“Pondering The Loss Of Nelson Mandela”

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Guatemala
Through Harold’s Lens:

Today
Our world lost
Truly great man
True hero of our time.

Let us never forget

One-of-a-kind stature
Wisdom
Grace
South Africa’s
Nelson Mandela.

His final walk to freedom has begun.

“Feel The Love Award” To Through Harold’s Lens.

BELGIUM Through Harold’s Lens:

The true name of this award to Through Harold’s Lens is “I Am Part Of The WordPress Family Award”.

I love the nickname “Feel The Love” though, as it expresses how I feel about my WordPress family.

Only a woman we all know and love, named “Hugs” could have given me this award. Her blog handle is www.Hope*the happy hugger.com. Thank you dear “Hugs” for nominating Through Harold’s Lens. You speak so softly of life, love, happiness and most of all kindness that you have a rich family of Followers from all over the world.

Dear “Hugs”, I’m sure all of them would agree that you are an ounce of gold in our treasure chest of life.

“Blog Of The Year Award” To Through Harold’s Lens.

ARGENTINA Through Harold’s Lens:

Sunset at Ushuaia, the southern most city in the world, is a mind-blowing experience.

Through Harold’s Lens feels extremely honored to be presented the prestigious Blog of the Year Award.

There are over 181,000,000 blogs around the world. Blogs exist in every country and on every creative passion and interest known to man. Through Harold’s Lens is just 1 blog. Only 4 months old. Focused on photography and travel. I am very extremely grateful to two outstanding bloggers, Global Grazers and tiny lessons blog, for discovering, enjoying and nominating Through Harold’s Lens for Blog of the Year. Thank you!!!

I also thank my wife Rita who has patiently waited as I said “Just one more shot”. My two daughters, Courtney and Carlin, for giving me a camera for Christmas in 1998. My son, Harold, for helping me create this blog as my birthday gift in 2012. And to the 4,500 people who have viewed Through Harold’s Lens since September. Each of you continue to provide me with inspiration to pursue my love of capturing life with a camera. Thank you all!!!

Through Harold’s Lens is not about business or trying to sell a product or idea. I share my images from life around the world only in hopes that they may inspire others, particularly children, to explore other cultures with an open mind.

The ‘rules’ for Blog of the Year are very simple:
1. Select the blog(s) you think deserve the ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award.
2. Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen – there’s no minimum or maximum number of blogs required – and ‘present’ them with their award.
3. Please include a link back to this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award and include these ‘rules’ in your post (please don’t alter the rules or the badges!)
4. Let the blog(s) you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the ‘rules’ with them
5. You can now also join our Facebook group – click ‘like’ on this page ‘Blog of the Year 2012’ Award Facebook group and then you can share your blog with an even wider audience
6. As a winner of the award – please add a link back to the blog that presented you with the award – and then proudly display the award on your blog and sidebar.

Through Harold’s Lens nominations for Blog of the Year 2012:

http://rolbos.wordpress.com: Writer extraordinaire Amos van der Merwe creates magical words about living the life of the common people, primarily in Africa. For safari lovers like me, this is the ultimate. At the end of day’s dusty game drive out on the veld with my experienced guide, after my sundowner, after my delicious wild game dinner, night rolled into my campsite. The guides built a roaring campfire under the black tent with its white stars. Lions you know. Camp chairs circled the flames. My palm held a generous Chivas, neat. Sinking in my camp chair, one of my most favorite parts of a Safari was about to begin. The telling of tales, short stories and a few quips from life out on the African Savannah. This is Amos, the storyteller. His Posts always bring me a tear of laughter, a tear of sadness, a quiet smirk or a reflective moment.
http://ronmayhewphotography.com: Professional photographer Ron Mayhew is an amazing talent with a camera. His images are simply brilliant! They provide me with inspiration and a desire to improve and to do the very best I can through my lens. I always await with anticipation for his next visual post.
http://takingtotheopenroad.com: Taking To The Road. A serious case of wanderlust, is another outstanding travel writer and photographer. Peggy Tee’s passionate words and images from many countries around the world abound on this blog. The courage. The love of life. The gift to capture it all. This is another skilled blog I really enjoy.
http://mabrycampbell.com: Professional photographer Mabry Campbell Photography inspires me with every image she posts. What a talent! Her severe, perfectly balanced architectural angles of buildings are incredible. Then she sweeps me away to a fishing pier at sunset where I am so in awe that I put down my camera and pick up my fly rod. And on and on the unbelievable changes in venues go with Mabry.

Through Harold’s Lens sends a warm thank you to all of the talented bloggers he has met and thoroughly enjoyed over the past 4 months. You have each, in your own individual way, brought me an increased depth and love of photography and travel that I never would have found without you. Each of you has also brought me so much more. A smile, a chuckle, a tear, a stirred passion for an idea or culture. Thank you all for your warm welcome to the world of blogging!

“Liebster Award” To Through Harold’s Lens

TANZANIA Through Harold’s Lens:

The passing of another rich day on the vast Serengeti.

Through Harold’s Lens is honored to have received The Liebster Award.

This award is given to new bloggers with less than 200 followers, giving them recognition and encouragement, and to help the rest of the blogging community discover their fabulous blogs. The Liebster Award was presented by http://kibogoji.com/2012/12/22/kibogoji-liebster-award-nominee/.

For Through Harold’s Lens, which is only four months old, to be recognized by another blogger of such high esteem in another part of our world, truly astounds me. From my heart and the passion I try to convey through my camera lens, I thank you.

To comply with the rules Kibogoji has asked me 11 questions, and in return, I must select my favorite 11 newbie bloggers to pass on the award, along with my 11 questions for them.

Questions for Harold
1. What is your hobby beside blogging?
Currently, photography, playing golf and fly fishing. When I was younger there were a lot more.
2. What is/was your favorite vacation?
Africa twice.
3. Where did you go and why? (An extension of question 2)
1st time: To photograph animals. South Africa, Kruger National Park, Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Botswana, Caprivi Strip, Nambia, Hwange National Park, Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. 2nd time: To photograph the Maasai, animals and the great migration. Tanzania.
4. What is your favorite music?
Classical.
5. What was your favorite song in 2012?
What a Wonderful World. Just love it. I now have 67 different versions on my iTunes.
6. Which band is your favorite and why?
Jim Cullum Jazz Band. Love good jazz. This is perfect toe tapping, fun “partner with partner” dancing music.
7. Which is one beauty product that you must have?
Don’t buy this stuff.
8. What is your most valuable possession?
Personally: my family. Product: my Lacie backup hard drive.
9. Who is your idol?
Don’t have one. I am comfortable in my own skin and don’t desire to be someone else.
10. Do you like scuba diving?
No. Not cardiology approved.
If you do, where was your last dive and why?

My Newbe Bloggers
At this point, with under 200 Followers, I have no idea how to tell who is a new blogger. However if some of my Followers are new, please let me know and I will add your Blog to my list and nominate you personally. Since I am only allowed 11, he/she who lets me know first, gets listed.
1. http://ideasofmassdestruction.wordpress.com/category/about-me/
2. http://globalgrazers.wordpress.com/about/

“Very Inspiring Blogger Award” To Through Harold’s Lens

TANZANIA Through Harold’s Lens:

Africa’s famous baobab tree stands solo, firm and strong against the morning sunrise out on the Serengeti.

I feel extremely honored. I am tingling with excitement. I had never blogged until this year. My loving son Harold said “Dad, you have so many wonderful photographic images, you need a blog so you can share them. For your birthday present, I would like to help you create one”.

On September 1 I posted my first image on my new “Photography Blog”.

Over 150 images later, I receive word that four bloggers have awarded Through Harold’s Lens for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Kavi360 and Created – Create. It, http://notesfromcamelidcountry.net and http://terry1954.wordpress.com.

I did not even know there were awards for blogs. To be honored by others, because the images I created with my camera have inspired them in some way, gives me the chills. Thank you my fun blogging friends for keeping the blogosphere a beautiful place. You’re fun and a hoot to blog with.

Upon receiving The Very Inspiring Blogger Award I was given the following guidelines:
1. Display The Very Inspiring Blogger Award on your blog.
2. Link back to the wonderful person, who was so inspired by your blog to award you for The Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
3. List seven things about yourself so that Followers of your blog may know you better.
4. Nominate fifteen other bloggers who have inspired you during the year and link to their sites so they may be shared with the world.
5. Notify these inspiring bloggers that they have been nominated for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award and link to their post.

Seven things about Harold that you will not find on Through Harold’s Lens:
1. I am one of 8 children. First born 3 boys. Second 5 girls. I am the #2 son.
2. I have always loved sports. I found that it developed a certain fiber in me. As a teenager attending Northwood School, I played ice hockey, football and tennis. I was the first student in school history to receive nine varsity athletic letters. P.S. I tried soccer but immediately broke my ankle. Found out you don’t stop the ball by standing on it.
3. I am also a responsible outdoor sportsmen who loves the solitary etherial feeling that comes from fly fishing. It’s “catch and release” for me.
4. I was President of a Sportsman’s Club on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard where I lived for ten years. I believe in the protection of our environment so that future generations may enjoy the outdoors.
5. My musical tastes are very eclectic. My ears tune in to everything from from Country, Blues, Jazz and New Age to Classical and Opera. I loved trying to expose another generation to Opera by doing volunteer work for the Houston Grand Opera.
6. I loved the adrenaline rush that came from my years of skydiving and riding a BMW motorcycle, while camping out, as I toured the roads less traveled across the United States.
7. My heart and talent believe in the power of communications to help others in need. I have directed communications for organizations to try to help cancer survivors and to feed starving children in third world countries.

Fifteen outstanding bloggers who have provided inspiration to me this year, and have so inspired me that I am nominating them for a Very Inspiring Blogger Award:
http://cecilia-maria.com She Laugh’s At The Days To Come
http://homeboundglobal.com Global From Home
http://thirdeyemom.com Travel, Culture & Social Good
http://hopethehappyhugger.wordpress.com Hope*the happy hugger. Life, love, happiness and most of all, kindness…
http://hikingphoto.com Canadian Hiking Photography
http://sukirthasphotography.wordpress.com Sukirtha’s Photography
http://irelandisbeautiful.com Beautiful Ireland In Photos and Words
http://uwana.wordpress.com Uwana. Growing into Sonship
http://tinylessonsblog.com Tiny Lessons Blog
http://thelifeofafifthgrademom.wordpress.com The Life of a Fifth Grade Mom
http://jolenehansonphotos.wordpress.com Jolene’s Life In Focus
http://dublinjournal.wordpress.com Dublin Journal by Thin8air
http://ckponderings.wordpress.com CK Ponderings. An exploration of the world through my camera lens
http://the-serenity-space.com The Serenity Space
http://mightyturk.wordpress.com MightyTurk. Where my thinking is worked out. Often in real time…

A large “Thank You” to all of you bloggers out there who follow Through Harold’s Lens from around the world. Each one of you are different and have provided me budding friendships and a degree of inspiration with your talents and creative skills. Thank you.

“Guest Host” On Blog ‘thirdeyemom’ To Through Harold’s Lens

BOTSWANA Through Harold’s Lens:

Today I feel special, very appreciative and thankful. The fascinating blog thirdeyemom invited Through Harold’s Lens to be her “photography guest” today.

Take a peek at this blog link third eye mom and take a journey around our world Through Harold’s Lens.

As I was assembling some of my new images from around our world for her to post, I felt honored. thirdeyemom is a blogger who is trying to do her part to try to bring human rights and social good to the world. To be invited to participate in her efforts brings me a warm, fuzzy feeling about how my images of world love, caring and concern may help her. Thank you thirdeyemom.

“Aboard Blog Of The Week” Interviews Through Harold’s Lens

TANZANIA Through Harold’s Lens:

I feel truly honored today to have been selected Aboard Blog of the Week .

Open this Aboard Blog of the Week link and you’ll discover the interview Through Harold’s Lens did with Aboard Blog of the Week.

There are thousands of Blogs out there. They asked me to be their participating guest this week and to answer a few questions. In answering them I learned more about myself and was able to take readers behind my lens with experiences as to what makes me click and how I do it.

Hope you enjoy.

Thank you Aboard Blog of the Week.

“#1 Photography Blog In The World” Selects Through Harold’s Lens Photograph

TANZANIA Through Harold’s Lens:

“Sunrise Over The Serengeti.

In this large 12,000 square mile ecosystem region in Africa, sometimes it pays to get out of your cot in the dark of the cool early morning. Walk quietly out of your tent onto the Serengeti. Hope the lions don’t see or smell you. Set up your tripod. Have some fun.

The Guides were sound asleep.

The pure quiet of the dark.

The sneak of rich oranges and blues beginning to peak through the black.

Deadly hungry meat eaters could be lurking around.

My senses were on edge.

I did not hurry.

I made no noise as I set up my tripod and mounted my Nikon.

I took many images as the dawn colors progressed.

Selected as the image of the day by PhotoBotos.com, the #1 featured Photographer Blog on the web.

“Calendar Selection” For Through Harold’s Lens Image “Rattling Rhythm”

Mexico
Through Harold’s Lens:

Indian dancers stomped
Through San Miguel de Allende.

Love at first sight
The rattling pods
Footloose they were.

Circles of drums
Circles of dancers.

Belly to pavement
Mr. Nikon clicked away.

Selected for the annual calendar of the Garden Club of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

“Calendar Selection” For Through Harold’s Lens Image “My Rose”

 MEXICO Through Harold’s Lens:

Selected for the annual calendar of The Garden Club of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

“Calendar Selection” For Through Harold’s Lens “Hymns Of History”

Mexico
Through Harold’s Lens:

La Parroquia Church of St Michael the Archangel is very unique and the emblem of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Built in the 17th century, this parish church, with it’s Neo-gothic facade and two tall towers, is the most prominent landmark in town.

It towers over the main square and can be seen from a great distance.

San Miguel de Allende is the birthplace of the Mexican revolution.

To pay homage and to celebrate the Mexican Bicentennial, Mexico hired a Frenchman to create a dramatic musical laser light show. This 15-minute long outdoor spectacle of music and moving images told the history of Mexico.

From large projectors mounted on rooftops, this laser light show was projected onto the face of La Parroquia Church every Friday and Saturday night for a year, to the delight of thousands.

Selected for the annual calendar of the Garden Club of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.