travel | photography by elisa sherman

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February 15, 2016 by elisa

Lava, Luau, Loco Moco & Love…Big Island Hawaii 2016

So, where to start…

I decided last spring that I wanted to spend my next birthday in Hawaii…because, well, sun, beaches, sunsets and paradise;) It’s good for the soul, and glorious for the camera sensor.

It really is peaceful excitement when you first set foot in paradise, and this trip proved why in many ways.

Let’s get the big excitement out the way first, #engagement…it was perfect and photographic all at once. We were walking around the Japanese garden in Hilo. I was like, why aren’t you taking more pictures…?! LOL.

Then he gave me a gorgeous book of all the pictures and fun we have had together over the last 2+ years, a birthday present I thought…and wrapped it up with a perfect proposal. There is much more backstory to the what led up to that, but for now, we’ll just say it was a perfection in paradise.

In photographs, the vacation bookends the perfect engagement setting with bountiful beautiful gazing sights. Just don’t forget the mosquito repellant!(serious Dengue Fever has the island in a current state of Emergency)…

From lazing on the beach, glowing crater, sea arch, and this apparent island specialty – Loco Moco, it just got better and better.

Oh, and there was a luau, a sunset or two, a sunrise with steam rising, palm trees and waves…and even the southern most point in the whole U.S. of A…not necessesarily in any of that order…

And maybe, some turtles, Banyan trees and oh yeah, that one Japanese garden…

So much gorgeousness…it’s endless ~ enjoy the slideshow – xoxo…

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July 4, 2015 by elisa sherman

Gates of the Mountains bursting in the Sun

…and through you go. So pretty, up from Holter Lake & dam up through the Gates of the Mountains and to Upper Holter Lake…all part of the Missouri River…on a bright 100 degree day…at 30 mph, it was quite nice:)

Bright, bursting sun in the sky, that ball of light…not to mention some thirsty mountain sheep (slideshow),that kind of look like deer or goats, but no, they’re sheep 😉 .

Holter Lake & Gates of the Mountains, July 2015 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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June 26, 2015 by elisa sherman

NYC – Welcome to the Jungle

…the concrete jungle that is. So much of what hit my sensors (iPhone, big camera) screamed big city, big apple, classic, kitchy, reverent, New York City.

Last time, in 2014, it was a speedy spin through the city (link).

This time, bang bang – heat, humidity, tall sky scrapers, taxis abound, lights endless, building(s) everywhere.

New York City. One like no other. This trip, not unlike last years, was prompted by a show – this time a couple big name home town favorites, together in sold out landmark performances at Radio City Music Hall – the forever young – Tony Bennett, and the extraordinarily excessive Lady Gaga.

It was fantastic. Check my instagram for more on the show.

Show aside, the city is rich with imagery, classic to kitch. Big and well bigger.

Until next time.

~slideshow~
New York, June 2015 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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September 1, 2014 by elisa sherman

Great Falls, Big Sky…Montana

If there is one thing most folks associate with the great state of Montana…it’s the Big Sky…Big Sky Country as it’s referred. It’s beautiful, vast, bits of fluffy clouds, winding rivers, great big falls, and prairie for days.

I haven’t been for ages, and had never been this far past the Rockies, as Great Falls… Beauty abounds. Mostly, when you visit new places, you are removed from the taken for granted beauty of your local surroundings; even as they are common to the folks that live there. This struck me as we were visiting my boyfriends home town. He took me around to all of the just down the street magnificence. It made me think, all this beauty just in your back yard? So common, yet so easily overlooked. Alas, as a visitor, it was easy for me to gaze upon it, and and want to capture it click after click…in between visiting the fave Taco (Treat) and Pizza joints, oh and the Mermaid bar…yep, you heard me;) Yes, Big Sky Country, and Great Falls in particular, has said mermaid, Black Swans, and perhaps a Buffalo-fish…
My phone was not shy in aiding in the captures, check the instagrams –

Instagram snaps aside, the vastness that Lewis & Clark once passed through, of the prairie and river is grand…and beckoned the full frame…

~full set slideshow~

Great Falls, Montana ~ June 2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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May 18, 2014 by elisa sherman

Yosemite Redux

Visited Yosemite again…last(and first) visit was in 2009. This time more water, and a little more time stopping to take some photos.

The light is always gorgeous up in the valley…this time was no exception. And the gradeur of the the glacier cut valley, even from the main road is breathtaking. And there was still water…where the falls just wept in August of 2009…they flowed freely this May. I want to go again and see some of the stuff that is slightly further than what you might catch on a day trip;) As is, we caught Bridalveil, Ribbon and Yosemite Falls; and of course Half Dome. All lovely.

Here’s a few of my faves along with a slide show of the full set…until next time…

~gallery slideshow~

Yosemite 5/9/2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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February 6, 2014 by elisa sherman

New York state of mind…

This last month, I took a quick trip to New York to attend the record release for Ryan Star’s new CD: Angels & Animals – alas, I did not photograph it, I simply experienced it:) (but I have, photographed Ryan, in 2010 and a few from BCE 2011 ) I did however take lot’s of pix of New York…

New York City 2014 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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April 25, 2013 by elisa sherman

Spring, Tulips and more…

Spring has sprung, and my girlfriends and I headed up to see the tulips and visit San Juan Island…fun was had. As well, many clicks were clicked. As always, iPhone got a starring role as the snapshot must, but the big 5d2 got a few in as well, fish attached…

For memories of tulips, specifically, of years past – 2011, 2008…

iPhone faves…

And via the fish…a few faves…

Full fish slideshow –

Girls Weekend Tulips and Harbors 4-20 thru 4-21-2013 – Images by Elisa Sherman

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January 28, 2013 by elisa sherman

Like a Blister in the Sun…Oahu 2013

Ok, so not a blister, per se, but a bit of bright sun to burst through the winter blues, with images full of solar flare and whatnot – that was what the ol’ sensor captured on the big 5d2…

But, it wasn’t just the big camera, in fact it was mostly the little iPhone that got the biggest workout – because…yep, it’s the camera with me…

Actually, I made a point not to take the bigger camera with me for most of my vacation – it was a birthday break, turning 40 in the tropics – a time to relax, take in the rays, drinks some tropical beverages, just to relax. Relalxing means, not obsessing over getting all the spectaular shots… Perhaps this sounds counter intuitive – but I can be, a bit obsessive with my clickage. I want to capture all the pretty.

I actually thought about this for a bit – the images that would or would not be captured whilst I was in the tropics. I wanted both, not to be obsessed, but to be able to get some image trophies to bring home…

So, I scheduled a tour – specifically a photography tour. Alex Wilson runs Oahu Photography tours – and has earned the top spot on the activity list on Trip Advisor – I concur(ponders – Alex, do you need to franchise out – the Big Island perhaps?! – only partially kidding, lol).

Given the schedule I had of family and friends meeting me on the island – I felt like I could only spare a half day – so I chose the Sunrise tour – and it was spectacular – I got my photo on, fed the beast as it were, and my trusty iPhone was able to satisfy me for most of the rest of the 9 days. I only cracked out the big cam again on the 2 trips up to North Shore (the wild seas warranted it), and a few shots out at Haunama… I also chose to shoot primarily with my 15mm fisheye – which I think worked out well. I have really fallen in love with it. Playing with the bend, the flare, the wide angle – a great creative lens and creative image partner.

First – with my iphone, instagram was my friend…posting friend & family pics easily to facebook, and pretty seascapey phone pix to my tumblr. Several of the fun phone pix – here –

And, of course, solar flare most often in sharp focus…big cam shots – about eighty percent from the photo tour – thanks again, Alex!

~full gallery archive slideshow~
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Aloha & Mahalo, Hawaii – until next time…

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January 1, 2013 by elisa sherman

2012 Year in Review: Ponderings & Pics

2012, it’s been an interesting year. In previous years, this blog, the year in review, has focused on concert images, but like everything else, we have evolved, changed, and my focus has altered…

For one, my photography has found a role within my life that is decidely less serious. I am a fan of images, first… An image maker, creating what has inspired or crossed my path.

Some music images have continued to make their way to my sensor, through the lenses…along with some gorgeous seascapes, glorious crystalline ice bergs, and a reappreciation for the fact,that it isn’t he camera you have, rather the camera you have with you, be it the 5d2 or my iPhone.

After all, the phone camera, you have, likely, with you all the time, so when an image appears by happenstance, in front of you, snap…the ultimate snapshot device as it were…

I have several this year, around town, on vacation, it is, image making at will, unplanned, and uncontrived – perhaps of quality, perhaps, just pure fun. Digital has made image capturing, the recording of pixels, a matter of course for pretty much everyone. And as a fan of images, I do not pretend to be above that fray…

More fun snaps can be seen on my tumblr…

Of course, the big heavy mark II got many a click, and as of a week or so ago, finally a sensor cleaning…

Some of my favorite images, landscape, life and beyond, not excluding music…

And with that, 2012 images are but a pixelated record in time…Adieu.

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August 14, 2012 by elisa sherman

Alaskan Flare…

So…I just got back from an Alaskan cruise – it was…different.

It’s not your typical tropical destination – but the colors were bright – and when out – so was the sun. In fact – the sun, as even just part way north as the Inside Passage isn’t really that far up, doesn’t set till later up there…so sunsets – pretty spectacular. Granted no palm nor coconut trees a la Hawaii / Cali…but, I think the massive mountains and crazy sky make up for it.

The most impressive part of the cruise and by far the source for most of my images – was the 2-3hr mini cruise we took up the Tracy Arm Fjord after climbing down onto a smaller vessel. We got extremely lucky – only a few days a year are as beautiful as the day we got here…the water was glorious, the glaciers spectacular, the icebergs brilliant, and the mountains, massive.

That last bit, from an image making perspective was really breathtaking – the sheer size. Well the size and the lens flare – but we’ll get to the latter in a minute. First the size – everything in Alaska is, well, bigger. No pun. I could tell, simply because I knew I had a pretty darned wide lens on my 5d2 – I rented a 16-35 especially for the trip – a bit of a trial run – as that is a lens I covet. And honestly – I couldn’t barely fit some of the scenes inside of that wide frame – stunningly massively gigantic.

Now to the latter – who knew lens flare due to massive light would be such an issue – in Alaska?! Well, so many views I captured – I purposely was shooting into the sun – and, I guess, I just embraced it. I think the light was gorgeous – and this image sits as my wallpaper at work…

I probably shouldn’t forget the critters – we saw a few – though I didn’t capture many in frame – here you see some black or brown(??) bears on the shore – they really are large – but alas even cropped in – they look tiny as so many things did, amid the massiveness of the surroundings…

How massive you might ask, is everything really – not to belabor this theme – but BIG. In the next image – smaller tour boats, are but specs amongst the glacier and icebergs…you can’t even make them out – I can see them if I crop to 100% – but they aren’t much to look at – so, eh, trust me:)

Oh, and I probably shouldn’t forget the calving glacier – I guess it’s special that it did it whilst we were there – but then, we did have a bit of magic with us, so…

At the end of the day – bigger is better and more beautiful – here’s a few more, and the full gallery slideshow following…

Alaska, July 2012 – Images by Elisa Sherman