Worldwide Panos 2006 Best Of

by Erik Olsen on

Some folks here know I’m a big fan of panoramic photography. One of the organizations/Web sites that I often visit and have occasionally contributed to is the World Wide Panoramic project. This project comes out of the geoimages group at Berkeley and has provided some of the best panoramic photography on the Web today. Every three months (each quarter) they hold a…well, it’s not a contest exactly…it’s more just an opportunity for pano photographers around the world to contribute according to a particular theme.

The previous eleven events have created a showcase of VR photography, with over 2500 panoramas by over 750 photographers from more than 70 countries. It’s very cool. Trust me. And at the end of this year the are holding their annual Best of – A World Wide Panorama event. All you have to do is contribute and you have a chance to, well, not win a lot of money but to get the admiration of lots of other pano photographers. I’m gong to do my best to contribute this year, as I have been lax in contributing to some of the other events. So, if you shoot panos, go over and upload your best shot .

Frans Lanting Exhibition

by Erik Olsen on

Not sure how many gadling readers out there are outdoor/wildlife photo fans, but I’m going to throw this one out there anyway. Frans Lanting is one of the world’s foremost wildlife photographers, so much so that it is extremely likely you’ve seen one of his photos at some time or another. He even his his own Wiki entry. You can go and visit his site here to see the wide array of shots he’s published over the years, but suffice it to say he’s shot on every continent from Antarctica to Africa. He’s also shot little micro-animals like diatoms as well as large big-eared animals like elephants. Oh yes, Lanting loves animals. He loves them so much, in fact ,that he’s got a new book and exhibit out showing off some of his best work. To get a feel for both the photos and what the exhibit offers (the actual exhibit appears to be in the Netherlands, so unless you’re Dutch….or visiting…well, you probably won’t catch it.. BUT you MUST check out this Web site, which does a wonderful job showing off his photos on the Web. And the book, well that might make a very fine gift.

Lowell Thomas Awards Announced

by Erik Olsen on

You might call them the Oscars of Travel Writing…but without the flowing gowns and/or long acceptance speeches. Oh, and the awards were held in Santiago this year, not Los Angeles. But despite their relative low-key nature, for travel writers, The Lowell Thomas (pictured) Awards are a big deal. This year’s selections came out of 1,392 entries, and consist of the very best travel writing that was published on dead trees or on the internet over the course of last year. The biggest award given is probably the one for Travel Journalist of the Year, and 2006’s awards went to the following:

Gold: Jane Wooldridge, The Miami Herald
Silver: Carol Pucci, The Seattle Times
Bronze: Millie Ball, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans

Someday, we assure you, we’ll be at least runners up. But for now, we content ourselves with congratulating the winners, and trying to soothe our festering envy with thoughts of upcoming trips.

GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of October 15

by Adrienne Wilson on

Last day of the work week has arrived and I’m ready to hit the town, but the week would not be complete without Gadling’s Take Five. So, I offer you these tasty little finds you may have missed and then I’m hitting the road. Have fun!

5. Antarctica: The Land Waaay Down Under:
I envy Erik, I envy Carolyn Swindel and anyone else who’s been to Antarctica and for good cause. (Always for good cause.) In this blurb, Erik touches on his travels to the land waaay down under and points us to Ms. Swindel’s details on the incredible icebergs and nature to be found in Antarctica. Read it and you’ll be just a tad envious too.

4. No Fly List Exposed:
Mmm… Having once worked in an environment that dealt both with a list similar to that of the No Fly list and the general public I understand the frustrations among innocent Americans. Not that it is too surprising, but in this piece I point out the 60 Minutes episode that calls out the many, many, glitches in the system. It is pretty upsetting even if your name isn’t Robert Johnson or John Thomas.

3. Milk Bombs on Planes:
If your a traveling breast-feeding mum you may have come across some recent challenges with airport security, but if there is a will there is a way. When Iva puts her feelers out there we soon discover ways to get that non-toxic breast-milk on board thanks to some clever readers. Check it out.

2. Parks in Winter:
Winter is more than a month away still, but the temperature is still dropping and making some national parks less desirable to visit. Erik turns the beat around so that all parks don’t get left out in the cold and names about seven worth parading through during the winter.

1. Removing the “Ugh” from Ugly Americans:
Why don’t we just remove the “Ugh” from all nasty travelers? Wouldn’t that be great?!? Until then we should ALL take a look at this piece helping to rid the world of the culturally Ugly American. And I really do insist on ALL nationalities reading this piece. I’ve met some so-so travelers from distant places before and thought they were pretty ugly if not nastier.

The November 3rd Photo Project

by Adrienne Wilson on

Some folks might call Deia Schlosberg over at RoadJunky the nosey type – always poking and prodding where you shouldn’t, always placing the lens in the public’s face and you know where I’m going. Deia could be considered nosey to the extreme, but I wouldn’t say that. I’d say she’s a curious soul and now with your help and photos you can become part of a pretty awesome curious soul’s project. On November 3rd (a day that means nothing to mostly everybody and was chosen for no good reason) she asking that people from all over the world take at least 10 photos of what your day was like, what you see and experience. There must be one self-portrait and the photos don’t have to be great, which goes to say your self-portrait doesn’t have to be great or even close to good. The photos must all be a true representation of what your day was like and must all be taken on November 3, 2006. Captions should note the time and thoughts.

I don’t know where your pictures may possibly land, but I smell coffee brewing with some delicious pastry set out on the coffee table. Don’t you?

I’m game. Head over to RoadJunky for full details.