Vantage Point:

A beautiful and instagramable travel photograph doesn’t just appear out of nowhere, instead, it is created. Photography can make anybody nervous and unsure about your approach, but a good eye is a start. Having a keen eye is crucial to being a photographer, but what about us normal, non-professional picture takers? That’s why I made this blog, for people who want amazing pictures but don’t know where to start. Let’s get your Instagram account some hearts and maybe some recognition from your friends and family.

I’m no Ansel Adams or Annie Leibowitz, but I sure as hell can take some cool travel pictures that will turn heads. I take the time to know the proper protocol that a professional may follow and I practice. That’s what is so convenient about digital photography, you can trial and error all day and all you have to do is erase your memory card and start all over again.

My first tip for taking amazing travel photography is Vantage point. This is the view that a photograph is taken from. When I speak of vantage point being important to photography, I’m talking about changing up the normal human eye level view. The most common vantage point for travel photography is eye level because it’s the easiest. Sometimes to make an omelet you must crack a few eggs.

A novice photographer will take most pictures from eye level and the results will look average at best. To spice it up here are my 4 keys to changing your vantage point.

1- Height

Get above the action to make a photograph memorable. A bird’s eye view is always a crowd pleaser because it’s not our normal view. The higher you get the grander the scale will become. A little work like climbing up a ladder or scaling some stairs will increase the majesty and magnitude of your photos.

2- Look Around

When taking a photo from eye level, scan around and see if something up or down takes your attention. A simple scan of your environment will sometimes reveal a very interesting subject and angle. Architecture and statues will benefit from this perspective. Sometimes an unusual perspective will be fascinating for the viewers. 

3- Subject’s Perspective

This is a harder concept to grasp but when shooting a subject, look at the world as it would. Meaning that if you are shooting a dog, try getting low and shoot it as if another dog was taking the picture. Similarly, if you are shooting a stature, try and get up to a higher vantage point to shoot it at eye level.

4- Get Dirty

This may be the most important and most overlooked tip for taking a great travel photograph. Sometimes you have to get dirty to get the job done. We all know you are wearing your new outfit but if you want a lasting pic, maybe you’ll have to ruin that shirt if you want the shot. If you aren’t totally prepared to lie on the ground or stand in a puddle to get the angle that makes the subject look epic, you will fail. Don’t be afraid to look odd, twist your body to contortionist levels to snap the most impressive picture.

Good luck out there and hopefully changing your vantage point will start you on the road to taking professional level pictures and ramping up your Instagram account.

Britons get stuck offshore as they await the lifting of the recently imposed travel ban to and from the UK.

Many Britons get stuck abroad due to the recent travel bans imposed. Worries related to taxes, jobs, and Brexit get exacerbated as UK residents are forced to have lengthier stays in their current locations.

As more and more nations start imposing travel restrictions to and from the United Kingdom, more and more Britons get stuck in their present locations offshore. To halt the spread of the recently pinpointed highly communicable strain of COVID-19 virus, UK travel has come into a standstill.

23-year-old Heather Alder, a resident of Edinburg, went to Aarhus, Denmark with her fiancé last week. They had to visit her fiancé’s father and take him to do several tests for cancer. Alder and her fiancé were planning to go back to the UK this week but are now stuck in a farmhouse in Denmark due to the recent travel ban. “Even if the travel ban is lifted in a few days or weeks, we don’t know whether we can leave and we don’t know whether we can get back in easily,” Alder mentions.

Alder was able to secure a new job last month and she is grateful that her new boss has been so kind as to allow her to travel to Denmark. “My father-in-law’s house is about as remote as Denmark gets, so we’ve had to install new WIFI in order to be able to work from here. My boss has been wonderful about it all, but my partner is studying and working part-time for a Danish company, but pays tax in the UK. If we get stuck here for longer, we might have to report it, and he could end up having to pay tax in Denmark, where income tax is at 48%. This would have a big impact on our finances. It’s very stressful,” she shares.

The Brexit deadline is on 31 December 2020 and Alder does not know whether or not she will have to apply for a Denmark visa in case she will be forced to stay in the country for a longer period of time. “It’s very concerning that on top of everything, I now need to sort out my status here before Brexit. Due to Christmas closures, that means submitting documentation so I can apply as an EU citizen for the right to stay by 23 December. Nobody seems to have an answer as to what Britons in Denmark should do in the new year. Obviously, all our documents are in the UK, where we can’t return, which is making the whole process maddening and extremely worrying. The combination of Brexit and coronavirus has turned what was already a difficult situation into an unmanageable one,” Alder says.

The recent travel bans have caused further strain on many UK residents who are presently out of the country. Many of them complain about the need to go back to the UK in time for the resumption of work after the holidays. Nonetheless, Britons get stuck abroad and have to deal with the necessity of securing extended visas in their present locations and seek ways to do virtual ‘work-from-home’ arrangements while awaiting the lifting of the said travel ban.

Do you like sleeping under the stars? I know I do. It’s so much more fun and fulfilling to spend your night gazing at the stars instead of another hotel roof. Plus the excitement of staying the night in a bubble is a thrill in and of itself. Make your hotel stay memorable for all the right reasons by staying in an unbelievable bubble hotel that will blow your mind!

Le Domaine Des Bulles
Le Domaine Des Bulles is what is known as an eco-lodge in Martinique. The bubble pods in here look so cool you would never believe it. You will be surrounded by beautiful vegetation that is so lush and marvelous it would be a shame to not be able to see it at all times of night. You can enjoy a beautiful night in the stars and you will enjoy amazing plants that you will never want to leave this place, trust us.

Wilderness Hotel Nellim
This remarkable hotel is located in Northern Lapland which is located in Finland. You will be blown away by the incredible view that the Wilderness Hotel Nellim gives to its guests in its Aurora Bubbles. This is the most amazing place to watch the Aurora Borealis and all the beautiful sights that Finland has to offer.

Buuble
Buuble is cool because you will be in a bubble that is open to the snow. Now that is cool. You will look like it’s cold but you will actually be super warm while you relax and watch the stars shine through the unbelievable snow. This place is only a 70-minute drive from Reykjavik and it is definitely worth the trip. Trust us, you will not regret your visit to this awesome bubble hotel.

Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp
If you find yourself in Jordan then consider coming to the Wadi Rum Desert and stay at the amazing bubble hotel that’s in the middle of the desert. You will have a king-size bed a private bathroom and unbelievable views of the desert that will blow you away.