This and That

 Lofoten Islands, Random stuff, Updates  No Responses »
Mar 222012
 

Winter sun over VæroyPhoto: Winter sun over Værøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 2012

It seems that whenever I return to California my ideas for blog posts disappear down some black hole.  Half the problem is I get the stupid idea that I need to work on other projects, like an eBook on the Lofoten Islands that I’ve been unsuccessfully attempting to write for several years.  If someone else would go ahead and write one I would actually be thankful and finally give up.  Yet at this point in time no one has, so for some reason I feel the duty to.  Though I really am not good at writing.  I have the ideas in my head of what I want to say, they just never seem to make it to the keyboard in any coherent fashion.  I usually do better with good old fashioned pen and paper, yet I’m not even sure there’s any in the house here.

I also need up update my now 3 year old website to something a bit more current.  If I were more successful I would just pay someone, but I’m not, so I spend my afternoons trying to relearn CSS, HTML, PHP and all that other fun stuff.  I like the design part of it, just the coding is a bit of a pain and takes way to long for me to get anything done.

I don’t have anything planned other than sitting around Santa Barbara for the next months so hopefully I can make progress of a few things.  Though I’m sure summer will be here before I know it and I’ll be needing to go out at stretch my legs somewhere.  I’m trying to get the blog on some sort of regular schedule from now on, but I’ve also said this in the past and didn’t quite manage so no promises…

I ordered a few test prints for some new images a few days ago.  Hopefully they arrive in the next day or two and if they look good then I’ll add them to my print gallery.  Might also be time for a print sale ;)

 

 Posted by at 9:26 pm

San Felipe Baja 250 Time

 Baja, Racing, Travel, Updates  No Responses »
Mar 052012
 

Kendall Norman Baja 250

Photo: Kendall Norman Honda 1x, San Felipe Baja 250.  March 2011

It’s that time of year to head down to San Felipe, Baja California for the 2012 Baja 250.  My brother is racing again so I’ll be helping out the team while pre-running and on race day.  By ‘helping out,’ I mostly mean sitting out somewhere in the desert in my truck, cooking in the hot sun while waiting for a rider to arrive, fill them up with gas, watch them ride off and their dust fade into the distance, drive to a new location and repeat.  Only a week out of Europe, even 10,000 spf sunblock wont help and I’m sure I’ll be lobster Honda red after a day or two.

I’m not really sure how many photos I’ll take this year.  There’s so many other photographers these days and I don’t really have an outlet for race photos so it’s not really worth much effort.   I’ll probably focus a bit more on behind the scenes stuff while pre-running and maybe a few sunrises and landscapes while I’m sitting around in the desert.  For me it’ll just be more of a fun trip this time around.  And there’s lots of cool stuff down there to explore.  The race is almost just an excuse for me to go down there.

(All photos on this post from last year (2011).  2012 Photos coming next week.)

UPDATE, March 12: –CLICK HERE– for gallery of 2012 San Felipe Baja 250 Images

 

Jesse James trophy truck arrives at finish of 2011 San Felipe Baja 250

Photo: Jesse James trophy truck arrives at finish, San Felipe Baja 250.  March 2011

Spectators await arrival of 1st trophy truck at finish of 2011 San Felipe Baja 250

Photo: Spectators await at finish for arrival of 1st trophy truck, San Felipe Baja 250.  March 2011

San Felipe Sea of Cortez

Photo: Calm waters of the Sea of Cortez, San Felipe.  March 2011

Sea of Cortez, Near San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico

Photo: Dawn over the Sea of Cortez, San Felipe.  March 2011

 Posted by at 10:29 am

34,000 Feet Over Greenland

 Travel, Updates  2 Responses »
Mar 012012
 

Greenland from Airplane

Photo: Flying over Greenland.  Feb 2012

I’m now home in Santa Barbara where I’ll more or less be for the next few months, not counting a road trip or two.  Had a good flight from London to San Francisco yesterday.  The plane was remarkably empty so I had the whole center row of the 747 to myself to stretch out on.  Too bad it was a daytime flight and I couldn’t really sleep to take full advantage of it, but it was still nice none the less.  Then I had a 1 hour delay getting out of SF to Santa Barbara, so I guess that equals things out a bit.  Was pretty tired walking in the door last night, but not as bad as I expected.  Most people I know say they deal with jetlag better when heading east, but I always seem to do better going west.

I can’t believe I haven’t been to Greenland yet.  Definitely a beautiful place from the air.

 Posted by at 12:44 pm

Homeward

 Travel, Updates  No Responses »
Feb 282012
 

winter road with snow, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Lonely winter road, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 2012

Wednesday I board a plane and chase the sun into the western horizon.  After 5 months here in Europe it’s once again that time to head home to California.  Not that I wouldn’t love to stay longer, but unfortunately I still haven’t managed any success with getting a residence visa or starting a business.  I don’t know how some people do it and make it look so easy; seemingly effortlessly moving from place to place with the apparent superpowers necessary to navigate the endless bureaucracies and restrictions.  What’s the secret? I guess I’m not rich-talented-educated-successful-smart-connected-charming enough to pull things off over here yet.  Not that I wont keep trying…

As good timing would have it though, I’ll actually only be in California for a few days before heading south to Mexico to help out my brother and his team who are racing in the San Felipe Baja 250.  More on that in a few days.  I better be sure to bring some sunblock otherwise I’ll end up looking like a boiled lobster after the first day.  I think I’ve only actually seen the sun about 8 hours total since the beginning of December so I’m looking a bit like a pasty white Brit tourist at the moment. :)

 Posted by at 8:57 am

Lofoten Islands Winter Photo Gallery

 Landscape, Lofoten Islands, Mostly Photos, Norway, Updates  3 Responses »
Feb 242012
 

Lofoten Islands winter, Norway

Photo: Edge of the World, Å I Lofoten, Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Feb 2012

Lofoten Islands Winter 2012 Image Gallery –CLICK HERE–

The first images from my 2 weeks in early February 2012 on the Lofoten Islands are now up on my archive.  Overall there is a more variety than the images from my January 2010 trip, but I think the 2010 collection is still better overall;  more dramatic and better light conditions.   It was definitely a struggle this year at times.  From what I’ve seen online in recent days, it seems conditions improved greatly after I left.  Bad timing on my part I guess.  I’ve had pretty bad conditions for my last 3 Lofoten trips, so I think I’m due for some better weather next time.  One of those 25˚ C summers with no rain would be nice! Maybe if I can get back in July…


Lofoten Islands Winter II – Images by Cody Duncan

 Posted by at 5:01 am

Lofoten Islands – Autumn 2011 Photos

 Landscape, Lofoten Islands, Mostly Photos, Mountains, Norway, Updates  No Responses »
Dec 162011
 

Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Dark skies over Vestfjord, Stamsund, Lofoten Islands, Norway.

—-CLICK HERE— To go to the Lofoten autumn gallery.

It’s taken a few months, but I’m finally getting a few photos online (60 so far) from my Sept/Oct trip to the islands.  I’ll keep updating things over the next weeks as well, so keep checking back!

Overall it was quite a stormy, yet warm autumn.  Often there was a southwest wind which brings an awful misty rain much of the time, especially on the days I was hoping to go out camping.  Overall, Norway had the warmest November in 111 years.  There was one brief night of snow a week into October, but nothing like the cold I experienced in 2009.  So no pics of nice snow capped mountains this year.

I found myself struggling against wind and mist or rain nearly every day, often with only brief moments of better weather.  A few days into the trip a big gale arrived that cleared most of the trees of their leaves, leaving the forests mostly barren and ugly looking.   This led me to have a greater focus on seascapes that I was originally intending, but that is how it goes in the north.  And despite the weather, I still managed a fantastic afternoon up on Reinebringen and on my last night conditions were near perfect for shooting the best Northern Lights that I’ve seen thus far.

I often get asked for info about travel and photography on the islands.  My best piece of advice is to give yourself as much time as possible, the islands need lots of it.

 

Reinebringen, Lofoten islands, Norway

Photo: Hiker on Reinebringen with Kjerkfjord in background, Lofoten Islands, Norway

 Posted by at 5:54 am

Lofoten Islands Travel Article

 Lofoten Islands, Norway, Random stuff, Travel, Updates  No Responses »
Dec 142011
 

Reinebringen View Lofoten Islands Hiking

Photo: View over Kjerkfjord from Reinebringen, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct. 2011

A few months back I wrote an article about the Lofoten Islands for a new travel website.  As I’ve been on the road, I never got around to posting a link, so here it is finally.  Give it a read and let me know what you think.  Though please don’t try and tell me I have a future in writing.

SWITCHBACK TRAVEL – Lofoten Islands by Cody Duncan

Lofoten islands article

 

Lofoten Islands mountain landscape

Photo: Maervoll, Lofoten Islands, Norway. Oct. 2011

 Posted by at 12:13 pm

Travel Updates – In Wales

 Baltic, Climbing, Germany, Lofoten Islands, Poland, Travel, Updates  No Responses »
Dec 072011
 

Northern lights lofoten islands october 2011

Photo: Northern lights over Lofoten Islands, Norway.  Oct 8, 2011

It’s been quite a bit of time since my last post.  I’ve been on the road for the last 2.5 months in northern and eastern Europe.  I really tried to get some blogging done, but every time I pulled out the crappy little netbook that I had, I felt more like throwing it in the ocean than trying to get any work done.

The trip started with 2 weeks on the Lofoten islands, with a spectacular display of the northern lights on my final night.  I next spent 25 hours on 3 train to reach Stockholm.  Then I took the overnight ferry along with hoards of drunk Finns to Helsinki and immediately took another ferry to Tallinn, Estonia.  I had meant to travel through the Baltics about 5 years ago, so this part of the trip was long overdue.  I spent 2 weeks heading south via Riga, Klaipeda, and Vilnius before an epic bus ride to far south east of Poland.  In Poland I hiked around the Biesczszady and high Tatra mountains, taking advantage of an unusually warm and dry autumn in Europe this year.  After Poland was a journey through the Czech Republic, visiting some old favorite cities of Olomouc and Cesky Krumlov.  Finally it was another 2 weeks in Germany visiting old friends and a bit of bouldering.

I’m in and around Wales for the next couple months.  Will make a journey out the the Western Isles for the new year again and maybe another journey in late Jan out to Orkney.  I’m also working on possible plans for a Lofoten trip in Feb.

The blog should more or less be back to normal now (not that many people read it anyhow) and I’ve lots of photos and stories to post from the last couple months.

Tallinn, Estonia

Photo: Main square, Tallinn, Estonia

 

High Tatra mountains, Poland

Photo: High Tatra mountains, Poland

 

Frankenjura Bouldering

Photo: Bouldering, Frankenjura, Germany

 Posted by at 7:08 am

PDN Great Outdoors 2011 Contest Winner

 Landscape, Lofoten Islands, Norway, Random stuff, Updates  3 Responses »
Sep 202011
 

PDN great outdoors contest winning image 2011

My image from Haukland beach, Lofoten Islands was selected as a finalist in the 2011 PDN Great Outdoors photo contest.  It was printed in the Sept. issue and now the contest website is live.  I’m quite honored to appear next to quite a few other photographers whom I myself admire.

CLICK HERE:  for 2011 PDN Great Outdoor photo contest

Not to promote myself too much, but if you’re interested in purchasing a print of this image: CLICK HERE

 Posted by at 11:25 am

Prints

 Landscape, Lofoten Islands, Random stuff, Updates  No Responses »
Sep 192011
 

Haukland Beach, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Frozen tide on Haukland Beach in winter, Lofoten islands, Norway.

I’m pleased to announce that I now have a number of my images available for purchase as prints.  It is only a small number for now, but I will be adding new images in the following months.  I’m also open to requests, so if there is anything in particular you might be looking for, let me know.

CLICK HERE to view my print gallery

 Posted by at 5:01 pm
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Cody Duncan Photography Blog: World and European travel, lifestyle, rock climbing, and adventure photography. Commercial assignment, editorial and stock photos.
Photographer Cody Duncan is located in Santa Barbara, California.

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