Monthly Archives: May 2014
The Traveling Buddhist In Us All
A bit of a disclaimer: This post might seem dogmatic or preachy to some. Please if you are easily offended by such things feel free to divert your eyes. It is not my intention to be preachy or dogmatic. Otherwise feel free to read on.
A wandering monk was walking down the road when he met a Zen master. The monk bowed three times, knelt, and then rose. “Excellent,” said the master, and the two became student and roshi.
Some years later the monk found himself wandering again in search of a master. A master met the monk along the path and the monk bowed three times, knelt, and then rose. “Wrong,” said the master.
Young buddhist monk by Artis Rams, on Flickr
A story
Let me tell you a story, a story about a man. When this man was born, his parents were told that he would grow to be either a great king or a spiritual leader. This man’s name is Siddhartha Guatama. You might know him better as the Buddha. After being coddled his hole life, Siddhartha left the confines of his luxurious home, leaving behind his beloved wife and child and went on a journey. He was looking for an answer, an answer to a question. What is the nature of suffering and how to stop suffering?
Finding a Guru
After leaving his fine palace Siddhartha cut his hair and put on a robe and went from being a rich prince, to a poor wandering man looking for his answer. He came across a guru who told him with his teachings he can find within himself the answer he seeks. He learned to meditate as a yogi and in time he learned to control his mind and control his body, but still could not find the answer he was looking for. He left his guru and went to another. The next guru could not help him find his answer as well.
From the shadows by Brett Davies, on Flickr
Siddhartha found that two gurus could not help him, so he went different path, he found a group ascetics, people depriving themselves of food, water and pleasures in life in hopes to find spiritual enlightenment. Hoping to find his answer, Siddhartha started to become the most ascetic of the ascetics. Only eating 1 grain of rice a day and drinking his own urine to survive, as he sat motionless all day. He become anorexic and nearly to the brink of dying, for 6 years. But he was realizing, he still had not found the answer to his question.
Awakening
As he sat he came to a memory of a day of a planting festival in a near by village his father took him to and remembered thinking about the earth that was being dug up, and the creatures in the ground being effected by this planting. At this point he realized something profound, that everything in this world is connected. From this he sat under a tree and pondered this and became joyful of this realization and how amazing this world can be. In order for him to keep this joy he realized he needed to eat, a woman came by and offered him rice porridge, one of the dishes feed to him by his step mother. He realized the compassion of this young woman. He had removed the rags he was wearing, bathed in a near by river and meditated under a tree. After time he comes to a realization and awakens, becoming the Buddha.
Teaching
The Buddha puts together a Sangha Monastery a place for him to teach those who wanted to learn his realization. There he teaches the “middle way” and to focus on THIS moment to his followers. He teaches to outcasts, women, and merchants. He tells his followers to find their own path of enlightenment by wandering the roads and connecting with those who are willing to help you and in return offer a lesson, if they are willing to listen.
Now by Hartwig HKD, on Flickr
Realization
As I mention this last part I start to think about the profiles of some wanders, like JetsetHer, TravelFreak and TheTravelingCamel. The all mention something similar that when traveling and meeting others in this world, they learn more about themselves. Much like the Buddha instructed of his follows and what he did later during his life.
We Travel Like A Buddha
It makes sense, because as we travel we put aside the things the trouble us at home, we forget about the work, we stop looking into the future, we are only enjoying the moment of our vacation, our travel and the people we are with when traveling. As the Buddha teaches, we are living in that moment.
As we all travel, perhaps we all become wandering Buddhists, learning more about ourselves, every trip making us more enlightened and just living in the moment. Maybe we should travel more often and become as wise as a Buddha.
What do you guys think? Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on myfacebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Subscribe to our newsletter to gain even more tips. Happy travels 
Tip: Finding Travel Locations to Photograph
As I look through the long dark archway that shines a brightly lit Taj Mahal at the end, an amazing sense of euphoria fills me and I must capture this moment. I lift my camera camera to my face to frame the shot perfectly and think to myself, this shot again? Another shot looking upwards at the structural brilliance Eiffel Tower? How many shots of the Golden Gate Bridge can you have? Yeah it can be tough finding a good location to photograph. It is not a great feeling when you are setting up your tripod and camera and you look around to notice 10 others who are also setting up their tripod and camera. This is how you know your shot will be like any other shot. But how would someone find a new location to photograph. It is not like it is easy to find new hidden amazing places worth photographing. Or is it? Lets get some tips and ideas of places to photograph.
Use The Internet: Google Maps and Flickr Maps
The secret to doing photography is doing research. Believe it or not I start with the internet. After planning my trip of a city or town it is important to find out locations to go to and photograph. Two of my best resources are using Google Maps and Flickr Maps. Google maps makes sense but Flickr Maps you ask? One of the key features of both of these is that you can find photos in a general area based on where you are looking at on a map. I look at the maps locations near my place of stay and locations I have already discovered through my planning. I also move the maps around to the areas outside of town as well as places between cities. This gives me an idea of hidden places away from the tourist spots that I can take amazing photos at. It is like scouting an area by foot, except not having to go there.
Screen Shot of Flickr Maps
Check Tourism Boards
Not every place has a photon a map. Sometimes you have to ask. Check out some of the tourism boards. Yeah I said it, check tourism boards and offices. As a blogger I tend to reach out to tourism boards as they tend to have a plan of places for people to visit. From large places to small places. And sometimes these small places are the more interesting places to visit that no one else really visits. If you do not have the luxury of having the pull of being a travel blogger than just head the tourism website for the location you will be visiting, I have done it plenty of times to get newer fresh ideas. I have gone and walked right into the tourist office and started speaking to the person at the front desk. Through the tourism board I was able to meet Sandra, a tour guide who loves showing off her home town of Cali.
San Francisco Church - Cali Colombia - A place I would have never discovered w/o the help of meeting Sandra through the tourism board.
Get Lost
What? Did you just say get lost? Yes I did. Sometimes all the planning in the world just does not do any justice. Time to wander around and just get lost. On purpose or as planned. For example when going to Old Delhi in India, I was going to head to the Red Fort to take some photos. Upon arriving there I turned the wrong way and ended up in the Chadni Chawk Bizarre, a place I planned on eventually visiting. I got lost in Chadni Chawk and found some interesting places to eat that were also great subjects for a photograph. I eventually found my way again and headed to another bizarre where I got lost again, and found some color wares that people were selling. Sometimes it pays off to just walk around and get lost. Do not worry, I did eventually find my way to Red Fort, but in the process I found some amazing other places.
Chai from a hidden chai shop in Chadni Chawk - Found this place while getting lost
Ask Friends
When I travel I tend to find some amazing places just by exploring. My friends have done the same thing when they have travelled, they find amazing locations just by exploring. Sometimes it is not so wise to get lost. One of the resources I use a lot to find a good location to photograph my friends. Your friends are people you can trust, their word is all that matters at times. I take advantage of Facebook as well as trip planning sites like gogobot and trippy to contact with friends to ask the question, “where are some amazing places to go?” One perfect example is when my good friend who told me about a hidden place in Colombia, a place that not many other Colombians know about. She heard about it from one of her friends. She became my guide to Cabo Tiburon in Sapzurro, an amazingly stunning and relaxing place with a gorgeous secluded beach.
Morning Sunrise on a beach in Sapzurro, Colombia near the border of Panama.
Join A Photowalk
Sometimes your friends do not have all the answers. Joining a photo walk could be one of the solutions. What is a photo walk? A photo walk is a group of photographers who walk and take photos of a location/city. You can find photo walks by just doing an internet search for photo walks and the location you will be in. One of the best resources I use is meetup.com, a resource I used to find language exchanges. One photo group I came across was one located in Bogotá, a group named Bogotá Panaromica, a group that went to locations just outside of the city of Bogota to photograph some amazing spots.
Legend of El Derado - Green Lake of Guatavita, Colombia - Discovered through a photography group on Meetup.com
Ask The Locals
The people who know the area the best are the people who live there. I always try to ask the locals what there is to do around in the area. One of the best ways to do this is to hire a local guide who can show you the hidden places and make sure they have your back when bargaining. If you can not afford to hire a local, look into just asking your front desk clerk at the hotel you are staying with. Or perhaps you can meet up with locals from meetup.com or couchsurfing.com. You will always find someone who is willing to show you how amazing their town is and some of the hidden gems they enjoy visiting as well.
Beach and Cabanas of Puerto Colombia - Barranquilla, Colombia - A local of Barranquilla I meet in Bogota told me about Puerto Colombia
Write Awesome Stories And Travel Through South America On Us - Partnership Opportunity
I started PathlessTravels because I did not want to sit back and do nothing, I wanted to help people. More specifically, I meet a person who said she wanted to become a journalist and travel the world. When my friend told me of her dreams and aspirations, I wanted to help her. I sat back and wondered what exactly I could do to help her accomplish those dreams. After 3 months of deliberating, jotting down ideas, and sketching up plans, PathlessTravels was created. It was created with the mind set to help my friend break into journalism. It was created with the mindset to help others accomplish their dreams to travel and write. Since my personal goal is photography, it was also created with that mindset to help photographers accomplish their dreams as well.
One of the things I noticed is that I had not been able to make my want to help people easily accessible or widely known. How do I communicate this? So today I started a page dedicated to job opportunities and partnerships.
I have always been open to letting people write on my page. I wanted to let others show off their experiences traveling. I have meet some good friends who I had no clue who had an amazing talent for telling stories. Now it is your turn to show off your talent of telling stories of people you have meet, or life changing experiences. Or perhaps tell a story of an amazing unexplored place and why someone would need explore the same hidden area. Our new page has a description of who we are looking for as a writer. You can ask us a question or even just apply. A form at the bottom allows you to contact us with your interesting topic. We are also looking for amazing photographers who are willing to explain their techniques as well.
Another opportunity
Wouldn’t it be nice to travel through South America, document it the whole trip and share it with the world? Well we are offering the opportunity for someone who has that dream to come true. We are looking for a partnership with someone who can assist us in this dream. The dream of traveling through South America, all paid for.
As the travel blogging industry changes, there is a need to change how we attract the interest of our audience and making money as well. It used to be that buying and selling links were the way to make money on a blog. And for some that business model works. I myself like to create. So we are in the works of projects. Projects to create things. One such project is to create an interactive ebook.
The benefits including mentoring with a professional travel photographer and learning the ins and outs. Also getting to give input on your expertise, both to business and to the world. Check out the Jobs and Partnership page to get more information.
Do not want to travel South America? Do not worry, future projects similar to this will also be in the works as well. Look forward to more. Subscribe to our newsletter on the bottom or the side. Perhaps you have questions? Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on my facebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Happy travels
BottleRock 2014 - Napa California Food-Wine-Beer-Music Festival
Ever have a reason to visit Napa? Maybe you have already thought of visiting Napa. Do you want more of an incentive? Napa is known for it’s exquisite gourmet food and dining, as well as a great place to taste some of the finest wines in the world. What if you can combine those two items that go well with each other and then throw in some amazing music. But what else goes well with music? How about great beer? Enter BottleRock 2014.
What is BottleRock?
What is a BottleRock? Yeah, that is a good question, it was one that I also had when I first asked if I was going to visit BottleRock. “BottleRock Napa Valley is all about blending great music, food and wine…It really is a feast for your senses” said Latitude 38’s CEO David Graham. BottleRock is a festival in Napa that is held from May 30th - June 1st.
Lets Talk Wine
Love wine? Who doesn’t go to Napa for the wine? Many wineries will be serving their best Including: Miner Family Winery, City Winery, Del Dotto Family Vineyards, Cakebread Cellars, Clos Du Val… and many more.
Fine Culinary?
What goes good with wine but great food. Culinary offerings at the festival include: Morimoto, Angèle, The Thomas, Allegria, Ca’ Momi, La Condesa, Oakville Grocery, Tarla Grill… and other great culinary greatness. Some of the mouthwatering dishes include: crab mac n’ cheese, made-to-order ceviche, wood-fired pizzas, fish tacos, pork belly sandwiches, and Vietnamese shrimp rolls.
Awesome Music
So after feeling sleepy trom some mouth watering food and a bit of wine it is time to relax. Why not relax to some awesome music of over 60 artists including: The Cure, Outkast, Eric Church, Weezer, The Fray, Heart, LL Cool J with DJ Z-Trip, Matt & Kim, Deerhunter, Matisyahu, Sublime with Rome, Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, Third Eye Blind and dozens more.
Refreshing Drinks
What goes great with music? Well why not some refreshing drinks? including Blue Moon, Lagunitas, Anchor Steam, and Coors Light along with artisanal cocktails made with premium spirits including Reyka Icelandic Vodka and Sailor Jerry’s Rum. The micro-brew garden will feature 20 craft brews including local favorites Napa Point and Napa Smith breweries.
How Do To Get There
How much is it and how do you get there? 3-Day VIP passes ($599), general admission 3-Day passes ($279) and single-day passes ($149) can be purchased at www.bottlerocknapavalley.com or www.ticketfly.com or charge by phone at 877.4.FLY.TIX (435.9849).) A very limited number of 3-Day Platinum Passes ($3000), and Single-Day Platinum Passes ($1,000) are also available.
So now do you have a reason to go to Napa? I hope so, perhaps for some mouth water food, fine delicious wine, cool and refreshing drinks while listening to some amazing music. Check out BottleRock in Napa from May 30th - June 1st.
What do you think? Will you head on out to BottleRock? Have any questions? Perhaps you know something I don’t? Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on my facebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Happy travels
Lost In Translation Colombian Style - My New Best Friend Claudia
Ever seen that movie Lost In Translation? It won a Golden Globe in 2003 for best movie and Sofia Copella won an Academy Award for best Written Script for the film. If you do not know what the movie is then let me give a quick brief about it. It is about an actor, played by Bill Murray, who is doing work in Tokyo. He meets a newly married young woman, played by Scarlett Johanson, who is in Tokyo with her husband while he is working. The two are in a country where they do not speak the language and do not understand the culture. The two gain a strong bonding connection in a time and place where they both need it.
Relating to People
Why am I mentioning this movie? Well that is a good question. When people travel, we are put into an environment that we are not familiar with. We are around new people who think different, with different cultures than what we are used to and sometimes different languages than what you speak. That is why also when we travel we try to find someone who has something in common with ourselves; even only if it there is only something small in common. A perfect example would be if someone was on BART in San Francisco and notices a New Jersey accent, we would not care at all, the two are both Americans in America. But lets say you are on the Metro in Paris and that same person notices a New Jersey accent, we would recognized OHHH AMERICAN, a bond is made right away. But what happens when there is a very strong bond?
Meet Scarlett… err Claudia
For the past 3 months I had been staying in Colombia, a country familiar to me, but it seemed like I was out of place at times, with cultures I was not used to. Enter Scarlet Johanson… well not really. Her name was Claudia, a young Colombian born who has not lived in the country for many years. She is a bit of a stranger at times in Colombia as well.
In the movie the two main characters in the film saw each other in a elevator of a hotel where she smiled at him. Unfortunately for me there was no hotel or elevator. I saw Claudia for the first time in her cousin’s apartment where my host Felipe took me to pick up the luggage of his cousins. I couldn’t stop from smiling when I first saw her young face, amazing smile and dark hair. Oh… and her glasses, yeah I said glasses. The first thing I thought was, that would be awesome if she was joining us for our trip to my hosts family. Ironically that is what was going to happen.
A Trip
The next day my host Felipe and I speed our our way like nascar drivers to pick up his two cousins for a road trip to Tunja. Claudia and I got comfortable in the rear seats where the two of us could converse. A 4 hour long haul car was lost in time as the two of us discussed the beauty of art creation, the form and function of design, our amazing observations through photography, and the simplicity of zen. Time seemed to have warped in something that did not exist anymore. In my time in Bogotá, or actually through out the world, it was hard to find people who I could discuss such conversations with. Two people with a strong connection, it is rarity to find someone with so much in common. Or perhaps we were two strangers who needed each other in a time and place, like Bill and Scarlett.
Now the difference between Scarlett Johanson and Bill Murray is that they were unlikely people to become friends. One young, one older. One an actor, one who just graduated and had no clue what to do in their life. I can not say the same for Claudia and I. But the need for some connection was needed. We were in a country we knew, but did not really know. We were both in need for someone who can speak english, talk art, talk design and talk zen, something we were used to, something that was not so foreign to either of us.An observation
In Tunja I got observe Claudia from a distance as she spent time with her family (the aunt of my host, Felipe, who was staying one house over). I observed the constant smile on her face. The way she got excited when someone had something to share with her. The persistent hugging that was happening with everyone around her. She was a genuine happy person.
Get to Know Bogota and Claudia
After Tunja Felipe and I made our way back to Bogotá. Less than a week later Claudia and her brother made their way back to Bogotá. This time I got to spend more time with Claudia, including an eventful paintball that caused a bruised and scarring incident (probably for life). An amazing time taking photos through out Bogotá’s sites. Shopping for nicknacks and finding wonderfully handmade items as gifts in Pasaje Rivas. Enjoying time eating some amazing vegan food and restaurants in Chapinero. As well as moving to the music of salsa all night long in the clubs in Galerias.
It was nice to have someone to explore Bogotá with. Someone who could explore it with me, with no knowledge and just having a fun time seeing where the day took us. I got to experience Claudia’s constant large smile that showed her grinning teeth and made me show my yellowish-white teeth to the world. And I got the enjoy the hugs that I got previously observe from afar. The hugs that filled me with warmth and made feel more alive. It made me realize how important hugs are in life.It All Ends
The last day of Claudia and her brother came. It was time to see them off. I thank them both for the time spent with them. I wish I had whispered some sagely advice into Claudia’s ear the same way Bill Murray did to Scarlett Johanson. Instead a kiss on the top of the head (she liked that) and a thank you.
It was a great connection. A strong one, or was it just because we both needed someone to feel comfortable in a strange land to the both of us? Maybe that is all great bonds and connections are?
Have you ever had that strong of a connection? Have any questions? Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on my facebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Happy travels
Tip: How To Photograph A Parade - From a Travel Photographer
Summer is coming. As spring starts to end and summer starts to begin it means it is time to enjoy the warm sun on your face as the cool breeze blows the beads of sweat that create that cooling feeling. It is time to enjoy time with your family and just sit and relax. Relax as it you enjoy the events that will occur during the coming months. Enjoy the march and parades that will bring the family together, in either boredom or just a closeness of the kid’s excitement. It would be great to capture those moments. Here are some tips to make those moments great to look at as well.
The equipment:
Suggested
- Camera Suggest a DSLR
- A long lens a 70-200mm is the most common (as long as it zooms in the way you want)
- A medium lens (50mm or 24-70mm zoom)
- Strobe/Flash
- Circular Polarizer
- Neutral Density Filter (optional)
My Equipment
- Olympus OMD E-M5 (wrong choice and I’ll explain below)
- Panasonic 35-100mm ƒ/2.8(35mm equivalent of 70-200mm)
- Olympus 12-40mm ƒ/2.8 (35mm equivalent of 24-80mm)
- Olympus FL-600R Flash
- Olympus FL-LM2 Flash/Remote
- Circular Polarizer
- Neutral Density NDx8 Filter
- Extra Battery
Pack light. In a parade you will move a lot and you do not want to carry to much stuff with you. A friend of mine just carries her cameras only. I have a small bag I use after switching to mirror-less.
Bring a decent camera, if you don’t have one do not worry. You can do the same with a point and shoot. The drawback of point and shoots and most Mirrorless cameras is they have contrast auto focusing opposed to phase shift focusing. Phase shift basically focuses based on distance vs contrast focusing which focuses on color of pixels. With phase shift it can focus on objects that are moving towards you unlock contrast focusing. This is the reason that the OMD E-M5 is not a good camera for this. That is why I had ordered a new OMD E-M1 as a second body.Speaking of second bodies, if you do not want to switch lenses all the time, have a second body. One for your long lens for zooming in and filling the frame and one for your medium/wide lens for faster switching.
A neutral density filter helps reduce the amount of light in case of too much sun in the sky, but a cheaper circular polarizer can cut glare and heighten the color of your shots.
4H girl during Butter & Eggs Parade in Petaluma, California - This photo would be blown out with the whites w/o a ND filter
Beautiful Cumbia Dancer of Carnaval Barranquilla - Colombia - Flash was used to reduce the shadow on the face.
The first tip Get There Early.
Getting there early is important for many reasons. No one likes getting there and realizing there is crowd of people standing in front of your shot. One of the main reasons is to get a good spot. If you do not have the luxury of a press pass the spots will all be taken when you arrive as the parade is starting. If you get there early you an have a pick of the places to set up and shoot.
It would be great to take some shots of people setting up. The people who set up the event behind the scenes are just as important as the people who are in the parade. It is great to show homage to those who put the handwork in. Take photos of the people who helped make the parade happen.
One of the Cutest Little Chicks During Butter & Eggs parade in Petaluma California - This happens BEFORE the Parade
Men In Dresses to Mourn during the Final Day of Barranquilla’s Carnaval - If I didn’t get there early I would have missed this shot
Techniques
Keep your back to the sun
One of the drawbacks about parades that is against my suggestion for shooting a city in a day, is that they are usually held when the sun is high in the sky. This will cause a lot of shadows in the sky. The best thing to do is to keep your back to the sun. This will reduce the amount of shadows that will be casted on the faces of the paraders. If you can not have the sun to your back, move or have the sun 3/4s of the subject. This will allow you to sculpt their face with the shadows a bit more, it is an artistic move. Use a fill flash if need be as well.
Petaluma High Marching Band during Butter & Eggs Festival in Petaluma California - With back to sun little shadows appear
Use Auto Focus
I am usually a fan of manual focus, but for parades, the action happens too fast. This is where auto-focus comes in play. It is important to be using the correct auto-focus setting. If you are using a mirror-less or Point and shoot they usually have an AF-Tracking feature. This allows you to track a moving object. If you are using a DSLR w/o AF-Tracking use the AF-C Servo. This allows the lens to constantly focus on a moving object. A badly focused good picture is the worst thing to have.
Notice Rhythms
One of the thing about parades is that the people in the parade will do the same actions over and over again. Notice this rhythm, this will allow of anticipation of what will happen next so that a perfectly timed photo can occur.
Take a photo of the crowd
It is great to show the reaction of the crowd as they are having fun. Nothing shows how fun the parade is like a smiling or excited audience.
A mask during the Butter & Eggs Festival in Petaluma California - Take photos of texture to tell more of a story
Have any extra tips to give? I know there are some out there I did not mention. Have any questions about the tips given? Feel free to ask. Leave a comment below, send me a tweet on twitter, or post on my facebook. Heck even send us a message. Let me know so I can help. Happy travels