Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Category: my life

Photo Friday – Work in Process

I came upon this sign last month while walking along the narrow beaches of Ambergris Caye. Looking at the image now, it sparks some reflective musings about the transition of this blog from wedding and portrait work back to my personal life. It has been well over a year since my last client related post, but I still wonder about the life and purpose of this blog. I really enjoy writing posts about my travels. Those posts have become a trip journal perfect for reminiscing about favorite photos and moments, and plus I’m happy to share any information that might be helpful to fellow travelers. But I’m not a full-time traveler and I don’t quite have enough content to consider this a full-fledged travel blog. (At least not yet?) On that note, I was surprised to receive an email the other day addressed to “Travel Industry Professionals,” and thus I’m guessing my search engine statistics have morphed a bit from wedding and portrait photography over to more travel related material. Though I also still get lots of hits on Frenchies, peace lilies, and how to make a drum shade. It’s all kinds of random up in here!

So for anyone who is a long-time reader or if you’re stopping by for the first time just now, I hope you’ll bear with me while I continue to reshape my blogging voice. My plan is to keep posting mostly stories about my travels (on deck: Vieques, Ireland, and Scotland!) along with tons of photos, Tourist at Home posts, the occasional house project, and perhaps a handful of miscellaneous topics if that’s okay with you.

Work in process indeed.

May 15, 2015
Photo Friday – Icy Pine

In light of the ice storm and all the snow we received this week, I remembered some photos I took during another ice storm about 15 years ago. Back then, I took my camera out at just about any opportunity to practice. I remember wandering around the yard at my parents’ house with my film SLR wrapped in a plastic bag to protect it from the rain. I was getting pelted with icy raindrops, but I didn’t mind in the slightest because I was having so much fun finding interesting ice patterns. I wouldn’t say I’m a lazier photographer now, but when the ice storm hit this week I only briefly considered grabbing my camera and instead traded the photo op for the warmth and coziness of staying indoors under a blanket. I enjoyed seeing other people’s photos though!

March 6, 2015
I Heart Doors

Over the years, I have always been drawn to photographing doors. I wish I could tell you that it has some deep meaning for me like the symbol of new beginnings or a pathway to the great unknown, but I simply just enjoy finding interesting doors to photograph. It started as early as my film SLR days, and they continue to be a subject I return to often no matter what camera I have in-hand. I also love exploring the little details such as knockers, handles, hinges, and locks. I’m looking forward to wandering some new towns this year in search of photogenic entryways – Belize, Vieques, Ireland, and Scotland should have some good ones!

“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney

February 23, 2015
Photo Friday – Spring Wishes

I’m not in the Northeast and we didn’t get multiple feet of snow dumped on us recently so I don’t really have the right to complain, but you guys, it’s so cold and I’m day-dreaming about spring! It’s going to be a high of 16 degrees on Sunday and that is about 60 degrees colder than I’d prefer. And I’m actually someone that loves to experience each of the seasons, but winter can go ahead and mosey on out of here any day now please.

February 13, 2015
Photo Friday – Martypants

Hey look! It’s Marty, also known as Martypants and sometimes Mr. Pants. He’s still pretty timid, but his mumbly little vocabulary is growing. He imitates us daily and his favorite thing to repeat is, “good boy!” He also makes a knock-knock-knock noise that makes me laugh. He will still only step up onto my hand while in the cage – he doesn’t seem to want to come out like all of my other birds did even though I’ve promised that we won’t eat him. He has been out several times and is getting to know the layout of our house, but he just seems to prefer his own little house right now. Hopefully he’ll eventually come out of the cage to play and explore on a more regular basis, but until then we’re enjoying his company (from behind bars) and we love listening to his cute mimicry.

January 23, 2015