Ten Great Cities for Photography

by Gadling Staff on

Some cities just draw you in, beckoning you to capture their souls on camera. There are billions of places in the world where photo ops abound — The Pyramids, Rome, London, and The Great Wall of China are a few of the most famous examples.

Here are ten less common places where magnificent scenery, people, and everyday life are like no other — and can lead to some terrific travel photography.

Budapest, Hungary

Quite simply, Budapest has the most exquisite architecture. The detail of the buildings is like no other, especially at dusk — they all seem to change color with the succession of each frame.

Further, the winding River Danube dividing the city is a spectacular sight, with its bridges spaced at precise intervals.

Fira, Santorini Islands, Greece
Everyone has seen images of Santorini, one of the famed Greek Islands, but somehow when it’s captured through your own lens, it speaks to you of ancient time and tradition, of a different culture that you have only read about in history books.

Views of the volcano and spectacular sunsets in Fira, Santorini’s capital city, seem surreal. The people and their faces, the blue sky touching the blue water — both blue, yet somehow distinct — and the white stucco houses and churches, restaurants and tavernas are images that bring a serenity to your heart and a love for all things Greek!

Tokyo, Japan
Alive and bustling around the clock, people-watching in Tokyo is like no other place on earth. The vibrancy of this 24-hour city — the neon signs and jumbo-trons in Shibuya, the color, the streets — you don’t know where to look first.

Divided into sections called wards, each section has its own allure. Despite the differences among the wards, though, you can easily sense the fast pace of this city in its photos.

San Francisco, California, USA
Synonymous with diverse culture, ocean scenery, and unusual topography, this San Francisco is a photographer’s best friend. The streets winding through here — from exclusive Nob Hill, to Chinatown, from Fisherman’s Wharf, to the Embarcadero, from Haight Ashbury, to the Mission District — provide the contrasts of life in this hilly town.

Moreover, the fantastic views of the San Francisco and Bay Bridges make for a fantastic portfolio of visual memory. Even the weather is photogenic — with it’s rolling fog enveloping the bridges and hovering close to the ocean.

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Paris, France
No list would be complete without mentioning Paris, for obvious reasons. Despite having seen thousands of images of the Eiffel Tower or the Arc de Triomphe, each one still makes me gasp just a little. Moreover, taking my own photographs of the sights of Paris, both day and night, make me smile.

This sophisticated City of Lights has “that Wow Factor.” Snapshots of Moulin Rouge, Sacre Coeur, The Louvre with it’s glass pyramid, or sitting on a park bench in the Jardin des Tuileries capturing the heart of the French people, all display such a span of eras in France — new versus old. The meandering Seine River, with boats lazily drifting by, reflect a relaxing calm. The allure of this city is that even if you have never visited, you can identify it unmistakably through photos.

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Nazare, Portugal
This seaside village, north of Lisbon, is an out-of-the-way, modest, fishing village. The people sitting on their stone sidewalks, playing musical instruments, or selling fruits and nuts under colorful umbrellas, have that intriguing look from another time. Their happy and smiling faces will fill your lens with joyful simplicity. Even the food is delightful to photograph with it’s authentic ethnicity, caught right at the ocean’s edge and cooked to perfection.

One of the other things you may be drawn to in Nazare are the old doors and doorways, brightly colored and uniquely shaped and sized. A collection of those door photos is one of my prized possessions, since it always conjures memories of my visit.

Obidos, Portugal
This l3th century Portuguese town, built within a castle, is a step back in time. Nowhere else I’ve seen can you zoom back in time that far while surfing the Net in the local cafe.

Capturing people at work here — serious and intense — in Obidos was my favorite, not to mention that they still live in colorful village apartments above their stone shops with clay roofs, surrounded by olive trees and churches. It’s here in this picturesque village that I’ve captured countless photos of the intricate stone and exquisite tile work for which the Portuguese are famous.

Lucca, Italy
Calling all food and wine lovers! Lucca, a city in central Italy, beckons you. Located on a wall with an amazing array of churches, this village waits to be viewed and appreciated.

In Lucca, you can learn to cook and eat Italian food, bike, sightsee and capture the most unforgettable photos of authentic Italian life. Nothing is more beautiful here than pictures of food, because in Italy, food is an art!

Hollywood, California, USA
Hooray for Hollywood! Quintessential Tinseltown! This is where star-gazing in every form is a pastime. Celebrities abound, and glitz and glamor is everywhere. All the landmarks, from Hollywood and Vine, to Sunset Boulevard, to Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, seem surreal and indulgent.

Everyone’s seen images of Santorini, but when it’s captured through your lens, it speaks of time and tradition, of a culture you’ve only read about in history books.

Casts of characters (literally and figuratively) line the streets, sometimes in the flesh and sometimes in the form of the Walk of Fame Stars. It’s everywhere, waiting for the eye of the lens. be sure to keep your camera firmly in hand, ready for that celebrity sighting.

Road Town, Tortola, BVI
Down into the Caribbean Sea we go to capture a special kind of tranquility in photography. The small Island of Tortola, BVI, (capital city: Road Town) accessible by a ferry, entices you right at the dock.

The houses are brightly painted in Caribbean blues and greens, with splashes of pinks and corals. There’s nothing like a photo of that gorgeous aqua clear-to-the-bottom water! Further, sunsets on Cane Garden Bay are tranquil purples, golds and blues. Also, the slower pace is evident and amazingly (and easily) conveyed through a lens.

Hundreds of thousands of places around the world are worthy of being photographed, but these wonderful places are each a treasure trove to be captured and remembered.

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Want more? Don’t forget to check out Gadling’s series, “Through The Gadling Lens,” which explains how to get the most out of your travel photos.

Bad behavior at the airport, Hollywood style and how to tips for keeping your cool

by Jamie Rhein on

When passengers show bad behavior at the airport, everyone notices. Bad airport behavior is one place Hollywood gets it right, even when scenes are a bit outlandish.

Here are two scenes that show just what can happen when a passenger is vexed beyond sanity–either due to traveling with a family member or the actions of another passenger coupled with airline staff reactions.

Perhaps you’ll see an element of yourself or someone you know in one of these scenerios. If you happen to have one of these moments when traveling for the holidays, try to keep a sense of humor. It can help.

Along with a sense of humor, there are a few tips to keep in mind to help you not go bonkers. If you do go bonkers, check in with Gadling, we’d love to tell your tale. Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!

First up: Rain Man. Here’s what happens when two family members have a different notion of travel. Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman may be brothers, but their travel preferences don’t match.

To keep from having your own Rain Man situation, particularly when traveling with children, talk over the trip beforehand. Explain what will happen at the airport before you get there. Go over the various steps like waiting in line, going through TSA and boarding the plane. One resource that’s helpful for traveling with children is Shae By Air, a DVD made for children about taking an airplane trip.

For adults who have a fear of flying, there are resources aimed for you. Scott previewed Flying without Fear. Also, in one of his Plane Answers posts, Gadling’s own pilot extraordinaire, Kent Wien presents other tips for those afraid to fly.

Second up: Honeymoon in Vegas. If there was ever an example of passenger rage, this is it. Nicolas Cage perfectly nails the emotions. Here’s what happens when a customer service agent is overly solicitous to one very irritating customer. Tom warned about this in his post about the problem with travel professionals going that extra mile.

When another passenger is driving you nuts, try to stay calm by realizing you’re about to reach your limit. If you are in a hurry because you may miss your flight, calmly ask if you can please cut because you are about to miss your plane. I’ve seen people do this before and it works. At all costs, don’t raise your voice and start spewing spittle. It just won’t help at all.

Third up: Meet the Parents. Ben Stiller doesn’t go nuts when he’s dealing with this gate attendant’s power hungry nonsense, but her behavior does add fuel to his going bonkers behavior once he’s on the plane. Let’s call this priming the pump. The video embedding function is disabled, thus I couldn’t put it in this post but it’s an hysterical scene that’s so worth the watch.

For another example of airline personnel’s bad behavior check out these videos. This is one flight attendant who needs a chill pill.

–And, once again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Hollinwood? Not so famous, but they do have a similar sign

by Sean McLachlan on

Nobody is likely to confuse Hollywood, California, the capital of the movie industry, with Hollinwood, UK, an industrial town near Manchester, but apparently someone is trying to cause some confusion.

The BBC has reported that a three-foot-high reproduction of the famous Hollywood sign, but spelled “Hollinwood”, has appeared next to the M60 motorway. Hollinwood (pictured here) is less than five miles away from Manchester, which recently signed a “friendship agreement” with Los Angeles to increase business between the two cities.

Local officials are panicky that LA will be upset and they quickly denied putting up the sign. They say they have no idea where it came from. Relax folks! I doubt the multibillion dollar American movie industry really cares.

So what’s there to see in Hollinwood? Well, no famous directors, no Walk of Fame, no movie studios. In fact, Hollinwood’s last movie theater was demolished two years ago. And there are no movie stars from Hollinwood.

But Hollinwood does have one famous resident. Local bigwig Hannah Beswick had a morbid fear of being buried alive, so she left strict instructions to be kept above ground in case of apparent death. When she did shuffle off this mortal coil in 1758 she was embalmed and kept in the family mansion, where doctors checked her on a regular basis to see if she had come back to life. Of course, having been embalmed meant that even if she had been alive, she certainly wouldn’t be afterward, but the terms of the will were quite clear and the doctors carried them out to the letter. After several years of public viewing at her home, her remains were moved to a museum in Manchester and put on display. Soon the Manchester Mummy gained national fame.

Poor old Hannah never did show any signs of recovering, and 110 years after she died she was finally laid to rest in 1868.

The museum is still open, and this Museum Junkie recommends it highly. Not only do you get the usual dinosaurs, stuffed animals, and butterflies, but you also get a cool collection of armor. There are even some mummies, but of the ancient Egyptian kind. Sadly, that room is temporarily closed, but it will reopen in time for next summer.

Hollywood Roosevelt pool comes alive at night

by Mike Barish on

When is a pool more than just a pool? When you’re staying at the Hollywood Roosevelt in Los Angeles. Continuing Gadling’s Hotel Month coverage, I’m here to tell you about how the Hollywood Roosevelt has taken their gorgeous pool space and turned it into a hot spot for evening activities. Since most hotels don’t allow for night swimming, I was confused when I was told about the Hollywood Roosevelt’s rich schedule of events by the pool. But silly me, I assumed that all you can do at the pool is swim. One should never assume, and the Hollywood Roosevelt’s calendar of events taught me that lesson.

Perhaps the coolest event at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s pool is Movie Monday. Every week, a different celebrity or filmmaker hosts a viewing. A large screen is set up poolside and, after the sun sets, the fun starts. The featured host shares explains to the attendees why they have selected that movie and why its so special to them. Then everyone cozies up enjoys the film. Something about having the sky above and palm trees all around you makes a multiplex seem unnecessary.

Tuesdays are swim nights. Yes, one night a week the hotel allows night swimming. Resident and guest DJs provide the soundtrack while people frolic in the romantically lit pool.

On Thursday, guests can scope out the scene at Hollywoodland: the hotel’s weekly homage to old Hollywood. As you drink poolside, music plays and synchronized swimmers perform. While the rest of LA attempts to be trendy, the Hollywood Roosevelt harkens back to a classier time in the town’s history.

On the weekends, the pool provides the scenery for patrons at the Tropicana, the hotel’s outdoor bar. Wednesday’s are left open for events and private parties.

It seems as if there’s always something going on at the Hollywood Roosevelt’s pool. You could start your day basking in the sun and end it watching a movie, taking a dip or just drinking the night away. The next morning you’ll realize that you never left the pool. And you’ll be OK with that.

SkyBar at the Mondrian Hotel

by Mike Barish on

As part of Hotel Month here at Gadling, I’m excited to write about SkyBar at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. Why am I so excited? Because I don’t really stay at hotels that often. I’m more of an apartment renter when I travel. But on a recent trip to Los Angeles, I spent a night at the Mondrian Hotel in West Hollywood and enjoyed its best feature: SkyBar. I may not be a hotel guy, but I am a bar guy.

Located next to the magnificent pool (see above) and with an amazing view of the city below, SkyBar is an impressive space. Pillows and couches make patrons comfortable while they sip mojitos and enjoy the scene. It’s definitely an LA vibe, as people dress to impress and crowds gather late into the evening to check each other out, take business and be seen. But the combination of the illuminated pool, city views and beautiful people creates an experience that tickles all of your senses.

How enticing is the scene at SkyBar? I had a meeting scheduled the day I was staying at the Mondrian. I offered to make my way to my colleague’s office but she insisted that we meet over drinks at SkyBar. He response to my email: “I assure you that SkyBar has a lot more to offer than my office!” And she was right.

In the afternoon, you can casually enjoy a drink and good conversation in the cozy space. And as the sun sets and the crowds flock, everything gets sexier.

If you have a chance, grab a room at the Mondrian while you’re at it. The sleek, modern decor meshes well with the vibe at SkyBar. And you won’t have to worry about how you’re getting home after all those drinks.

Overall, SkyBar is impressive while not being overly pretentious. If you’re in LA and need a place to impress some clients, a date or just hang out with friends, SkyBar should be high on your list.