5 tips for better travel photography

I love photography. and I love travel. in the past few years, I've had the opportunity to capture some amazing places with my lens. below are a few tips that I've found to be helpful - all of them learned from experience! I hope that you'll find them helpful on your next trip, or even shooting around your own backyard.

1. try a new perspective. 

if you’re visiting a major tourist attraction, chances are that thousands of people have stood exactly where you are and clicked the shutter button. go ahead and take the “classic” shot, then start experimenting. try a new angle. get in close. then get in even closer. look up. look down. find the details that make this place unique. [just don't cross any barriers and get yourself kicked out!]

3. get up early. 

let's be honest: jetlag sucks. but when I find myself awake on vacation at an inhuman hour, I walk outside with my camera. [the above sunrises were both from early-morning jetlag walks.] most people come home with sunset photos, but the light is usually pretty fantastic in the morning. arm yourself with a cup of coffee and try it out sometime.

4. avoid the crowds - OR - use them. 

if you can, visit a location during low season or right before open/close when fewer tourists will be around. pay attention and time your shots carefully if you want to keep strangers out of your frame. if you are at a high-traffic attraction, this may mean getting creative. [when we visited the Grand Palace in Bangkok, it was swarming with people… but I made a game of trying to shoot without people in my frame.] OR. use the people around you to make your photographs more interesting. I get wrapped up in just the scenery a lot of the time, but capturing a few of the locals can really add to the atmosphere of your shot.

4. use what you know. 

vacation is not the time to experiment learning full manual on your new DSLR. I fully encourage you to learn how to use manual. but. you should practice when it doesn't matter rather than while shooting a once-in-a-lifetime scene. practice shooting lots of everyday things before your trip - your dog, your dinner, your local art festival - and you'll be comfortable using your skills. OR if you haven't had time to figure it out, shoot using the mode/lens/camera you are comfortable with. you'll end up with better shots if you feel confident in the equipment you're using.

5. don’t spend the entire time behind the lens. 

yes, you want to bring home memories of this amazing experience… but you also want to experience it. I’ve been guilty of getting so caught up in taking pictures that I don’t give myself time to actually enjoy what we are seeing/doing. every now and then put the camera down and just look around. not only will this help you be in the moment, but taking some time to view the scene may inspire a great shot you wouldn’t have thought of otherwise. besides, you're on vacation!

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packing list: 10 days in Bali

this detailed packing list breaks down what to bring for a 10 day trip to the island of Bali, Indonesia. figuring out what to pack is always tough for me, so I thought I would share in hopes that this will help you out! this list is specifically for my trip to Bali, but could work for any number of tropical climates.

I'm leaving for Bali tomorrow and my bag is finally packed! [except for my toothbrush, etc... obviously plan to use that before leaving but you get the point.] according to statistics and science and stuff, you guys like when I post about packing. and since part of my pre-packing planning and crazy procrastination was to take pictures of most of my clothes, you're about to see exactly what it is I've packed.

I'm going to preface this with a little disclaimer: we are flying on an airline that allows 20 kg of luggage for free, and my backpack has a 75 liter capacity. we are also staying at the same hotel in Ubud the entire time- so packing light is not a huge concern. our major activities will be visiting temples and beaches, hanging out by the pool and walking into town for food. maybe some scooting and definitely some avoiding thieving monkeys in the jungle.

with that in mind, I have packed:

dresses: for some reason I don't like traveling in pants, so I plan to wear a dress with leggings on the plane. dresses are also easy to throw on to head for breakfast, or dinner, or the beach, etc etc. it's also good to bring one nicer outfit just in case.

shirts + shorts: I try to pack a mix of plain and patterned shirts. since shoulders need to be covered when we visit temples, I'm bringing half of my shirts with some sleeve. each shirt has go with at least two of the pairs of shorts. I could probably survive with only one of the jean shorts... but while the ones on the left are longer, they tend to stretch out after a few wears.

swimwear: I like my swim tops to have a little support- especially since I will occasionally wear one as a strapless bra while traveling. this means they can't scrunch as much and take up more space, but what's a girl gonna do? I also will bring multiple bottoms to go with certain tops sometimes... my black swimsuit has four different cut/patterned bottoms I can wear with it. [though I'm only bringing two this trip. see? progress.]

outerwear: Bali is going to be highs around 85F and a low of 75F while we are there. I've packed this scarf and a light cardigan to take with me at night. I may not need them, but I hate being cold and I tend to get chilled easily if I get too much sun. the jacket is mostly for the plane [since I always FREEZE] and is a super comfy sweatshirt material.

not everything is pictured because it was either in the laundry, or I changed my mind about what to bring. [or because you know what a white v-neck tshirt looks like.] also included but not pictured are the 12 travel essentials I shared with you before [medicine, entertainment, etc] and a few splurges too [camera gear, nailpolish.]

here's a more comprehensive list:

4 tank tops

5 tshirts

4 dresses

3.5 swimsuits

3 pairs of shorts

1 set running clothes

1 sarong wrap

1 scarf

1 cardigan

1 sweatshirt/jacket

2 pairs sandals

pajamas + underwear

and it all fits in here! my bag officially clocks in at 11.3 kg, not including the zip-on backpack that I will use for a carryon.

as I've been putting this post together I realize that most of my packing issues revolve around procrastination... but at least this time it's for a good cause. I'm leaving tomorrow but have scheduled a few posts for you while I'm gone. you can also keep up with our trip on twitter + instagram [depending on internet availability.] have a great few weeks and I'll see you in february!

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update: where it's from
red + grey stripe dress, pink/blue/black pattern dress, blue pattern tank, orange pattern tank, purple tee, rolled jean shorts, newsprint bikini, sweatshirt moto jacket : Anthropologie 
black + cream striped dress, scoopneck tee : Target
grey dress, green shorts : Old Navy
mint v-neck tee, black tank, palm print bikini : Victoria's Secret 
ripped jean shorts, printed scarf : Forever 21

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friday thoughts

it's been a while since I just sat here and wrote. I've been trying so hard to keep up with things and stick to a schedule that the extraneous gut writing has been building up. I know you guys love free fonts and travel stories and goal-setting... but sometimes a girl just has to make a list of random things.

so.

1. I get anxious before I travel. not about the actual travel [I kindof like flying] but about getting everything done before I leave on a trip. I feel very overwhelmed and that there are a hundred things that MUST be done... and so I turn into a multi-tasking machine. but I try to do so many things [half of them not actually important] that it takes me forever to get things done.

2. case in point: packing. oh.my.lord does packing make me anxious. my train of thought goes something like this... I'm staying for 10 days so maybe I'll bring 4 pairs of shorts and 3 dresses. no, that's too much. 3 pairs of shorts. but which 3 pairs? if I bring these shorts they will go with this and this and this top... but I really like these polka dot shorts that only match one shirt. I need tshirts for visiting temples... wait, are the temple rules the same here? I should probably google that. and on, and on, and on.

3. for some reason I decided a great way to procrastinate get organized for packing was to pull out all of the clothing I might want to take with me, and hang it up and photograph it. said clothes are currently in a giant pile jammed into my wardrobe. if I get my ish together and actually decide which of those things I'm bringing and get them into my bag, you should have a very thorough packing post before I depart. [or maybe when I get back.]

4. I've been spending so much time writing at Starbucks [and probably tweeting about writing at Starbucks] that Starbucks followed me on twitter the other day. so... that made me feel pretty cool. but seriously, Starbucks has become my office. I have two tables that I alternate sitting at, depending if they're taken or if I feel like a high table that day. the baristas know my name and order, and there is one girl who shouts out "grande coffee of the day!" whenever I walk through the door.

5. aside from writing my face off and being too busy worrying about packing to actually pack... I've been getting into Jillian Michael's 30 day shred. [did you know that pretty much every one of her videos is available on youtube?] Jillian and I have been spending a lot of time together these past few weeks. and I both love and hate her. I've started the 30 day shred a few times before, but this is the first time I've made it to level two. dude, plank jacks. I'm not doing it every day, but mixing it in with the occasional run has made me feel a lot stronger.

and that's all the random I have for you today. [oh- and I did google temple etiquette in Bali.]

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DIY wall art: painted washi tape words

I have a thing for paint projects that involve tape. [probably because I can't freehand a straight line to save my life.] so when I saw that the first creative collective project involved making an art piece of your 2014 motto, I knew exactly what I was going to attempt.

if you remember, my 2014 motto is actually challenge accepted. but I decided that the best way to tackle this particular challenge was to simplify things. so... I gave in to the hustle.

I didn't have any blank canvas on hand, so I cut off a spare cardboard chunk. I started with a coat of silver poster paint. this paint has been hanging out in my office unused for way too long, and I figured it was about time to break it out.

once the silver was completely dry, I taped off my word and a border to go around it. I knew the tape would be great for straight edges but not so much the curves. so I made my "font" a little angular and intentionally funky. painter's tape would also work instead of washi tape here.

I painted a coat of emerald around the tape, let it dry and peeled it off. [yes, it's really that easy to make wall art.]

it's a little rough around the edges, literally. I think you would have better results with canvas, but I'm still happy with how it turned out. and of course it all comes back to my motto... I challenged myself to use materials I had on hand and I made it work.

plus, I really love how the silver + emerald work with my chevron wall.

I'm so excited to be linking up with Melyssa for this creative collective project, and to find new ways to exercise my creativity this year! I hope you'll join us.

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packing list: my 5 travel splurges

as I’m planning for our trip to Bali this month, I’ve started a list of things to pack. last month I shared my 12 packing essentials [which will definitely be coming with me] but today I want to talk about the non-essentials.

I have a long history of being an over-packer. like, bringing a full size suitcase on a weekend getaway over-packer. sometimes I just bring too many clothes, sometimes I bring heavy or awkward souvenirs like my Nana's antique glass candy dish. but I thought it would be fun to share some of the things I’ve regularly splurged on stowing away in my bag over the years.

1. emergency manicure kit: it’s no secret that I love painting my nails. but I also hate having chipped polish. so when I plan to be traveling for a longer period of time [especially to a beachy location] I’ll pack one of these remover wipes, a bottle of polish and quick-dry topcoat. just be sure your caps are screwed on tight, and pack the polish in it's own ziploc baggie. [trust me, I speak from polish-covered experience.]

2. my hair dryer: my hair takes a LONG time to dry, and one of the things I hate most about traveling are the wimpy hotel blow dryers. they can also be pretty damaging to your hair [and cause some serious frizz.] my dryer is a few years old but super powerful- most days I can get away with not having to straighten my hair if I dry it thoroughly. I've tried leaving the dryer at home and bringing my straightener instead... but 5 minutes of using my dryer will beat 20 minutes with a hotel dryer + 10 minutes of straightening any day. 

3. too many shoes: this is one packing habit I think I've almost kicked. in the past I have been guilty of stowing away up to five pairs of sandals in my bag... they're light and don't take up much space, so I found this indulgence easy to justify. BUT. most of my sandals are pretty similar [as you can see] and bringing only 1 or 2 pairs that will match with everything isn't actually that difficult. 

4. camera gear: if you count my iPhone, I traveled everywhere last year with 3 cameras. my load got a lot lighter after I got my EOS M and started leaving my extra lenses at home, but the instax [and film] had to come with me as part of my 52 weeks project. I also always bring my spare battery + charger, remote, travel tripod, and waterproof iPhone case.

5. workout clothes: let’s be honest. you always think you're going to keep with your workout schedule on vacation, but you never do as much as you plan. when we went to Thailand this past summer I was training for a 10 mile race, and I managed to run twice while we were there. but instead of bringing one set of clothes to rinse + reuse, I packed 3 sets. oops.

with all that said… I will probably be packing nailpolish, my hairdryer, three cameras, and at least one set of workout clothes for Bali. if I plan to use them all, it’s not really a waste of space, right? I’m also curious to know… what are the things you always splurge on adding to your suitcase? I can’t be the only one who doesn't pack light!

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Brittany. she drinks her tea with sugar and blogs about her quest to create life experiences by traveling over at Life Changes ii.

[linking up with Nicole for treat yo self Thursday. and then watching some Parks + Rec]

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the writer's block: looking ahead to the new year

welcome to the writer's block: a monthly feature where I take a break from the typing and let a few of my sponsors share some information about themselves + their blogs.

last week I shared with you some of my plans for 2014. where I will travel, what I hope to accomplish, a few exciting events, and my motto for the year. I asked those same questions of the lovely ladies hanging out on my sidebar this month, and today I’m sharing their plans for the new year. read a little bit about them and what their 2014 has in store, then be sure to stop by their blogs and say hello!

the basics: I'm Dannielle and I'm from New York and found myself in England with my boyfriend and our two cats. I write about our travels, life, and other things I like. Join me on my journey to fit myself into the English culture and to fuel your wanderlust.

travel plans for this year: Where I will travel in 2014... I'm hoping to Greece! It's one of the countries at the top of my list right now. More realistically probably France and Belgium as my friend is coming to visit and I want to take her to my favourite bits.

an upcoming exciting event: A move to London is on the cards! So that will be exciting when it actually happens. Circumstances prevented us from going in 2013, so fingers crossed 2014 is our year.

her motto for 2014: My phrase for 2014 will be 'Get it done.' I get so easily distracted and I want to actually finish projects that I start this year, and learn the new things I've been putting off (I have two beginning knitting books to be read). No more putting things off!

learn more about Dannielle on her blog Chic-a-DeeDee

a few posts she thinks you'll enjoy:

first New Zealand post 

advice to my pre-expat self

or follow along with:

twitter + bloglovin + instagram

the basics: The Art of Balance was created as a way for me to share my journey to a life of balance and stress-free living. I share my struggles and (successes!) living happily in spite of having anxiety in hopes of connecting with women all over the world who may share some of the same issues. If you follow along, you'll also learn about my love for dogs, reading, and helping others. I believe in cultivating my own happiness and balance in life and hope to inspire you too!

travel plans for this year: My fiance and I are still working out the details on what kind of honeymoon we can afford. Our top two locations would be Greece (mine) and Ireland (his) but we're pretty sure we'll have to put that trip on hold for a year or two. We recently started looking at Saint Lucia as a possibility because it has the best of both worlds: a little romance, privacy, and relaxation and a ton of awesome opportunities for adventures like waterfall hiking, zip-lining, and mountain biking.

an upcoming exciting event: That's easy, I'm getting married! My fiance and I will have been dating for almost 6 years (we're getting married 5 days before our 6th anniversary) and we still don't live together. We've always lived within 10 minutes of each other and spend plenty of time staying at each other's place, so we never felt the necessity to move in together. (Which ultimately makes my very traditional family happy.)

her motto for 2014: Go with the flow and let the little things go. For someone with anxiety, letting the little things go is really important to keeping stress levels low. Since 2014 will be full of life changes and lots of planning, I want to be intentional about keeping my stress levels low. I know that wedding planning can be really stressful so I want to be able to go with the flow and not stress about all the small things.

learn more about Codi on her blog The Art of Balance

a few posts she thinks you'll enjoy:

cyber bullying

the day my life took a turn

or follow along with:

twitter + pinterest + bloglovin

the basics: After finishing college with no interesting job prospects in America, I decided to move to Moscow, Russia, take a job as an English teacher, and start a blog. I decided I'd live in Moscow for just a year, but now it's my fourth year in Moscow and I just married a Russian! My blog is a mix of musings on being an expat, explorations of Moscow, and stories of everyday life in Russia!

travel plans for this year: It's a quick start this year! January 1st will find me in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan for a not-so-romantic honeymoon! Beyond that, we're crossing our fingers for some super exciting travel in 2014 -- barring any visa issues for my husband, the Russky!

an upcoming exciting event: Big plans are in the works! If all goes well, we should be relocating to Chile in the summer/fall.

her motto for 2014: вперёд! (vperyod!) A Russian word that means "forward!" I've been feeling like my life has been a little stagnant and I'd like to shake it up and move forward in 2014!

learn more about Polly on her blog A Girl and Her Travels

a few posts she thinks you'll enjoy:

An open letter to future Moscow expats

Answers from the Russky (get to know us!)

or follow along with:

instagram  + twitter

ps- if you'd like to be a part of next month's writer's block post [and hang out on my sidebar] there are still sponsorships spaces available! I'd love to have you!

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january goals + my new job

last week, I started a new job: writer and blogger.

I hear you asking yourself, wait, wasn’t she doing that before? yes I was [and I have been taking it seriously!] but now I've decided to make it officially official. now I have a work schedule - one that I’m forcing myself to keep to. even though last week was a holiday week, I wrote. even though on Friday morning I woke up feeling like I had gotten a collective 15 minutes of sleep and all I wanted to do was stay in bed, I wrote. even though I missed a Passionfruit chat and the season 4 Downton Abbey debut today, I wrote. I have a schedule and I’ve been sticking to it.

my January is all about and getting things done. and we're leaving for Bali in 2 weeks! which means there's a lot to accomplish before I go. to help keep me on track, I'm setting a few goals for the month:

1. book-specific writing sessions 3-4 times a week: I feel like I'm just starting, but already I want to get ahead. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try book writing while on vacation. I don't want to lose the habit, but I don't want to drag my laptop with me. [or waste precious beach time.]

2. wrap up sponsor business: this is my first month of hosting sponsorships and I'm still learning, but I want my sponsors to feel taken care of. my first full-post sponsor feature will run this week! I'm both nervous and terribly excited to share these lovely ladies with you. and my new sponsors will be starting right when I'm flying out- I want to be sure to welcome them and set things up before I go.

3. schedule at least 3 posts for when I’ll be gone: yes, I'm going on vacation, but I don't want to disappear completely! there are a few things I've been meaning to share that may never be posted if they don't get in before all the travel this year. I have a lot of half-written ideas brewing... I just need to round them out and get them scheduled.

4. remember to take care of myself: the last thing I want to do is be sick for vacation. with everything else going on I want to be sure I'm eating right, getting exercise, and sleeping well. Husband and I have been carrying on the weekend tradition of running the mountain + sushi lunches, and I'm making a date with Jillian Michaels a few times a week.

5. get packed for our trip ahead of time: have we discussed how I'm a terrible packer? I'm hoping to be packed [as much as I can] in advance so that I can relax and actually sleep the night before our flight. I've already started a list, and I'm thinking of throwing together a post because that would mean I have to do it in advance. right?

that's a lot for the next two weeks, but I'm hoping I can stay on track... you all might have to remind me from time to time! what are your goals for this month?

[linking up with Melyssa for weekly wishes]

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Bangkok// The Grand Palace [part 2]

as promised, the rest of my visit to the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. [see part 1 here]

let's talk about the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, pictured above. inside there is a Buddha statue carved from a single piece of jade. this statue was housed somewhere in Ayutthaya before the Burmese invasion, and legend says that the monks covered it in plaster to hide its value. the statue was moved, and for years no one realized what was underneath. then one day it was knocked over, cracking the plaster and revealing the Emerald Buddha. now it lives in its own special temple in the Grand Palace, and it known as the most sacred Buddhist site in Thailand.

I don't have a picture of the Emerald Buddha for you. mostly because you are not allowed to take pictures of it, but also because my camera battery died before I made it over to the temple itself. but there was still plenty that made it onto my memory card...

tangent: I had an eye-opening experience the other night. for the first time in my adult life, and certainly for the first time since experiencing southeast Asian culture and visiting Bangkok for the first time... we watched "The King and I." and I was moderately horrified at the misrepresentation of both Thai culture and the practices of Buddhism. so much that I'm struggling to write this post without mentioning it.

but I'm going to try not to preach at you. I'd like to think that my readers are both global citizens and independent thinkers, able to differentiate fiction and stereotypes from reality. and I hope we can agree that - thankfully - globalization has brought us all a better understanding of each other's cultures.

ok, end tangent. back to the pictures.

this golden tiered chedi and its mosaic-covered demon warriors was probably my favorite part of the entire Grand Palace complex. the detail in the armor just blows my mind... all the different colors and patterns. had I not been trying to conserve battery life, I could have snapped pictures of those guys all day.

seriously. this place is amazing. I really don't know what more I can say about it, other than: Thailand is amazing. you should go to Thailand, and you should visit the Grand Palace.

[and you should remember to bring a spare and fully charged camera battery.]

the cup of coffee that fueled the writing of today’s post was sponsored by Hayley. she drinks her tea with 2 scoops of sugar and blogs about life, travel, and adventure over at livin' it up as HayUp.

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my motto for 2014

have you ever picked a word or phrase to help guide you through the year to come? I've set resolutions in the past [and some years I made a resolution not to set resolutions] but the idea of picking a word really appealed to me. some simply choose a word on their own- I was planning to as part of filling out this amazing workbook.

originally I had tossed around the idea of the word hustle. last year I gave myself freedom to explore and grow, but this is my year to get things done. I'm not crazy about the actual word, but the idea of it seemed to fit my plans for the year and what I need to do to accomplish them:

travel to Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, and the United States
hop around the US for a solid month- from all over Michigan to California and Texas
continue to blog our adventures from the road
return to Taiwan for another school year in Hsinchu
play tour guide to potentially 4 different visitors in Taiwan
write a book, and scarier yet, publish it
figure out what and where comes next in our life

[and that's just the stuff we already have settled.]

as I was contemplating all of this and trying to start the workbook, I ran into a bit of trouble. it seems that our printer is missing the cable that allows you to connect to a computer and print. uh, problem. but I was determined to go through the workbook and plan out my 2014. so I found a notebook with some space and decided to write it out by hand.

and in the course of doing so I realized what my motto for 2014 should be: challenge accepted.

I think that a little bit of attitude is exactly what I need for the coming year. it's not just about getting work done. it's about finding a way to make things happen, no mater what life throws at me. because I know already that 2014 will be a challenge... but I also know that I'm ready to face it.

[linking up with Nicole for treat yo self Thursday]

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