"Wandering reestablishes the original harmony which once
existed between man and the universe." - Anatole France

I am often asked, "Theresa, Where are you headed to next ?".....with good reason, of course. The adventure and surprise of the unknown across the globe makes me desire to get out there and see it all. Born and bred in southern California, I was blessed with a very fortunate childhood. My mother gave me creativity and independence; my father, athletic skill and confidence, and my three, dear brothers provided me with wit, ingenuity and endurance. Family trips in the old motorhome had us making unexpected rest stops in rural America, spending hours seated on the curb licking popsicles and waiting for auto parts to arrive, or listening intently to the CB radio, cheering Dad on as he tried to hitch a ride with a trucker. Then, there was the time I was "accidentally" left at a gas station in Montana and managed to survive a whole twenty minutes of abandonment on only one glazed donut and one small milk. These mishaps always became an integral part of "getting there" and are even remembered fondly. This is probably why I've taken to traveling the third world--you never know what's around the next turn but chances are you're gonna like it...or at least have a memorable experience . It's also about perspective, seeing, hearing, interacting with people around the world...the best education out there....celebrating our commonalities and accepting our differences, usually with a good dose of physical comedy.

The first camera I can remember using was a Vivitar 110, long and skinny like a jumbo ice cream sandwich with a built -in flash ! My mother would occasionally let us each take one or two photos...all images had to display at least one human being. Results of the first session are posted below. I had my brothers line up together and I remember trying to incorporate this very intereseting fallen log into the frame... Composition 101. More practice came with summer visits to Girl Scout camp. A whole roll of 12 or 24 exposures was at my disposal with 10 days to capture it all. Photo economics were key, only the very best memories were recorded. Then came a long series of instant, 35mm type cameras which were lost, broken or stolen on a yearly basis until 2002 when I purchased a Canon Rebel--soon replaced with the digital version and then upgraded to the Canon 20D which is what I currently use. My travel geear includes two Canon 20D camera bodies, a Canon 16-35 2.8 lens and a Canon 70-200 2.8 lens.

The Sierra Club Photography Section has been a great resource and inspiration for me in my quest to bring home quality images to share with my friends the places and people I've come across while on and off the beaten path. Come back and visit the website every so often. I'll try to keep it updated.

 

 

©2005 Theresa Vernetti