by David McGuffin | Aug 11, 2012 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources, Photography
Dave Davis is a friend who has traveled on several tours with me. He is an avid photographer and always seems to come up with some good photos. Recently, he provided some handy hints on photography and archiving the digital images. In the next few day, Dave is going to share some of his hints.
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Aren’t photographs a terrific way to refresh your memory of people, places, events and things? And now with greater technology, it has never been so easy to produce a great photographic collection to memorialize a touring vacation. I am going to share a few approaches that I have developed over the years that might just help make your photo collection more valuable to you. It is really easy. Just let your photo collection tell the story.
I often start a collection with the photos showing the trip location/destination and primary people. Sometimes I use the tour brochure that led me to select the trip. Sometimes I use a map or a picture of the destination airport or famous landmark that identifies the place.
On a recent tour, I started my collection with a picture of David McGuffin, wearing his official tour shirt with bold letters displaying “IRELAND SCOTLAND” and with the backdrop being the Hogwarts Express viaduct memorialized in the Harry Potter stories. I followed that with a picture of myself, my wife and our niece in front of the rock formation at Giants Causeway, and that was followed by a map of Scotland. With just three pictures I have opened the story and set the stage.
From there my collections are pretty much day by day. I often take a picture of a map of where the day would be spent, and sometimes one of his handouts that told more of the location. It is so helpful to my aging brain cells to have the city names (or sites) pop out from the map and be further detailed in the handouts. Then the pictures follow through the day.
When we arrive at a city, cathedral, castle, or another site, I take pictures that identify the subject. It could just be the entrance sign or anything else that tells where we are at. Display boards at the site are often good to use for identification and more detailed information on what is being visited. Then it’s the fun shots of whatever there is to see, but the long-term important thing is that the picture collection itself will present where that pictures are taken.
I find that it adds to the collection to not limit myself to taking pictures of the special places visited but also the more seemingly mundane things. Take a picture of the bus, inside (with passengers) and outside with the driver. Take a picture of the motel front, lobby, and grounds. Take a picture of your room. Take a picture of the restaurant name, its inside, the food/drink as it is being presented, fellow diners from the tour and even the waiter. And you must take pictures of some the “unique” European bathrooms! I don’t know if it is legal to do so, but I have also taken pictures of the money used in different countries.
Following these tips will make your collection more meaningful to you and to anyone you share it with.
-Dave Davis
Jump to Dave’s second article: “Organizing Your Tour Photos”
by David McGuffin | Aug 6, 2012 | Destinations, Essential Travel Resources
I’ve dedicated the last seven days (about 70 hours) to improve the appearance and appeal of my web presence. I am a self-taught web builder, but over the years, I’ve picked up a lot relating to website design and content. So, now that I am at the end of my allocated time, I’ve decided to roll out the new web appearance a few pages at a time. So, if you get a chance, take a look at https://davidmcguffin.com and let me know what you think!
P.S. you may need to refresh your browser with CTL-F5.
-David
by David McGuffin | May 18, 2012 | Destinations, Uncategorized
When we Americans conjure up images of Ireland we often think of rolling green hills, rock walls, sheep, and soaring cliffs plunging into the wild Atlantic. That’s exactly what you can expect from the west coast of Ireland. From north to south, the Counties of Antrim, Donegal, Mayo, Galway, Clare, and Kerry offer some of the most beautiful scenery on the Emerald Isle. So, to whet your appitite, I’ve included a visual photo tour of some of my favorite Irish scenes.
Sláinte!
by David McGuffin | May 15, 2012 | Destinations
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A few days ago I left a very warm Florida bound for the Emerald Isle. After a short overnight flight, I was jostled awake by the flight attendant bringing my breakfast. Raising my window and letting the dawning sun shine in, I was treated to a magnificent view of Western Ireland and its forty shades green. As always, it reminds me of a patchwork quilt, done up in endless shades of green, a concept which is inconceivable without the actual experience.
Landing in Dublin, there was a welcomed climate change from that I experienced in Florida, just a short six hours before. The ninety-degree “spring” heat in Florida, was replaced with perfect blue skies and temperatures in the mid-fifties. Ireland is known for its moderate climate, the thermometer rarely dips below freezing or above the mid-sixties. The trade-off, however, is lots of rain, and sometimes blustery weather.
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This climate is ideal for creating those “forty shades of green” we so often hear about. It is not just a cliché, those forty shades of green, often dotted with little white puffs of sheep, are a true attraction of Ireland. The image is best appreciated from the air, so be sure to look out your window when flying over Ireland. You can also catch a glimpse of this effect from mountaintops, hills, and the seaside. Be on the watch when visiting County Kerry, Wicklow, or the Connemara area.
Sláinte!
by David McGuffin | Apr 6, 2012 | Adventures in Tour Guiding, Destinations, Experiencing Europe
A couple of weeks ago I struck off for Rome for what I now call my tapas tour. Tapas are little bite-sized snacks meant to be eaten with toothpicks or your fingers. Often tapas bars serve up twenty or so different selections meant to give a tasty sample and whet your appetite.
This tour itinerary morphed into a sampling tour consisting of three countries and nine destinations, all in seven days! Not the kind of tour I usually design, but how could I help it? Originally, I planned the tour to begin in Tuscany and finish up in Barcelona, a lot of bus travel, but very doable. Seven days on that route would have given us a leisurely itinerary along the Mediterranean coast.
Then the problems began, first the airline changed the routing to Rome and ultimately departing from Madrid. It made little sense to arrive in Rome, but not “experience” Rome. So, I altered day one to include a “tornado” tour of the Roman Forum and Colosseum, plus a look at St. Peter’s Basilica. As it turned out, the arriving flight from the USA was delayed by two hours, turning our time in Rome to a mere three hours.
We had a peaceful drive up to Tuscany, as most people took a chance to sleep and shake off the jet lag. Arriving in Volterra, we were off the bus and in our hotel by 6:00 p.m., pizza dinner at 7:30, and finished up by 9:00.
The next day was delightful; this is one part of my original plan that did come together. We spent the entire day in Volterra, a place I call my favorite Tuscany hill town. There was a wine tasting at La Vena di Vino which was a big hit for the group. But, mostly, everyone just relaxed in town. That night we dined in gourmet style at Ristorante Del Duca. A smashing success!
The next day, we were on the bus and out of town by 8:30. This, I knew, was the longest day of the tour. We visited Florence, where I conducted a rapid walking tour that took in the San Lorenzo Market, the Duomo, Piazza Della Signoria, and the Ponte Vecchio. The weather did not help matters. About halfway through our walk, the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour, soaking almost everyone in the group.
Later, back on the bus, we all settled in for the six-hour drive to Nice, France. Little did I know this would begin the worst “bus driver” experience of my career. Episode two coming soon…
by David McGuffin | Mar 24, 2012 | Adventures in Tour Guiding, Destinations, Experiencing Europe
This morning I loaded a group of 41 faithful tour members on to a bus, one last time, and off we went to Madrid’s airport. Our adventure began one week ago, way down in Rome. During the last seven days, we’ve put a lot of kilometers between here and Rome. For the most part, the tour went very well, although, there were a few “hitches” along the way. But, I’ll save those stories for another post.
At the moment, I want to share my “tour recovery” story here in Madrid. You might imagine it would be a bit stressful leading a large group of American tourist around Europe. There are tons of things to think about, plan, consider, and adjust everyday. My wife puts it this way, “when David’s leading a tour, he has to be ‘Mister Entertainment’ and on the ball 24/7.” We both learned a long time ago it is not a “vacation” for us when we are leading a group tour.
So, after getting the group checked-in and through security at the airport, I was ready for a “down” day of recovery. I hopped on the Metro and returned to central Madrid. It is Saturday, and the town was slowly waking up. When I popped out of the Metro and onto Plaza de España, it was filled with joggers, dogs, and older residents enjoying the warm sunshine while visiting on park benches. I took a stroll over to Puerta del Sol, and finally to Plaza Major. It was wonderful, just to wander, not having to worry if my group was in tow or feeling the need to count to 41 for yet another time.
After taking some photos in Plaza Major, I found an outdoor cafe, ordered a cafe con leche and took in the scene. By now, it was approaching 11:00 and the square was coming to life. The silly costumed entertainers and vendors were getting dressed in hidden alcoves, waiters were drying the dew off tables, dressing them in crisp table clothes, and tour groups were just beginning to flood in to the square.
There was an American family sitting two tables away from me, and the two teen-aged boys had fried eggs and bacon on their plate. After ten days eating breakfasts of chewy baguettes, jam, cold cuts, and pastries, this looked pretty good. So, I got some myself and enjoyed a traditional USA breakfast on the grandest square in Spain!
After writing in my journal and posting some photos to Facebook, I was surprised to find it was after 2:00 p.m. I think I’ll pack up my things, go back to the hotel, and take a siesta!
From there my collections are pretty much day by day. I often take a picture of a map of where the day would be spent, and sometimes one of his handouts that told more of the location. It is so helpful to my aging brain cells to have the city names (or sites) pop out from the map and be further detailed in the handouts. Then the pictures follow through the day.
I find that it adds to the collection to not limit myself to taking pictures of the special places visited but also the more seemingly mundane things. Take a picture of the bus, inside (with passengers) and outside with the driver. Take a picture of the motel front, lobby, and grounds. Take a picture of your room. Take a picture of the restaurant name, its inside, the food/drink as it is being presented, fellow diners from the tour and even the waiter. And you must take pictures of some the “unique” European bathrooms! I don’t know if it is legal to do so, but I have also taken pictures of the money used in different countries.
