Photography Galleries and Blog

Italy thru the Lens of Joe Mack

6/10/2017

Don't we all wish we could travel more?

Whether it's time or money lacking, most of us have a long list of places we'd like to visit, and thanks to Joe Mack, perhaps a few of these locations will end up on YOUR "bucket list" too.

Recently I have found some great travel tools... one in particular allowed me to book two tickets from Orlando to New Orleans (and BACK) for about $200. That's $200 total... not each.

It's called SkyScanner.com and, if you are like me and are flexible about dates and locations... it's a great way to find the cheapest airfares all over the world. Just put in your city of departures but leave the date and destination BLANK. Sky Scanner will find you great deals.

The photo above is a bride in San Miniato Al Monte, just outside Florence. Joe has a great eye and it looks like he stumbled upon a local young lady having some wedding pictures done and took the opportunity to capture her beauty for us to enjoy as well.

If you'd like to add San Miniato Al Monte to your bucket list... why not use SkyScanner to find the cheapest airfare to Florence and make a day trip to enjoy the beautiful views like the one here,

I searched on flights from Orlando to Florence, even clicking "surrounding airports" to include other nearby cities and found I could fly ROUND TRIP in September for about $663 per person and NONstop on AirBerlin. That was providing I flew out on a Wednesday and returned the following Wednesday.

These tickets were quite the bargain considering that other one way flights were as much as $1000 just ONE way!

If I were going to Tuscany I'd surely want to see the vineyards. Perhaps I might engage a rental car by using the SkyScanner website. I found a great deal for a week with a compact car for about $100 American dollars.

Or perhaps I might want to hire a private tour guide... if so, we have TWO we can recommend! In fact both are contributors to our site... just click on the "My Travel in Tuscany" and ask Edoardo or Nicola about availability. They have a lot of great tools on their travel blog... sign up now to be on their newsletter so you can use those tools to plan your trip. They even have a great "checklist" you can access to make sure you bring the essentials.

San Donato in Poggio is a Medieval Village in the heart of Chianti. Even it's alleyways are full of welcoming light and charming, flower adorned windows.

You can learn more about the area before you visit by visiting the Chianti website and checking out cozy B&B's and other places to stay and things to do.

Are you like me... do you love the adventure of travel but don't necessarily want to be TOO surprised by, for instance, prices? Well many restaurants and cafe's post their menus right outside the door. Sometimes they will be in a frame on the wall, or sometimes just out on a table. It's nice to know you won't accidentally blow your dining budget on just one meal!

Family owned La Toppa is considered one of the best restaurants in San Donato.

Mom cooks, the son waits tables and Dad makes the wine.

Food and wine is mostly locally sourced and this is a favorite of visitors AND locals alike.

Check out their website here.

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Travel Portraits: Greg Samborski

11/1/2016

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Greg Samborski with Sarah & Aaron

Greg Samborski has become known the world over for his interesting and unique photographic presentations of personal events, from engagements and weddings, to commercial shoots; each capturing something brilliantly special about the subject matter.

His photography has become so sought after that people often travel to him, in order to have him capture their memories.

One thing Greg likes to do is use beautiful backdrops … and through his lens we can see a side of travel that we might miss otherwise.

Here’s some samples of Greg’s amazing work.

Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

Built in the mid-15th century by King Sejong for his father, Changgyeonggung Palace was destroyed and rebuilt numerous times over the years, even hosting a zoo, botanical garden and museum on the site during the Japanese colonial period. In 1983 the zoo and botanical garden were relocated and the remaining structures that still stand today include the main gate, bridge, the main hall and the council hall, plus various pavilions and ancillary halls that have been restored with as much historical accuracy as possible.

Aaron and Sarah were engaged here, Aaron choosing the site for it’s history and to honor his love, who is a historian and archivist working with museums around the world. The engagement was a surprise for her and Greg posed as just another tourist in order to capture the moment in secret.

More scenery at Changgyeonggung Palace, when fellow photographer Bayleigh hired Greg to shoot photos celebrating the adoption of Lil'Man Wesley, by his adoring new parents Patience and Brandon. Father and Son already looking alike with their matching black rimmed glasses.

Seoul, South Korea

From the ancient and traditional to the throb of modern culture, Greg's camera captures the romance of one of the largest cities in the world.

These photos are culled from a variety of Greg Samborski's portfolios, from marketing shots for Peroni Beer, to ones that were shot for high end commercial real estate brochures, they beautifully reflect the diversity in lifestyles and culture you'll find in Seoul.

While Greg shoots across a variety of platforms, from romantic and family portraits to edgy advertising art, his work is defined by a whimsical style that is uniquely his.

From the 365 Project

The 365 Project

In 2009 Gregg completed his 365 Project. Every single day Greg staged amazing, one-of-a-kind self portraits. This aren't your typical, ho-hum, duckface for the camera, selfies. These are everything from spontaneous to elaborately staged. Check them out here. You'll love them all, but some of my favorites are the ones you see here combining art and whimsy. For the one on the left, Greg lathered his entire body in corn syrup and rolled in cherry blossoms he gathered from the street, creating the SuperHero known as Blossom Man.

Greg lives is Seoul, South Korea
Reach him at greg@gregsamborski.com
View him at GregSamborski.com
and on Flickr

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The Great Sphinx of Giza

10/30/2016

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Located at the Pyramid plateau, The Great Sphinx of Giza was carved almost entirely from one tremendous piece of limestone and is about 165 feet (50 meters) long and 73 feet (22 meters) high. Legend has it that it was engulfed by sand and hidden completely from years until the sun god Ra appeared to the man who later become Tuthmosis IV and offered him the crown of Egypt if he would free the Sphinx.

by Michelle Valentine
"Love, Eat, Travel, TV"
Contact Michelle: info@MichelleValentine.TV

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Dominica, an Island Paradise

10/30/2016

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Naturalist & Guide, Elvis Stedman

Here is a quick introduction to our newest Travel Reporter for Travel Writing Adventures: Elvis Stedman from Dominca. Elvis conducts adventure tours, as well as documenting them in videos and photos. A highly sought after guide, Elvis's education and knowledge of natural flora and fauna of the region has twice earned him the title of "Princess Cruise Line Tour Guide of the Year for Dominica." (click for more photos)

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"Sunsets" by Lora Drasner

8/25/2016

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"Drasner enters Aspen gallery
world in eclectic fashion"
Stewart Oksenhorn
of The Aspen Times

Get the book

Lora Drasner
LoraDrasner.com

Lora Drasner studied Interior Design at the New York School of Interior Design, before going into real estate.

In 2004, Lora was married on a boat in Venice's Grand Canal, and her honeymoon was a three and a half-year maritime journey, logging nearly 50,000 miles. Enroute from the Canary Islands to Antigua, Drasner was struck by a particular sunset.

"It was a week crossing, with days where you wouldn't see another boat," she said. "I had a small camera and started taking photos. I had modeled before, so I was familiar with the other side of the camera. Then I got real serious, got a real camera with a huge lens."

Drasner stuck with sunsets, but tied them to specific locations: Miami, Sydney, Darwin's Arch in the Galapagos, the coastal Croatian city of Dubrovnik, turning them into her book "Sunsets," which is in its fourth printing. Drasner is still shooting: Her work is on permanent display at the Four Seasons hotel in Miami, and she is planning a second volume of"Sunsets."

Published by Travel Writing Partners, a cooperative of travel professionals

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Italy thru the Lens of Joe Mack

Travel Portraits: Greg Samborski

Changgyeonggung Palace in Seoul, South Korea

Seoul, South Korea

The 365 Project

The Great Sphinx of Giza

Dominica, an Island Paradise

"Sunsets" by Lora Drasner

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