Hanging out with the Swampmaster

     We had a unique opportunity to hang out with Jeff Quattrocchi, "The Swampmaster" on Saturday, October 2nd.  Jeff has been performing for 17 years educating the public on alligators.  His show is exciting and unique and we had the opportunity to take some photos for him as he took on live and untamed alligators. 

On Saturday we stayed for two shows photographing and filming him as he worked with an alligator fresh out of the Florida swamp for the first time.  It was thrilling.  Check Jeff out on our website beginning on page 16 under the Mid South Fair and learn more about what he does at http://www.theswampmaster.com/

Mid-South Fair 2010

     What a wonderful surprise to learn that we placed in the photography contest at the Mid-South Fair, held in the DeSoto Civic Center in Southaven, MS.

Carol won First Place in the nature category with this photo of a porcupine taken in Haines, Alaska.

Gary took Third Place in Scenery with a photo of an abandoned house along the river in Haines, Alaska.

This year at the Fair has been our favorite.  We have taken some time to get to know some of the people who put on the various exhibits. 

We met Michael, who operates Cow Town.  Cow Town is just one of the many aspects of the Great American Frontier Show.  Cow Town gives city folk an opportunity to milk a cow and learn about the milk making process from the feed bag to the milk pail.

We met Jeff, the Swampmaster.  Jeff is from Florida and actually rescues alligators that he uses in his show.  He tries to educate people about the difference between alligators and crocodiles and his show is fun and interesting.  Gary even held Wally, the alligator.

You can see more of our Mid-South Fair pictures at our website.

Water Tower Festival, Hernando, Mississippi

     This past weekend, September 18th, we attended the Water Tower Festival in Hernando, MS.   We spent the morning strolling around the Town Square as we photographed some of the classic cars on display.  The smell of barbecue was in the air as contestants of the barbecue contest were cooking their special recipes.  We had the traditional pronto pup and freshly squeezed lemonade as well as some homemade cookies and other tasty treats.  The vendors were many and varied plying wares from purses to aprons to fresh vegetables to jewelry as well as matted photos, paintings and pottery.  It was a great way to spend the day.  You can enjoy some of the sights by visiting our website.

Award Winnng Photos!!

September has been a great month for us in the photography arena!!  Gary was awarded "Best Pictures of DeSoto Discovery", an annual magazine published by the DeSoto Tribune. 

We both entered pictures in the Delta Fair, held at the Agricenter in Memphis, TN.   Gary won Best of Show and 1st Place in the Pets/Animals category with this photo of an eagle we shot while on vacation in Ketchikan, Alaska.   

Carol won first place in the Nature category with this sunrise picture shot on vacation in Destin, Florida. 

We are so excited and proud of each other for our accomplishments.

Photography is our passion and we love to share this past time together.  Winning is just the icing on the cake.  At some point we're sure our feet will touch the ground again!!

Delta Fair September 4, 2010

     We decided to check out the Delta Fair at the Agricenter in Shelby County, Tennessee.  We also wanted to see how we fared (pun intended) in the photo contest.  We were very pleasantly surprised at the caliber and quantity of things to do and see.

     As we made our way to the photo exhibit, we took in the vendors' booths and perused the many items for purchase.  We were thrilled to discover that Carol had won first place in the Nature category.  What an honor!!

     We spent several hours taking in the sights and taking pictures and video of:  a mid-evil jousting match, a helicopter ride, monkey jockey races among others.  Carol even had her picture taken with one of the monkey jockeys.  There was a wide variety of rides and foods and we enjoyed as much of them as we could handle.  In fact, we are going back for a second visit.

     We invite you to visit our website and take a look at our photos and video.

The Netherlands, Out First Trip Out of the U.S.

In November of 2006 we had the opportunity to visit my brother, David, who lived in Hengelo, Netherlands at the time.  We were estatic to strike out on a new picture taking adventure that took us out of the United States for the first time.  We met Geerte who is Dutch and fluent in six languages and to whom he is now married.  We struck out on our on and took the train to Amsterdam to explore the city, but not before getting lost.  We experienced the thrill of the high speed rail (the Thalis) through Belgum to Paris and spent 3 glorious days there.  Visit our website to share in the discovery of this part of Europe.  Even after visiting the City of Lights (Paris), Hengelo was our favorite spot.

Alaska Keeps Calling Us Back

Be a part of our third trip to the beauty of the Alaskan Wilderness.  We visitied areas of Alaska that were new to us and included ports we had not visited before:   

    


Anchorage

            

Whittier       

Haines, which quickly became our favorite port due to its diverse and scenic beauty,

College Fjord, and

    

Ketchikan, one of the best locations for photographing eagles.

Panther Valley Ranch-August 7, 2010

        We visited Panther Valley Ranch near Hot Springs, AR the weekend of August 7, 2010.  In spite of the very hot and humid weather we managed to take a few photographs.  The main purpose of our weekend getaway was to relax, which we did.  We will definately make a return trip when the weather and scenery is more photo friendly.  Meanwhile, visit our website to see our photos.