If you’d like to delve a bit deeper into my photography and travel thought process, please have a look at a recent Q&A article I was featured in at DISfunksion Magazine.

Although I’m flattered by the title of the article, I certainly don’t consider myself anything close to being a genius.  I’m just a regular guy who’s been lucky enough to have found what he loves to do and has been able to make a living doing it.

Click the article title below:

“Ralph Velasco: The Genius Behind a Lens”

Get Up Early and Stay Out Late: Part 2

With my last blog post I talked about 5 reasons to get up early and stay out late.  Do you already follow some or all of these tips?

Either way, here are 5 more reasons…

1.    Markets are beginning to open and the vendors and their products are fresh.  Making an effort to arrive at the local food market early has several benefits, one of which is that the colorful and artistically arranged produce displays should be complete and not picked over by the day’s patrons.  Additionally, depending on the popularity of the market you’re visiting, the vendors may be more open to being photographed simply because they haven’t yet been approached by other photographers who waited till later to get there.

Vendor preparing her produce early in Oaxaca, Mexico.

2.    Atmospheric conditions are often more interesting.  Fog can settle over rivers, lakes, fjords and other bodies of water worth photographing, and this makes for unique photo ops.  Clouds will often form early in the day, build and then burn off as the sun’s heat dissipates them.

Boat in early morning on still fjord in Kotor, Montenegro.

3.    Still waters run deep.  Keeping in mind reason 2 above, dawn is a great time to get reflection shots in those same rivers, lakes and fjords, or puddles that have formed from overnight rains.  Get out before the fishermen head out to sea, the recreational kayakers and other boaters start to arrive, or the ferries make their first run of the day.  Once they get out there, they’re likely to stir up that nice, still water and ruin “your” reflections.

Early morning reflection in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Bonus: After the boats, kayaks, ferries and cruise ships start their day, now let them act as that subject you needed in an otherwise empty frame.

4.    “Dew happens” I’m always on the lookout for opportunities to photograph the morning dew on spider webs, plants, and other surfaces, and early in the morning is usually the only time this is possible.  After a certain point, the sun will rise and focus its heat on these tiny droplets of water only to evaporate them into oblivion, and I’m too lazy, and a bit too much of a traditionalist, to go out there with a spray bottle of sugar water, an old photographer’s trick, to spray the dry spider webs and plants to artificially create this affect.

Spider web and morning dew in Corona del Mar, California, U.S.A.

5.    Night photography is underrated.  Night photography is another of my favorite genres, and always near the top of my shot list.  Make a special effort to show the place you’re shooting after dark.  You’ll need some special equipment and a bit of extra knowledge, but these kinds of images can be the difference between a ho-hum portfolio and a really stellar set that you’ll be proud to incorporate into a slideshow, website or book that truly captures the essence of a place.

Chain Bridge at night in Budapest, Hungary.

Bonus: You’ll definitely want to stabilize your camera with a good, sturdy tripod, Gorillapod, bean bag or other device to handle the long shutter speeds that will be necessary for lowlight photography.  A remote shutter release, or at a minimum the ability to use your camera’s self timer, is a must, this way you won’t introduce shake into the shot when you go to depress the shutter release.  I also like to have an inexpensive headlamp to see my camera’s controls or to dig things out of my bag…this way I can be completely hands-free while I work.

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Patrick Symmes, whom I quote in my book, Ralph Velasco On Travel Photography: 101 Tips for Developing Your Photographic Eye & More, said it best:

“If you don’t like getting up early, then be a writer.”

So set that alarm and get out there with the milkman and the baker (use them as subjects, too).  I can guarantee you’ll see a place from a whole new perspective that will ensure you’re capturing unique shots that almost no one else is getting because they’re just not out there.

What other reasons can you think of for making an effort to rise and shine early, or stay out late into the night?

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Join me for a photo tour of The Heart of Spain.  See link for more information and to register.

Get Up Early and Stay Out Late: Part 1

There’s something you may have heard me refer to before, I call it my “Zen of Photography.”  The idea behind it is that it’s my feeling that 75 percent of successful photography is simply making an effort to put yourself in the right place at the right time.  If you’d like to follow this credo then surely this means getting up with the dawn or staying out after dark.

Perhaps it’s easier for me to get out early because I consider myself a morning person, I like to think I get my best work done before 9 a.m.  If you’re serious about your photography, morning person or not, you need to make an effort to be out with the early birds.

Although this probably goes against what I’m preaching here, I think it’s humorous.  One of my favorite quotes is:

“Much is said of the good luck of the early bird,

but little of the bad luck of the early worm.”

~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

Knock on wood I’ve never had anything but good luck being out early, so, here is Part 1 of my top reasons to make that extra effort to be up early and to stay out late:

1. It’s all about the light.  The most obvious reason for being up with the dawn is to be able to shoot at a time of day well-known to photographers as the Golden Hour, that time of day before, during and just after sunrise, when the sun is low in the sky and it casts your subjects in glorious, soft and flattering golden light.  Personally, I love this “Rembrandt light” because it has a very appealing warming affect on just about any subject, whether it’s a building, person or landscape.  At mid-day, when the sun is high in the sky, it will cast harsh shadows on your subjects, creating “raccoon” eyes in people, or unflattering shadows under the nose and chin (this can a great time to use fill flash).

El Morro Fortress during the golden hour at sunset in Havana, Cuba.

Bonus: The Golden Hour also applies to the time of day before, during and just after sunset, but Tips 2, 3 and 4 below will likely not apply at this time of day.

2. Locals rule.  Early in the morning you’re likely to find just the locals out and about, the people on their way to work and the kids on their way to school.  I don’t know about you, but those are the folks I want in my shots, not the tourists who will surely show up after 9 a.m., when the big buses arrive and fill the parking lots just about everywhere.

Cuban children out early on their way to school.

3. Less bugs and other critters are out and about.  Especially in warmer climates, I’m having to swat away a lot less mosquitos and flies when I’m out early.  And often times, in the cooler morning, cold-blooded animals like snakes, turtles and lizards are more lethargic until the sun warms things up, so they’re easier to photograph.  Conversely, warm-blooded animals are more active in the cooler mornings and evenings and then they settle in for a mid-day siesta when the sun is high in the sky and it’s too hot for them to be expending a lot of energy.

Iguana in the cool of early morning in Dzibilchaltun, Mexico.

4. It’s going to be cooler.  This tip is along the lines of number 3 because, we as humans, after all, are warm-blooded creatures.  Over the last two years or so I’ve traveled to quite a few destinations that are known for having hot, sticky weather.  I’ve been to Cuba three times, all of them in April, just when it starts to get increasingly hot and muggy.  I shot in India in June of 2011, just before the monsoon season, and it got up to 122 degrees F in Agra during the day when we arrived around noon (our train from Delhi was delayed by at least two hours because the tracks had buckled from the stifling heat, otherwise we would have arrived earlier).  Additionally, I was on assignment in Mexico in August and September, right before hurricane season, when temperatures in parts of the country soared above 100 degrees F.  And twice I’ve been to Egypt where I had the opportunity to both lead a photo tour and speak at a tourism conference.  Each of these locations is known for its high temperatures and often humid weather, but getting out early in each location allowed me to shoot in gorgeous weather where temperatures were in the 70s and 80s.

Man taking a break from the heat in Agra, India, where it got up to 122 degrees F while I was there.

5. Traffic will be lighter.  The bumper-to-bumper traffic in Cairo, Egypt, is legendary.  Getting around the city after about 8 a.m. can be an exercise in extreme patience, and futility.  But on a recent trip to Cairo I hired a driver to take me to some spots I’d scouted on previous days and I had him pick me up at my hotel at 6 a.m.  I still thought we’d get caught up in morning traffic, because there it seems to be a 24-hour problem, but this day there was barely another car on the road.  A distance that might have taken us an hour and half to cover took no more than 30 to 45 minutes, which provided me that much more time to shoot.

The empty streets of Cairo, Egypt, an extremely rare site in this very crowded capital.

In my next post I’ll mention 5 other reasons to get up early and stay out late.

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Join me for a photo tour of The Heart of Spain.  See link for more information and to register.

As this blog post is published, I’m actually in Cuba as part of two People-to-People programs.  Because I can’t count on reliable Internet access while there, I scheduled this post to come up while I’m away.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get some decent online access and create some “live” content while there.

Included here is an article that was recently published in the April 2012 issue of the PSA Journal, a magazine exclusively for Photographic Society of America members.  To be right up front, the article itself was actually written in November of 2010 (several months after my first humanitarian trip to Cuba), submitted to PSA in December of 2010 and because of the serious backlog of articles they have, it’s just coming out now, about 15 months later, however, I think the majority of the information is still relevant.  One update I would make is that now I shoot with a Nikon D300s, and my primary lens is the Nikkor 24 – 120 mm f/4, a very nice setup that has served me well over the past year in India, Mexico and Egypt.

In the article I discuss the importance of working from a shot list in order to bring back a more well-rounded portfolio of images that truly captures the essence of a place.  Although other photographers surely talk about this concept, the idea of effectively using a shot list has sort of become my niche, and the article comes out of a class I teach called “Capturing the Essence of a Place,” and out of that came the My Shot Lists for Travel app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad I created.

Please just click on each thumbnail of the 3 page article until it pops up large enough for you to clearly read the text…I think you’ll enjoy it.

If you have an interest in participating in a People-to-People program to Cuba with me towards the end of this year or early next year, please e-mail me directly (ralph@RalphVelasco.com) and I’ll put you on the interest list.  Of all the international travel I’ve been fortunate enough to do, Cuba has by far been the most exotic, interesting and photogenic location I’ve ever photographed, and the street photography opportunities are second to none.  I also look forward to shooting some extensive video for a photography tips series I’m creating, as well as doing a fair bit of time-lapse photography with my new GoPro Hero2 HD video camera.

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Ralph Velasco is an Orange County-based photography instructor, international photo tour guide

and author who frequently speaks on the topic of travel photography.

He’s an award-winning blogger and creator of the My Shot Lists for Travel app for iPhone.

Just a quick post from Havana, Cuba, where I’m participating in a People-to-People exchange program.

El Morro Fortress and Waves in Morning in Havana, Cuba Part 1

We woke up the other morning, the day after some pretty serious Caribbean storms soaked us for most of the day, and one of the other participants, Nancy, said that from her hotel room she saw huge waves crashing along the famous Malecon, or seawall.

El Morro Fortress and Crashing Waves in Morning - Havana, Cuba Part 2

This is a phenomenon I’d seen many times in pictures but had never witnessed myself, so I was excited about the opportunity to capture this somewhat rare scene.

Afternoon: Waves Surrounding El Morro Fortress

She suggested we have a look, and our local guide, Rosa, was more than obliging in changing up our schedule a bit and so she had our driver drop us just off the Malecon where we crossed the street to see a raging sea throwing water some 30 to 40 feet or more into the air.

Woman Shooting with Departing Container Ship and El Morro Fortress

Here are just a few shots I made while there that morning, as well as a few from later that afternoon where the sun was low in the sky and cast some really great light on the lighthouse at El Morro fortress across the harbor.  Timing and positioning were key in getting the waves crashing just right.

The big, puffy clouds were a great addition to an incredible photo op.

10 TIPS FOR PREPARING FOR A TRIP

Fan Lady on Yellow in Havana, Cuba.

As I write this post, I’m getting ready to head out of town for what will be essentially a month on the road.  I’m going to be part of two People-to-People programs in Cuba from April 17 to May 9, then I fly back to Southern California the evening of May 9th, only to jump on a flight early the next morning to fly to the Midwest to lead my semi-annual Cultural Photo Tour of Chicago.

There’s always so much to do before a big trip, and so I thought I’d run down of a few of the steps I take to make sure I’m organized and prepared when I arrive.

10 Tips for Preparing for a Trip

1. Usually I’m talking about working from a shot list in order to bring home a well-rounded portfolio of images, but here I’m going to recommend that you work from a packing list.  I do, and it’s always changing and being updated, and I customize it for each location, because there’s a big difference in the way I pack for a Christmas Markets tour of Eastern Europe and how I’ll pack for a trip to Cuba.
2. I’ll start packing little by little as much as two weeks in advance.  This way I know if there’s anything I need to purchase before the trip and I’ll have plenty of time to get it before I leave.
3. Travel to Cuba is special because down there they’re asking us to bring soap, aspirin, bandages and other basic necessities for the people, who really are in need of everything.  So I know that if I’m missing any sort of cable or battery or other photographic or electronic accessory, it’s highly unlikely I’ll find it down there.  To be sure I have everything, I work from my list and then lay it all out on my bed and make sure that I have every little chord, plug, adaptor and battery that I need.
4. I go through all my various memory cards and I format them for my camera.  This clears them out and assures they’re ready to go when I am.
5. I’m in the habit of cleaning all of my lenses and filters before a trip, so I know that I’m good to go so I can hit the ground running and have one less worry on my mind.
6. Charging all the various batteries for my different cameras and electronics is high on my list for the same reason.  Plus I certainly have extra batteries with me, as well.
7. I’ll clear out any unnecessary files on my laptop so that I have plenty of room to download images throughout the trip, and I’ll do the same on any external drives I’m using.
8. I back up my computer and put any pertinent files in the cloud so I have access to them should I be on someone else’s computer or if something were to happen to mine or I needed to share them.  For this I use a service called DropBox.
9. I’m sure to check in with an iPhone app I use called VelaClock.  It tells me the sunrise and sunset in just about any location around the world on any date, so for this trip, I want to know when the golden hour will be so that I can capture the best light and be out before the crowds.
10. And last, but certainly not least, if I’ve purchased any new equipment or accessories, I’m going to want to experiment with them and learn how to use them so that I’m not in these once-in-a-lifetime places trying to figure out my gear.  The more your gear becomes a part of you, the more you’ll be prepared for the photo ops that will surely present themselves.

“It’s my feeling that 75 percent of successful photography is simply making an effort to put yourself in the right place at the right time.”

Other obvious things to do are be sure your bags aren’t over weight or size limits; check that your liquids are in 3 oz. containers and in a separate plastic bag if you’re carrying them on; set all your bills up for auto pay so that they’re taken care of automatically and you don’t have to worry about that part of your life; confirm your ride to the airport and your flights.

What are some packing tips and preparation hints you’d like to share with me and my readers?

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Ralph Velasco is an Orange County-based photography instructor, international photo tour guide

and author who frequently speaks on the topic of travel photography.

He’s an award-winning blogger and creator of the My Shot Lists for Travel app for iPhone.

Click for more information.

Recently I was asked to speak at the upcoming Mom Blogger Camp in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.  I’ll be discussing the importance of having high quality photography on any website or blog…

…come join us in Mexico!

What?

Mom Blogger Camp

When?

September 27 to 30, 2012

Where?

Velas Vallarta Resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Agenda?

For more information and to sign up, click the REGISTER LINK.

TEMECULA BALLOON FEST BY MARY SIANI

Image from the Temecula Balloon Fest by Mary Siani.

RALPH’S TAKE

I’ve really enjoyed having worked with Mary on her photography over the years.  She’s one of the most passionate photographers I’ve worked with and she’s extremely well traveled and is always looking to improve, although she starts from a very high level as her photography shows (see her various websites via the links below).

Mary participated in my Temecula Balloon Fest and Launch Photo Walking Tour a few years ago and she sums it up very well in this image of a single balloon during lift off.  What makes this image rise above (sorry…) the standard hot air balloon shots we often see, and that we all take in these situations, is the simple framing she’s chosen to do by including the grape vines in the bottom of the frame, after all, Temecula is the home of Southern California’s wineries and I like the way she chose to subtly demonstrate that.  This inclusion adds interest to the image, giving it a whole other dimension, as opposed to just a balloon floating in the sky.  Those images are nice, but they’re often over done, and this simple addition of the green foliage in the bottom of the frame literally brings the image down to earth. I’m impressed she took the time to compose with this important element, thereby bringing the image to another level, going beyond the “postcard” shot.

Well done, Mary, I look forward to shooting with you again soon sometime!

Mary Siani

BIOGRAPHY

My interest in photography began as a way to record my travels and vacations. I bought my first digital camera in 2006 to record my 4 week trip to Italy.  That was a life changing trip on many levels and when I fell in love with photography.  I am currently enrolled in the New York Institute of Photography and have been pursuing photography more seriously the last 2 years.  Due to my connection with Ralph, I was given the opportunity to exhibit locally at the Whittier Law School with Engard Arts.  I shoot in all genres from landscape to pet portraits and everything in between.  I and am still developing my style and technique which continues to grow and change as I do.

FOR MORE OF MARY’S WORK ONLINE

Keep up with Mary on her personal Facebook profile or on her Facebook Page.

Enjoy more of Mary’s work at MarySianiPhotography.com

TESTIMONIAL

“I first met Ralph when I took one of his beginning photography courses and then later setup a private session to gain more understanding of my camera and technique.  I have since had the pleasure of taking his Temecula Balloon Festival workshop as well as some of his travel workshops.  They have all been so eye opening and fun!  Ralph is great to work with; very patient and knowledgable.  He really helped me understand the basics and how to think about my shots instead of just “shooting”.  He shares advice on how to look at your subject differently and possible alternative shots/views that I might not have thought of.  I always come away with more information and ideas on how to improve both technically and artistically.  I would highly recommend Ralph’s tours and classes as you will gain insight and knowledge regardless of your skill level.” ~ Mary Siani

“Travel to Spain with Ralph Velasco“

Let me be one of the first to congratulate professional photographer and social media expert Rosh Sillars on his 200th photography podcast, and I’m honored to be the person he interviewed on that historic show.

In this episode we talk in detail about the upcoming The Heart of Spain: Madrid, Segovia & Toledo cultural photo tour that Rosh is hosting with me this September where he’ll be providing us with his food photography expertise as we participate in both a cooking class and a professionally guided tapa tour.

Please CLICK THIS LINK for more details on this once-in-a-lifetime trip, and be sure to listen to the podcast…and if you’re a photographer, or any kind of creative professional, you should consider subscribing to Rosh’s podcasts at RoshSillars.com.

Have a listen by clicking on the Detroit Creative Labs logo here:

Click to listen to my interview on Rosh's podcast.

Travel with us to The Heart of Spain:

Madrid, Segovia & Toledo!

September 14 to 23, 2012

Food ~ Photography ~ Culture ~ Museums ~ History ~ Architecture

Alcazar at Dusk in Segovia, Spain by Ralph Velasco

OVERVIEW

Please join me, along with food photographer and social media expert Rosh Sillars, on a customized small group tour (20 max.) of Central Spain, consisting of 4 nights in Madrid, 2 nights in Segovia and 2 nights in Toledo.

Open to photographers and non-photographers alike,

so feel free to bring a spouse or other travel mate.

Learn the basics of food photography from Rosh Sillars.

HIGHLIGHTS

• We’ll explore Madrid’s historic center, including the Royal Palace, Retiro Park, Plaza Mayor and the world famous Prado museum, as well as embark on a tapas tour with an internationally renown food and wine expert and partake in a market walk and cooking class with a local chef.
• In Segovia we’ll feast on roasted suckling pig, this city’s signature dish; visit the Alcazar and photograph El Acueducto, a 2,000 year old Roman structure built with no mortar or cement, but still capable of carrying water.
• In charming Toledo, Spain’s former capital before it was moved to nearby Madrid, we’ll experience the winding streets and masterful artwork of El Greco.

Map of Central Spain.

PRICE INCLUDES*

• 8 nights accommodation in 4 star hotels (Madrid – 4 nights, Segovia – 2 nights, Toledo – 2 nights)
• Breakfast daily
• Dinner featuring roasted suckling pig, the local specialty in Segovia
• Cooking class with lunch including market walk with a chef and opportunity to photograph it all
• Small group Tapa Tour with a local food and wine expert who’s been featured on the Travel Channel
• Airport transfers
• Transportation between Madrid, Segovia and Toledo
• Orientation tour in Madrid and Toledo with a local, English-speaking guide

• Approximately 4-hours per day of photography instruction with Ralph Velasco and Rosh Sillars
• Periodic group Photo Walking Tours in each location with Ralph
• An introduction to food photography with Rosh
• Each participant has an opportunity to work One on One with either Ralph or Rosh during a mid-trip image review and feedback session allowing us to gauge each participant’s progress
• A copy of Ralph’s eBook “Ralph Velasco On Travel Photography: 101 Tips for Developing Your Photographic Eye & More“
• Complimentary download of Ralph’s My Shot List for Travel app for iPhone, iPod touch or iPad
• A copy of Rosh’s eBook “10 Secrets for Better Food Photography“

* All activities are subject to change but be assured we’ll make every effort to provide a comparable alternative should alterations to our schedule need to be made.

Airfare to and from Spain is additional.

WHEN

September 14 to 23, 2012

COST

$2,699 per person in double occupancy

$600 single supplement applies to those wishing to have their own room (availability is strictly limited)

(Your participation is not confirmed until completed Reservation Form and payment in full have been received.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Please request a detailed Itinerary and Reservation Form by contacting Rebecca at

photoenrichment@gmail.com

Are you in?

REGISTER

To register please submit a check made out to:

“PhotoEnrichment Programs”

Send it to:

PhotoEnrichment Programs

422 1/2 Carnation Avenue

Corona del Mar, CA 92625  U.S.A.

Or visit our page on EventBrite to submit your payment (an additional fee applies).

The Outskirts of Toledo, Spain, by Ralph Velasco

ABOUT YOUR GUIDES

Ralph Velasco

Ralph Velasco is a Southern California-based travel photography instructor, author and international photo tour guide who has been traveling to Spain since 1979.  He’s an award-winning travel blogger and founder of PhotoEnrichment Programs.  Ralph is the creator of the My Shot Lists for Travel app for iPhone, an organizational and tracking tool designed to help travelers of all photography skill levels to bring home a more well-rounded set of images of any destination or subject.

Rosh Sillars

Special guest instructor Rosh Sillars is a veteran photographer with a photojournalism background specializing in people, food and interiors. He earned his BFA in photography at the College of Creative Studies (CCS), Detroit.  Rosh offers his services to traditional media, digital media and corporate clients.  He owns the creative representation firm The Rosh Group, Inc. and teaches photography at two universities.