Photography | My 7 Super Shots

A big thanks to Francesca at The Working Mom’s Travels, who tagged me to participate in HostelBooker’s 7 Super Shots blog meme.  It seems a straightforward enough task to choose 7 photos, one for each of the categories given.  Once embarked upon this journey down memory lane, however, I found that there are so many possibilities for each it became hard to choose just one.  Participating in this meme has brought me on a lovely trip back through many of my travels, and I’ve enjoyed the opportunity immensely.  So without further ado, please enjoy my seven super shots!

1. A photo that takes my breath away.

From the top of the Rock of Gibraltar the cities below are smaller than toy miniatures, the ships in the water like teeny-tiny fishing boats.  This particular photo brings me back to the feeling of amazement I had from being so high above the rest of the world.  It reminds me of the apparent logic of this piece of earth as strategic location for military powers gone, and how important the power struggle to control it was to so many ruling cultures in history.  Both the scale and the stories of Gibraltar take my breath away, as well as my memories of being atop this beautiful and majestic rock.

2. A photo that makes me laugh or smile.

Sometimes you find those people who just make even the most mundane events more fun…for me, that person is Jason.  On a trip to The Body Holiday by LeSport in St. Lucia, we had at least 3 photo shoots in which we put the camera on the ironing board and acted like fools (I promised not to use the one that Jason insists he looks like he’s missing a chromosome in, though I really wanted to).  They are the best, most amusing, set of photos I’ve ever taken.

3. A photo that makes me dream.

Seeing this postcard shot of Machu Picchu makes me dream of doing the Inca Trail all over again, and then trekking on further into Peru – on a tour that continues into the Amazon, as described by our trek guide David.  To be honest, the Inca Trail was so enjoyable, I’m really dreaming of having a team squat reunion – with everyone from the first trek!

4. A photo that makes me think.

The town of Gibellina was a small city in the mountains of Sicily, Italy in the Province of Trapani – close to my father’s hometown of Partanna.  It was destroyed by the 1968 earthquake, and it’s ruins covered completely in concrete by artist Alberto Burri.  Burri retained the shape of the buildings, and layout of the streets, creating a cement block city now known as Ruderi di Gibellina.  While his technique was a creative way to remember the place, being there makes one think of those who might’ve lost their lives and livelihoods to an extreme force of nature.  It makes one really consider how helpless we (humans) can be.

5. A photo that makes my mouth water.

Here’s the biggest problem with this particular category…I have sooo many photos that make my mouth water!  Most of you already know how much I love to experience food – new flavors, unusual eats, etc – and that I basically travel to do just that.  There’s a number of dishes that I crave from every place I have been, and picking one is just way too difficult of a task.  Seen here is a bowl of Tori Ramen from Ippudo – one of the best Japanese ramen restaurants in NYC.

6. A photo that tells a story.

This is the story of a girl who just got off her first dune buggy ride.  She has sand in her teeth and sun in her eyes, and her heart is racing faster than ever before.  Her hair is the evidence of a tumultuous ride – that which is similar to a roller coaster on ground level.  Her face looks painful, but she’s been thrown into a higher state, where adrenaline rushes through her – a feeling she’ll crave more than a cup of coffee every morning.  She is in love with Huacachina, Peru.

7. A photo that I am most proud of (aka my worthy of National Geographic shot).

While Colca Canyon was not my most favored part of the Peru trip, it did offer me this gorgeous shot of the country’s famed animals – llamas and alpacas.  The grazing camelids enjoy a sunny day by a stream – the bright blue sky, and small fluffy clouds that fill it, reflecting ever so brilliantly in the water below.

And now to pass the torch…My nominations are:

Laura of A Wandering Sole

Kirsten of Aviators and A Camera

Natalie of Near Afar

Suzy of Suzy Guese

Veronica of Gypsy Nester