Photography/Travel/Lifestyle

“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” - Mark Twain

 
 
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Fremantle is the Port City of Perth, Western Australia. Referred to as 'Freo' by locals, it's a place you will want to spend some extra time getting to know. The history, culture, seafood, surrounding beaches, markets, coffee, and the occasional busker make this place a destination rather than a city you pass by. The people are amazingly friendly to outsiders and make you feel right at home.

The weather is generally great all year round; however, the best time to visit is in the Summer or Spring. The sun welcomes a quick dip in the nearby ocean during these times.

Pro tip: If you plan to stay in Freo, you won't need to hire a car. Everything is within walking distance, and if you want to venture a little further to Port Beach, South Beach, or Cottesloe Beach, Uber is a great option.

Things to See and Do in Fremantle

Exploring Fremantle By Foot 011Fremantle is small when compared to many other cities in Australia. You will find the roads are almost like the backstreets in an Italian town, built for horses and carriages. So make sure you have a good set of walking shoes and a full bottle of water - as you will need it!

When visiting Fremantle, the first thing you should do is fuel up by visiting the cappuccino strip located on South Terrace. It's here you will get to experience a mix of cosmopolitan cafes, restaurants, and pubs. The coffee is by far the best in Western Australia due to the strong Italian influence. For the best cappuccino, you can't go past Ginos. It's in the coffee shop that you can come to know Fremantle's history. Take a look at the historic photographs of the town while your there.

After your coffee, ensure you see the restaurant's exterior wall, where you can normally find a local artist drawing on the walls using markers. This will be a good gateway to venture to Freo markets located around 5 minutes walk down the cappuccino strip.

The markets are located undercover, so regardless of the weather, you should take full advantage of this place. Within the labyrinth of market stalls, you can see local artists, things for the home, the freshest produce, and a small selection of cafes. It's well worth grabbing a freshly squeezed orange juice just before the fresh produce area, as your tastebuds will go wild! Western Australia grows some amazing fruit, so ensure you stock up and take some back to your accommodation!


In all of my travels, I’ve never visited such a modern city that has embraced the green as much as Vancouver, British Columbia. Large parks, small parks, and everything in between…it seems Vancouver was built with keeping nature in mind. Surrounded on three sides by water and a healthy amount of rainfall, it comes as no surprise that urban outdoor lovers should make this city their home.

Vancouver is the Hollywood of Canada, and yet nothing about her resembles southern California. So many films and TV shows have been shot here. Unless you just don’t watch television, you’ve no doubt seen something that was filmed here. It is often less expensive for production companies, as Canada offers lucrative tax breaks for the entertainment industry.

The shining star of Vancouver has got to be Stanley Park. As Vancouver’s first official green space, it is truly a rainforest in the city! The park is stunning and massive – set on its own little peninsula northwest of downtown. A jogging/bike seawall trail runs around the edge of the water offering magnificent views and historic landmarks throughout. There is the Stanley Park Train, horse-drawn carriage rides, and even an aquarium. Bring a picnic lunch, or dine at one of the cafes around the park.

shutterstock 377173666 1My absolute favorite thing is to take the ferry to Granville Island. Just south of the downtown area is Sunset Beach Park and the Vancouver Aquatic Centre – here is where you hop on the ferry to the market for less than five bucks. There are several places along the waterfront to take the ferry. Then I hit the ground running at the market. Once home to Vancouver’s factories and sawmills, the area has been transformed into an entertaining mecca, with artisan workshops, theaters, outdoor shopping, and great places to eat. It’s the perfect place to people watch, or just sit on a bench with an iced latte.

By far the most daring thing I have ever done is the famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. You’ve no doubt seen photos of this narrow, swinging bridge high amongst Canadian greenery. Set in a forest north of Vancouver, the scent of pine fills the air as you make your first tentative steps across the bridge. Don’t look down! Well, you can if you dare. But if you have a fear of heights, it's best to keep your eyes straight ahead! The Capilano River is a harrowing 230 feet (70 meters) above the river. Don’t worry, the bridge is completely safe and kept in perfect working order!

shutterstock 775976068 1Side note! There is a fee for the Capilano Bridge but for a budget-friendly, free option, go to the Lynn Canyon Suspension bridge about 10 km east of Capilano. It is just as stunning and the crowds are thinner. Hint: if you go early in the morning or during the winter months you just may have the bridge all to yourself! This makes for some great photo ops.

 

Understanding the world’s time zone can be challenging even for a frequent traveler. You may be a pro traveler, but you’ve most likely experienced jet lag and travel fatigue when traveling across the country or around the world. You’ve had to adjust your watch when you crossed the Atlantic Ocean or flew from the East Coast to the West Coast. And you’ve most certainly tried to figure out how to make up for the lost time when you traveled eastwards or felt happy over “gaining time” when you arrived at a westward location in an earlier time zone as your home city.

For international travelers, one of the first things you wonder about when planning a trip to a faraway destination is the time zone, what time it is at that location, and perhaps the weather as well, and somehow, it seems like every country is on a different time than where you live. For instance, when it’s 7 pm in Portofino, Italy, it’s noon in Chicago, and even more confusing, it’s 10 am in Seattle – all on the same day! And when you factor in Daylight Saving Time (DST), it can add more confusion because some places like Santa Barbara, California, which are typically on a Pacific Standard Time (PST), revert to using Pacific Daylight Time (PDT) during certain times of the year, while most cities in Arizona do not observe DST.

Remembering all the different time zones in the world may be difficult, but understanding the basics of how time zones work and why they exist can help us plan for better travel, adapt to time zone change, and manage jet lag symptoms when traveling outside our home time zone.

What are Time Zones

A time zone refers to the local time of a region, area, or country. Every region of the world belongs to a specific time zone, and within that time zone, a uniform standard time is maintained. This uniform standard time, or local time within a time zone, is based on the concept of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) which is the world’s time standard.

 

As we travel the world, we’re all probably hoping that we’ll stay healthy. Maybe you’re eating clean to stay healthy, or you figured out the best way to beat jet lag and stay on top of things, but one thing is sure for everyone that undertakes international travel – we worry about getting sick when we’re so far away from home. We worry about our health abroad. We worry about having a major health crisis while overseas, and we may not have enough resources to take care of ourselves. Even if we have all the resources, our host country might not be medically advanced enough to take care of our needs.

It’s a catch-22! We want to have fun on our vacation, yet at the back of our minds, we wonder what would happen if we needed medical health in the next country on our list. It even gets more worrisome if we’re traveling with others because our entire family or friends might also have the same medical needs. And what if the healthcare system of the country we are visiting isn’t good enough to save our lives if it came to that?

 

Composition is an important factor that helps define an image. Mastering the term is also beneficial to help draw viewers into the picture by noticing particular elements that may fall into a perfect composition. In its simplest form, you can break a photo into third lines. That is to say two equal horizontal lines and two equal vertical lines on the frame, resulting in what’s commonly referred to as the ‘Rule of Thirds’.

Explaining The Rule of Thirds

The Rule of Thirds is about aligning your photographic subject on a third line or an intersection of third lines. Most noticeably, landscape photographers will use this technique when photographing the horizon. When you look at a landscape image taken by a professional, you may notice that the horizon isn’t in the middle of the photograph. Instead, the photographer may position the horizon on either the top third line or the bottom horizontal third line. By doing so, it allows the photographer to either show two-thirds foreground or two-thirds sky in the photograph.

However, one must ask, can the rule of thirds ever be broken?
Do you have to maintain these guides in every photo to make it an award-winner?
The simple answer is no.


Have you been thinking about a trip to Tokyo? Well then, you are in for a treat! Tokyo is a very large, cosmopolitan city and there is a lot of ground to cover! You will want to be strategic and choose Tokyo tourist sites that interest you. That said, the best neighborhoods in Tokyo are some of the most colorful and unique.

It’s always a good idea to take into account all of the places you’ll be visiting, and choose accommodation in areas near those places. It’s a decision that depends on your budget, your tastes, and personal preference. Tokyo should be considered not just a big city, but a collection of different neighborhoods, each with their own unique contribution.

Pro Tip: Tokyo is notorious for not naming their streets! Make sure your phone has a good GPS system to get you where you want to go. Additionally, Tokyo address numbers go by a unique numbering system. For example, 5-9-9 Hiroo is in the Shibuya district. The 5 Hiroo signifies the area, the first 9 is for the block number, and the 2nd 9 is for the actual building.

These are the Tokyo districts not to miss.

 

We all want our gear to last as long as possible. Camera equipment is expensive to replace, so it is crucial to take steps to protect your gear while traveling. This article will explore new technology, common sense, and some procedures you can follow to keep you shooting without having to visit a camera store.

Do Your Research Before Travelling

The first and most important thing to do is to do your research. Understand the country you are going to be traveling to. Is there a history of violent robberies, theft, or scams? Does your Consulate advise of any dangers?

Once you know the facts, you can start putting a plan to protect yourself and your equipment. Below is a list of things you can do to ensure your gear is in top shape.

● Organize insurance for camera equipment
● Put your equipment in a hard case for transport
● Use camera straps that can’t be cut
● Add GPS tracking tags in your camera case (or on your camera)
● Pack moisture bags to protect equipment from moisture
● Include a spare lens cap and rear dust cap for your lenses
● Invest in a high-quality microfiber cloth to clean lenses
● Pack a blower brush to remove any dust or sand from equipment
● Cover any brand labels with black tape
● Use filters to protect your lenses

Organize Insurance For Camera Equipment

When you travel, organizing insurance is a must. While most people opt for travel insurance to cover accommodation, flights, and their health, photographers should go further. This is because most insurance companies only cover up to $2000 or, in some cases, $5000 for damage, lost, or stolen equipment. However, in most cases, this isn’t going to be enough to cover all your equipment. That’s why you should organize specific insurance for camera equipment.

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