Category: Travel Page 52 of 56

Empire Bluffs

On April 4, 2016

In Hiking, Michigan, National Parks & Places

The Empire Bluffs Trail at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is considered a moderate trail and after our hike, I totally see why. The trail has several steep ups and downs that definitely got my heart pounding. We saw a couple of families hiking it and the kids had a lot of fun running up and down them! But, the view at the end made all of that worth it! It was a kind of dreary day, luckily the clouds were interesting enough, but the water was a beautiful teal-blue that I have never seen outside of the Caribbean! Don’t worry, I’ll post a color shot later!

They say cloudy days are good for photography, and overcast does lend itself to more even lighting than you would normally get going out and shooting in the early afternoon. The bad thing about a cloudy day is that dreary skies don’t usually make for good landscapes. A solution? Turn it black and white. It deemphasizes the drab sky and puts the focus on your subject matter.

About this photo:
This was a single RAW exposure with basic edits and B&W conversion done in Lightroom.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens handheld

Date Taken:
March 30, 2016

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! I have to give a shout-out to Instagram user @wanderingz for the inspiration to check out this trail! To plan your trip to Sleeping Bear, visit the National Park Service website!

Long Walks on the Beach

By Ashleigh

On March 28, 2016

In Hiking, Travel

Recently in my Instagram Travel Challenge, I was given the prompt “Your first…”. Yes, it was a very vague prompt and I wracked my brain to think of a first ever travel memory that I have documented in pictures. I am very blessed in that I got started traveling before I was the one taking pictures so I don’t have a lot of pretty pictures of my firsts.

One of my first photo adventures was also my first backpacking trip, hiking North Carolina’s Mountains to Sea Trail. We hiked the Sea part of the trail, walking from Nags Head to Ocracoke, over 60 miles in 6 days. It was a lot of work, but a good part of the trail is undeveloped seashore with absolutely breathtaking views. I want to go back some day, but this time, bring a car.

About the Photo:
This trip was before I had my DSLR, so all of the photos were taken with a compact Samsung point & shoot. To be honest, that is kind of a blessing, because now I would want to add 20 lbs of camera gear to all the other stuff you have to carry when you go backpacking and my bag was heavy enough as it was! So, this isn’t the highest quality photo, but I love the trail of boot prints in the sand! I did basic edits to this shot using Google’s free editing software, Picassa.

Date Taken:
May 2009

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To plan your trip to the Outer Banks, visit OuterBanks.org. For more information about the Mountains to Sea Trail, check out ncmst.org.

Chris Corner #4: The Verrazano Narrows

By Chris

On March 11, 2016

In Chris' Corner, Travel

Verrazano Narrows Bridge in Morning Fog by Christopher Mowers on 500px.com

Last summer, Ashleigh and I had the joy of taking a cruise on the Norwegian Gem out of New York.

Not only was cruising out of New York great because it is a relatively short drive for us compared to Florida, but it was incredible to sail from a pier in Manhattan. These views were unbelievable.

Most of the pictures we got in New York Harbor were from our departure. The weather was outstanding. The thing that was really difficult though was that everyone else was also outside trying to get pictures. We decided we would get up early on our arrival day and try to get pictures with fewer people on deck.

One problem- the weather didn’t think this was such a great idea. Seriously, we didn’t get much. I don’t know how on earth I managed to capture this image, but I’m glad that I did.

About the Photo:
I took this photo at 55 mm, f/4.5, ISO 200, from the Promenade deck of the Norwegian Gem. I captured this photo the day that we drove home from New York, and on that car ride home, listening to the Improve Photography Podcast, heard all about the new dehaze slider in the lastest Lightroom release. I used that same dehaze slider on this photo with excellent results.

Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 55-200mm f/4-5.6 lens.

Date Taken:
June 21, 2015

Thank you for reading. You can see my best work on 500px and can also find pictures of the “trying my hardest to be good at this” type on Flickr or Pixoto.

Also, be sure to like the Go See Do Facebook Page, and follow Ashleigh on Instagram and Flickr! Check out our Gear page to see inside our camera bag!

Wordless Wednesday: Grant Park Black & White

By Ashleigh

On March 9, 2016

In Travel

Wordless Wednesday: Winter Blues

By Ashleigh

On March 2, 2016

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Chicago Skyline

By Ashleigh

On February 8, 2016

In Travel

On my last trip to Chicago, I was very excited to go to the top of the Sears (Willis) Tower Skydeck and get some cool shots of the city, although I was quite terrified of the elevator. On this trip, we elected to try the CityPass, which saved us a little bit of time, I would imagine it would be a lifesaver during busy times. When I got up to the Skydeck I noticed two things: 1.) There were a lot of people up there, all trying to do the same thing I was trying to do and 2.) I was not going to get the skyline shot I had in mind. Luckily it was a beautiful day and I was able to get a few shots that I could work with.

About the Photo:
As I eluded to, I had to do a little more editing on this photo than I usually do. Shooting through (dirty) glass is an added challenge; I had to take out some of the grime and reflection that I got from the windows. It was edited from a JPG with Photoshop Elements.
Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens handheld
Date Taken:
January 1, 2015

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

Duke Chapel

By Ashleigh

On January 25, 2016

In Travel

Durham, North Carolina is home to Duke University. The one thing that sticks in my mind about Duke is how stunningly beautiful the campus is. From the gorgeous architecture in Duke Chapel to the natural beauty of the Sara P. Duke Gardens, Duke’s campus stands out in its beauty. When I visited the chapel, the choir was practicing which really adds a haunting element to the architectural beauty.

About the Photo:
This photo has been one of my favorites for a while. I love how the light comes down by the steeple; it adds an angelic nature to the shot. This photo was taken with my first digital point & shoot camera and edited with Google’s free photo editing software, Picassa. I’m not saying that my photography hasn’t improved with a DSLR, the ability to shoot in RAW, and Adobe editing software, but I strongly believe you can take a quality image without all of those things, especially when you have a beautiful subject.

Camera Gear:
Kodak EasyShare CX7300 point & shoot

Date Taken:
March 2008

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! Check out my new Gear page to see inside my camera bag!

Clingman’s Vista

By Ashleigh

On January 18, 2016

In Travel

The hike up the 375 ft ramp with a 12% grade to the Clingman’s Dome viewing platform was much harder than I expected. At an elevation of 6,643 feet, Clingman’s Dome is the highest mountain in the Smokies. It was 20 degrees colder up there than it was at the campground the previous night and it started raining on the walk up. Despite all that, the view was totally worth it!

About the Photo:
Because of the fog and rain, I wish my lens had windshield wipers on it; I had to keep wiping droplets off of it. One thing you will learn about my photos is that I don’t tend to do a lot of editing. This photo was edited from a JPG with Photoshop Elements.
Camera Gear:
Nikon D3100 with 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
Date Taken:
June 21, 2014

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!

Wordless Wednesday: Savannah Sunset

By Ashleigh

On January 13, 2016

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

Disney Magic

By Ashleigh

On January 11, 2016

In Disney

Walt Disney World is a place I’ve been more times than I can count. Growing up, we visited every year. The Disney parks are one of the few places I can successfully navigate without a map (or GPS). There is something about seeing Cinderella Castle that just makes me feel like I’m home.

Not to get too Disney Nerdy on you but I love what Disney is doing with technology right now. At first, when I heard about Magic Bands (for those of you who are not in the Disney loop, you wear a bracelet that acts as your ticket and your room key) I was skeptical. I’m not someone who typically likes to wear things on my wrist. I was not a LiveStrong bracelet girl, but maybe I’m changing because I’ve had a FitBit on my wrist for over a year now. When we were in Disney, I LOVED my Magic Band! I didn’t need to carry a wallet to hold my ticket so if I didn’t want to bring my camera, I left the bag in the room and went into the parks with nothing. The super planner in me loved that I had everything planned in advance. Yes, some people feel like spontaneity is ruined with the pre-planning of meals and fastpasses, but I think the planning adds to the fun. And with all the additions and changes they’re making to the parks its hard to wait a few years between trips! If you’re thinking about a Disney vacation, I highly recommend talking to a travel agent. They really do take the stress out of all the planning that goes into a Disney vacation these days. I’m not affiliated with any agency, although if you’re an agent and are looking to advertise, send me an email!

As always, thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr!