Julian's Humble Hubris

 This blog entry was re-issued here .

See the above region on Google maps HOT NEWS!  I'm pleased to a announce the launch of a new YouTube channel called "A rt of Virtual Flight " , with flight-simulator videos that are somewhat longer and more elaborate than most of the short clips featured in the early entries of this blog.  Typically 1-2 mins long, from a number of scenes, with cuts matched to a musical score that I apply.  I had edited video professionally for years – so, time to put that skill to good new uses! A little down the line, I will open the channel to guest submissions ; I'll post guidelines as soon as the direction of the channel is more established... Heading Inland to the North Coast Having reached the south coast of  Dominican Republic  after crossing southern  Hispaniola  in  part 4 , I turn north and slightly backtrack westward (into Haiti) to reach the north coast of the island, the 2nd largest one in the Caribbean. For an overview of the journe...

See the above region on Google Maps After our landfall and initial exploration of the western tip of Haiti in  part 3 , it's time to cross the southern part of  Hispaniola , the second largest island in the Caribbean after Cuba; on the west side of the island, where we landed, is the country of  Haiti , while the eastern side is occupied by the Dominican Republic . Hispaniola was the first permanent European settlement in the Americas, founded by Columbus on his voyages in 1492 and 1493. Large Caribbean islands provide a fantastic mix of tall mountains and a lot of coastline: excellent flight-simulator locations, as far as I'm concerned!  Hispaniola also offers large, gorgeous lakes! Topographic maps of Haiti :   map 1      map 2 Crossing Over to the South Coast For starters, I re-cross the western tip of Haiti, this time south-bound.  An excuse to re-visit the very scenic "Pic Macaya" National Park that I f...

Split-Image Dream We all know it's never straightforward to describe artwork in prose!  An interview format can help get depth without getting lost in a long artist's statement.  So, I'll be answering a few questions... If you wish, you can first take a peek at my portfolio . Q: In a nutshell, what is it about your photographic artwork that you try to capture? A: I use the human figure to evoke moods, suggest stories and explore personas, so as to create timeless, magical worlds that convey a sense of indomitable vitality. Q: What settings do you use, and why? A: Many of my photos explore a person's intimate bond with their environment, especially Nature - a spiritual source of energy that gets absorbed and re-radiated by those who inhabit it, explore it or dance in it. Sometimes, the interaction involves other elements, often surreal - including unusual structures, fire or moonlight.  I'm also fascinated by the extraordinary fluidity and mys...

See the above region on Google Maps At the end of  part 2  of our round-the-world tour , we had just landed on a tiny airstrip upon making a first landfall at the western tip of Jamaica, arriving there from Cuba by way of the Cayman Islands. If landing the larger 6-seater airplane, the Beechcraft Baron 58 , on that tiny airstrip wasn't a workout enough for my still-limited landing skills, later landing on an aircraft carrier , while in transit to Haiti, certainly stretched my abilities!  Fortunately, I had fortified myself with a training video on handling sideslips , i.e. fine alignment with the landing strip.  That has been my Achilles' heel so far: ending up a little diagonal and/or offset, just as I'm about to touch down...  Getting better, though :) North-West of Jamaica : Montego Bay In Jamaica, I've been fascinated by two gorgeous bays: the first one is Montego Bay, close to my original landfall on the island. Here are two v...