flying pictures !

the San Diego zoo is one of the finest places on earth.  after a day of exploring 100 acres of over 4,000 animals, we ran into this rogue peacock in the parking lot. I knew it was the opportune time for a jumping pic.

later that evening we went to dinner at the iconic hotel del coronado.

sometimes the outtakes are funnier.  perhaps some day I’ll start a new blog just for the unsuccessful shots.

Azin & Jenk got married on June 5th, 2011 at the Maiden Tower– a quaint and private island in the Bosphorous, the river that divide’s the Asian and European sides of Turkey.  They were a stunning bride and groom, and happily led this honorary jumping photo.

I was unfortunately under the weather for our entire trip to Turkey, so Jeff “jumped” in on this one for me.

This is outside the Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque), which isn’t very blue on the outside, but named for the blue tiles on the interior.

The Taj Mahal is truly a spectacular place.  I’ve seen a million photos of this place, and was still in awe of it’s grand beauty. We were there at dusk, when the sunset turns the facade into calming shades of blue, pink, and purple.

At first I tried using my iPhone to snap Liisa in a jump:

By the time we found someone with a camera and gathered all the girls, it was pretty dark… but you can still see the outline of this masterpiece.

The Red Fort stands from the 17th century, when it served as the capital of the Mughals until the British invasion.  As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it’s a standard visit for Delhi tourists. Ruins from the oldest part of the site served as great jumping platforms:

A group of Indian school kids found our tactics intriguing, so we invited them to join us:

The iPhone is great for many things.  Capturing a jump mid-air is not one of them.

This was a beautiful day on Hanalei beach.  Half the sky was lit by sun; the other, a moody overcast.  This couple was getting married just down the beach.  We were the only ones at the wedding besides the officiant and photographer.  I hope they didn’t mind my ‘photoshoot’.

On the way home from July 4th in Bodega Bay.

In front of the Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon.

Azin, Halle, Frances

Tricia, Me, Steph

L’Oreal Women of Worth Honorees

Carriacou Island is the largest island of the Grenadines, an archipelago in the Windward Islands chain. The island is 13 sq miles and has a population of 4,595.

These were fun shots to take. I used a new strategy of running a few steps before jumping.  Plus, the landing was soft. I can’t believe a beach this beautiful could be empty!

Harajuku Crossing

The Picasso Museum

Gaudi’s Casa Batlló

this is one of about 20 shots we tried in Koh Phangan during the half moon festival.  I really like the boat in the background.

I was just so happy in this one.  Flying on Copacobana beach, Sugar Loaf in the background.  One day before Carnaval.

My little sister and I tied for air and expression.

For my 24th birthday, my friends agreed to this photo.

My sister and I in Alaska.  The problem with this shot is the photographer (dad) was standing on a rock above us, not giving this shot the most ideal perspective.

Tip: have the photographer take the shot from as low as possible

Annie Valente, Liisa Laukkanen, and yours truly.  This may be my favorite flying picture to date.