If I could have only gotten it home I would have been as good as these guys in a couple of days.

A special thanks goes out to all the people whose smiling faces have graced my imagery during the past year.

Hope you have many happy new years to come.
Larry Bartley

On the other hand, did you know that you can dance the Cumbia to Polka music? It just seems to fit. Go figure? I haven’t quite got the “Moon Walk” thing worked into a Polka beat yet.

NOTE TO SELF: “Convey my opinion of Banda to local Mexican restaurant who plays mostly Banda on their sound system.” Recommend Trio Los Panchos, Mariachi Tolteca, and Vicente Fernandez for dining music.

When your camera has spent a little time in an air-conditioned resort room and you take it outside in tropical temperatures with tropical humidity, your lens instantly fogs over. It’s the same thing that happens to a glass of ice tea when you take it outside on a hot summer day. I don’t know the scientific explanation of why, but cooler things just cause moisture to condense on them. With a camera, sometimes this last only a minute or two but could last much longer. Lets say you’re equipped with interchangeable lenses and you walk out your door and see an Iguana perched on the edge of the roof next door. Your first impulse would be to rapidly remove your normal lens and replace it with the long lens in your bag. In the 10 seconds it took you to do that, the mirror became fogged in your camera and both the front and rear elements of the telephoto lens became fogged. When you put the long lens on the camera you just sealed up moisture on the mirror and the moisture on the rear lens element in an almost air-tight space where it will take hours to dissipate.

The secret to always be ready to capture an awesome moment is to find ways to keep your camera and related gear at or near the same temperature that it is outside. This is sometimes hard to do but with a little creative thinking you can find ways to do that in most resort locations. Place the camera next to a hot coffee pot for a few minutes, give it a little blast from a hair dryer, place it near a light bulb, etc. My wife and I once took a second honeymoon in Jamaica. We stayed at a really nice all-inclusive resort in Montego Bay but for some reason they felt the bathrooms didn’t need to be air conditioned. There wasn’t even a window to shut, just sort of a quaint “island thing” built in the wall. There was a sort of double louvered opening in the outside wall where you couldn’t see out or in but the sounds of the ocean and the birds etc. made you feel like you were outside. This is where my camera bag stayed because this room was always outside temperature.

The neat thing about tropical destinations is that there’s moisture everywhere. Besides all the humidity in the air you just never know when you’re going to encounter vast amounts of moisture in one form or another. When traveling I always carry a small umbrella in my gadget bag and a couple of large zip-lock bags in my pocket. The bags are large enough that I can place my whole camera inside one if I suddenly encounter a wet situation. I can also leave the camera strap around my neck, pull the bag up around the camera, and pinch it shut in the middle. This leaves the straps coming up through the edges of the zip closure thus protecting it from ocean spray or blowing sand. This leaves my hands free to pick up all the stuff I find while beachcombing and allows me to quickly unzip it if I need to take a picture. This method also works good if you’re planning on attending and “Ibiza Foam Party”. 

If you’re out on a day excursion on a tour bus, always shroud your camera inside the bag when you’re on the bus. It provides a small amount of insulation from the bus’s air-conditioning and keeps the camera closer to the outside temperature. You can quickly unzip it if you need to take a picture from the bus  

In tropical conditions you just never know when a sudden shower might develop. You never know when you’ll round a corner and see a beautiful waterfall and you would need to walk through a veil of mist to get to the spot to take the perfect picture. Zip-lock bags are available in all sizes that will any size camera. If you have a large camera with big telephoto lenses you may need to shop Home Depot Or Lowe’s for a bag big enough to fit your rig. The key to keeping moisture off of and out of your camera is to plan ahead. Just be creative and think of all the things you can do to prevent rapid temperature changes for your equipment

There are four types of pearls, Akoya pearls, Tahitian pearls, South-Sea pearls, and freshwater pearls. Akoya, Tahitian and South-Sea pearls grow in oceans. They are more valuable than freshwater pearls for their rarity and high luster.

Akoya pearls are considered the most popular. They are valued for their rich color, mirror-like finish, and appealing roundness.

As with any other gem, the value of a pearl is determined by it’s quality.

A pearl’s quality can be A, AA, AA+, AAA, AAA+. The last two, AAA and AAA+ pearls, have the best quality and they are naturally the most valuable. An ‘A’ quality pearl necklace costs only a small fraction of what an AAA quality pearl necklace of the same size would cost.

The quality and value of pearls are based upon six criteria: luster, nacre, surface, color, shape, size and matching. When shopping for pearls you must choose your own preferences to decide which criteria are most important.

Buyers of pearl jewelry should pay close attention to the pearls’ nacre thickness. Nacre is the coating that a pearl oyster produces to cover the pearl’s nucleus and is the key to how long pearls last. You should look for pearls with nacre thickness over 0.4mm.

Luster is the amount of light reflected from the pearl’s surface. A strand of pearls with high luster, mirror finish and clean surfaces is most desirable and valuable.

Color is a personal choice. Consider buying a pearl necklace whose color will complement your clothing and your skin tone.

The price of pearls that are larger than 7mm varies greatly. People usually buy the largest pearls they can afford.

Perfectly round pearls are most desirable and therefore more valuable.

Matching refers to the ways in which all of the pearls are alike. It is difficult to find enough identical pearls to make a perfectly matched necklace so naturally these necklaces would commands a higher price.

After you’ve decided the type, color, size and quality of pearls that you want, the bottom line in making your choice is your budget. Don’t get over-anxious and take your time to shop for the perfect pearl necklace for your wedding day.

In ancient times, accepting a wedding ring constituted a legally binding agreement between husband and wife. The wife became property of the husband and for the most part was considered just another part of his earthly belongings. The wedding ring also represented protection to the wife against anyone who would attempt to seize her legal and rightful position in a power grab.

Early Egyptian wedding rings were simple circular bands, crudely crafted from local materials such as hemp and reeds. These early rings didn’t last long and life expectancy seldom exceeded a year. In direct contrast to today’s society, it would be a safe bet to conclude the average marriage outlasted the average wedding band. Since it’s inception, the wedding band has been a symbol of the eternal circle and as such signified eternal love and devotion. The circle also represented the joining of two halves to create a whole. The hole in the center symbolized the gateway to the unknown-the future. Wedding bands made of ivory, leather, and other sturdy materials were soon introduced and more and more were handcrafted by those who desired a more permanent token of eternity.

Metals soon began to replace the earlier hemp, reed and leather wedding bands. The Romans made rings from lead, while other civilizations chose brass and copper. Gold finally emerged from most civilizations the metal of choice. Early Irish couples insisted on gold, as any other material was thought to bring bad luck, and many actually felt a marriage using rings made of anything but gold would not even be legal. Many young Irish couples could not afford gold wedding bands and this created one of the first “cottage industries”. Many people rented out gold rings to be used during the service and returned as soon as it was over.

Early designs were crude and adorned with semiprecious metals in an efforts to customize the handiwork. The color of the stones also held significance. The red ruby signified the heart, the blue sapphire signified the skies and the heavens, and the rare diamond’s indestructible nature signified the indestructible bond of marriage.

For a long time proper size and fit has played an equally important role in the realm of superstition and tradition. The fit had to be perfect. Too loose a fit would lead to an unhappy marriage full of sloppiness, carelessness, and even cause the couple to drift apart. Too tight, the fit would sentence a couple to a suffocating, painful, or otherwisse doomed marriage.

Since ancient times, the wedding band has been placed on the third finger, left hand just as today. The significance of the third finger was in the belief that the vein in the third finger, the “vena amoris,” led directly to the heart. This was a thought introduced by the Egyptians and adopted as truth by the ancient Greeks and Romans, until it was disproved in later years.

From the beginning of recorded history, the wedding band has always occupied the third finger with only one exception. (For a short period of time during the Elizabethan era it became popular that weddings rings be worn on the thumb.) Even after the discovery that there was no vena amoris, the tradition of wearing the wedding band on the third finger survived. Early marriages most often included a ritual that placed the wedding band on the third finger: As the priest recited, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost,” he took the ring and touched the thumb, the first finger, and then the second finger. When he said, “Amen,” he placed the ring on the third finger, thus sealing the marriage.

Because of my profession as a wedding photographer I’ve became exposed to many versions of “At Last” through the years. Etta James recorded a version in 1961 that became very popular but it was written for a movie in 1941 by Mack Gordon and Harry Warren when Etta James was only 5 years old. It’s been recorded by almost everyone since 1941. The first time I ever remember hearing the song was Etta’s version in 1961.

In those days my hometown of Brownwood Texas had regular Saturday night functions at the old Adams Street Community Center. The building was later purchased by LB Bowman and moved to it’s current location at the old Travelers Steak House in Early Texas. But these functions called “Teen Timers” had no booze, no drugs, and no one over 21. (come to think of it, there were NO drugs ANYWHERE back then)  It was totally teenage stuff at these functions. Gene Street and the Cruisers would play often but we always had a jukebox with Etta James’ version of At Last on it. I always loved to dance back in those days, especially the slow songs like that. When Etta James came on the jukebox singing At Last,  some of the girls I danced with with would get so hot that I could smell the foam rubber padding burning in their bras and I didn’t have a clue what to do. (but that’s another post).

For many years At Last was just another pretty song. Never though a lot about it. It was just a pretty song that was played at weddings a lot. A few years ago I stumbled across a version of At Last performed by Eva Cassidy. When I heard Eva’s version of At Last, the first thing that came to mind was the smell of burning rubber. But within seconds I was moved to tears by the complete and absolute beauty of the “one voice, one guitar” version of the song that I had been so fond of of so many years ago.

One voice, One Guitar” songs have always been my weakness, My life hasn’t been the same since I saw Julie London sing “Cry Me A River” in the movie The Girl Can’t Help It in 1956. Although I didn’t know what it was at the time, I can now look back and attribute this moment in my life to being the first erotic experience I ever had. The beauty of the song (and Julie wallering around on that staircase) was just doing strange things to me.

Anyway, back to the point.  Beyonce once did a tribute to Etta James where she and the host of the show did a “bang up job” of honoring Etta for the contributions she had made to the music industry. During the process of doing this, she performed a version of At Last that completely overshadowed anything Etta James had ever done. It just sucked all the oxygen out of the room. Absolutely took my breath away. The shear beauty of Beyonce’s voice moved me to tears once again. I’m sorry but Etta just never did that for me.  Her version of the song never did a lot for me except remind me of the “burning rubber smell”.

During the inauguration of “the Messiah”, Beyonce performed her version of At Last for Barack and Michelle as they danced together at one of the inaugural balls. Although I’m not just real fond of “the Messiah” and all that he’s “done for us”, the absolute beauty and the essence of this moment again moved me to tears. After Beyonce serenaded the new President and First Lady, Etta James went ballistic and criticised Beyonce severely. Said Beyonce had no right to “sing her song” . You know, the one which was written by a couple of guys when Etta was only 5 years old.

So what’s this “innocent bystander” thing all about. Why can’t we just admire Beyonce for the superhuman, superstar that she really is. She’s worked hard to get where she is today. It’s not her fault that God gave her more talent and beauty than Etta James. Beyonce has humbled herself live in front of Etta James and millions of viewers and Etta has rewarded her by criticising Beyonce publicly for “singing her song”. Many artists have recorded this song and done a better job than Etta James ever did. Even our own local wedding singer Pam Yancy does a better job of singing At Last than Etta ever did.

I’ve posted links below to videos of Etta James, Beyonce, and Eva Cassidy singing At Last. Please view the 3 videos and I’d love to have your comments. Which one is best?