Here’s the truth. Anyone can take a beautiful photograph. The advanced technology in today’s cameras, even the most basic point-and-shoot, makes it easier than ever. And with a few artsy apps and a creative eye, even an iPhone can deliver gallery worthy images. Seriously.
But what if you want to do more than make a pretty picture? What if you want to slow down the experience of preserving a moment, a place? Or distill the creative process of photography down to its essence?
Enter the Leica M9.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
As a journalist specializing in travel, I pack and unpack for dozens of trips a year. As a result, I’ve learned a thing or two about packing smarter, packing less, and traveling with travel technology.
Clothes are easy: Two pants. Two shoes. Four shirts. Something dressy. Fleece for cold. Layers for hot. Outerwear for wet. Quick-dry everything. A wrap for the airplane.
Toiletries, too, are a no-brainer: Travel-sized liquids refilled or still packed from the last trip. Nothing over 3-ounces. Nothing sharp. Done.
But when it comes to gadgets, things get more complicated. Cords. Cables. Batteries. Back-ups. Hard drives. iPod. Smartphone. Laptop. Memory cards. More memory cards. It’s too easy, and so frustrating, to head off without the essential bits that make the gizmos go.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Listen as Ellen shares the pros, cons and novel uses of the new thief-thwarting PacSafe camera bag in her most recent podcast.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
Hey gadget-girls, a slew of new high-definition camcorders are making it easier than ever to capture (and share) your favorite travel moments. Concierge.com puts the latest high-definition camcorders to the test to see which are best for creating your vacation memories.
Well worth a browse, especially if you’re busy making a list and checking it twice!
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
10MP D-Lux 3: The Little Leica that Can…
Think you need an SLR to capture pro-quality images? Think again. Think Leica D-Lux 3. The little power-house, with its high quality optics, 10-megapixel sensor and custom settings, can rival most SLRs. Better yet, it’s so compact, that I won’t leave home without it.
Never again will I miss capturing that dazzling double rainbow, decisive moment or impromptu jam session where Keanu Reeves shows up (it could happen!) just because I didn’t want to be weighted down with an SLR. Sure, I could snap it on my cell phone, but with the D-Lux 3 in my pocket, purse or backpack, not only will I get the shot, but it’ll be magazine quality resolution. Add to that a video function, and, it’s easy to see why I’ve taken to calling it ‘the little Leica that can.’
The D-Lux 3 is more than your average point-and-shoot. It’s a compact camera with controls like those on my professional SLRs. With focal lengths from 28 to 112 millimeters (F2.8 - F8.0), auto and manual focusing, image stabilization for shake-free pictures, and file formats from simple Jpeg to QuickTime movies and RAW for optimum image quality, it’s a pocket-sized performer.
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".
As a professional travel photographer, keeping my digital SLR camera sensor clean is a must for blemish-free images. On assignment, I use the Arctic Butterfly 724 sensor brush from Visible Dust. Ideal for airplane travel when I cannot carry a can of Dust-Off with me, the Artic Butterfly's spinning bristles 'charge' the brush's bristles with static electricity that literally attract and safely pick up dust particles off the camera's digital sensor. Using the Artic Butterfly 724 to clean my camera sensor is a nightly ritual when I'm on the road, and this particular item is a permanent fixture in my travel camera bag. I never leave home without it.
*Includes a sturdy hard-sided carry case for added protection and class. Requires two AAA batteries (not included).
Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".