A friend just turned me onto a fabulous new resource that if you’re into traveling and photography you’ll want to know about…
Photography for Travellers is a new website that helps people to get more from their photos. It’s not a technical site for geeks, but a rich source of philosophies and useful tips on how to take better photos when you travel.
by Ewen BellOffering information and inspiration about the world of photography outside the studio, PhotographyforTravellers.com is a fabulous free resource where photography and travel enthusiasts can learn more about taking great pictures.
It’s about getting real with the camera - no models and lights, just real life and lots of advice on how to capture the emotion of your journeys on digital film.
Ideas we can all use to bring home photos that reveal the true spirit of the places we visit.
Developed by travel journalist Ewen Bell (named 2007 Travel Photographer of the Year by the Australian Society of Travel Writers), Photography for Travellers has great, easy-to-follow advice, and anyone can take something away to improve as a photographer.
Check it out at www.PhotographyforTravellers.com and let me know what you think using the comment link below.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Coming up with the perfect Father’s Day gift is never an easy task. But if Dad’s been looking for an excuse to hit the Big Apple, the New York Pass grants access to more than 55 of the top sites and attractions across the city for a single price, many with exclusive “fast-track” entry privileges, allowing card holders to whiz past long lines.
Some of the 55 New York Pass attractions include Top of the Rock; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; The Guggenheim; The Whitney; The Museum of Natural History; the Museum of Television and Radio; Bodies…the Exhibition, and MOMA. Behind-the-scenes tours at Madison Square Garden; NBC studios; Lincoln Center, and Carnegie Hall. Free entry to zoos, aquariums, parks and gardens, and places of interest like Madam Tussaud’s; The Empire State Building Observation Deck; New York Skyride, the Statue of Liberty and the Ellis Island ferry. The New York Pass also includes shopping discounts at stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s-it even includes discounts on New York City helicopter rides.
New York Pass offers single-day passes regularly priced at $75 for adults, $55 for children; two-day passes, $120 for adults, $100 for children; three-day passes, $150 for adults, $130 for children; and seven-day passes, $190 for adults and $150 for children.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
THIS JUST IN…
Now you can tap into the travel wisdom of your friends. TripAdvisor(R), the world’s largest travel site*, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking “TripAdvisor(R) Trip Friends” feature, allowing travellers to get advice from their Facebook(R) friends on TripAdvisor to plan their next vacation. Supplementing the site’s more than 35 million reviews and opinions from real travellers around the world, the wisdom of crowds on TripAdvisor is now enhanced by the wisdom of friends, delivering personalised recommendations.
“As the world’s largest travel site, we’re thrilled to continue revolutionising the travel industry by providing our community with exciting new access to their friends’ valuable advice about travel,” said Steve Kaufer, founder and CEO of TripAdvisor. “With TripAdvisor Trip Friends, our 34 million monthly visitors can tap into their friends’ wealth of travel knowledge with just a few clicks, making holiday planning more fun, social and personal.”
How TripAdvisor Trip Friends Works
When researching a destination, hotel, attraction or restaurant on TripAdvisor, users who have logged in using Facebook will now see a list of their friends who have been to that location, as identified via TripAdvisor’s Cities I’ve Visited (CIV) application on Facebook Platform. Travellers can tap into their network of friends for more details, by directly messaging their friends, or by posting a message to a group of friends, to gain the unique travel insights from those who know them best. CIV has been one of the most popular travel applications on Facebook Platform for nearly three years, with more than five million monthly active users, and highlights over one billion destinations that CIV travellers have visited.
“Travellers using TripAdvisor Trip Friends will be amazed to see all the places about which their friends can offer highly relevant, personal travel advice-from that extra tip about the best place for croissants in Paris (your friends know how much you love croissants), to insights on the best scuba spot in Belize (through TripAdvisor Trip Friends, you discovered that two of your friends recently returned from an awesome scuba trip in Belize). This feature will turn great trips into fantastic ones, with convenient, personal input from people you know best and trust most,” said Kaufer.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Couldn’t resist sharing….
From canine ambassadors to goat adoptions and first-class hospitality, Fairmont Hotels continue to delight and surprise.
Chefs Will Use Signature Goat Cheese for Montreal’s Beaver Club
Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal has recently adopted a goat, affectionately named Blanche Neige (Snow White), to make the hotel’s signature cheeses for the legendary Beaver Club. A registered “show goat” with an impressive pedigree, Snow White was adopted from the local Fromagerie du Vieux St-François as part of the property’s ongoing commitment to supporting local cuisine and small artisan producers. While living at the fromagerie, Snow White will produce cheese for the menu at The Beaver Club, as well as for sale at the Fairmont Store.
“Before adopting Snow White, our culinary team decided that we wanted to create a unique and exclusive experience for our guests, while also promoting local, artisan cuisine” said Michel Busch, Director of Food & Beverage. “With Quebec’s reputation for award-winning cheese and the growing demand for locally-produced food, working with an artisan fromagerie here in Montreal was a natural choice.”
The Beaver Club’s Chef Martin Paquet will be using the goat cheese in a variety of dishes to complement the restaurant’s renowned cuisine, from entrées to desserts, including Asparagus Bundle with Goat Cheese and Confited Cherry Tomatoes; Snow White Iced Nougat and Snow White Cheesecake with Red Berries. The cheese is exclusive to the Beaver Club and the Fromagerie, and will include varieties such as La Tour Saint-François, the Peau d’ours and l’Ilot de Blanche Neige. They will also be available alongside a larger selection of Quebec cheeses as part of the gourmet cheese cart.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Is it possible to vacation with only a 16x14x12-inch bag? The answer from the experts at SmarterLiving.com 
answer: Yes! And in this era when even carry-on bags can incur a hefty fee, packing right can be a big money-saver. So get your ruler out, and prepare to dodge baggage fees. They’ll show you how to do it.
Find out how to fit it all in. Read more…
Or, for my own tips on traveling light, read What Not to Pack
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
I’ve been looking for an excuse to visit the South Pacific and this photo themed cruise sounds like the perfect opportunity. Read on for details…
Paul Gauguin Cruises invites guests aboard the m/s during the August 7th sailing to Tahiti and the Society Islands, as well as the August 14th sailing to the Society Islands and Tuamotus, to participate in a learning opportunity that covers an incredible range of photographic challenges and lessons through an elite photographic tour of the paradise that is French Polynesia.
Celebrated photographers Jesse Kalisher and Roger Paperno and accomplished graphic designer and artist Helen Kalisher share their knowledge about their art as they lead an unparalleled photo-expedition that covers everything from tropical flowers and white-sand beaches to magnificent views of Cook’s Bay, Mt. Rotui, and an ancient Tahitian stone temple.
The course will cover every aspect of photography on islands that deliver one amazing photograph after another.
Through the photography-themed sailings, participants will learn how to:
- capture movement when photographing local flora
- use a wide-angle lens or a telephoto lens
- to add perspective
- find the perfect shot
- capture the majesty of this spectacular landscape
- control light to create beautiful portraits in magnificent settings
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".