In February 2010 John Shaw led a group of 14 photographers to Japan. We began our tour in Kushiro at Tsurul Mura Crane Reserve. Then we drove to the Kawayu area to photograph more birds in the snow and ice. Our next drive took us to the Shiretoko Peninsula and out on the pack ice to photograph Steller’s sea eagles. Along the way we chanced to see Sika deer, red fox and the Japanese squirrels. We then flew back to Tokyo and drove into the Japanese Alps where we spent several days with Japanese macaque monkeys at the Jigokudani Yaen-Koen Monkey Park. This is said to be the only place in the world where monkeys use thermal hot springs.

In reflecting back to many of the countries that I have visited, two countries stand out as pleasant surprises. Those two are Turkey and Ethiopia. Both provided much more than I had envisioned. Ethiopia is a country rich in history and rich in tribal culture. I have divided it into two parts: The North and The South. Each is like a separate country and strikingly different. Ethiopia is very mountainous, more so in the North. The south has larger valley between the mountains and is much less settled. A visit to Ethiopia begins in Addis Ababa, the nations bustling capital. Traveling to the north is much easier to visit with paved roads and airports. A visit to Lalibela and its many stone churches is a must. Aksum, once capital of the great Aksumite kingdom, has palace ruins, stelae, and underground tombs to visit. Many visitors to Ethiopia never get to the south, and if they do, perhaps they only spend two or three days there. It takes at least a week and a 4X4 vehicle to do tribal visits justice. Camping or not so fancy hotel accommodations are also a necessity. The roads in many places are little more than animal trails. It is hot and dusty. However, the rewards of visiting tribes such as the Hamer people, Mursi people, and many others are worth the inconvenience. These tribes are living today much the same and they have lived for centuries.

Over the years my general approach to photographing flowers has been to take a record shot of the entire plant or a large portion of the plant showing leaf structure and one or more flowers. Next would be a portrait of one to three flowers. This gallery, however, is a study of flower details. Some may appear very abstract but all are flowers or parts of real flowers or leaves. These digital images were composed in camera. Photoshop was only used to clean up minor flaws and in some cases to tweak the exposure. Most images were taken in my Georgia garden, and the others were from nearby local gardens. My favorite time to photograph flowers is in the still of an early morning with a bright soft overcast sky. A light misty rain would be my second choice for the perfect time to photograph flowers.

Reminds me of a trip back in time to the 1950's in the Southern USA.

Japan is comprised of 11 main islands and was a very interested country to visit. Even though Japan is crowded it is probably the cleanest country that I have ever visited. Strangely, trash receptacles were hard to find. People just take their trash home with them for disposal later. The Japanese people are very polite and very friendly. They have an excellent train system and a very complex road system. However, it seems that most major roads are toll roads so driving is expensive in Japan. It is also interesting how every piece of real estate is put to use. Houses have some flowers and shrubs but should there be more land with the house, you will find a vegetable garden or a rice field. No land is wasted. Indeed, Japan was a delight to visit with friendly people and historic sites.