Monday, March 31, 2008
The beach paradise of Goa is the top tourist destination for Summer of 2008, despite the recent Scarlet Keeling controversy. Besides the regularly visited locales such as Ooty, Mahabaleshwar, Shimla and Manali the list of top 10 domestic tourist destinations this summer include Auli and Matheran. Munnar (in Kerala) is the destination that the high-end holiday makers are eyeing.
On the other hand, tourists headed to foreign shores are exploring Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Mediterranean cruises and East Europe, according to travel search company, Holiday IQ’s ‘Holiday Intelligence Forecast’.
Though there is still time for families to head to their holiday destination, the verdict is out. Hill Stations, which appeal to families and not just backpackers, are the flavour of the season, Goa being the only exception.
“Munnar is registering fastest growth among the top 10 summer destinations. Though for North Indians a trip to the city can be more or equally as expensive when compared to a foreign destination like Bangkok. But that’s not deterring holiday makers,” says Hari Nair, CEO and founder, Holiday IQ. Another interesting trend is that that the demand among domestic tourists is highest for moderately priced hotel rooms. While 30% searches are for premium range packages, 40% are for mid-priced and 30% for budget holidays. The yardstick which categorises these packages is the room rate per night. A premium holiday would mean spending more than Rs 6,000 for a room per night, while mid-priced means shelling out Rs 2,500 to Rs 6,000. Anything below Rs 2,500 for a room falls in the budget category.
The forecast shows that domestic travellers are planning their trip to Goa too as they can avail of some cheap hotel deals there, unlike the New Year time.
Those flying to foreign locales now prefer travelling alone rather than opting for plain-vanilla package tours for groups. “A fall out of this trend is that new and unexplored destinations are also being considered by travellers. Most packages offer regular destinations.
source:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Services/Goa_still_top_tourist_destination/articleshow/2912645.cms
Monday, March 31, 2008 0
There's a new kid on the block as far as handheld digital field recorders are concerned. The R-09HR by Roland Corporation is described as a professional, high-definition recorder that is light but performs like a heavyweight. With 24/96 fidelity, the R-09HR is the new flagship of EDIROL’s award-winning R-series recorders.
Amongst its features are a built-in high-grade, high-sensitivity stereo condenser, it records to SD or SDHC memory card, a built-in preview speaker, a wireless remote controller, and is powered by 2 AA batteries. It should be available in a few weeks at a MSRP price close to $500, however it's unclear what the street price will be.
See it here or here.
I'm still using the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Pocket Digital Recorder, however its plug-in T-microphone was damaged, so I just bought the Sony ECM-DS30P Microphone to replace it. This allows me to wait out the inevitable price drop in digital recorders.
I'm really glad to have found Karen Huntt's website to start off this week!
Karen is a freelance photographer and photo editor, who returned from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in 2005. Her experiences and photographs are being incorporated in a book, a documentary film and an exhibit about the project, Headhunt Revisited, due to launch in 2009. The project involved retracing the route of artist Caroline Mytinger (another remarkable individual) to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and was featured in the April 2006 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. She won countless awards, and is a founding member of ILCP—International League of Conservation Photographers, a former chapter president of American Society of Picture Professionals, and a member ASMP, NPPA and the Explorers' Club in NY.
Karen tells us: " My earliest inspiration for photography was Life magazine. I grew up in the "Golden Age" of photojournalism, and was influenced by compelling image essays from the world's best photographers. My interest in anthropology naturally has led me to document indigenous cultures, but I feel it's important to value people for the way they choose to live today, and to not expect them to be frozen in amber the way they might have been 100 years ago."
Karen's fabulous photographs are here: Karen Huntt
Also visit Headhunt Revisited, the website dedicated to Karen Huntt's and Michele Westmorland's thrilling expedition retracing the four-year sojourn taken by portrait artist Caroline Mytinger and her companion Margaret Warner in 1926 in the South Pacific.
For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 24-30, 2008) most popular posts on TTP:
Talking To The Taliban.
Nevada Wier's Blog: A Thought
Sunday Rant: The Selfish Photographer
Sunday, March 30, 2008
The New York Times reports that Dith Pran, a photojournalist whose gruesome ordeal in the killing fields of Cambodia was re-created in a 1984 movie that gave him an eminence he used to press for his people’s rights, died in New Brunswick, N.J. on Sunday.
One of the most poignant moments in The Killing Fields movie was when Sydney Shanberg (Sam Waterston) and Al Rockoff, a photographer (John Malkovich), fail to save Dith from the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Dith's greatest hope was to see leaders of the Khmer Rouge tried for war crimes against his native country.
(Photo The New York Times)
Sunday, March 30, 2008 0
I haven't really ranted for a while now...but yesterday's post about Katie Orlinky's work amongst the Muxes of Juchitan reminded me of an itch that needs to be scratched.
Before going for a week's vacation in Oaxaca late February, I posted on the Lightstalkers photo forum asking for advice as to what and where to photograph. The suggestions I received from many working photographers (both travel and photojournalists) were generous and useful... and I dutifully wrote everything down so I could follow these through while in Oaxaca. One of most intriguing suggestions was to photograph the Muxes in the city of Juchitan, roughly a hundred miles south of Oaxaca city. I was given the email of photographer who had already published a number of photo essays on the Muxes culture, and encouraged to solicit that photographer's help.
I did exactly that, asking for advice as to how to get to Juchitan, and whether there were any names I could contact. I received nothing in response except for a curt brush-off. Thinking the photographer had misunderstood my questions, I clarified what I needed, but never got a reply.
Now, here's a photographer who already published all there was to publish on the subject...as far as that photographer was concerned, the subject was done...was in the can...and was published (and presumably paid for) a few times already. No danger of meaningful competition here, and yet, the reaction was to brush-off an inquiry from a fellow photographer.
Do I expect too much from people? I don't think so. There will always be some photographers who selfishly (and in my view, sometimes illogically) guard their perceived "fiefdoms"...but, from experience, they are a minority in an industry that frequently relies on mutual assistance. I have no difficulty whatsoever in sharing whatever knowledge I have...whether this is done during my photo-expeditions, photo critiques or by answering frequent questions about my photo destinations, techniques and photographs.
So what I have to tell this selfish photographer is this: what goes around comes around. As for the Muxes, I did not have the time to travel to Juchitan, but I now know people who will take me there when I return to Oaxaca. And when I do, I'll send some of the resulting photographs to the selfish photographer.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008 0
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Katie Orlinsky.
I was interested to see that a couple of Katie's photography essays are about the "Muxes" in Juchitan, south of Oaxaca. She describes the "muxes" as follows: "In Zapoteco, the word "muxe" translates to "gay", however they are considered a "third gender": a local, indigenous gender that is widely accepted and respected in this particular area of Mexico. The closest English translation to muxe is transgender or transvestite."
Katie Orlinsky
An infrequently-covered country is in the New York Times today, along with photographs by Jehad Nga, whose work is characterized by deep shadows and sparsely illuminated subjects.
To bring you up to speed on the political background: Late last year, Ethiopian troops, with the help of US intelligence, removed the Islamist administration that briefly controlled Mogadishu, bringing the transitional government to the city for the first time. Naturally, this anointed total illegitimacy to the government and it has been going downhill ever since.
The NY Times' Somalia On The Brink
For the first time in the history of Karnataka the introduction of the Boat House Cruise by the well known Paradise Isle Resorts of Malpe will help in putting the Kemmannu Hoode of the Udupi region onto the world map as one of the best chosen holiday destination.
The survey of River Swarna revealed that the best high tide cruise can take the tourists cruising along and enjoying the beauty of the surrounding Kemmannu backwaters with a breathtaking view of the green gardens, the tall and majestic palms swaying with the breeze and nature's wonders like migratory birds on the sand reefs and the shellfish habitats in the shallow waters near Thimman Kudru.
The arrival and introduction of the new Boat Houses in Kemmannu back waters of River Swarna is a new and a rare viewing experience for the onlookers and the hundreds of local people living on this beautiful ridge of land between the sea and river at Bengre Kemmannu.
This place is astounding and distinctive as it is surrounded by the natural beauty and this ridge of land between the sea and the river is unique at Bengre beach. The back waters here are comparable to the backwaters seen in Gods own country and this makes Kemmannu the perfect destination for tourism.
The coastal region including Udupi, Kaup, Kemmannu, Bengre, Kundapoora and Baindoor are favourable for all kind of tourism activities including water sports, But Kemmannu in particular has the advantage of being a town which has a beach and a river and it is located just about 9 Km from the main City Udupi.
With this tourist destination gaining popularity the people of Karnantaka and the world over can now enjoy a holiday in Kemmanu like they would have had in Kerala as this place too now boasts of the popular House Boat Cruise that will attract tourists from India and the world over. A cruise on Paradise lagoon boat house is a fabulous way to explore the fascinating beauty of the backwaters.
The houseboat is about 67 feet in length and has a width of around 13 feet in the middle. The materials that go into the making of the boat are; bamboo poles, coconut fibre, ropes, bamboo mats, carpets etc which are local and eco-friendly. The main wood used is "Anjili". These houseboats are fully furnished and have single room, double room and triple rooms for tourists to rent.
All the houseboats have sundecks, private balconies with comfortable chairs, a kitchen and restrooms. Traditional lanterns are used as a source of light and this gives the tourists a perfect ambience of a typical costal home. Traditional Udupi cuisine is served on the boat with local specialties that include delicious fish and prawns. There are single bedroom houseboats for couples and houseboats with two bedrooms for four people or a family of four. The houseboat crew includes a chef, and two oarsmen.
A holiday on the houseboat of the enchanting backwaters of Kemmannu Hude and Bengre is sure to rob your heart. Palm fringed narrow canals winding through the neat tiny hamlets lined up along the either side of the canals is a panoramic sight to behold.
Tourists can perceive the flashes of toddy tapping (natural Kali), traditional techniques of the shellfish gathering,(Koyyol, Marvayi), village walk, and they can visually capture the flocks of cormorant, egret, herons, four species of moorhens, water ducks, Siberian storks, Purple herons, seagulls, teals, and the different types of King fishers in the waters.
source:http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=72561
Friday, March 28, 2008
Here's an interesting analysis from The Online Photographer as to what the price on the eventual Canon 5D "Mark II" will be, taking into consideration that the current model is around $2200 at major retailers.
Price determination of any product is a function of many variables, which are all well covered in TOP's post, which is worth a read from anyone interested. Another variable is the current weakness of the US dollar versus the Japanese Yen (and every other world currency), which means that the Japanese companies will have to increase their prices to make up for the difference.
TOP's Future Cost of the New 5D?
Friday, March 28, 2008 0
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Craig Schneider.
Craig is a journalist and documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. I chose his above photograph of the "Boxer Boys of Havana" as an example of his documentary work.
Craig Schneider
Eric Beecroft of Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has just announced two additional sponsors of its inaugural workshop in Mexico this coming June.
The new sponsors are VII Agency, which is generously providing two scholarships to students, and Dispatches magazine (Gary Knight's new photojournalism/essayist journal) which is also providing two scholarships for the workshop.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Prior to travel, many of my clients ask what would happen if their flight is cancelled. In 11+ years of taking 3-4 Caribbean trips a year, I found myself stranded for the very first time on Tuesday. On the few occasions where my flight has been cancelled in the past, I was quickly re- booked on another flight or if none were available from the ticketing airline, then I was moved to another airline and only inconvenienced with a minor variation in my flight plan. We spent Easter Weekend in Port Antonio, Jamaica - an amazing place located about 2 hours from Kingston and 4 from Montego Bay. Therefore, we flew in and out of Kingston. While we were on the drive from PA to Kingston to catch our 3PM flight, we received a phone call that the Air Jamaica flight attendants were conducting a "sick out". Similar to a strike, a "sick out" occurs when airline employees call in sick to protest. While I don't have room here to discuss the politics of what they were fighting for, my flight was cancelled and it was the last flight of the day. Air Jamaica was very accommodating despite the incident. By the time we arrived at the airport, they had hotel and restaurant vouchers waiting for us and we were quickly transported to our Kingston hotel to enjoy the pool... we were confirmed on the same flight the following day and made it home without incident! So, there you have it... possibly what to expect should your flight be cancelled.
Thursday, March 27, 2008 0
When Beat Presser was in late teens, he traveled through Southeast Asia, and met with a car accident in Thailand. Healed from a serious spine injury by monks in a Buddhist monastery, he vowed to do something in return, should he become the photographer he intended to be.
Between 2000 and 2004, he returned to live in Theravada Buddhism monasteries in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, and photographed the essence of Buddhism. Oasis of Silence is the resulting photographic exhibition and book.
Presser also produced an accompanying website My Oasis of Silence allows participants to post their profile and photographs, and to interact among each other and with Beat Presser, thus creating a growing community and allowing a permanent exchange.
Beat Presser's Buddhism Oasis of Silence is well produced and its background music is haunting, but the B&W photographs are too small to fully appreciate Presser's artistry.
You've whizzed around in a red double-decker tour bus, watched the changing-of-the-guard at Buckingham Palace, wandered through Fortnum & Mason and ogled at Westminster Abbey.
But this time you're after something a touch more local yet within easy reach of central London.
Try taking a walk along the Thames River around Bankside and South Bank. Even if you only have a few hours to spare while stopping over in London, it provides a good blend of markets, museums, attractions and shops.
The once-disreputable south side of the river has been transformed into a vibrant showcase of urban regeneration. Bankside was once packed with seedy drinking dens, brothels and bear pits. South Bank left its industrial past behind when drab concrete factories and power stations became trendy museums and hip entertainment precincts.
I begin my stroll at the Borough Market, where a typical Saturday scene sees Londoners flock to fill their larders with fresh produce.
Surrounded by barrows of fresh carrots, artichokes and apples, the apron-clad greengrocer enthrals the crowd with an operatic rendition of Bizet's Carmen.
His music weaves its way around shoppers clutching brown paper bags and past nut sellers pushing free samples of their wares.
A few metres along, the Sillfield Farm stall is a flurry of activity as butchers in theatrical red, white and maroon uniforms complete with bowler hats bustle about.
Perhaps it's their eye-catching outfits or perhaps it's the sign advertising "A major supermarket purchased our special dry-cured bacon last week" that is drawing a crowd.
At one stall, there's nothing but wooden buckets filled with varieties of olives, feta cheese and Greek dolmades, while another throng is pressed around the Dark Sugars confectionary stall, eagerly piling freshly made sweets into paper bags.
Near the market is a little-known historic gem. The Old Operating Theatre, Museum and Herb Garret is a quirky chamber of horrors tucked away in the garret of St Thomas's Church.
A shoulder-wide spiral staircase leads me to a cramped souvenir shop where another flight of creaking steps opens up into a reminder of life before anaesthetics and antiseptic surgery.
The museum looks like a set from a science-fiction horror movie complete with exhibits of 19th-century medical instruments once used by surgeons to amputate limbs, perform skull operations and childbirth procedures.
Next to the museum, the Herb Garret has displays of herbs and potions that would make a witch blush with pride.
In those days, the operating theatre was a godsend for the poor, whose only means of receiving treatment from a skilled surgeon was to agree to be operated on in a public arena watched by an enthusiastic audience of medical students. Rich patients were treated and operated on in the privacy and comfort of their own homes.
It's drizzling outside and up goes my umbrella as I make a dash for another museum-like attraction just a few blocks away. At the entrance of Vinopolis, I'm furnished with an audio guide that steers me through exhibitions of wine regions around the world. The section on Australia is fairly extensive with wall maps, photographs and free wine samples. At the central wine-sampling table, Jacques, an effusive Frenchman, plies me with wine from far-flung destinations like Georgia, Israel and Thailand.
Walking along the river reveals a vibrant culture of colourful street performers and sidewalk artists, historic bridges and re-developed wharfs, galleries and museums.
I arrive at Shakespeare's Globe just in time to check out the world's largest exhibition devoted to Shakespeare, before joining a guided tour of the theatre.
Opened in 1997, the theatre is a replica of the 1599 open-air playhouse for which Shakespeare wrote many of his greatest plays and is one of London's key Shakespearean attractions.
Enthused by tales of the bard, I'm inspired to test my acting skills in a scene from Romeo And Juliet. Inside one of the multimedia recording booths at the exhibition area, I practice being Juliet with a pre-recorded reading of Romeo performed by a Globe Theatre actor.
Another Shakespearean-influenced attraction on the south side of the river is Southwark Cathedral, where William Shakespeare's brother Edmund was buried and where a large 19th-century stained glass window depicts scenes from well-known plays.
The cathedral also holds a statue of a reclining Shakespeare, posing with his trusty quill.
Next to the Globe Theatre is the contemporary Tate Modern, London's national gallery of international modern art.
Created a few years ago from the decommissioned Bankside Power Station, the Tate Modern's vast display of artworks spans a period of more than a century, from 1900 onwards.
Opposite the Tate Modern, crowds of pedestrians amble across the river over the Millennium Bridge, which is a streamlined structure built to commemorate the year 2000 and London's first new central river crossing for over a century.
A restaurant with a riverside view at Gabriel's Wharf is my idea of a top spot to put my feet up and watch the world go by.
What were musty old garages have been converted into colourful studios and retail shops that sell funky jewellery, fashion and home accessories.
There are lots of shops and restaurants to choose from in this precinct. Next to Gabriel's Wharf, the ex-power station and meat factory - Oxo Tower Wharf - has also been converted into a fresh new retail space with designer shops and more riverside restaurants.
Further along the river, outside the National Theatre underneath the Waterloo Bridge, I thumb through hidden treasures at the South Bank book market.
There are ancient maps, old magazines, out-of-print books and faded prints that look like they might make unusual mementos.
My final stop is the London Eye where, from my glass capsule in the sky, all of London is laid out like a giant three-dimensional Monopoly board with a bird's-eye view of the city's attractions.
source:http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,23422418-5009000,00.html
Tourism Australia managing director Geoff Buckley said the awards, handed out in Canberra tonight, recognised the standards of excellence achieved by tourism businesses across Australia.
"Australia has some of the world's best tourism experiences and through Tourism Australia's activities in 23 markets across the globe, including Australia, we aim to take this message to the world," Mr Buckley said.
"In promoting our country we are selling dreams about what an Australian holiday can offer, but the challenge is to make sure that we live up to the dreams and expectations of our international and domestic customers."
In the tourist attraction category, Clipsal 500's Adelaide Racetrack event was the winner.
Montague Island Tours, which offers coastal and historical tours to the southern NSW island won the ecotourism award.
Mr Buckley said Australia received a record 5.6 million visitors in 2007, two per cent more than the previous year.
"Australia had its best ever year on record for international tourist arrivals in 2007," Mr Buckley said.
"However, we have seen some slowing in growth as a result of a number of factors including increased competition from other destinations."
Mr Buckley said there was greater potential to build on Australia's success in tourism.
source:http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,26058,23309321-5014090,00.html
Adobe Systems opened up Photoshop Express today, its new Web-based image editor aimed at consumers who seek a simple way to touch up, share, and store photos. Photoshop Express is available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage, and requires Flash Player 9 to run (a quick download).
The bottom line from CNET is as follows:
Slick, attractive interface; useful retouching tools and well-done interface for using them; most operations relatively fast. Doesn't support photos from 12-megapixel or higher cameras; some unnattractive Terms of Service; no filtering or keywording; no printing options.
Though there's a lot to like about Adobe's first stab at online photo editing and sharing, you probably want to wait until the company fixes a few problems with the beta--and de-fangs its terms of service--before uploading scads of photos to Adobe Photoshop Express.
Caution: CNET mentions the de-fanging of Adobe's Terms of Service...here's the main "fang":
"with respect to Your Content that you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Services, you grant Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other Materials or works in any format or medium now known or later developed."
so Caveat Emptor!!! (although it's free).
Adobe's Photoshop Express
CNET's Photoshop Express Review
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Charlie Mahoney.
Charlie Mahoney is a freelance photographer based in Barcelona, and is represented by WpN. He prefers stories of human interest and collaborates with non-profit organizations, and traveled extensively to include the Balkans, West Africa and Latin America. Apart from winning a FPW scholarship, Charlie is also the 2007 winner of the New Talent category of Travel Photographer of the Year competition.
Prior to his career in photography, he worked in finance and investments in San Francisco, Madrid and Barcelona.
Charlie Mahoney
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Here's a multimedia feature from the Canadian Globe & Mail, and it's a must-see to anyone who's interested in the current situation in Afghanistan, and how it evolved to where it is, and where it's probably going.
After watching this remarkable feature, I can only help but think that this administration got us involved militarily against implacable foes in two of the most intractable regions in the world: Afghanistan and Iraq. While the former was a necessary involvement, the latter was a enormous blunder and just diverted our resources from completing the stated mission in Afghanistan.
To watch the unwavering ideology and zealotry of the Taliban interviewees and describe it as frightening would be a massive understatement. The common thread in most of the interviews is that they want us out of there...that's all they want. They wanted the Soviets out...and they got them out. Now they want NATO and the US out. It's not too difficult to understand.
Naturally, it's not our own media who'd come up with such a brave and courageous reportage.
The Globe & Mail's Talking To The Taliban
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 0
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Sandra C. Roa.
Sandra C Roa was raised in Queens, and her parents are originally from the Colombia city of Cali. She studied art and dance, and is interested in folkloric traditions and its music. She's currently working with video and stills to produce multi-media stories and works at the ICP as a digital media associate and instructor.
I particularly liked her lively imagery in the section titled "Music" on her website. Also explore her Places....she certainly has an interesting viewpoint.
Sandra C Roa
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
These days people want more from their holiday than just a holiday - they want an adventure holiday. It has to be a holiday that will take them far away from working life and give them something to talk about in the pub when they get back.
Now that backpacking in Thailand or tea-house trekking in Nepal has become mainstream, travellers are looking for new challenges to fill their time off.
The world's largest adventure travel company, takes 70,000 people on 1,000 adventurous holidays annually and sales director John Warner says the sector is continuing to show strong growth.
He quoted a 2005 Mintel study that showed one in four Europeans would go on an adventure holiday.
The market for adventure holidays is particularly robust in the UK, with several generations of former backpackers now grown up, with disposable income and often a family in tow.
Above all they are looking for an experience, maybe even a life-changing one. They have got over their fear of the unknown and they're looking for something exotic and different - an adventure holiday.
"They don't want to just be able to say they've been to Cambodia. They want to say they've been rafting down the Mekong river, met the local people, got to the heart of the country and really experienced it," explains Mr Warner.
Adventure holidays appeal across all age groups and may not necessarily involve physical challenge.
For many people going to a developing country and finding they have no familiar cultural or language references and no communication with the outside world is enough of an adventure holiday.
"Sitting five feet away from a gorilla is just sitting there but believe me it could be one of the most exciting things you'll ever experience," said John Warner.
"And when a big silverback gorilla walks past and picks up a baby - you'll never forget that."
The independent writers at travelbite.co.uk have looked around the globe for the best adventure holiday destinations and activities:
North America adventure holidays – Yosemite National Park
America's national parks offer some of the most beautiful and varied locations for adventure holidays, and the lush green utopia of Yosemite in California is surely one of the very best.
The perfect paradise for those wanting to do something more with their holiday than simply sitting by the pool, Yosemite national park offers plenty of activities, from horseback riding and river rafting in the summer to snowboarding and skiing in the winter.
For the rock climbers among you, the Yosemite Valley features one of the most famous and inspiring of all challenges - El Capitan - the largest exposed granite monolith in the world.
While there are plenty of places in the park for beginners to try their hand at rock climbing, this is certainly not one of them. The sheer cliff face is more than a kilometre high, and the task of conquering it takes most climbers three to five days - surely a must for experienced climbers wanting to add to their list of achievements.
If attempting to perform standard bodily functions while precariously hanging off El Capitan for 100 hours straight is a little too adventurous for your liking, the natural wonderland of Yosemite is also perfect for hiking and backpacking.
There are many different suggested routes for scenic walks and treks throughout the park, which will suit people of different fitness levels.
However, for the more serious adventurers out there, the 17-mile round-trip up to the peak of Half Dome is perhaps the most breath-taking, with views across the valley to El Capitan.
The National Park Service classify this hike as "extremely strenuous", and the trip is generally estimated to require between ten to 12 hours, but if you're the type to not do things by halves then the view from 9,000ft up is certainly worth it.
There are a number of excellent lodges for visitors to stay in the base of the Yosemite Valley as well as the famous Wawona Hotel.
Yosemite can be quite inaccessible during the winter as heavy snow often leads to road closures, so particular attention to your route is needed in deciding when to travel.
Robert Hastings
Europe adventure holidays - Via ferrata in the Italian Dolomites
This popular adventure sport has a fascinating history and offers the opportunity to combine a holiday in Italy with adventure amid some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world.
The Dolomite mountains once formed the first world war's most extreme battle ground as the Italian and Austrian armies fought a ferocious two-year campaign.
They tunnelled and fixed wires across the Dolomite mountains, building fortifications and gun emplacements along miles of narrow pathways and across ridgelines at high altitude.
Their legacy is the basis of the via ferrata (Italian for "the iron way") routes enjoyed by adventurous holidaymakers today.
War-time routes have been restored and expanded into a network of ferrata that allows anyone with a head for heights and reasonable fitness to enjoy the exhilaration of being high in the mountains without specialist skills.
The tunnel system of the Sentiero de Luca/Innerkofler route offers superb views of one of the most iconic images in the Dolomites: Tre Cime di Lavaredo (the three peaks of Lavaredo).
These three giant tombstones of rock stand in splendid isolation on what was the Austro-Italian border until 1919. The tallest is 1,640 feet (500m) high.
Despite its violent past, the valley today is a place of peaceful recreation. The clamour of cow bells in the high pastures and alpine meadows full of harebells, hawkbit and the tiniest of miniature pink rhododendrons surround walkers.
The highest point on this via ferrata is Monte Paterno (2,744 metres) and the ascent is a combination of walking and mountain climbing.
It is as easy as snapping your carabiners onto the steel cable fixed into the mountain, reaching up to find a hand hold and scrambling up the rocky face.
The views from the top are breathtaking, with mountains receding into the distance in every direction. The south faces are like gothic carving covered by cobwebs in the evening sun.
No special training or techniques are required to follow via ferrata. There are plenty of guided tours available but people who are confident about being in the mountains should be able to go it alone after some instruction.
The equipment needed includes a climbing harness, a helmet and a specially designed via ferrata kit. This is a Y-shaped rope which is attached to your harness at one end and clipped into the fixed wire on the mountain at the other ends.
A friction plate in the middle means that if you fall the shock will be absorbed by the rope. The whole lot can be hired in Cortina sports shops for around 14 euros per day.
The best time to take this adventure holiday is during the summer. Many ski-lifts and telecabine continue to operate and provide useful (and painless) access routes to the higher via ferrata routes.
There is plenty of accommodation and you can get some good deals in summer. There are a number of excellent campgrounds, including Camp Rochetta.
Climbers and walkers can also stay in comfortable Rifugios along the mountain trails, enabling an earlier start or multi-day routes. These are fully catered and serve delicious meals.
Outside Italy, via ferrata routes have been developed in many of Europe's mountainous regions.
For more information see the guidebook Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol 1 (North, Central and East) by John Smith and Graham Fletcher, published by Cicerone,
Natasha von Geldern
Australasia adventure holidays - New Zealand is the adventure holiday capital of the world
New Zealand is the adventure holiday capital of the world and offers endless opportunities for adventurous fun in the great outdoors.
A highlight for many travellers in New Zealand is kayaking in the Abel Tasman national park.
Whether you take a tour with an expert guide or choose to do it yourself with a freedom kayak rental, this stunning park will seduce you with its clear turquoise waters and golden sand beaches.
It takes around three days to kayak from Marahau to Totaranui (or the other way around), although there are shorter or longer adventure holiday options.
As you kayak along the forest-fringed coastline you can explore quiet lagoons, stop for a spot of afternoon tea and sunbathing on a beautiful beach, and visit a Maori village site.
The wildlife around the offshore islands is a highlight for many, particularly the Tonga Island marine sanctuary.
Here you can kayak among frolicking seals and watch the sea birds nesting on the cliffs. You may even be lucky enough to see a little blue penguin.
The sea kayaks have plenty of room for camping equipment, food and beverages and there are campgrounds on the way, all designed to minimise human impact on the environment.
Once you've had your fill of kayaking and relaxing on the beach at Totaranui, continue the adventure holiday with a day or two hiking inland or along the coastal track.
With excellent trails, pristine native forest and great views out along the coast, the Abel Tasman national park has something for everyone.
There are a number of companies offering tours and kayak hire in the holiday villages of Kaiteriteri, Totaranui and Marahau, including Abel Tasman Kayaks.
Kayaking adventure holidays can be undertaken from spring through to early winter but are always weather dependent.
Summer is a very popular time but it is also common to get calm good weather for kayaking in spring and autumn.
There are a number of small-boat ferry services which stop on certain beaches, so you can make this holiday as adventurous as you choose or head for civilisation at the end of the day.
And if camping is not your thing, Awaroa Lodge in the heart of the park offers comfortable accommodation and meals.
Asia adventure holidays – Horse trekking in Kyrgyzstan
The central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan is another adventure-holiday-lovers' paradise.
With 93 per cent of the country at over 1,000 metres, the spectacular scenery and rugged terrain create an adventure holiday destination that is truly off the beaten track.
This is a country of horsemen and saddling up for an adventure holiday trek into the wild mountain landscape is the perfect way to see the real Kyrgyzstan.
There are a number of places where treks can be arranged, including the little town of Kochkor.
Arranging a guide and horses is a simple matter through the excellent scheme office, which also arranges simple but comfortable homestay accommodation in the town.
Depending on the time of year and how much snow is still in the mountains there are a variety of treks that can be undertaken from here into the mountain ranges that seem to stretch on forever.
Kochkor is bounded on one side by the Terskei Alu mountain range, and by the Khyrgizia range to the north.
Around Kochkor, long lines of poplars and willows frame the green farmland but the sturdy horses soon carry you up into the velvety brown hills.
It is a day's ride to Lake Kol Ukok, still frozen over in late May and surrounded by oxidised red hills and snow-covered peaks.
Golden marmots scamper about in the sunshine but it is impossible to get anywhere near them.
In these hills of central Kyrgyzstan the semi-nomadic people herd their flocks of fat-bottomed sheep, cattle and horses for their wool, skin, milk and meat.
They stay in a village on the plain, like Kochkor, during the winter and at the first sign of spring head for the jailoo, or summer pastures.
Then they follow the grass all summer, moving their herds and yurt from place to place.
Meeting these hospitable and kind people is an incredible experience. The yurt our hosts live in was built of thin wooden slats covered in thick woollen felt and it smelled of mutton-fat.
We feasted on delicious fresh cream and yoghurt with home-made bread and jam. The pot-belly stove kept us all warm until it was time to snuggle down in our sleeping bags on the sheepskin rugs and quilts.
The best time to go on a horse-trekking adventure holiday in Kyrgyzstan is late spring through to early autumn.
Natasha von Geldern
South America adventure holidays - Colombia is the next big thing
South America has always been a popular adventure holiday destination, offering a diverse range of adrenaline filled activities, including trekking and climbing.
Colombia is set to be the "next big thing" with the Hollywood film of Gabriel Garcia Marquez' novel Love in the Time of Cholera, starring Oscar-winner Javier Bardem, enjoying its UK release in March 2008.
The stunning shots of the Colombian city of Cartagnena in the film, as well as the unspoilt Magdalena River and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range, will get travellers excited about visiting the country.
Adventurous treks such as the (Lost City) in Colombia are proving increasingly popular for those who want to get away from the tourist hordes and find the real South America.
Back in Peru the is also becoming popular as adventurous holidaymakers discover Machu Picchu's sister site Choquequirao, hidden deep in the Salkantay Mountain Range.
Climb mountains in the Andes, trek Inca routes, raft the Urumbamba River into the Amazon rainforest, sand board in Huacachina and drive off-road to discover a country of contrasts.
Or trek to the Colca Canyon - one of the world's deepest at 3,400m - to view the magnificent condors.
There are plenty of white water rafting opportunities in the Amazon and Andes regions and rafting on the Tambopata and Apurimac rivers is among the best in South America.
Travel through lush tropical forests in deep canyons and view the incredible wildlife up close.
source:http://www.travelbite.co.uk/feature/south-and-central-america/peru/best-adventure-holidays-in-world-$1213911.htm
Tuesday, March 25, 2008 0
I've been directed to the two-months old blog authored by the celebrity travel photographer Nevada Wier. Having skimmed through its sparse posts just this morning, I stopped at her opening post in which she writes that she'll be posting personal comments, new photographs, equipment reviews, and notes from her travels.
I hope she lives up to the spirit of this first post, and is able to share with us the wealth of information and knowledge gained though her illustrious career. I don't mean well-worn tips such as "focus on the eyes for pin-sharp portrait", or silly pulse-quickening statements such as "the Papua New Guinea tribesmen had never seen a white person before", or equipment reviews that reek of sponsorship payback...no, I mean useful information that she gained from her destinations...how to photograph Ladakhi monasteries , which hidden Burmese pagodas to visit, some of the off the beaten path places in Rajasthan, etc.
We all know that blogs authored by photographers are valuable tools aimed at increasing public exposure to their work and, if they're involved in photo workshops/tours, help in publicizing these (as I do) among a wider audience. I'm certain that Nevada will use hers for this very purpose as well...but because of her experience, talent and celebrity status, it's a given that her guidance would help other travel photographers, as well as her fans and admirers....so will she duplicate the unstinting generosity of David Alan Harvey, as an example? We'll have to wait and see.
Nevada Wier Blog
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Lianne Milton.
Lianne is a photojournalist working at the Napa Valley Register in California. Much of her work on her website is of Mexico and Guatemala, along with documentary photography of local Napa stories.
I was drawn to her work of Guatemala, especially to her gallery she titles "Indigenous Landscapes", a collection of images of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in the country, deep in the Sierra Madres.
Lianne Milton Photography
Monday, March 24, 2008
Adobe announced the immediate availability of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software for Macintosh. This version runs on Leopard, (Mac OS X v 10.5.2), as well as previous versions of Mac OS X starting with 10.4.8.
The product is immediately available in the United States for an estimated street price of US$89.99. Owners of previous versions of Photoshop Elements can upgrade to Photoshop Elements 6 for US$69.99 with an in-box, mail-in rebate or through Adobe's website.
Adobe has previously announced Elements 6 on a pre-order basis...a PR gimmick to avoid announcing a delay in its original release plans....but now it seems it's available from retailers (although Adobe's website still has it listed as on a 'pre-order' basis).
(Via Imaging Insider)
Monday, March 24, 2008 0
The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has just announced the winners (full and half tuition) of its scholarship for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop.
The winners are:
Charlie Mahoney, Sandra Roa, Craig Schneider and Katie Orlinsky.
TTP will feature the work of each photographer starting tomorrow. Having seen their work, I guarantee that you will be astounded by the high quality photographs produced by these talented individuals.
Currently with the NOOR photo-collective, Philip Blenkinsop started his professional career at the age of 21 working for The Australian, a national broadsheet in Sydney. Realizing that being a newspaper photographer was not for him, and finding that the work shallow and repetitive, he bought a Leica with a few lenses and a one-way airline ticket to Bangkok.
His name is now synonymous with forgotten conflicts, and his photographs are the product of weeks in the mountains of East Timor with Falintil guerrillas, of tribal war and cannibalism in Borneo, to the tragic plight of Hmong Veterans and their families lost deep in the heart of Laos’ forbidden zone.
He says: "I am just a photographer. Photojournalism can be stylistic and puerile. It's not the photographer's fault, but they know what editors like, so they mold the product for the magazine. It's like being an advertising photographer, shooting a style because they know how it will appear on paper."
For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 17-23, 2008) most read posts on TTP:
Ami Vitale: Kolkata Rickshaws.
Pilgrims' Progress
Philip Jones Griffiths
Sunday, March 23, 2008
I watched an episode from Art Wolfe's Travels To the Edge on PBS early evening yesterday, and I was struck by his using a heavy-duty tripod during all of his photo-shoots. Art Wolfe, who's a superb photographer, was in Allahabad during a Mela, and was televised thigh-deep in the Ganges river with his Canon perched on a tripod (Bogen?) and what appeared to be a 400mm lens. This is not unusual for such a situation, but further on, he photographs sadhus in their tents also using the tripod as well. In fact, Art used his tripod for all of his photographs in this particular episode.
I rarely, if ever, travel with a tripod as I much prefer to retain the freedom to move horizontally and vertically to photograph my subjects. There's no question that it's a trade-off....and involves a different style of photography. I guess that Art Wolfe's style is less photo-journalistic, and more focused on specific subjects and scenes. He is also (probably) accompanied by a few minders who help him out in 'crowd-control', who allow him to photograph perfectly-posed environmental portraits. This is invaluable in India, especially during festivals such as the Kumbh Mela.
Perhaps it's just that most travel photographers don't have the luxury of having minders and a production crew, and have to rely on quick reactions to capture their images....but even then, I would still have a hard time using a tripod during my work.
Sunday, March 23, 2008 0
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the most famous dancers in history, has turned dance photographer. His dance photographs are exhibited at 401 Projects, and is titled “Merce My Way” in reference to Merce Cunningham. I like dance photography, particularly those of ethnic character, and I frequently include photo shoots involving dancers during my photo-expeditions. The Apsara dancers in Angkor Wat, the Tantric dancing monks in Bhutan, Balinese Rejang dancers and the Guelaguetza dancers in Oaxaca have all been the subjects of my photography. Hence this post!
The New York Times has some of Baryshnikov's photographs and his narration in a slideshow feature. The narration (and the accompanying article) is stuffed of heavily artistic buzzwords (which are barely comprehensible to me), but it's well worth it.
I agree with Baryshnikov that dance photography is about photographing the movement...blurring the actions of the dancers. Obviously blurring conveys movement and I find that freezing dance movements by using a high ISO setting or a (gasp!) flash, does not appeal to me. When I use a flash, the results are often more akin to publicity posters for performances etc where the dancers seem made of wax.
New York Times' Mikhail Baryshnikov's Merce My Way
The accompanying article
Saturday, March 22, 2008 0
As we're in the midst of the Easter Week, I thought of posting Pilgrims' Progress, an interactive feature from the National Geographic Magazine. Its an interactive map showing pilgrimage sites on and off the beaten path.
On the map are the two Middle Eastern pilgrimage destinations; Jerusalem (Al Quds) and Mecca. The Indian sub-continent alone has 5 pilgrimage destinations. It would be an interesting project to photograph each of these destinations in depth...and document the similarities between all the world's faiths. The two pilgrimage destinations of Mecca and Medina are off-limits to non-Muslims, but the project could be a collaborative effort between a number of photographers.
The above photograph is of the statue of the Holy Mary of Fatima at the Catholic shrine in Fatima in Portugal.
National Geographic's Pilgrims' Progress
Friday, March 21, 2008
Here's an interesting (albeit too short) video teaser of National Geographic Traveler photographers Jim Richardson and Catherine Karnow sharing some of their tips. The video was taken by Traveler's Susanne Hackett at its photo seminar called "A Passion for Travel: Photos that Tell the Story".
A good quote from Richardson: "Great pictures come from great travel experiences"
Check out NG Traveler's Blog Intelligent Travel for schedules of the Photo Seminars, and other travel news.
Friday, March 21, 2008 0
With Good Friday and Easter upon us, I attended Semana Santa in Antigua (Guatemala) a few years ago. Antigua is a magnificent city declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979. It is also famous for its Catholic celebration of Holy Week, which commemorates the Passion, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ.
All of Antigua participates in the annual event, and the entire week is replete with religious activities. These rituals arrived with the missionaries from Spain, who brought Catholic fervor to the local indigenous population during colonial times. The famed colorful sawdust designs that carpet the cobblestoned processional routes of Antigua are called alfombras, and are one of the traditions that date back to the 1500s.
For more of my gallery of photographs during Semana Santa, visit Los Hombres de Popul Vuh
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Philip Jones Griffiths, a photojournalist whose photographs of civilian casualties and suffering were among the defining images of the war in Vietnam, died on Wednesday at his home in London.
The New York Times' Slideshow of some of his photographs.
Thursday, March 20, 2008 0
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Historians of the English constitution said “London acted constantly as the purse and sometimes as the brain of England”. Time-by-time, its evidence can be seen thru various incidents. In 1665 it overpowered the great plague bravely and in the following year again its supremacy was proved by recovering itself from the great disaster of fire which destroyed more than 13,000 houses, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Royal Exchange, 86 churches and most of the guild halls.
Nowadays, London is known as the most expensive city in the world but still concept of budget hotels exist here. Bayswater and Victoria are the places in London where one can get budget hotels of own choices. One must remember that budget hotels London may misinform you. Hence, visitors must be conscious while choosing accommodation in budget hotels. London is identified as financial as well as educational hub in the world.
But perhaps, the tag of expensive is depleting its reputation and British government is perfectly aware with this fact. Hence, the cultural department along with media and sport department have prepared multi agency strategy entitled: “Winning – A Tourism Strategy for 2012 and Beyond”. Under this strategy, government has decided to promote budget hotels London to attract all income groups to visit London with friends and family.
Suitability of hotels in London mainly depends upon one’s planned activities, interests and budget. It is quite possible that one can get a hotel in London which will match entire required needs. For instances, if someone likes theatre than definitely West End should be the choice. West End is very famous for sound of music and dirty dancing. Some fashion conscious persons also may visit London and in that case Knightsbridge district will be the optimum location. It is famous for fashion boutiques and top department stores like Harrods and Harvey Nichols. If person has visited London due to its beautiful sights than Dockland may be the perfect location due to the proximity of world famous landmarks like St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tower Bridge and the Tower of London.
Wherever, you are staying in London but if you are looking for budget hotels then don’t forget to check travel certificate before selecting the accommodation. Beside this one must check linens and carpet on the floor which represent the cleanliness of hotel. Budget hotels are self rated hotels so don’t fix with the tag of three or four stars. Visitors should not depend upon the food service of the budget hotels as there may not be specified criteria about quantity and quality of food items. Hence budget hotel must be close to a good restaurant which could serve delicious and nutritious food. Security issue also may be main area of concern while choosing the budget hotel.
Thus, budget hotels are all about the wise decision of visitors. If, they have wisely checked each and every measures than undoubtedly it may be the amusing deal. On the contrary few stupid acts may ruin you.
source:http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080318_london_hotels.htm
Wednesday, March 19, 2008 0
From the introduction of Battlespace:
These photographs were made in Afghanistan and Iraq, but they depict neither country. They are glimpses of an alternate reality built upon them. The images do not provide a comprehensive account of these wars, or an understanding of these nations or their peoples. They are fragments, seen in off-moments behind the walls of concrete superbases—or outside them, through nightvision goggles and ballistic eye shields.
Battlespace is produced by November Eleven, a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to independent journalism. The exhibition was made possible with support and cooperation of Aurora Select, Fastback Creative Books, and Print Space.
Some of the photographers are Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, Christoph Bangert, Guy Calaf,Jason Howe, Teru Kuwayama, Jehad Nga and Stephanie Sinclair.
Until April 30th 2008, the Battlespace exhibition can be viewed at Gallery FCB in New York City:
Gallery FCB
16 West 23rd Street
New York City
Canon just announced the release of firmware updates for the EOS 5D (and EOS 30D). The update allows the 5D to recognize the full capacity of Compact Flash cards over 8 GB.
I'm still sour at Canon that it hasn't announced a successor to its full frame 5D earlier this year, and hope that the rumors that it will appear next month will prove true. I wonder if the launch of a 5D Mark II (or whatever it'll be called) hasn't been delayed for the Canon engineers to further enhance its specs in order to compete with the new offerings from Nikon, Olympus and Sony?
Canon's 5D Firmware Update
