at a fairly rapid pace.  After qualifying in standing, my dad pulled one of the biggest surprises of my young life.

Every year there was a tournament, when the members would compete amongst themselves in age classes.  I would obviously compete with the younger kids, those under twelve years of age.  The tournament went on for about a month during the shooting portion of those Monday night meetings.  I didn't think a whole lot about it, because the only difference was that my score would be recorded and ranked against everyone else in my age bracket.  No big deal...I practiced at home (dry firing) and just did my best as always.

Then the tournament ended and in a special meeting the winners were announced, beginning with third place in each of the two age groups.  I sat listening, and wasn't surprised - and frankly didn't even care much - when I didn't hear my name for either third, second or first place among those under twelve years old.  So we sat through and I listened with mild interest as they began announcing the winners for the oldest age group, those twelve up to sixteen years of age.  The third-place winner was announced, then the second.  After that I heard something that shook me out of my lethargy...MY NAME!!  Bewildered, I rose, went to the front and accepted the first-place trophy.  Still clueless and naive about what had just taken place, immediately after the meeting while we were still there milling around, I asked him about the discrepancy and he told me to shut up.  Yes, Dad LIED ABOUT MY AGE in the paperwork when he signed me up for the tournament so that I could compete with the oldest group.

I don't have too many photographs from my youth, but one I did keep was a picture Dad took of me holding the trophy when we got home that night:

Oddly, I lost interest after that.  After all, where was I going from there?  "Been there, done that" sort of thing, I suppose.  It took a few weeks before I got the nerve to tell Dad that I didn't feel like going to the meetings any more, so we quit.  But the memory will always remain of the time Dad spent with me on those Mondays, and what he did to give me a chance to succeed at the top of the heap.

Cancún 2024 - Palm Frond with Glowing Edges

Glowing Edges effect below:

 

Cancún 2024 - Purple Flower with Bud

All kinds of plants and flowers, no matter where you were on the property or which way you turned your head...

Cancún 2024 - View from Balcony

Moving inland now, this was typical of what a guest would see from the balcony.  Immaculate care was taken to assure a pleasant view, no matter where you were on the property.

Cancún 2024 - Beach Scene through Thatching

This will be the last of the beachfront pictures...just a little play on bokeh.  Guess it could be classified as a picture of something taken through something...

Cancún 2024 - Strange Beach Game

I must give off a vibe that I'm game for anything, so when it came time to play this one I was approached as a likely contestant.  In spite of their beseeching I steadfastly refused because I'd never heard of it or knew what I'd have to do.  And after seeing the them don panty hoses over their heads I knew I'd made the right choice!  But it was fun watching these guys go after each other, trying to get a solid hit on their opponents...

Cancún 2024 - Boat Parking Area / The Steak House

There's something about boat patterns, all parked in a row like this.  Wider shot below of same:

Similar pic, sort of, from Corpus Christi posted here from 2021.

And I'm surprised this one wasn't posted in my Lake District series, so here it is - belatedly, as the series was posted in 2019.  The location was Windermere-on-Bowness in England's northern Lake District:

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Last night our son took us out to a top-tier steak house for Father's Day.  It was a new restaurant, located on the edge of the Heights here in Houston.  A good time was had by all, and the steak (as well as everything else) was superb.

Normally when a person thinks "steak house", he or she might imagine cloth napkins and table covers, place settings with a jillion knives and forks, wine glasses, and a lights turned low in an elegant atmosphere.  I, however, almost always conjure the memory of a brightly-lit greasy-spoon establishment in Beaumont, Texas.  And yes, the steaks there were great, too.

This was in the summer of 1977, when I was working for the KFDM (Channel 6) news and production departments.  My boss in news was Larry Beaulieu, and I reported to Jeff Pryor when doing production work between the 6 & 10 newscasts.  Sometimes, if the workload was heavy enough, I'd stay until midnight, or even later.  This was back when the station was located just off of I-10, between Harrison and Louisiana Avenues.  Much of this period is covered in a series of stories posted in the fall of 2019, written to cover my radio and TV work as a teenager.

Usually I took a dinner break after the rush of the six o'clock news was over, and one time my co-workers persuaded me to go with them to this hole-in-the-wall eatery nearby, on 11th Street.  Nothing could beat their steaks, they said.  Sure I'll go, why not...

So five of us piled into one of their cars (I didn't own one so almost always rode my bike to work) and headed to this great place.  And what we pulled up to was definitely a hole-in-the-wall, in a nondescript strip center - a dive at best - but my friends swore by the quality of the food.  Once inside this was affirmed by the number of people waiting for a table in the smallish eating area.  Because we worked for the TV station and because my companions were regular customers, they found a place for us almost right away.

Great, so we all settled into a booth and ordered from a waitress who retrieved a pad from the pocket of her apron and pencil that was kept in her hair.  Several of us ordered the famous steak, among other things.  As we waited for our order I felt a positive, busy vibe.  An older man wearing a stained white apron, whom I presumed to be the owner or proprietor, presided over the whole business with an authoritative air and blue collar tongue.  At times he gave my workmates a respectful nod of recognition while manning his station behind the counter.

Then our food came.  My buddies were eager to get my take on the quality, which was actually very good.  After we'd been eating for a little while, the owner guy came over to our booth and sat right down to chat it up with my co-workers, during which I was introduced as a first-time customer.  After a little small talk this fellow took a look at me, then down at my steak on the plate, then back at me, saying, "No, you're doing this wrong!"  Then, with his bare hands he grabbed my meat, turned it around on my plate, and with his finger instructed me to cut with the grain, not against it.  I complied, and once he saw that it was being done correctly continued his small talk with the group as if we were never interrupted by my transgression.

Forget what this eatery was called, but I'll always remember that encounter, and the gruff man who made sure I did justice to the steaks he so proudly served.

Cancún 2024 - Paddle Boarders

Another sport with strict boundaries, as evidenced by the floats along the perimeter.  Clicking to enlarge will make it easier to see the kid with kneelers at right.

Similar shots were posted from Austin and Maui back in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Cancún 2024 - Beach Wedding Setup

Destination weddings are the bread and butter of these resorts.  While Scott and Ru's wedding was a little further inland, thought this setup was interesting enough to capture.  Had to take a few people out, but chose to keep the girls to the middle left in place.

This shot is very similar to another that was captured in North Carolina at another family wedding...

Cancún 2024 - Neat Rock on the Beach

One of very few redeeming features for me of the beach is the stuff you can find.  I enjoy looking at driftwood, sea glass, neat shells, and rocks such as the one above.  Don't know what this formation is made of or what it's called, but they were everywhere.

Of course I had to make a layer of it and fiddle with the colors:

 

Cancún 2024 - Park Ranger Boat (Kayak?)

Park ranging, Mexican style...

On our first morning here at the beach, we did see a force of five federales walking along the beach in full camo gear toting machine guns.  This makes one feel safer, but sad that it's necessary in the first place.  Mexico is a much different place now as compared to when I lived there in 1980-81.  And going through some old home movies that my father made, I saw a driving trip he took with Mom through the heart of Mexico back in the 1949 or 1950, seemingly without a care in the world.  Sadly, that sort of thing just can't be done any more.

Cancún 2024 - Non-native Water Beast Invasion

Some of these sights were almost comical.  Since the resort was far away from a town of any size, and since there were heavily guarded gates leading to it (as was the case with all resorts in the region), guests could not leave the premises.  Thus for "excursions" they are all left to the devices of locally contracted vendors, and restricted to small spaces in which to enjoy these adventures, the pic above illustrating the case in point.  One wonders how much undisturbed terrain there is below to view the beauty of underwater nature.  Having said that, our daughter and her husband did see some sea turtles along the perimeter of this area while snorkeling.

Below you see some of the non-native beasts emerging, perhaps to rest and enjoy a snack or some refreshments:

 

Cancún 2024 - Mexican Beach Vendor / Me and the Beach

Gotta love the color favored by Mexican vendors.  The background was a bit busy so I darkened it and applied an 8-pixel Gaussian blur.

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A couple of days ago I stated that I'm not one for the beach.  To clarify, I really do enjoy the beach - it's the sand I don't like.  And the wind.  And having to spread junk all over your body as protection from the sun.  Plus salt water, and the dangerous animals you either step on or that bump into you when you wade or swim in it.  Other than those things I love the beach.  There was one on the north shore of Lake Huron I liked because there were pebbles instead of sand, the wind was nothing more than a gentle breeze, the water was fresh...and since it was so cold you couldn't get in so the animals were no issue (other than bears coming from the other direction).

So what is the source of my aversion to the standard sand-and-saltwater beach?  Could be because my father absolutely loved being there, and a great weekend or vacation for him was living on hot dogs over a fire and baking in the sun.  One time we borrowed an old army tent from our Boy Scout troop - which had no floor - and us kids had cots with sand-infused sleeping bags in there overnight while the parents sacked out in a rented camper trailer.  This took place on Padre Island...for a solid week.  On the first day I was poking around the sand - literally, with a stick - and came across this pretty blue bottle.  Upon poking the bottle I discovered it wasn't really a bottle; it squished in, and looking closer I discovered a gelatinous mass underneath.  Scared me crapless and I ran back to the family camp as fast as I could, dodging more blue bottles along the way.  That's when my brother Allan told me, "Oh, those are Portuguese Man-O-Wars, which can kill you if they sting you.  You didn't step on it, did you?  They're all out in the water, washing ashore."  Yes, maybe that's when I stopped liking the beach...

But the memories from that vacation weren't all bad.  I recall sitting by the fire at night and watching sand crabs run right into the middle of it, instantly roasting themselves.  Attracted by the heat and light, Allan said.  And those tall, huge sand dunes were fun to climb and do somersaults on the way back down.  These diversions didn't get old until maybe about the third day, with four more days to go.  By then we were all getting bored, so Dad had mercy and rented a dune buggy, which was fun for me until my brothers discovered the joy of running over and popping all the Man-O-Wars they could find.

During the summers while living in Orange my dad would haul us over to McFaddin Beach for a long day trip.  He and Mom would sun bathe and get in the water sometimes, we'd picnic for lunch, and us kids were pretty much left on our own to do whatever we wanted.  Digging big holes to bury ourselves in, making sand castles, and catching small clams to cook and eat with butter later at home were typical pastimes.  My brothers were keen on body surfing so we always brought some body boards.

Unfortunately, though, the parents did not always keep track to make sure we were using adequate sun screen.  One time, when I was 13 years old, after returning from the beach I was sunburned so badly that blisters formed all over my body.  Big blisters that itched like crazy!  What made it worse was that I didn't discover how bad it was until the second day at Boy Scout summer camp, after it had passed through the painful red (1st degree) stage.  Since I could no longer spend any time in the sun, and because my dad wouldn't come fetch me, I had to spend the last four full days and nights in the infirmary.  Fortunately it was air conditioned, and the doctor there treated the burns every day for the duration.  Once in a while my friends would come check on me, but otherwise there was no interaction with the other kids in camp, and I forfeited all opportunities to earn merit badges, etc.  Maybe THAT'S when I stopped liking the beach...

Be that as it may, most people seem to enjoy the typical sun-in-the-fun beach, and I tag along when social necessity dictates, making the most of precious time with family and friends.

Cancún 2024 - Palm Tree Roots

 Big...

 Bigger...

 Biggest...

 

Cancún 2024 - Cool Beach Lounge

Our nephew, Scott, and his girlfriend, Ru, had a destination wedding near Cancún at an upscale resort called Akumal.  Though I'm not one for the beach, it was a very nice place and a very good experience.  It was all-inclusive, which eliminated most hassles regarding service, dinner reservations, etc.  Great choice of a venue.  They requested that I take pictures at the reception so the Bigger Cahoona came along.  As usual, the exceptional quality when compared to the phone camera pics we took became obvious during post-capture, so glad it worked out that way.

We were there only four nights, so this will be a slightly shorter series with just a little over 30 pictures in all.  And though this was a very people-oriented event, most of the pics posted here, as usual, will be sans humans.

Chenjean and I took lots of walks down the beach, and occasionally wondered onto the property of neighboring resorts, including one that had these for the use of its patrons.  Looks like a luxurious way to lounge around while staying mostly in the shade...

Seattle 2024 - Idyllic Lifestyle Setting

...and this is a view of our nephew and his then-girlfriend from another angle.  If this is not the ideal lifestyle, then I certainly don't know what is.

So ends this lengthy series on our 2024 visit to Seattle, the first trip on which I did not even carry the Bigger Cahoona, settling for what the iPhone can do.  Thanks to Scott who taught me how to get the most out of the technology.  After doing the post-capture work I remain impressed, but will still rely heavily on the full-frame DSLR for most pics requiring larger prints or higher quality for posts, when it's practical to carry it around.  Meanwhile, I now have no hang-ups about whipping out the ole' phone whenever speed or stealth are required.

Next we'll do a shorter series on a wedding trip to Cancún in November of 2024, when these two get hitched!

Seattle 2024 - Toes Atop a Building

Situated atop the apartment building is an awesome clubhouse sort of place where residents can gather for parties, barbecue, and/or just to sit around a fire and enjoy the view.  These feet belong to our nephew, who is demonstrating great skill in how he can move his toes around...

Seattle 2024 - Space Needle View from Balcony

Stepping into just the right position on our nephew's balcony places the Space Needle squarely between the two buildings in the foreground.  Every ten minutes or so, as the sun was setting, I returned to the spot, settling for this near-silhouette captured late in the August evening.

Never been to the top of this thing, but would like to go up someday to take a reciprocal photograph in the other direction, perhaps even with someone we know standing on the balcony in this spot.  Maybe another summer...

Seattle 2024 - Blocky Downtown Building

A picture of this building, separated into its own layer against a black background, was posted recently here.  Really like this kind of architecture, as exemplified also in this post from the cityscape series from Austin.

Seattle 2024 - Cell Tower Disguise

Stepping out onto our nephew's wrap-around balcony, we saw this interesting way to conceal a cell tower...

Seattle 2024 - Panoramic View from Apartment Balcony (view on LARGEST SCREEN POSSIBLE)

Though a 2-shot panorama was posted recently here, really enjoyed creating this more extensive 5-shot panoramic view from Scott and Ru's balcony.  The pics were stitched together from RAW files captured with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Seattle 2024 - Another Interior View of Apartment

Imagine going home to see this view when entering your apartment!  We were incredulous at our nephew's good fortune to have found, and been able to afford, such an incredible place to live.  (narrower view with cat posted here)

Seattle 2024 - Art Installation in Apartment Building Lobby

After entering, this fancy installation is what greets all residents and guests in the building lobby.  Can imagine that those curves and natural wood tone soothes the nerves after a hard day at work...

Seattle 2024 - Exterior of Apartment Building

Before moving on to other things in Seattle, wanted to return to our nephew's apartment building downtown, this being what you see looking up from just outside the entrance.

Seattle 2024 - Amazon Dome Reflection

...and stepping outside, decided to capture the HQ dome's reflection from a nearby building.

Seattle 2024 - Amazon Headquarters Workplaces

Just another couple of shots from the inside, of Amazon workers either working or on break...

 

Seattle 2024 - iPhone RAW Series, Amazon Headquarters Flora #19

At one point, when I was just beginning this photography thing, my boss and I were reviewing potential pictures to use in creating motivational posters for the team.  Something to tack up on the walls of conference rooms.  Another pic of this kind of flower was not allowed as a poster because it was, according to my manager, "too phallic".  Perhaps a bit of an overreaction...

This is perhaps a decent picture, but the gradation of color in the foreground makes it clear that photos taken on your phone, in the end, do not measure up to what a DSLR can produce.

Seattle 2024 - iPhone RAW Series, Amazon Headquarters Flora #18

This beaut isn't really hot pink, thus tolerable to look at.

Seattle 2024 - iPhone RAW Series, Amazon Headquarters Flora #17

Liked the color contrast in this one, a portion of which looks decent with the Glowing Edges effect in Photoshop: