About this page
like father like son
Hello, I’m Dan.
I used to work a lot as a Geologist for a small geotechnical engineering firm but things have changed. After an almost 5 year battle with my student loans I became debt free and got bit by the wanderlust bug. I’m departing March 1st for Guadalajara, Mexico and plan on getting down to Argentina before Christmas. Buena suerte right?
I’ve always been interested in photography as far back as I can remember. My mom took amazing photos of our family growing up and I think it was engrained in my mind at a young age. I used to buy disposable cameras and loved to see what came out of them. Throughout college I forgot how much fun taking photos was (I didn’t even bring a digital camera to New Zealand for a study abroad program). Then I was gifted my first DSLR, a Nikon D40. I was hooked from there. My D7000 is now a permanent mechanical appendage.
So along comes this blog. I made it for two reasons. #1: To have a place to put my pictures and write out my thoughts. #2: For others to enjoy. I’ve generally received positive feedback about my perspective, which adds fuel to the fire. My goal is to constantly learn new techniques and capture images the way I think they should be, or at least try. I think that any form of creative expression is a positive asset to the human experience.
Everyone has a story to tell even if they are unknowingly the subjects of a photograph (my favorite stories are found here). I take into consideration that everyone I see, everyone I meet, and those I don’t all have a story to tell with their very own perspective on life and I take interest in how they came up with their version of the world and how they fit in it. I think we all have the ability deep within to create an environment of our choosing and salute those that take the initiative and make it theirs. I feel it’s quite easy in this ever-evolving society we live in to fall into obligatory routines that can and mostly hinder personal growth and journeys that could otherwise lead us to truly finding out who we really are. I’ve spent a few years wondering what kind of world I want to live in and how I can create that environment. I’m working on putting these thoughts into action.
Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Dan,
I am a fellow blogger and write on wordpress at http:info4youonmexico.wordpress.com. but I have a lot of trouble downloading my photos to where I want them to go and I have tons of pictures. Any suggestions? We are near Puerto Vallart by the way and you should not miss visiting the Pacific side with the fabulous Ocean,
Warm regards,
Charlotte Ortega
Charlotte,
I don’t think we are going to make it to the west coast as we have already moved eastward to Guanajauto. I hear it is beautiful there though. As far as the pictures go I just keep the best ones on the memory card and delete the rest. I put transfer small batches onto the computer to see how they look and go from there. I brought about 5 memory cards so when I fill one up I label it and will either mail it back home or hang onto them and hope I don’t lose them. We’ll see what happens!
Dear All,
It seems this blogging thing is just a global wide family.Fantastic. I continue to travel between Canada and Mexico my polarized worlds divided between the rich and the poor, the vibrant and the beige, the exotic and the mundane. I love my world, my life and the privelege of sharing not only my stories, but my resources day to day. Follow my blog on info4youonmexico.wordpress.com and give me some feedback.
Warmly to all,my home in Mexico is in Mezcales, Nayarit and you are welcome to visit,Ican’t imagine anyone wanting to come to Oil and Gas City Calgary?
Charlotte Ortega
Thank you for stopping by, and more importantly for the open invitation to your home Charlotte! That is a very gracious offer and proves to me that Mexico is once again one of the most warm and open places to be. Everyone who we got to know always invited us into their homes and wanted to show us a good time laced with hospitality. I’m not headed up to Calgary any time soon, but if I ever end up there I’ll definitely say hello.
Hi Dan,
Happy February to you! Your blog clearly shows your love of travelling as well as your dedication to and delight in bringing your many journeys and experiences to your readers. Hence, SoundEagle would like to congratulate you on the consistency and quality of your blogging endeavours. That you believe that most if not all of your readers wade through most of the contents in your long posts is another cause for celebration and also a testimony to the strength of your blog. Bravo!
The only but important suggestion from SoundEagle to you here is that the size of your text be increased by at least one or two notches, as your font is quite small to read comfortably, even if/though some of your readers may know how to increase the font size in their chosen web browsers.
If you are interested in SoundEagle’s multidisciplinary blog at http://soundeagle.wordpress.com, where Art, Science, Poetry, Music & Ideas can be free to mingle and roam, please kindly visit and comment on whatever strikes you as good or bad, excellent or problematic. Thank you.
All the best!
Greetings! Thank you for the in depth reply to my questions on feedback! I would love to be able to alter the font but I will have to invest some money into upgrading my blog in order to make these changes. Pretty soon I will probably go that route, but for now I’ll have to deal with the size. Thank you for stopping by and I’ll check out soundeagle!
You are very welcome, Dan! And you have SoundEagle’s admiration.
Isn’t it great to be able to travel to various places and blog about what you like? My only concern is that flying leaves such a large ecological footprint.
SoundEagle would also like to commend you on your English grammar, and also on your politeness and care that can be felt in the expressiveness of your prose.
your blog was on the main home page and i started following you, since i am currently in guatemala, and plan on busing up and flying back home from guadalajara in august. looking forward to reading about your travels, let me know if you´d like any travel advice about costa rica, guate or ecuador!
I visited Mexico a few years ago and I really enjoyed my visit. Have you ever been to Guaymas(?)? It’s by the Sea of Cortez and it’s a beautiful place. There’s an island nearby, full of nothing of seals, you can visit. If you have some time, visit it. Enjoy your vacation.
Never been there, but if we end up nearby that sounds like a solid plan! Thanks for the idea!
What an awesome way to express your talents. I salute your efforts to live in the world you create. if only everyone had the same vision as you the World would be a wonderful place with amazing captured moments. I’m working on my talents and love photography. I will follow you to Argentina
Thanks for those kind words! Creativity is a great outlet of expression that I everyone should embrace, en mi opinion. Thanks for following!
Thank you for sharing your pictures, your feelings about the wonderful places you visit … and, most of all, your perspective
It’s great!!
G.
Cool blog, will definitely be following this. I’m heading from Cancun down to Santiago in Chile from the end of April. Perhaps you’ll be one step ahead of me?
Keeping a blog here: http://michaelpalinsfault.wordpress.com/
Good luck on your travels!
Follow your dreams and follow your heart. It will lead to great things. I’m celebrating my 10-year anniversary of taking the leap to change my life and now I am living the live I’ve always dreamed of. It’s possible. Buena suerte y bien viaje!
Hey there DR. I just began my blog on here for about the same reasons you did. I love taking pictures and posting the ones that speak a thousand words. I love looking at other people’s photographs as well. You have been blessed to capture the beauty of many parts of this world. I look forward to seeing more.
Muchas gracias Laura! Thanks for those thoughtful words. If you have creativity within it can only hide for so long. Put your perspective out there and see what happens
Great trip! I´m definitly following your blog!
Thanks for following this aventura! Comments are always welcome
Hey Dan, your blog is amazing, and your trip and pics even more!!, I’ve started to improve my skills in photography getting ready for my trip to my country (Mexico), South America and then the rest of the world. I want to see for myself this wonderful world and show it to other, you’ve been an inspiration, I’m your fan and hope you be my fan one day
A lot of heart::) .Loved the photos and the layout!.
Great song Buena Vista one of my favorites
Hello there, I love your photos, they are great! I also have a photography blog and I was wondering if you could tell me how you were able to add a page that when clicked went to another website, like your tumblr. I’ve been trying to figure out how to do that for my flicker page. Hoping you could help. Thanks.
Wonderful blog! You’ve got a new follower
Your blog is fantastic, from the beautiful photographs to the way you turn a phrase and share your thoughts, I’m hooked. Please keep up the good work (and maybe come visit me at beantraveling.wordpress.com). Cheers!
I’m so glad I have found your blog! Truly inspiring! Love your perspective and the destinations are just so wonderful and colourful! What lenses do you use?
The only lens I’ve really been using is an AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G from Nikon. I used to only have zoom lenses but am glad I ventured into the prime lens world. Thanks for the kind words!
I made my blog because I’ve been following “the right path” my whole life and I still haven’t found happiness. You’re an inspiration. I hope I’m brave enough to take chances like this one day!
It’s never to late to be the person you want to be. That’s an extremely cheesey quote from Benjaman Button, but it’s one that resonates in my head sometimes and helps remind me to take the reigns. I hope your path is transformative, don’t look to hard for happiness but help pave the way for it to come into your world. Thanks for the kind comments, for following, and best of luck.
Amazing photographs! Thanks for sharing your travels!
Thanks for following this journey!
Hi Dan and Elissa!
Thanks for leaving us your blog address this morning. We look forward to following your progress south. We have one too, if you guys want to look at any of the spots we’ve visited in Ecuador and Peru: http://www.becandthebeast.com. Very nice to meet you both!
Que le vaya bien,
Rebecca and Bob
Hello,
Great blog. I enjoyed your article. I was hoping I could publish something on your site.
I look forward to hearing your feedback.
Thanks,
That all depends on what you have got. Send me a link or a message to drajter@gmail.com. I’ll let you know. Thanks for stopping by!
This is for Kristine who plans to travel and Iwanted to let you know about my blog on wordpress info4youonmexico by myself Charlott Ortega.
I live in Mezcales on the Pacific Side during the winter months and have some interesting stuff on the Mexican cultural language which is a lot more diffcilcult ot learn than Spanish!
Just found your blog and started clicking around…great posts! I have a similar idea for a trip, but it was the opposite of yours–starting in Buenos Aires and working my way up. At first I wasn’t sure if I should save Central America for another trip…but then I saw your pictures. Looks amazing.
I would definitely recommend getting to Central America and not skipping it. There are some countries there that have more a cultural presence than others, but it might not compare after seeing South America. Countries that are on the definite must see list in Central America are Guatemala, Nicaragua, and El Salvador. I wasn’t particularly impressed with Costa Rica, Panama, or Belize very much and didn’t really spend any time in Honduras. But if you are going up, DO NOT skip Mexico. It was an amazing and beautiful place filled with a wonderful array of culture, food, and diverse environments AND was completely safe. Consider it, but give it at least 2 months to explore. Thanks for coming by!
Hi Dan..Your blog is excellent!!..I’ve nominated you for the Adventurous Blogger Award. If you like awards, here’re the details: http://deetoursbydeepali.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/adventurous-blogger-me/.
Great blog, love the pictures and the info on where you went and your experiences there. I’m on a backpacking journey around the world, going to Mexico through to Chile in December, and enjoy reading what’s good to see. Thanks again! If you want to check out my blog, the address is http://lifepono.wordpress.com
Ah, I’d love to see that end of the world, and your blog kindled the wanderlust even more… one day, one day. Thank you for this! If you ever want any storytelling by a traveller in Eastern Europe, maybe my blog can repay you for the pleasure yours has given me – bridgekeepingtraveller.com
Fellow Travellers and visitors to Mexico I invite you to check out my blog at info4youonmexico@wordpress.com under Charlotte Ortega.Have fun and leave me some comments,Hugs to all Charlotte!
Everyone has a story to tell. My thoughts exactly. I love your tagline: Chasing the world. I recently returned to the States after living in Asia for three years. What I realized while abroad was that the more you see, the more there is to see. What am amazing site with amazing pictures. I’ll be back soon. And often.
I like how you view the world as well. Life is short, and we are fragile beings in reality. Checked out your post on how not to die, I think this speaks on that. What an incredible event to live through. Asia must have been amazing. Southeast Asia is on my bucket list, which I’ve found out is actually pretty easy to access, you just have to be willing to go for it. Thank you for the kind words and compliments, and do stop by again.
Speaking of Southeast Asia, I was just going to invite you to come see my side of the world. Am sure your camera will not be resting here as well. Travel safe and keep shooting for the moments.
I truly enjoy your pictures and thoughts.
I appreciate the warm comment. Thanks for coming by!