Tag Archives: travel

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Philippines Trip Recap – Bantay Belltower/Bellfry

If you follow us on Instagram, you probably noticed that I was in the Philippines on a family vacation/touring.  Originally, I was never really supposed to go on the trip.  It was only supposed to be my parents, until one day, my father randomly asked if I wanted to tag along.  Since I haven’t been to the Philippines since I was 5 years, I thought it would be a great time.  I had a couple photo shoots scheduled during the time frame, but I was able to re-schedule them into the month of June.  Plus going on the trip was a great time to test out some new gear to see if it’s ready for use in a wedding or more professional setting.

So over the next couple weeks or so, you will start to see a few posts both with photos and videos recapping the trip.  To kick off this this series, this is a quick video of the Bantay Belltower.  I can tell you everything that I learned about the place or…. you can just check the Vigan City Tourist Page on the Bantay Belfry.

I won’t bore you with the details of the trip, so if you have any questions about our trip or thoughts, please leave a comment below.  Thanks!

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Highlights from the Island of Kauai, Hawaii

In early January 2015, we had the opportunity to help a close friend with a corporate video gig.  We just had to film a number of interviews and cut/edit them within a short timeframe i.e. within 1-3 days for the corporate communications department’s presentation.  The catch… the opportunity was in Kauai, Hawaii!!!  Needless to say, we were SUPER excited!  We had never been to Hawaii before and it was a welcome break from NY, which had frigid temperatures in early January.  When we left NYC, the temperature outside with wind chill was -8deg F, that’s negative 8 deg.  COLD!!!  Temperature in Kauai when we landed at 9pm at night, 60 deg F.

So we worked hard for 5-6 days straight, rarely leaving the hotel in which we working working and filming the interviews.  But once all the hard work was done, we had a couple days to tour and explore the island.  The locals say that you can only see about 15% of the island from a car or hiking and the rest can only be seen by helicopter.  We didn’t get a helicopter, but I wish we had!  Oh well!  Next time!   And here are some of the photos from Kauai.  Some of the photos were taken with my cell phone and some were with my “real” cameras.

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montreal, quebec

So the other weekend, I had the opportunity to take a quick weekend getaway to Montreal, Quebec. I haven’t been there since I was probably about 9 or 10 years old, so I don’t really remember much. But the older parts of town look like you’re in France without leaving North America. Everything there is in French and some people don’t even speak English! And most of the signs are in both English and French. I felt like an outsider, not being able to speak French. I definitely might pick up the Rosetta Stone and see what I can learn, so that I can go back and chat it up with the locals.

While there, my friends and I checked a couple of the local food landmarks which included The St. Viateur Bagel Shop, which supposedly is better than NYC Bagels. Hmmm… I can’t say that they are better. But I’ll say that they are just as good. We went there after a nice of drinking. Apparently, that’s the thing to do, after you drink, it’s Poutine or Bagels. Speaking of poutine, even though I try to be pretty healthy with what I eat, every time I’m in Canada, I have to have Poutine!  There is just something about it.  It’s terrible for you , but it’s such a guilty pleasure.   They come in so many different styles, you’ll definitely find something you’ll like.  After drinking and partying in the Old Port, after the fireworks, we went to La Banquise.  I had the “La Savoyrade”…. uhh so bad for you, but oh so good, after a night of drinking!  And on our last night there, our local friend took us to the famous Gibeau Orange Julep, which makes these orange smoothie-like drinks! It’s pretty good! If you’re from the States, it will remind you of Orange Julius. What makes it so famous? Check out the last photo below. It’s a big Orange!

So anyway… We didn’t get to hit up all of the tourist spots, but we did enough for 1 weekend and I’m definitely looking to go back. Here are some photos from Mont Royal viewpoint and the older part of town, called “Old Port” and a couple fireworks shots from a show we watched along the river.

Also, since I started out in photography back in the film days, I’ve recently been experimenting with ways to make some of our photos look a little more film-like, so this was an opportunity explore that. So the photos may look a little different from what you’re used to seeing. What do you think? Do you like the film look?

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view from griffith observatory – los angeles, ca

Smog, pollution, glitz, glam, Hollywood and maybe even earthquake… those are probably the words that you typically associate with LA.  What about pretty? Or natural? Or picturesque?  Just go up to the Griffith Observatory and the latter will definitely come to mind.  On a recent trip to LA, both for business and pleasure, I took some time do some tourist type stuff.  I’ve never been to the Observatory before, so, as the astronomy nut that I am, I jumped at the opportunity!  And it was a pretty awesome-ly nerdy place that allowed me to rediscover my inner geek, so much so that Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory” would be proud…. oh yea,  I also took some time to take in the pretty landscape and (smog-less) city views.  Here are some shots from that day.

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california love – a trip up the golden coast

Call me crazy, but I don’t think Katy Perry was completely out of line when she wrote the lyrics to her most recent smash hit, “California Girls”. And I’m not just speaking solely about the local females, but generally speaking, the positive vibes that emanate from all the state’s surroundings. I always seem to find myself visiting the Golden State on good occasion that I could probably call it a tradition, and none of the cities I spend time in (San Francisco, San Diego, LA) never ever leave an ounce of disappointment or regret.

This year, I decided to take my left coast trip to the next level and take a drive up one of the most fascinating roads in the world, the Pacific Coast Highway. Compared to my typical daily drives down I-85 in Atlanta, it is unquestionably a splendid experience, and I highly encourage everyone who’s a fan of twisty roads and scenic views to give it a chance. Hopefully I’ll be able to take that drive again… perhaps in this Ferrari , driving like Michael Schumacher, while listening to the theme song to The OC.  And now back to reality… and some photos. Enjoy!

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views from across the atlantic pond

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of visiting Europe for the 3rd year in a row. A flight in coach with a not so Top Chef dining experience was well worth it to have the opportunity to immerse myself in the glorious views, culture, and food fare  on this side of the Atlantic. In the following photos, you’ll see many views that caught my eye while setting foot in Amsterdam, Venice, Milan, and Florence. I’m anxiously looking forward to my next visit. Seriously, Europe will never get old, like an episode of Friends. (Thank you, TBS, for the reruns. High five!) For those who are caught up in their daily grind in the American cultural bubble and are sitting on the fence about visiting, I hope these photos will push you over the edge.