Holiday Time!

New York City is a perfect place to visit during the holiday season. The tree at Rockefeller Center was stunning! Everything was magical and also, reminded us of the movie "Home Alone".

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While in New York, one of my favourite Canadian bands, Hey Rosetta! just happened to be playing! I may have just seen them play five days earlier in Toronto but hey, they're one of my favourites so I thought why not take advantage of seeing them in a smaller venue. It was a fabulous show!

Click on the panoramas to see larger versions. I love a good panorama!

I {puffy heart} 6400 ISO

I spent a few days in August in Montréal to hang with friends and to catch some amazing music at Osheaga. A trip to Montreal is not complete without a visit to Basilique Notre-Dame (especially when showing off the city to an American friend!).

Sarah Bowden, Travel Agent Extraordinaire!

As you all know, I love to travel. I live to travel! 2008 was my "Year of Travel" with trips to Las Vegas, Mexico, Italy-England-Greece and Trinidad-Tobago. This year is a little "slower" in that I have only been to Mexico, twice. In this day and age, I cannot recommend enough that you book all travel through a Travel Agent. With travel companies and airlines going bankrupt weekly (it seems!), it is best to book your trip through an expert. These people know the insides of travel and can always recommend the best! Having said that, I HIGHLY recommend using the lovely Sarah Bowden! She works at the Flight Centre at St. Clair & Bathurst and she's great. Her contact info is as follows. (And yes, all Jessica Blaine Smith clients get a little discount! Just mention my name!)

Sarah Bowden
503 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto
416-516-7362 / sarah_bowden.on@flightcentre.ca

Sarah loves to laugh almost as much as I do!

The team at the St. Clair & Bathurst location.

Mexican Holgas 2009

A client recently asked me if I ever photograph any personal work. This is often something that I struggle with as a working photographer. My educational background is fine arts yet I often find it hard to take the time to actually create images for myself. Whenever I travel, however, I always find the time! My Mexican Holgas project is something that I have worked on for the past three years, since one of my sisters moved to that country. These Holga images are from my most recent trip to Mexico which was in April. They are from around both the Mexico City and Chetumal areas.

This gem was taken in one of my favourite neighbourhoods in Mexico City called Coyoacan.

Teotihuacan.

The Angel on Reforma in Mexico City.

Mahahual in Quintana Roo.

Coba.

A natural beach near Tulum. There was basically no one here but us.

Tepoz.

Tepoztlan and Tepozotlan.
Two different towns in two different states.
I love Mexico.

(And Che Guevera was married at this church.)

I Have Seen Pyramids

It seems like my last trip to Mexico was all about Pyramids. Everywhere we went, we visited some. While the pyramids in Tulum are beautiful because of their location on the ocean and while the pyramids of Coba are beautful because they are in the forest, nothing beats of the pyramids of Teotihuacan. The Sun and Moon Pyramids are incredible - and so is the view when you climb them. The above photo was taken from the Pyramid of the Sun looking at the Pyramid of the Moon. Teotihuacan is located outside of Mexico City in the State of Mexico.

Tulum

Oxtankah, just outside of Chetumal in Quintana Roo.

Coba. I love how the trees are growing amongst the ruins.

Itsy bitsy people climbing the Pyramid of the Sun.

Pyramid of the Moon.

Coba and the steepest pyramid that I have climbed yet. It was scary coming down!

The view from the Pyramid of the Moon looking at the Pyramid of the Sun.

Tulum

Tulum

Tulum

English Holgas

Last Holga stop: England. Halesworth; the whole of Suffolk. Thatched cottages, beds of lavender, castles, the North Sea.