Welcome to the August 2019 newsletter.
Talking to a friend the other day, he said to me that I really should be putting out more YouTube vlogs, otherwise people will think I’ve either gone away or I’m dead. Thankfully, the latter hasn’t happened; I am definitely in the land of the living and definitely haven’t gone away.
What’s been going on since May, and why hasn’t there been much activity on my part? Well, the truth of the matter is that there has been a lot of activity but very little time to actually sit down and put out material. I’ve been to a number of places and done a lot of work, but it’s because of that my social media presence has waned a little.
As well as the hectic work and travel schedule, I’ve also had a number of issues regarding people infringing the copyright of my images, which has taken up a huge amount of my time. But it is something that has to be followed up on, as I cannot allow companies to use my work without ever paying for it.
So enough chit chat, where have you been and what’s kept you from showing us your travels?
June was spent in two different places. Amsterdam for a major international client, and also the beautiful city of Moscow. Moscow? Yes, Moscow! Don’t let the Western press fool you into thinking this huge city that was once behind the Iron Curtain is some dark and forbidding place. It’s a modern city whose people are welcoming, and I personally found it safer than Paris while walking around.
In July, I had to go to southern Austria for another client, so as well as their work, I also tagged on a trip to Vienna as it’s been on my to-do list for a very long time. Then a family holiday ensued, and then finally we’re into August, where I had another commercial job in Amsterdam.
But surely you get time to do social media? No, it’s not as simple as that. I want to and have material waiting to go, but I also had a backlog of some 1500 images that really needed sorting out. Personally, the bread and butter of my photography work must come before getting a few likes here and there on Instagram/ Facebook or YouTube.
But going forward, there will definitely be some new places to look forward to that I may turn into photography workshops and tours. In the middle of September, Vietnam is calling my name and then straight afterwards, I will be in Moldova.
Anyway, let’s head on into the trip reports to see what’s been going on as well as give you some photo workshop ideas which may interest you.
The only trip report that is worthy of a mention at this time is Austria.
This central European land locked country is probably not on most people’s agenda but you know, it should be. It offers stunning mountain scenery as well as the vibrant and architecturally amazing city of Vienna.
My journey began with a lost suitcase and KLM airlines deciding that it was far more economical to make me wait until the next day to get it back by flying it halfway down Austria before sending it in a taxi to my hotel. But I digress with these calamities of modern travel.
The area around the beautiful village of Hallstatt is magnificent. High mountains and lakes, as well as pretty villages, are all ripe for the picking. My reason for being there was to photograph the area for one of the Austrian tourism boards, as they needed a fresh pair of eyes on this stunning UNESCO-protected corner of Austria.
As you can see from the image below, it doesn’t look too far away from the Dolomites in Northern Italy. It has certainly given me food for thought in wanting to go back again for myself to capture all of its stunning glory.
Amazingly, the weather held out for three days in a row, and I was able to capture what they required of me before I headed up to Vienna.
Austria’s capital is a long weekend visit if you plan on going yourselves. Easily doable over 4 nights, you can take in a number of the city’s delights whilst happily wandering the streets of this beautiful city.
Getting to the city from the airport is very easy, as apart from the usual taxis and buses, there is an excellent rail system which connects to the city centre.
The actual centre of Vienna is pretty flat, so if you have in your mind’s eye that it’s surrounded by high mountains, you need to think again. But despite this, there are a few places you can get up and have a rooftop view over the city to get those classic cityscape shots.
Outside of the views, the actual architecture within the city is a photographer’s dream. From Baroque to modern architectural wonders, there is something for everyone, and it’s unlikely to disappoint. Both inside and outside of the buildings, anyone who loves to look on at times past will be in their element.
Rain did blight some of my time there, but it wasn’t enough to stop me getting the majority of what I wanted to do done.
It was during my last day that I was given something a little special. Permission to photograph in the National Library and access was granted to the upper level where tourists cannot go. A rare treat as they had initially said no, and something which always makes a trip worthwhile.
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