Top 10 Tips for Photography Abroad

Written by Glenn Asher-Gordon

Publisher's Note:

Taking photos can be as challenging as can be, especially to me. These tips are so inspiring that I honestly cannot imagine my life without a camera. I am so grateful to Glenn for sharing valuable information which is very useful to new photographers and for you who is passionate about photography. 

* * * * * 

                          Glenn Asher-Gordon

I am a happy, young and enthusiastic photographer who specialises in taking pictures of landscape and wildlife. Though I normally take photos while travelling abroad, I capture Events professionally in Leicestershire and beyond. 

I enjoy bringing my love of nature into my wedding and event photography wherever possible. When shooting portraits, I like to focus on the interplay between people or pets, trying to capture something of a person's spirit that indefinable quality that makes them unique. Visit me at Gray Gordon Photography. 

Whether photography is a hobby or profession, the following tips are essential to improve and master your passion. Remember, just because someone has an expensive camera doesn't mean that they're a good photographer.

• Respect your Environment

Most importantly of all, look after your surroundings. Do not destroy delicate plant life, endanger or frighten an animal just to get a good shot. If you truly value the beauty of your subject, please take the time and care to protect it.

Basking by the Sea  - Photo Courtesy of Glenn Asher-Gordon 

•                                                             Copyrighted
• 
  

• The Early Bird Catches the Worm

And the early photographer catches the early bird, catching the worm. Be prepared to put yourself out a little if you want to get that stunning shot.  Really, attention-grabbing or thought-provoking shots rarely fall onto your lap, you have to go and look for them.

Ryanair launched flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg

Irish carrier may follow other budgets already blazing trail in Russian airspace. It is cleared for take off to Russia.

Ryanair, Europe’s largest budget airline, looks set to follow other low-cost carriers into Russian airspace by launching flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg early next year.

Photo Credit: Josep Lago

Russia’s aviation authority has granted the Irish carrier permission to fly from Dublin to Russia beginning in March 2014, Bloomberg reports.

However, the airline was still in negotiations over which airports it could potentially use in Russia, Ryanair said.

“Ryanair has had discussions with a number of Russian airports, but they are purely exploratory at this time,” the airline’s spokesman, Robin Kiely, said in a brief statement.

Domodedovo Airport, to which Ryanair’s competitor easyJet currently flies, was the most likely candidate for the Russian capital, The Moscow Times said.

When Is a Temple Not a Temple?

Written by D.R. Ransdell

When Is a Temple Not a Temple?

Answer: When it’s a mega-temple!

My friend and I decided to visit Thailand’s Wat Pho on the morning we were going to visit The Grand Palace because the two famous sites were close together. The descriptions in our guidebooks made it sound like the temple was famous because it was one of the oldest in Thailand and because it was closely associated with the Buddha. We didn’t think much past that. We took for granted it was on a must-see list.

            When we arrived at the temple, we were shocked to find that it wasn’t merely a temple but a whole temple complex. This was completely new to me. Up to that point I’d spent a lot of time traveling through Europe, which meant touring famous churches such as the Chartres Cathedral or the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi. Even though those two churches were examples of buildings that deserved a ninety-minute visit, I wasn’t prepared for Wat Pho, which was worth several hours!

Making the Most of Your Museum Visit

Written by Marie Rea

Many people get turned off with the idea of visiting museums. But for my family of four, museums are awesome and interesting places to enjoy- they offer exhibits and collections you will perhaps never see as they are rare and they offer avenues for intellectual exploration which can lead to more amazing discoveries for your kids particularly, depending on their interests.

First, what are museums?

According to the Museum Association website (UK): 'Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible artefacts and specimens, which they hold in trust for society.' This definition includes art galleries with collections of works of art, as well as museums with historical collections of objects."

Often they are housed in huge buildings with several levels like the Natural History Museums in almost every country. Or, they can be in a small "Heritage listed" old home that often has been restored and so forth.

Inside Museum - Prefecture of Kerkyra CORFU

Here are some guidelines on getting the most from your museum visit, based on my personal experience:

Do your research before your intended visit. This way, you will know which areas you need to spend more time in and those you don't need to see or just pass through quickly.

For instance, when my boys were fascinated with dinosaurs and other prehistoric stuff, we took them to the Field Museum in Chicago which was an enormous place with various sections. So we knew which floors to go to first and then just browsed through the others. But, once we were there, we were also fascinated with the various natural stones and minerals exhibits that this encouraged my boys to get interested in collecting stones and forge metals.To this day, they have a growing collection of pocket knives (all legal) and the like.

Berlin - Its Beautiful and Not-So-Beautiful Sides

It's an early morning trip to Berlin with the intention of seeing its historical architecture. It's a brief stay, just enough to experience the good and the not-so-good side of the city.

I am not a newbie in travelling. But, when I am in another country, I have the tendency to react and compare whatever this country have that others don't. True enough, the bad experience in Berlin is something that a tourist like me will not expect. Besides, I have high regard to this city prior to my trip.

The incident is not the focus of this blog, but rather the places that I consider a treasure in this cosmopolitan city. Nevertheless, I am obliged to keep you aware when you decide to pay a visit to the city of Berlin. It may or may not happen to you, but, just the same, I will tell you exactly what you should avoid and the things you should know about Berlin.

Brandenburg Gate - Berlin

My hosts from Hamburg, who are also my cousins, spent little time in convincing me to include Germany on this particular European journey, saying that their country is one of the best in the world. 

Obviously, I believed them. 

As I always try to see as many attractions as I possibly can in every country, my hosts purchased a whole day bus tour to explore the neighbouring Berlin. 

You also have the option to buy a hop-on hop-off City Sighgtseeing valid for one or two days or the Berlin Pass good for whole day tour to 20 different stops including Potsdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie, Berliner Dom, Altes Museum, Alexander Platz and Brandenburg Gate to name a few.

Travel Advisory : Philippines' Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda)

Travellers from anywhere in the world are advised to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to the Philippines. Officials fear that Typhoon Haiyan may have killed as many as 10,000 people in one Philippine province alone. 

Magina Fernandez was among the survivors who had lost her home and business. And she was desperate to leave on the next military plane from Tacloban Airport. She made an anguished plea for help. "Get international help to come here now -- not tomorrow, now," she said. This is really, really bad, bad, worse than hell, worse than hell." This statement was reported by Andrew Stevens and Paula Hancocks of CNN.

Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada advises against non-essential travel to the Eastern, Central and Western Visayas, as well as Bicol Region, Mimaropa and Calabarzon due to damages caused by the typhoon.  

Tourists helping in Coron in the island of Busuanga, the Philippines
Photo Credit: Lowell Estepa

Many travellers in the Philippines will remain stranded for the weekend as hundreds of flights were cancelled and a dozen airports were closed in the wake of typhoon damage. Twelve airports had been closed across the Philippines on Friday. These airports are Tacloban, Surigao, Kalibo, Roxas, Caticlan, Iloilo, Romblon, Legaspi, Masbate, Dumaguete, Busuanga (Coron) and Bacolod.

Passengers with Fake Tickets and No Visas Aboard Air Canada

A Toronto-bound flight was stopped shortly before departure from Caracas when four Iranians and an Afghan were found aboard with fake tickets and no visas, Venezuelan officials said Saturday.

The captain of Air Canada Flight 075 discovered there were five extra passengers aboard his flight as it was scheduled to depart late Friday, said Luis Graterol, the head of the Simon Bolivar Maiquetia International Airport.

Photo Credit: Adrian Dennis (AFP)

All those on board were forced to disembark and military officials identified the suspicious passengers, Graterol told the state-run Venezuelan News Agency.

The Iranians and the Afghan "did not have a visa to enter Canada, nor legitimate tickets," Graterol said.

He added that the flight had been delayed for five hours due to the incident.

Why Museums are Almost Always Not in my Itinerary

I have been to over 30 countries since I started travelling. I have 7 European countries lined up and not sure if these countries are famous for museums that I may not be able to resist. This will be my 4th trip to Europe and I do not even remember a single museum that I have visited on my first three. That's how bad my memory can be when it comes to museums.

So don't get me wrong if I seldom include it in my itinerary. I go on a holiday for three main reasons -- architecture (old and new), nature and people.

Royal Ontario Museum

Just the same, I need your feedback on why I should or shouldn't bother visiting museums in any of these towns/cities and countries: Southampton and London England, Oslo Norway, Copenhagen Denmark, Tallinn Estonia, St. Petersburg Russia, Helsinki Finland and Bruges Belgium.

The European countries I am visiting are beautiful in their own right, that's for sure, and that's the reason why I am so excited and can hardly wait for this trip.

Don't be surprised why I am writing this. I must admit ~ I feel guilty at times. For myself, because I feel am missing the history of a country that can be found and discovered in a museum. And feel guilty for the country that I am visiting for not giving appreciation for the effort of the curators and the other human beings manning the memories that the local people consider as a treasure of historical value.

So, there you go, my friends. Tell me. Is it worth visiting the museums in any of the countries I mentioned? 

Appreciate Art and Culture of New Zealand

Written by Brian Mcquillan

The beautiful country of New Zealand also possesses a wealth of cultural attractions with its great Maori culture, places of performing arts, museums and art galleries that makes it a perfect destination for art and culture buffs.

Tourists from around the world keep flocking to this destination to explore its various art and cultural offerings, though it is not the main achievement for this relatively young country on the map of the world.

Photo credit: nzstatic

Here we acquaint you with the major art and culture destinations of the country.

Museums

Museum offers an authentic insight into the art and culture of the region, and museums in New Zealand are no exceptions. On their visit to these museums, the tourists can see the cultural and historical artefacts.

If you are interested to have a glimpse of the Maori and Polynesian culture, then Auckland Museum should be your pick where a large collection of artefacts are rearing to educate and entertain you.

River Rafting in Ladakh Zanskar

Written by Zara Jones

Adventurous Expedition in the Lapel of Nature

Zanskar River, a remote Himalayan tributary of the Indus is one of the most amazing ravines in the world.  Renowned as the Grand Canyon of the Himalaya, an expedition down the Zanskar features an excursion through a geologic heaven, submersion into a culture virtually unknown throughout the contemporary world.

Photo courtesy of  Erica_St

The Zanskar valley is a tranquil and isolated part of the Trans-Himalayan region of Ladakh. This valley allures many adventure tourists who visit this place to experience river-rafting in Zanskar River, in the month of July and August. Besides enjoying the gushing rapids, they take delight of exploring the scenic panorama of the villages, monasteries and exalted peaks that appear like touching the heavens.

Why I Keep Coming Back to Boracay

Written by Kit Cruz

I am lucky to have personally experienced the beautiful Boracay beach in Boracay Island, Philippines. 

I am a travel buff who has a special love for the beach. The first time I heard about this little paradise was in an article in a travel magazine. I added it right away on my to-go list. Little did I know that I would actually fall head over heels for it the moment I stepped on its fine, white sand.

Everything about the island is exquisite; the sands, crystal clear waters, beach, and the resorts in Boracay . . . it is indeed a paradise, a haven.

White Sand in Boracay Beach - the Philippines

So, why do I keep coming back to Boracay?

Visitors to Boracay share a common roster of things that they like about the island. And if you have come here, you would automatically have answers to the above question. I have a lot of reasons for coming back, but the following are the top ones:

1. Powdery White Sand

This does not need a second telling, but it is actually the first and most lovable quality of Boracay.

Fine and powdery, the sands of Boracay feel like velvet to my feet. They are unlike those in other beaches whose sands are mixed with sharp, broken shells that can puncture the skin. 

Another description is that the sands feel like bath salts that exfoliate the skin. The sand just falls off the skin when you are dry.

The Best Places to Visit in London

Written by Abbas Hussain

London is a diverse and exciting city with so much to see and discover. Whilst visiting this amazing city you should of course visit the Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, various theatres, clubs and the like. There are many more places to visit which most tourists often miss. Here is a list of some of the best places you should never miss when in London.

Buckingham Palace

This is the home of the Queen of London. The palace is usually open to the public in the months of August and September when the queen is away at Balmorals in Scotland. Most visitors come to this place to watch the Ceremonial Changing of the Guard that takes place at 11:30 am all year round. Other attractions in the palace include the Royal Mews, where the glass royal wedding coach and the gold coronation coach are on display.

The Tower of London

This is actually a castle with more than a dozen towers. The tower is arguably the most famous tourist destination site where the prince Edward V and his younger brother were murdered. There are so many things to see at the tower. Some sights you should not miss are the Traitor’s Gate – where new prisoners passed if approaching by boat and the Tower of Green Scaffold – where seven people, amongst them two wives of Henry VII, were beheaded.

Good News to Tel-Aviv Tourists - FREE WiFi to Visitors of the City of Yafo

Yes, this is good news if your itinerary includes visiting Tel Aviv, municipality of Yafo in Israel. You will be able to continue your passion in writing while travelling in this ancient city. You can document your journey and communication with your friends, relatives and the world will be very easy, just like you're home.

Photo of the City of Tel Aviv courtesy of  Free Israel Photos

The municipality just launched a digital revolution as part of the city's over-all strategic plan to position Tel Aviv as the Startup city - a hub of innovation and creativity.

In conjunction with Tel Aviv Global & Tourism Administration, the municipality has completed the installation of 60 WiFi hotspots around the city which are allocated to the beach, entertainment centres and tourist attractions.  Twenty of the locations have been chosen by the residents of the city via the social media network.

Why I Visit Calamba Not for the Huge Claypot

Calamba is a city in the province of Laguna, known to many as the Resort Capital of the Philippines because of its hot spring resorts.

This first class city is approximately 54 kilometres south of Manila and was declared as the regional centre of the CALABARZON. I am inviting you to pay a visit and spend a day or two to make your stay worthwhile.

• House of national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal
• Banga or the biggest "Claypot" 
• St. John the Baptist Church
• Hot spring resorts lined mostly along the Barangay Pansol and Barangay Bucal

Read the tips and recommendations that I have prepared. It will help you plan ahead and have a smooth journey.

I want you to not miss visiting Banga in Calamba.

Independence Day Celebration in Abu Dhabi Revealed

Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority is finalising an activities programme which will bring the emirate alive during the 42nd National Day weekend running November 28th–December 2nd this year.

Abu Dhabi’s stunning Corniche will burst with activity for the whole of the weekend with attractions and challenges for all – residents and visitors while women’s-only activities will run on Al Bateen Beach.

Additional celebrations are being planned for the emirate’s heritage heartland of Al Ain and its Al Gharbia Western Region with concerts and fireworks on the drawing board for Delma Island and Madinat Zayed.

“People can anticipate an action-packed weekend to satisfy the tastes of residents and visitors alike and which will undoubtedly make Abu Dhabi the place to be for the 42nd National Day. Visitors to the emirate will leave with lasting memories of celebrations which will have a distinctly traditional and Emirati flavour with most of the activities being free-to-attend.” explained Faisal Al Sheikh, director events bureau, TCA Abu Dhabi.

On the drawing board are two mega firework displays along Abu Dhabi Corniche running for ten minutes each at 20:00 on December 1st and 2nd.

“We anticipate those stakeholders with Corniche-focussed operations will be able to package around this and look forward to hearing their ideas,” added Al Sheikh.