For a year, this time 2018, has arrived. The year is still fresh or can one say innocent? Is it really as events have already taken place that led to death and destruction during the first day(s) of the year. So from this, we will see what this year will bring.

Here in the eastern Levant, the year ended with rain and started with the same, which, indeed is good news. Although it dampened the new year celebrations in downtown Beirut a bit, nevertheless, considering that so far little rain has fallen in this winter, the rain is very welcome. As forecasted, more is to come towards the end of the first week of the year. This really is good news.

Tyre Corniche after a heavy rain storm

Heavy Rains but very welcome 

Looking out the window onto the Mediterranean Sea, I notice Seagulls cruising by, circling and coming back and forth, patrolling the shoreline, which does not happen to often. It is a pair of gulls, which was joined by a flock of Cormorants flying south. The usual gang of Indian Myna birds, which seem to have multiplied a lot since I first noticed them a couple of years ago, also is roosting temporarily and noisily on the tree outside my window. They seem to have some great group dynamics, always on the move, never alone, at least a duo of two hopping around somewhere and calling each other. In addition to those, there is also at least a pair of Palestine Sunbirds that frequents the Hibiscus flowers outside the window on a daily basis, absent only if it is raining heavily or when to windy, which prevents them from flying due to their delicate and light weight.

Palestine Sunbird in South Lebanon

Palestine Sunbird

The new year will start with some travelling, first to SE Asia for three weeks, then shortly after that to Germany and Cyprus, but those dates are not fixed yet but will most likely happen in February or maybe March.

The Sulu Sea after Sunset

Photos that I will take during the cause of the year, I guess, will be mostly with the smartphone, the Olympus cameras, the X100s and maybe the Canon G-10. It really varies on what I am looking for and whether I remember to bring a camera along. In reality, the smartphone is a great substitute camera that one more or less has always around, which a totally acceptable image quality, especially in good light. An App like Snapseed then will perform the rest to create a pleasing image out of it.

So, with the travels to begin next week, I will post more after I return, also about the experiences that I have made with the cameras on the trip, most likely the OMD, G-10 and my new drone, the DJI Spark. I am excited to go and engage in the Photography and filming, but I dread the long flight to the Far East, it is just to long to sit around in an aircraft cabin. But what to do. So bye for now, it is a new year and a new beginning, more later.