Valentines Day, Rincon, PR

Here in Puerto Rico, we are very sentimental. Valentines Day always brings a flurry of activity as folks scramble for their special valentine's flowers and candy. One doesn't have to look far though, as the roadsides are crowded with stands selling flowers, candy and large baskets for your sweetheart. Some of the vendors take to the street, as the fellow in the photograph above, so there is absolutely no excuse for forgetting your valentine's gift!

Sounds of the lapping waves in Rincon, PR

Last night I was out on the terrace listening to the waves and I was reminded of how often guests have told me how much they enjoy going to sleep listening to the waves. I took the video below of those lapping waves. It was darker than usual and so without the shine of the moon, the video is dark/black. You can hear the waves though and almost imagine yourself with your eyes closed, drifting off to sleep. Push the button and listen...



This morning I went out onto the terrace, was greeted by the waves again and saw this incredible sunrise...isn't the sun brilliant on the water?


Below is a little video of the lapping waves from this morning.
Nighttime and morning, the waves are with us, gently ebbing back and forth, beseeching us to relax and dream.

A Parallel Universe... in Rincon PR

The light that comes to the earth from the sun consists of short wave length ultraviolet light, visible light and longer wavelength infrared light. The largest fraction of light is actually infrared. Our eyes can see only in the visible light range. Existing side by side with what we take for ordinary visual reality is a parallel reality created by the reflection of infrared light, to which our eyes are insensitive. One can use a filter on a camera to block out all but infrared light and then record images that are created by the reflection of infrared light off surfaces.

One of the technical problems with making photographs using infrared light is that it takes a longer time to make such an exposure. Thus, if you use an infrared filter you usually should use a tripod to steady the camera and avoid motion blur from any small movements of the camera.

I have worked previously with infrared exposures of landscapes and I'm sure that you have seen images such as the one below of the Lemontree... taken yesterday using an infrared filter. Usually these images are converted into black and white photographs as you see.



In these images the green foliage is rendered as white because chlorophyll fluoresces the infrared light. Like the tropics with snow?!

Without the benefit of a tripod I also made a couple of other infrared photographs. One a portrait and the other of shaded leaves in a tree.



What is really cool about this use is that infrared seems to hide imperfections and shows the skin with a smooth porcelain like glow. She was looking almost directly into the sun, as you can see from her eyes, and yet the photograph is not blownout and looks rather intriguing.

Finally this last image was taken under the canopy of a large tree on the beach... again hand-held.



While there is some motion blur, what I really like is how the leaves are rendered in white and the veins and termite trails are shown as black. It produces a great design and an almost abstract take on the tree branch.

It is possible to have a digital camera permanently converted infrared. This then makes it possible to capture this non-visible part of the spectrum just like shooting in the visible range. Here is a site that offers tutorials and a camera conversion service. Should you decide to do a conversion and try infrared, let us know how you like it!

Sylvia, the rehersal for ARF Benefit, Rincon, PR

So much activity and so few blog entries... oh my. These include a great New Year, an opening of Todd's new photography exhibition at Rincon of the Seas, work on a new musical play-list in preparation for our performance in early February, the return of high season here at the Lemontree and... ta ta, moving the rehearsal with Rincon Players into high gear.

Yesterday, the players in our play reading group, Rincon Players, went to the venue for our staged reading of Sylvia on behalf of ARF, the Rincon Animal Rescue Foundation. We began to work out the blocking for the production and to consider some of the challenges of the space for performing the actual production. The performance is scheduled for the 17th of February and so, we have our work cut out for us!

Big waves continue in Puerto Rico

We went up to Isabela yesterday afternoon late. The waves up there were amazing so we took this still and video! Still rolling in STRONG. Puerto Rico has experienced waves this large and powerful only twice in the past ten years...March 2009 and Now. Usually the waves here are much more gentle and behind the Lemontree we often have "lakelike" conditions. Soooo, these waves bring us joy and excitement and the thrill of seeing something that seldom happens. We've still had guests in the water here at the Lemontree and surfing on the northern beaches of Rincon. Living right on the ocean one comes to take each day as it is presented and enjoying the thrill of what nature brings to us.

Big waves come to Rincon, PR

The surf and weather report forecast big waves coming to the northern coast line of Puerto Rico and thus Rincon's northern beaches. I decided to go over to the northern beaches and see what was happening. I went to Domes near the lighthouse park. I took the video of the waves rolling in. My camera isn't equipped with a telephoto lens so I couldn't capture the big ones that were far off and yet you will get the impact of the waves and the sound of them rolling in.

Then, I went on up to Maria's Beach and watched for awhile. The folks in the photo above were "would-be surfers" but the waves were a too big! Cars were parked along all of the surfing beaches with everyone eyeing the waves and wishing they could be out in the crashing surf.

The last video I took south of Maria's looking north. Again, you will be able to get a sense of the waves impact as they hit the beach. There are a few surfers out there and will look like dark specs in the video!

Parranda in San Sebastian, Puerto Rico

Yesterday was a wonderful day. We invited by a good friend who is active in a local Parranda in San Sebastian called Los Nietos de Papa or Grandchildren of the Father, to join in and follow the group. At Christmas time, many towns host these large semi-professional groups of musicians and costumed dancers as they make their way from house to house on large trucks. The groups are followed by a small caravan of cars and some smaller trucks with advertising. Traffic is blocked and at one point we could hear at least three parrandas moving around San Sebastian. The groups stop at homes to which they are invited and play a set complete with joyous and sometimes frenzied dancing. The group of musicians and caravaners is feted along with the neighbors with refreshments and light snacks. The progression of playing and singing continues well into the night. For this particular day, the Parranda finished its day at a local amusement park and entertained about 5,000 people!



Our day began early with a stop at the organizing point. Here all of the dancers gathered and the group was fed well... Typically the day begins with an asopao (thick soup) but today we were served another Christmas staple, lechon (roasted pork). After a benediction and dedication to this year's parranda, the players, dancers and followers mounted up and began the progression.

While these large parrandas play a particular variety of music and the show is top notch, the concept of the parranda and the playing of live music by small groups of local musicians is alive at all levels of play and performance. At a family gathering, a couple of family members may take out their insruments and play the favorites... or a small group of friends may play at one of the hundreds of holiday parties. Though it is without the benefit of a large sound truck and dancers... the same spirit of joy and love of music and place are present.