My love of both Music and Photography made for my total enjoyment of the evening. All photos were taken with my first-generation Nikon Z6; coupled with my Nikon 50mm, f1.8 Prime lens.
Before sunset I used my (manual setting); 1/125-250 shutter speeds; ISO settings between 400 to 800.
After sunset I switched to my (shutter speed setting); 1/125; switched between a constant ISO setting of 3200, and automatic ISO.
Join Us For Next Month’s Celebration! (April 7, 2023)
Study reveals families are opting for Airbnbs over hotel stays
from The Navigator
I love Airbnbs, but as someone who typically travels with just my significant other, they’re not always necessary for me. In fact, the times I find myself prioritizing them are when I’m traveling with family or a group of friends. New research says I’m not the only one who feels this way.
According to new data from Airbnb, family travel is thriving. On their platform, it skyrocketed by 60% in 2022 compared to before the pandemic. Airbnb saw 15 million check-ins in nearly 90,000 destinations. Considering you can book a two-bedroom two-bath house per night for the same cost as one hotel room, the numbers make sense.
Another significant advantage of Airbnb for families is the access to a kitchen. Nearly 90% of Airbnb listings have kitchens, allowing families to save money by cooking instead of eating out for every meal.
Moreover, the experience is unique. You can choose a home with a yard so the kids can run wild. You can indulge in a pool you don’t have to share with other guests. And families can really unpack—staying for longer periods of time. In 2022, more than half of families stayed between two and six nights, while nearly half stayed for a week or longer. This flexibility allows families to plan their trip around their schedule, whether it’s a short weekend getaway or an extended family vacation.
So where are families going? Everywhere! Paris, France, London, United Kingdom, and Melbourne, Australia are just a few of the top destinations for family travel on Airbnb. Additionally, Airbnb offers families the opportunity to travel near and far with unique experiences. The top-booked categories for family travel in 2022 included amazing pools, beach destinations, skiing destinations, tropical destinations, and national parks. I just found a flight deal for $468 from Los Angeles to Finland, which had me wondering: If I was packing up the whole family for this epic trip, what Airbnb could I score to round out the most reasonable trip ever? I can get this stunning 3-bedrooms 2-bath cottage for $199 a night.
American Cruise Lines has announced that American Star departs from Florida on February 18, marking the opening of the line’s 2023 U.S. cruise season. The line is celebrating “Wave Season” by running more small ships from U.S. ports than ever before. The line begins this year’s season with two riverboats and two small ships setting sail along the East Coast from Florida and South Carolina, the West Coast from California, and the Mississippi River from Louisiana.
On the West Coast, American Jazz will embark along a historic cruise from San Francisco on February 24, 2023. Following the new eight-day “San Francisco Bay” itinerary, American Jazz will be the first U.S. riverboat in over 80 years to explore San Francisco Bay and the California Delta, cruising wine country along the Napa, Sacramento, and San Joaquin rivers.
On the East Coast, two of the company’s smallest cruise ships, the 90-passenger American Star and American Independence, depart February 18 and February 25, respectively. American Star will begin the season along the eight-day “Great Rivers of Florida” cruise, roundtrip from Jacksonville. A Sister ship, American Independence, will sail the line’s popular eight-day “Historic South & Golden Isles” itinerary between Charleston, South Carolina, and Amelia Island, Florida; exploring the country’s Gold Coast along the protected Intracoastal Waterway. The recently renovated American Heritage begins the 2023 season on the Mississippi River, following a classic eight-day “Lower Mississippi” itinerary from New Orleans to Memphis, departing February 25.
American Cruise Lines offers five new riverboats and 11 itineraries on the Mississippi alone in 2023 and has a growing fleet of new small ships and riverboats operating 50+ itineraries in 35 states this year.
American’s 2023 season continues to open around the country, with “Chesapeake Bay Cruises” in March; “Columbia and Snake Rivers” cruises and “Puget Sound Cruises” in April; “New England” cruises in May; “Alaska Cruises” in June; “Hudson River” cruises in September; and “Holiday Cruises” in November and December.
The company’s small ship cruises offer an all-inclusive experience and feature over 400 shore excursions. All the line’s itineraries include complimentary onboard enrichment and entertainment, fine cuisine, and a festive cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres each evening. American ships also include Starlink Wi-Fi. Cruise pricing 2023-24 for includes port charges and fees as well as tips and gratuities.
AMERICA’S MOST UNIQUE CITY……From Mardi Gras and Bourbon Street to the finest Creole and Cajun dining, New Orleans serves up a one-of-a-kind experience for clients. Knowing how to direct our clients to the unique experiences of the Big Easy is key to ensuring they have the best, most memorable vacation possible.
We are able to recommend a good orientation to the city and offer insights about the New Orleans sights and sounds.
NEW ORLEANS TASTES & TUNES….New Orleans wouldn’t be the city that it is without its unique dining scene and unsurpassed musical heritage. We are well-versed in culinary and music history and know where to access the city’s best current offerings. We will help you create a dining and musical experience that is nothing short of a masterpiece.
CRUISING NEW ORLEANS…Historic grace and modern cruising grandeur come together in one destination in New Orleans. Visitors to the city can take advantage of both experiences – an educated travel advisor makes the difference. We understand the history of cruising in New Orleans and are well-versed as to the newest opportunities for New Orleans-bound travelers.
DESTINATION WEDDINGS IN NEW ORLEANS…New Orleans is known as the “Paris of the South.” For centuries, couples have been saying ‘I do in New Orleans. Destination weddings in New Orleans are not just three-hour events, they are three-day plus celebrations with friends and family that will have guests talking about the big event for a long time.
GROUPS IN THE CRESCENT CITY….Groups heading to New Orleans will discover a city that welcomes them with two big open arms. There is so much to discover in the Crescent City, starting with its incredible heritage.
It is home to more National Historic Landmarks than any other city in the United States. Groups will explore a destination distinctively its own, whether it’s a walking tour of the historic French Quarter, including countless restaurants and fascinating architecture; discovering the Arts District, with its endless galleries; or shopping on Magazine Street, one of the oldest and most diverse shopping districts in the city.
NEW ORLEANS & BEYOND…There’s no disputing that New Orleans is a city filled with countless attractions and activities of its own. However, when clients head here and just stay within its environs then they are missing out on a host of excitement all within a radius of a two-hour drive.
Whether it’s a repeat visitor to New Orleans, or a first-timer looking for a longer stay, they won’t want to miss out on all there is to see and do beyond the city.
WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOUR CLIENT GOES…Welcome to New Orleans…where the motto of “Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler” (Let the Good Times Roll) sums up the celebratory atmosphere of the city while paying tribute to its French heritage. The Crescent City’s European and Caribbean influences date back more than 300 years and can be felt, seen, heard, and tasted in its music, architecture, and cuisines.
New Orleans is also proud to be a part of the great American South with historical architectural gems such as antebellum plantations along the Mississippi River and mansions in the Garden District, as well as a steamboat paddlewheel that harkens back to another time.
Visitors can stroll through New Orleans’ diverse neighborhoods, experience Mardi Gras, listen to jazz, eat Cajun favorites, shop for antiques, and embrace life the New Orleans way.
Located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, two blocks from the French Quarter’s famous Bourbon Street. Countless bars, restaurants, and shops are within a 10-minute walk. The Caesars Superdome and Smoothie King Center are under a mile away. Enjoy our rooftop pool, 11th floor lobby lounge, and Great American Grill.
The Great American Grill host daily breakfast buffet between the hours of 6am and 10am daily. Staff members Ursula, Marlene, anchored by Keith (mgr) offer above board hospitality. Cost is 19.95/ea. Dinner served evenings.
Rooms are very accommodating bosting plenty of space for both working and relaxing.
A new year is always a great time to kick your photography plans into gear. If you haven’t done so already, here are 8 new year resolutions to consider
1 Take more photos
Help a shark! Photo by Jessica Sjödin – f/7.1 | ISO 200 | 1/400s
My number one advice for anyone wanting to improve their photography is to simply take more photos. It’s like anything, the more you practice something the better you will become. So whether you are a landscape photographer, travel photographer, wildlife photographer or even if you enjoy taking portraits, try to set time aside regularly to just focus on your photography. Or if you find it difficult to do so when you are home because of everyday life, why not book to go away for a few days to just concentrate on photography? You’ll be amazed at how much your work improves over time by simply taking more photos.
There is no doubt that the positives of digital photography (as opposed to film photography) far outweigh the negatives (excuse the pun). However, I think one of the big negatives of digital photography, is that for many photographers, their photos just end up sitting on their hard drives forever.
So, this year, why not plan to do “something” with your photos? You can of course look to sell them through Picfair. Or you can just get into the habit of posting regularly on social media. For those who have a bit more time on their hands, you can even create a photo book of your best photos. Not only do these kinds of things help promote you and your work, but it’s also great to just have your work out there rather than on a hard drive.
3 Learn something new
Professional photoshoot outdoors. Photo by Imagerisium – f/7.1 | ISO 100 | 1/160s
Photography is like any other hobby or profession, in that there are always elements that you can improve at. At the start of each year, I set myself a goal of learning something new that is related to my profession or business. For example, a few years ago I purchased a drone and learned how to use that for aerial photography. Another year, I taught myself all about SEO. Last year I learned how to create reels for social media.
Learning something new can be incredibly rewarding not to mention help improve your photography. For example, you may be someone who has never used a flash but want to or you may struggle with photographing in low light conditions. Or maybe you are not hugely confident in using editing software. So think about what you would like to learn and spend the next 12 months working toward learning or improving whatever that may be.
As well as learning a new skill, another great New Year resolution is to set yourself a professional goal. In other words, something that you would like to achieve. This could be anything from shooting something you have always wanted to shoot, or for example, this might be an event, a place or even a type of photo that you have always wanted to capture.
Or your goal could be more business-driven like having a photo published in a magazine or newspaper. You could even set yourself a goal of winning a photography competition and spend time actually trying to capture photos that are going to have the best chance of winning. It’s OK if you don’t achieve your goal. This is about giving you something to focus on.
5 Look through your old photos
Working with digital photography. Photo by Ikostudio – f/4 | ISO 400 | 1/30s
I’m sure like me, there have been times when you have looked through your old catalog of photos and found a few great photos that you missed when you were editing. In fact, there have been so many times when I have found photos from past shoots that have gone on to sell very well. So, if you have time, it is always worth having a look through your old collection of photos and possibly even re-editing some photos to see if you can find some hidden gems that you missed.
Remember that photos that are sitting on your hard drive will never sell. But if they are in your Picfair Store or out in the world, they might. You never know.
Photowalk. Photo by Oliver Pearce – f/5.6 | ISO 320 | 1/500s
Photography can be a lonely hobby or profession most of the time. You generally work by yourself and may not get the opportunity to bounce ideas off other people. Joining a local camera club is a great way to improve your photography by sharing your photos and getting feedback from fellow photographers. Camera clubs often also put on competitions which are again great for focusing you on something specific.
And there are of course often talks by professional photographers which can be very helpful in giving you tips and advice on a whole range of different topics.
7 Work on a personal project
The photo project. Photo by Jason Kessenich – f/5 | ISO 1600 | 1/13s
think that even if you are a seasoned pro, it is always very useful to have a personal project on the go that you can work on. This can be a great way to escape the everyday mundane aspects of being a photographer and allow you to do something that you love or are passionate about. Or it could just be a photography technique that you want to experiment with like light painting or macro photography.
Try to think of a project that you are so passionate about that it won’t feel like work. But rather something that you can spend months working on without any hesitation.
8 Update/refresh your website
Retro workspace. Photo by Showitbetter – f/3.5 | ISO 800 | 1/200s
All of us photographers (me included) are guilty of neglecting our websites. It’s just one of those tasks that often fall at the bottom of the list. But your website is incredibly important as it showcases you to the world. So set aside a day or two to go through and update your website accordingly.
Make sure that you have added any new work that you have done or had published. Shout about your achievements, update your contact details, and most important of all, make sure that your website is optimized so that it doesn’t take ages to load. Trust me, as someone who regularly commissions photographers, nothing is more frustrating for an editor than having to wait for each page or image to load.
You may of course have your own new year’s resolutions, but the above will not only make you a better photographer but might also make you a more successful one too.
AuthorKav Dadfar
Kav is a full-time photographer and author of 400+ articles. He is also a judge on the Wanderlust Magazine Photography of the Year competition and leads small group photo tours around the world. View all articles
Celebrity Cruises is sailing into the future with the launch of a new virtual experience dubbed, the “Wonderverse.”
In an industry first, travelers will get to “see before they sail,” exploring a hyper-realistic, digital recreation of aspects of their newest ship in Celebrity’s transformational Edge Series, Celebrity Beyond, complete with the ship’s spaces, entertaining signature moments like Celebrity’s famous Martini Bar Flair Show, and the ability to visit top destinations that Celebrity sails to—from Alaska to the Caribbean and Europe to Asia.
In addition, guests can meet and chat with the line’s key leaders as digital avatars, including President and CEO Lisa Lutoff-Perlo, the Captain Kate McCue—the first, and still only, American female captain of a major cruise ship, and Nate Berkus, Celebrity’s Edge Series travel ambassador and designer of the Sunset Bar on Celebrity Beyond.
Built-in partnership with virtual event platform architects Surreal Events, Celebrity’s Wonderverse is also complete with mini-games and activities, entertainment, easter eggs, and much more, all hosted on the web at celebritycruises.com/wonderverse.
Once logged in to the Wonderverse, consumers will move from space to space, enjoying immersive, interactive content throughout, as they learn more about the ship and the destinations they can sail to on Celebrity Cruises, including:
The Magic Carpet that soars cantilevered above the sea with uninterrupted vistas for enjoying virtual cocktails or dinner. The first space users will experience, it also doubles as a meeting space, providing a dynamic way for users to interact together virtually.
The majestic Grand Plaza, the social epicenter of Celebrity Beyond, spanning three decks with the brand’s signature Martini Bar at the heart of it all, will serve as a social-first lounge where passengers can connect, listen to music, enjoy Celebrity’s iconic Martini Bar Flair Show and chat with Celebrity’s President and CEO, Lisa Lutoff-Perlo.
The Resort Deck, featuring a Rooftop Garden, the ship’s Main Pool, unique cantilevered float pools, and sunken seating offers interactions with Captain Kate and Nate Berkus, who showcases the brand’s 2024-2025 season offerings. Visitors can also relax in lounge chairs and jump in the pool.
The Nate Berkus-designed Sunset Bar, where Berkus shares his personal travel experiences reflected in the internationally-inspired ambiance at the multi-level, multi-terraced outdoor space while visitors enjoy one of the most talked about spaces on any cruise ship.
The journey begins with a user-controlled tender game to the iconic Magic Carpet, where participants will have a chance to create their own personalized avatar. Participants will then be transported to the Resort Deck, where they will be greeted personally by Captain Kate, on hand to help answer questions and can explore the ship from there.
From there, visitors can also experience some of the world’s most breathtaking destinations in the Wonderverse, including the Endicott Arm & Dawes Glacier in Alaska; Santorini, Greece; Japan’s capital city of Tokyo and the Mt. Fuji; and the white sand beaches and clear Caribbean waters of St. Lucia, all before reuniting with Nate Berkus at the Sunset Bar, where they’ll have the opportunity to ask him a series of questions about the ship and destinations. As part of the experience, guests will be able to easily access a portal for immediate bookings.
TSA is throwing a bone to the last-minute packer in your life by introducing a mobile texting option to help travelers with last-minute travel packing questions.
If you’re in the midst of packing and need to know what you can or can’t bring, ‘AskTSA’ is now at your beck and call, in addition to the agency’s social media accounts and “What Can I Bring?” website.
You can text “Travel” to AskTSA (275872) for answers to your packing queries. Automated responses are provided 24 hours a day, and TSA experts are available from 8 am to 6 pm EST.
Users can choose from the following topics to get started: TSA PreCheck, What’s Allowed, Identification, Medical Questions, Damages/Claims, and Other.
Travelers interested in getting answers from the “What’s Allowed” section, for example, will choose between “Carryon” or “Checked” luggage, followed by the following topics to help specify your needs: E-Cigarettes, Electronics, Firearms, Flammable Aerosols, Food, Grooming Items, Knives, Lighters and More.
With this new texting option, travelers can finish their packing with the confidence that their suitcases won’t be rummaged through. But in my experience, those forgotten nail clippers at the bottom of your bag means they probably still will be.
Next year will see international travel recover at a faster pace despite increasing prices, as travelers shake concerns from the pandemic and plan bigger trips, according to recent research by travel insurance marketplace Squaremouth.com, which analyzed booking trends to identify five key 2023 travel predictions.
Here’s what it had to share:
1. 2023 Will Mark the Full Recovery of International Travel
Nearly 90 percent of insured travel was for international destinations, marking the first time international travel matched pre-pandemic levels. Squaremouth anticipates a high demand for international trips to continue in 2023.
2. Antarctica Will Be a Top Destination for the First Time in 2023
With international travel back, bigger trips to more adventurous destinations will trend in 2023. Preliminary 2023 trip data shows Antarctica is a top destination for the first time ever. Other top destinations early in 2023 include Israel, Costa Rica, France, Spain, and Japan.
3. Travelers Primed to Spend at Least 25 Percent More on Travel
With lingering economic uncertainties, travelers are becoming more budget-conscious and changing their spending habits. That said, travel is getting more expensive, and will continue to increase in 2023. Travelers spent an average of 25.53 percent more on trips in 2022 compared to pre-pandemic figures. Of all age cohorts, Millennials are feeling the most price pressure, spending an average of 40 percent more on trips compared to 2019.
4. Older Travelers Return
Older travelers have returned to pre-pandemic numbers going into 2023. Squaremouth expects Millennials and Gen Z will continue to purchase travel insurance at a higher rate than 2019.
Over 60 percent of travel insurance buyers are born before 1980, which includes Generation X and Baby Boomers; collectively, this group is expected to spend over $2 billion on travel in 2023. Throughout the pandemic, these demographics saw the largest drop-off. At the same time, Millennials and Gen Z grew their market share of travel insurance purchases by over 15 percent
5. Travelers Will Worry Less About Coronavirus and More About Airlines
Due to aviation-related travel disruptions in 2022, trip cancelation and travel delays are becoming bigger concerns for travelers going into 2023. Searches for travel insurance including COVID-related coverage dropped by around 2 percent in 2022, while searches for “Cancel for Any Reason” dropped by nearly 3 percent from 2021, and almost 9 percent compared to 2020. Trip delay coverage had the biggest increase of all searches, due in part to airline flight cancelation issues.
Methodology: Squaremouth analytics compared travel insurance policy sales for trips being insured between January 1 and December 5, 2022. To determine the top insured destinations for 2023, Squaremouth analytics analyzed all plans purchased by December 5, 2022, for travel between January 1 and December 31, 2023.
Expect an effortless blend of style and service at Atlanta Airport Marriott. This modern hotel sits on 14 acres of scenic grounds near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Take advantage of their free airport shuttle, available 24 hours a day.
Fuel up for a day of sightseeing in Atlanta at VOYA Bistro or linger over a delicious dinner at Bentleys Steakhouse, two of five hotel dining outlets.
Then unwind in stylish, soundproof hotel rooms with plush bedding, marble bathrooms, smart TVs, balconies, and views of our hotel pool.
Nicely Appointed Bathroom
Adequate Work Space
Combination Indoor/Outdoor Pool
If you’re looking for things to do near our airport hotel, you’re in luck. From small-town coffee shops and breweries to nearby event venues and museums, Atlanta Airport Marriott puts you close. Utilize the digital concierge to explore before you head out.
InteleTravel Hotel Inspection Form
First Impression of Hotel………………………………. ( Curb appeal is outstanding )
Accessibility Of Front Entrance…………………….. ( Drive very accessible)
Lobby Appearance and Size …………………………. ( Hugh Open Lobby )
Number of Elevators …………………………………….. ( Nice and roomy )
Number of Available Bellstaff ……………………….. ( On Point )
Number of Staff at Front Desk ………………………. ( Available & Efficient )
Appearance and Diversity of Dining Areas …….. ( On-site Coffee Shop, and Restaurants)
Appearance and Diversity of Entertainment ……. ( Weekend Entertainment )
Closeness to Restaurants, Shops, etc. ……………… ( Restaurants on Site / Shopping UA)
Closeness to Public Transportation …………………. ( Airport Shuttle (public trans @airport Uber/Lyft)
Appearance/Apparent Safety of Neighborhood … ( Suburban)
Size of Guest Rooms …………………………………….. ( Spacious )
Appearance of Guest Rooms ………………………….. ( Very Nice)
Freelance Travel Photographer/Artist. Founder of the Digital Age Travel Agency affiliated and registered with Inteletravel.
I have combined my love for Photography and Travel into a digital platform to share with like minded Artist/Entrepreneurs.
My personal “Holy Trinity” derives from my LOVE of Travel, Music, and Photography. It is always heavenly when I get to experience them all together. This years festival in Gentilly took me to the 5th level.
Magnificent Backdrop
I love the challenges and the opportunities afforded by daytime festivals. The challenges afforded by Natural Light (contrast ly backgrounds, dark shadows, extreme highlights, etc.), view obstructions (people, staff, equipment, etc), and equipment choices.
In modern cinema, (movies, tv, concerts, etc) I have noticed that contrast is now sometimes flaunted. In the past it seems that solid color clothing or the subject appeared against contrast ly backgrounds. Now I see a lot of contrast against contrast.
It seems to me that my first generation Z6 coupled with my NIKKOR 18-300 mm; 2.8 DX telephoto lens did a pretty good job with this extremally contrast ly shot. The depth blur seems to have made the difference. What do you think?
Photographic Art
“I AM” constantly looking for the shot within the shot. When you find them they can sometimes turn into some amazing ART!
Although the subject gets lost in the background, “I AM” still drawn into the frozen action. Face is still illuminated showing her Big Beautiful smile!
The SPIRIT in me saw this. I try to find “perspectives” from within. You gotta feel it! Also I think this color palette is unique and very pleasing to me.
As mentioned above there are always challenges. When shooting concerts my biggest personal challenge is to get all the band members it a single frame. Showing all in the midst of their personal performance mode is difficult yet magical.
Do What YOU Do ……& Love IT
This is how I now live my life. After living 40 plus years involved in the ownership and management of my family own business I finally get to do what I love to do. “I AM” so thankful and grateful.
I spent the day working with my first generation Z6 coupled with my f mount NIKKOR 2.8; 18-300mm DX telephoto lens. I think it does a pretty good job even though it is not a full frame lens.
Being older I have to consider the amount of walking and standing. One camera body, one lens, my cell phone plus extra batteries, and storage is ideal. When I shoot festivals this represents my go to equipment.
Freelance Travel Photographer/Artist. Founder of the Digital Age Travel Agency affiliated and registered with Inteletravel.
I have combined my love for Photography and Travel into a digital platform to share with like minded Artist/Entrepreneurs.
New offering expected to spur development opportunities globally
Marriott International, Inc., today announced its expansion into apartment-style accommodations with the launch of Apartments by Marriott BonvoyTM. The company is seizing upon growing consumer interest among families and friends seeking more space for stays, propelled by the blending of work and leisure travel, and the desire among younger travelers for wider accommodations options.
Marriott is building upon its 26 years of experience with Marriott Executive Apartments, its serviced-apartment brand in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. With the introduction of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, the company expects it will enhance portfolio growth globally and bring the serviced-apartment concept to Marriott guests in the U.S. and Canada.
“Travelers planning vacations and long business trips today are seeking more choice in accommodations, and the introduction of Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy responds to those trends while offering developers a premium product backed by our trusted name and distribution platform,” said Stephanie Linnartz, President, Marriott International. “With Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, guests will be able to shop a wider array of accommodation options within the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, growing their loyalty to the portfolio and its range of brand offerings.”
Marriott plans to introduce Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy in the upper-upscale and luxury segments, distinguished from Marriott’s existing extended-stay brands, with distinctly designed products that reflect the local neighborhood for independent travelers seeking more space and residential amenities. Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will feature a separate living room and bedroom, full kitchen, and in-unit washer and dryer, but will be differentiated from Marriott’s existing extended-stay brands by not providing certain traditional hotel services such as food and beverage, meeting spaces, and retail. Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy is anticipated to offer developers the flexibility to build new properties or convert existing properties, with a design approach similar to the company’s successful Autograph Collection and Tribute Portfolio lodging brands, which offer consumers independent, uniquely distinguished hotel experiences. Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy will be backed by Marriott’s powerful reservations engine and Marriott Bonvoy, the company’s award-winning travel program with 173 million members.
Among travel consumers and Marriott Bonvoy members, there is a growing desire for premium accommodations that provide home-like amenities as travelers combine work and leisure trips to reconnect with family and friends. According to Phocuswright’s research, three of the top five reasons for selecting an apartment-style rental are more room or space, access to a full kitchen and laundry, and a home-like feel.1
Prospective developers can learn more about Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy and all the company’s brands on Marriott’s development website. Offer and sale by prospectus only.
[1] Through the Roof: U.S. Short Term Rentals 2021, Phocuswright, January 2022
Note on Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of United States federal securities laws, including statements related to planned new product offerings; demand trends for certain types of lodging products; growth plans and expectations for the new product offering; expectations regarding growth in customer loyalty; and similar statements concerning anticipated future events and expectations that are not historical facts. We caution you that these statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to numerous evolving risks and uncertainties that we may not be able to accurately predict or assess, including the risk factors that we identify in our U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Any of these factors could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations we express or imply in this press release. We make these forward-looking statements as of the date of this press release and undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
About Marriott International Marriott International, Inc., (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of nearly 8,200 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 138 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy®, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website at www.Marriott.com. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact John Wolf Vice President, Global Communications and Public Affairs Marriott International John.Wolf@Marriott.com
Explora Journeys has unveiled its program of onboard entertainment and activities. Guests can explore seven onboard venues offering a range of entertainment options. Instead of a single main event, they can freely enjoy any experience they wish whenever they choose.
Guests can enjoy pre-and post-dinner poolside chill-outs in the Astern Lounge or contemporary pop inspired by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox in the Explora Lounge. They can head to the Journeys Lounge for a laidback, candlelit evening of music inspired by the route the ship is sailing. There is also always music to accompany a coffee or a drink in the Lobby Bar.
Explora Journeys has unveiled its program of onboard entertainment and activities. Guests can explore seven onboard venues offering a range of entertainment options. Instead of a single main event, they can freely enjoy any experience they wish whenever they choose.
Guests can enjoy pre-and post-dinner poolside chill-outs in the Astern Lounge or contemporary pop inspired by Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox in the Explora Lounge. They can head to the Journeys Lounge for a laidback, candlelit evening of music inspired by the route the ship is sailing. There is also always music to accompany a coffee or a drink in the Lobby Bar.
Here’s what to expect:
Activities
Ombré Sunsets: Guests can hone their photography skills in the Explora Lounge.
The Spirit of Whiskey: A tutorial from mixologists in the Malt Whiskey Bar, where guests try their hand at making signature drinks.
Melodic Master Class: Resident artists will share their talents and discuss songwriting, improvisation, and composition.
Events
Captain’s Log… Secrets of the Sail: Guests join the captain or bridge officers on a walk around the deck.
Bal Mythos: At the stroke of midnight, guests can don handcrafted masks of local deities and dance to the resident Bacchus Band and singers.
Midnight Wayfinder: With guitar music and storytelling under the stars or around the Conservatory Pool, guests learn how sailors have long relied on the sea, wind, and stars to bring them safely to shore.
Inferno: A nod to the glamour of Manhattan’s Studio 54, Soul Train and Europe’s 1970s discos, where guests can enjoy cocktails and dance the night away.
Experiences
An Evening by Candlelight: Guest musicians and vocalists perform in the main lounges, creating a range of experiences from classical music to movie soundtracks.
Decadence: The themes of this experience switch from lounge to lounge, with live music and immersive performances.
Le Jazz: Guests on journeys that include France can enjoy a Parisian jazz club experience, accompanied by French martinis and canapés.
Let the Good Times Roll: Jiving to New Orleans jazz cabaret is an essential part of the Caribbean itinerary, with a French Creole menu, absinthe cocktails, and music.
Rituals
Ocean State of Mind: Every morning, guests can participate in guided meditations against a backdrop of sky and ocean.
Sundial Salutation: This twice-daily, movement-based wellness ritual is held in the morning and at sunset.
Midday Melodies: Every day onboard Explora I, the Atrium comes alive with acoustic music.
Sunset Aperitivo: Signature drinks and canapés associated with the ports of call are served in the bars and lounges, each with its own sonic vibe.
Moonrise: Every 28 days, guests clad in shades of silver and ivory gather to honor the full moon, sipping signature cocktails and dancing to live music.
Enrichment
The Book Club: Occasional journeys will have a particular book relating to the region in which the ship is sailing, culminating in a reading with the author.
Single Origin: Led by a barista, guests get familiar with local coffee cultures through tastings relevant to the countries they visit.
Artisanal: Courses on destination-themed crafts representative of local heritage, from textiles and tapestries to baskets and chocolate making, are taught by a local expert.
Dance the Day Away: On select journeys, guests can enjoy an afternoon of learning some of the region’s movement culture, accompanied by local dance music. Sessions are led by local experts, resident artists, and the international host.
The Creative’s Journey: Behind-the-scenes stories and iconic moments in stage and cinema are discovered through talks by resident and guest artists, together with other prolific talents. Among them are writers, directors, producers, actors, musicians, choreographers, costumiers, and set and lighting designers.
After living in lockdown for the best part of two years, the idea of packing a bag and moving to the other side of the world is very tempting – especially as the cost of living crisis bites.
If you’re able to work from anywhere in the world, you should consider doing so from sunny Brazil: the country has a thriving digital nomad community and plenty of things to see and do when you’re not working.
“Think of anything and you’ll find it in Brazil”, says Rafael Luisi, Assessor of Embratur’s Presidency, the Brazilian Tourism Board.
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“If you talk about culture, we have it. We have the best gastronomy, and it’s very different from the south to the north. If you talk about ecotourism and nature, we have that too. When you think about Brazil, you think about sun and beach tourism. It’s much more than that.”
How can I become a digital nomad in Brazil?
The country’s digital nomad visa is called Temporary Visa VITEM XIV, and people can apply for it at any Brazilian consulate.
The visa costs €97 ($100 USD) on average, though it can vary, and lasts for one year, but can be extended for a second. During that time, you can leave the country and come back.
Among the most important requirements is proof of employment or a relationship with a company based outside of Brazil and a minimum income of €1,455 ($1,500 USD) per month, or a bank balance of €17,460 ($18,000 USD).
Is it expensive to live in Brazil?
Brazil isn’t the cheapest country in the world, or in South America. But the cost of living in Brazil is much lower than in European countries.
According to the website Expatistan, food is 101 per cent more expensive in France than in Brazil, while housing is 131 per cent more expensive and transportation 41 per cent more costly. Overall, the cost of living is 67 per cent more expensive in France than in Brazil.
In Germany, the cost of living is 74 per cent more expensive. While in Italy, it’s 46 per cent more expensive. In the UK, it’s 99 per cent more expensive.
Between November and March, during the Brazilian summer, is usually the best time to go, though it’s also the time when most tourists travel to the country.
The weather is usually sunny and warm, perfect for hitting the beach after work. And in case you want to catch the world-famous Rio de Janeiro Carnival, you can do so in February.
During the Brazilian winter, temperatures are still quite warm compared to European standards, at an average of about 18 degrees Celsius.
Where should I stay in Brazil?
Brazil is a massive country, double the size of Europe. Every area is different, so deciding where to go might depend on your specific tastes and interests. But these four things are important to every digital nomad: cost of living, fast Wi-Fi, community, and nightlife.
For all these things, these are the best places to move to.
Pipa
The first digital nomad village in South America is going to be built in Brazil, in the small northeastern beach town of Pipa.
The village will be created by the Lisbon-based start-up NomadX, who have named the project ‘Nomad Village Brazil’. The village will offer a range of accommodation options and facilities for digital nomads (including a swimming pool), and will open this November, with an initial run until 30 April 2023.
“You have the beach just in front of you, with the water temperature at 24 degrees Celsius”, says Luisi, adding that the village is in a great location for visiting other states in Brazil.
Florianopolis
White sandy beaches, dramatic-looking mountains, and a buzzing nightlife: Florianopolis, an island in the south of Brazil, has everything a digital nomad could dream of.
Florianopolis has one of the most thriving digital nomads communities in the entire country. Canva
This is probably why the city, considered a paradise on earth, is a favourite destination for digital nomads in Brazil. There’s a thriving digital nomad community here, and plenty of co-working spaces to meet like-minded people.
Jericoacoara
The small fishing village of Jericoacora, or Jeri, has grown in recent years, becoming a magnet for digital nomads looking to work while surrounded by the stunning natural beauty of this secluded beach town.
Encircled by stunning white sand dunes and crystal clear blue waters, Jeri is located in the middle of a preservation zone and it’s known to be a haven for kite and windsurfers
The small town of Jericoacoara is for those digital nomads looking to relax by the beach.Canva
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte is a big city, but not as busyas Rio or Brasilia.
Living here would be less of a tropical dream and more of the perfect balance between work and fun, rest and productivity.
The city has a vibrant nightlife, with plenty of bar hopping and networking opportunities. On the negative side, working from a cafe isn’t really something people in Belo Horizonte do, so you might struggle to find a place to work outside of your apartment.
Brasilia
The charm of Brazil’s capital is often overlooked, but the city has a lot to offer. Brasilia’s construction was heavily influenced by the writing of Dom Bosco, an Italian monk who dreamed of a utopian capital city in the ‘New World’. Shaped like an aeroplane, the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to many impressive buildings, parks and unique architecture.
Brasilia’s Congresso Nacional is considered one of the most iconic building in the capital. Canva
The city is very safe and every embassy is based here, so if you only speak English, you’ll be just fine.
Rio de Janeiro
Once in Brazil, Rio is a must-visit. The city is just so representative of Brazil, and it’s the first place people think of when they imagine Brazil.
The traditional carnival parade in Rio takes place every year in February. Bruna Prado/AP
If you need to build up your confidence to move deeper into the more secluded spots in Brazil, Rio, with its several co-working spaces, cafes and the international community, is a great place to start.
São Paulo
If you want to be at the centre of life in Brazil, go no further than São Paulo.
The metropolis is the country’s economic powerhouse, and you’ll find plenty of start-ups, multinational companies and digital nomads
The Catedral de Se de São Paulo is one of the most majestic churches in the city. Canva
With so much to do, it’s almost impossible to be bored here, plus São Paulo probably has the fastest internet in the entire country.
A COLLECTION OF OUR QUOTES OF THE WEEK FROM THE PAST YEAR
1. “Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself” – Unknown
2. “When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.” –John Lennon
3. “Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” –Benjamin Franklin
4. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” –Robert Frost
5. “Build your own dreams, or someone else will hire you to build theirs.” –Farrah Gray
6. “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” – Steve Jobs
7. “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.” – Maya Angelou
8. “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” –Vince Lombardi
9. “Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.” – Steve Jobs
10. “Strive not to be a success, but rather to be of value.” –Albert Einstein
11. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” –Steve Jobs
12. If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on. –Sheryl Sandberg
13. “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” –Michael Jordan
14. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” –Arthur Ashe
15. “Certain things catch your eye, but pursue only those that capture the heart.” – Ancient Indian Proverb
16. “The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
17. “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” –Chinese Proverb
18. “The best revenge is massive success.” –Frank Sinatra
19. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” –Maya Angelou
20. “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing.” –Aristotle
21. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” –George Addair
22. “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” –Anne Frank
23. “The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” –Chinese Proverb
24. Education costs money. But then so does ignorance. –Sir Claus Moser
25. “I have learned over the years that when one’s mind is made up, this diminishes fear.” –Rosa Parks
26. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” –Martin Luther King Jr.
27. “The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” –Ayn Rand
28. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
29. “When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” –Henry Ford
30. “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” – Mark Twain
31. “Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
32. “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Mahatma Gandhi
33. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain
34. “It is our choices, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” – J. K Rowling
35. “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” – Swami Vivekananda
36. “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” – Jim Rohn
37. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – Steve Jobs
38. “The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” —Alice Walker
39. “If you hear a voice within you say “you cannot paint,” then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” —Vincent Van Gogh
40. “I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.” —Leonardo da Vinci
41. “Limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless.” —Jamie Paolinetti
42. “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.” —Ronald Reagan
43. “Nothing will work unless you do.” —Maya Angelou
44. “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” – Lao Tzu
45. “Tough times never last, but tough people do” – Dr. Robert Schuller
46. ““Don’t count the days, make the days count.” – Muhammad Ali
47. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.” – Earl Nightingale
48. “Someday is not a day of the week.” – Denise Brennan-Nelson
49. “Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated” – Russell Warren
50. “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.” – Will Rogers
51. “If everything seems under control, you’re just not going fast enough.” – Mario Andretti
52. “Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavor.” – Truman Capote
Every picture tells a story and I’m passionate about telling stories and sharing my travel experiences through my landscape and travel photography websites.
Quite often, people ask me about what kind of camera gear I use to capture my images. Back in the 1970s, I started out shooting with a simple Olympus film camera. I am a photographer that doesn’t rely on a lot of fancy technical gear. There’s a lot of people that think that if you don’t have the perfect camera, the latest gear, or the best accessories, then you’re not ready to be an effective travel photographer. But, it’s not the tools that make the photographer. Tools simply help you to bring your ideas to life. If it’s my iPhone that’s in my pocket when I see the perfect shot – then that’s what I shoot with.
Travel photography at golden hour with a wide-angle lens
Having had the privilege of working with Canon Canada for 14 years, I’ve had a chance to meet and work with some incredible photographers. Their stories and experiences have changed the way I look at things. I’ve also had the privilege of trying out a lot of different types of travel photography equipment. Listed below are some ideas I’d like to share.
Travel Photography Cameras
So, what makes the best camera for travel photography? This is a complicated and constantly-evolving question to answer, but it’s probably a camera that allows you to capture great-quality images and doesn’t weigh a ton. Camera manufacturers are always changing their line-up with the latest and greatest features, but the things to look for in a good travel camera is image quality, long battery life, size and weight, simple to use, and that doesn’t cost a fortune. The most important thing about a travel camera is that it doesn’t get in your way of enjoying the adventure and at the same time delivers stunning images. The best travel camera for you is going to be very dependent on your needs and situation.
Fine Art Black & White Photography
I’ve gone through a number of camera bodies throughout the years but, for now, have settled on the Canon EOS 6D full-frame DSLR camera. I have investigated and tried mirrorless cameras, but because the weight wasn’t significantly less, I’ve stuck with what works for me and gets me great photos. The Canon 6D is one of the lightest weight DSLR cameras (1.7 pounds with the battery). The camera battery gives me decent life (if I’m not using GPS). The processor delivers enhanced noise reduction and exceptional processing speed, all in a compact body. Because if it’s compact size, it fits into my hand like a glove.
Camera Lenses for Travel Photography
Whilst it would be wonderful to have a large range of lenses to take with you on trips, the reality of travel is that you can only carry so much before you feel like a weighed-down camel. It’s better to try and focus on getting a smaller number of lenses that work well in a wide variety of situations. I personally use three lenses 99% of the time. When we consider travel photography, we capture landscapes, portraits, street scenes, architecture, and so on — all of these subjects require different lenses to be properly framed.
So, let’s look at a few lenses.
The “Do It All” Camera LensThe 24-70mm lens or 24-105mm lens is enormously versatile. The 24-105mm lens is the one I use mostly because of its versatility. It gives me a wide-angle to nearly telephoto range and allows me to capture large landscapes, close-up portraits, and everything else in between without having to change lenses. It’s a good size and doesn’t weigh a lot.
Travel Photography with Canon 24-105 F4 Lens
My Canon EF 24–105mm F/4L is II USM camera lens is a great general-purpose lens and was a great value when I purchased it with my 6D DSLR kit. If I could only take one lens while I’m hiking or biking, this is the one. AT 24mm, it is especially valuable for landscape photography and for capturing images in tight places. The 105mm focal length on the long end is really useful for a wide range of subjects, including portraits.
The Ultra Wide Zoom LensThe 16-35mm lens or something close to it is the ultimate go-to lens for a travel photographer looking to capture landscapes, cityscapes, or even internal building spaces. Not all wide-angle lenses are the same, so you need to do a little research. You want to make sure it creates sharp, beautiful images with little to no barrel distortion or fish-eye effect. Some lenses are better at this than others.I love my Canon 16-35 F/4L IS wide-angle lens and it has been popular with many landscape photographers. It’s an extremely sharp ultra-wide-angle zoom lens, delivering prime-grade image sharpness right into full-frame corners. A stellar-performing image stabilization system makes this lens a great lens. I can use it at the top of a windy mountain and shoot incredible quality, deep depth of field imagery without the use of a tripod. I had the Canon 11-24mm F/4L fisheye lens out in the field many times, but it was heavier and necessitated me carrying a larger camera bag.
The Telephoto LensHaving a good quality telephoto lens in your travel kit is a big plus for landscape photography. Sometimes you just need that tighter close-up shot to get more detailed photos. I would recommend a 70-200mm telephoto zoom lens because of its versatility. You can get a little longer, like a 100-400mm, but it adds weight and costs a lot more. The 70-200mm f/2.8L is what I use, but it’s also the heaviest lens in my kit.
Frozen flowers with a Telephoto or Macro Photography Lens
I use Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM telephoto lens for my travel photography. This lens gives me an impressive image quality and focuses accurately very fast. It has a 4-stop image stabilization, weather sealing, and has become one of my favorite and most-used lenses. I love the image stabilization on this lens which helps me to obtain sharp images even while I’m hand-holding the camera.
So, for travel photography, it’s better to try and focus on getting a smaller number of lenses that work well in a wide variety of situations. That way, you are more likely to take them with you and use them.
Camera Bags for Travel Photography
There are a lot of camera bags on the market today and so many options to choose from. It can get a bit confusing trying to figure out which one is the best bag for travel photography. Unfortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, so you must do your research. Being a travel photographer means you have to look at not only size; but also… do you need one that’s completely waterproof, crush-proof, designed for climbing rocks as well as hiking? If you are swimming through the Zion Park Narrows – then that’s a completely different story.
Landscape photography by Peter Dulis
The following are some questions to ask yourself:
Do I want the bag to be multi-functional so it can act as both a camera bag and a day pack?
Do I want to carry a laptop computer or tablet in the bag?
Do I need a trolley strap included so you can attach it to rolling luggage?
Camera backpacks are one of the most popular options for carrying around your gear, but you may also consider a shoulder bag. Sling bags that have one strap offer quick and easy access to a camera. Holster cases are designed to be used with a camera and a single lens if you want a lightweight option for biking. Spending money on the right bag to protect your gear is cheaper in the long run. So which bag is the best bag for you?
Long exposure travel photography using a tripod – Niagara Falls, Canada
I think it’s best to take your gear to the store and try out a bunch of camera bags – that’s what I did. So, here’s what I use:
My Lowepro Classified 160 AW shoulder bag is great for one camera plus three lenses and goes with me everywhere. Plus, the bag is easy to store in overhead bins on a flight.
The Alta Access 28X shoulder bag is what I pull out when I have a few extra lenses to haul around. The bag effortlessly carries a professional gear kit which consists of my Canon 6D DSLR, 4-5 lenses (up to 70-200mm), a flash, and a multitude of accessories. It also is no problem to store in overhead bins on a flight.
I also use a Lowepro holster bag when I’m biking. It provides good protection in a small package for my camera and attached lens.
Other Useful Travel Photography Accessories
I highly recommend carrying a lightweight carbon fiber photography tripod. I love my Sirui T-025SK carbon fiber travel tripod. It’s super lightweight and folds up into a 12-inch length. It’s maybe not the sturdiest of tripods, but it’s so much easier to carry around when hiking and biking.
I also carry a circular polarizer filter which helps to reduce reflections and glare by filtering out light that has become polarized due to reflection from a non-metallic surface. It cuts down on certain types of light in a way that can benefit your images.
6 to 10 Stop ND filters can be really useful for landscape photography when you want to slow down your shutter speed to capture creative landscape photos.
Wide Angle Lens Photography from Jokusarlon, Iceland
Not Just Camera Gear
Besides camera gear, it is also important for travel photographers to dress properly to handle cold and stormy weather. When I’m out and about and the temperatures start falling, there’s nothing better than a great winter jacket. I love my Eider Men’s Lillehammer III Jacket with underarm air vents in case it gets really hot. Good, waterproof hiking boots and thick wool socks are critical. I have owned a pair of Guardo boots for about one year and love them. They’re stylish, comfy, warm, and have a super grip on slippery surfaces. I find that if you don’t want to get sick, keep your head, chest, and feet warm. This merino wool t-shirt is top quality and offers great warmth.
Travel photography isn’t just about making photographs; it’s about choosing a life of curiosity, exploration, and wonder… immersing yourself in the world around you. If you want to be an effective travel photographer, it is important to carry the right photography equipment and know how to use it. I hope you find these tips useful to get started. Do you have any questions? If so feel free to ask them in the comments below:
Having had the privilege of working with Canon Canada for 14 years, I’ve had a chance to meet & work with some incredible photographers and printing experts. Their stories and experiences have changed the way I look at things. Photography isn’t just about making photographs; it’s about choosing a life of curiosity, exploration, wonder, and immersing yourself in the world around you. Follow our adventures at – www.photographyadventures.ca and get your FREE e-book today – “5 Truly Amazing Places to Visit Before it’s too late!
I was given the amazing opportunity to do my thing with Low Light Photography. Low-Light Event Photography is one of my favorite genres.
I think I enjoy the challenge. In order to create a photo, the main ingredient is of course LIGHT. And, as you can see there is very little of it.
My low-light photography requires some degree of post-processing. I use several programs including PhotoShop. (considered by most to be the Holy Grail)
Sometimes I go a little further. In this photo, I used Photoshop and PhotoScape. PhotoScape has been my “escape” from Photoshop’s demanding learning curve. PhotoScape’s main drawback seems to be its approach to layering.
When shooting any event. I am constantly looking for opportunities to showcase crowd interaction and emotion.
I try really hard to not use flash. (sometimes it’s impossible) I am constantly looking for ambient light. I try to stay completely away from flash!
When I absolutely have to, I pray for walls to bounce the light. Oh yeah, I often use flash for promo shots with the artist, before or after the performance.
From a personal point of view, this is my favorite shot. Black and White, contrast, showing texture, and illuminated with ambient light.
I began this shoot using my first generation Nikon Z6 Mirrorless, coupled with my Tamron 24-70mm, f2.8. Later I switched to my Nikon 18-300mm FX lens. Not known for its low light capabilities, but excellent for long-range candid shots. I ended my session with my go-to; Nikon 50mm, f1.8 Prime.
In conclusion, I would like to thank the Owners and Management not only for the opportunity to practice my craft but also for the opportunity to participate in an event for such a worthy cause; The Mississippi Center for Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Freelance Travel Photographer/Artist. Founder of the Digital Age Travel Agency affiliated and registered with Inteletravel.
I have combined my love for Photography and Travel into a digital platform to share with like minded Artist/Entrepreneurs.
There’s perhaps no place better than New Orleans for a holiday cocktail crawl. In addition to signature cocktails, festive decor is found in abundance throughout the French Quarter and Central Business District. Block out an afternoon or evening for the spots below, and please remember to drink responsibly on your crawl.
Bar Marilou may be the newest spot on this list, but it makes for an excellent starting point before heading off into the French Quarter. Enjoy a handful of holiday cocktails including Diable de Noël with vodka, ancho chili liqueur, Cynar, dark chocolate Godiva, pomegranate, cranberry, and disco snow.
Head to the Roosevelt Hotel next, first to ooh and ahh at their lobby decorated with over 60,000 twinkling lights. Then pop on over to The Sazerac Bar to sip on the Winter Old Fashioned, a holiday-spiced twist on the old drink with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, apple-clove syrup, and cranberry and orange bitters.
Our next stop is the festive Ritz Carlton, which will be fully decked out for the season. Head to Davenport Lounge for jazz and a cocktail during your stop.
Located inside Hotel Monteleone, Carousel Bar is as whimsical as it sounds. Add the lobby’s festive decor, and it makes for a perfect holiday cocktail setting. Enjoy the Reveillon Buttered Rum or Holiday Sidecar this December.
French 75 Bar Holiday Cocktail (Photo: Rebecca Todd)
Arnaud’s French 75 Bar serves classic New Orleans cocktails and tasty bites, including their famous soufflé potatoes. Stop by to see which seasonal cocktails they have up their sleeve.
Step inside the Rib Room at Omni Royal Orleans Hotel for a special holiday cocktail: Aged Creole Eggnog. Enjoy the notes of bourbon, Cognac, and dark rum all while cozying up to the bar.
For even more holiday cocktail ideas, and for everything Holidays New Orleans style, see here.
sometimes you just look up and you just SEE things….
In my beginning attempts to enjoy this particular niche within the scope of “urban architectural street photography”(my terminology), I quickly realized that you must keep your head on a swivel.
Keep an EYE out for perspectives that just jump out at you. They are everywhere, left, right, UP, and down. By the way; when they jump out at you, please UNDERSTAND, it came from “with-in.”
This caught MY eye. The foliage seems to envelop the buildings in the background. Not only creating a natural frame but, also adding to the feeling of depth.
I absolutely Love the color contrast in this shot. Looks like October to me, this was actually taken on Christmas Eve 2021.
reflections everywhere….
I shoot around water often, and the reflections always suck me in. Be careful, they will get you too!
i call this “symmetrical lines”
I have always been taught to use and follow lines. Which ones should I follow?
sometimes i just get real crazy….for some reason i like it this way….
When I returned to the hotel, downloaded, and began to sort, I realized immediately that CONTRAST identified with my Spirit. Light, Color, and Geometrical contrast is what made this shoot unique to me.
When I continued to sort through, I realized that the sky was very flat. Actually, this is one of the first things I noticed when I began my stroll. I remember thinking, that “I will just add clouds during post-processing” Which is simple enough to do.
So I added clouds to a few shots and realized that “I” liked the contrast between the structures and a blue sky. The results speak for themselves.
I thoroughly enjoyed my stroll downtown ” H Town”. When you get to a place in life where you truly enjoy what you do; it truly brings your Being (YOU) to “Heaven On Earth”. I am truly GRATEFUL!
Health Wealth & Love! Lump
All photos were taken with Nikon Z6 (first generation mirrorless), coupled with a Tamron 24-70; F2.8)
Adjacent to a marina, this informal all-suite hotel is 4 miles from the Port of Charleston and 2.7 miles from the Historic Charleston City Market.
Bright, unfussy studios come with kitchens, coffeemakers and pull-out sofas, as well as flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi. The 1- and 2-bedroom suites have separate living rooms, and some feature fireplaces.
Hot breakfast, parking and a regular evening socials are complimentary. Other amenities include an outdoor saltwater pool, a hot tub and a 24/7 exercise room.
Digital Age Travel Professionals
…..Hotel Inspection…..
First Impression of Hotel………………………………. ( 5)
Accessibility Of Front Entrance…………………………. (5 )
Lobby Appearance and Size ……………………………. ( 5)
Number of Elevators …………………………………… ( 5) four available
Number of Available Bellstaff ………………………….. ( ) N/A
Number of Staff at Front Desk ………………………. …(5 )
Appearance and Diversity of Dining Areas ……………….(5 )
Appearance and Diversity of Entertainment ……. ……….( ) N/A
Closeness to Restaurants, Shops, etc. …………………… (3 ) No Restaurant on Location
Closeness to Public Transportation ……………………… (5 )
Appearance/Apparent Safety of Neighborhood … ………..( 5)
I chose this particular Hotel for a very special event which was very dear to me personally. This was the location chosen and developed by me to host my 50th year college fraternity reunion. So, naturally Lodging was pivotal.
The twelve of us enjoyed six premium two bedroom suites. Each suite featured a Full Kitchen, two separate bedrooms, each containing a private full bath. Total Privacy.
Best accommodations that I have personally experienced!
You’ve decided you want to take the plunge and start selling your photos, so what’s the first step? Well, you want to begin with your core product -and that is of course your images
Contents:
– Overview – Different types of customers & their image needs – Get to know image licensing – Best practices for selecting photos for your store – The best workflow tricks to select your images – Pricing
Overview
The process of taking an image and then selling that image are both very different and there are a few key points to consider before you jump into the world of selling photography.
First, you should consider what it is exactly you want to gain from selling your images, having goals in mind will help you stay accountable for the work you put in. How should also consider how you want your images to be used, and also, how you want to appear as a photographer – a lot of this will come from the images you choose to make available for sale and how your storefront appears to customers.
We recommend thinking about yourself those questions before you start looking through your images for what to sell, and getting your plans ready for your store.
The different types of customers & their image needs
A lot of the success from selling your images depends on the type of customer your photography is suitable for, and how you market to them. As we’ve mentioned above, the type of images sold for wall art tend to very different to images used for commercial or editorial use and it’s important to keep this in mind.
If you’re unsure about a particular market that your photography might cater to, or you want to sell your images to all types of customer that’s absolutely fine, and in fact, this is what most photographers do. It’s just worth noting the different types of customers, to ensure that your offering is the best it can be, and it’s also the best way to start thinking about how to select images.
Generally speaking, photography customers fall into these three types:
Commercial
These customers purchase images for the purpose of ad campaigns, marketing collateral, products and so forth – basically anything that has a commercial objective associated with it.
Usually, commercial customers are be looking for technically sound, good-quality images that are a true representation of the subject. What we mean by this, is images that are natural-looking and haven’t had too many filters or edits applied to them. Commercial customers normally apply their own edits to fit with their campaign or product – so allowing them that flexibility will, ultimately, increase your chances of selling.
See more detailed tips on how to prepare photos for commercial use with our dedicated guide – and you may find that when it comes to your shooting habits or the type of image you find most aesthetically pleasing, this is where personal tastes can differ.
Commercial buyers might use your images for marketing and advertising campaigns, and you never know – you could even see you image on a billboard! Photo by Levent Arslan
Editorial
These are customers that will use license your images for things like magazines, book covers, online articles and so on. And similar to commercial customers, editorial customers generally need clean, neutral and natural-looking images that accurately represent the subject.
Editorial customers are likely to use your images to illustrate their features and publications. Having your image on the cover of a magazine is one of the most prestigious ways your images can be used. Photo by Leon Puplett
Top tips from the pros:
“Always think about editorial space – this is ‘empty’ or clean areas of images where text can be added for advertising and page layouts. For instance, if shooting a landscape format image, compose with the subject on one half of the frame rather than in the middle. For portrait format images, leave space above and below the subject.”
– James Abbott, Professional Photographer and Writer
Personal
Private customers looking for images for personal use, usually for their wall can make up significant slice of a photographer’s revenue stream and it’s often an area that’s overlooked.
This is where you can be a bit more creative too, as generally, the more bold and striking your images are, the better they are for wall art. There’s still some general rules for what makes a good image for wall art, which you can read about in our dedicated guide.
Private customers (i.e. those buying your images for personal use or wall art) can make up a substantial part of your customer base, and shouldn’t be overlooked. Photo by Jason Kessenich
Get to know image licensing
When you’re selling images in an online environment, whether that’s something you do of your own accord, or via an agency or library, you’re almost always going to be selling them on a licence basis.
Image licensing refers to the practice of selling a license to use your image in a specific way, rather than selling your photo outright to a buyer. It is the industry-standard method for selling photos for editorial, commercial and advertising use, as well as wall art in the form of a personal licence. Licenses typically take the form of an agreement which stipulates precisely the terms in which the buyer can use your image in return for the fee. Licenses are used to give you, as the photographer, greater control over how your images are used. They also protect your copyright.
So to clarify, when someone purchases a licence for your photo, it means that they cannot use the image in any way they wish, or claim the image as their own. They’ve bought a licence to use your photo in a specific way, not the image itself.
“When you’re selling images in an online environment, whether that’s something you do of your own accord, or via an agency or library, you’re almost always going to be selling them on a licence basis.”
Best practices for selecting photos for your store
Think about your buyers first
Taking the above information in mind, look through your images and ask yourself the question, who would buy that image? How might a customer use this image? Getting into this mindset will help you the best select your shots.
Less is more
While it can be tempting to include your entire library of images, you really want to be showing only your best work – it will make your offering stand out much more.
Having a finely-curated selection of images in your portfolio will show you’re careful and considerate about what you’re displaying. Browsing photography should be a pleasing experience for the viewer – nobody wants to sift through hundreds of images to find what they are looking for, you should be guiding their eye right away to what they should be buying.
It might take a bit of tough love to whittle down your images, and it can also take time, being able to critique your own photos is a skill to learn, but it’s important to do, and it will help you with your photography development. You should also ask your peers, friends and family for feedback and their thoughts too – having an objective eye on your images can be really refreshing.
But you still need a good number of images
While it pays to be selective with what you include in your portfolio, you also need to ensure that your image offering isn’t tiny. What we mean by this, is that it’s unrealistic to expect that having a portfolio or store with just a few images will reap huge rewards for you. The more (curated) photos on your site, the bigger the chance that you’ll have an image that connects with a buyer.
If you’re just starting out and only have a small number of images that you feel are your best, that’s fine–but if that’s the case, get out there and start shooting more so you can build up your portfolio.
Quality matters
Choose your most technically-sound images. Look at your shots at 100% to check they aren’t out of focus, blurry or have any other defects. Selling a bad quality image could easily land you with an unhappy customer, and repeat business might make up a significant amount of your revenue over time.
You also want to make sure that your images have a good level of sharpness. Also, make sure they are free of heavy noise artefacts, usually caused by high ISO settings.
Choose the biggest possible size for your images in terms of pixels as this will open up their selling potential. Larger images will allow for a greater scope of use, for example, larger print sizes. We’d recommend sticking to the original size of the image as much as possible.
If the original image size isn’t very large (as is the case with some smartphone images), you can use Photoshop’s Super Resolution feature to increase the image size without compromising on overall quality.
Customers, whether they are commercial, editorial or personal will expect your images to be authentic and a true representation of the scene. Keeping your edits small and simple, actually increases their commercial potential.
“Customers, whether they are commercial, editorial or personal will expect your images to be authentic and a true representation of the scene.”
Show off what makes you original
Your very best images should be what you display on your store and in your portfolio. The images that you are the most proud of, worked the hardest to get, those serendipitous moments – all should be included. Customers want to see what makes you and your work original. And with this in mind, being able to develop a unique style over time could help you immensely in the long run.
Work in series
If you work in lots of different photographic areas, or have images based on specific locations, subjects, or events – you should select and sort them based on their series (and subsequently display them as a set). Also, this way, if someone is looking for a specific type of image, you’re guiding them to a place with more similarly-themed images to browse and choose from!
Top tips from the professionals:
“Always capture images in both landscape and portrait format if it suits the subject; this gives buyers more options if they’re looking for a specific format.”
– James Abbott, Professional Photographer and Writer
The best workflow tricks to help you select your images
Image editing programmes like Adobe Lightroom and CaptureOne are perfect for helping you identify what images you want to sell with their handy workflow tools, you’ll see a couple of them below. The following are specific to Lightroom, but they also aren’t dissimilar to other workflow programs and in general, will all follow the same processes.
Adobe Lightroom is an excellent resource for managing and organizing your image workflow
Import all of your images & review in one place
This is the best way to start to go through all of the images you’ve taken; to help decide what you want to include in your store. Also, it’s always a good idea to take another look through your older images too, as you may find that you’ll discover some hidden gems you disregarded the last time round.
Create Lightroom Collections
Simply put, Collections in Lightroom are a way that you can group images into a set. In this case, you can use collections to group images, for example, based on your favorites, or images ideal for wall art, editorial or commercial use. This again will help you whittle down the images you want to include.
Use the Ratings system
This is where you can give your photos a star rating between 1 – 5, so for example, you can quickly and easily rate images a particular number to mark those you want to add to your store or portfolio. You can also sort views by ratings so you can see how all of your images look together.
Export your images in one go
When you’re ready to create the files to upload to your store and/ or portfolio you can export them to dedicated folders and locations which means you wont risk missing important settings for some of your files.
How to price your images
Choosing the price you want to sell your images is a very personal choice, and ultimately it’ll be down to you to decide. But it’s also worth doing some market research to make sure you’re not pricing yourself out of the market.
Look at other photographers who shoot similar subjects to you and see how they are pricing their images. It also helps to think about the lowest amount you would be happy with for your shots and work your way up from that figure.
That doesn’t mean you should be undervaluing your work, however, and sometimes photography should warrant a high price to reflect your hard work. Particularly if the image shows a rare subject, or if it was complex or challenging to photograph.
The photography world is ever-evolving and changing, so with this make sure you review your prices constantly too.
The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Photography
Everything you need to know to start selling your photography online, drawn from decades of experience from industry leaders, professional photographers, and Focus’ in-house experts.
We all get frustrated in our work sometimes. Often, that dissatisfaction stems from a lack of clarity in our purpose and our actions. But what if you could learn how to focus on the right actions, for the right reasons, and in the right order? What if you could start moving forward in your business with a clearer, more defined objective?
Debbie Peterson is a certified trainer and master practitioner in neurolinguistic programming through the Association of Integrative Psychology. She’s also a nationally recognized speaker and the author of “Clarity: How Smart Professionals Create Career Success on Their Terms.” In her book, coaching, and speaking engagements Peterson asserts that even the most confused entrepreneurs can achieve clarity by taking a few basic steps in their approach to work. It starts by focusing on five key elements:
Move away from thoughts like Why is this happening to me? and think about what you want to do to improve your situation.
1. Mindset. Focus on the things you want rather than the things you don’t want. It takes time to change your mindset, but it’s possible with consistent daily effort. The process begins with how you start your day. When you wake up in the morning, do you focus on everything that could go wrong, or do you focus on opportunities? Move away from thoughts like Why is this happening to me? and think about what you want to do to improve your situation. This is an empowering process of taking control of your thoughts and your future.
2. Passion. What do you want and why? Do you have clarity in the direction of your business? What is the overall goal for your business? Knowing the answers to these questions is important because it helps you tell your mind what you want to find.
3. Planning. Get your plans out of your head and onto paper. Write it down; sketch is out. Set SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-based) and plan out ways you will gain better clarity in your work.
4. People. Who can help you reach your goals? You need a support network, people who understand you and raise you up. Fill your inner circle with people who can help you get what you want. If you feel like you need to figure it out all by yourself, you’ll get stuck. Remember the proverb: If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
5. Performance. What gets in the way of your success—fear of failure, time management, other people? Think about whether you have control or influence over those things. This is important because success comes by choice, not by chance. Are you putting your time and energy into what you want or into the obstacles that are blocking your progress? You get to choose, so choose wisely.
PRIORITIZE TO THRIVE
Once you’ve organized your process around the five keys to clarity, Peterson recommends getting specific about the work you’re doing and the order in which you’re doing it. She suggests making a career bucket list. Write down all the things you want to do in your business, then divvy them into A, B, and C buckets:
A is critical.
B is important.
C is interesting but can wait.
“The key here is to divide them equally, so you’re forced to prioritize rather than dumping everything into the critical bucket,” says Peterson. Within each bucket, prioritize again. List each task in order of importance so you have A1, A2, A3, etc. When you’re done, you’ll have an ordered list of tasks you can tackle one after another rather than drowning in endless, cluttered lists.
You can use the bucket list exercise across many areas in your business, from to-do lists to long-term strategic plans. Peterson goes through this process weekly for her regular to-do list and at longer intervals (every few months) for long-term planning.
THE POWER OF THREE
When you run through the bucket list exercise, you’ll have an orderly list organized by importance. Next, think about the three things you can do every day to help you achieve your A1 goal. Then move on to the A2 goal and the three things you can do to accomplish that. “Every single day you are focusing on what’s most important for your business, and you’re making an agreement with yourself to move toward that goal,” says Peterson. This process helps alleviate the all-or-nothing thinking that overwhelms people. Instead of looking at everything you must do and getting overwhelmed, divide your workload into prioritized lists and give yourself the ability to tackle them one at a time.
8 STEPS TO FOCUS YOUR BRAIN
1. Recognize your brain’s limits. Prevent overload by eliminating as many distractions as you can.
2. Stop trying to multitask. You can’t do more than one thing at a time. It takes time for your brain to switch between two things.
3. Write a to-do list. Relieve your mental load by putting tasks and worries on paper instead of letting yourself ruminate.
4. Identify motivators. When you’re avoiding a task, think about the benefits of getting it done to stop procrastinating.
5. Zone out with exercise. Physical activity can increase dopamine, which drives your brain, but let your mind wander to recharge your concentration.
6. Cut the clutter. A messy environment commands your brain’s attention, making it more challenging to focus.
7. Seek some quiet. Research shows that auditory distractions can be disruptive to a brain that’s trying to focus.
8. Tip up a coffee, tea, or caffeinated soda. There’s a reason caffeine is the most widely consumed drug in the world. It works.
Clarity comes from within. Unfortunately, a lot of us look elsewhere when assessing success, and this can confuse the process. To reach a state of clarity in your work, figure out what works for you, and determine your own model of success instead of measuring yourself by what others find important. Peterson recommends taking three steps to establish your own measuring stick:
1. Understand your core business values. What does your business stand for? Determine your core values, then build an experience around what you want to create. Ask yourself how you want to feel throughout the day and what experiences you want to have within your business. Think about times when you felt motivated, when there was a natural flow to your work. That was an experience. Identify those times and work to build more of them into your work.
2. Run your own race. We all get caught up comparing ourselves to everything else we see. But what does success mean to you? Pause to truly consider this question. Then write down the answer and make it one of your goals. Otherwise, you’ll just be chasing others’ (often unattainable) visions of success.
3. Partner with the right people. Your ideal partners will fall into two camps: the people who surround you and the people who support you. The people who surround you are the folks who make up your inner circle. However, not everyone who is with us is for us. Sometimes you need to evaluate your inner circle and make sure you’re surrounded by people who believe in you. The people who support you are individuals who are trying to create something similar to what you’re trying to create. Tap into the experience and motivation of others who are on the same path. When like-minded people come together and focus on each one in turn, action is sparked. You can tap into the momentum of the group and hold each other accountable.
CONTINUING THE JOURNEY
Clarity is a journey, not a destination. This is a rinse-and-repeat system designed to help people continue down the path toward clarity while reaching important milestones along the way. Every time there’s a challenge or a new step in your business, Peterson recommends going back to the five keys to clarity:
Consider your mindset.
Figure out what you really want (your passion).
Make a plan.
Find the people who can help you.
Focus on your performance.
Going back to this process, again and again, helps provide context; it defines who you are as a businessperson and what you want to achieve. When you do that, the markers start lining up, and the path forward becomes clear. You start making your own answers to questions that previously befuddled you.
“Having clarity helps you rebound and reach your potential,” says Peterson. “And you have far more potential than you realize.”
Despite concerns around ongoing inflation, travel demand is not slowing down—in fact, Americans may be traveling more and farther this season. This was found in Tripadvisor‘s “2022 Fall Travel Index.”
The study, which revealed what and where is hot for American travelers this upcoming season, is based on a combination of Tripadvisor’s first-party search and proprietary consumer sentiment data. It shows that while the busy summer travel season is coming to an end, Americans’ appetite for vacations is not over. Nearly two-thirds of U.S. respondents (61 percent) say that they are planning a fall trip this year, even if how they travel might change.
Transitioning from summer into fall, there are no indicators that travel demand, based on recent sentiment surveys, will subside any time soon amongst global travelers, especially Americans. To note: Nearly four out of 10 (37 percent) Americans still intend to travel as planned this fall, regardless of inflation. This marks an increase from the previous summer survey released in May 2022, which indicated that 32 percent of Americans still intended to travel as planned. Globally, Tripadvisor has seen a similar increase from the same summer survey: 30 percent of travelers surveyed said they intend to travel as planned from June through August, with an increase of 34 percent saying they intend to travel as planned from September through November, despite rising costs. While travel is seasonal, the month-over-month sentiment analysis further underscores that consumers still desire to travel despite inflation and fuel costs.
Because of the pent-up demand for vacation stemming from several years of pandemic restrictions keeping travelers close to home, Americans are cutting back elsewhere to ensure they can still budget a getaway. Half of Americans (50 percent) said that they plan to travel more this fall than they did during the same period last year and two-thirds (66 percent) plan to spend more.
The Tripadvisor “Fall Travel Index” indicates that spiraling costs won’t deter Americans from traveling this upcoming season. More than one-third (35 percent) will likely travel for shorter lengths of time and almost one-quarter (24 percent) said that they will likely travel somewhere closer to home than previously planned.
Just as they are globally, continuously rising costs are prompting American consumers to alter their spending habits, inclusive of adjusting their travel plans. Two-thirds (66 percent) of Americans ranked “Cost/Affordability” as the priority criteria in the trip-planning process and 45 percent say “Price” influenced their travel dates, demonstrating that while travel is still on the books, further indicating inflation is top of mind.
In keeping with the global trend indicated by this season’s Tripadvisor “Travel Index,” domestic trips remain the number one choice among U.S. travelers; more than four-fifths (81 percent) of Americans and almost two-thirds (60 percent) of global travelers surveyed will opt for domestic travel this fall.
The top domestic destinations for this fall, as revealed by Tripadvisor site data are:
Las Vegas, Nevada*
New York, New York*
Orlando, Florida*
Honolulu, Hawaii*
Lahaina, Hawaii
Key West, Florida
Nashville, Tennessee*
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina*
New Orleans, Louisiana
Miami Beach, Florida*
(*Indicates cities that were also top 2021 domestic destinations)
That all said, a compelling trend rises to the top: Long-haul air travel is back. Of those surveyed, more than 40 percent of American travelers will travel more than seven hours, and nearly half (49 percent) plan to travel by plane. Also, more than half (56 percent) of Americans plan to take a trip of at least four nights this fall—one-third (33 percent) plan to travel five or more nights—and Tripadvisor search underscores travel around the Labor Day holiday weekend to be the most popular time to get away. In comparison to the Fall 2021 Travel index which indicated that 68 percent of U.S. travelers surveyed last year opted for staycation-style travel close to home accessible by car or train, this year’s Fall Travel Index clearly indicates that Americans are ready for major trips.
Trending Destinations
Internationally, the perennial Mexican resort favorite, Cancun, is the most popular destination among Americans traveling this fall. Entertainment and nightlife mecca, Las Vegas, came out on top for the most searched domestic U.S. destinations.
Of the locations which have seen the biggest year-on-year increase in searches on Tripadvisor by Americans for travel this fall, Turks & Caicos is at number one. Narrowing in on Labor Day weekend travel, Nayarit, Mexico, on Mexico’s scenic Pacific Coast just north of Puerto Vallarta, tops the list for strongest year-of-year growth.
Italy continues to dominate the top trending destinations this fall, with the picturesque cities Como, Monterosso al Mare, Amalfi, and Sorrento among the top 15 growing destinations for Americans this season. The emergence of trending destinations across the E.U. and APAC among U.S. travelers this fall is credited largely to COVID-related travel restrictions relaxing, allowing for greater ease of travel.
What entices Americans to travel?
When it comes to the most exciting components of a trip, the Tripadvisor Index revealed that the top five picks for Americans are food (54 percent), activities (52 percent), followed by people and scenery tied for third (48 percent), and weather (40 percent).
Almost one-third (32 percent) said that the primary purpose of their trip is to enjoy dining and nightlife and nearly one quarter (24 percent) have booked restaurant reservations in advance.
A few simple tricks can help save your wallet. (Illustration: Yeji Kim)
There’s no doubt about it: Traveling on a budget can be tough. It requires diligent planning and research, flexibility, and a fair amount of creative thinking. But the good news is that the most budget-conscious options (from food to transportation) are usually the ones that allow you to best absorb the local culture.
If your goal is to truly experience a place and its culture, all while saving money, here are some need-to-know tips.
As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.
Get Outside the City Center
Cities certainly have their charms, offering the culture, diversity and energy that many travelers crave. But by venturing outside city centers (especially major capital cities), you’ll save money and likely get a more up-close-and-personal look at the way locals live.
Restaurants, bars and cafés in further-flung neighborhoods and beyond into smaller towns generally charge much less than what you’d pay for a similar experience in a city. And because of the relative lack of tourists, you’ll have a better chance of interacting with people who actually live in your destination.
Shop at Grocery Stores
Going to the grocery store in a foreign country is one of the most interesting experiences you could hope to have as a traveler — it’s every bit as enriching as checking out an art museum or attending a local festival. Grocery stores can tell you a lot about the way people live. After all, these are the places that stock items that people seek out on a daily basis, not places that cater to tourists.
You’ll also get an in-depth look at new-to-you products and produce. For example, Ecuadorean grocery stores and markets have a wide array of fruits that aren’t available in the U.S.
Plus, if you have access to a kitchen during your trip (for example, if you’re staying at an extended-stay hotel), buying fresh, local ingredients and making your own meals can be a real money-saver.
Eat Street Food
Not only is street food affordable and widely available, but it’s also a fantastic way to gain access into a local culture since you’ll get to experience the way that the majority of people prepare and eat food.
You may even find that a vendor uses recipes and cooking techniques passed down from generation to generation that help tell the story of a place. Stop at street carts where you see long lines of locals waiting, which is usually a reliable sign that the food is good.
Check Out Lesser-Known Museums and Galleries
While there’s certainly nothing wrong with visiting big-name museums when you travel (especially if you can take advantage of free days and nights), it’s often the lesser-known museums and galleries that offer cheaper admission prices and provide a more specific look at a place or culture.
Smaller and less-popular museums tend to collect local history as opposed to housing global collections and exhibits — think the Musée Carnavalet in Paris, which is dedicated to the history of the city, as an alternative to visiting the Louvre.
Spend Time in Public Parks
People-watching in public parks is free, totally enjoyable, and a great way to observe parts of a community that you might not otherwise see — especially if you visit small neighborhood parks and green spaces, which are often the beating hearts of communities.
You’ll likely have ample opportunities to strike up conversations with locals, and you’ll also get to experience the local flora and fauna.
Volunteer
Volunteering is a good way to travel cheaply while interacting with and giving back to a community. Just don’t fall for expensive, ineffective voluntourism programs; be sure to go through a reputable organization. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and Volunteers for Peace are all solid options.
Take Local Transportation Instead
Make it a point to use whatever form of public transportation locals use to get around. Ride the bus, take the metro or subway, or take a train. Not only is public transportation cheaper than renting a car, but it offers a rich, immersive look into everyday life.
Walk Everywhere, as Much as Possible
And of course, there’s no better way to soak up the sights and sounds of a new place than to walk the streets. Explore on foot as much as possible and you’ll feel your destination open up to you with every step.
5 top tips for taking competition-worthy photos of incredible old buildings, structures and standing stones often found within stunning landscapes
From grand castles and imposing stately homes to crumbling ancient cities and lonely standing stones, the world is awash with historical ruins if you care to go searching for them. They can be tricky to photograph, but you don’t have to travel far and wide; there are likely some castles, churches, abbeys and ruins close to where you live.
Before making a big trip abroad to a ‘honeypot’ site, practice your skills locally, but do check opening times, car park fees and entry fees ahead of time. Here are some of our top tips to get you started…
1 Capture castles in context
Is the castle on a hill overlooking an epic landscape? Is there a moat around it? Is a drawbridge its visual highlight? Although castles are traditionally seen as grand military structures that were designed to be imposing, they were usually built in places that gave the inhabitants wide-ranging views and early site of any approaching invaders. Many are also surrounded by landscaped grounds. Either way, try to capture the connection between a castle and the environment it exists in.
If you want to get a castle in context then consider using a wide-angle lens, which will enable you to get more into your composition and keep it sharp. Depending on how wide-angle it is you may be able to approach the castle and capture it from close in while still placing it in its environment.
Try to capture the connection between a castle and the environment it exists in. Photo by Daniel Springgay – f/11 | 1/40s | ISO 100
Author tip:
Before you start shooting take a stroll around the grounds, getting a feel for what’s around and what you might want to include in your shots. Resist the temptation to start shooting immediately; take your time and investigate the site for details you might want to emphasise. Read about the building’s history, if only to decide what the most important structures are, and how they’re normally photographed.
2 Give standing stones some space
There are thousands of prehistoric circles, standing stones, henges and burial chambers throughout the UK and Europe, yet they can be difficult to photograph. A lot depends on what’s around them; some are surrounded by flat grassland while others are on peninsulas, on tops of peaks, or nestled in forests. Your position is everything since standing circles, for example, don’t tend to look much more than a bunch of stones unless it’s captured from above, or at least an elevated position on a nearby hill.
Position is everything when it comes to monuments like standing circles, experiment with different angles and vantage points so you can find the perfect composition that gives the monument justice. Photo by Conor Molloy – f/13 | 1/13s | ISO 200
Author tip:
Do your research before you visit, not only about the monument’s environment, but about theories on its history and function. If you’re going to photograph a burial chamber that’s aligned with the rising Sun, consider visiting at sunrise to shoot a ‘sun star’ shot. You can do that by using a large aperture and a slow shutter speed.
3 Create an unusual composition
Looking for something that no one has seen before in an ancient monument, and getting the shot right, is difficult. But it’s what good photography is all about. Sometimes it can be something as simple – at least in retrospect – as capturing a reflection and turning it upside down (see above). Another way to treat this same shot could be to capture it at night and have stars reflecting in the river.
Find interesting items for the foreground of your image. Vary your height; take shots from low to the ground for an unusual point of view. Look for leading lines in walls, pathways, drawbridges and corridors.
While the wide-angle shot has likely been done before many times, where you can do something new is with close-ups. So pack a zoom lens, which will allow you to isolate architectural details from crumbling walls to rusty door handles. Try to shoot through a window or upwards where the roof used to be.
Avoid clichés and find a way to put your personal spin when when photographing well-known landmarks. Photo by Peter Warson – f/8 | 1/250s | ISO 200
Author tip:
Look beyond the cliches. The photos on the postcard or guidebook cover and the ones to avoid, not the ones to replicate. If there are lots of visitors, avoid getting them in your photos by watching where they’re going and heading to the other end of the site. It can also be worth finding out if the monument in question is illuminated at night; if it’s not you could try some long exposures that include stars or possibly, in summer, the Milky Way.
4 Wait for an unexpected event
A legion of photographers have taken shots of Stonehenge at day and at night. Sure, there are literally 360º opportunities to take something different even from a distance, but they mostly end up looking very similar.
So wait for something genuinely different to happen in the sky above. That could be an eclipse of the Moon or the Sun, or it could be something not predicted by science at all, like the arrival of a comet. That happened for just a few weeks in July 2020, with savvy photographers heading to the old stones to get a shot of Comet F3 Neowise. For many it was a simple repeat of a shot they had mastered years before, but with the added bonus of a space rock hurtling through the sky above.
For a truly spectacular shot, wait for a rare or unexpected event taking place near over the the place you want to photograph – such as when Comet Neowise was seen over Stonehenge in 2020. Photo by Ben Sasson
Author tip:
If the sky above is all-important when photographing monuments from afar, the weather is your friend. If there are clear blue skies a polariser will enhance them and also help reduce reflections. Clouds can often be exaggerated to seem like a bubbling storm. Sunrise is a great time to be at ancient monuments, not least for the possibility of rising mist, which can add an ethereal dimension to your inherently mysterious subject. It also maximises your chance of being there alone. Close to sunset you may spot crepuscular rays in the west.
5 Get off the beaten track
Head to Angkor Wat, the Colosseum, the Pyramids or Machu Picchu and you’ll have to constantly battle crowds, queues and restrictive opening times. That’s going to reduce your chances of taking original shots. The more popular they are the less likely they are to allow in tripods, while some ban photography altogether (or charge extra for photography permits). Better to head to lesser known, but equally as dramatic sites where you’ll have lots of time and the place to yourself.
Get off the beaten track to find lesser-known monuments where you’ll have the place to yourself. Circular Inca ruins at Moray in the Sacred Valley near Cusco, Peru. Photo by Jeff Kraft – f/5.6 | 1/200s | ISO 200
Author tip:
Although most famous monuments have something lesser known and just as picturesque close by (such as Beng Mealea north of Angkor Wat, and Kuélap, Llactapacta and Choquequirao close to Machu Picchu in the Sacred Valley), you can find UNESCO World Heritage Sites sprinkled throughout the world.
AuthorJamie Carter
Jamie Carter is a journalist and author focusing on stargazing and astronomy, astrophotography, and travel for Forbes Science, BBC Sky At Night magazine, Sky & Telescope, Travel+Leisure, and The Telegraph.View all articles
The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis has scrapped all COVID-19 related entry testing and vaccination protocols. The destination is open to both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, including citizens, residents and international tourists.
Additionally, it will no longer be necessary for travelers to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter St. Kitts and Nevis. This change has been introduced under the leadership and guidance of Dr. Terrance Drew, the prime minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, who also serves as minister of health.
“The removal of entry testing and vaccination requirements comes at a time when traveler confidence is on the rise. The combination of increasing demand and more seamless travel processes will make St. Kitts even more desirable to visitors abroad,” said Ellison “Tommy” Thompson, CEO of the St. Kitts Tourism Authority. “We are pleased to communicate the removal of restrictions, which would improve the destination’s travel experience.”
Good to know: Travelers considering a last-minute escape can book until August 30 and avail of St. Kitts’ summer promotion, “Sweet Side of Summer,” offering up to three nights free at participating hotels. Guests can enjoy a range of cultural, relaxation, culinary and outdoor adventure activities. The “St. Kitts annual Grill Fest” will be held in November, showcasing local grill masters, and F&B experiences.
Do you enjoy taking photos but find yourself buried in unprocessed images? This article is for you! I’m going to give you my top 10 photo editing tips for speeding up your workflow.
I do most of my post-processing in Adobe Lightroom. But the basic principles apply regardless of the editing software you use.
The goal is to get from import to export efficiently. Don’t lose your photographic mojo or let your favourite photography gather digital dust.
10. Fix Your Images In-Camera to Save Time
Often, you will take a photo knowing that you’ll have to fix something later in post-processing.
But if you can fix it now in-camera, you don’t have to fix it later. With a quick spin of a dial, you can change the exposure. Zoom in for a tighter crop. Straighten that horizon line. It’s better than fussing with straightening it later in post-processing. Especially if you have to adjust 100 horizon lines individually.
You can make adjustments later. But why wait until tomorrow for something that you can do today?
Save on post-processing time by slowing down in the field and looking at the scene. You’ll probably need to take fewer shots to get the one you want.
The closer the in-camera image is to your final image, the less post-processing you have to do.
Images by Jenn Mishra
9. Use Import & Export Tools
Set up your editing software to do things automatically. Lightroom’s import and export tools are a great place to start.
On import, you can add global keywords and metadata like titles and copyright information. Keywording is a pain, but you can’t find your images unless you keyword. By taking a few seconds to apply keywords on import, you will save a lot of time later.
I have a lot of options in the righthand panel of the import screen in Lightroom.
You can even add a develop preset which applies your favourite settings to the imports. You can tweak settings later, but lay the foundation of your post-processing edits on import.
When you’ve finished working, you also have export tools. You can rename images and apply output sharpening. Lightroom makes the changes automatically. You don’t have to think about it.
8. Have a System to Find Your Images Faster
I’ve wasted a lot of time looking for images. If I only had a few, I could probably remember where I put them. But after 1,000 (or 100,000), I need a system for storing images.
Put files in a place where you can find them later. It doesn’t matter what your system is, it’s having the system that’s important. An example of this might be Photographs>Wedding>2018.07.15 – Scott & Wendy.
Speeding up your workflow isn’t just about faster post-processing. It’s about having images at your fingertips when you need them.
Images by Jenn Mishra
7. Edit Only the Best Images
Photographers who fly through post-processing aren’t spending time on each and every photo. They only work on the best of the best.
This means having an effective culling strategy. Culling means deleting photos that didn’t work and targeting ones that did.
Rank your favourites with hearts, colors, flags, or stars. I go through my images quickly to make an initial selection. Then I do it again, narrowing down my favourites. My top shots get more stars. You don’t have to use my system but have a system.
I use a system of flags and stars in Lightroom to find my best images. Only my 3-star images get full post-processing treatment.
I’m only going to post-process my favourites. I’ve been burned too often. I’ve post-processed an image only to find better light or composition on the next image.
To make this process faster, use a tool like Photo Mechanic. This is a program designed specifically to speed up the culling process.
Post-processing only the best of the best will greatly speed up your workflow.
6. Eliminate Keystrokes
Photo adjustments can be highly repetitious. Use any keyboard shortcuts offered by your post-processing program.
If you are able to do with one keystroke that would normally take two, you’ve saved yourself time and energy. It might not seem like a lot but think of all those thousands of photos in your catalogue. A one-second keystroke becomes a lot when multiplied by a 1000 or 100,000.
For instance, use Lightroom’s Auto-Advance function. To activate this, place a checkmark next to Photo>Auto-Advance. When you add a flag or star during culling, Lightroom automatically advances to the next image. This saves you hundreds of keystrokes each time you cull images.
Images by Jenn Mishra
There are many Lightroom shortcuts. “X” for reject. “D” to switch to the Develop Module. “V” to convert to black and white. Here’s a complete list of Lightroom shortcuts.
5. Use Presets and Auto For Quick Adjustments
It’s quicker to tweak adjustments than apply them from scratch. Start post-processing by using auto options or presets.
The auto-icon usually looks like a magic wand. The software analyzes your image and makes changes. You can check to see what settings Lightroom recommends by clicking the auto button in the Basic panel. If you don’t like the results, you can always undo the changes.
I like a lot of the settings Lightroom suggests, but others I tweak. I tend to like a lot more contrast than Lightroom suggests.
Final image by Jenn Mishra.
Presets or filters apply a look to your photography with one click. You can download filters or make your own. In Lightroom, you can save favourite settings as a preset. To do this, click the “+” next to the Presets panel in the Develop module. Select Create Preset.
Lightroom screenshot showing how to create a preset.
In Photoshop, I save a series of commands as an action.
Saving settings as a preset means that I can apply these with one click.
4. Use Batch-Editing
You may often photograph a series of photos in the same scene or with the same subject. They will have similar lighting and camera settings. There’s no need to post-process each image separately. Instead, batch edit.
Batch editing means post-processing more than one photo at a time.
There are a couple of ways you can do this in Lightroom. You can copy and paste the settings or use the Sync button.
Start by editing one photo.
To copy your settings, select the image you’ve edited and go to Edit>Copy (Ctrl or ⌘C). A dialogue box will appear asking which settings you want to copy. You can check all or individual settings. Then select an unedited image and paste the settings Edit>Paste (Ctrl or ⌘V).
To sync settings, select all similar photos starting with the photo you’ve edited. Click the Sync button in the Develop module. That’s it! Your settings will be applied to all of the photos. It doesn’t matter if you selected two or two hundred.
3. Streamline Your Editing Process
Once you start editing images, have a system. It doesn’t matter what that system looks like – just that you do the same adjustments in the same order.
Some photographers go straight down the Develop Module panel in Lightroom. They fix the Basic settings first, then move down the list. Skip over the settings that don’t apply to your photographic style.
My first change is composition. I crop the image. There’s nothing worse than removing dust spots, straightening lines, and adding a vignette – only to then crop out my hard work. After cropping, I move onto contrast, highlights, shadows, color, and details.
Images by Jenn Mishra
Decide on the settings that you care about most and make changes in the same order. If you often have to go back to readjust a setting, change the order. For instance, adding dehaze often darkens the image. This means I have to readjust exposure. The more you can automate your editing, the faster you will be.
2. Edit on the Go
I have found myself sitting on a plane, train, or bus home from a session, itching to start post-production. Put that time to work.
Set up a mobile post-processing workspace on a laptop or mobile device. This won’t necessarily replace your primary workspace, but you can get started editing. By the time you’re home, you can have your images imported into Lightroom, added keywords, and started culling.
1. Be Decisive
When I think about the things that slow down my workflow, I have to admit that most of the time it’s me.
There are a thousand ways to edit a digital image. I am at my most efficient in post-processing when I’m decisive. I waste time when I vacillate between possibilities. There’s no harm in trying a few different ways of post-processing an image. But then I need to make a choice.
It’s easier if I only have two choices in front of me. This photo or that? This white balance or that?
Images by Jenn Mishra
There is no right way of post-processing an image. It only matters that you like it.
Conclusion
There you go. My top ten photo editing tips to speed up your workflow. This article is more about streamlining how you deal with your images than on how to edit photos. Spending more time at the beginning of the process will stop time being wasted later on.
I use these tips when it comes to my work, and it took a while for the process to become streamlined. Find your own way and share your tips in the comments below.
Jenn Mishra is a fine art travel and landscape photographer based in the St. Louis metro area. Jenn is an active photographic educator and has been invited to speak at conferences such as Out of Chicago. Her photos have been featured in a number of solo exhibitions. Her studio is Wits End Photography. You can see more of Jenn’s photo at http://www.jennifermishra.com or visit her Instagram @jennatwitsendMore By Jenn Mishra >
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