No more Vapor in the sky !

30 October 2015 by Harold Glit

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Dear fellow traveler
Just an update to inform smoking travelers (I am not one of them) : This has been rumored for quite some time but it is now Official : It is now forbidden to check-in electronic cigarettes or any other vapor device in your check-in luggage. There has been some incidents proving that such vapor devices can be hazardous in the check-in luggage compartment.
You can still bring an e-cigarette as a carry-on although you cannot, of course, vape on the plane.
Since we are on the subject on forbidden items to check-in when traveling by plane, I would like to take this opportunity to remind fellow photographers that batteries also can only be carried-on and not checked-in, not that it would be a good idea anyway to leave extra batteries in your checked luggage. Technically there are in some countries some limits on how many batteries you can carry with you but in all my worldwide travels I have never had an instance when this was checked

The best travel duffel bags

19 October 2015 by Harold Glit

The main goal of this blog is to help its readers to travel smart and to travel light. In my opinion, which pieces of luggage you use speaks volume about how smart of a traveler you are. Simply put, each traveler should have at least one collapsable duffel in its luggage collection.
Most travelers own a cabin-sized regular trolley on wheels. This might be a very good choice for those traveling on a formal business trip when the luggage path is going to be mostly smooth like airports terminals and hotels corridors. If, however, you are traveling on less predictable paths, wheeled luggage are not necessarily your best choice (far from it). When your trip involves going up and down steps (think subway in Paris) walking on cobbled streets or making your way through a crowded market, you are likely to be better off with something you can carry alternatively on your side by the handles, on or over your shoulder or on your back. In all of these instances, a collapsible duffle bag should be part of your traveling arsenal because it adds three advantages : small size and weight when empty, various carrying options, and versatility of fitting in lots of tight spaces while providing ample storage. [Read more…]

A great light rain jacket for the traveling photographer (Bargain ahead !)

12 September 2015 by Harold Glit

Travel & street photographers are not reputed for their smart dressing habits. Truth be told, there are probably several reasons for that but one of the most obvious is the need for practicality and comfort when photographing in the streets. There is also a need for blending into the crowds and not being too conspicuous. There are several ways of attracting unwanted attention in such instances by carrying too much equipment or looking too much like a pro photographer. I,for one never understood the fascination for photo vests which are often ugly,impractical (try walking fast with all of those pockets filled of heavy and/or heavy bulky items of equipment). But I guess for those photographers who are already carrying one (or more) heavy dslrs around their neck or on their shoulder it may not matter that much.

Using small cameras like I do and recommend on this site does not eliminate the need for many pockets. You might use the pockets to store the camera when not in use and you want to have immediate access to vital accessories like digital cards, extra batteries, lens hoods (or a place to store the hoods & rear caps) not to mention things you may want to have on you outside camera equipment ( cell phone, wallet, keys, sunglasses…)
Most light jackets that you can find in outdoor stores for instance do not feature enough pockets (especially inside pockets) for the traveling photographers. After extensive research I found one that really ticks all right boxes being comfortable, practical, light and easy to store in your photo bag when not in use. Yet, this jacket is way more discrete and elegant than your photo jacket so that you can wear it in more formal environments when not shooting.
The jacket is made by Ex-officio a reputable maker of outdoor clothing and is called the Rain logic jacket.

Inside pockets on the left side

This jacket features 4 zippered pockets on the outside and four more inside the jacket ( 3 zippered ones and one with a velcro-snap).The jacket has a built in cap which can be rolled inwards when not in use and can easily be worn over a cap or a very small helmet. Fortunately, this jacket also comes in XXL size, which is not always the case for this kind of outdoor clothing. This jacket did actually got a editor’s choice award by Fish Alaska magazine which is a good testimony of its high reliability in the elements. I have used the jacket extensively over the last 2 months (most notably during his very rainy north Scotland summer on skye) and I am very impressed with how it performs. The jacket is light (around 16oz), can stand heavy rains and does not exhibit the typical low breathability of many jackets on the market thanks to its highly breathable material and the two-way zip pits under the arms.The jacket can be rolled up into its own hood to be easily carried in a small bag.

The rain logic jacket is I believe a great choice (and at the currently discounted price a bargain not to be missed) for both photographers and smart travelers who want to travel light while still getting a great and light jacket for windy and rainy situations.

The jacket comes only in three colors. I normally do not get black clothing but I got the black which in real life looks more like a very very dark bluish gray. The moss color is under $90 here the black is currently around $125 here.
As always if you are interested in this product buying this product through the link will help support this site at NO extra cost to you.

Summer in Brittany : Pleucadeuc

9 September 2015 by Harold Glit

Petite bretonne

Each year, France is one of the countries which attract the most visitors and for good reasons. Cities like Paris and Lyon for instance have lots of cultural and architectural wonders. Great countryside with charming villages, lots of places by the sea on the mediterranean side or on the Oceanside..
Among those many regions, Brittany is one of the most popular and is especially a point of tourist convergence in the summer months.
As many of you I am sure, there are MANY places in the north hemisphere I would avoid in the summer months. Such places are so crowded in July and August that I would rather go earlier (June) or later (september). In those months the weather is still warm and pleasing and this off-peak seasons also means lesser crowds and cheaper lodging options. However there is ONE advantage of going during the busiest season in such places. You get a chance to attend many local events organized to attract visitors. Those events vary greatly in terms of size, notoriety and interest but suffice to say that there are usually enough variety to satisfy the most demanding travelers. 🙂
This is the reason why I decided to go to Morbihan (which is an area of South Brittany) to visit a outdoor photo festival in La Gacillie and the festival of twins, triplets and more organized in Pleucadeuc each year on August 15th.

Little “red flowers” twins

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The virtues of being patient…and paying attention

23 August 2015 by Harold Glit

In between storms

As I am sure some of you have noticed, this site has been silent for a while as I have been traveling – and shooting non-stop since early July. I was covering different photographic subjects in Oregon (my favorite state in the US), NYC, Florida, Scotland (on the island of Skye). I am now in South Brittany (France) covering a very original festival ( more on this early next week).

Today, I want to cover my trip to Scotland to discuss making photographs in “bad weather”. I had been to Scotland once before but this was my first time in Skye. In Scotland, it is a known fact that the weather can change very quickly, especially in the summer months and one knows that any extended say in Scotland (say over a week) is going to mean, at some point, some rain showers. That being said, I did not expect that amount of grey skies and rain showers in August. Speaking to several locals in different parts of the island I was told that this summer had been particularly ungrateful which brings me to the subject of this article : As a landscape photographer how can one still get back with enough good images when light is less than ideal for most of the daytime ? In two words : patience and adaptability.
I had a little more than 8 days to explore the island of Skye which should have been enough to cover several sections of the island. In the end , I probably covered about 2/3rds of what I expected because I allowed for some extra time “waiting for the right light”. The image above would not have made sense but for the mood created by the dramatic line and I had to wait through two short rainstorms to get the light to come out. Of course, as I write those lines I realize that it is a luxury that many people cannot have because they are not traveling solo or are unable- or unwilling- to forego part of the plan to get the pictures just right.

This part of Scotland was extremely busy with tourists it turns out. Hearing some of them talk about their “contingency plans” I was fascinated to understand how many of them have such a tight schedule that there is hardly any wiggle room in vase of unexpected delays …or simply bad weather. Each to his own of course but for the avid photographer, I would like to suggest allowing extra time in their schedule to gain some flexibility. It would probably show better on a print than on your screen but several of the images accompanying this article would look very dull if I did not wait for some light to come back.

The Lone tree

The Scottish landscape features lots of mountains, waterfalls , rivers, lochs and only a certain light recreates the magic beauty of the scenery so it requires the photographer to be ready. Let’s just say that, as you are driving on the road, you noticed a photogenic scenery. You stop the car (fortunately there many small spots on Scottish roads to do that) and walk to find your viewpoint. At that time, the sky is grey and the light is flat. If you think the light might change, however briefly, my advice to you is do not wait to get ready. Pick up the camera lens combination which you think works best for the image you want to create, set up your tripod and check the levels if you are not going to shoot hand held. Do not wait to get ready. The light could be back only for a few minutes and you do not want to miss that opportunity because you were still trying to decide which lens/ filter/ tripod height ( take your pick) you want to use. photographing in those weather conditions is very much like shooting at sunset you know you only have a few minutes to get the ” right light” for your image.with one notable caveat you cannot predict at which time the great light will be back. For the picture of the tree above, I spent twenty minutes hesitating between a few spots on the side of a very muddy road. I had narrowed it down to two exact spots which I marked the ground on with my boots so that when the light came back i would be able to switch from one to the other in a matter if 30 seconds or so. The light came through the clouds for maybe two minutes total and I was able to get the image I wanted because I did all the prep work while the light was dull.
Having weather sealed material is a advantage in such weather but one should be able to get by with minimum care and some ingeniosity.The photographer must take care of keeping himself, or herself dry. Being completely drenched is not going to help you to keep your attention on the subject.

The Eilean Donan castle

Another point I want to discuss is the lack of thought when photographing a popular site. Case in point on this trip was my visiting the Eilean Donan castle in Dornie (South of Skye). This castle is indeed very picturesque and thousands of visitors stop by every day during the summer monthes. And yet, 99% of visitors seem keen on taking the same picture. People tend to forget that an image on paper or on screen is not three dimensional and produce images that will look very flat. A good way to avoid this is to include a foreground when photographing the large main subject in the background. Here, I just positioned myself under a nearby tree to frame my main subject with leaves and make it a little more interesting. Point is, even when you have limited time to spend on a given site, take a few extra minutes to look for the best viewpoint for the image. Often it is likely NOT to be the one where most tourists gather. Furthermore, when photographing a popular site, it sometimes require a lot of patience to wait until you do not have any disturbing silhouettes in the frame.

The scary house