It’s been beautiful here in LA, and instead of going to museums as I had planned, I’ve been photo walking instead. And I’ll be doing the same today. I’ll come back when the weather is drearier and visit all the galleries and museums then:-)
In the meantime, I’ll continue to shoot the wonderful architecture of Los Angeles. And apologies in advance for shooting the Walt Disney Concert Hall from so many angles – the building completely fascinated me.
Here’s the slide show. Enjoy.
I’m right in the middle of my BlogWorld and New Media Expo adventure – and I have the pics to prove it! I’ll be posting them shortly after the show ends, but for this Photo Friday I thought I’d showcase the pics I took on a solitary photowalk I did of Pershing Square this past Wednesday. I had a grand time taking shots of the varied and interesting buildings and structures in this charming square.
I hope you enjoy them.
LA Photowalk – Pershing Square, November 2011, a set on Flickr.
In a few short days I’m headed for Los Angeles and my first-ever BlogWorld and New Media Expo conference. I’m beyond excited…so much to see and do, so many people to meet, and reconnect with again.
But is BlogWorld ready for this legally blind attendee? Or seniors or anyone with physical challenges? Large conferences can be daunting for people with sight, hearing or motor impairments, so I’ll be sharing my experiences and offering my perspective over the course of the three-day event. I hope my observation are helpful to all conference organizers out there.
Here are some of the things I’ll be paying close attention to, based on what’s important to me.
Signage – Are all signs large enough to be seen? Are there enough of them? Can the content of these signs be read easily? Are meeting rooms easy to find and identify?
Stairs and Glass Doors – Are stairs and glass doors clearly marked? I’ve tumbled down more than a few stairs and run into several glass doors in my time:-(
Lighting – Is there adequate light in all meeting rooms and corridors?
Audio – Are the sound systems adequate, with no muddiness or distortion?
Power Outlets – (One of my pet peeves) Are outlets easily identified? Are there enough of them? Are some outlets at mid-wall height and not all at floor level? And are power cords out of the way and not trip hazards?
Elevators and Ramps - Are all meeting rooms accessible via ramps and elevators?
Assistance – Are conference staff and volunteers trained and prepared to help disabled people if required?
Many of you may read this and this that my wish list is unnecessary – of course this is a no-brainer. And in a perfect world, I wouldn’t even have to mention anything. But it’s not a perfect world, and we still encounter more obstacles than you may imagine. So I may vent a bit. But I’ll also applaud, loudly, whenever I can.
If you face some challenges and are planning to attend BlogWorld, or if you have an experience or suggestion to share, please comment below, or contact me. I’d love to hear from you!
I don’t call myself a world traveler – I wish! – but I have been fortunate to visit a few places I had only dreamed about as a kid. In 2006, I visited Tokyo, and I really credit that experience with the start of my love affair with ‘serious’ photography. And that’s also when I began to think of myself as a visually impaired photographer, who could show the world that everything is possible.
During that visit, I realized how much I wanted to hold onto the feeling of Being There, of giving anyone looking at this collection a strong feeling of time and place. And even five years later, I can look at these photos and smile. It was a magical trip.
This photo still remains one of my all-time favourites, taken with one of my first point-and-shoot Canon Power Shot cameras. No matter where I am, I’m back in this small market near a major temple, wandering, overwhelmed, loving every minute.
This is another favourite – the stair railing seemed so out of place to me, something I might see in my home town of Montreal.It prompted me to focus on various types of architecture wherever I go.
Finally, I loved this shot of this little boy, who decided that he just wasn’t going to walk anymore:-)
Feel free to visit the rest of my Tokyo set here. I’d love to hear what you think.
The awesome folks at BlogWorld and New Media Expo have kindly given me a three-day full-access conference pass ($1,300 US) to give away! The pass gives you unrestricted access to all keynotes, presentations, panels, Expo, Social Media Business Summit and official parties and closing reception.
So, if you can get yourself down to Los Angeles from November 3-5, leave a comment here, or RT my tweet about the offer, and I’ll draw a winner at random at 5pm PT on Wednesday, October 26.
I’d love to share some of my good fortune with one of you. Good luck:-)
