A blog on travel photography and our photography courses in the UK and Abroad.
Here we go on our latest trip to the USA. Accompanied by Julie, Nicky, Damian, Mick, Tracey and Pam. First night in Vegas staying at the Flamingo Hotel then out the the famous Vegas sign first thing for the group photo shot. We are then heading North East to Kingman before heading East to Williams along Route 66. More photos to follow.
Just got back from a 3 day visit to East Sussex to photograph around Rye and Dungeness. Great remote landscapes with big skys. We stayed at the Playden Oast House near Rye and travelled out to Dungeness. Due to the time of year the place is virtually deserted. Well worth a trip to photograph the old wrecks and containers laid up on the beach. Here are a few pics from the day – All have been run through Lightroom and Photoshop.
To find out more about our photography courses in different parts of the UK visit our website: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk
Had a great day out in London learning how to make stained glass windows. Travelled out to a farm complex on the Isle of Dogs to the Coat of Glass studios. In a day you can learn the techniques for glass cutting, grinding the glass edges then fit into the lead and finish off to make a complete stained glass window. There were a great range of designs to choose from and Stephen is on hand to help if things go pear shaped. Here is their web site: https://www.coatofglass.london/
Check out our very own 1 day photography courses on sundays throughout the year: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk
First 1 day group course in London on Sunday with some lovely moody skys. Thanks for those that attended. A walk from Embankment to St Pauls then onto Covent Garden. We have 2 more London courses in the summer. Check out our 1 days here: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk/1_day_1-2-1_Courses/1_day_Courses.html
Last night Helen and I visited Salisbury to see the display. Huge projections on the outside and inside of the cathedral set to music. It was a challenge to photograph as the projections were constantly moving so a long time exposure was not possible. Decided to go for a high iso 12800 and a wide aperture. Shots were noisy but managed to reduce with lightroom. All shot on my Canon 6D mkII with a 24-105 L Lens.
Here are a selection of pics.
I found this book in a local charity shop today and can highly recommend it for anyone who has travelled Route 66. The book is £20 to buy from all good bookshops and is a great nostalgic collection full of old photos from places along the route. Here’s what Amazon has to say:
“John Steinbeck famously christened Route 66 America’s “Mother Road” in The Grapes of Wrath, and that chapter about Tom Joad’s exodus is just one of the classic pieces collected in this ultimate anthology. Here’s history, roadside attractions, pop culture, ghost stories—even recipes from famous greasy spoons. And it’s all illustrated with the largest collection of vintage art, postcards, travel decals, collectibles, and other memorabilia ever amassed. This is a truly a worthy tribute to the Main Street of America.”
In around 4 weeks time we will be arriving at Bryce Canyon on our Las Vegas and the National Parks Tour. We will be spending a night a Ruby’s Inn and visit the Canyon – the park entrance is under a mile from the hotel. Bryce is 2336m above sea level so gets pretty cold in March but with the close proximity of the hotel we can go out for a sunrise then come back to warm up with a buffet breakfast.
This is another of my favourite hotels on the trip with great history. In 1916 Reuben C (Ruby) Syrett moved to the area and built a ranch near the present site of Ruby’s Inn. By 1919 they had obtained permission to build a ‘Tourist Rest’ near the canyon and when Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 the tourist rest was moved to its present location and named Ruby’s Inn.
You can visit their web site: https://www.rubysinn.com
If you want to book a place on our trip next year: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk/America/lasvegas.html
I have been using this app for years and think it’s really great as a Travel Blog app. The app is called Find Penguins and is a free app you can use on android, Mac and the web. You can either have it as open to the public or restrict users to family and friends and with each entry on the blog you can add up to 6 photos and write a daily diary. The app records where the entry was made via GPS on your phone so if you are travelling you get a record of your travels on a map.
Another nice feature of the app is that when you have finished the trip you can make a book using the entries you have made. The books can be edited and make a nice record of your travels. They are good quality and cost round £40 – watch out for notifications offering discounts on the books from time to time.
Check out the website https://www.findpenguins.com it’s free to download and use.
On the last night of our trip in March we will be staying at the Golden Nugget – a luxury hotel in downtown Vegas. Originally built in 1946 it is one of the oldest casinos in the city. It has 2419 rooms, a shark tank and the largest golden nugget in the world. The whole hotel has a great retro feel and opens out onto the Fremont experience. It can be seen in the James and film Diamonds are Forever (1971) in the police chase scene.
If you would like to visit our site and book our 2021 tour: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk/America/lasvegas.html
This is our first stop on the tour coming up in a few weeks. Originally built in 1946 and located on the strip this Art Deco style hotel has 3460 rooms on a 40 acre site. Last renovated in 2018 the hotel was owned by Bugsy Siegel and has features in the Elvis Presley film Viva Las Vegas and Oceans 11 in 1960.
If you would like to visit our site and book our 2021 tour: https://www.fotocourses.co.uk/America/lasvegas.html
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