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Shot List Categories: People
People I'm in the final stages of writing my next book, which will be distributed as an eBook, and perhaps later in a physical, hold-in-your-hand version. It's based on my app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch® called My Shot Lists for Travel, and I created it in iBooks Author, a wonderfully robust program for the Mac that makes creating an eBook fairly simple, although that by no means is meant to imply easy. As you can imagine, it's a long process to write … Read More...
Participant Showcase: Van Ruttley in Cuba
RALPH'S TAKE First of all, traveling with Van was a pleasure, she has such a great attitude and is the poster child for the adage that a smile goes a long way. The image that Van chose to submit here really does capture a slice of life in Cuba these days. Out and about in the streets of Havana you'll encounter numerous "cigar ladies" (and men) who dress in elaborate clothes and sit in what I assume are designated spots throughout Old Havana because over the years I've never … Read More...
Photo Tips: Same Scene, Different Time of Day
If you've been following me for any period of time then you know that I'm a huge proponent of capturing the same scene at different times of day and that I often offer photo tips about this here on the blog. This is fairly easy to accomplish when you have the luxury of being in a place for a number of days, or better yet, over many visits if you come back to the same destination a number of times. You can certainly do this easily in your own hometown by looking for an interesting … Read More...
Participant Showcase: George Cathcart
RALPH'S TAKE George made this image of the Cuban flag, Opera House and Capitolio from the rooftop terrace of the property we often stay at with my People-to-People programs while in Havana, the Hotel Inglaterra. I'm told it's the oldest hotel in the whole country, but you'd never know it because of its modern amenities...and its location right on Havana's "Parque Central," and at the foot of the Paseo del Prado, which leads to the malecon and incredible views of … Read More...
Photo Tips: Storytelling Shots
In the spring of 2010 I participated in my first humanitarian program to Cuba. On our itinerary was a short visit to the colonial town of Trinidad, on the south side of the island, just about 10 miles from the Caribbean Sea. While walking the backstreets of Trinidad with my friend and fellow program participant Tony Pond, we stumbled across yet another classic American car that we stopped to photograph, but we didn't know what make or model it was. The woman in the upper left … Read More...
This Week in Travel Interview
This Week in Travel Google+ Hangout with Gary Arndt, Chris Christensen and Jen Leo. It was really great being a part of the This Week in Travel Google+ Hangout with hosts Gary Arndt of Everything-Everywhere.com, Chris Christensen of AmateurTraveler.com and Jen Leo of BestKidsApps.com. We discussed a wide range of topics, but you'll just have to listen to see which ones they were. Click the image above to listen to the … Read More...
Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder Tour Announced!
Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder Phnom Penh ~ Siem Reap ~ Battambang November 30 to December 14, 2013 OVERVIEW Come join me on a customized small group tour of Cambodia (8 pax min. to 11 max.), consisting of 4 nights in Phnom Penh, 4 nights in Siem Reap, 3 nights in Battambang and then 2 nights back in Phnom Penh. WHEN November 30 to December 14, 2013 (14 days/13 nights) COST $2,499 per person in double occupancy $499 single … Read More...
A Taste of the Cuban Tobacco Industry in Viñales, Pinar del Rio, Cuba
A Taste of the Cuban Tobacco Industry in Viñales, Pinar del Rio, Cuba On a recent People-to-People program to Cuba we had a chance to meet with my good friend Benito Camejo on his "finca," or farm, in Viñales, Pinar del Rio. This area, located in the western part of Cuba, is the heart of the Cuban tobacco industry, and considered to have the richest soil for growing tobacco in the world. Benito and his father (Benito, Sr.) are … Read More...
Travel and Adventure Show Details
Travel and Adventure Show Details Come on out to the Travel and Adventure Shows in Long Beach, Chicago and the Bay Area. There you'll have a chance to listen and learn from world-renown travel authorities including Rick Steves, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Jean-Michel Cousteau, Patricia Schultz and more (varies by location). You'll even have a chance to hear my newest presentation in each of these cities: Developing Your … Read More...
Half Off My 101 Photography Tips eBook
Get my eBook for just $4.99 (regular $9.99) Ralph Velasco On Travel Photography: 101 Tips for Developing Your Photographic Eye & More CLICK BOOK COVER HERE TO PURCHASE THE eBOOK FOR JUST $4.99 "Worth every penny, even at full price." ~ Steven Barber For a limited time I'm offering a 50 percent discount on the eBook version of my 101 photography tips book. See below for the Table of Contents and a sampling of what's … Read More...
Time-Lapse in Havana, Cuba
Time-Lapse in Havana, Cuba This is a one minute time-lapse that I made in Havana, Cuba. I strapped my GoPro Hero2 camera to a local form of transportation called a "coco taxi" and I had the driver take me for a spin around several of Havana's main neighborhoods called Habana Vieja, Centro Habana and Vedado, from the Parque Central to the Hotel Nacional. The time-lapse was made by setting up the GoPro Hero2 to shoot one image per second over about 27 minutes, resulting in … Read More...
Participant Showcase Shea Mayberry
Participant Showcase: Shea Mayberry RALPH'S TAKE It's easy to tell that Shea is an artist by trade, she has an incredibly artistic eye, which certainly comes in handy where photography is concerned. By looking at her work you can tell she makes an effort to go way beyond the standard snapshots and postcard shots and looks deeper into the scene to find what's interesting to her, and in turn what's interesting to the viewer's of her photography. The shot she's … Read More...
Why Silhouettes in Photography Can Be Useful
Why Silhouettes in Photography Can Be Useful Currently I'm in Cambodia scouting out a future photo tour I'll be leading here in December 2013 (details to come). Upon arrival in Siem Reap, the jumping off point to the extremely impressive UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, constructed in the 12th century, we hired a tuk-tuk to take us to the box office where we purchased a 3-day pass for US$40 (the U.S. dollar is widely accepted in Cambodia and changing money into the … Read More...
Images of Cuba: 3 New Galleries
Images of Cuba 2012 3 New Galleries It's been quite a while since I've posted any images from any of my People-to-People programs to Cuba. Here are three individual galleries, one each from the capital city of Havana, the tobacco region of Viñales, and a mix of images from both Viñales and Havana, but with the theme of "Che Guevara in Cuba." All these photographs were made in 2012...click on any here to be brought to a more in-depth slideshow. Havana, … Read More...
Participant Showcase Connie Terry
PANNING SHOT IN HAVANA, CUBA BY CONNIE TERRY RALPH'S TAKE I just love this very well done panning shot by my friend and multiple tour participant Connie Terry. Connie has been with me to Spain and now Cuba, and I've really enjoyed not only traveling with her but also working with her on her photography skills, which are formidable, to say the least. I asked Connie to be a part of the Participant Showcase feature here on my blog because I'm well aware of her advanced … Read More...
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