The last time I went to NASA's Johnson Space Center was probably in the mid-90's with my parents. Then, it was highlighted by the newly opened Space Center Houston which provided up close looks at shuttle replica pieces, a theater that showed IMAX films about space and the shuttle program and a place to get up close and personal with science. they even had a Saturn V rocket sitting out in the open. Today, Space Center Houston has become a major tourist attraction in the "space city" with the new Independence Plaza showing off the only shuttle mockup docked on top of the NASA 905 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft.

Johnson Space Center

I was amazed by the sheer size of walking into a mostly hollowed out Boeing 747, knowing that there was a vehicle meant for space travel on top. the last time I'd seen a shuttle on top of the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft was in September of 2012 as the shuttle Endeavor made its last flight around Houston before heading to California. Getting to be so up close and personal after seeing the same type of aircraft buzzing around the skies was like being a child again.

Into Rocket Park

johnson space center

The last time I stood next to one of three remaining Saturn V rockets was in the mid-1990's where it was open to the fickle Texas humidity, weather and pretty much anything else. In 2004, the Smithsonian began a partnership with Space Center Houston and constructed a massive complex to house the rocket and keep it from deteriorating further. The enormity of the Saturn V is truly breathtaking and it's hard to believe that something had to be that size to take a mere three people into space.

Along the far wall of the exhibit, the Apollo missions are chronicled in detail to show just how big a part of space exploration the Saturn V rocket played. Standing next to the type of vehicle that took the first man to the moon is truly inspiring and is definitely a must see when you come to Houston.

The outside section of Rocket Park lets you get up close and personal to unused rocket parts, engines and even a Mercury Redstone rocket like the ones used to take the first American astronauts to space in the Mercury program.

johnson space center

Bring Kids, and the Parents Too

Walking through Space Center Houston as an adult was a bit surreal. I remember the first time I saw the Skylab trainer in the Center's Starship Gallery and I got almost the exact same feeling when I saw it again as an adult. Chalk it up to the sense of awe that surrounds space travel and the things unknown. Even the science exhibits meant to teach kids basic concepts of engineering, math and science were fun to play with and learn from. Space Center Houston definitely holds enough fun for kids and adults alike, because when it comes to space travel, we're all pretty much learning together.

space center houston

space center houston

Space Center Houston is a wonderful place to visit and I look forward to heading back soon and finishing up some of the tours of Johnson Space Center since the wife and I are now card-carrying members. You can find out more information on visiting and about the exhibits at Space Center Houston here.

Libraries were a place of adventure for me as a child. I spent countless hours rummaging through books, living out fantasies in pages and inserting myself into history. I got that same sense of wonder and awe when I stepped into The Mercantile Library in downtown Cincinnati. Founded in 1835 as the Young Men's Mercantile Library Association, the library currently resides on the 11th and 12th floors at 414 Walnut Street, where its been since 1908.  

I was fortunate to have a tour of the Mercantile Library with author and Religion News Service blogger Jana Riess which included some of the history of the building itself and look at some of the old and oversized books with the library's Executive Director, John Faherty. He described the Mercantile as a "working library" and not a museum.

Amy B. Hunter, Literary Programs and Marketing Manager for the Mercantile Library, brought out some of the oldest books in the library's collection for us to look at. There's something otherworldly about scanning pages bound in 1614 on subjects like Egyptian Hieroglyphics, you can almost feel the knowledge pouring off the paper. I've always believed in the power of reading and transformation. It was this method that took me to London and Paris years before I would ever step on an airplane.

A Lease Like No Other

Throughout its history, the Mercantile Library has hosted Herman Mellville, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Ralph Waldo Emerson and many other great wordsmiths. The lease for the library at its current location was signed for a 10,000-year occupancy, cost $10,000 and was written by Alphonso Taft, the father of President William Howard Taft.

Just the look and feel of the small library was magical. The rich wood and dark metal cut a stark contrast to the bright book covers and white busts. Riess talked about how some people come and eat lunch and read the newspaper in the library, and I can see why. The deep brown leather in the couches mixes with the wood flooring and sparse decoration to create an inviting atmosphere for study, deep thinking or simple enjoyment.

In a 2014 article written by Faherty when he worked for the Cincinnati Enquirer, he mused on whether the Mercantile Library was the "city's prettiest place?"

The floors are wood, the windows are gigantic and the air is filled with the unmistakable smell of old books. There are glass floors in the stacks to let light filter through because the library was built before the invention of the light bulb. -John Faherty.

If you find yourself in Cincinnati, make sure to stop by the Mercantile Library, a haven of knowledge, beauty and wonder in the heart of the Queen City.

Thanks to Jana Riess for showing us this magical place. Be sure to check out her books The Twible and Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray and Still Loving My Neighbor. You can find Riess' blog for Religion News Service here.

I've been a fan of photographer Peter McKinnon for a while now. His vlog has helped me solve countless camera problems and encouraged me to push my skills more often than not. The episode on "8 Camera Hacks in 90 Seconds" not only gave me a ton of practical ways to step up my video game, it showed that professionals don't always use super expensive gear to get incredible shots. McKinnon uses a leather belt as a stabilizer in some shots. That sounds absurd, but I'm here to tell you from experience, it works.

Stop Comparing

On the latest episode, McKinnon asks "why aren't you taking better photos?" On the surface that may seem a pretty existential type of question. Maybe I'm just not good enough. Maybe I'm working with old equipment? Surprisingly, his first response is to simply stop comparing yourself to others, especially through social media.

I find myself watching other people's videos and wondering why my work doesn't look the exact same. Well, the answer to that is that I'm a different photographer and filmmaker with a whole different perspective. McKinnon suggests pausing your social media feeds and getting out there and creating. This can be translated to so many different things in life. There's merit in reading great authors but not if it paralyzes into not writing. I find myself falling into this trap way too often. I've got an idea for a short video right now but find myself looking over other people's work instead of actually going out and filming.

Poetry Off Page

Torri Horness has created a unique niche of writing original poems and inspirational quotes on paper and selling them on Etsy under the name Notes On The Way. She took something she loved and turned it into what she did. It's as simple as that. She's also amassed over 30 thousand Instagram followers along the way because the thing that brings her joy is authentic and resonates with people. That's the kind of story I want to convey.

A few weeks ago I had a dream about a guy waking up, getting out of bed and going to a protest. It was short, simple and felt as cinematic as any movie. The very next day I ran across an old poem that seemed to illustrate the dream perfectly. It was a no brainer. I had to recreate the dream on film with the poem as narration. I began storyboarding the look and feel, planning out who could feature in it and double checking copyright status for the narration. Thankfully, it's in the Public Domain so that was covered. Then I started watching other filmmakers interpretation of similar pieces. The problem is, I never stopped doing that.

I had hacked into the creative side of my brain and then overloaded it with doubt. From the initial excitement over the idea to comparing my work with more experienced filmmakers, I had lost the spark. Well, more like I doused the spark with my own self doubt.

Perfecting the Follow Through

The human mind is really good at convincing itself that whatever it just thought of, someone has probably done it better. I'm here to tell you (and myself) that even if someone has done it better, they haven't done it like you. That voice inside of you is unique and shaped by experiences and stimuli that no other person can claim. You have a story to tell and if you don't learn to tell it in your own way, the world suffers. My rallying cry for today is to perfect the art of the follow through. I'm working on this myself and if you want to help me get past the pre-production stage on this poetry/film project, drop me a line here.

So stop just dreaming and move to the creation phase. Need some more inspiration, try Andy J. Miller's podcast The Creative Pep Talk. I can't tell you how many times this resource has helped kick my butt in gear. Also, check out Chookooloonks from photographer and author Karen Walrond. She's challenged me to push forward in profound ways through her photography and insight.

Press the button.

In 2005 I bought my first personal camera. It was a tiny HP Photosmart digital camera that I carried with me everywhere. It had no manual settings whatsoever but it could fit in my pocket. All I knew is that I wanted to take photos like the ones I saw in books at the library. Nevermind that those books contained pictures from the likes of Henri Cartier-Bresson, Arthur Rothstein, Gordon Parks and more, that didn't matter. I just wanted to capture the world from my little eyes.

A Walk In The Park

Taken with a HP Photosmart digital camera.

Within a week of getting that camera I grabbed a few friends and headed to a local park. For some reason I was obsessed with black and white photos so pretty much every single shot I took that day was monochromatic. Most of them are pretty poorly composed, lack good depth of field and generally fall short of what I would now consider publishing, but I love all of them. One picture stands out to me in particular, mostly because of the story behind it. My friend Jen was standing in some type of almost torn down structure and the way the light came across her body was intriguing to me.

See, the whole thing was a ruse. The reason we were there wasn't to take pictures, it was to give my friend John some time "alone" with her. I was a matchmaking photographer and I'd only just got my first camera. The whole thing smacked of inauthenticity, but we didn't have a whole lot else to do in southwest Missouri at the time. Still, every time I go back through my photos, this one stands out to me. The sharp contrast between shadow and light really captures what was going on that day. two people, pulling in opposite directions but still trying to walk together.

Castles and Catching Light

My next stop with my camera was in England, where it captured quite possibly the best photo that it could take. I'd had the camera for a while now and knew how to manipulate it enough to take some decent images but on a summer day in Warwickshire, it came alive.

Taken with a HP Photosmart digital camera.

We were visiting Warwick Castle in the West Midlands of England and most of my shots were pretty typical ones of friends trying on armor or all the girls posing with the rugged looking archery performer (I'm looking at you Kate), but this one shot stood out. It was a prefect summer day and I found myself standing alone looking at the massive walls of the castle. I didn't do anything special, it just kind of happened. Some of the best photos you'll ever take will be spontaneous and probably not technically correct, but they'll be perfect.

Carillons and Campuses

Taken with a Pentax K110D DSLR camera.

The very next year I purchased my first DSLR camera, a Pentax K110D. It was the cheapest DSLR I could find, and the most I could afford at the time. Transferring what little about photography I'd learned from my HP point and shoot to this new camera with buttons and knobs was daunting. And fun. I found myself always carrying it with me, trying to find the perfect angle and shutter speed to expose the sensor.

At this point I was taking photojournalism courses and had the opportunity to have my work critiqued. The initial thought of having others tell me what was good or bad about my photography was frightening to say the least, but it pushed me to consider what I was looking at through the lens more.

This picture of the carillon tower on the campus of Missouri State University was one of the first that I took with my K110D and it's probably one of my favorites. I spent a good few years walking that exact path to class and had never seen the light come across it at that angle before. The truth is, I probably had never looked. That's what photography does for me. It's a mechanism to slow down and see the world around me and revel in its beauty and grandeur.

How To Take A Picture

I did a workshop a few weeks ago on taking pictures at events for a local church and the one thing I stressed was that the best camera is the camera you have with you. For most people that's their smartphone. It may not have all the capabilities of a DSLR or something else, but it's almost always close at hand. Learn to use it to your advantage.

The only thing you need to know to start taking pictures is "Press the Button." In the digital photography world, you're only constrained by how much storage space you have so take as many as you can. Experiment, have fun and show the world how you see it. Photography has taught me that every perspective is unique. We all bring some preconceived notions into the world that inform how we see it. That's what makes your photographic eye unique.

I'm going to leave you with an assignment today. Go out and take a picture of someone you don't know. Notice how freeing it is to capture the essence of someone else. Slow down and think about what you're trying to say and then press the button. That's the biggest step.

Featured image taken with a Fujifilm X-T20.

The Lofoten Islands in Northen Norway look like something out of a dream, especially when viewed in 4k clarity from filmmaker Nick Kontostavlakis. Filmed in February 2017, this look at the "foot of the lynx" will get you as up close and personal with the terrain as possible. I've said before that drone footage is not normally my favorite, but combined with the wild looking landscape and cold weather, Kontostavlakis really does justice to Lofoten.

Midnight Sun

According to VisitNorway.com, "between late May and mid July you can experience the midnight sun, whilst the northern lights can be viewed from September to mid April." Since the Gulf Stream travels so close to Lofoten, the area experiences a much milder climate than most places at the same latitude. Being from Texas, cold weather climates intrigue me and this definitely just made my list of places to travel to.

You can find out more about the Lofoten Islands by visiting their official tourism board page here.

Also, we should all have a code of conduct like this one.

Lofoten Code of Conduct

CAMP IN DESIGNATED AREAS

LEAVE NO TRACE. Avoid leaving traces in nature, such as cairns, tent pegs etc. Allow others to have the same great experience that you've had.

FOLLOW THE PATH AND AVOID CREATION OF NEW PATHS

THROW WASTE IN THE WASTE BINS. If you are in an area without bins, bring your waste with you until you can dispose of it.

USE PUBLIC TOILETS. If none are present, go in the ocean or dig a pit in the ground. Avoid using wet wipes, as they take a long time to decompose.

RESPECT PRIVATE PROPERTY. Camping closer than 150 metres from an occupied house or cabin is forbidden. You can only camp on cultivated land if you have an agreement with the land owner.

BE CONSIDERATE IN TRAFFIC. The roads in Lofoten are narrow, yet many use them. Keep well clear of cyclists when passing them. Be especially mindful of bicycles in tunnels.

BAN ON FIRES. During the summer months, there is a general ban on open fires. Use designated sites for fire, and make sure there is no risk for a forest fire.

RESPECT WILDLIFE. Avoid disturbing animals unnecessarily. Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times.

IN THE INTEREST OF THE ENVIRONMENT, as well as your own experience and safety, we recommend activities oranised by tour operator. You can find a list of such organisers here.