Tag:

Travel

abandoned in New York

by Kaylah Stroup February 22, 2017

For Valentine’s Day Jeff and I took a spur of the moment trip to Rochester, New York. On Friday morning he sent me a text asking me to ask my mom, who was at our apartment, if she’d be willing to take Klaus home with her when she left. I knew that meant we were taking a weekend trip so I asked “Where are we running away to?” He responded with a screenshot of a hotel reservation in Rochester. That’s my kind of Valentine’s Day present!

Since we met we’ve been taking annual trips up to Rochester. Each time previous had been with friends, and only for the day. Last year we weren’t able to find a time when everyone was able to go and subsequently missed the opportunity. We’re both fairly smitten with Rochester. Jeff, especially, had been itching to get back as soon as possible. It’s very reminiscent of Cleveland so it’s kind of like being at home but with lots of new things to explore. We left without a plan but armed with cameras – the way any good trip starts.

Saturday was spent aimlessly wandering around the city on foot. We woke up fairly early Sunday with hopes of getting the abandoned subway again, and finding some abandoned buildings to shoot. I felt a little uncomfortable with the subway since for the first time it was actually fenced off, and seemed to be under construction. We opted to hit one building we had found during our last visit and then hit the road since the weather was icky. On our way home we stopped in Buffalo, a city filled with abandoned buildings that for some reason we never have any luck getting into. Well, the Buffalo curse was finally broken.

Despite getting two spots that weekend, one of which was a maaajor highlight for both of us, I didn’t end up with very many photos that I absolutely loved. The ones I am happy with I couldn’t bare to just tuck away in a folder so what you get is a mix of photos from the two buildings.

abandoned rochester, abandoned, new york,

xoxo

Bonaventure Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup February 16, 2017

One of my all time favorite headstones. I took a photo of it back in 2014 and made sure to hunt it down again on this most recent trip.

Back in November Jeff and I took a quick weekend trip down to Savannah, Georgia. It was my second visit down there and since my first I had grown immensely in my photography. Needless to say, I was excited to shoot some photos. The number one spot I wanted to shoot was Bonaventure Cemetery. Bonaventure is one of those places that is sooo incredibly beautiful that it’s a tourist destination even for… well, normal people? Ya know, normal people who don’t specifically hunt down cemeteries in each city they visit. IT. IS. GORGEOUS.

When we arrived we were greeted by an employee at the gates. In my mind she was about to tell us we weren’t allowed to go in for whatever reason. Instead she asked if we needed any help, warned us Bonaventure wasn’t in tip top shape, and handed us a map.

A month prior to our visit, Hurricane Matthew had ripped through and caused quite a bit of damage to the cemetery. A lot of trees came down, damaging the headstones below. Bonaventure was closed for a few weeks to clean up some of the damage but opened shortly before our visit. Which I’m really happy about. I would have been SO disappointed if we went all the way down to Georgia and didn’t get to go to one of my favorite cemeteries! Large sections of the property were taped off but it didn’t really hinder our visit at all. One would think in the condition it was in that the number of visitors would be low but I don’t think I’ve ever been in a cemetery with so many other people (other than in Granary Burying Ground, of course!) For a place with over 30,000 interments it sure is lively!

I enjoyed our visit to Bonaventure enormously. Seriously every other sentence out of my mouth was “Oh my god, this is amazing!” or “Look! So cool!” Despite how much I enjoyed being there I was not happy with my photos, even as I was taking them. The warm sunshine was felt so good but I’m not huge on shooting photos in bright sunlight. That intense light paired with the enormous trees, and draping spanish moss meant there were a lot of shadows. You don’t have to know much about photography to gather that really bright patches of light and really dark areas don’t exactly make the best photos. I was bummed because I had been so excited to finally shoot the cemetery properly. For two whole years I had been dreaming of going back!

When I got home, imported my photos, and started to sort them I wasn’t surprised when they weren’t awe inspiring. I put them in a folder and moved on. Oh well, at least I got to enjoy the cemetery again! Fast forward to last week, I’m in the middle of organizing all the folders on my computer when I rediscover all my photos from Bonaventure. I found one I liked, edited it. Niiiice. Found a second, edited it. Okaaay, I can dig it. Found another, same thing. After about twenty minutes I had a whole bunch of photos that I couldn’t understand why I didn’t like them the first time around. I’m so glad I didn’t just delete them!

spanish moss, savannah cemeteries, georgia

Until next time, Bonaventure! I’ll be back in another few years to photograph you properly.
xoxo

PS. If you end up visiting Bonaventure some time soon, they have a cemetery tour app! It isn’t free but the proceeds help maintain the cemetery which is pretty rad, and after the storm they could probably use all the help they can get!

Old Sheldon Church Ruins

by Kaylah Stroup December 6, 2016

On the way home from Savannah, the week before last, Jeff and I made a pit stop in Beaufort County, South Carolina to check out some really neat looking church ruins I had found photos of online. Researching any vacation for us includes searching for abandoned spots and really neat old cemeteries in the area. This kind of touches on both! While it’s not actually abandoned by any means, it’s on the National Register of Historic Places, the ruins of this old church are way rad and totally up our alley.

The church was originally built between 1745 and 1755, at the time it was known as Prince William’s Parish Church. It was partially burned by the British during the American Revolution in 1779. The interior and roof were rebuilt in 1826. Then thirty nine years later it was set ablaze yet again, this time by the federal army. It was never repaired. Apparently what wasn’t destroyed in the fire was used to help rebuild homes in the area.

Surrounded by gorgeous old trees, draped in Spanish moss, this spot couldn’t have been more dreamy. I always enjoy checking out the ruins of old buildings but the cemetery was what really excited me about this place. The first photo in this post? Ugh! It doesn’t get any more beautiful than that in my opinion. The fall colors, the sarcophagi, and Spanish moss! Be thankful you weren’t there in person with me, I would not shut up about Spanish moss. I’m honestly surprised I’ve mentioned it so few times on the blog.

Judging by the amount of photos, reviews, and the number of people that showed up at the end of our visit this is a super popular spot. As of October 2015, they no longer allow weddings on the property but they do still have a special Easter service each year. Jeff, and I showed up shortly after sunrise on a Sunday morning, while the sun was still at that perfect spot in the sky. We were the only people there for nearly an hour. I had so much fun roaming the property. Well worth the short detour!

xoxo

Colonial Park Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup November 30, 2016

At the beginning of this year Jeff got a new full time job which is obviously really good news but we kind of thought it meant we wouldn’t be able to travel as much as we wanted. Since the very beginning of our relationship traveling has been something that we’ve enjoyed together tremendously. I mean, duh, who doesn’t like traveling with their significant other? We took our first big trip together only a few months after meeting, and that was the start of something magical. I live for our vacations. They’re easily some of the best times I’ve ever had so the idea we wouldn’t be able to take our annual trip out west or go anywhere else was a huge bummer. With some careful planning, determination, and a few all night drives, 2016 turned into the year of road trips for us. I’ve played in the ocean, explored new cities, poked around a creepy old cave, and even managed to cross off one of my bucket list destinations – Roswell!

Over the holiday weekend Jeff and I went down to Georgia looking for a soul to steal and spent a few days hanging out in Savannah. I think this trip kind of started off as a joke, or at least it kind of felt like it. “We should go on Thanksgiving, that way we don’t have to decide whose house to go to for dinner!” Then, kind of randomly one day, Jeff sent me a screenshot that he had booked our hotel. We left the Wednesday before Thanksgiving around 8pm and took turns driving through the night. It’s a loooong twelve hour drive but you do what you gotta do!

I had hoped to blog about it how I blog about all the other trips I take, which is in order so it’s kind of like a diary or something for me to look back on but to be honest, the majority of the photos I took were in cemeteries. I had been to Savannah once before a few years ago. It was actually my first big trip with a friend and I had the time of my life. I almost feel like it was an important turning point for me. Anyway, I didn’t take many photos while I was there that time and I’ve been dying to get back to shoot these cemeteries that I have to believe are some of the most beautiful in the United States. So we ate the best chocolate ever*, played some pirate themed mini-golf, ate a pirate themed restaurant, did a whole lot of walking, and of course, spent a ton of time wandering cemeteries. I have so many photos to still work my way through but I’m going to start with my favorites first.

Colonial Park Cemetery is beautiful old cemetery located right in the middle of the city. It was established in 1750, and obviously holds tons of history. 700 victims of the 1820 Yellow Fever epidemic are buried here, along with many victims of Savannah’s dueling era. During the Civil War many of the graves were looted. Rumor has it that Union soldiers even changed the dates on some headstones. Why they’d do that is beyond me, but still, very interesting!

I had actually visited this particular cemetery a few years ago but absolutely, one hundred percent, do not remember it being this beautiful. Jeff and I arrived shortly after sunrise, while the sun was still in a perfect spot in the sky. The lighting was incredible and there morning fog seemed to just be burning off. It was SO beautiful. Lets not forget the Spanish moss. Oh my gosh, is there anything prettier than trees draped in Spanish moss in a cemetery? No, there isn’t! I don’t even know how many times I exclaimed how much I loved it. (Sorry for being annoying, Jeff!) I just can’t get enough!

All the cute shops, beautiful historic buildings, and good eats aside, Savannah is worth visiting just for it’s cemeteries… ya know, if you’re into that kind of thing.
xoxo

*So, I was just going to link to the chocolate place’s website until I realized they also had an etsy shop. You guys HAVE TO try this chocolate. Their Mexican Mayan Truffle is literally the best piece of chocolate I have ever eaten in my life. Also, their retail location is the adorable if you’re in the area!

my top ten cemeteries!

by Kaylah Stroup October 31, 2016

best cemeteries, favorite cemeteries, graveyard

In nearly every aspect of my life I think young Kaylah would approve of how adult Kaylah lives her life. I’ve got a handful of critters that I can’t imagine life without. (I used to wish for kittens while I blew on dandelions. Not that we ever had a shortage of pets!) My hair is always dyed a fun color, and my fashion sense is basically the same albeit a little bit cooler. Long live overalls! There is one thing area where I feel I’d be a let down – Halloween. For the last few years I haven’t even considered dressing up for Halloween. I guess I just don’t see the need. Halloween parties aren’t really my jam so spending the time and money to create something unique just isn’t a priority and I actually feel a little sad about it. I was disappointed to see that Halloween fell on a Monday this year and not the weekend… because that meant I’d have to post something on the big day. I’m sorry I don’t have any ~totally cute last minute costume ideas~ for you to add to your Pinterest board but I do have a list of my top ten cemeteries. Lets be real, that’s way cooler anyway, at least in my book!

I’ve visited numerous cemeteries over the years. I don’t think there has ever been one I didn’t like but some definitely stand out above others. These are in no particular order, except my number one which you will find listed last. A portion are located in Ohio, which should be no surprise since I live here, but the others are all across the US. Below each photo is the name of the cemetery which will link you to the original blog post for more photos!

Rehoboth Mission Cemetery
Rehoboth, New Mexico

Choosing a photo of this cemetery to include in this post was hard. Do I share the view that initially attracted me there? Or do I share one of the many unique memorials found inside? Rehoboth is still and will most likely remain for a very long time one of the most unique places I have ever been. I mean, how often do you see a grave surrounded in hot pink bricks?

Freed Cemetery

Big Springs, West Virginia

While not the most grand cemetery, it was easily one of the most interesting to get to. We had to park in a stranger’s driveway, cross a stream on foot, and then hike up a hill where a bunch of cows were grazing. This is my family cemetery, and looking back at the post I wrote on it I’m kicking myself for not taking more photos. Visiting with my mom and grandpa was a super special experience.

Mound View Cemetery

Mt Vernon, Ohio

Old headstones, tons of symbolism, and the grave of two famous sideshow performers – what more could you ask for?

Laurel Hill Cemetery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I could spend days exploring Laurel Hill Cemetery and still feel like it wasn’t enough. 74 acres means there is lots to see. Unique headstones galore! I visited three years ago around this time and can’t express just how beautiful it was. Well worth the drive!

Old Bennington Cemetery

Bennington, Vermont

Fan of Robert Frost? Well this is where he’s buried! While that might be the selling point for most, I was more intrigued by the old stones with strange carvings. This place is packed with history and even has a beautiful old church on the property. Make sure to check out the Walloomsac Inn across the street if you visit!

Laurel Grove Cemetery

Savannah, Georgia

To be fair, I don’t actually recall whether the photo above is of Laurel Grove or Bonaventure. Anyone know? I visited both while in Savannah a few years ago, and didn’t keep my photos organized very well. There were a few others as well, and I loved all of them but I was a bit more taken by Laurel Grove. Spanish moss and cemeteries are a match made in heaven! I am dying to get back and see more. (Next month! Ah!)

Brown Pet Cemetery

Columbus, Ohio

Brown Pet Cemetery is the only cemetery that has ever made me cry. The relationships between people and their pets always gets me! Pictured above is my favorite headstone there. In a time when photography wasn’t as prevalent as it is now it’s amazing that someone loved their kitty so much they got glamour shots of her taken.

Monroe Street Cemetery

Cleveland, Ohio

Monroe Street Cemetery is my local cemetery. (Technically it’s not the closest one to my house but that one is all fenced off and trespassing seems out of the question since it’s in the middle of a residential area.) I’ve really come to love this place. I’ve spend countless hours wandering around, and taking photos yet I still manage to find something new each time I visit. If you happen to go, make sure to check out the tiny, old hidden headstones along the fence by the scrapyard. Those are some of my favorites. In the summer they’re nearly hidden by vines.

Workman Cemetery

Danville, Ohio

Workman Cemetery was a random find in the middle of nowhere that ended up being one of my absolute favorites. Old headstones, and overgrown patches – a place after my heart! I honestly still love looking through my photos from this location. The colors and depth of field make it seem like something from a dream world.

Mount Moriah Cemetery

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Mount Moriah is the cemetery of my dreams. Easily one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. I can only imagine how awesome it looks this time of the year will fall foliage. I honestly still can’t believe it was real and that within a few days of even knowing it existed that I got explore it. While I certainly hope conditions improve and the volunteers continue to help clean up, I’m super stoked to have been able to see it all overgrown.

So maybe I won’t be dressed up in a fun costume tonight but rest assured I am wearing my skeleton leggings and my dog is in his skeleton costume so maybe young Kaylah would think I was still cool. You know, that and the fact that I have a job where I can make a list of my ten favorite cemeteries!

Do you have a favorite cemetery? Any awesome cemeteries near you I should check out when I eventually make it out your way? I’ve got a running list, always looking to add more!
xoxo

Unity Brick Church Cemetery

by Kaylah Stroup October 27, 2016

For the longest time I’ve been saying “someone should make a cemetery finder app!” It sounds like a super niche product but I know I’m not the only person out there whose idea of a good time is wandering around an old cemetery. Google is obviously a great resource but it has its limits, plus it’s not convenient to use when you’re already out and about (…and don’t really even know where you are!) Recently I searched in the app store using the keyword “cemetery”, something I thought I had done before at least a handful of times, but something new popped up! Find A Grave has an app! I genuinely don’t understand how it eluded me for so long, especially since I’m frequently on their website. I’ve been using the app basically every time I leave the house. It’s amazing how many tiny, old cemeteries are around that I never knew about!

After visiting Achor Valley Cemetery I wasn’t ready to head home yet. I wanted to make the most of my day and the nearly two hour drive so I decided to check the app and see what else was around. There were lots of small cemeteries but I wanted something a little more substantial, somewhere worth the drive. I ended up choosing Unity Brick Church Cemetery.

It was a short drive from where I already was but upon pulling into the parking lot I thought maybe it wasn’t the place for me. From my car, to the right of the church, I could only see newer graves, many decorated with flowers. I figured I should hop out and get a better look before giving up. Behind the church I could see some older looking headstones in the distance so I grabbed my camera and started walking.

It wasn’t until I got close enough to read them that I realized just how old. Early 1800s! YES! There was a large chunk of these headstones back there with a few more hiding out in the woods. The cemetery was very well maintained (Aside from random headstones in the woods. Not sure why those weren’t taken care of…?) I definitely wasn’t expecting to find such interesting headstones in this tiny churchyard. I particularly enjoy finding ones in other languages. There really isn’t too much of that in Ohio, so it’s always new and exciting for me. I had never seen the phrase “zum andenken” before, it translates to “in memory”. Such a solid find!

headstone symbolism, cemetery, graveyard

Unity Brick Church cemetery certainly wasn’t the largest cemetery I’ve ever been to but it was definitely a great way to end my trip. This place on top of visiting another beautiful old cemetery with bonus abandoned church made this a pretty darn awesome day. You know, aside from the fact my car pooped out on me on the way home but more on that another day.

I always say I want to make little day drives like this something that happen more often but haven’t really gotten in the habit. I think the Find A Grave app might change that!
xoxo

Heidelberg Project

by Kaylah Stroup October 11, 2016

It’s been well established I like weird public art, right? For years, and years I’ve been seeing photos of the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, Michigan. Even before I knew what this strange art project was called I had a major crush on that darn polka dotted house. (Don’t worry, you’ll know exactly which one I’m talking about when you see the photos!) For some reason I had it in my head that Detroit was really far away so I never made the trip up there. Last weekend Jeff mentioned something about taking a trip up to Detroit for the day. I was a little concerned with timing, especially when he insisted I wouldn’t have to take Klaus to my parents. To my surprise Detroit really is close, an easy breezy 2.5 hour trip. (Jeff says “Of course it was an easy drive, you slept the whole way!”)

The Heidelberg Project was started by Tyree Guyton in 1986. HP describes itself as “an outdoor community art environment.” Everything there is made from recycled materials or found objects, most of which salvaged from the streets of Detroit. Each work is made to tell a story about current issues plaguing society.

Found object art is my absolute favorite, no ifs, ands, or butts about it. The Heidelberg Project was perfect. I loved every second of being there. I could have easily spent a few more hours soaking in every details. I had seen tons and tons of photos prior to my visit but nothing really can prepare you for what it’s like to experience in person. There is so much to see. Plus there were a bunch of cats + black squirrels. BONUS!

Heidelberg Project, detroit, polka dot house

Twice in the past the HP has dealt with partial demotion and then in
more recent times has been the subject of arson. Over the 30 last years, Tyree
Guyton has created twenty house installations but only two remain.
Needless to say, I’m kicking myself for not getting up there before nine
of the buildings burnt down in 2013 and 2014.

It was recently announced that over the next two years the HP will be dismantled. The project’s spokesperson said “there will always be a footprint of the project, just not as people have known over the years.” I’m very curious to see what happens over the next few years. Apparently even the creator of the project isn’t quite sure what will take place exactly. From here on out I’d like to
make annual trips up to visit, and photograph the HP, in whatever form it takes on.

Despite the abundance of photos I took, I still don’t think I managed to capture all that is the Heidelberg Project. It’s quite the site! If you’d like to read more about the Heidelberg Project you can do so on their official website. You can donate, volunteer, and even check out photos from past. I definitely recommend making a trip there before any further dismantling occurs!
xoxo

PS. If you’re into this sort of stuff but on the west side of the US – be sure to check out Noah’s Art.

my top 3 resources for finding roadside attractions

by Kaylah Stroup October 5, 2016

One of my absolute favorite things about traveling is visiting tourist traps. I love giant dinosaurs, cheesy gift shops, and relics from the not so distant past. I won’t hesitate to take a few hour drive just to see a huge basket shaped building, and massive roadside animals are basically my favorite thing ever.

I think it would be safe to say my obsession with roadside attractions might have started with “big bunny”. Big bunny is exactly what it sounds like, a giant rabbit. This statue sat in someone’s front yard, surrounded by flowers, with it’s hand up to greet everyone who passed by. It was on the way to my grandma’s house and every time my mom and I would pass him she’d say “wave to big bunny!” and I did, with great enthusiasm. Big bunny sparked something in me, something I can’t seem to shake all these years later.

Since this type of thing is something I blog about quite often I thought it would be fun to share my favorite resources for finding strange roadside attractions, be they murals from movies, old bottles turned into art or cemeteries with famous graves. There are tons of sites out there dedicated to these things but I definitely have favorites I prefer to use.

My number one resource is the Roadside America app. It currently costs $2.99 to download and that unlocks one of the regions. After that you can download additional regions for $1.99 each or unlock them all for $5.99 more. I’ll be the first to admit it’s kind of pricey. Is it worth it though? In my opinion, absolutely! This is one of my most used apps (and one of the very few I’ve ever paid for.) All the information is available on their website, for free, but I still think the ease of the app makes it well worth the price.

My main method of using it is just viewing the “near me” category which lists all roadside attractions close to you in order of distance. You can click on each individual place to see a short description, photos of it, and directions to it. You’re also able to search by city or themes such as “animals”, “ghost towns”, “odd buildings”, “UFO”, etc. You can check places off as been there, or save them to check out at another time.

Basically, if I’m anywhere further than an hour away from my house I’m using the Roadside America app! I can’t even begin to list all the weird, wonderful, and just plain fun places I’ve discovered because of this app.

I am also a big fan of the Roadtrippers app (which is free!) This one is really fun because you can plan trips. You simply put in where you’re going and it will show you spots along the way as well as how much gas money will cost, how many miles and how long the trip will take. The great thing about this app is that you can choose tons of different things for it to show you ranging from sleeping accommodations which can be broken down further into categories such as hotels, motels, unique stays, etc to points of interest from which you can highlight abandoned, film & tv, photo ops, public art and so much more.

I’ve found that it seems to have less of the types of attractions I really enjoy compared to Roadside America but I really enjoy being able to search for other items, like parks (although that doesn’t really have anything to do with the theme of this post, does it?) Unlike Roadside America, Roadtrippers is an app you could use much closer to home and probably still find things you don’t really know about it.

My third tip is to find others with the same interests, Instagram is a great resource for this! It does require a little bit of legwork, and obviously isn’t as straight forward as an app that knows where you are and can show you things nearby but there’s the possibility of finding things that may not be listed on websites or apps.

When I knew I’d be visiting New York City I scoured Alexandra’s blog archives. We have incredibly similar tastes so I knew she’d probably blogged about things I’d be interested in checking out while in the area. While I don’t really have tastes quiet as similar to anyone else as much as I do her, browsing the instagram accounts of people who I know live near where I’ll be is always a great way to find fun spots!

Still not satisfied?
▴ Browse Atlas Obscura.
▴ Google “weird things in” + the town or state you’ll be visiting. Make sure to browse the image results too!
▴ When on instagram, use local hashtags to find fun spots only locals know about. Most of the time if you search for a city it will show you in the related tags along the top what people are use. For example if you search “Cleveland”, it will show “#cle, #thisisCLE, and #clevelandgram” Those are the hashtags you should be browsing before visiting a city!

Because of these resources I’ve been able to watch the sunrise in a ghost town in the middle of the desert (which is still one of the most magical mornings I have ever had!), visit one of the world’s largest private displays of insects, seen countless dinosaurs, and slept in the three remaining Wigwam Villages among many other things.

Maybe you already knew to utilize all of the resources above, maybe you don’t give a crap about giant dinosaurs but I hope this at least inspires you to get out and search for something new!
xoxo

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lensbaby in the desert

by Kaylah Stroup October 3, 2016

Right before I left for this year’s trip to the desert a package from Lensbaby arrived in my PO Box, inside was their Composer Pro II with Edge 50 Optic. I had previously owned a Lensbaby Spark, and never figured out how to use it properly. I’m normally pretty good at figuring out how stuff works but this lens always stumped me. I obviously understood how it worked in theory but my resulting photos were always less than desirable. It drove me crazy! I wanted so badly to master it! I eventually sold it and wrote off ever trying any more of their products… until this one.

I was so excited at the timing and couldn’t wait to test out the Composer Pro while on vacation. I ended up completely forgetting about it until Two Guns though! Vacation brain! I got it out, haphazardly shot a few shots that didn’t turn out at all, and got frustrated. Jeff, who had been SUPER excited to try the lens out all along, gave it a whirl and basically shot solid gold right from the get go …which made me really mad! I had read the instruction booklet before leaving home so I couldn’t understand what I was doing differently than he was or how he was getting such great results right off the bat. He offered to help me use it but I refused because I’m a little baby who wants to figure things out on her own.

At our next stop, a scenic overview in Arizona, Jeff, once again, was
shooting awesome photos with the Lensbaby. I sheepishly asked if he’d show me how to use
the lens. I already understood the basics of how to use the Composer Pro
but there was one piece of advice that really helped me out and that
was tilt the lens at what you don’t want in focus. Maybe I missed that
in the instruction booklet, maybe it just wasn’t in there but that made
all difference for me.

If
you’ve never used one of these, or aren’t familiar with what in the
world Lensbaby is – you’re probably pretty confused. This isn’t a regular old camera lens! Lensbaby makes
creative effects lenses, optics, and accessories that help you shoot in a
new way. So basically, the Composer Pro II with Edge 50 Optic
is like a Tilt Shift lens, it produces a
slice of focus that sort of gives you a miniature effect. You simply
tilt your lens away from what you’d like in focus, manually focus on your subject, and shoot. The result is an area sharply in focus while the rest is beautifully blurred.

Below is the view from our balcony at the best hotel everrrrr, The Wigwam. We’ve stayed here two years in a row, and it’s heaven on earth. Stay there, and thank me later.

The photo above isn’t focused as nicely as I’d like but I LOVE that it looks I took a shot of someone’s tiny model train set up.

It took a
little bit of time for me to pick it up but I went from “This thing is
stupid! It doesn’t work! I hate it!” to “Holy cow! This is the coolest!” I’m disappointed that I only got to use it on the last full day of the trip since I’m sure there were a million awesome opportunities missed. Guess that just means we’ll have to go back. Hehe!

Since getting home I’ve continued to practice. I’ve realized that using a tripod helps tremendously in finding the perfect focus. There’s definitely a bit of a learning curve with the Composer Pro II with Edge 50 Optic. It’s fun to push myself out of my comfort zone with photography, especially because it’s something I feel so confident in. I’m really looking forward to taking a walk downtown and getting some cool cityscape shots with it soon.

xoxo

If you’re like to see more of my Lensbaby photos I shared these two of my very handsome puppy here + here.

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