Travel photo app invites users to “think outside the camera”

by Chris Owen on

Ralph Velasco is an award-winning travel photography instructor and international tour guide. Shooting travel photos in more than forty countries on six continents, Velasco has led cultural photo tours to Egypt, Eastern Europe, and throughout the United States. Now, with his iPhone app, My Shot Lists, Velasco makes it easy for photographers to stick to the basics and come home with some great photos.

“My Shot Lists for Travel is based on a class I teach called Capturing the Essence of a Place. In it, I outline the importance of adhering to a fundamental principle of photography, that of working from a shot list.” says Velasco on his blog, adding “Doing so takes the guess work out of whether or not you’ve thoroughly covered a destination or subject and increases the odds that you’ll return with a set of images that truly creates an overall sense of a place for the viewers of your photography.”

Designed for travelers of all photography skill levels, My Shots Lists is a great way to develop and track “a well-rounded collection of images that truly captures the essence of a place” Velasco says.

The app is designed to guide users towards creating an overall cultural portrait of any destination or subject by incorporating a shot list into a daily shooting routine.

Flickr photo by Evil Erin

Inside Dearborn’s Henry Ford Museum

by Paul Brady on

Outside downtown Detroit, in Dearborn, there’s a museum filled with airplanes and cars and farm implements and the most outlandish house ever conceived. Somehow, the bric a brac works, brought together as The Henry Ford Museum, an institution less focused on a particular moment or a particular discipline that the very idea of American innovation, financed by the inventor’s healthy curiosity-and bankroll.

Also here is an artificial town, Greenfield Village, a collection of notable buildings brought to Dearborn from across the country. One particularly telling structures is the Wright Brothers’ Cycle Shop, relocated from Dayton, Ohio, Ford’s nod to tinkerers who changed the course of history, experimenting with something completely new in a garage, just like he did with his Quadricycle, the world’s first car. (The museum has that too.)

Traveling the American Road – The Henry Ford Museum


Mexico safe says American Airlines, for flying anyway

by Chris Owen on

American Eagle’s sold-out inaugural flight arrived in Mazatlan, Mexico (MZT) from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) this week. The move supports tourism authorities that say Mexico is safe for travel. As Mexico struggles to repair it’s image and shift international focus from drug-lord induced crime headlines to business-as-usual, American’s new daily flight was welcomed with open arms.

“We come to Mazatlán to make our contribution and be good partners in tourism” said

Marvin Diaz, Director General of American Airlines in Mexico.

The new 2-hour flight from Dallas affords new travel options for the more than 2 million travelers who visit Mazatlan each year opening up connections from more than 250 international markets


“Mazatlán is a vibrant destination alive with rich culture and unrivalled hospitality on the Pacific Coast,” said Carlos Berdegue, vice president, Mazatlán Hotel Association and Tourism Board in a press release. “We are delighted to begin our new partnership with American Airlines, which will allow visitors from all over the world to discover our beautiful weather, golden-sand beaches, historic center and premier resorts.”

The new American Eagle non-stop flight to Mazatlán offers daily service from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), departing from Dallas at 11:45am and arriving in Mazatlan at 1:05pm.

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Today is National Get Outdoors Day!

by Kraig Becker on

Hot on the heels of National Trails Day last weekend, now comes National Get Outdoors Day, an annual event that encourages all of us to get off the couch and go outside. To celebrate the occasion, there are a number of activities taking place across the country today, all with the intention of promoting a healthier lifestyle and an appreciation for great outdoors.

The official website for the event has a complete list of Get Outdoors Day locations from across the U.S., each of which has their own unique plans on how they’ll take part in the festivities. Many of those locations will be staging family oriented outdoor activities with a primary goal of engaging young people in the outdoors, while also introducing first-time visitors to public lands, such as state and national parks.

As an avid outdoor enthusiasts, I rarely need an excuse to go outdoors. In fact, I’ll be spending the weekend in Colorado attending the Outside in Aspen event. But I can always appreciate any efforts to encourage others to get out and enjoy the great outdoors as well. This weekend is the perfect time to hike your favorite trail. break out your bike and go for a ride, or simply stroll to your neighborhood park for some fresh air. After all, it is springtime in the U.S., the weather is great, and there is no better time than now be outside.

What are your plans for National Get Outdoors Day?

Travel scams and how to avoid them

by Chris Owen on

Free trips that are not really free, discount pricing that’s not really available and memberships in travel clubs that don’t really exist? These are some of the ploys used by crooks posing as legitimate travel agents to take our money. Make no doubt about it, these people are criminals and law enforcement is after them.

Sunshine states of Florida and California have strict rules and government oversight to keep travel scams under control. Other states are learning the hard way as crooks move to areas they think are safe for prey on unsuspecting consumers. New Jersey is right in the middle of debunking a travel scheme, freezing the bank accounts and charging a husband and wife team with violating the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act on several counts.
Travel Deals of Marlton along with owner Daryl Turner and his wife, Robyn Bernstein promoted travel “seminars” through postcards delivered by mail. Unsuspecting guests attending the seminars were given vouchers for a free eight-night cruise plus free airfare. Later, company representatives would meet privately with the “winners” to pitch various levels of a club membership required to redeem the free travel along with assorted prices, ranging from $2,500 to $8,995 and an annual fee of $299.

Playing a shell game of sorts, those who actually purchased memberships then tried to book were either told their dates or requested accommodations were unavailable.

It’s an all too frequent scam that is entirely avoidable. The old saying “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” goes a long way towards staying clear of these scams. Scambusters.org says travel deals and offers through the mail are almost always scams and says to beware of phone calls too.

“If you are offered the travel deal by phone, be very skeptical. If you’re unfamiliar with the company, get its name, address, and local telephone number. Check their track record if you can. (Unless you can find a legitimate local or regional office for the company, it’s probably bogus.)”

The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) has some good advice too:

  • Retain a healthy dose of skepticism. Be extremely skeptical about unsolicited e-mail, postcard and phone solicitations saying you’ve been selected to receive a fabulous vacation or anything free. Be especially wary of firms requiring you to wait at least 60 days to take your trip.
  • Do your homework. Some offers might sound great on the surface, but be sure to read the fine-print. Certain offers impose so many requirements and restrictions, such as black-out dates and companion fees, that you will either never have the chance to take the trip or you will end up paying more than had you made the arrangements on your own or used an ASTA travel agent
  • Run a “background check.” You should vet the companies from which you purchase travel services. You can do this by checking to see if they are members of ASTA or by searching for the company on the Better Business Bureau’s Web site. Other sites to check are www.complaintsboard.com and www.ripoffreport.com.
  • Keep private information private. Never give out your credit card number unless you initiate the transaction and you are confident about the company with which you are doing business.
  • Get the facts. You should receive complete details in writing about any trip prior to payment. These details should include the total price; cancellation and change penalties, if any; and specific information about all components of the package.
  • Protect yourself. Always pay with a credit card if possible. Even legitimate companies can go out of business. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, credit card customers have the right to refuse paying for charges for services not rendered. Details of the Fair Credit Billing Act can be found at the Federal Trade Commission’s Web site.

Flickr photo by B Rosen

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