Outdoor Photographer, In the 21st Century

Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.

--Babs Hoffman

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Outdoor photographers in the 21st-century, we live in a world of uncertainties. I am writing this article to ensure you that there are many ways to lessen the hassles of traveling nowadays. Ever since the horrible disaster that America has faced with September 11, 2001, our security has been beefed up at our airports with professional federal employee, these young & mature men and women as I have personally observed are friendly and courtesy and do their job extremely well. I had never had any problems with these professional. Before I go on a photo trip I usually start planning well in advance within a year to six months before I depart, I do major researching on the Internet, as well as networking through the photographic organizations I belong to. I truly fine this valuable information to contact photographers who live in the area. I do 90% of my bookings online I find this to be the quickest and easiest way, after I have the hotel, car, and a home-based hotel. I do not book Airlines online due to the fact I do not want to be surprised, I preferred to have a fixed schedule 95% of the time I can book the airline at the same price from online. I'll also FedEx all of my photographic equipment and film, as with my film which is placed in x-ray bags I do not worry, besides, I take all my film an tape the box at the FedEx center. So if they want they can check the contents of the box. I have never had any problems with federal express, and if you follow the instructions that I am going to give you'll have no worries whatsoever. But I assure you my very expensive photographic equipment is safely delivered to the home-based hotel. I have read and seeing so many articles and suggestions on this topic. I just had to show you the best way and put it a nutshell. Granite the majority of the articles I have read are insulting your intelligence, its commonsense. Please Note: that these guidelines and suggestions are for domestic travel and if you're into outdoor photography, this will benefit you greatly. So here are my guidelines and suggestions to the outdoor photographer for the 21st-century with great success.

In the beginning:

. Intense research- (at least six months-a year)

. Networking- (within professional organizations)

. Budgeting- (0 a month for six to 12 months)

In the beginning these are the three keys: intense research, networking, and budgeting. Researching which includes: Internet, mappings, literature, brochures, professional photographers, commerce, national wildlife refuge, travel agents, all of this takes time that is why I personally take the time at least six months to a year to research the area or areas of interest. Networking: if you belong to a well organization like the Photographic Society of America or North America Nature Photography Association or any other well-established organization you have the great benefit of your membership to network. By contacting photographers who are in the area that you desire to visit, besides I have personally met new and wonderful people who are like-minded by networking. Budgeting: now this is the tough part, I personally put 0.00 a month aside for photo travels for six to 12 months this gives me plenty of money to participate in activities I so desire, I do not stay in luxury hotels or rent luxury cars nor, do I have luxury meals. By all means I stay at hotels that are clean, and I usually try to get rooms with a refrigerator and I usually shop at local grocery stores, this way if I am in hot climate I can keep my film cool, and have some food also. If a refrigerator is not available I would use the air condition to keep at least the film cool, I usually buy salads, and slimfast, so refrigerator or an air condition does me find.

Part Two:

. Confirm- (confirm reservations)

. Photographic equipment- (cleaning, testing, packing)

. Locating drop-off center- (FedEx in my case)

. Reconfirm- (double checking)

. Clothes- (pack for ideal climate)

. Weather- (forecasting for the area)

. Paperwork- (any and all)

. Lab Bags- (transparencies and prints)

. Emergency /Meds- (first aid kit & prescription medications)

. Other equipment- (gsp, cell, two radio, cb hand held, laptop chains/locks)

Part two, and with these nine keys: confirm, photographic equipment, location for drop-off, Reconfirm, clothes, weather, paperwork, lab bags, emergency meds. Confirm: this is where you will call, hotel, airline, car rental, and hotel(s)-(home-based). Photographic equipment: this key could continuously be dragged on but I will put it all in a nutshell. First of all if you are going to use a carrier service like I do you're going to need to set up an account. I know that federal express is free to set up an account; if you do not have an account with a carrier service I strongly suggest you get one. So let's say you do have an account. What we need to do now is to have our shipping container and camera case and equipment ready to pack safely I bubble wrap each piece of equipment that is most fragile. Drop-off center: I also know were the drop-off center is from the home base, you can do I web search or call 800 numbers. Reconfirm: well this is commonsense do I really need to explain this one? But make sure you get a confirmation number from the hotel of where you will be staying for your photo adventure, placed this number somewhere on the shipping container, but only for the first hotel base. If you're going to be using multiple hotels you can transport the equipment in your rental car to the next hotel. Clothes: pack for ideal climate, forecast, watch the weather channel for your forecast, at least 2 weeks prior to your departure, this will give you an ideal of what to expect. Paperwork: make sure you have copies of any prescription medications you may need, also have any photographic lab paperwork, always have copies of your itinerary, and your state maps and or road atlas, plus your instruction manuals for your photographic equipment. I still prefer shoot transparencies I feel that Digital photography is more or less point and shoot. Remember back when you had them Polaroid cameras, well that's basically what Digital photography is. I still prefer to use my mind and skill and education. For the photographic lab bags, are consist of bubble bags and I use the bags to mail film from my home base hotel to the laboratory, I also carry an organizer that has all the photographic numbers and other important numbers I need, as well as other information, always be prepared. Emergency/meds: it's always good ideal to have a small first aid kit available specially when you're out in the field, and by all means use commonsense, always have your medical card, blood type, Social Security number, driver's license, any medications you are taking. Have it written down and placed somewhere on your person, you never know if you travel alone like I do, what happens if you're unconscious? Well, at least the medical emergency personnel will have some information. Other equipment: I use a GSP unit as well as a compass this help me stay on track and find my way back. I also use and have my cell phone, CB radio which gives me constant updates on weather, I also like to use a 7 foot chain with locks to secure the shipping case and camera case in the home base hotel.

At the airport hotel:

This is the first leg of the trip; I usually stay at the airport the day before departure. I truly believe that by staying at the airport hotel the night before is less stressful than rushing around the day of. The first things I do is check-in and ask for a wakeup call, approximately 4 a.m. I catch the early flights. I then catch the shuttle bus that will bring me to the departure gates of my chosen airline.

At the airport:

If you catch the earliest flight to your destination, which I always do. There are fewer passengers at these early times. The check-in counter usually opens about 5 a.m. at least the one I use, always check to be sure, the only thing I check in our my clothes bag which also contains my tripod and some other inexpensive equipment, per this writing transit authority now have locks you can purchase which they have the key too, this is usually a combination lock,this way if bags are in question the transit authority can open your bag without destroying it. My, carry on would include my laptop, cell phone, money, ticket, credit cards, and perhaps a book. As you're getting ready to go through security be prepared to have your ticket and driver's license out and ready, it is amazing to see people stumbling around to get their driver's license out. Also prepare to take off your shoes, I wear running pants and docksider easy to slip off, take everything out of your pockets put them in the plastic bowl, take out your laptop put that in a separate container and walk through the metal detector simple right? Wrong, if every passenger did this we would not have to stand in line very long just for commonsense. I would like to note to pack your tripod in you're checked luggage bag any non-fragile item w/clothes. I usually have the biggest duffel bag I can find. May your travels be a pleasant one.

Resources: helpful website

Danielle's CASE Company: specializes in carrying cases, shipping cases and wheeled cases designed to transport your equipment with care. http://www.danielles.com.

Transportation Security Administration: A MUST for anyone traveling by air. http://www.tsa.gov/public/display.

Federal Express: open an account or conduct business with any FedEx company.http://www.fedex.com

Photographic Society of America: Travel Aid We are a worldwide interactive organization for anyone interested in photography, be they casual or serious amateurs or professional photographers. http://www.psa-photo.org/

Price line: delivers huge savings on airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars and vacations. Name Your Own Price and save for all your travel needs. ... Discount cheap travel - last minute deals an.
http://www.priceline.com

Outdoor Photographer, In the 21st Century

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Best Of Mobile Application Development: 7 Apps That Changed The Way We Travel

The world is at our fingertips, thanks to the omnipresence of smartphones and programmers who keep on coming up with extraordinary mobile applications that make life easy. Travelling has never been as easy or as safe it is now thanks to the mobile networks those operate all over the world. Mobile applications development in the area of travel has added great comfort to the traveler's life.

The following seven mobile applications are the ones that have made the greatest impact on the smart traveler in today's world.

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1. Google Maps: Not only does it you to find the shortest or the least crowded route to a particular location, but also amazing for people travelling around the world. You can store maps, view live traffic, set it in a voice mode and get voice directions, check out an area in 3D, view where you friends are and let them see where you are! This mobile application development is as essential as the Swiss knife for every kind of traveler.

2. Where: This application uses Google Maps technology to give you a personalized list of places you would enjoy going to. Wondering where to go next? This app will give the answer. It will find the place closest to your current location based on your setting for place, eat, drink or play. You can also use the app to find the nearest parking lots, gas stations and hotels. And it's Free!

3. Kayak: Most budget travelers swear by kayak. Kayak flight and hotel research application is the best way of booking tickets or hotels. Thanks to mobile application development this PC application is now available on mot phones. Its amazing search engine helps you find the best hotel, car rental and flight deals.

4. Weather Bug: It's never a great experience to find that it's raining cats and dogs on day you arrive at your destination, while throughout the year the place is known for its clear skies and sunshine. Weather Bug will help you avoid this. It's a lot better than other weather apps and works on almost any operating system.

5. Wi-Fi Finder: Can't live without the internet, but are not sure it's safe use your phone to access the net? Then this app is made especially for you! It will help you find the nearest Wi-Fi enabled location. You can download the information too and store it for later use. And this is not all: it also tells you whether the Wi-Fi zone is free or you have to pay for it.

6. Yelp: Mobile application development makes a lot of things possible and this app is its best example. If you are travelling in America, it works wonders. You can get the user-reviews of a large number of restaurants in America using Yelp. It is also a great way to find different places to eat.

7. Priceline Hotel and Car negotiator: Excellent for people stuck somewhere and looking for a hotel or car at the last minute. All you need to do it turn this app on, choose a star level and choose from the exhaustive list it comes up with. It's also great for people looking to get cheap rental cars and hotel rooms.

Best Of Mobile Application Development: 7 Apps That Changed The Way We Travel

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Discount Airline Travel - Orlando Hotel

Do you want to go to Disney World? What about Universal Studios? These are both located in Orlando, Florida and there are ways to get discount airline travel Orlando hotel packages for a great price. Here are a few options you can use to save money on your trip.

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First, you can book your trip online with Expedia, Priceline, or Hotwire and create a package deal. You can save hundreds by packaging your Orlando hotel with your flight and your car rental. When I did this I was able to save about 0 per person.

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Your second option is to use the timeshare vacation package. You can search the internet and find a resort that will give you a free 4 night stay in Orlando. Then, all you have to worry about is your airfare and getting from the resort to Disney World or Universal Studios. You will have to sit through a presentation, but that is a small price to pay for a free stay at a resort.

Another option is to travel in the off season. This is June, July, and August for Orlando. It is going to be quite warm, but not unbearable. The prices to travel in the off season are about half of what it costs during peak season. Plus there will be less tourists so you will not have to wait in line as long either.

Book your trip and save money by using discount airline travel Orlando hotel packages online. You can also use the timeshare scheme or travel in the off season. You can even combine a few of these options for more savings and a longer stay.

Discount Airline Travel - Orlando Hotel

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How To Find The Best Flight Deals

Booking a flight is easy, but finding the best deal may not be as simple. Prices for flights will vary depending on the time of day they're purchased, the day of the week and the current rate. Outside factors influencing the cost are fuel prices, the individual airline's revenue and the airline's expenses. There are a few important things to know when looking for a flight. This article will give some helpful tips for finding the best flight deals.

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Advance Reservations

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The best advice for flying is to reserve early. As soon as money is available and travel plans are decided, purchase a flight first. Hotel reservations, rental cars and other trip details can be paid upon obtaining the service. Airline tickets must be purchased in advance. It is important to be sure of travel dates; if they are still somewhat uncertain, it is best to choose an airline that has a lower change fee. Some discount carriers, such as Southwest, do not charge change fees. Most airlines charge between -0, depending on how far in advance the change is made and how full the flight is. The popular search engine called Bing has a special flight-finder feature that shows the current lowest rate, along with a predictor scale that indicates whether it is a good time to buy or it is better to wait.

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Not everyone plans trips in advance. Sometimes there is little notice for booking a flight. Funerals, family emergencies, weddings and impulsive weekend getaways all call for a last-minute purchase. When this is the case, always compare rates. Keep in mind that some airlines do not appear in a search engine's results - or a discount booking site. Popular sites such as Priceline include all of the major airlines. However, discount providers such as Virgin, Jet Blue, Southwest, AirTran and several others do not sell seats to discount sites. To see these rates, travelers will have to go to the site directly. Discount sites usually always have a lower rate than major airlines.

Flight Sales

In addition to searching the flight deals from discount airlines, it is also a good idea to check for flight sales. Most major air carriers that have sales will announce them through television commercials or advertisements. A simple search engine query for the current month, year and the words "flight sale" in quotation marks will yield any relevant results. Most sales are based on a one-way rate. For example, an airline may list their sale prices as "starting at one-way." This means the lowest possible round-trip flight would be . Not all sale prices are applicable to every airport destination and departure location. To find the best deals when flight sales are not available, use discount comparison sites. Booking Buddy offers a comprehensive look at all the major discount companies' rates. Keep in mind that some companies do not list taxes and fees. Always be sure the total price has these items factored in to ensure the lowest fare is purchased. In most cases, Priceline has the lowest average prices and the best cancellation insurance plan.

How To Find The Best Flight Deals

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Where to Book Resorts and Other Vacations for the Lowest Prices

Finding a travel company to book resorts and other vacations for the lowest prices can be a very time consuming task considering all the vacation and travel companies that are out there to choose from. Most people book their vacations through travel companies such as Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity. But just because these travel companies are popular for constantly running ads on television and radio, that doesn't mean your getting the best possible vacation deals with them.

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In fact, people pay more for their vacations through these travel companies for a lot of reasons. And one of those reasons is that travel companies such as Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity charge you third party fees.

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Joining a vacation club is the best way to get the best deals on resorts, cruises and all other types of vacations. Even though you have to pay a membership fee, the amount of money you'll save on your vacations and travel needs will certainly cover the cost of any membership fee. And by being a member of a vacation club, you'll get deals that are not available to the general public.

Not only are you going to get the best vacation deals possible, but your going to get great deals on all your travel needs such as airfare, car rentals and hotel rooms as well. And you can make reservations for all these on the same website saving you the trouble of searching for and navigating through several different websites to find the vacations and travel needs that your looking for.

Also, vacation and travel club memberships can be extended to family members so that they can also get the great vacation and travel deals as well. There are also reward points that club members can accrue to be used towards vacations and travel needs so that your able to save even more money making a club membership a very popular and smart way to book vacations.

A vacation or travel club membership makes all the sense in the world to join, whether you take frequent vacations or just one or two a year. Hundreds of thousands of people are vacation club members because they save hundreds if not thousands of dollars on all their vacations and travel needs along with all the other great deals they get that are not available to the general public. Deals you can't find anywhere else. Being a club member is where you can book resorts and other vacations for the lowest prices.

Where to Book Resorts and Other Vacations for the Lowest Prices

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Why Hotels Are Not Afraid of "Bidding" Sites

I'm guessing that an awful lot of travelers that use 'bid' sites wonder why everyone doesn't do this. They may even think hotels discourage use of these sites or dislike people who use them. In reality, smart hotels are not fearful of discount bidding sites for two compelling reasons.

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Hotel and motel operators already know what many people have found out the hard way - that when you make a low-ball bid (like ) for a hotel in a major city, you probably wind up at a pretty low grade motel. And then you end up writing this in a review, found on TripAdvisor for a San Francisco airport hotel:

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"I got the room from Priceline for a night. Dirt cheap.It is a very convenient location. But the rooms are in a terrible condition.If you want a cheap place to stay and are not concerned with amenities, then this is the place. Personally, I now regret not staying at one of the hostels. They are just as cheap and much higher in quality than this place."

Another reviewer said the following about a hotel in Portland, Oregon:

"I actually bid on a 1 star hotel on Priceline and got this. It was beyond horrible."

Mid to high tier hotels know that most of the bids coming through bid sites are super low bids. They know many people will be unhappy when they see what they booked and in fact may never again use a bid site to reserve a room, even a cheap room. At the least, they may increase their budget and bid a decent amount to get a better hotel the next time.

This is one reason why they do not mind these bid sites. Another reason is that the hotel controls the rate they will accept and the amount of inventory they will sell at that rate. If they don't need the discount rate to fill up, they won't offer any availability that night. Plus, most large hotels will book tour groups or repetitive organizations that stay 4-5 times per year (think: "Art Auction this weekend at the XXX Hotel") for the same rate they offer the bid rooms at, so they aren't exactly giving away the house anyway. And if they are facing 200-300 rooms being vacant and staff costs to cover, they are glad to get the last minute revenue.

Smaller but higher quality hotels and motels will NOT have those same costs and are much less likely to accept bids. They know only the super cheap motels, which usually charge that price range anyway to anybody who walks in, will accept bids. The better properties also know that every once in a while, Mr. Last Minute bidder will find the area sold out and because they waited too long, they now may have to pay five to ten TIMES what they would have bidded just to get a room. It only takes once to wipe out a years worth of 'savings' from using bid sites as a regular policy.

In the end, the higher quality properties know that after having to stay at just one 'dump' one time, people will likely be thinking the following, also found on TripAdvisor:

"By the time we paid for the room, Priceline's fee, and for a very ordinary breakfast for 2 adults and 1 child, it would have been less expensive to stay somewhere else like a Hampton Inn or Holiday Inn Express where breakfast is included."

Why Hotels Are Not Afraid of "Bidding" Sites

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Things Hotels Don't Want You To Know

There are many ways that individuals decide upon what hotel to stay at, and numerous alternatives for reserving those accommodations. Some people decide upon a hotel by word of mouth, others by reading guide books or articles, and others by doing research on the internet. Once they decide, one can reserve a room on the telephone (either directly through the individual hotel, a booking service, or through the chain if the hotel is affiliated with one), directly on the hotel's website, on a booking service site (such as Hotels.com, Expedia, etc), or through a website where you pick a category of hotel and an acceptable price range in a particular location, and the site has the option of the hotel eventually reserved (such as Priceline). However, there are many things about hotels that many do not want you to know, and many people do not realize.

1. The picture you see on the internet is not necessarily what you'll get. It is important to remember that professional photographers and computer programs can make something more appealing than it actually may be. Rooms may appear larger than they really are, or the beach may appear more spacious. There are tricks that actually make a beach appear to be far closer to the property than it actually is, or make it look like a particular attraction of interest is far closer to the hotel than it actually may be. The only way to determine the actual location is by looking close at a street map, and other criteria can be examined by looking at consumer sites where past guests have made comments. However, if those comments might be tainted, because many hotels employ individuals to give favorable comments on these types of sites.

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2. The price you pay is often different than what others pay. Sometimes prepayment lowers the cost, but brings with it different cancellation or rebooking charges. Many sites discount hotel rates, but those discounts are sometimes off higher published rates. Many hotels have begun offering special incentives to book your room directly through their sites. Sometimes, corporate rates are favorable, yet often they are not the lowest rates available. Hotels also include different amenities with different rates, so you have to know which of these are most important to you. Sometimes, the absolute lowest rate is only available when you call the hotel directly. Often, the room rates change depending on when you reserve your room, with far in the future rates and very close to the date rates often the lowest. As the date comes near, many hotels will offer hidden special rates, because they realize they will not be fully occupied.

3. When a website indicates no availability at a particular hotel, that is often not the case. It can be that the particular site used up its allotment, or that the hotel will only permit sites to reserve up to a specific percentage of the rooms for any one night. If you really "must" stay at a hotel on a particular night, search multiple sites, and also call the individual hotel (not the chain's 800 number) directly.

4. Most things are negotiable. As many hotels have faced financial challenges during the economic downturn, they often discount room rates, but then have "hidden" charges at the hotel, including items such as the dreaded "Resort Fee," taxes that you didn't know about, parking fees, Internet access charges, spa or gym admission fees, Energy surcharges, etc. While most people simply grimace and complain, one should request that these fees be removed from the bill, and you would be surprised how many times hotel will do so.

5. Very reasonably priced or even free upgrades are often available, especially if you merely ask at the Registration Desk. Remember that it is better for a hotel to have a satisfied guest than one that might badmouth them.

6. Many hotels offer discounts to members of specific organizations. The best discounts are generally given to members of the A.A.A. and the A.A.R.P.

The above are just a sampling of what hotels don't want us to know. Some hotels are far cleaner than others, while some have had much more instances of situations related to a faulty ventilation system, bed bugs, etc. You can check online and get consumer and other comments from those who have previously stayed at the hotel. Do not depend overly on any one comment, however. The best way to know is by word of mouth from someone you know who has previously stayed at the particular property. Always remember that marketing of a hotel is a continuous effort, and most consumers never get anywhere near the whole story.

Things Hotels Don't Want You To Know

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