Hone your photographic skills in the Himalaya in 2011

by Kraig Becker on

When it comes to photographing spectacular landscapes it’s difficult to top the Himalaya, which offer endless mountain vistas, towering snow capped peaks, and beautiful remote valleys. The entire range is a photographer’s dream and I know first hand that it is difficult to take a bad photo there. That said, it never hurts to get some advice on how to take the best photos possible, and if you’re going to take a photography workshop, it might as well be in the Himalaya too.

Himalayan Workshops offers a combination trek and photography workshop that visits a unique and interesting destination in the Himalaya each year. They past two years, the workshops have been held in the Everest region, visiting the South Side of that mountain in 2009 and the North Side in 2010. For 2011, they’ve announced a trek to Mt. Kailash, a 21,778-foot tall peak located in Western Tibet. This year’s expedition will once again balance adventure in the mountains with the opportunity to learn more about photography along the way.

The workshop aspects of the trek will be conducted by Chris Marquardt and Jon Miller, who share their considerable knowledge and talent with the other members of the tour. Marquardt is the founder of Tips From The Top Floor , one of the best photography websites and podcasts on the Internet, while Miller produces The Rest of Everest, a video podcast that covers all aspects of climbing and trekking in the Himalaya. Over the course of the 17-day trek, they’ll demonstrate how to get the most out of your camera and video equipment, while capturing spectacular images of the Tibetan landscapes.

Billed as the “highest photography workshop in the world,” the Mt. Kailash trek will begin in Kathmandu on April 17th of 2011. For more information on the trek and workshops, click here, and if you’re interested in joining the trip, registration info can be found by clicking here.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Torontonian Exploration!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 30 – Click above to watch video after the jump

For those of you that attended this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, you may already know just how cosmopolitan Canada’s largest city is. Upon arriving, it’s safe to say that we completely underestimated the fifth most populous municipality in North America, but quickly realized its vast cultural offerings upon exploration.

There’s more than meets the eye in Toronto, so watch as we shake off the Virgin America party from the night before and explore the exciting neighborhoods of the world’s ‘most diverse city’!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Check out Gadling’s own guide to budget travel in Toronto!
Visit the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere! The CN Tower.
And whatever you do, don’t miss out on Kensington Market – full guide available here.

All images used under a Creative Commons license. All music used courtesy of Nonstop Music.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – Virgin America’s first international flight – Toronto!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 29 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Join us on Virgin America’s first ever international flight! We hop on a plane with Sir Richard Branson, Drake and a gaggle of entrepreneurs and fly on the airline’s inaugural flight to Toronto, Ontario to explore the (arguably) most diverse city in the world.

In this episode’s couch talk, we’ll discuss just why Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world & what other cities contend for the title of most diverse, based on foreign-born population.

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Ready to book your own trip to Canada eh? Browse Virgin America’s great fares to Toronto.
Sleep in style overlooking Toronto’s iconic skyline. Check out the brand-new Thompson Hotel Toronto.

All images used under a Creative Commons license. All music used courtesy of Nonstop Music.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – White Water Rafting (part 2)!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 28 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Ready for part two of Travel Talk’s White Water Rafting adventure?! We’re taking you on the rest of our white water rafting down California’s mighty Tuolumne River on an action packed 2-day adventure. We’ll show you what it takes to navigate Class IV+ rapids and teach you all of the vocabulary that you’ll need in order to stay dry.

In this episode’s couch talk, we’ll explain some of the jargon that rafting guides use to describe the river’s obstacles and give a short run down of some of the world’s best rivers for thill-seeking and white water adventure.

So take a deep breath and get ready for more action!

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Appetite wet for a real rafting trip? Then check out Oars.com for some of the best guided expeditions around the world.
Tuolumn-what? Get familiar with the mighty T!
Want the full rafting glossary? Check out a sample here.

All images used under a Creative Commons license. All music used courtesy of Nonstop Music.

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk – White Water Rafting on the Tuolumne!

by Stephen Greenwood on

GadlingTV’s Travel Talk, episode 27 – Click above to watch video after the jump

Suit up, strap in, and get ready for this week’s Travel Talk! We’re going white water rafting down California’s mighty Tuolumne River on an action packed 2-day adventure. We’ll show you what it takes to navigate Class IV+ rapids and teach you all of the vocabulary that you’ll need in order to stay dry.

In this episode’s couch talk, we’ll delve into a little bit of the history behind America’s National Park System; what the first established park was, what the most frequently visited park is, and what terms the NPS uses to classify our many protected lands.

Think you’re ready? Click the link below to watch.

If you have any questions or comments about Travel Talk, you can email us at talk AT gadling DOT com.

Subscribe via iTunes:
[iTunes] Subscribe to the Show directly in iTunes (M4V).
[RSS M4V] Add the Travel Talk feed (M4V) to your RSS aggregator and have it delivered automatically.

Links
Appetite wet for a real rafting trip? Then check out Oars.com for some of the best guided expeditions around the world.
Tuolumn-what? Get familiar with the mighty T!
Want more info on a National Park near you? Check out NPS.gov for information.

All images used under a Creative Commons license. All music used courtesy of Nonstop Music.