Tampa Bay area resident and avid photographer Terri Gross recently traveled to Cuba. We talked with her about her experiences there.
 
Q: What drew you to travel to Cuba?
 
A: Well it was actually my second time to Cuba. I was in Havana 57 years ago in my mother’s tummy. My parents and grandparents vacationed there often in the mid 1950s. Over the years I’ve heard many stories and seen many photos of glamorous times and I wanted to see for myself. So I guess the mystique about Cuba and the opportunity to go on a people-to-people cultural exchange program sponsored by Santa Fe Photographic Workshops and Cuba Cultural Travel lured me there.
... Read more

Q: When did you start making photographs?

A: As a child I went on many trips with my family to new places and wanted to record them because they were so fascinating to me. I used whatever camera I had at the time to take photos and make picture albums. In later years I focused my artistic talents on painting and earned Signature Membership in Florida Watercolor Society and the International Association of Acrylic Painters. In 2005, I began seriously pursuing digital photography with the same drive and passion. Locally, I studied with Beth Reynolds at the then St. Petersburg Arts Center and Terry Allison at PTEC. Since I love to travel, I also went on photographic workshops in Spain, Mexico and Morocco. I still like to record my adventures with photo essays but now they’re in the form of slideshows and books.

Q: You’ve traveled a lot and participated in a number of photographic workshops. What are one or two tips you’ve picked up from those experiences?
 
A: On a recent trip to Morocco I picked up many tips. With regard to street photography, “take the damn shot” is the most important tip. First stake out a fascinating place for its design and/or color, and wait for action to intrude. Be alert and ready to capture the moment. Then, when something happens quickly, don’t delay....just shoot. In other words, when you see something special, don’t vacillate; “take the damn shot.” If you delay in setting the exposure, the scene could disappear in an instant. Then, having taken your shot, if your subject matter remains in view, there is time to check your exposure, focus and continue shooting. With regard to portraits, most people in Morocco did not like having a camera pointed at them. Some react with anger and yell at you, threaten you and/or demand payment. Here are some tips: Do NOT sneak a photo. ASK first, and then negotiate a price. Before beginning, explain you need to take multiple shots to get it right. Try to work your subject to show intensity or a strong emotion. Pay AFTER the session. An alternative to asking permission is to concentrate on an inanimate object in the center of the frame while looking at people all around the frame. ... Read more

Q: You recently moved to St. Petersburg. Where were you (living and working) before coming here?

A: Most recently I have been living and working in Israel and before that I was based in Atlanta, Georgia. However, I am no stranger to Florida.  I grew up in Sarasota and went to school at The University of Florida.

 

Visitors to Tiberias sunbathe along the shore of the Sea of Galilee on June 24, 2010. 
 
Q: You recently moved to St. Petersburg to be the photojournalism teacher at John Hopkins Middle School. How does the experience of teaching influence your own growth as a photographer?
A: I feel that you understand more about your craft when you’re challenged to teach it. So many times I find myself going into “Photo-Auto Pilot” where I don’t even think about the settings and style that comes so natural to me. Teaching reminds me to slow down, break it down step by step and mindfully capture in the way that I knew how to photograph all along.  The storytelling aspect is what drives my passion for photojournalism.  At John Hopkins we run our classroom like a newsroom, so in essence, I am a photo editor. Now instead of dreaming up one story that can be photographed from a fresh, creative angle for myself, I get to brainstorm about 130 times that amount to help my students find their stories. It’s pushing me creatively, and sharpening my technical skills daily.
  ... Read more

Russell Farrow, co-owner of Sweetwater Kayaks in St. Petersburg, and three friends (Alain Cormier, Tim Keen, and Mark Prator) won the second annual Vacation to Hell from kayaking company Immersion Research in 2008. When the veteran kayakers applied, they didn't know where they'd be going. It could have been Tahiti. Instead, it was the Canadian Arctic. When asked why they wanted to undergo this trip, which they did in the summer of 2008, Russell said: "When you get in your kayak and you push off from shore, the feeling of freedom, being the master of your own vessel, is unparalleled."

--excerpted from a 2008 story by Times staff writer Stephanie Garry

Text and photos by Russell Farrow

We arrived in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, in the eastern Canadian Arctic on July 18th, 2008 and had to wait 12 days for the ice to break up. At that point we got in our kayaks and headed west with the goal of paddling a one-way trip to a place on Ellesmere Island called Grise Fiord where there is a small hamlet of about 150 people. We could then fly home...

[Phil Eccles paddles under the midnight sun, West side of Curry Island, Canadian Arctic.] ... Read more

Email travel photos to vacationphotos@sptimes.com. We will run the best ones in the Sunday Latitudes section of the St.Petersburg Times, and also here in the Your Lens section of All Eyes. To see even more reader travel photos, go to the travel section of our community photo gallery. To view galleries of some of our best photos and purchase reprints, visit our online Photo Store.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA, FEBRUARY 2009

Around the world in 107 days - My wife and I recently returned from a cruise around the world. We were aboard the ship for 107 days, traveling 41,788 miles from Fort Lauderdale to Rome. Besides the trip being the most interesting thing I have done in my life, we visited 42 countries. In several we would dock in the morning and leave after dark. Such was the case in Sydney. The port is magnificent in daylight and riveting at night. This photo was taken from the balcony of our cabin as we pulled out from the downtown dock at 9 p.m. [PETER GRAULICH] ... Read more

Summer is well under way, which means many of us are packing our bags and hitting the road to explore someplace new. Travel is an opportunity for discovery, and what better way to capture the experience than with photographs? We invite you share with us some of your best travel photos. Email travel photos to vacationphotos@sptimes.com. We will run the best ones in the Sunday Latitudes section of the St.Petersburg Times, and also here in the Globespotting section of All Eyes. To see even more reader travel photos, go to the travel section of our community photo gallery. To view galleries of some of our best photos and purchase reprints, visit our online Photo Store.

Want to take quality vacation photographs? Here are a few tips from Times photographer Scott Keeler to improve your photography skills and the content of your images on your next trip.

After you arrive at your destination, check local newspapers and media outlets for ongoing and upcoming events that may provide interesting photography opportunities. Festivals and farmers markets, such as this Christmas market in Germany, are good examples of events for your photography. People make interesting subjects for your photographs. Don't be afraid to approach subjects and ask if you can take their photograph. Most people are happy to be in your frame. ... Read more