Strandero Photography

"In photography there is a reality so subtle that it becomes more real than reality."

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TO LAND'S END - San Francisco, California

To Land’s End, we wandered. The touch of crisp November air on our skin. The repeated white noise of crashing waves. The cliffs were touched with golden light. The Bay was there to soothe that night.

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CITY OF LIGHT, CITY OF LOVE - Paris, France 

A dream. Red awnings, Parisian bistro chairs, perfectly placed light in every corner. To walk through these atmospheric streets, holding hands, in the late evening, everything dripping in romance, in perfectly placed light, in history. A dream. 

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ASHES TO ASHES - Pompeii, Italy

Red poppies, petals fluttering in the wind, dancing to the spring breeze. The breath of the ancient Romans, captured in the outbursts of Vesuvius. Corinthians, light, granite, a paintbrush.

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” ~Seneca

Ashes to ashes, we all turn to dust.

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TAKE A BREATH - Lion’s Head, Dolly Sods Wilderness, West Virginia

The air was crisp, the wind blowing westerly. The leaves were unfurling autumn colors of burnt sienna and crimson right before our eyes. You walk out on to a slab of rock, and stand silently in awe, inhaling the deep quiet stillness. 

“Almost heaven, West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains Shenandoah River, Life is old there Older than the trees Younger than the mountains Blowin' like the breeze“ 

~John Denver

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MIGRATION - Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The landscape was idyllic. A perfect day of blue sky and fluffy white clouds and dry yellow grassland. Lone trees stood in defiance. And the wildebeests. The wildebeests were everywhere. As far as the eye could see. 

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JAGUAR STARE - Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

The outfitted Land Cruiser turned the corner on the red dirt, and the eyes of a majestic big cat came into view. She stared directly at us, questioning our very presence in her sacred wilderness. We watched silently, mouths agape, in awe. 

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LA PRIMAVERA - Havana, Cuba

Walking briskly through the patchwork streets of the capital in the heart of spring, looking up at the color in the buildings and houses, seeing the sun illuminate the pink cherry blossoms. This is a welcome breath of fresh air. 

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A GLEAMING CAPITAL - Montserrate, Bogotá, Colombia

As the sun set and the night descended upon the capital city, the city lights illuminated and began to flicker. The sky burned, as if beckoning the fiery night that was to come. There was no better view than from the East Hills, on the steps of an old church atop Mount Montserrate. 

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A SPECK IN THE UNIVERSE - Plage de la Perla, Basse Terre, Guadeloupe

It was our last night on the French island in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. The rhum was flowing, the vibes were good, and as the sun descended below the horizon, lighting up the clouds with vibrant streaks indigo to orange to pink, I knew this was a moment I didn’t want to ever leave, and wouldn’t soon forget. Sometimes we get caught up in the rat race, but in the end, we’re all just specks in the universe. 

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THAT OLD TREE - Guadeloupe, the French Antilles

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SAGE ADVICE - Cornell University, Ithaca, New York State

In a snowstorm,

Roll the Dice;

Take a chance,

Sage Advice. 

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TAUGHANNOCK FALLS - Cayuga Lake, New York State 

She was falling. Powerful, effortlessly, floating, crashing into a frozen basin, drop by drop, molecule by molecule. In winter, she takes a cold, ponderous pose, expressing an emotion that can be none other than stillness. It was chilly, at the cusp of a late January winter, and the view of the thing was rejuvenating. 

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THE PALACE - Topkapı Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

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HEAVENS OVER THE BOSPHORUS - Istanbul, Turkey

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A TURKISH DELIGHT - Istanbul, Turkey

At night, the frenetic streets of Istanbul catch fire. Musicians play at rooftop bars, couples converse over endless cups of Turkish tea, men bet at card games and smoke nargile, people dance on the street, people fight on the street, men sell you fresh Turkish delights and baklava, and Allah's name is invoked from the top of minarets. 

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BAVARIAN HORNS - Hofbrauhaus, Munich, Germany

I walked through the entrance of Hofbrauhaus, the most famous beer drinking establishment in the world, and was overwhelmed. Drunk and rowdy crowds, both local and from all over the world, cheered and sang drinking songs. Waitresses dressed in traditional Bavarian attire carried unimaginable amounts of glass liter mugs full of fresh lager. Five Bavarians played traditional songs on horns, carrying on a tradition that has existed just this way for hundreds of years. 

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LEISURE RIDE - Berlin, Germany

She was riding through Tiergarten, Berlin's largest park. Then effortlessly, with panache and sophistication, she slowed her bike to a stop. She put the toes of one of her Converse sneakers gently on the ground to keep her balance as she stopped, then leaned back on her saddle, and finally pulled out her phone for what was most certainly important social business.