For the first episode, host Kishore Sawh dons his finest sport coat as he spearheads a panel discussion about ‘landscape photography’ with a who’s who of outdoor adventure photography.

Erin Babnik, Jacob Riglin, Chris Burkard, Keith Ladzinski and Pete McBride are no strangers to the outdoors, extreme environments and conservation efforts. Collectively, the formidable five-some has almost 6 MILLION followers on Instagram, with Burkard, Ladzinski and McBride being regular contributors for the holy grail of photography journalism, National Geographic.

So when you have the chance to watch these five brilliant minds sit down together and just chat about their passion for their art, you mine every ounce of knowledge out of the experience as you can.

I watched the discussion twice over, and I learned just as much the second time around as the first. I have collected a list of my favorite quotes from the show, but to really get the lesson behind the words, I advise shutting off all distractions and watching the discussion yourself.

“A photograph now is more of a communication tool than anything.” -Chris Burkard

Chris was talking about the advance of photography as an art form over the years. He related his recent experience of studying Ansel Adam’s archives, and how the archivist explained that, in Ansel’s day, photography was more a tool for science than an art. Keith talked about how most of the photographs being taken today are almost strictly for the personal memories, bringing full circle how far the ‘art’ of photography has come since Ansel Adam’s day.

“There is an element of loving a place to death…and maybe part of the story I am trying to tell is that we have to protect this place. If your canvas is going to be the outdoors, isn’t there a question for us as storytellers to protect it?” – Pete McBride

The group discussion turned to how to keep people engaged in such a saturated social media society. Pete recounts how he revisits places that he used to enjoy by himself years ago, whereas now those same places have dozens of people constantly crammed into them, most trying to get the same photograph. Whereas Pete’s career has been focused on conservation, he brings up an important point. Maybe we all need to do a little more to help prevent us as a society from ‘loving a place to death.’

‘Be educated as to what the local issues are. Don’t travel blindly. Open yourself up to more awareness of what you are doing and what you are shooting. This is our responsibility as photographers.’ – Chris Burkard

Chris touches on an important point here. Why are you traveling in the first place? Is it to experience the culture, try the food, or get that one photo for Instagram? Whatever the underlying reason is, open your eyes and ears and get to know the community, the land, and the people that you are visiting. You are in their home. Show respect by getting to know the land and its inhabitants that have been there for centuries before you arrived and will be there for centuries after you leave.

“Photography is my life. Most of the time I am taking pictures, it’s for me. I think most people shoot for the joy of shooting. Whenever you are doing the thing you love, you get tunnel vision. And that’s such a cleansing of the mind.” – Keith Ladzinski

It is so great to hear Keith talk about the fact that a lot of the photos he takes still get his passion and creative juices flowing. With the impressive resume that he has, you would think almost all of his photography work is ‘for others’ and not for himself. This is a powerful line that reinforces that no matter how much work you get, how much stress you are under, it is possible to still enjoy what you do.

“An agency once gave me great advice.  They said: ‘Your website is important, but if we want to hire you, we are going to look at your blog.‘  And they were right. They want to know who YOU are. They want to know who we are as people, because they want to spend time with you.” – Chris Burkard

Great advice. A website full of portfolio worthy images may look great, but brands don’t want to work with someone who doesn’t fit into their culture and share the same values as them. Don’t be afraid to be yourself on social media and on your blog. There is only one you. It’s better that business and your followers engage with you because they can relate to the real you. They feel like you are just like them and not some faceless avatar devoid of a personality. They will be much more loyal in the long run.

“I didn’t go to Brooks or a photo school to learn , I just figured it out. I mean, where do you go to learn the business in arts? It’s just going to take time.” – Keith Ladzinski

Preach on brother Keith. There is no playbook for how to succeed in making your passion a business these days, even for a National Geographic photographer such as Keith. Trial and error, hearing no a lot, and lots of sucking is how you learn (more on that later)

“You are only as good as your last story or your last image. You can never rest on your laurels.” – Pete McBride

In this fast moving age of social media and photography, you can easily be discovered and explode in popularity overnight. But, you can just as easily be forgotten overnight as well.

“Don’t cut corners when it comes to preparation. Less planning on the actual research of a trip and more planning to make sure you are prepared” – Jacob Riglin

Jacob nails it with this quote. So many of us are focused on the what to do when the time comes that we quickly find out that we aren’t PREPARED for that time when it comes.

“You just do what it is that you do. You do it as well as you can. And just work REALLY freaking hard at it, and things tend to work out.” – Erin Babnik

While I am not in complete agreement with the last part of this sentence, the rest is spot on. Quit comparing yourself to everyone else. Just do what YOU do. Kick ass at it, and work your tail off doing it. Even with all of those traits, after years of it, things still might not work out the way you envisioned, but at least you gave it everything you got and became a better photographer and entrepreneur in the process.

“I don’t even know where my next paycheck is coming from.” – Chris Burkard

I have known Chris Burkard for years and have heard him say this countless times, and each time it just drives the point home more and more. Obviously Chris is well known and has a roster chalk full of big name clients. Is he struggling to put food on the table every month? Most likely not. But the point is, choosing to live the life of an independent creative requires a life-long commitment. If you wanted to know that your bank account will have x more dollars every month, you can get a desk job with a steady paycheck and day-dream about traveling. But if you actually want to DO the traveling, follow your passions and own your own business and be your own boss, you can’t take your foot off of the gas. Ever. Because you never know where that paycheck is coming from. And if you do take your foot off of the gas, that next paycheck might not come at all.

“You invest in so many little things that accumulate into bigger things” – Chris Burkard

This is a great follow up to another comment Chris made earlier in the show. “Everyone wants to know when my ‘big break’ came. There was no magical big break.’ Chris is talking about how success can only come from investing your time and energy (and even money) in lots of small projects. While none of those might ‘put you on the map’ instantly, the cumulation of all of those lead to bigger projects, bigger goals, and more importantly, bigger ‘breaks’.

“It’s not for everybody. You have to put the time in. You have to hear the word ‘no’ alot. You have to suck. You have to do all these things before things work for you. There is no playbook.” – Keith Ladzinski

This great quote ties back into both Keith’s original point about there not being a playbook and Chris’ quote about there is no ‘big break.’ You just have to grind. You have to get rejected. You have to suck. All of those failures will not only help make you hungrier for success but also give you valuable lessons about both the industry you are trying to break into and about life.

“A lot of information that people are looking for, you have to remind them that it’s really easy to find on Google.” – Chris Burkard

No description needed. Do the work yourself and stop looking for everyone else to tell you how to do it.

“You gotta suck. Then you emulate. Then you find your voice. But you have to enjoy the failures.” -Keith Ladzinski

As Keith said before, this isn’t for everyone. If you are the type of creative who doesn’t accept failure and learn from it, you will never find your voice.

“If you want to create art and illustrate, go nuts. But own it. Don’t pretend like you were the only one to see it like that.” – Pete McBride

Pete is discussing editing images. Coming from a National Geographic background, Pete explains that most photo editing wasn’t allowed. Photographers would have to turn over their RAW files to Nat Geo as a way to have their work checked or edited by the magazine. Pete and the other panelists describe the new wave of digital art, where photographers might replace skies, remove objects and more. None of them had a problem with creatives sharing their passion for digital art. But own it. I think this relates to photos and sharing your life in general. For every picture perfect scene you share on Instagram, there was five moments where real life got in the way. You experienced trials and failures. Own it. Share it. Show your followers that not everything is a perfectly manicured Instagram feed. If it isn’t ‘real,’ don’t claim that it is. You will only contribute to an environment where people are going to extremes to get the likes, no matter the real-life expense.

“Don’t ask for food in a Russian jail cell” – Chris Burkard

Wise words from a wise man.

“No image is worth risking your life’”– Pete McBride

Seriously, please. Do we really need to keep saying this? Life is beautiful. Stop doing stupid things.

“A great photographer shares what they fear losing most” – Chris Burkard

Maybe this relates to the above comment. Maybe a great photographer fears losing their life? Their connection with nature? Their public lands? Their adventures? Sharing their lives and their passions, knowing that they may not always have that chance, has brought these five photographers to where they are now.

What did I take out of that comment? Stop creating for everyone else. Create for yourself. Art should fuel your soul, expand your creativity, and become a means for expressing yourself. If you aren’t doing it for those reasons, then why are you even bothering?

All photos by Michael Bonocore  while filming the SmugMug film on Chris Burkard.

The post 18 Thought Provoking Quotes From Five of the World’s Best Photographers appeared first on Resource Travel.

When you think of Santorini you think of endless staircases leading into beautiful white homes that seemingly hang over a cliff. And that is exactly what Santorini is. A paradise in the Greek Islands that one must experience.

Santorini is packed with beautiful destinations, however, if you are a photographer you need to go straight to Oia. Oia is where all the action is, you can find the most stunning photography locations in Oia. The best part about Oia is that it’s a small village, so it is easily walkable and around almost every corner is views to die for. Get ready for your mind to be blown.

When I got to the airport, I immediately went to rent a car. That is the easiest way to get around the outskirts of the village if you are inclined. Surprisingly enough renting a car is a lot cheaper then it is to get a taxi or a connection from the airport to Oia.

THE GEAR

The gear I used for all my photos from Oia, Santorini is what I use on many of my adventures. A Nikon D800 with a Nikon 14-24mm and a Nikon 24-85mm.  A MeFOTO tripod and a that wide angle is a must. I edited all my images with my Lightroom Presets.

If you are planning a trip to Santorini you can get some great hotel deals and great flight deals anywhere in the world. Use promo code WORLD30 to get a discount on flights.

BEST PLACES TO PHOTOGRAPH IN OIA, SANTORINI

Byzantine Castle Ruins

This is a must. You know all the sunset photos of Santorini you see? They are all shot from this exact spot. Come at sunset and come early. This place gets packed. I came here four sunsets in a row, and it was always worth it.  I encourage you to even come during the middle of the day. There is no bad time to visit the Byzantine Castle Ruins. I recommend brining both a 24-70mm  and a wide angle lens to get all of the photo opportunities.

Byzantine Castle Ruins at Night

Same as above but come back at night when all the lights are on. It is a different vibe and all the people are gone. A tripod is a necessity as the light fades into blue hour. 

Meteor Caffe

This place is awesome and it has incredible views. Stop for a beer or a cold drink and enjoy the scenery. Best lens to use is a  24-70mm.

Oia Sunset Photo Spot

This place is cool to come during the day. Depending on what time of the year you come, you can watch the sunset from here also.

The Three Blue Domes

This is the shot you see on brochures, postcards, and just about everywhere else. These are the famous three blue domes. The lens I recommend 24-70mm.

The Post Office Parking Lot

If you want to avoid crowds and enjoy a nice peaceful sunset, check out the parking lot at the post office. Seriously. This place is more relaxed than anywhere in Oia. The best lens here is a zoom lens.

The Sunset Windmills

These windmills are really cool, you can see them from all over Santorini however they are best viewed from up close. The best lens to use is a wide angle lens.

The Donkeys

The way the locals transport their goods up and down the very steep hills is with donkeys. When you see them you can’t help to feel bad for them especially when you start walking up and down the hills, although the locals advised me that the donkeys are very well cared for.

Ammoudi

To get here you have to walk down a very steep and long staircase, however, it is a lot of fun and the views on the way down are spectacular. Bring some comfortable shoes. Best lens is a wide angle lens.

The Street Animals

There are so many friendly cats and dogs in Oia, Santorini. Go for an afternoon stroll and snap some photos of your new found friends.

Four Bells

This place has incredible views. Just bring your camera with any lens and start snapping away.

The Streets at Night

After you watch the incredible sunset and relax for a bit, go on a midnight walk. It is so peaceful and relaxing. The best part about it is that the streets are all empty. Bring a tripod and a wide angle lens.

The Hotels 

Wonder off in the streets and check out different hotels. Many have great views from the rooftops. There are so many great photo opportunities in Santorini. Take advantage of them all and always keep a camera with you.

These are the Best Places to Photograph in Oia Santorini. I really enjoyed this place and will certainly be back. It is a beautiful photo to be taken from just about anywhere on the island.  Are you looking for other Photography Location Maps? Check them out and let me know what you think!

A version of this blog originally appeared on Edin Chavez’s . 

The post The 13 Best Photography Spots in Oia, Santorini appeared first on Resource Travel.

Why? Well there is a man named David DuChemin. He is a Canadian, so you know he is friendly. But in addition to being friendly, he is also one of the biggest influences in my photography career. Now, Mr. DuChemin doesn’t know this yet, but maybe if he reads this he will. It all started when I read his book ‘How to Feed a Starving Artist’. At the time, I was, in fact, a starving artist. Ok, well the slight beer belly I carried proved that I was NOT in fact starving, but I sure as hell didn’t know the first thing about how to get my photography business off of the ground. At the time, the book was as valuable to me as Bitcoin. It taught me about some important lessons that I put to use as I actually began to make photography not only my passion, but also my career. Fast forward a couple of years, and I felt myself falling into a creative slump. I was running in circles, not being able to harness my energy and creativity towards an end goal. That’s when DuChemin published ‘A Beautiful Anarchy.’ 

One Amazon reviewer called it the ‘Bible of Creativity,’ and that is 1000% accurate. It is a book I have read numerous times over, and, now that I am thinking about it, must read again.

Anyway, back to what David DuChemin has to do with me questioning what I know about travel photography. This week, he launched his online mentorclass ‘The Traveling Lens’ on his Craft & Vision website. There are few people who can force me to sit down at a computer and watch videos and then read in depth lessons about what I just watched in order to try to become better at something, but David DuChemin is one of them. So I brewed up a fresh batch of coffee and put the Whisky on ice and went through the course. And, it changed me. After all of these years, it is still amazing to me that I can still learn so much. I wasn’t doing anything wrong before, per say, but this course opened my eyes as to what I can do BETTER. Once again, David DuChemin, from hundreds of miles away having never met me, had somehow reigned in my wandering creative mind and forced me to look at the bigger picture, while at the same time, forcing me to take a closer look.

I am excited to share with you just a small sample of important lessons from this course that I either learned for the first time or re-learned with new eyes and ears. But this is just a small sample, and I am no David DuChemin. So if you have ever wanted to improve your visual storytelling, even if not ‘traveling’, I know this course will be valuable to you, so sign up today and improve your storytelling with me. Oh, and yeah, don’t put it off. Enrollment is only open for a week. Need even more incentive? That friendly Canadian is giving away a new camera and lens and a plane ticket to anywhere in the world to one lucky person who enrolls before September 4th.

So read on, see what I learned, check out some of his beautiful photos from India, where the mentorclass was filmed.

Below are some of my favorite quotes from Duchemin in the Traveling Lens mentorclass. This is just a SMALL sample. I had over 150 of his quotes in my notepad as I wrote this article. If you have ever read Duchemin’s books, you won’t be surprised as you know he is a master of inspirational and ‘ah ha!’ phrases. 

It’s not about photographing everything that moves, but rather, what moves you.

This philosophy is a recurring theme in the class. And DuChemin makes sure to drive the point home in many ways. Go slow, develop a plan, (more on that later) and don’t scatter shot. I put this at the top of the list because it can relate to much of what is explained in the class. And is something I am horrible at. Being a ‘reactive’ travel photographer, I rarely go into a trip with a plan or a goal. Sure, it has worked for me. But am I really telling the BEST stories possible? Definitely not. I always had a feeling I wasn’t, but after taking this class, I am sure I can do better.

The postcards have already been shot, and they’re never the deeper images that reflect your unique experience and perspective on a place. Go determined to find your Varanasi, Paris, or Cairo.

As DuChemin also explains, there is nothing wrong with the postcard shots. If that is all that you aim to do on a trip, then go for it . But this is a class that is catered to those who want to take their travel story telling to a higher level. And the stories aren’t in the postcards in the gift shops. Another quote he said that relates to this point: ‘The needs of the tourist (one who tours) are different from the needs of the photographer.’ You need to determine which one you want to be, and approach your travels in that way. It’s not easy (or as enjoyable) to be both.

Don’t get so hung up on preparation that you never get on the plane.

Preach on Sir DuChemin! I am not a planner. As stated above, I am reactive. I get off the plane, and I react. All too often, I talk with photographers who invest so much time in the planning, only to have a couple things happen when they hit the ground. Nothing goes as planned, and the reality isn’t what their expectations were. Instead of rolling with the punches, they spend too much time trying to get back on track, and before you know it, the trip is over.

Most people plan to see way too much and in the end they never really see it.

I learned this lesson the hard way. The one and only time I went to Europe was in 2009. A couple of friends and myself decided to see six countries in just under three weeks. And one of those countries was Ireland, where we planned a road trip around around the Ring of Kerry in addition to our time in Cork and Dublin. As you can imagine, we saw a lot in every country. Guess how much I remember? None of it. Why? Because we didn’t give ourselves the time needed to become engrained in the locations, the culture, the history. We literally ‘followed the plaques,’ took our snapshots, and moved on to the next country via airplane, which was another nightmare in itself. These days, like DuChemin, I get much more enjoyment (and much better photos) when I plant my flag.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Your First job as a photographer is to SEE, and not necessarily with your eyes.

This may be the most obvious quote in the bunch, yet, I bet no one ‘thought’ about it before hearing it. Photography is so much more than seeing the scene. You have to read the scene. Feel the vibes. Live in the moments. All of these aspects, and many more that DuChemin covers, help you ‘see’ better.

Courage is one of the most important skills of a travel photographer.

That’s right. Not composition. Not the ability to find and capture the right light. But courage. You have that perfect light…that amazing scene in front of you. But it’s missing something…or someone. What if you had an incredible face in the frame. Someone whose story you can tell through the portraits you take in these perfect conditions. Well, guess what. You aren’t going to find those interesting people who hold those enthralling stories without having the courage to put yourself out of your comfort zone and get to know the locals you might otherwise walk by as you angle your head down to the ground.

How to approach the locals, how to keep them engaged, and most importantly, how to earn their respect, is all covered in depth in the mentorclass, and DeChemin nails it perfectly.

Establish some relationships and from those, you’ll create new opportunities that no passing tourist will ever have.

Once you have found that courage, learning how to connect with the people is an important part of the lessons, and for good reason. EVERY travel experience that I look back on with amazing memories stemmed from relationships that were established. Some of them have taken years and multiple trips to cultivate, while others happened over minutes in passing. But those connections would lead to amazing experiences that I can promise, very few other tourists ever had in those locations. DuChemin says it best: ‘Respect opens doors. Disrespect closes them and often locks them.’

Your attention is a resource, like money and time. It’s not infinite. Did you really come all this way to spend time on your iPhone, answer the same emails you do at home, or to check in on Facebook or Instagram to see what others are doing rather than having an adventure of your own?

This really needs no explanation. Read it again. And again. And again.

The curious always win.

Have you heard of Humans of New York? I am assuming you have, because he is amazing. Why is he so amazing? He isn’t the most technically perfect photographer of all time. What he IS amazing at is his story telling. And how did he get the skills to be able to get some of the most sensitive and private information locked away in his subjects mind? By genuinely being curious about people’s stories. He didn’t fake it. In his early days, I imagine his curiosity came off in such a soft approach that his subjects felt comfortable with him. Over the years, he has continuously refined his skills, but there is one thing that hasn’t changed over the years. His genuine curiosity about the Humans of New York. And that is what makes him an amazing story teller.

Great travel portraits come from respect, curiosity, and courage.

DuChemin often talks about the ‘defensive’ posture of subjects that he sees in a lot of travel portraits from around the world. That is for good reason. Most photographers simply walk up to an interesting looking subject, ask to take their photo (some don’t even bother with this step) and then walk away. There is no comfort, no respect, and no real person in the resulting photo. It is simply a statue. Why? Because the photographer lacked one of the quoted traits (or even all three). I can fully attest to this in all of my travels. My most coveted portraits came from the subjects that I spent time with. The ones I got to know. The ones that respected me for not treating them like a painting in a museum.

Learning how DuChemin achieves all three of these traits when he is taking portraits was one of my favorite and informative sections of the mentorclass. Even though I felt like I knew about this before, seeing it through his eyes inspired me and got me excited for my upcoming trips to Morocco and Jordan. Not just for the photos, but for the experiences of getting to know the people that will wind up in my viewfinder.

Get used to the awkward silence; there’s nothing wrong with it.

So you nail the courage to talk to a future subject, your curiosity makes them comfortable to open up to you, and you feel that they are respecting you for it. Don’t let that relationship crumble with your reaction to the impending awkward silence. It is bound to happen, especially if you do not speak the same language. A smile and a laugh are often just as loud as your words.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Showing too much dilutes the power of a photograph. If everything in the image pulls at my eye—my attention—with the same amount of power, my eye won’t know where to go, and you’ll dilute the power of the thing that could otherwise be most important, the subject that otherwise would give the image its strongest impact.

This came from another of my favorite parts of the course where DuChemin explains how to isolate your subjects. I never really thought about all of the different ways you can isolate the subject of a photograph. But there is a couple really creative ways that he explains perfectly. This is something I never really ‘practiced’ before, but it will be at the forefront of my mind on my future travels.

Leaving Mystery is interesting and powerful.

So you have learned how to isolate your subjects. But as DuChemin explains, ‘If I know the whole story the second I see the photo, my attention is gone.’ He goes on to explain how to leave a little mystery in your photos. Just enough to keep those viewers eyes glued to the screen and engaged.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Cliche is in how you do it, not in what you do.

Stop the train! David Duchemin just laid down the hammer! This is so spot on. We photographers hear that bad word, ‘cliche’, all the time. If George Carlin was a photographer, there would be 8 dirty words you can’t say, not 7. But as DuChemin goes on to explain, there is nothing cliche about a location or a look. But if you don’t get original, if you don’t think outside the box, if you don’t FEEL the scene and let that translate to your photographs, you will just come out with another cliche photograph.

Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Ami Vitale admitted, not entirely jokingly, that she didn’t really know what the rule of thirds was. Her point was that you have to shoot with your heart and that the story was way more important than following the so-called rules.

If you follow National Geographic’s Ami Vitale, this quote will blow your mind. But then, you really think about her photos, and it’s obvious that everything she captures really comes from the heart. And that’s why it resonates so strongly with us the viewers.

Make photographs that are about something rather than merely of something.

No words needed. This quote perfectly sums up the overview of the lessons DuChemin teaches us in this mentorclass.

The single greatest challenge I face as I travel is seeing the place.  That is why I take visual inventories.

I never knew what a visual inventory was, and maybe it is a concept invented by Duchemin. In essence, what Duchemin drives home is that you are NOT going to photograph it all, so you need to begin taking a visual inventory as soon as you get off of the plane. You need to take note (physically, in a journal if possible) elements of the locations that draw in your imagination. This will help you properly channel your focus, instead of just aimlessly walking the streets ‘looking’ for something to photograph.  The class has a much more in depth explanation and lesson planned molded around this concept that I can’t properly due justice, but I do know this is an insanely valuable lesson that I will be utilizing the second I get off of the plane in Morocco and Jordan this fall.

Sketch. Evaluate. Keep trying. The images that don’t work (yet) are not crap; they’re necessary steps to get to the good stuff. They are sketch images.

“One and Done is a myth.” Something I never thought about. Sure, I have gotten lucky with a photograph here and there with one take, but the majority of images I take have gone through a ‘trial and error’ system of a couple of ‘test’ photos taken before. But I didn’t really think through that process. I didn’t really realize WHAT I was looking for in my test photographs, but DuChemin explains his process of ‘sketch images’ in great detail. Before, I would think of these as failed images. But they are far from it. They are my sketch images, that are necessary in order to properly capture the final, refined piece of art.

Themes and constraints are critical to forcing you to learn how to focus and take deeper, more meaningful story telling images.

This is something I am terrible at. DuChemin says ‘Pray and Spray’ no fewer than 20 times in the course, and there is a reason. He is trying to teach you to tell a story with your images, and good stories don’t come from the ‘Pray and Spray’ approach. Go grab a National Geographic and read any of the articles and ask yourself “Did that photographer ‘Pray and Spray?'” I can guarantee the answer is no. They followed the established theme. Obviously the overview is given to them when the assignment is given, but in this part of the course, DuChemin expertly teaches you how to be your own creative director AND how to convey that creative direction into a story, based on the theme that you have narrowed your work on site down to. How can you become even more focused on that theme? By setting up constraints. As DuChemin says, having too many choices is not a good thing. Oh, you have 4 different lenses to take that portrait with? Well while you shuffle through your camera bag looking through your options, the moment with your subject has passed. They are no longer loose and in the moment. This wouldn’t have happened if you set a constraint to only shoot this theme on one specific lens. The themes and constraints portions of the class were exemplary. They have made me rethink years of my approach to travel story telling. And I couldn’t be more excited to start implementing his lessons about themes and constraints in my future trips.

A story told well can stop the frenetic Instagram scrolling and engage and that’s one of the reasons we use storytelling.

This is an issue I have long wrestled with myself about. I WANT to be a visual storyteller. And in a sense, I am through the original stories I tell on Resource Travel. But Instagram makes that same storytelling difficult. Not impossible. But difficult. So all to often, I am in a thinking about two different photos when I am traveling. What will work for Instagram, and what will work for the story. While my mind is trying to decipher how to accomplish both, I am losing the important connections and moments in unfolding in front of me.

So what do I do? Well, to be honest, I have to stop giving a damn about what people on Instagram want to see. I should be posting what I want to see. The stories I want to tell. The amazing people I want to introduce to the world. And I shouldn’t care about how many people like it, or if I lose followers as a result of my storytelling. If that story resonates deeply with just one person who I make stop in their tracks and dive deeper into the experience, it is worth more than the 500 likes achieved from the frenetic scroll that is Instagram.

And thanks to this incredible mentorclass  from David DuChemin, I now have the courage and the knowledge to start telling the real travel stories that have meaning, emotion, and an everlasting effect on not just my viewers, but also on me. Thank you once again for lighting the path on my never-ending photography journey.

The post 20 Lessons David DuChemin Taught Me About Travel Photography appeared first on Resource Travel.

When I returned, I was so blown away by what Sony had pulled off, I wrote about my favorite moments of the 3-day weekend. While I thought my photos from the experience were decent, there were so many from the Sony Alpha Collective members as well as the Sony Artisans’, I used those photos to help me tell my story.

Since then, I have been craving for news of a follow up trip, and in late January, Sony delivered the news I was expecting. The first Kando trip was such a success, they were doing another. But this time, everyone is invited.

The Sony Kando Trip 2.0 is taking place May 9th through the 12th, 2018 in scenic Monterey, California. In addition to the Sony Artisan and Collective members whose have blown us away over the years, Sony is opening the event to any creative who would like to attend. More information can be found on their website.

So, with the excitement of last year’s trip still fresh in my mind, I am here to tell you why I think you should attend the Sony Kando Trip 2.0.

Crepuscular rays through mist and second-growth redwoods, Old Coast Road, Big Sur Coast, California, USA.

Inspiration

Not knowing about the details of the trip before I had left, the last thing I expected to find on that California Coast was inspiration. But Sony Kando 1.0 delivered just that. A hearty dose of inspiration. Obviously, I am a travel junkie, so I immediately wanted to know about the places visited and the stories behind the travels of the Artisans and Alpha Collective Members. I have found that there aren’t many things that get people talking non-stop when you meet them for the first time, but there are two sure-fire homeruns to get them talking. Ask someone about either their kids or their travels and get prepared to listen. Once I asked these talented visual artists about their travels, the flood gates opened. They told me story after story, their must see and must avoid locations, and their bucket list destinations. They showed me their favorite photos on their phones. I found myself being reminded that even though I had been to so many places in my life, there was still so much out there that I hadn’t seen. And I was filled with inspiration and ideas that I continue to plan to this day.

Photo By Michael Bonocore

Community

You will be amazed how easy it is to forge friendships when you are in a remote canyon with 200 other people for three straight days. The trip started as a large gathering on the central Californian coast and ended as the “Kando Community.” For weeks and months afterwards, I chatted non stop with the people who I spent time with during that weekend. We had all felt like we were a part of something unique. Something special. That we were part of the lucky few to live that experience. To this day, when I see people who were a part of Kando 1.0, it is the first thing that we reminisce about.

Friendships were made, inside jokes were born, and a sense of collective collaboration washed over the canyon.

Photo by Dan Watson from Learning Cameras

Photo by Sally Watson from Learning Cameras

The Food And Drink

Ok, really there isn’t much more to say. The food, from the onsite food trucks slanging tacos, pizza, and BBQ, to the lavish meals provided by a large catering company, was exceptional. And all of that delicious goodness was washed down with craft beers by local breweries, fine wines by local wineries, and a full bar. So if you are an aspiring food photographer, the Kando trip should provide some eye candy (and real candy) to satisfy your appetite.

Photo By Michael Bonocore

The Unexpected

As I said, I went to Kando 1.0 not knowing what to expect. But never in my wildest dreams did I expect a vintage movie set full of models, trailers, classic cars, wolves, snakes and zebras. Did I expect a halfpipe on top of a mountain being thrashed by professional BMX athletes? Did I expect a concert by Southern-born, Brooklyn-based indie-folk trio the Lone Bellow? The answers are no, no, and a big no.

Sony pulled out all the stops for Kando 1.0. They didn’t cut corners. They didn’t want Kando to be an event, they wanted it to be an experience. And it was. And I am sure Kando 2.0 will be as well.

Michael Bonocore

The Learning

This year, Sony is adding a educational element to their Kando experience. Everyone who attends will have access to all of the workshops offered by Sony Artisans and other leaders in the creative industry. Landscapes, video, street, astro, time-lapse, portrait, drone, business and social classes are just some of the offerings.

Photo by Sally Watson from Learning Cameras

The Networking

I am a born and bred networker. I just love meeting people while sharing a beer, getting to know them and their hopes and dreams, and how they plan to go about achieving them. I have worked with countless people over the years through my love of networking. I was even hired at SmugMug with the unofficial job title of ‘Social Butterfly.‘ I was made a job offer by Resource Magazine’s CEO, Alexandra Niki, at a bar in Las Vegas at 2am. My entire career up until this point has been based on networking, and even I was blown away by the possibilities at Kando 1.0.

I was able to chat with industry legends like National Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita. I rekindled relationships with Sony Artisans who I hadn’t seen in years. I was able to meet countless up and coming Alpha Collective photographers. And I was able to trade journalism stories with my fellow members of the media. All of those conversations continue to bear fruit almost 9 months later.

The Networking aspect of Kando even led to some amazing and unique content from the beautiful African country of Namibia. My friend and Sony Artisan Colby Brown found himself in a conversation with the talented Alpha Collective member Erin Sullivan. They talked about their shared love of travel and nature, and just months later, Brown had invited Sullivan to accompany him on a weeks long project in Namibia. Check out Sullivan’s story and photos of the adventure.

Obviously, networking comes easier for some people than others. But I found that the remoteness of the Kando location along with the sense of community made for a no-pressure networking atmosphere. So whether you want to pitch your stories to media companies like Resource Travel or have a casual conversation with other creatives who you may be able to collaborate with, the Sony Kando Trip 2.0 should be one of your best opportunities this year.

Photo By Michael Bonocore

So there you have it. I will be at the Sony Kando Trip 2.0.  And I am beyond excited about it. So, who is coming with me?

Big thanks to Sally and Dan Watson from Learning Cameras for additional photos of the Sony Kando 1.0 trip!

Photo by Dan Watson from Learning Cameras

Photo by Dan Watson from Learning Cameras

Photo by Dan Watson from Learning Cameras

The post 6 Reasons Why You Should Go To Sony’s Kando Trip 2.0 appeared first on Resource Travel.

The results are beautiful, although they make us shiver just looking at them. Over on his Reddit post, Dros provided seven tips for shooting in such extreme snow.

1. It was EXTREMELY cold and I was super motivated to shoot. However, the supid me wasn’t prepared for these extreme circumstances and I didn’t wear my waterproof shoes. Waterproof shoes are extremely important as they will keep your feet warm and not frozen (like mine were yesterday). So wear water/windproof clothing.
2. Another clothing tip is to bring warm gloves. They have to be gloves that you can use to control your camera.
3. If your camera can’t handle water, bring a rainjacket for it. Most cameras handle water/snow just fine. I had mine out for the whole day (Sony A7RIII) and it didn’t have issues.
4. Attach the hood to your lens. The hood helps to keep a lot of rain/snow out from the lens so that you get less chance to get it wet. This especially helps with longer lenses (as they have longer lens hoods in general).
5. Bring lens cloths and a rocket blower. Keep a few in your (waterproof) pocket so that you can always clean your lens from snow. The rocket blower can help clear off the water without creating smears like the lens cloth might.
6. I love to use longer lenses (zooms) that you compress the foreground and background, and it also gives a cool effect when there is lots of snow (compression of snowflakes in foreground and background). I love to shoot these snowy street scenes anywhere from 70-300mm.

Follow Albert Dros on his website and on his Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and 500px.

The post 7 Tips For Taking Photos in a Blizzard appeared first on Resource Travel.

Did we miss anything? Let us know what products you think should be added to the list by leaving us a comment or sending us an email.

Atlas Packs – Atlas Adventure

I have a lot of backpacks. A lot. Maybe like 30 a lot. That’s a lot of backpacks. But, with all those backpacks, as great as they are, I had yet to find a back pack that I could easily pack my camera gear AND all of my clothes for a multi week international trip. That was until I found Atlas Packs.  After meeting the small and passionate Atlas team at Photo Plus, I got my hands on their Atlas Adventure pack with the main purpose of seeing if I would be able to pack for an entire two week trip to India in it. And I did.

The pack is broken down into two very different sections. The rear zipper opens up to a well organized and tight camera ICU. For me, I removed the top part of the ICU and used the “Oragami Camera Core” which doubled the size of the top load section of the pack, which is where I packed all my rolled clothes. Packing for two weeks abroad in this pack was dreamy, to say the least.

And being that I will never check my camera gear, the goal was to take this insanely versitile backpack as a carry on around the world. And, I did. I did get questioned by a gate agent on the Luftansa flight from Frankfurt to Delhi, but once I asked her if they were willing to insure 15k worth of camera gear, she quickly changed her tune and let me on board with a pack that, as stuffed as it was, was still smaller and easier to fit in the overhead bins easier than most of the unneccesary roller bags that most flyers bring.

The only downside, if you could even call it that, is that the pack is big, so it might feel like overkill if you just need a pack for a day trip with a camera and a couple lenses. So I also had my Peak Design Messenget bag with me, that I slid under the seats on the airplane. On my day to day walks around India, I was able to pack my Sony A7rII and 2-3 lenses in there. But what do I do with all of my clothes once I am in a country, if I just want to walk around with my pack?

Glad you asked! I simply rolled up a small, framless Cotopaxi pack with my clothes. Once in my destination, I was able to make a pack just for clotes, therefore cutting the size of my Atlas Pack.

After years of searching, I have finally found the perfect ultimate rugged travel backpack for me.

GNARBOX

When I travel, the part of the day I most dread is that hour at night when I decide to import and back up my photos that I had taken during the day. I have to get my Macbook Pro out (which, with a failing hard drive, sounds like a jet taking off), and external hard drive, and a power adaptor to plug my computer into. The entire process was frusterating, especially when I am exhausted and just want to lay in bed and take a look at my days bounty of photos and video. Well, enter The GNARBOX.

This incredible product will change the way you travel with your photos. The GNARBOX is a compact piece of technology that serves as a middleman between your camera and your phone. You simply insert your camera card into the device or plug it in with a USB3, micro SD or SD port, where you then upload up to 128GB of full resolution footage. You then connect your phone to the GNARBOX Wifi hotspot, and lastly, after getting the GNARBOX app, the photos will transfer to your phone so you can edit all of your photos, on-the-go, to share with friends and family. The battery life is great as well, with 4-6 hours on a single charge, meaning you won’t have to worry much when you are on the road. This product is the perfect gift for someone who loves to travel and take photos, but doesn’t want to lug around their computer to upload and edit photos. The compact, highly advanced GNARBOX allows for the least hassle, with easy, instant results.

I was blown away by the iPhone apps ease of use, the unit’s long battery life, and its portability and light weight. I don’t know where GNARBOX has been all of my life, but this product is critical for my travel workflow, and should be a must have for any traveler with any camera that uses SD or CF cards for storage.

“Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs”

I don’t have many gods in my life. But I have a couple. Hendrix. Young. And McCurry. Steve McCurry is the godfather of travel photography. The National Geographic legend is best known for his photo ‘Afghan Girl’, but his body of work spanning decades is mind blowing. He doesn’t just capture photographs in far off cultures. But he always seems to capture feelings, allowing viewers to feel as if they are standing right next to McCurry, experiencing the colors, sounds, and smells that entangle him as he presses his shutter.

Before I embark on any trip, I maticulously comb through all 250 pages of his book “Steve McCurry: The Iconic Photographs”. The photos fill me with excitement and inspiration and remind me that travel photography should not just be about vast landscapes, but the people and the culture that can be too easily overlooked when traveling. The beauty of this book is that any traveler can appreciate it, even if they are not a photographer.

While recently in Jodhpur, India, I came across the boy who is the subject of one of McCurry’s most famous photos ‘Boy in Mid-Flight’. The scene was captured right outside of his house in the beautiful Blue City, and the boy proudly has the photo printed and is eager to show anyone who asks.

Peak Design “Capture V3 Camera Clip”

San Francisco based Peak Design changed the way photographers worked in the field with their revolutionary product, the “Capture Clip” The clip easily attached to backpacks, belts and almost anything else imaginable, easily allowing you quick access to your camera in almost any setting. And with it’s well designed turn to unlock functionality, it is near impossible for someone to remove the camera from the clip quickly, letting photographers freely walk the streets on their travels. The product was a massive success on Kickstarter and started the Peak Design Empire, which now includes bags, backpacks, camera straps, and just about anything else a photographer will need.

Well, this year has brought the third iteration of the Capture Clip, called Capture V3. And this is one product that I highly recommend for all traveling photographers, of any level. I have been using the Capture Clip for years, and the system completely changed the way I took photos while traveling. Check out the in-depth review on over on ResourceMagOnline.com

iKan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal

I have been using a Freefly Systems MoVi M5 for my video productions for years, but after traveling with the gigantic tool, I quickly soured on the idea of bringing it for low budget travel films. Luckily, these days, you can stabilize your DSLR cameras on pretty compact gimbals, that also come at a fraction of the cost of the big boys. My current favorite is the iKan EC1 Beholder 3-Axis Gimbal, as it’s build quality easily allows me to balance my Sony A7rII and a 35mm f/1.4. The rig can produce incredibly smooth motion with just one hand, or for more comfort and more precise control, video makers can add a small set of comfort grip handles. The entire package fits nicely into the carrying case, which can easily fit into a carry on bag, making smooth, professional grade travel videos a breeze while remaining light on the luggage.

Baubax Travel Jacket

Neck Pillow, Eye Mask, Gloves, Earphone Holders, Drink Pocket, Tech Pockets…all in one jacket? That’s what Baubax promised when they launched what turned out to be the most funded clothing crowd fundraiser in history, raising over 9 million dollars. While we haven’t used the jacket ourselves, it is pretty obvious that it’s functionality is top notch, especially for those of us who find ourselves in airports and airplane constantly.

Olloclip

Let’s face it, sometimes when you travel you just don’t want to lug your camera around with you day after day. But, that one day you leave your camera back in your guest house, you are bound to stumble on a scene that will leave you wishing you had your wide angle or telephoto on you. In comes Olloclip, one of the most respected mobile phone lens manufacturers out there. Wide angle, fish eye, telephoto, and even macro, Olloclip lenses are small and easy to carry around and turn your already impressive iPhone into a mini DSLR.

Sony a6500 Mirrorless Camera

If you are an iPhoneographer who wants to step up your came on your next adventure, the Sony a6500 Mirrorless camerais a great introduction camera for wanna be professional photographers. It’s tiny, it takes amazing images, and it has a wide range of interchangable lenses to build your photography kit over the years.

Monster Elements Bluetooth Over Ear Headphones

I cannot tell you how many times I have caught my headphone wire on airplane seat armrests. I hated hated hated traveling for 20-40 hours at a time with a wire becomming an instant death trap. Finally this year, I went blue tooth with the Monster Elements Over Ear Headphones, and my life has become so much easier…and better sounding. The sound quality is exceptional and I have kept these on for pretty much 8 hours non stop without feeling much of the ear soreness that comes from most over ear headphones. Oh, and no more wires! When you travel alot, you need wires for almost everything. Phone chargers, hard drives, etc. Don’t complicate life by adding a wire to your headphones. If you haven’t already, go Bluetooth. You will thank me later.

The post The Ultimate 2017 Gift Guide for Travelers, Photographers, and Traveling Photographers appeared first on Resource Travel.

The UK based travel site, Last Minute, created this live map to reduce the stress of trying to figure out the right time and place to travel when you have a set date in mind. The map changes from month to month, highlighting each countries’ high season, low season, and shoulder seasons. Not to mention, if you’re looking for cheap flights it helps to be familiar with your desired destinations’ travel seasons.

The map is easy to read, with just three colors guiding you.

RED– Indicates high travel season

TEAL: Indicates low travel season

YELLOW: Indicates ‘shoulder season,’ the month’s in between high and low season.

On the website, the map is just a constantly revolving GIF that doesn’t allow you to manually select the months. But we found a nice workaround by just saving the GIF which then allows you to scroll between the 12 monthly images that make up the annual map.

All in all, this map is a quick, easy, and efficient tool when choosing where you should travel according to your availability and preference of place. Us here at Resource Travel prefer a more remote and quiet approach to travel, so we are already using this map to plan some upcoming projects around a country’s shoulder and low seasons.
It’s the ultimate loophole to discover the best ways for planning a vacation or a travel job.

The post This Map Shows You When to Travel to Avoid Swarms of Tourists appeared first on Resource Travel.

Women of Madagascar

Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai, Thailand

DO’s : 

– Research: Be informed of the places you are documenting. Research will save you time when trying to figure out what is OK to photograph and what isn’t. Get familiar with the places you will be traveling to and what their customs are. Not all countries have the same rules and regulations regarding photography. For example, in Islamic culture, photographing women is highly discouraged, even with permission. But in other cultures, it is perfectly fine with their consent.

–Ask: Make sure to always ask permission before you take a snap of someone or their property. This should go unsaid, but for those entitled pricks, here it is. Unsolicited pictures of people is a huge invasion of privacy. You never know if their religion or culture permits it, and that sick shot you want out of them, is totally not worth it without asking.

–Show The Subject the Photo: There is nothing more rude than having someone take your photo then just walk off, even if they say thank you. Sharing the portrait you just took of your subject with them lets them know that you truly appreciate them letting you. It also is almost guaranteed to generate a laugh and a bonding moment.

–Delete the Photo if Asked: If a subject changes their mind and asks you to delete the photo, don’t put up a fight. Respect their wishes and actually delete the photo. Don’t try to trick them. Just do it.

–Respect comes first: Be deserving of the photograph. After you are given permission to shoot lets say a mosque, make sure to pay your respects first. If you are to photograph someone in their country, first begin with respectful eye-contact, then introduce yourself, ultimately making them comfortable with your intentions and expertise before snapping away. This DO goes a long way.

Buddha Tooth Relic Temple, Singapore

Man in Soebatsfontein, South Africa

DON’TS:

–Show your gratitude in ways other than paying: In Africa it is said that bringing tokens of gratitude shall permit your photography, but in other countries it’s frowned upon. These offerings may be seen as begging, which is not a good look. Be mindful and try and think of a better way to consent to your photography besides bribing.

–Do not give money or gifts to children: Our Editor in Chief Michael Bonocore has written extensively about this before. But no good can come when children believe they don’t need to go to school because they are cute and tourists will pay to take their photo. Eventually, their cuteness fades and they are left without an education.

–Stray away from bringing extensive amounts of equipment. First off, it’s not functional when traveling and secondly, it can be super intimidating. Another good tip is to use a diffuser to minimize your flash, since it can be frightening and/or triggering to foreigners.

–Last but not least, DON’T exchange any false promises. Make sure if you inquire your subjects name, address, ect., you are actually going to send them your work after. Some people will only give you the satisfaction of photographing them, knowing that they will be featured somewhere. Just because someone is in a foreign country far, far away doesn’t mean you should lie to them, forget about them, and never follow up. Give them the same common courtesy you would give that high-end model you’ve shot in the past.

We hope this list of Do’s and Dont’s keeps you in check! What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!

Safe travels! 

Hiranya Varna Mahabihar, Patan, Nepal

Children of Sidamo, Ethiopia

Photographer in Vatican City

The post The Do’s And Don’ts of Taking Photos In a Foreign Country appeared first on Resource Travel.

These people were genuinely just hanging out on the stoop like this, but I waited for the man to walk by to get the best composition.

1) Equipment

Let’s start here and I’m going to be real with you. If all you have is a smartphone and you really want to take excellent photos: it’s not impossible, but consider getting a nice camera. Not to say that the latest iPhones don’t have good cameras, but they will not allow you to get the quality and depth you will want from a DSLR camera with a quality lens. A decent camera could run you anywhere from several hundred dollars to thousands if you want to get fancy, so if money is tight, consider renting one for your trip—the better your camera and lens setup are, the better the quality your photos will be, and the more serious your subjects will take you. These photographs were all shot on a Sony A7 II with a Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 lens and I was extremely happy with the outcome. The A7 II is a pro camera with a phenomenal color profile and the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is a standard range for portraits and scenes with beautiful depth of field and excellent sharpness… but it ain’t cheap (and I promise I wasn’t paid to give it a thumbs up).

I saw this boy exit this doorway and couldn’t believe the color synchronicity so I asked him to pose for me.

When in Cuba, take photos of people with cigars hanging out of their mouths.

2) Travel light and fit in

I like to be inconspicuous—it’s not usually the best idea to lug around a big camera bag filled with lenses and accessories: it can be heavy and also catch unwanted attention. All you really need is one or two lenses max with a nice range and an extra memory card and/or battery. It’s also good to not bring too much attention to whatever you’re wearing, including jewelry or other expensive looking items. This may sound obvious, but the more you dress down or look like the locals, the better they will respond to you and the less of a target you will be. If you’re a lady cakes, it may be smart to stay conservative with your attire.

I walked past this salon and decided to just walk in and ask if I could take some photos. The guy on the right jumped in the chair so he would be a part of it.

I’m pretty sure I caught these guys in the middle of flirting with each other… they weren’t mad at me capturing it.

Sometimes, perspective is everything. I like to look through cracks and doorways, you never know what lies on the other side.

t’s also good to pay attention to what’s going on in the background and to include (or exclude for that matter) subjects that may add depth to the photograph.

Ché Guevara is a central Cuban figure, so I wanted to capture an image that shed light on him. No pun intended.

Still life shots can be nice to add to the mix, just to give a sense of place.

As much of a tourist picture trap street performers can be, it’s also possible to take uncommon photos of them if you really spend a little extra time with them.

When your AirBnB host goes to this amount of trouble…

Classic cars are constantly breaking down in Cuba, this kind of scene just goes with the day-to-day lifestyle.

4) Go deeper

If you’re in a touristy city or neighborhood, consider leaving the main sites and finding areas where the locals hang out, live and work. Go to other towns nearby. Wander into places or alleyways (that don’t seem threatening) off the beaten path and try asking locals to give you recommendations or to take you into obscure neighborhoods so you can capture typical scenes and more authentic moments. If it feels right, go into shops or homes; ask the owners if you can hang out and take some pictures. Maybe get your nails done or hair cut at a local salon if you want to photograph the shop. On my trip to Havana, I wandered through several gated doorways looking for interesting subjects and, with some luck, I stumbled upon a colorful outdoor gym where some guys were working out, an impoverished brothel, and a boxing ring where a group of kids were practicing. Getting images like that would be impossible if you didn’t put yourself out there to explore deeper. Just be careful and know where your limits should be drawn.

Exploring neighborhoods outside of the main tourist areas—even if they seem desolate and scary at first—can get you shots that most tourists don’t have. Just be careful

I stopped to watch the kids play, and at first they were wondering why, but eventually they stopped paying attention to me and that’s when I was able to capture the moment more genuinely.

I wandered into a gated area into this colorful gym and followed this man around for several minutes, capturing him working out. He probably thought I was crazy, but I just smiled and he let me.

The teacher of this group of kids let us take photos of their boxing class for a little extra cash.

I wandered into what seemed like a brothel building and was ushered by two women to the home of this older woman who told me about her financial problems and illnesses.

I asked our driver who took us to Viñales to take us to a tobacco plantation that was not touristy, as some of them can be. It’s always a good idea to let the people who are guiding you know that you are interested in local things so they don’t automatically bring you to the most touristy locations.

5) Be confident and fearless

Being confident goes especially if you’re a woman traveling in a place that may feel male-dominated and where you really have to hold your own. The key is to remain cool, collected and to not care what people think. Handicaps lie in fear and in worrying about people’s judgments or of getting rejected. You will probably get stared down or shooed away at some point on your trip, and that just goes with the territory, but with owning it lies great power. If you are confident and brave, while still remaining kind and caring, your subject will feel comfortable with you and give you the power to direct them, should you want to. When you have conviction, it’s easier to move people to more aesthetic backgrounds as well as encourage them how to pose, without being obnoxious or invasive. With that said, it’s important to feel out your limits and not overstay your welcome.

took several photos of this girl and she was NOT having it. I just smiled and played dumb, and got my shot.

You notice the strangest things when you’re actively looking… This was literally just a room off a main street with 3 red sofas in it and a guy hanging out.

These guys were not even posing, they just looked like that! So, I poked my head in through the window, smiled and started taking photos, hoping they wouldn’t beat me up.

This man was really not happy with me taking his photo. At first he was reading the paper, and then as I continued to take photos, waiting for him to look at me, he eventually dropped his paper down and gave me the stare of death. That’s when I left…

6) Connect with your subjects

Talking to my students over the years, it seems that one of the challenges that often comes up is shyness and fear of asking people to pose. It’s normal that going up to strangers may seem uncomfortable, but if you turn the fear into excitement and just realize that people don’t bite, it will be easier, especially if you manage to truly connect with your subjects. Smile, laugh, flirt if you have to, be silly or act stupid if you think it’ll ease up the interaction. Be genuine and genuinely interested in what they might be doing. Ask questions if you’re able to communicate adequately. People are immediately attracted to or put off by others’ energy, so you’ll want to have the kind of vibe that makes people comfortable around you. If you are entering into impoverished areas, be compassionate and empathetic towards people’s needs. Try to always ask your subjects if you can photograph them, unless you are going for a candid moment and if you have gifts, food or small change, consider giving your subjects something in exchange for taking their photo. In some countries, this is expected. Also, you should show them the photo(s) you just took and tell them how wonderful they look. Overall, genuinely connecting with your subjects is most important if you want to get deeper images.

I walked up to this man and started asking him about the watches he was repairing. We quickly made friends and then he let me take all sorts of photos of him from all different angles. I liked his facial expression here best.

This man stole my heart. If I had been able to speak Spanish better, I would have loved to listen to his story. I especially wanted to know why he was wearing two watches

My friend and I hung out with this guy taking photos of him for at least 5 minutes as he made a sale to a little old lady. He was very excited that we were showing so much interest in his pig.

7) Get creative and be prolific

Shoot, shoot shoot and don’t stop at one photograph and at one perspective. If you have the time and available memory, why not take several photos of the same subject? I like to play with composition, angles and pose, so that I walk away with options. The same scene can be shot in infinite ways, and you can only do better if you try different perspectives. Get creative: look for reflections, shoot through things, shoot from above, from below, turn your subject into the light or away from the light, shoot wide, shoot close. Working your creativity will serve your images and will teach you to become an overall better photographer.

I like to shoot the same photo from several different angles and with different focal points. You never know what’s going to end up looking best.

I’m always paying attention to reflections, mirrors and such as they can really embellish a composition or perspective.

This woman let me take several photos of her and her son, and as I got closer I noticed the man in the background, which made the scene all that more interesting.

shot this from the backseat of a taxi, as I noticed all the reflections going on in the window, and took several, patiently waiting for the most interesting juxtaposition to happen.

Sometimes, if you find objects in the foreground that you can shoot through, you end up with much a more compelling composition.

By hanging out and taking several photos of same scene, you can capture completely different energies and images.

8) Be aware, patient and passionate

I could not stress this one more: the best photographers are those who remain aware and patient. Keep your eyes wide open at all times, your camera ready, and be a committed observer of your environment. Go the extra mile for your photography. Watch what people are doing closely and their interactions, look up, look down—you never know what is right under your eye that you don’t quite see, and also, wait for things to happen. The famous National Geographic photographer, Steve McCurry, gave me this insight a long time ago: if you find a beautiful mural or an attractive landscape, but nothing interesting is going on right then, then wait for it to. Stand there for as long as you can take it until something worthwhile takes scene, and if you’re not happy with that, then wait some more.

I noticed this little scene and stood there waiting for some sort of interesting vehicle to pass by so I could get more of an action shot. At times I don’t even put my camera to my face until I see the moment about to happen, so that it doesn’t change people’s attitudes.

I stood there patiently waiting for the most beautiful classic car I could find to pass by.

I stood here waiting for people to walk by for a decent amount of time, hoping I’d get the best composition.

This boy was just hanging out against the wall and I knew if nothing else was going on that it wouldn’t be as exciting of a shot, so I waited for a bit until something happened in the foreground. It’s also important to be quick to shoot, because moments can be quite fleeting.

9) Follow the light

Light can make or break a photograph. Broad sunlight is typically going to be harsh and offer dense shadows, which could be exactly what you’re going for or could ruin everything. There are no solid rules in my opinion about when to shoot or not shoot, but there are definitely ways to interpret and follow light appropriately so that you can capture what speaks to you most. Of course, sunrise, sunset and diffused light can be softer and more attractive, but don’t get discouraged if you can’t shoot during those times, there’s always a way to produce excellent imagery with the given conditions: it’s just a matter of trial and error and paying attention to what works best for you.

Don’t be mad at harsh light and shadows, sometimes they make everything about a photo.

I’m always looking for interesting displays of light, especially when it highlights subjects in uncommon ways.

Light is very important when trying to get great photos of monuments and landscapes. Remember, these places have been photographed over and over and over, so if you want to capture something different and better, it‘s a good idea to visit them at an attractive time of day.

10) Editing and retouching

A good photographer knows that sometimes it takes another set of eyes to edit photos. Consider showing your first batch of selects to one or several people and get their opinions. Sometimes, we tend to fall in love with a photograph because of the memory we had while taking it, but it may not necessarily be the best shot. If there’s something I’ve learned from top photo editors, it’s ‘less is more’ when making edits, and only show your best work: your photos are just as good as the least compelling image.

Secondly, if you have a photo editing software such as Photoshop, Lightroom or any others, they can be your best friend. A photograph straight out of the camera can definitely be wonderful, but a little bit of doctoring can go a long way. Perhaps in a photo you took, the light was just too harsh and there weren’t many great colors around anyway, so consider popping the image into black and white and see what you get! Or, saturate the colors a little to make a photo pop. Crop in if you didn’t take the best composition, and maybe try several different crops to see which looks best. Nowadays, you can download plenty of filter presets for Photoshop or Lightroom which can also allow you to stylize photographs in one click and give your images a different feel. With that said, be careful to not overdo it, sometimes over-Photoshopping or intense presets can downgrade the professional quality of an image.

I edited this image a little differently than I normally do by moving around some of the saturation and giving it a slightly more vintage feel.

I boosted the saturation on this shot to make the meat pop more.

Because of the harsh shadows and uninteresting color that was going on in this image, I switched it over to black and white, which gives it a more timeless vibe and forgives the lighting better.

11) Have fun!

Overall and most of all, have fun! Photography is not meant to be stressful or scary and traveling is supposed to be liberating and enjoyable, so please make the most of your trip and don’t worry too much about getting the world’s greatest travel photo—Steve McCurry is busy doing that for us all! The people you connect with and the wonderful moments you share are what are most important, in my opinion, and the photographs are merely physical means to remember them.

I’d love to see what you capture… if you feel inspired, shoot me an email at info@ericasimone.com!

To see more of my work, check out my website www.EricaSimone.com 

This article originally appeared in Huffington Post’s Contributor Platform.

Me doing my thing by ©Daniel McKnight

The post Street Photography Tips for Your Cuba Adventure—Or Any Trip, Really appeared first on Resource Travel.

Norway, in particular, Northern Norway, has become one of the most popular locations to visit for aurora hunters. With its rugged mountains, picturesque fjords and overall stunning nature it’s not hard to understand why so many choose to plan their aurora holiday to Norway. However, many aren’t aware that the Aurora Borealis isn’t easily visible in all of Norway and they expect to see it wherever they travel within the country. The truth is that it’s quite rare to see in the southern and eastern parts of Norway.

I have traveled the world and helped photographers find the best places to capture the best photos, like when I shared with my favorite photography locations in Northern Spain. But, I was born and raised in a small town about an hour south of Oslo. For years I’ve been working as a photographer, but it wasn’t until two winters ago I saw the northern lights in my home time for the first time. I can blame this on my ignorance and lack of knowledge but that simply shows that even the locals aren’t aware that you can see the phenomenon in this region. Since that time I’ve had the pleasure to witness the northern lights several times, both in my hometown and region, on the Lofoten Islands and on Iceland.

It’s not quite the same

I’ll be honest with you. Watching the northern lights in the southern parts of Norway will most likely not be as impressive as seeing it in Northern Norway. The lights appear much weaker this far south and it’s extremely rare to get a powerful display of red, green and blue straight above your head.

The northern lights you will see in this part of Norway is much more subtle and, unless you’re lucky to witness a rare outburst, you might not even notice it straight away.

This doesn’t mean that the phenomenon is any less beautiful, though. Just a tiny glimpse of it will leave you craving more!

How to see the Northern Lights in Southern Norway

Before we get into the details of how you can find the Northern Lights in Southern Norway, we need to clarify some facts.

The Aurora Borealis is a natural phenomenon that occurs when electrically charged particles from the sun enter earth’s atmosphere. While this happens throughout the day, it’s only visible when it’s dark. Since the days are long during the summer (Northern Norway has 24 hours of sunlight during that period), the Northern Lights aren’t visible all year around.

You’ll have the best chance to see the Northern Lights between late September and early April. Since the days are darker during this period (Northern Norway has up to 24 hours of darkness), the likelihood of seeing some activity on the sky is much higher.

Pay Attention to the Aurora Forecast

The main difference between chasing the northern lights in Northern Norway and Southern Norway is that to see it in the south, you need a much higher KP Index (the measurement of its activity).

There are many smartphone applications with detailed graphs and stats monitoring the sun’s activity as well as the Aurora activity. However, the easiest way to know if there’s any activity is by paying close attention to Aurora Service.

If the KP Index is lower than 5, there’s a very low chance for seeing the Northern Lights in the South of Norway. It is possible to get a glimpse of it at KP4 and sometimes an unexpected burst can appear but this is very rare.

Personally, I don’t go out looking unless it’s KP5 or higher.

Pat Attention to the Weather Forecast

As you might have guessed, there are many factors involved when chasing the northern lights. Not only does it have to be during a specific period of the year, the solar activity needs to be high and the clouds need to be clear.

Without a clear sky, you won’t be able to see the Northern Lights. Keep in mind that the weather can change quickly in Norway and it might not be long until the clouds disappear.  

Get Away From City Lights

Light pollution is your worst enemy when chasing the ‘Lady in Green’. Inside the city center you will have an extremely low chance of seeing the Northern Lights, even on days with high activity.

To increase your chances, leave the city behind and head somewhere far away and dark. Make sure that there’s not much artificial light in the area you’re going to. The less artificial light, the higher the possibility is that you’ll see something.

Look North

My last tips for seeing the Northern Lights in Southern Norway is to find a field or an open area where you have a clear sight towards the north. In this part of Norway, it’s not often you’ll see the lights dance above your head. Instead, the lights lay in the northern horizon. Sometimes it lies there calmly but other times you can clearly see it dance. If the KP Index is 6 or up, you might even be lucky to see it above you.

The southern parts of Norway is not known for the Northern Lights but when it first arrives, it’s well worth the wait. I’ll end by saying that if your main reason to visit Norway is to see the Northern Lights, you’ll have better luck in the northern region. But there is plenty of incredible landscapes, seascapes and cities in the southern region that shouldn’t be missed. Also, seeing them in the south will be a unique experience that you will never forget.

Christian Hoiberg is a Norwegian landscape photographer and the creator of Capture Landscapes, a website devoted to helping artists improve your landscape photography. His images can be found on his website or Instagram. 

The post How to Find the Northern Lights in Southern Norway appeared first on Resource Travel.

In that time, I have found some pretty amazing places that I love photographing from, and it’s not at all uncommon for me to return to these places every week. And now, I am sharing them with you. I hope when you come to Miami, you shoot me an email and we can get together to shoot!

We have added some hotels that are close to each location, but you can always do your own research by looking through the top rated hotels in Miami Beach on Trip Advisor.

1111 Lincoln Road

All across the country, some of the best urban views of a downtown are seen from the top floors or parking garages, and Miami is no exception. For me, the best time to shoot is at night as you watch the city come alive.

Where to Stay:

Residence Inn

Maurice Gibb Memorial Park

This location was seemingly made for sunsets. The rocks that jet out from shore in front of the calm water make for a perfect foreground as the tropical skies explode above you.

Where to Stay:

The Standard

Ocean Drive in front of the Beacon Hotel

When you think of Miami, you think of neon signs and palm trees. Well, this strip of Ocean Drive is straight out of a movie. Literally, ‘Scarface’ has scenes from here, as well as many other Hollywood Films.

Where to Stay:

Beacon Hotel

Venetian Causeway

The Miami skyline is beautiful, and there are few better vantage points than the Venetian Causeway. While it’s always a great view, my favorite time to photograph it is at night, as there is nothing like Miami lights.

Where to Stay:

The Standard

The Beach Lifeguard Towers

There are a lot of them, as we have a lot of beach here in Miami, but the below location is the coolest one. By far, the best time to shoot them is at sunrise, as you will have beautiful light and clouds, but most importantly, and empty beach, which is near impossible any other time.

Where to Stay:

Clevelander South Beach

Best Buy Parking garage on 5th and Alton

Yup, you read that right! Pick up a new Vizeo HD TV and stay for sunset. Best Buy has the dream view of Miami for photographers.

Where to Stay:

Luxury Miami Beach Apartments by Michigan

Children’s Museum

While not shooting from the museum itself, head under the bridge and see why this is one of my favorite spots. Sunset and night are my favorite times at this awesome spot.

Where to Stay:

Doubletree by Hilton Grand Hotel Biscayne Bay

South Pointe Park & Pier

Sunrise and sunset are great options at this unique pier. There is alot of angles to cover, so give yourself time to scout out what you are looking for.

Where to Stay:

Blanc Kara Boutique Hotel

The Bay Walk

Not much can be said about the Bay Walk. It’s stunning, especially at sunset.

Where to Stay:

Mondrian South Beach Hotel

The Beach

Hey, it’s Miami. Our most photographed location is the beach, and for good reason. Just remember, sunrise is the best time to get calm and peaceful scenes before the hordes of sun seekers arrive.

Where to Stay:

Z Ocean Hotel South Beach

A version of this blog originally appeared on Edin Chavez’s website. 

The post The 10 Best Photography Spots in Miami Beach appeared first on Resource Travel.

My first travel journal featured some questionable spelling and anxiety about trying new things… story of my life.

One year older and the details in the storytelling multiply…

I have been able to track personal growth, ambition, artistry, philosophies, and important stories that might have otherwise been blurred or completely lost to me over the years.  When transitioning into professional travel writing, I had the benefit of my years of experience across the pages of countless travel journals.  I can more effectively tell rich anecdotes and write intuitive articles by going back to my notes, maps, and other glued in keepsakes to relive the details of each adventure.  

Spending a quiet morning in the British Virgin Islands contemplating my travel experiences

Keeping an effective and useful Travel Journal is an art of its own.  It takes practice and effort. You won’t feel like doing it consistently at first.  You might even hear a smarmy narrator’s voice with a bad British accent saying “Dear Diary…” in your head as you pick up the pen to write.  That goes away.  Over the years I have found what works really well for me and what makes me feel a little ridiculous — even the best travel journalers will reread something that makes them cringe later on. We journal mostly for our eyes only, so don’t judge yourself — just give it a try.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Start journaling before you leave

For me, a blank journal feels too perfect to ruin with my potentially dumb ideas.  If I wait till I’m on the trip to start writing, it gets even harder to think of what might be important enough to mar that beautiful empty first page.  Just jump right in.  I like to fill the first few pages with notes as I’m planning my trip.  I make ranked lists of places I want to visit by general location, notes about public transit systems, names of restaurants that I want to try, foreign language phrases I might need, hours of operation for must-see attractions, etc.  On my first big trip away from home in high school, I filled two pages of my journal with a list of activities I knew I would be doing that I was terrified about (first flight without my parents, first time camping in the wilderness, first time rock climbing, etc).  As I achieved each activity, I felt so proud and accomplished to be able to check it off the list.  I still do this when something I’ve signed up for feels intimidating or daunting.  At the end of your trip, you’ll have a list of stuff that scared you that you did anyway — because you’re amazing.  Make your lists now and the habit of journaling will become much more natural once you’re on the trip.

Setting aside some quiet time in Granada, Nicaragua to drink coffee, relax, and write.

Pick up your journal and pen instead of your phone

On every journey, especially on a solo-trip, you’ll have down time.  When things are quiet or I feel socially awkward, I always get the impulse to stare at my phone.  Over the past decade, we have conditioned ourselves to fill those empty moments by checking our phones or staring at whatever screen looms within our vision.  For me, learning to disengage from my phone felt a lot like quitting smoking.  I felt nervous most of the time and didn’t know what to do with my hands.  A notebook and pen will help you break the habit by replacing mindless scrolling with something constructive.  Make an effort to fill empty moments jotting down your thoughts and emotions or just making a list of what you did that day.   Over time, it’ll get easier to ignore glowing screens.  You’ll become more contemplative, more mindful, and in turn, more artistically inspired.  Strangers and new friends will find you more approachable.  You may not even feel totally worthless sitting at a table alone in a restaurant — no promises though, I’m still working on that part.

I filled the front pages of an old travel journal with a tally of my daily steps. It’s one of the many things you can track on a long trip to see just how much you’ve accomplished.

On busy days jot down notes and fill in the full story later

You won’t have time to write every day.  If you’re an active traveler like me, you’ll have a couple of crazy days where all you can do is make a list of bullet points, then go back every few days to fill in the details.  That’s totally fine too!  With clear notes, you’ll remember what’s important and get it all on paper when you have down time.  Don’t ever miss out on today’s experiences because you’re busy writing about yesterday’s!  

For longer trips, I mail maps, brochures, and other papers I’ve collected home a couple times throughout the journey to shed extra weight from my bag.

Save paper souvenirs along the way

My journals are a weird conglomerate of lists, stream of consciousness writing, descriptive haikus, names and phone numbers of friends I meet along the way, receipts, ticket stubs, National Park stamps, maps, business cards, flyers, and other random paperwork.  You don’t have to be brilliant and perfectly articulate on every page.  Fill pages with the nonsense pieces of paper that you somehow accumulate on every journey.  Each item will remind you of something later.  If you do end up writing a travel article about your experience, you’ll have all the raw materials for reference right there, saving lots of time later trying to retrace your steps on the internet.

When a doodle turns into a permanent addition to your life…

Doodle and draw

Weird amorphous shapes or disproportionate stick figures still have value even if they’re not destined for an art gallery.  I’m not much when it comes to drawing, but creativity flows after a doodle or two, and art begets art.  The act of drawing can help you gather your thoughts before writing.  On a long car trip through Spain, I started mindlessly doodling a line-drawing of a camera in my journal, which later became the basis of my first tattoo.  You never know what will happen when you give yourself permission to fool around with a pen.  Let yourself off the hook and doodle in the margins.  If you’re less of a doodler, try taping a few pages from a coloring book in your journal.  Coloring will help you focus your mind just as well as drawing and it takes some of the pressure off.

A sunset outside El Paso became a little more memorable when, lost in thought and my travel journal, I accidentally stayed in the park past closing hours and almost got locked in the park overnight by a grumpy park ranger.

Record the context for your photographs

Take notes in your journal about that sunrise you shot — where you where exactly, what you were looking for, what challenges you faced.  When you make an image that excites you, jot down what happened and how it made you feel.  When you back your images up, look at the thumbnails and write a summary of the shoot and what your big takeaways were.  Over time your journal and your photographs will become more directly linked, making each more meaningful to you and creating a narrative that is easier to adapt into a travel article or essay.

Even after all these years, journaling doesn’t always come easily to me.  With each new trip and each blank notebook, I feel that fresh sense of intimidation.  But with every journey, big or small, the first step is the most important.  

Don’t hem and haw.  Don’t hesitate.  Just turn the page and write.  

The post 6 Ways to Create the Ultimate Travel Journal appeared first on Resource Travel.

Forgetting My Flashlight In the Amazon

During a college course I took in Ecuador, my class and I went to the Amazon Rainforest. We were given a packing list for this part of the trip and on it was a flashlight, because the lodge we were staying at turns off their electricity off at night. I hadn’t brought one to Ecuador and decided to spend what little money I had on souvenirs, figuring I could just share with someone else. This logic failed me one night when I woke up at 4am having to use the bathroom. Upon realizing that everyone else was sound asleep, I whisper-screamed for someone to wake up and give me their flashlight. Selfish? Yes. However, there was a lightning bug ten times the normal size swarming the outside the netting around my bed. My imagination raced as I imagined what other beastly insects laid waiting to pounce on me once I exited. The only person who responded to my cries of help told me to shut up, so I quickly peeled open the netting and went for it. Somehow I made it back into my bed without incident, though my mind still wonders what other creepy crawlers I unknowingly walked passed that night.

My advice: If someone tells you to pack something, they probably know better than you. So just pack it.

Wearing Inappropriate Clothing in Morocco

During a cultural exchange program in Morocco, I overestimated the heat, because Africa is always hot, right? The weather dropped as low as 40°F at some points and I had only packed summer clothes-except for one sweatshirt that I usually only wore around the house. Written on the front of the sweatshirt, was “Dope.” In a country with strict laws surrounding marijuana and hash, I was hesitant, but I wore that sweatshirt around Morocco for the next five days.

My advice: Pack for all types of weather and make sure your clothing is culturally appropriate.

Beautiful view of the cityscape from Park Güell.

Asking Strangers for Drugs in Barcelona

While studying in Madrid, Spain, my friends and I took the train to Barcelona for spring break, because we heard that coastal city has some of the country’s wildest parties. Upon rolling up to a club with five different dance floors, we realized that almost everyone was on something. Feeling a bit of FOMO with only a vodka red bull in hand, I decided to go up to people who looked like they could help us find some party favors. Eventually, I found a guy dancing by himself that told me he could get me some, but we had to go to his car. I went to his car with him, alone. Once in his car, he pulled out a bag of white powder which he called Special-K, which I assure you, is very different from a beloved breakfast cereal. He told me it was great for partying, but my friends and I decided to take it back to the hostel to test it out. Special-K ended up affecting us much like an extra strength Ambien and we spent the rest of the night spooning with a bag of Lays potato chips nestled between our bodies.

My advice: This isn’t a D.A.R.E. campaign, so I’m not going to tell you not to do drugs. You are an adult and can make your own decisions. But, while traveling, be aware that laws are very different than what you may be used to back home (have you ever seen Locked Up Abroad?) Also, don’t get into a car alone with a guy you don’t know. Ever. What the hell was I thinking?

What accidentally spending an extra day in Amsterdam looks like.

Missing Your Flight…By A Full Day

After a semester spent studying in Madrid, my best friend (same one from Barcelona) and I decided to have a mini Euro trip to celebrate the end of our semester. Starting in Madrid, we traveled to Amsterdam, Geneva,  Zermatt, Venice and then finally, Rome. Going on a multi-city trip has its risks, because one mistake could cause a chain reaction of horrible ones. After a weekend of enjoying Amsterdam’s finest herb, we arrived happily dazed to the airport to board our next flight to Geneva, Switzerland. However, when we checked in, the airline attendant kindly told us that we had missed our flight, yesterday. Luckily, I had enough money to rebook my ticket for that day and avoid missing all my other flights/trains, but my friend sadly did not.

My advice: Double check travel times and dates. Even when you THINK you know, triple check.

On the far right you can see the Matterhorn, which inspired on of Disneyland’s most famous roller coasters.

Falling Asleep on a Train

The only reason we were flying to Geneva was to get to Zermatt, Switzerland. From Geneva, I was supposed to take two trains before arriving in the town that inspired one of Disneyland’s most famous roller coasters. Of course, I fell asleep on the first train and woke up to an empty train. By some miracle, the train did not move on to another city and I still had enough time to catch the next train I was supposed to be on.

My advice: If you plan on sleeping on public transit, set an alarm or ask a friendly stranger to wake you up at your stop.

One of the many pizzas I ate alone in Venice.

Going to Venice Single and Alone

During the aforementioned trip, I also went to Venice, alone. Normally, I make friends at whatever hostel I’m staying at, but it appeared as though my hostel was actually a low budget hotel and my roommates were a family comprised of three generations of Colombian women. Though they were kind enough to invite me on the gondola with them, I was over communicating in Spanish after a semester in Spain and decided to eat carbs in various locations alone instead. But I will admit, seeing all the lovebirds living out their Rom-Com fantasies in this beautiful city made me realize there maybe is SOME places where it would be nice to have someone with you.

My advice: Do not go to a romantic city alone, at the very least bring a friend along who is also tragically single.

My matching luggage (and coat) that I had to throw away after getting bed bugs.

Getting Bed Bugs, Twice

While working in Spain as a teacher, I was unlucky enough to get bed bugs not once, but twice.  I was advised not to look for an apartment until I got there, so I spent my first couple of weeks bouncing around between a hotel, hostel, and home-stay. It was in the hostel that I encountered the bed bugs. Now, bed bugs normally come out at night, but so do I. It was my first night staying at the hostel and I came back late after a night of drinking. Using my phone’s flashlight to find my way, I discovered something waiting for me in my bed. Bed bugs. After yelling at the night manager, I was given some free laundry detergent to wash the bed bugs out of my clothes. Unfortunately, my suitcases were not washable, so I simply shook them out.  I ended up brining the bedbugs via my suitcases to the home stay I fled to next. I learned my lesson that time and threw the suitcases away.

My advice: Check underneath the mattress and area around the bed for signs of bed bugs when staying at a new place.

Me and my favorite backpack pre-robbery.

Having My Backpack Stolen On A Date with a Local

About a month later, I met a date at a cafe in one of Madrid’s most touristy neighborhoods, Malasaña. While getting lost in each others eyes or something, we were interrupted by a beggar that entered the cafe trying to sell us packs of tissues. Distracted by this, I failed to notice when my backpack was stolen out from underneath the table in front of me. Suffice it to say, I didn’t have to worry about who was going to pay for the check.

My Advice: Thieves are tricky and sometimes work in pairs, watch out for anyone trying to sell you something, as it may just me a distraction for theft. If you need to put your backpack on the ground, wrap the straps around the chair leg or your ankle. You will easily notice if someone tries to move it.

One of the many vespas that I encountered in Barcelona, Spain.

Riding a Stranger’s Vespa

My family and I went on vacation in Barcelona during holy week, which all the teachers had off. It was the night before my sister’s birthday and the revival of Jesus Christ, so I prepared for these events by partying until sunrise at one of Barcelona’s hottest beach clubs, Opium. I must have felt the spirit within me, because while walking back to my hotel, I saw a guy driving a Vespa and flagged him down. I proceeded to hop on his scooter and commanded him to bring me home. Instead, he tried taking me to his home. Upon realizing we were going to the wrong way, I hopped off and ran back to my friend. I continued walking with him as if nothing had happened and he spent the next 20 minutes laughing.

My advice: Do not get on Vespas with strangers in the night! Or in the day. Just, be careful with strangers in general, at any time of day, m’kay?

Stunning view of Manhattan from a rooftop in Brooklyn.

Neglecting to Pay My Student Loan Debt While Abroad

While I can look at the nine mistakes above and laugh about them now, the one mistake I made while traveling that still haunts me to this day is neglecting to pay a student loan while I was off teaching in Spain. Apparently, the calls to remind me to pay the loan were being sent to my American phone number which I had long since ditched upon arrival in Spain. Suffice it to say, renting an apartment in New York City was a very difficult task now that my credit score has been trashed.

My advice: Make sure all your debts are paid before leaving the country. Or have a friend or automated solution to make payments in your absence. Unless you don’t plan on coming back…

What travel mistakes did you make in your 20s? Let us know in the comments! You may be featured in a follow-up piece :) 

The post 10 Travel Mistakes I Made in My Early 20s (And What I Learned from Them) appeared first on Resource Travel.

Possibilities were still there on Jan. 11, 2017.

To be able to end up in Europe for just $69 —yes, it’s a one-way ticket— you will have to fly between January 15 and April 5, 2017. Other than having to depart from Los Angeles or San Francisco, you are also limited to arriving in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Edinburgh or Bristol.

What’s the catch? There are of course several of them. For example, you can’t get back to the United States for $69. The cheapest tickets we found were $129. That’s still ridiculously low, of course.

WOW Air’s offer limits you to destinations like Edinburgh. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Image courtesy of @ivytravelspot.

Fares are also added for anything other than your seat, like extra leg space, food, drinks or checked baggage. But maybe the 22 pound limit for (free) carry-on luggage will be enough for you? There’s also the inevitable 2-3 hour layover in Iceland’s capital, but that just might be a welcome leg stretching stop.

Will 2017 be the year cheap airplane tickets finally become the norm? After all, Norwegian Airlines CEO Bjørn Kjos already announced back in 2015 that it would introduce $69 tickets to Europe in 2017. WOW Air eventually beat them to it, but the competition is certainly something to look forward to.

WOW Air CEO Skúli Mogensen was just a little quicker than his Norwegian Air colleague Bjørn Kjos.

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The temples of Angkor Wat, Cambodia. Listed in every guide book as an absolute must-see when traveling to Siem Reap

Kira lived and worked in Germany for a year, and spent every weekend going town- and country-hopping across Europe. She’d make exhaustive lists of attractions and from the early hours of Saturday until the late ones on Sunday, she’d take in as much as possible, trying not to miss anything a place had to offer. But one doesn’t have to travel far for this dilemma to set it: in my home state of Kansas, for example, one finds both the longest grain elevator and the largest ball of twine. (Roadtrippers be advised.) There is always, simply, too much to see.

The problem with Kira’s approach, she reflects, is that while she saw a lot, she simply didn’t enjoy the traveling enough. It was exhausting. The sights became easy to forget, the days and towns ran together. Where was the vacation, the relaxation? Does the leisure really come at the end, when you finally sit down to comb through the thousands of images?

A spontaneous boat ride in Hoi An, Vietnam led to this relaxing encounter. We missed a few other tourist attractions to make time for this experience but were happy with our choice.

So we learned while traveling together on an extended trip in Southeast Asia that we needed to decide, not between which things we should see, but on the kind of traveling we wanted to do. We decided that our travel was as much for rejuvenation as sight-seeing. So we chose, daily, between leisure and adventure, between the must-see and the must-sleep. We taught ourselves to forget about what we should do and simply worried about what would make us happier in each moment.

Instead of visiting the famed Marina Bay Sands while in Singapore, we sipped cocktails across the bay and enjoyed it from afar.

So what did we miss this way? We’re not entirely sure. Sunrise at Angkor Wat might have been beautiful. We don’t know. We slept in a bit and hit the place by 9. They offer a three-day pass. Great. We opted for the one-day and spent the other two in Siem Reap lounging poolside at the top of our hotel, eating local dishes and drinking local beer. By all means, visit Angkor Wat. But don’t feel obligated to buy the three-day pass because UNESCO declared this one of the most important sites in the world; unless you want to. We saw a circus that was highly rated on TripAdvisor, and it was incredible, a highlight of our time in Cambodia. You should go there. Or not, because the mid-day drinks we had while chatting up our waiter ranked up there, too.

One of my all-time favorite photographs from Angkor Wat was taken during a photographer’s most dreaded hour, noon. While I opted out of trying to get a sunrise shot, I still walked away with images that I loved.

In the historic Hoi An, Vietnam, Kira woke at 5:30am and took a sunrise photography tour. Some of her best photos were captured on that journey and she considers it a highlight. I used that time to sleep until I thought I might get interrupted by housekeeping and subsequently spent the morning on a lounge chair writing a mediocre short story.

Some of my most memorable moments while traveling happen far outside the confines of travel guide recommendations. Enjoying a chat with locals is far more important to me than checking off a list of must-dos

By the end of our two-month trip, we regularly lazed in our hotel room sometimes until 10, sometimes until noon. Others might find this lack of travelers’ ambition frustrating, a waste of time and money. And if they do, then they should. (That’s one reason I prefer not to travel with a large group.)

We slept more. We lounged around more. We watched local TV. But we don’t have regrets because we saw what we wanted to see and didn’t worry about what the internet thought we couldn’t miss.

We didn’t make it to Borobudur while in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and looking back, I think perhaps we should have. So I’m not advocating skipping any attraction you want to see. I’m strongly advocating skipping any attraction you don’t want to see. It’s too easy to get caught up in the idea that because you may only come here once, your vacation needs to be an endless, exhausting slog from one destination to the next, taking selfies in front of everything from sunup until you can’t stand anymore.

While on an early morning photography tour in Hoi An, we were invited into a local boat yard to capture images of workers going about their day. This was one time I was glad to follow the TripAdvisor recommendation and join the tour.

Another monastery? Should you skip it? Yes. Or not. It’s your vacation, your money. Let your friends go by themselves. Walk to a local restaurant, order something you’ve never heard of, and then browse Facebook on the free wifi. Or don’t. Either way, allow yourself some time to enjoy the journey your own way and ignore the myriad lists and guides that want to sell you on every last attraction. Or, you know, don’t.

Words by Bradley Geer, Photos by Kira Morris.

See more photos from Kira Morris on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. 

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