My Thoughts and Experiences Behind the Camera Lens

The days are getting shorter and so is my time on the Island. Yet, I’m attempting to visit as many places as I can while the weather is permitting, my schedule is open, and my finances are available. My fellow Road Warrior, Ashanti, and I traveled to Canterbury for an overnight trip. We photographed the local area which includes the famous Canterbury Cathedral.

We wanted to visit the Red Sands Sea Forts. Unfortunately, two charter services called and canceled our trip two days before our arrival. Instead, we travel to Whitstable and photographed the local area.

The next day included a “Full Day” tour with a local company that arrived at our hotel and took us to several places. We visited Leeds Castle then we traveled to Dover. We visited the Battle of Britain Memorial. The memorial is similar to our Vietnam Memorial with a wall commemorating those who gave their life in WWII.

The next stop on our tour was a boat ride explaining the history of Dover and a display of the famous White Cliffs of Dover. Unfortunately, the weather was extremely foggy. Therefore, we could not clearly see the distant cliffs. Yet, their immense size was something to behold. The boat remained within a protective barrier that keeps the choppy waves of the English Channel from crashing the port. However, that didn’t stop the various swimmers practicing for their attempt to swim the channel. People spend at least six hours in the water to train for the 21 mile swim from England to France.

Dover is England’s closest point to the European mainland. This makes Dover a popular port with plenty of traffic coming to and leaving from England. The Chunnel (English Channel Tunnel) leaves from this point and allows you to arrive in France in approximately 30 minutes. Within Dover, we visited other sites providing historical accounts of Britain’s battles. The next and most challenging stop was a walk along the top of the Dover Cliffs. The cliffs are very famous and EPMD mentions them in their ’92 hit “Crossover”. I have issues with heights. So, it was an experience knowing the cliff’s edge, a few feet away, separated me from the cliff’s bottom a few hundred feet down. That didn’t stop Ashanti from getting that unique perspective near the edge.

The last tour stop was a trip to Dover Castle. This is an impressive fortress sitting atop the Dover Cliffs. The elevation and proximity to the shore made any approach easily spotted.

As you view the images in Flickr, you’ll see a feature on the right side indicating where I took the image. I purchased a GPS logger that records my location every five seconds. This device is great because it allows you to merge the location data into your photo. When you upload the image or view it in Picasa, it shows where you were at the time. It also creates a route showing your traveled route. As I prepare for my next trips, this will be a great new feature.

Lastly, I prayed for a sunny day during our visit. Normally, my weather requests are honored. However, you can see the fog present throughout our day. I left disappointed that the sunny images I wanted didn’t happen. As we left our last tour stop, the sun broke through the clouds, burned the fog away, and a sunny day arrived. That’s when I realized I prayed for a sunny day. However, I didn’t say when I wanted it to arrive. Be specific in your prayer requests and keep shooting!

-Roger

Within our first month in England, Deborah and I attended a “New Arrivals” orientation. It was a one-day orientation filled with various speakers from the military. They provided information and tips on how to get accustomed to life in the UK. As lunch-time approached, we had one more speaker to overcome before we received a much-needed break. That is when a man named Darius from the Human Relations Office gave a presentation that captured everyone’s attention and it was something I’d never forget (I’d have to tell you offline what actually occurred).

After that presentation, he and I talked and become friends. He told me about his project as an author and I told him about my work as a photographer. He wanted me to take some shots for his book cover and we talked about it for nearly a year. After months of talk, we finally brought it to fruition this weekend. Darius Donte’ is “The Ascot Author”. A gifted story-teller and people will find his insight about relationships very compelling.

I was a little nervous because I previously did some studio-like work. Yet, this was my first job in an actual studio. We visited the place a few days prior to the shoot so I could assess the lighting and see what I needed to bring. The studio’s great equipment eased my concerns. Therefore, I knew the only thing needed was my ability to photograph Darius.

We worked for nearly four hours and several wardrobe changes. When we were done, I was pleased with the work we did.

-Roger

My Weekend Excursion around Canterbury and Dover

A Studio Shoot with “The Ascot Author”