josephinebardot

  Most of the time when we be recallin' famous pirates throughout history we remember them based on a theatrical reputation. Morgan was cunning, Blackbeard was fearsome n' Vane was cruel. Calico Jack Rackham be a different story! Rackham is memorable because of his fashionable Calico coat, n' the company he kept with Anne Bonny n' Mary Read. But he is still regarded as one of the famous pirates in the Golden Age of Piracy. Much o' his life is considered a mystery until 1718 when history documents him as an officer aboard Charles Vane's ship. Vane himself had a warlike n' brutal reputation, often torturing French dignitaries n' merchants fer pleasure. To his crew he was likely just a cunning bully. At some point during their time together thew crew held a vote to attack a French Man o' War off the coast of New York, for which an overwhelming majority, including Rackham voted yes- attack the ship. They were sure it would be loaded with we...

  If you’ve taken the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer specialty course, you may be a pro at snapping photos of your favorite dive spots, but what about for all your topside adventures? Sharpen your photography skills with these great tips for traveling shutterbugs. It’s all about perspective.  Try taking photos from different perspectives. Don’t always do what is expected. For example, when wanting to take a photo of something outside a window, instead of opening the window to get a clear view, try taking the photo from inside. Try immersing yourself in the country’s way of life instead of doing the expected touristy activities to achieve some unique photos and a great experience. Lighting is key.  Sometimes all a picture needs is good lighting. If you walk across something you want to take a photo of and you know it’ll still be there (for example, a building), try visiting it at different times of the day to see what lighting looks best....

  Though Anne Bonny n' Mary Read were likely far from being the only female Buccaneers they certainly be the most famous! They be a dynamic duo that make for quite a piratical tale! Before Anne met Calico Jack she was married to a poor sailor named James Bonny, business had brought them from England to Nassau where she freely mingled with other pirates n' sailors. She had a reputation for bein' a fiery, confrontational Irish girl. When she got into her affair with Jack Rackham she quickly left her husband fer a life at sea. As a crewman aboard his ship she had allegedly tried to strike up another affair with a sailor, who in this case turned out to be Mary Read! Read had been disguised as a man to allow her the liberty to pirate freely without dealing with the pressures of bein' a woman in an Age not known for fair treatment of women. The two became close n' it wasn't until Jack became murderously jealous of this "man" that Read's iden...