Intro to Travel Photography e-course on BRIT + CO

I'm excited to announce that my Intro to Travel Photography e-course has launched on Brit + Co.

I'll give you the skinny on the gear I bring, why THIS is the only camera bag I travel with, shooting tips when you are out in the field, how I edit photos, and how you can bring your adventures to life long after you've already returned home with the help of Artifact Uprising.

If you sign up by 3/22, the class is only $33! Also, Artifact Uprising is offering everyone who enrolls 25 free prints. I can't wait to see what you come up with. Tag me on instagram (@nomadic_habit) with your travel photos and tell me what you've learned!

EL CAMINO TRAVEL

After leaving Vietnam in April and feeling like my life was in disarray (the jist) I wasn't sure what to expect. I had just left a major trip, a relationship, and was coming back to my hometown to take care of a sick parent. The transition was bumpy. Everything felt foreign coming from foreign lands and I wasn't sure where life would take me. As time passed the bumps started to smooth out, I started regaining my footing, and the stars started to align. I mean really align. So much so that I've become co-founder of an amazing travel company.

After an exchange of serendipitous emails between DC and LA, a few google hangouts, a shared love of socially responsible travel, and an appreciation for creativity and innovation, El CAMINO was born.

I am so excited to officially announce the launch of EL CAMINO alongside my amazing co-founder Katalina Mayorga.

two_nomWhat is EL CAMINO?

+ Authentic and well curated travel experiences for groups of 10-12 people to unique locations.

+ Travel experience includes a professional and creative photographer that accompanies the group the whole time. You can live in the moment and not worry about capturing the moment. (I will be the resident photographer for the first few trips!)

+ 10% of profits goes towards the efforts of a local social entrepreneur who is radically changing their country and who will also lead a dinner one night so you get that unique and intimate perspective into the country.

Where are we going?

We are currently planning a sold out trip to Nicaragua in November, but have no fear, 2015 will bring 3 more trips to Nicaragua and trips to Colombia and Guatemala. We are just getting started!

But we can't wait to get the party started so Katalina is planning a midweek pop up vacay in the DC area to a nearby swimming hole. Yes, please! Details below on where to rock your oversized inflatables.

POPUP_NHWhat is a Pop Up Vacay? It is an excuse to take a vacation, relax, and #yolo the hell out of life in the middle of the week. It keeps with the spontaneous and adventurous vibe of El Camino and is a preview of the atmosphere that El Camino is committed to providing on all of its trips, in whatever part of the world we may be.

Where: A quarry turned swimming hole on the outskirts of Baltimore aka Beaver Dam Swim Club. This includes a rope swing, diving board, and several floating docks. This place is magical.

When: August 6th from 10AM to 5PM

Price: $85 if you sign up before 7/28 and $95 thereafter.

Includes: Oversized inflatable swans and inflatable half eaten donuts, the sweet sweet sounds of DJ Ayescold (our official El Camino Music Curator), creative photographer extraordinare Emma McAlary (you will get access to these photos soon after the event), delicious food, table settings that you might freak out about, transportation there and back, a copy of the beautifully designed and wanderlust filled Boat Mag, and a special appearance by #yolo and #vacay.

Sign up here!

shop_nhEl Camino has launched 'LA TIENDA' a store filled with eclectic and beautiful items from our trips abroad. We are currently selling a limited amount of hand picked and brightly colored frazadas (blankets or rugs) from the markets of Cochabamba, Bolivia. You will fall in frazada love. Guaranteed.


So there you have it.

Life is nuts, crazy, amazing, and everything in between.

Come along for the ride.

launch_insta_PLANE

instagram + facebook + pinterest

BE A TRAVELER, NOT A TOURIST.

#elcaminotravel


Happy Father's Day

dadHappy Father's Day to the man who sparked my need to see and document the world!

Above he is stylish on his scooter and playing in the forest with his siblings in the Indonesian forests.

This post is dedicated to him and his photography.

Remember this post?

It explains when I discovered my dad was a total closet photographer with a treasure trove of slides tucked away in that closet.

Here are some of my favorite slides shot by my dad.

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Happy Father's Day Dad!

FOR THE LOVE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

_MG_7127 Photography is somewhat of an addiction for me (ask Rick who often finds me "shooting" up and suffering from withdrawals at all hours of the day). I discovered photography on my own and then later discovered that my dad was a closet photographer. Growing up I remember him taking photos and lugging a VHS recorder all over the world during our travels, but I thought that's just what dads did. It was only later when I became interested in photography that I realized he had old camera gear from the gods and hundreds of slides with images from exotic places. Upon this discovery, I had started scanning his slides and realized... WE TAKE THE SAME PICTURES! Whether it's the subject matter, the composition, or the shapes, we were in each others photos. Did I really discover photography on my own? Did all the years of being around his camera rub off of me? Or did he give me the photography gene?

How could I best illustrate this visual connection? Perhaps by putting our images side by side. A year or so ago I made him a book that showed the beauty of this discovery. See a few of my favorite spreads below. Dad's photos on the left, mine on the right. Ironically, I will be visiting a few of the same locales in his images below — Myanmar, India, Nepal.

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