The first time I discovered Port Stanley’s Main Beach for myself a few years ago, I could have sworn I’d been transported somewhere in the Caribbean. By day, the beach is packed with sun worshippers playing volleyball or lying on the sand. By night, live music wafts from the back deck of GT’s Beach Bar & Grill, which literally sits atop the sand. The beach’s distinctive energy makes it one of the finest spots on Ontario’s Lake Erie coastline.

My photo of a Tuareg man in Timbuktu, Mali, has been chosen as a finalist in a Travel & Leisure magazine photo contest and I would appreciate your vote by December 31. The magazine leaves it up to the world at large to vote on the finalists. Unfortunately, that means the photos with the most votes win and not necessarily the best photo.

Given that, I’d be remiss to NOT to lobby for your vote. It will require you to register, but it’s not a long process, especially if you have an OpenID. Click now to vote.

I appreciate your support!

Here’s another reason why I hope print publications will never die completely. I love seeing images in print. It’s just not the same when photographs are crammed inside a computer monitor; you can almost hear the pixels crying out for the opportunity to experience offset printing.

When I saw my photo of White Sands National Monument splashed across a spread in the latest issue of New Mexico Magazine, it took my breath away.

I was just as impressed with the winners of the 10th Annual New Mexico Magazine Photo Contest. Not only do I love holding the magazine and flipping through the pages, I also love to see other people’s view of my second home. Tons of visitors see New Mexico in the summer, but most of winning photographs represent a moment in time that the casual tourist may never see, such as a snowstorm in the Sandia Mountains or the expression on a child who has just performed a Native American dance.

The best thing I can hope for is that a photograph, whether mine or someone else’s, will make people want to visit a place or be inspired to take their own photos. Better still, perhaps someone will capture something special on camera and experience the joy of seeing it printed in the pages of a magazine.

In the meantime, show your support for print publications (and for my livelihood). Pick up an issue of New Mexico Magazine, Cleveland Magazine, Lake Erie Living or another favorite read!