What do penguins and four-year-olds have in common? (Hint: get some measuring tape)

You’ve arrived at SeaWorld, camera in hand, and youngsters in tow. In the back of your mind is your spouse’s complaint that on the last family vacation, many of your kids’ photos showed little more than the tops of their heads.

So my question to you is, “What do penguins and four year olds have in common?”

Don’t tell me it’s their waddle.

I know. You think I’ve asked you a totally crazy question, but humor me. If you’re on a family vacation with young children, the answer will definitely help you get great family vacation photos with the kids.

Have you figured it out yet? Give up?

Alright, the answer is, they’re both short! You need to understand that their height, compared to your adult height, makes a significant difference in how you photograph children.

Recently, a neighbor of mine was really upset when she got her prints back from Costco. Most every Disney World photo of her kids featured their great heads of hair. Parents know what their children look like. It’s in their minds’ eyes, but the camera only captures what it’s actually pointed at.

In wildlife photography, I often kneel or lie on the ground to take a photograph of a bird nesting in the sand, or a small animal resting or feeding. To facilitate those shots I often use a right angle viewfinder on my DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera) so I can just bend over or kneel, and look down into my camera while it’s low to the ground. The important point is I put my camera’s lens down to the level of the animal I’m photographing, thereby allowing me to capture their body, head, and eyes well.

While you’re on vacation, regardless of what camera you own, the problem of taking anyone’s photo from above their eye level, especially children, is that it most often gives a domineering impression. This can be used effectively if you’re a news photographer and you want to show how small and helpless a child is, but for a family photo, it’s unflattering to say the least.

So, whether you need to bend, kneel, sit or lie down, get the camera at approximately your children’s eye level when taking their photo. If your family vacation includes grandparents, try to set up your photo with the grandparents sitting, to even their height with your youngsters.

Here are some more tips for getting great shots of your children on a family vacation:

• Kids move fast and have short attention spans, so use a fast shutter speed to freeze their motion. Have some of the kids belongings around to use as props. A great environment for taking their photos is when they are busy and concentrating, such as when they’re building castles on the beach.
• Don’t be afraid to take close-in head shots. You might even consider filling the frame with their full faces, but get some full body shots too.
• To get down to the kid’s level, you might even roll around on the ground with them. Try shooting them from below their eye level to give your shots a different perspective, showing the world from your children’s point of view.
• If you’re at a location like Disney World, use their mascots as props to engage your children and add extra life to the photo.
• Let the kids make faces if they want to. That can make some wonderful photos.
• If you’re using a digital camera, extra shots cost nothing if you cull out the bad ones before having them printed, so use the camera’s ability and its memory card’s capacity to continuously take photos of your children at a particular spot, instead of just one or two. Getting that perfect shot is a matter of chance to a large extent, which is why professionals take so many shots when shooting children.
• If the lighting for your photo requires a flash, remember to stand close enough to your children that your camera is within its flash’s effective range. For most point-and-shoot cameras, that means you have to be within 10 to 15 feet of the kids. I always get a big kick out of all those people at arenas and stadiums who think their flashes are helping their photos.
• Since you’re taking these photos at eye level, if you’re using a point-and-shoot camera with the flash, consider turning on the “red eye” prevention setting to eliminate or reduce that awful look. If you’re using a DSLR, get a separate flash unit, and mount it on a bracket about 6 to 8 inches or more above your lens to eliminate “red eye.”
• Take some practice shots with your digital camera to make sure the settings you’ve chosen for your camera are right, before you get going with your photos. You don’t want to take great photographs, only to have them be under or over exposed.
• Kids generally hate to pose for your photos, so most posed photos don’t often end up as keepers. Don’t be afraid of just snapping away for candid shots. You’ll be happy with the results.

Good luck. I think you’ll find these tips can help you get some wonderful family vacation keepsake photographs.

When your camera’s memory card fails, can it be saved?

I’ve seen it happen over and over again to travelers. Digital camera memory cards become corrupted and unusable. Worse yet, a traveler’s best photographs become trapped on those corrupt cards, such as a family photo in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, or a photo of the July 4th fireworks at the Statue of Liberty. Can you fix the card, or recover those priceless photos? Well…maybe.

The world of photography has radically changed in the last decade. For amateurs and professionals alike, the biggest change for most of us is yesterday’s film is today’s memory card. When I’m out on a shoot, or just taking photos for myself during my travels, I’m often asked about photographic problems and techniques. By far, the number one question is, “My memory card’s gone bad, and I have so many good photos on it. Can you help?”

It doesn’t matter whether you have a Point & Shoot or a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. They all use memory cards, which are much the same as the memory sticks and usb flash drives. Digital camera users must take precautions to prevent photo loss when using their compact flash, SD, or other memory cards.

The Galapagos Islands may have more opportunities to photograph spectacular landscapes, and unusual wildlife, on the ground, in the air and under the water, than anywhere else on Earth. I spent a week cruising in the Galapagos last December, which included zodiac explorations, hikes on many islands and numerous snorkeling outings.

For photographers, the isolation of the Galapagos, like other locations in South America, Africa, and even in US National Parks, is a two edged sword. While the photographic opportunities are almost limitless, the immediate availability of replacement equipment and supplies, including memory cards, is almost nil. While out on a trail in Crater Lake National Park, for example, if a memory card fails, and can’t be immediately rejuvenated, you better have a back up, or those upcoming, once in a lifetime photographs, will only be a dim memory of an opportunity lost forever.

The best ways to avoid memory card catastrophe is to have a spare memory card, use high quality cards, take precautions to prevent their corruption, and have digital image recovery software available, which may be able to extract your photos from a corrupt card.

Even if the memory card in your camera can store hundreds of photos, every photographer should have at least one spare, in case of card failure. I always suggest using high quality memory cards. While you may be able to save a few dollars purchasing cheap cards on eBay or at deep discounters, I don’t recommend it. I use only high quality cards for my photos. I don’t think saving just a few dollars is worth losing your priceless photos, like some I took not long ago of incredible sunsets at the Grand Canyon.

There are specific actions which can cause memory cards to become corrupt and fail. More often than not, the corruption is due to: turning off your camera before photos are completely written to the card, removing the memory card from your camera while photos are being written to the card, formatting a card in a computer instead of the camera and deleting individual photos from the card in the camera, especially when the card is almost full.

When I give advice about memory card use, I suggest three major rules. Never delete a photo from a memory card. Always format a memory card only in your camera, never in your computer. After copying (never use move) your photos to your computer, format the memory card in your camera before you use it again. Following these rules and your common sense, you will likely prevent most memory card corruption problems.

Sometimes, despite your utmost care, memory cards fail. When that happens you may be able to recover your photos. Some high quality memory card manufacturers have their own recovery software. Sandisk’s RescuePRO Deluxe has saved me a couple of times. Digital Inspiration has two other program recommendations which are often successful. Every photographer should have a quality recovery program ready to go in case it’s needed.

Once you’ve done your best to recover your photos and store them on your computer, you can try to restore your memory card. First, try formatting the card in your camera. If that fails, even though above I said not to do it, attempt formatting the card in your computer using FAT formatting, and if that works, reformat it in your camera before using it. If that doesn’t work, see if the manufacturer will replace the card.

Good luck.

Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part IV

Saturday, our last full day, was giant land tortoise day on Santa Cruz Island. There were two main activities for the day and you had your choice about when to do each, morning or afternoon. In the morning, we went to the Charles Darwin Research Station and toured it and the grounds and saw the giant tortoises there. It was enlightening, and frankly for many would have been better to have been at the beginning of the cruise. We saw George there of course. There was good shopping at the Darwin Center store and at the National Park store. Then we were in town (a short walk) at Puerto Ayora for more shopping. There are a number of good stores there. In the afternoon we took a half hour bus ride to a private farm where they allow the animals to roam free. We saw more than 50 giant tortoises in the wild there, and lots of egrets. It was amazing. We even got to see a rarity; two giant tortoises mating. The male was really into it, thrusting periodically and braying so loudly we could hear him from hundreds of yards away. After we returned to town, there was time for last minute shopping.

That night we had a great send-off cocktail party during which they showed a slide show presentation of the photos the Naturalists had taken during the week of the animals and us, accompanyied by music. The show, and the outtakes were put on a CD and given to each of us after the presentation to take home. After a going away meal, a local Folkloric Show was held in the lounge.

Sunday morning we got our bags out the door by 7:00am. We got them back at the hotel in Quito. At 8:30am, after breakfast we were off to the dock at Baltra near where we had docked overnight, by zodiac, then the 5 minute bus ride to the airport. I should add here that it was Sunday night that the virtue of choosing a 90 passenger boat over a 50 passenger boat came full to the fore. While anchored that night off Baltra, there was a strong breeze which kept our boats orientation steady with the bow pointing directly to shore. Unfortunately, there was a cross current 90 degrees off the wind which severely rocked the boat all night. Most everyone admitted they got little if any sleep that night and a couple said they fell out of bed. More than a few were queezy. At the airport, speaking to the Lindblad group we found they had a much tougher time in there smaller boat that night. There we checked in en-mass, got our Official Galapagos stamp in our passports and went to the VIP lounge to await our flight to Quito by Tame. The plane was again great, with a light lunch served. We were met by our Quito guides that afternoon in the airport and bussed to the Marriott. After getting our rooms which had been preassigned, our luggage was brought up and we were off for an afteroon of shopping at the big market and galleria via Celebrity bus. The market was fun where there were all sorts of things to purchase and bargaining with the merchants (cash only here). That evening dinner at the hotel was included at the Marriott's top restaurant. We were free to eat there at a time of our discretion.

Monday morning, Celebrity provided bus service to the airport for our return to our homes starting at 5:00am. Most everyone was off then, or at 6:00am, or like us and most of the group, at 7:00am. More than 50 of the 90 on the cruise were off to Miami on American's flight at 9:55am. We said our goodbyes again in the customs area of Miami International as we dispersed throughout the US.

This was one fabulous trip. I could have easily enjoyed another week there. I'd go back very soon if I had the chance, though I do have other places I very much want to visit and see. The Galapagos are an incredible setting; the animals, both land and marine, the plant life, the scenery, were all unbelievable, like no where else on Earth.

Celebrity didn't miss a trick in organizing and running the trip, on the pre/post cruise and the cruise itself, from the carefully run fabulously guided excursions to the little touches like the wonderful snacks after a long morning or afternoon excursion, waiting for us at the grill. The crew was incredible and got a well deserved standing ovation at the end slide presentation Saturday evening, from the Naturalist with whom we spent so much time, to the waiters, the bar tenders, the stateroom attendants, the officers, the chefs, everyone.

The tour guides in Quito were wonderful too.

The Xpedition is a very classy 90 passenger yacht, with good room sizes and all the necessary amenities one looks for from a luxury cruise.

Of course it didn't hurt that the 90 passengers were a sensational group, all very motivated about this incredible journey.

I can't say enough good about the Xpedition, Celebrity, and this Galapagos journey. We got much more than our money's worth, if you want to put it that way too.

It's a trip and journey of a lifetime, which anyone who can afford it should take.

Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part III

Upon arriving on the boat the events of the day were explained, as well as a few simple rules which needed to be followed (for example about getting on and off the boat, and we were taken to our stateroom. We quickly explored the boat, and then went to the hot tub. By the time we got back (20 minutes) our luggage was at the room. We dressed, and unpacked and headed to Darwin's for lunch. By this time the boat was on the move to North Seymour from Baltra.

Soon after we had the obligatory Life Boat drill. At 4:30 that afternoon, we took the high intensity tour of North Seymour Island for about 1.5 hours, 2 KM. Along the boulder strewn trail we saw frigates, land iguanas, sea lions, Blue Footed Boobies and marine iguanas. There was a low intensity zodiac ride available as well. Our hike was more than we could have hoped for. We saw zillions of animals, took lots of photos, and learned a huge amount from the naturalist. The animals are unafraid of people because they haven't been harmed by us in past years. You stand right in the midst of them, even birds. It's actually quite unnerving at first.

That evening there was a Welcome Captain's cocktail party prior to our evening briefing for the next day and our signup for the next day's activities, and followed by an excellent dinner.

By the way the dress code is CASUAL. No bathing suits are allowed in Darwin's or at dinner and some kind of footwear is required at dinner, but that's about it.

On Monday we took an early morning 7:00am circumnavigation around Kicker Rock after a continental breakfast at the Beagle Grill. It was fantastic. The rock itself is fabulous, with light early morning light coming through the middle where there is a big break in the rock and giving an amazing picture. There we saw sea lions, frigates, Sally Lightfoot crabs, etc.

That morning we went to Puerto Baquero Moreno and the Human History Museum which was quite interesting, followed by shopping in town. We went down to the beach there where there were many sea lions (cubs too) and crabs, as well as marine iguanas. The harbor was lovely. Lunch at the Beagle Grill in particular was great with local grilled fish being the best choice.

After lunch, anyone who wanted to snorkel during the cruise got to obtain, and try-on the equipment, which was then your particular equipment for the duration of the cruise. Wetsuits where then hung in the lockers for you by room number and the rest of the equipment was hung next to the lockers on deck 3 in numbered bags.

That afternoon we went to Espanola Island and a High Intensity 3 KM hike over rough terrain. We saw marine iquanas, hawks, sea lions, mocking birds, yellow finches, etc. At the cliffs the scenery was unreal and the blow hole fabulous. We saw a number of Boobies here including nesting ones. There were medium and low intensity activities too.

That night we were entertained by Jacobo on the piano in the Lounge prior to the next day's briefing followed by dinner at Darwin's.

Tuesday morning after breakfast there was an 8:00am medium intensity trip at Cormorant point (wet landing) at Floreana Island. We got to learn and see about the volcanic history of the site. We saw all kinds of plant species unique to the area and visited a large brackish pond where we saw numerous flamingos, stilts, and pintailed ducks. We crossed over to a beach area where we saw numerous sea turtles close to shore. We snorkeled from the beach and saw sea turtles, sharks and barracudas under the sea. The number of fish was staggering here. Advanced snorkeling was available from Champion's island in the late morning, but I didn't go there myself.

It's interesting to note that upon returning to the boat each time from an excursion (land or sea) there was always a snack of a sandwich and some pastry, plus fruit based drinks right at the grill area to tide us over for lunch or dinner, and of course the bars were always open. This was quite tasty and we thought special.

Lunch was in Darwin's or you could go to the sandwich station at the grill.

At 2:00pm I went to Mystery Bay for advanced snorkeling. It was great. I saw sea turtles, sea lions, rays, fish of all kinds and colors, and penquins. You have to be a strong swimmer to do the advanced snorkeling or you'll tire rapidly from the currents and the cold (even in the wet suit) and spend almost all your time in the zodiac instead of the water which would be a waste.

At 4:00pm there was the trip to the Baroness Lookout where people saw egrets, herons and plenty of sea turtles upon landing. It was just a short hike for this one, up the hill to the lookout.

Jacobo was at the piano again in the Lounge before the briefing, and after dinner the deck officers took us star gazing from deck 6 to learn about the southern sky.

Wednesday morning we were at Bachas Beach on Santa Cruz Island. Here we took a hike along a beautiful beach and found many Sea Turtle nesting areas. The brackish ponds had mostly dried up, so unfortunately there were no stilts or flamingos there. From the beach we went snorkeling, and this was the best snorkeling of the cruise. The water was crystal clear and the number of fish, sea turtles, parrot fish, sea lions, mantas, barracudas, rays, and sharks was extraordinary. Since the water was so clear, underwater photography was very easy.

This day we had a great Mexican buffet for lunch and in the early afternoon another great lecture, this one on the Human History of the Galapagos.

That afternoon at 4:00pm we went to Bartolome Island and a high intensity climb to the top of the bill hill 374 feet up. Buzz Aldrin called the landscape of Bartolome Island the closest to what he saw on the moon, anywhere on Earth. It is outre-worldly. Down at the bottom again, we cruised around the area and saw many many penguins. There were other activities offered here too, including snorkeling and a hike across the island's short isthmus.

I'd like to add something here about the intensity of the different excursions. If you're in decent shape and prepared to take a long hike (3 hours) with good shoes over somewhat rough terrain then the high intensity excursions are for you. You don't have to be a twenty something to do this. Many of us were in our 60's and some in their 70's and one in here 80's (she does lots of walking and working out at home) who did all the high intensity activities. Now my wife and I are in the gym several days a week at home, but active people our age can definitely do these hikes. For those that can't, the low intensity walks and zodiac rides will still give those taking them a chance to see amazing scenery and tons of amazing animals.

After the briefing and dinner we had a hilarious "Crossing the Line" party in the lounge lead by the Naturalists in "pirate and Neptune costume" right as we crossed the Equator into the northern hemisphere. They crowned their queen and we all toasted the queen with champaign and had a great time. We were all give a "Crossing the Line" certificate at the party.

Thursday found us at Isabela and Fernandina Islands. In the morning we zodiacced into Elizabeth Bay and saw tons of sea creatures and Penquins, as well as the flightless Galapagos Cormerant. On the way back we had a real treat. A large number of Boobies and Pelicans had spotted a large school of fish and went into a feeding frenzy around us. We got to see them "dive bomb" into the ocean and go fishing. It was a sight not to believe.

At lunch we were treated to a sumptuous Ecuadorian Lunch Buffet in both Darwin's and the Beagle Grill. Was that lunch every fabulous!

Later we were treated to a wonderful lecture about the History of Conservation in the Galapagos.

That afternoon at 4:00pm we went on a high intensity 2.5 hike on Fernandina Island. The volcanic scenery was amazing. We saw a huge Marine Iquana colony there and more flightless Cormorants, as well as the ever present Sally Lightfoot crabs. The volcanic scenery against the blue ocean presented a scenery unlike any elsewhere on Earth. As usual, there was a low intensity activity in zodiacs available.

That evening we were all outside on decks 4 and 5 for a great barbecue "Under the Stars," after our piano entertainment in the lounge, followed by our nightly briefing for the next day.

Friday we were at Santiago and Santa Cruz Islands. In the morning we made a wet landing at James Bay at Santiago Island. We walked along the beach and volcano flows, some of which were still warm after having been formed three years before. We saw marine iguanas, lots of various birds, but the highlight here was the Galapagos Fur Seas, which set up camp in the inter-tidal pools of collapsed lava tubes. The scenery again was unreal here. Each day we normally sea some kind of iguana, and crabs, and usually boobies, but each island has species unto itself and very different land and seascapes. It's just amazing. After the hike we went snorkeling again, and the snorkeling was excellent again with many species on display.

After Italian day for lunch we saw a wonderful IMAX movie about the Galapagos.

Then at 4:00pm we went out to Dragon Hill on Santa Cruz Island. Here we went inland on a high intensity hike in search of land iguanas, which have been rare for us so far. We did come across three large land iguanas and various kinds of cactus on the hike. One was a huge yellow and red male, several feet long. Afterward was our last snorkeling time. Unfortunately the last was not the best. The water was very murky and all of us cut our time in the water short and went back to the boat.

That evening, after our piano entertainment, briefing and dinner, we had our movie night with popcorn and milkshakes while watching Winged Migration.

Go to Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part IV

Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part II

The boat is excellent, but can't be considered in the same breadth as cruise ship. This is a boat, or better described as a large yacht. The lowest deck holds the crew's quarters. The next deck, Marina is the lowest deck of passenger staterooms. All staterooms are outside staterooms throughout the boat. This deck's rooms are the smallest. The restaurant, Darwin's, where all meals were served (you could eat elsewhere too as will be mentioned) is at the aft on this deck. Darwin's can hold all 90 passengers at once. At the back of this deck, was the staging area for leaving for excursions and the snorkeling equipment storage.

The Vista deck is the next up, where we stayed. While the staterooms are not the same size as those on a full sized cruise ship they have plenty of room on all decks. The bathroom size is excellent with plenty of storage. Our stateroom was made up to have the beds as one bed as we requested. There was a night table, a desk with refrigerator, full with bottled water. There was a small sofa and coffee table. The window was large. There were two closets with plenty of shelves for all belongings and plenty of room under the bed to store all luggage. Our room had a problem with a faulty ceiling slat which was fixed immediately upon mentioning it to guest relations (mid ships on this deck). This deck also includes the Discovery Lounge with a wonderful bar area. The Discovery Lounge held all briefings and entertainment, and was a meeting area. It could hold all passengers easily. In the DL was an Internet Cafe area with several computers used with a small fee (about the only thing not included in the cost of the cruise). (I think it's time to mention that all meals, beverages including alcoholic (not premium), tips, etc. are included in your cruise fee.) At the back of this deck was the outdoor Beagle Grill. Breakfast and lunch were served here daily. We often ate lunch here to be outside, and because almost every day they had grilled food made to order which was great.

The next deck was the Panorama deck which had the suites and the outdoor Blue Finch Bar which was a fun gathering area. From here you could walk up the stairs to the Sunrise deck's hot tub and lounging area and the forward lounging area. There were a few gym machines available adjacent to the hot tub area. Using the hot tube after excursions was wonderful. We didn't use the spa and sauna located on this deck. The ship's power is at 220 volts with both a European and American style outlet at the desk. The 110 volt outlet is in the bathroom. I think that about covers the Xpedition itself.

I want to add here that the crew of the ship was amazing. There were about the friendliest, most helpful, most hardworking ships crew I have ever encountered. About 99% of them are Ecuadorian. They were fabulous. The Naturalists were also absolutely great, and the cruise director, Jason extraordinary. If there was anything to be faulted about the ship and/or crew for us it was that sometimes part of the dinner was not hot (soup) because of the way it is staged. The soup wasn't cold, just not hot. We mentioned this to the Matre'd and they are working to improve this area. In addition, a couple of times we found the seafood a bit overcooked, although for the most part the food was excellent.

By the way, the boat had an Open Bridge policy which we took advantage of and toured. It's essentially the same as any cruise ship's bridge.

Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part III

Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part I

As is our custom, we prefer to arrive at any international embarkation port three nights in advance. On occasion our luggage has taken those extra days before the cruise to get to us. It's no fun taking a cruise without all your clothes and belongings. On this cruise we arrived at the Quito, Ecuador Airport, at about 10:00pm Thursday evening, and after clearing immigration and customs (easy and pleasant) the JW Marriott/Celebrity representative was holding a sign with our name and took us to the Van, even though we were there a day before the precruise package started. I think it is enough to say that the JW Marriott, Quito is an excellent hotel with good food and superb service. I would go back there whenever in Quito in a heartbeat.

While the altitude in Quito didn't particularly affect us, it did affect many. There are now medications available to negate the altitude effect. Everyone who took them said they worked great. On our day "on our own" we took the cable car ride, $8 for two, which gave us a spectacular view of Quito (the Marriott van took us there), but the things to do and eat at the top and bottom were expensive and dreck. We took a taxi back to the hotel where we had a great lunch. In the afternoon, we took a long walk up the Amazon River Avenue and visited a market, church and a wonderful park. We had dinner in the hotel.

That night (Friday) after dinner the precruise package started. All meals were now included. On Saturday, after breakfast at the hotel, we were taken on an escorted bus/walking city tour the next morning which included the old colonial city area of Quito, which was very interesting. From there we went to the El Crater Restaurant that sits on the top rim of the Pululahua volcano at nearly 14,000 feet. Then we were off to Equator park (Mitad del Mundo (Center of the Earth) - latitude 0) which had a fascinating museum. There were some decent shops there from which a number of people made purchases. For dinner, we were taken to a private room at the Theatrum, the restaurant at the Teatro Nacional Sucre in the old section of town, and treated to a performance by one of Quito's opera stars. Dinner was fine, and the performance ... okay.

The next morning (Sunday) our checked-in luggage (1 bag per person weighing no more than 40 pounds) was left outside the room and picked up for transport to the ship. We didn't see it again until we were on board. After breakfast we took our single carry-on (two not permitted) to the lobby for our bus trip to the airport. I must digress that we were told a lower weight limit prior to leaving for the trip, and would have taken our own wet suits if we knew about the higher weight limit. I feel Celebrity should have told us about the change in advance, and should have allowed a 3rd bag per couple (same weight limit) which some people actually did bring. We flew on Tame Air to Baltra. Celebrity took care of all the paper work for this airline and we got priority treatment getting through the airport. On the two hour flight from Quito to Baltra we all got an excellent light lunch and the plane was clean, fresh, and had great service. At Baltra we went through immigration and customs and went to the VIP lounge. Shortly afterward, the buses came and we took the 5 minute ride to the dock.

At the dock we were met by the zodiacs and taken to the Xpedition. The cruise had the full complement of 90 passengers. We met many wonderful cruise-mates and intend to stay in touch with them and possibly take another vacation with some of them in the future, probably in '09. Many of us want to go to Antarctica.

Go to Destination: Galapagos via Celebrity Xpedition - Part II

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge & how to get there

The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum is America's first urban National Wildlife Refuge, established in 1972 for the purpose of preserving, restoring, and developing the area known as Tinicum Marsh, to promote environmental education, and to afford visitors an opportunity to study wildlife in its natural habitat.

The Refuge received its current name in 1991, soon after the late Pennsylvania Senator H. John Heinz III was killed in a plane crash in Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania. The Refuge includes the largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania, as well as other habitats which are home to a variety of plants, trees and animals native to southeastern Pennsylvania.

The “Impoundment Pond Area” of the Refuge is the area near the main entrance. The “Impoundment Pond” is a diked, non-tidal area of 145 acres (0.6 km2), adjacent to the tidal Darby Creek (runs along the opposite side of the dike), to the eastern end of the tidal Tinicum marsh. Originally created as a water source in case of emergencies by the Gulf Oil Corporation, it was donated to the City of Philadelphia in 1955. There are two boardwalks over parts of the “Impoundment Pond.”

The “Marsh Restoration Area” of the Refuge is comprised mostly of the tidal marsh, the preservation of which is the major reason the Refuge was created, and comprises about 75% of the total Refuge acreage of about 1,200 acres (4.9 km2). There is a new boardwalk which goes out into the “Marsh Restoration Area” from the dike road at the end of the “Impoundment Pond Area,” finished in November, 2015.

Each of the Refuge's two areas have varied habitats of woodlands, meadows, and fields. The “Impoundment Pond Area” has some tidal marsh areas on its periphery.

The tidal areas of Darby Creek and the Tinicum marsh typically have tidal changes from 5–7 feet (1.5–2.1m) twice daily.

There are more than 10 miles of trails in the Refuge. Due to the fragile nature of the habitat in the Refuge, “off-trail,” visitors are required to stay on the trails in the Refuge at all times, which means that much of the Refuge is unreachable by visitors and forms a safe haven for animals.

There are a number oil and natural gas pipelines running through the Refuge underground, and under the “Impoundment Pond.” They are well maintained by the companies operating them.

Main Entrance:

The main entrance to the Heinz Refuge, at 8601 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is at the intersection of 86^th Street and Lindbergh Boulevard in southwest Philadelphia. The entrance leads to a series of paved parking areas. From the parking areas, the Refuge's visitor center can be quickly reached by walking under the archway along the paved path.

There are lavatories in the visitor center and porta-potties at three locations along the trails in the Refuge's “Impoundment Pond Area” on which visitors walk from the visitor center.
SEPTA's Route 37 and 108 buses both stop at 84th St. and Lindbergh Blvd, a two block walk to the Refuge's entrance.

SEPTA's Regional Rail Line has a stop at the Eastwick Station. This is several blocks southeast of the Refuge's main entrance. It's just two stops from Amtrak's 30th Street Station, on the Airport Line toward the airport.

Pennsylvania Route 420 Entrance:

The secondary entrance to the Heinz Refuge is on PA Route 420 North, a short distance from I-95. There is a small parking lot at the entrance. To set your GPS to get directions to the PA Route 420 entrance enter the address 643 Wanamaker Avenue, Norwood, PA 19074, or better yet the following Latitude 39.873726 and Longitude -75.302755 or 39°52'25.4"N and 75°18'09.9"W.

To drive to the PA Route 420 entrance from I-95, take the PA Route 420 North exit. The entrance to the entrance will be on the right, approximately 0.25 miles from I-95 South, or 0.5 miles including the exit corkscrew from I-95 North. From the intersection of Route 13, and PA Route 420 going south on PA Route 420, the entrance is 0.7 miles, but you will have to continue on to get to the entrance on the other side of the road by going to the entrance of I-95 North, then staying to the right go under PA Route 420, then take the PA Route 420 North exit.

Please see a map of the PA Route 420 entrance area below.

There are no lavatories or porta-potties at the PA Route 420 entrance to the Refuge, nor any porta-potties in the “Marsh Restoration Area” in which visitors walk from this entrance of the Refuge.

NSL Photography's Glossary™ of Photographic Terms - #

Choose your Glossary page by letter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

18% Gray
Middle Gray, or a standard average gray tone of 18 percent reflectance. The exposure meters of digital cameras are typically calibrated to 18% Gray.

3D Color Matrix Meter
Originally a Nikon technology which first appeared on its top film camera at the time, the F5. Since then the 3D Color Matrix Meter has been updated and improved significantly. The Nikon D3X DSLR camera now uses a 1,005-pixel RGB sensor for its metering. The 3D Color Matrix Meter evaluates each scene's brightness and contrast and using a special Red Green Blue (RGB) sensor, evaluates the scene's colors. Its powerful micro-computer uses a special Nikon exposure/color database to set the camera's exposure.

If you have any suggested additions or corrections to the Glossary, please contact us.

NSL Photography's™ Glossary of Photographic Terms - Z

Choose your Glossary page by letter:
# A B C D E F G H I J K L M
N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Zoom Lens
A zoom lens is a  lens with the ability to vary its focal length (and thus angle of view), as opposed to a fixed focal length (FFL) or prime lens. A high quality zoom lens, also called a parfocal lens, is one which its maintains focus as its focal length is adjusted by the photographer. A lessor quality zoom lens which loses focus during zooming is called a varifocal lens.

Zoom lenses in digital point and shoot cameras are often described by the ratio of their longest to shortest focal lengths. For example, a zoom lens with focal lengths ranging from 100 mm to 400 mm can be described as a 4:1 or "4×" zoom.

Zoom lenses are often confused with telephoto lenses, those with a narrow angle of view which magnify the subject of the photograph. While some zoom lenses have a strictly telephoto range of focal lengths, some have a strictly wide-angle ranges, while others range from wide-angle to telephoto. Zoom lenses are popular because they can take the place of numerous lenses of fixed focal lengths, and help the photographer avoid having to switch lenses as necessary. Amateur photographers particular like zooms lenses to reduce their cost of lens for the photographer. Zoom lenses on digital point and shoot cameras allow them to have great flexibility, adding the capability to obtain wide angle and telephoto images.

If you have any suggested additions or corrections to the Glossary, please contact us.