Seven Rows From Exit

Surfers' sky. Tofino, Jan 2011

2011-06-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

A January day watching friends surf on the west coast of Vancouver
Island. The sky looked pretty threatening but it didn't really rain.

Egyptian Bedouin. Karnak, May 2011

2011-06-15T11:16:00.001-07:00

The narrow shaft of light streaming down on this guy's head
looks very Indiana Jones. I didn't have my tripod so couldn't
get the wide shot I wanted. At the temple of Karnak in Luxor.

Signpost to the Holy Land. Mt. Nebo, May 2011

2011-06-15T11:12:00.000-07:00

Strange to see the names of places you've heard of in the
news, or read about when you were young. The Dead Sea is
in the background. This sign made me want to go to Israel.

The Shiekh. Wadi Rum, May 2011

2011-06-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

The Sheikh owns the camp where we stayed at Wadi Rum, surrounded by the most incredible scenery. He made the best tea, straight from this stove.

The Treasury. Petra, May 2011

2011-06-15T11:06:00.001-07:00

I arrived at Petra first thing in the morning and had the
place to myself for a full hour. Quite stunning and serene.

Jungle sunrise. Tikal, Dec 2010

2011-01-03T18:20:00.000-08:00

A rare clear jungle sunrise at Tikal. Fantastic to hear the animals
in the canopy waking up as I tested out my new wide angle lens.

The Blue Hole. Belize Cayes, Dec 2010

2011-01-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

A 300m wide reef sinkhole off the Cayes. It's hard
to get a sense of scale without any boats in the shot.

Chichen Itza. Yucatán, Dec 2010

2011-01-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

A classic tourist shot of a classic tourist pyramid.
The ball-court was actually more impressive.

Forest canopy. Squamish, Aug 2010

2010-08-10T14:46:00.001-07:00

The forests in B.C. are huge and pretty impressive. These trees are on
the way up to an alpine lake on the western side of the Squamish river.

Lunchtime in Cappadocia. Göreme, June 2010

2010-07-08T15:18:00.000-07:00

A perfect place to get a sandwich and then watch the world
cup. They even let me cook it myself in the wood oven.

Crater Lake sunrise. Oregon, May 2010

2010-05-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'd always wanted to go here, and it didn't disappoint.
Sunrise over the volcanic lake made camping in -12C
temperatures worth it. A stunning and serene place.

Olympic lights. Vancouver, Feb 2010

2010-04-01T16:33:00.000-07:00

The fantastic and ever-changing lightshow over Vancouver
during the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Two of the most fun
weeks imaginable, capped off by that goal. Magic.

Grand Canyon. Arizona, Dec 2009

2010-02-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

Sunset over the Grand Canyon on New Year's Eve.
Hike down to the river; you won't regret it.

The price of Liberty. New York, Nov 2009

2009-11-17T10:41:00.000-08:00

In the land of the free, two queue-laden airport-style security checks
now bar the way to visiting the Statue of Liberty. Oh, the irony.

Weather-beaten farmer. Gobi desert, July 2009

2009-08-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

With his goats and his Ger, it seemed like this farmer
lived a simple life. He still had a solar panel and a
satellite dish though. So much for isolation.

Pitstop. Dalanzadgad, Aug 2009

2009-08-21T17:38:00.000-07:00

A riderless bike in the south Gobi where we stopped to
buy beer. Motorbikes are the main way of coralling sheep
and goats, and also stocking up on supplies.

Great Wall. Mùtiányù, July 2009

2009-08-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

Directions for avoiding tourists: get up very early,
and follow the workers' path to the wall at Mutianyu.
Take pictures, and have breakfast feeling smug.

The Flaming Cliffs. Bayanzag, July 2009

2009-08-20T16:39:00.000-07:00

It's pretty cool to unearth something that hasn't been seen for
65 million years. We found dinosaur bones just under the surface
by simply digging under the Gobi sand with our hands.

Summer Palace. Beijing, July 2009

2009-08-20T16:15:00.000-07:00

The Tower of Buddhist Incense at the Summer Palace in Beijing.
Arrive just before closing time to avoid the crowds.

The first 'Manly' sport. Bayanzag, Aug 2009

2009-08-20T15:42:00.000-07:00

The winning horses approaching the line in the mini-Nadaam
festival near Bayanzag. And yes, they are children riding them
- adults are disqualified. They do the wrestling instead.

Total Eclipse. Hangzhou, July 2009

2009-08-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

The diamond ring at the end of my second total eclipse,
through a slight haze in Hangzhou. A slightly fuzzy image,
but I was pretty excited and forgot to use the timer.

Old town pillbox. Dubrovnik, March 2009

2009-04-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

Looking out from one of the towers onto the old town of Dubrovnik.
A beautiful place to spend a few days; stay at the Bellevue Hotel.

Recoleta shadows. Buenos Aires, July 2007

2009-04-16T14:08:00.000-07:00

Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires is very photogenic. The morning
light throws some interesting shadows on the grand mausoleums.

Guard change. Athens, May 2008

2009-04-16T14:03:00.000-07:00

At the daily changing of the guard ceremony in Athens.
Quite a procedure, and very watchable.

Stari Most. Mostar, March 2009

2009-04-16T13:59:00.000-07:00

The majestic (new) old bridge that connects the two sides
of Mostar. See Lucy Blakstad's marvellous documentary.

The Cape. Cape Town, Feb 2003

2009-04-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

A view from Table Mountain to the harbour in Cape Town.
The time of my life at the Cricket World Cup.

Mud bricks. Lima, June 2007

2009-04-15T16:10:00.000-07:00

A close-up of sun-dried bricks at Huaca Pucllana outside Lima.
Marginally more interesting than the taxi ride to get there.

Shipwreck. Queensland, Aug 1997

2009-04-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

The much-photographed wreck of the S.S. Maheno on
Fraser Island. An abundance of sand, wrecks and dingoes.

Mishghana on the ledge. Tigray, Oct 2008

2009-04-15T15:52:00.000-07:00

Our guide on the entrance ledge to the amazing painted
church of Abuna Yemata Guh. There's a 250m drop to the
left, and my heart was racing. We didn't stay there long.

Copper roof. Tallinn, Sept 2007

2009-04-15T15:37:00.000-07:00

The roof of St. Olav's Church in Tallinn, looking down from
the tower. Once the tallest building in the world, apparently.

Heelside carve. California, Feb 2008

2009-04-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

Perfect light on the debris of Tim's big turn.
The end of a big week after a Tahoe storm.

Penny for... Penshurst, Nov 1999

2009-04-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

This Guy Fawkes bonfire was HUGE, and was more spectacular
than the fireworks that followed. At Penshurst in Kent.

The Boys. Vancouver, April 2009

2009-04-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Two black flatcoats, finally standing still.
Joxer and Booker at their finest.

Joe falls. Harrison Lake, Aug 2006

2009-04-13T16:10:00.000-07:00

Another lucky 35mm shot. The canoe tipped after Betty
had jumped out. A fun weekend at Harrison Lake.

Flypast. London, June 2002

2009-04-13T15:58:00.000-07:00

Concorde and the Red Arrows at the Queen's Golden Jubilee.
I used to love hearing Concorde fly overhead;
no other commercial aircraft sounded anything like it.

Painted monasteries. Suceviţa, Aug 1999

2009-04-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

Near the Ukrainian border there are a series of stunning
painted monasteries. This one is at Sucevita, and is from
the late 16th century. Well worth a visit.

Valley bridge. Nikšić, March 2009

2009-04-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

This bridge is just outside Niksic, where they make some
good beer. The area was really deserted, so I stood
in the middle of the road to take this.

Rainbow lorikeets. Queensland, Aug 1997

2009-04-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

Inquisitive little birds on Great Keppel Island off the coast
of Queensland. Kind of like a budgie but more colourful.

Cristo Rei. Lisbon, Aug 2000

2009-04-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Looking up 100m to Christ's left hand on the Cristo Rei statue
outside Lisbon. A melancholy statue for a melancholy place.

Abuna Yemata Guh. Tigray, Oct 2008

2008-11-28T15:55:00.000-08:00

Getting to this 13th century monastery is intense. It's hewn
out of a cliff, requiring a vertical climb, and scramble along
a narrow ledge. The monk posed right on the precipice.

Beach huts. Cadzand, Aug 2000

2008-11-26T17:57:00.001-08:00

A summer's day on a bleak beach on the Dutch coast.
The huts were all boarded up, as if for winter.

Reflections. Lake Bled, Dec 2006

2008-11-26T17:39:00.000-08:00

Picturesque and peaceful, Slovenia truly was a hidden gem.
Plus they make really nice hot wine in the freezing winter.

Legislature at night. Victoria, Sept 2008

2008-11-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

Rest your camera on the statue of Captain Cook (by his right
foot), wait until it goes dark, and you should see the
Parliament Buildings lit up like this. In Victoria, B.C.

Mirror image. Weston-super-Mare, Aug 1981

2008-11-26T17:24:00.000-08:00

Caught on 35mm by my dad in the hall of mirrors on the Grand Pier 
at Weston. That's my brother in the orange and me in the blue.

Sibelius monument. Helsinki, July 2006

2008-11-26T16:49:00.000-08:00

It's made from 600 steel pipes welded together. The result
is pretty odd, especially from underneath, like this.

Giants Causeway. County Antrim, Sept 1993

2008-11-26T16:32:00.000-08:00

Situated on a windy coastline, the hexagonal basalt columns are even 
more remarkable close-up. I could fit both feet on top of each one.

Log booms. Richmond, May 2004

2008-11-26T16:21:00.000-08:00

B.C. has many floating log booms where timber waits to be loaded
and shipped. This one is off Iona Island outside Vancouver.

Wrecked pier. Brighton, April 2003

2008-11-26T16:13:00.000-08:00

The pavilion at the end of Brighton West Pier had just burned down.
I think it looks better like this, and the birds seemed to love it.

Arbeit Macht Frei. Auschwitz, Dec 1999

2008-11-26T15:49:00.000-08:00

The skull and crossbones tells you everything you need to know.
The main gate with its infamous slogan is in the background.

Snowy North Shore. Vancouver, Nov 2006

2008-11-25T17:09:00.000-08:00

It's hard to beat Vancouver for a city surrounded by natural
beauty. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I live here.

Bet Giorgis. Lalibela, Nov 2008

2008-11-25T16:57:00.000-08:00

The churches dug out of the rock at Lalibela are astonishing.
Philippe was dwarfed by the 25m deep pit around Bet Giorgis.
It's 900 years older than he is.

Carved door. Copacabana, July 2007

2008-11-25T16:47:00.000-08:00

The Basilica where the statue of the Virgin of Copacabana
lives. First you have to get past this door.

Parliament. Budapest, June 2003

2008-11-25T16:42:00.000-08:00

The Parliament building is magnificent.
Avoid the local apéritif Unicum at all costs.

Petrin Hill. Prague, Dec 1998

2008-11-25T16:33:00.000-08:00

At the top of the Petrin Hill observation tower. Later that
night, Jeremy and I saw fireworks shooting horizontally just
over our heads. Another New Year's Eve.

Cathedral. Helsinki, Sept 2007

2008-11-25T16:28:00.000-08:00

The big square and many steps leading up give a real sense
of space. It's hard not to look up as you approach.

Siggi fishing. Western Iceland, July 1999

2008-11-25T16:23:00.000-08:00

Up there in July it's light enough to see - and fish - at three
in the morning. I can't remember if Siggi caught anything.

Bluebird pow day. Colorado, Feb 2007

2008-11-25T16:15:00.000-08:00

Days on the mountain don't get much
better than this. J.A. at Steamboat.

Decayed wharf. Bowser Bay, Aug 2007

2008-11-25T16:13:00.000-08:00

On Vancouver Island, looking across at the mainland.
I took this mainly for those wispy clouds.

Disused factory. Lagos, Sept 2003

2008-11-25T16:06:00.000-08:00

Whatever Cafi to make, it appeared to be closed down when
I took this. It's on the outskirts of Lagos on the Algarve.

Firenze reflections. Florence, Dec 2003

2008-11-25T15:53:00.000-08:00

If you stand on the bridge over the river and look away from
the Duomo, here's what you see. New Year's Eve again.

Old monk. Debra Damo, Oct 2008

2008-11-25T15:45:00.001-08:00

The people in Ethiopia were usually willing to allow
candid photographs. Jeremy took this one with my camera.
At the Debra Damo monastery near the Eritrean border.

Abandoned truck. Alert Bay, June 2008

2008-11-25T15:26:00.000-08:00

Amongst the impressive First Nations culture up in Alert Bay,
B.C, there's much evidence of decay. This truck seemed to
symbolise that stagnation. It'd been there for a long time.

Window on the Cordillera Real. Lake Titicaca, July 2007

2008-11-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Despite what they tell you, Lake Titicaca is not the highest navigable
lake in the world. But it is at 12,500 feet, and it is stunning.

Bridge statue. Oslo, March 2000

2008-11-25T15:04:00.000-08:00

From one of my favourite places in one of my favourite
cities: the Vigeland Sculpture Park in Oslo.

Morning mountain mist. Treble Cone, Aug 2001

2008-11-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

An early morning drive to a ski hill on the South Island.
The mist was rolling away from us over the ridges.

Rainbow over sea. Gibsons, Aug 2005

2008-11-24T17:10:00.000-08:00

A lunchtime view from Gibsons Landing, B.C. Curious how the sky
on the left of the rainbow is much darker than on the right.

Eclipse watching. Rîmnicu Vîlcea, Aug 1999

2008-11-24T16:46:00.000-08:00

Two-and-a-half minutes of goosebump-filled totality from
Rimnicu Vilcea. We couldn't have had nicer weather or a
better vantage point; it really was something special.

Frontside grab. Washington, Feb 2003

2008-11-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

No fresh, so we built this kicker instead.
A 35mm shot at Crystal Mountain, Washington.

Remote ruins. Suonio, May 2008

2008-11-24T16:23:00.000-08:00

A self-timer shot with Tim at the Temple of Poseidon
at Suonio. It took a few tries to get this right.

Fishing at sunset. Coral Bay, Oct 1997

2008-11-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

Jeremy took this on a deserted beach outside Coral Bay in W.A. I love
the gradation of colours in the sky; it really captures what we saw.

Street scene. Gondar, Oct 2008

2008-11-24T16:13:00.000-08:00

A street seller in Gondar, western Ethiopia.
A busy place, with super friendly people.

Floatation suits. Minstrel Island, Sept 2008

2008-11-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

At lunchtime on Minstrel Island off the northern Vancouver
Island coast, our suits struck a bright contrast against
the grubby dock. We'd just seen some Grizzly bears.

Boating on the Broads. Norfolk, May 1985

2008-11-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

A trip to the Norfolk Broads way back when. I think I look
more dashing than my brother, even if we are reluctantly
wearing identical outfits given to us by our Gran.

Wake. Seattle, June 2007

2008-11-24T12:35:00.000-08:00

A close-up of Richard Serra's sculpture in the Olympic
Sculpture Park, Seattle. An odd collection of outdoor art,
aided by ironic commentary from Wendy and Dayne.

Knole House. Sevenoaks, Sept 2006

2008-11-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

When your parents are both 60 in the same month, it calls
for a walk around a stately home. We refueled with Sunday
lunch in a pub near the home in Sevenoaks.

The Devil's Throat. Iguazu Falls, July 2007

2008-11-24T12:19:00.000-08:00

Iguazu Falls are pretty spectacular from the ground,
but even better from a helicopter. Fantastic.

Headlights. Prague metro, Dec 1998

2008-11-24T12:14:00.000-08:00

Seconds after Jeremy took this, an announcement boomed around
the station telling me to step back behind the black-and-white
line. It was in Czech, so I didn't move, of course.

Mule herders. Simien Mountains, Oct 2008

2008-11-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

The end of a long day hiking to Geech camp in the Simien Mountains. Shortly after this it rained hard, and continued throughout the night.

Lanterns and dragons. Kowloon, May 2005

2008-11-23T21:52:00.000-08:00

The streets of Kowloon are full of fierce-looking creatures and
flimsy paper lanterns. These ones look like they were for kids.

Luke and Eeshan dive. Anderson Lake, Aug 2004

2008-11-23T21:35:00.000-08:00

A 35mm moment from a camping trip at Anderson Lake in B.C.
There was a forest fire during the night that was quite eerie.

The road to Wittenoom. Western Australia, Oct 1997

2008-11-23T21:25:00.000-08:00

We'd just stopped to look at a dead snake when Jeremy took this.
The roads in Western Australia go on forever.

English Bay sunset. Vancouver, Sept 2008

2008-11-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

There are always tankers anchored out in the bay off Vancouver,
which people often count. Perfect evening with my folks.

Catherine Palace facade. St. Petersburg, Dec 2005

2008-11-23T21:03:00.000-08:00

We couldn't get in to see the Amber Room, but the facade was
pretty spectacular in the cold winter air of St. Petersburg.

Flip's eye. Prague, March 2001

2008-11-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

Prague castle on the hill, with Philippa's eye
in the foreground. One of my favourites.

Kirkwood swirl. California, Feb 2008

2008-11-23T20:43:00.000-08:00

The snow dust swirled around me as I stood on this lip
waiting for the Californian wind to die down. Taken by Tim.

Misty church. Ptujska Gora, Dec 2006

2008-11-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

Driving through the fields, this church on the hill was suddenly
visible through the mist for a few short minutes. It was New Year's Eve.

Stone mask. Tiahuanaco, July 2007

2008-11-23T13:34:00.000-08:00

There were many of these in the walls of the main chamber, but 
the light on this one and the facial expression were perfect. 

Alhambra reflections. Granada, May 2005

2008-11-23T13:07:00.000-08:00

A bird touched its feet in the water and gave a fantastic ripple
effect to the reflected facade. A few seconds later the image was gone.