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Gay Travel Buddy

I have finally found a gay travel blog!  I’m so excited.  This blog is called Gay Travel Buddy.  It’s written by a person who travels a lot to many destinations throughout the US so they can give you recommendations about gay businesses in whatever city they have written about.
Since Chips brother lives in San Diego, I was looking at the post about San Diego Hillcrest Area.  Although, I would probably never be able to encourage his brother to go to any of the restaurants and Coffee Shops listed but it would be funny if he did go.
You know it’s funny, I have been to San Francisco throughout my childhood, my parents drove us there at least once a year or every couple of years.  The last time I was there was in 1990 and then that’s it.  But I was reading the San Francisco, Castro Area post and I was very informed.  Although I have never been to the Castro area, I now know where to get a hotel and about the parking situation.  I also know about the homeless situation there too now lol.
You know, I haven’t been to the Las Vegas Area since 1990 as well.  I need to travel more lol.  I read the post about Las Vegas and found that it’s not really some place I want to visit after all.  But if I did decide to, I now know where the gay bars are.  There is a link for each one of them with a post telling the good, the bad and the ugly.  Yeah, not interested, thanks.  If I went to Vegas I’d go to Circus Circus like when I was a kid and probably go see Holly Madison in her show then that’s it.
I have never been to New York and frankly I’m terrified to go but thanks to this blog I can read his article about New York City so I know where I should go and where I need to stay away from.
I have family who live in Texas so it’s cool to see a post about Austin.  There are posts about all the Gay bars, Restaurants and Hotels.
The Gay Travel Buddy blog is a valuable tool for all gay people who want to know about a city before they make plans to go there.  I know I will use it.

Last Minute Travel Australia

Last Minute Travel is a well-known brand in tourism industry. For many years, they have been serving million of travelers from around the world. You can find their mark in almost all travel destinations in all continents. The worldwide travel provider has been popular choice for many people for their one stop travel solution like last minute accommodation, last minute flights, and last minute hotels.

Recently, Last Minute Travel global network re-launched their Australian branch website; Lastminute.com.au. It’s a major improvement compared to their previous appearance. Before, the site is difficult to navigate and not too catchy. At least, that was my first impression when I visited the site a couple of times ago. Although, I must admit that the site has a comprehensive travel resources.

For the loyal customers, the improvement surely will help finding all their travel needs easier and faster. The new look doesn’t affect at all to the main Last Minute Travel business. While for the new customer, the more user-friendly design will make the crawling experience more comfort. It is even easier now to find more specific queries such as cheap flights, qantas, singapore airlines, jetstar, and virgin blue. In addition, to track available deals and discounts, customers could subscribe to the newsletter.

Gettysburg camping

I mentioned in my previous post about camping in North Carolina which is one of the many places that we can choose from in your camping. I want to talk to you also about gettysburg camping. Yes, if you haven’t been in rv camping gettysburg, this summer will be a special for you to go to Gettysburg Battlefield Resort which can be found in Pennsylvania. This place has so many attractions that you will enjoy. You can also travel a short distance and you will find the Sweetest Place on Earth in Hershey, Pennsylvania. You can have a hiking in Appalachian Trail or spend time at the Soldier’s National Monument where President Lincoln delivered his famous Gettysburg Address.

If you are planning to have a pa rv camping, just visit campgettysburg.com to know more information and even reservations.

RV park North Carolina

For all the campers out there, I just want to tell you that the happiness and joy ahead. There is rv park north Carolina that you can go through this summer. If you have already an rv, one of the best places is the Sycamore Lodge RV Resort. It’s great to start it using the website www.campnorthcarolina.com which gives you detail information on rv park nc. Yes, you can find adequate knowledge on Sycamore Lodge Resort which is one of the fantastic nc rv parks. This is 70 miles south of Raleigh and 90 miles of Charlotte.

The place has so many attractions which includes the Pinehurst Golf Courses. The place has wonderful pine, sycamore, dogwood, oak and magnificent magnolia trees sprawling the NC campgrounds. I know that you want to Camp at North Carolina. Visit the website Campnorthcarolina.com today!

Conrad Louis-Charles: Brazil

I met Conrad Louis-Charles at the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Mexico City, he briefly described his background, but it wasn't until I returned that I discovered his work, and that the adage that still waters run deep is certainly true in his case. Conrad is an independent photographer and cameraman currently based in Philadelphia and Sao Paulo in Brazil. He worked with various corporate clients, and he specializes in travel, documentary and editorial photography...making him a perfect candidate for the pages of TTP. He's represented by Getty Images. His website showcases work from mainly Haiti, Dominican Republic, and Brazil. However, I was impressed by his Work-In-Progress gallery, which has a large number of his sensitive photograph of religious rituals and pilgrimages in northern Brazil. I'm not too fond of mixing color and black & white photographs, but Conrad kept the color photographs bunched together on his gallery, so it's not really mixing. Explore his other galleries as well, and compare his Haiti work to that of the earlier post.

Business Day Thursday: Is Professional Wedding Photography Dead

Priests, Ministers, and Rabbis have just about had it with wedding photographers - that is - since the advent of digital. Last week, we were having dinner with a group of photographers from the Lexington, Kentucky area. The subject of weddings came up, and then things really took off. One of my buddies made a remark about many of the churches in the area were instituting much stricter guidelines for wedding photographers because of the gross miss-conduct of so many of the new breed of shooters. Folks, those are their words, not mine.

Let me also be clear at this point, that I am not referring to the majority of shooters out there. Most of us know what we are about and are constantly trying to do our best job for our clients. I'm referring these comments to a much smaller element of wedding photographers whose non-professional roar is having an impact on our businesses.

Here is the story - it's scary, makes me embarrassed for my profession on one hand, and angry on the other. The photographer shoves the minister out of the way to get the shot of the bride and groom exchanging rings. Another minister sees a wedding photographer crawling along the floor on his elbows "marine like" getting in position next to the wedding couple to get his shot from the floor. Rabbi's are complaining about obnoxious behavior from photogs at wedding ceremonies. Photographers dressing in a less than professional outfits. These are not made up incidents. I have personally been told these stories from clergy I have worked with here in Cincinnati, Ohio.

What is happening these days? In so many cases it's a total lack of professionalism from a newer crop of so called professional photographers that think it's more important to get the shot at the cost of total disrespect and irreverence to the location, the Priests, Ministers, and Rabbis, the guests and wedding clients. Well, they've got it all wrong. They should be kicked out of the church and in many cases the churches are setting policies that will cause that to happen. The down side is that the clergy are lumping true professional photographers into this same insidious group of non-professionals.

So many of these photogs see themselves as the "artiest" and heck be darned if they can't get their shoot. What's the problem here? The problem is clear - it's about the photographer and not about the client, the event, or the location. My suggestion to those photographers - leave your arrogance at home and perform your job with the professional manner it demands. If that's a problem for you, change jobs - we don't need you or want you in a profession that always has demanded the best professional demeanor possible.

We need to interact with all sorts of personalities on the wedding day - from a stressed mom, frazzled bride, nervous groom, etc. and it behoves us to be the physiologist of the day helping it be a wonderful occasion for all concerned. If we take on a self-centered attitude like we are the most important person of the day, we are taking the non-professional approach to the shoot.

We always need to be looking at the big picture and working diligently and pro-actively to make the day go the best for all involved. And, wait there's more, we need to leave the affair with the most positive impression of ourselves with all other professionals in which we interact with during the wedding day. That means no arguing with the bridal consultant, no removing of floral arrangements, no flashing of the videographer, no removing of the church lady into the closet...... Is there anybody other than me that thinks that might be good for business? I hope so.

I once had an event in a church only hours after another photographer had worked in the same location. As per my custom, I checked in with the priest at the rectory and when I met him, I was "reamed a new one" if you get my drift. He proceeded to tell me how the previous photographer had brought his little dog into the church to accompany him with the shoot. I was horrified. The minister was fit to tied.

I wish I could find the issue of Cincinnati Magazine featuring the wedding pros in the city. Florists got a good wrap, jewelers got a good wrap, but wedding photographers were referred to as overbearing and obnoxious. Can anybody else see the writing on the wall? It's too bad we have this "element" operating in our profession. We must constantly guard against it in our own behavior, and continue to remain a true professional to the core.

How does the true wedding professional counter such an ugly wedding photographer's impact in our market. I suggest being totally pro-active in approaching the Priests, Ministers, and Rabbis in your community. When we book a wedding in a certain location, then let's contact the Priests, Ministers, and Rabbis and coordinators, and notify them that we are going to working there in the upcoming months. Send a PR packet guaranteeing your professional behavior/decorum. It should list who you are, your list of credentials and references - be sure to include references from other priests, ministers, and Rabbis, too. It should spell out your commitment to working with and respecting the location where you are working and the people you will be working with. You get the idea. This assures and relieves the churches of some of the angst they have built up against some of these "jerk" photographers.

Folks, this is an important issue and we all need to stay vigilant in stemming the negative tide of what is happening in our recent times in wedding photography. It's always about being a true professional all the time - no exceptions. Take a peek at this nicely written article on the same point with many suggestions on how to conduct ones' self during a liturgy. Here is the link right here.