Stone Arch Bridge - Minneapolis, Minnesota

Stone Arch Bridge - Minneapolis, Minnesota, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

The Stone Arch Bridge in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota is the only arch bridge made of stone along the entire length of the Mississippi River.

A former railroad bridge, it is now a pedestrian and biking trail with great views of St. Anthony Falls and the Minneapolis skyline. A couple on the river’s edge enjoy scenic views of the city.

Photography question of the day:

Which do you prefer? Aperture 3 or Lightroom 3?

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

The Purple People Eaters of Minneapolis, Minnesota

The Purple People Eaters of Minneapolis, Minnesota, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

This past Labor Day weekend I had the opportunity to visit Minneapolis, Minnesota. I did it for a number of reasons. One, to visit my nephew who just started college at the University of Minnesota. Two, after living next door in Wisconsin for two years, I’ve always heard great things about Minneapolis, but outside of changing planes at the airport I never had the chance to explore the city. Third, after giving notice at my work that I would be departing, I wanted to explore more of the Midwest before I headed back to the sunny shores of California.

Free accommodations were compliments of my nephew’s futon in his dorm room. Big mistake! You feel old real quick when you’re on a college campus.

Walking around campus, it was great to meet students with their youthful ideals and a lifetime of experiences ahead of them. It was a pleasant reminder of my college days. Those days are behind me now (way behind me), but I always look back at them as a time of great personal growth and the start of my love for travel.

So while I may envy being a college student, I do not envy their debt load!

Okay, so back to the photograph.

The title refers to a term for the defensive line of the National Football League team Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s when they dominated the league. Purple is also the color of the team’s uniform.

I took this photograph from Minneapolis’ famous Stone Arch Bridge with the Mississippi River flowing below. Nature provided a little tint of purple that evening when I took this long exposure shot.

The only thing that could possibly happen that evening to tie in another Minnesota theme is if it happen to rain...”Purple Rain.”

A tribute to Minneapolis native Prince and his hit song “Purple Rain.”

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

The Biggest Little City in the World gets a Little Hairy

The Biggest Little City in the World gets a Little Hairy, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Reno is the armpit of Nevada.

Full of hardcore gamblers, aging casinos and tacky wedding chapels, Reno bills itself as the “The Biggest Little City in the World” when in reality its the cheap, downmarket version of Las Vegas. The best thing about Reno is that Lake Tahoe is right over the hill.

As you can tell I’m no fan of Reno, Nevada.

I happen to be there back in September for a work related conference so I was forced to spend a couple of days there.

The photograph isn’t tack sharp due to high winds that were kicking up that evening. It also didn’t help that drunk bums kept running into my tripod (I just made up that last part). Actually, I wish there were drunk bums walking around because downtown was completely devoid of people.

Blame the bad economy or the simple fact that Reno is an armpit.

Happy Travels! Just stay away from Reno!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Semper Fidelis

Semper Fidelis, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

"The Yellowstone Park is something absolutely unique in the world..." -President Theodore Roosevelt

Located in the Upper Geyser Basin, Old Faithful is the most recognized landmark of Yellowstone National Park. While it is not the largest geyser, it is the most predictable, erupting about every ninety minutes or so.

Taken near the visitors center near the viewing benches, this is a popular spot to admire this symbol of Yellowstone. Just watch out for steam on your camera lens!

The sun was setting behind Old Faithful as it erupted much to the applause of the surrounding spectators and to this happy photographer.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Seattle the Caffeinated City

Seattle the Caffeinated City, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

I took this photograph about fifteen minutes after sunset at the Pike Place Market and before it started to downpour. I believe it embodies Seattle: a city built on trade and coffee beans.

They say that in Paris you're never more than ten minutes from a metro stop, well in Seattle your never more than ten feet from the nearest espresso bar. Empires such as Microsoft and Starbucks were built here, Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana hailed from here and Bruce Lee is buried here. Enjoy the photograph as you journey into the Emerald City.

So what's your favorite type of coffee?

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Sleepless and Stuck in Seattle

Sleepless and Stuck in Seattle, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Drinking Starbucks coffee and driving on Interstate 5 south of Seattle don’t go well together.

This is the classic view of the Seattle skyline from Kerry Park.

I somehow managed to get this shot in between having spirited discussions with fellow photographers on lens selection, exposure and who Santa would be delivering the new Canon EOS-1D X camera to this Christmas.

The next morning I grabbed a cup of coffee in the original Starbucks at the Pike Place Market. Back in my car I headed south to meet my friend in Grants Pass, Oregon.

If you ever matriculated in higher education in America you would be familiar with the following question as seen on the SAT or GRE:

“If vehicle A is driving south on I-5 at sixty miles an hour and random brick B is coming toward vehicle A at seventy miles per hour what will be the cost of the damage to vehicle A?”

Answer: A broken oil pan, hundreds of dollars and another night in Seattle.

I didn’t mind spending another night in Seattle since it meant more photography opportunities and caffeine!

Here’s to lovely skylines, busted oil pans and to Seattle the caffeinated city!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Monumental Times call for Monumental Action

Monumental Times call for Monumental Action, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Thank Tim Ferris, Chase Jarvis and the evil Midwest winters for my long absence from my blog. They have inspired me to take a serious look at my life and make some dramatic changes.

Long story short I made the executive decision to not spend another long, brutal winter in Wisconsin. So I packed up my things and headed back to the sunny shores of San Diego, California.

After two weeks on the road, four thousand miles and a broken car oil pan I made it back to my beautiful hometown of San Diego. For now I am doing some freelance work for my former employer and as a result I’ll have more free time to spend on Flickr. In addition, I’m doing research for what Tim Ferris calls a “mini-retirement” for my journey to South East Asia next year. For my South Asia contacts I would love to get together with you when I’m in your town for a photoshoot, to grab a cup of coffee or to just say hello. Please drop me a line.

This is Mount Rushmore National Memorial located in the Black Hills of South Dakota featuring four United States Presidents (from left to right: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln).

Nature provided me with two opposing elements the day I was there: the fall colors and snow! Shortly after I took this photo I walked along the Presidential Trail when it started to lightly snow. Snow is why I left Wisconsin and now it was following me out West!

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Having a Grand Time at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Having a Grand Time at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Being in Yellowstone National Park is amazing.

Being in Yellowstone National Park in the Fall is simply spectacular.

Being in Yellowstone National Park and being paid for it is awesome!

I just came back from a very quick trip to Yellowstone National Park. I was there for a work related project to capture still and video stock footage.

This is Artist Point in the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. As I arrived there with my co-worker there were already hundreds of people fresh from their tour buses snapping photographs. I simply made my way were they weren’t congregating and found this viewpoint. The trees were a perfect framing device and added depth to the overall scene.

Sometimes it pays off to venture on your own and not follow the herd mentality.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery

Feeling Alive at Dead Horse State Park

Feeling Alive at Dead Horse State Park, a photo by Sam Antonio Photography on Flickr.

Although Dead Horse Point State Park is not part of Canyonlands National Park, its vicinity to the park (its near the entrance to Island in the Sky), amazing panoramic views and solitude makes it a must see stop for any landscape photographer.

I’m getting writer’s block so I’ll “borrow” some lines from the official description of the park: The legend of Dead Horse Point states that around the turn of the century the point was used as a corral for wild mustangs roaming the mesa top. Cowboys herded them across the narrow neck of land and onto the point. The neck was then fenced off with branches and brush. One time, for some unknown reason, horses were left corralled on the waterless point where they died of thirst within view of the Colorado River 2,000 feet below.

Personally I find this place much more intriguing than the Grand Canyon. Hollywood has found this place intriguing too.

It was here at Dead Horse State Park where Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon drove off a cliff and into a canyon in the classic road movie "Thelma and Louise" (in the movie they were supposedly at the Grand Canyon).

[last lines]
Thelma Dickerson: [with a cliff in front of them and cops behind them]
Thelma Dickerson: OK, then listen; let's not get caught.
Louise Sawyer: What're you talkin' about?
Thelma Dickerson: Let's keep goin'!
Louise Sawyer: What d'you mean?
Thelma Dickerson: ...Go.
Thelma Dickerson: [Thelma nods ahead of them]
Louise Sawyer: You sure?
Thelma Dickerson: Yeah.

Happy Travels!

Text and photo copyright by ©Sam Antonio Photography

Why don't you join me on Facebook?
Follow me on Twitter!
Sam's Photography Blog
Sam's Travel Photography Gallery
Sam's Other Travel Photography Gallery