Category Archives: travel

editorial, photography, travel

Hotel Providence: Travel Photography & Creative Writing Courses

Have you always wanted to become a travel writer? If the answer to that question is yes, one component of the journey you may want to focus on is travel photography. Being able to take your own pictures to accompany an article not only makes you a more valuable writer in the eyes of an editor, but it can net you extra income as well.

Today we have with us Tricia Carter, the workshop facilitator for the Hotel Providence’s newest course offering–Travel Photography. She’s going to elaborate a bit on the workshop and another upcoming event at the hotel.

Can you tell Freelance-Zone readers a bit about your travel photography course and what type of person it is designed for? 

This is a photography course designed for complete beginners through intermediates who would like to refresh their previous photographic knowledge. The workshop will provide a good technical foundation along with the fundamentals of composition to dramatically improve your images. You will learn to see what makes some images memorable, while others simply are not. With this new mystery of your camera Robyn will teach you how to apply your new photographic techniques creatively to capture those perfect travel photographs.

Who is the person that will be teaching the session and what is their background in travel photography? 

Robyn Rowles, owner of Robynrowlesphotography.com and Artist in You art studio, has traveled all over the world as a professional studio and freelance photographer.  Robyn owned and exhibited in various distinguished galleries internationally. Recently she turned her attention to North America and is in the process of developing a photography book chronically the rural Southern United States travels capturing the strength, beauty and simplicity of its many diverse cultures.

THPCourses_photo200x200

What are some of the things that people will learn during the course?

Alongside your like-minded peers, in a nurturing and supportive environment, you will discover your personal aesthetic and apply your new eye and skills to capture a moment, a sense of place, and a true cultural portrait. You will learn how angles, lighting, and other techniques can unearth the beauty in uncommon places.

Can you tell readers what the cost is for this course and what is included for that price?

$389.00 Single Occupancy

The cost for the $389.00 for single occupancy and $544.00 for double occupancy. These rates include:

  • Overnight accommodations in our Superior Rooms
  • 2 days of expert instruction by Robyn Rowles
  • Lunch and Dinner on Saturday
  • Breakfast on Sunday
  • Overnight Valet Parking
    * optional keepsake book of your photographs for an additional $75.00

Our local rate is $180.00. This excludes overnight room and breakfast.

You also have a Creative Writing course coming up—can you tell readers a bit about that as well?

Our first creative writing course, As The Plot Thickens….Developing Your Novel, was so well-received we thought that it was only natural to try it again! Our next workshop will be centered on writing children’s literature. We are grateful to have Brown University instructor and author, Joanna Howard involved again, so the caliber of the workshop will be excellent.

advice, travel

Travel Tips – Setting Up Your Money For Traveling Internationally

organizing_moneyOne of the most common questions I receive about traveling is: “what bank and what credit card should I use while traveling?”. After doing countless hours of research on the subject, and spending the last year traveling abroad, I’m confident I’ve found a good way to set up your money in an efficient manner.

A quick warning: Unfortunately, the following information is only applicable to people from the United States. I apologize to the international audience, but I have yet to find similar options in other countries.

For banking, I recommend using Charles Schwab as your primary account. Why is Charles Schwab great? They have all of the traditional features one looks for in a bank, but in addition, they do not charge any fees for using other companies’ ATMs and they automatically reimburse you when the ATM you’re using charges you a fee. They even reimburse when international ATMs charge fees. At the end of every month, along with an interest payment, there’s a line-item that reimburses you for any fees charged by ATMs.

Tip: If you go with Schwab, make sure to track your ATM fees, especially internationally, as I’ve noticed they do not catch and reimburse you for all of the fees. A quick and easy phone call takes care of the mistake.

For credit cards, I recommend Capital One’s No Hassle credit card. They offer cards with a $0 annual fee in a cash rewards flavor and an airline miles rewards flavor. What makes these cards great is the fact that they do not charge any exchange rate fees (normally 3%). In fact, Capital One apparently even eats the 1% exchange fee that Visa and MasterCard charges.

Together, Schwab and a Capital One credit card make a great combination while traveling abroad. Their excellent exchange rates and lack of fees mean you can worry about finding your next travel writing story, rather than worrying about how you’re going to pay for your next meal.

Jason Demant is the founder of UnAnchor.com, where you can find detailed do-it-yourself travel itineraries for your next trip. For the latest on travel-writing you can follow him on Twitter @UnAnchor, or join the I Love Travel Writing Facebook group.

freelance jobs, freelance money, travel

The Guaranteed Way to Become a Paid Travel Writer

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travel-writingThe one sure-fire, 100% guaranteed method to becoming a paid travel writer is to find demand first, and write second. It’s certainly possible to write first and then try to sell your writing, but it’s a whole lot harder. In this post, and future posts as well, I’ll make sure to share some recent paid travel-writing gigs I’ve found from around the web.

A quick warning – while all of these jobs are paying jobs, they are not exactly well-paying jobs. But, for someone interested in travel-writing, these are a great way to get your feet wet, build up your resume, and get paid at least some amount for your time.

All of these jobs are time-sensitive. If you come across this post and the jobs have already expired, do a search on the sites I’ve linked to for their recent job postings.

Destination Weddings Articles – eLance

35 Articles / 500 Words / $3 each – Freelancer

Article Writer – Odesk

Finally, if you’d still prefer to write first and then try to get paid, PhotoJBartlett.com has a great list of sites that actually pay and he includes many direct email addresses – 10 Travel Photography and Travel Writing Markets that Pay

P.S. Just a quick fun, old article from Matador – Four Ways To Sound Like A Jerk In Your Travel Writing (And How to Avoid Them)

Jason Demant is the founder of UnAnchor.com, a place to find detailed do-it-yourself travel itineraries for your next trip. For the latest on travel-writing you can follow him on Twitter @UnAnchor, or join the I Love Travel Writing Facebook group.

Photo Credit: Keith Chan

advice, editorial, photography, travel

Travel: Scouting Out The Good Stuff

Catherine L. Tullyby Catherine L. Tully

As you may know I just got back from a trip to Colorado. I plan to do some writing about places/things I saw there and thought I’d share some stuff with you about how I take a trip and gather info.

If you are going somewhere and you are not quite sure what you are going to write about there, here are some pointers for getting intel together that you can use later on:

+ Ask the locals. Try and avoid writing travel pieces about typical travel spots if possible. They’re generally done to death. If you are going to Philadelphia, don’t pen a piece on the Liberty Bell. Trekking to San Antonio? Pass on The Alamo. The locals know the cool stuff. Check with them.

+ Go brochure crazy. I confess to having a problem with this, but it comes in quite handy. Grab every brochure, booklet and pamphlet you can find. Keep them for later reference. You can find stuff this way that you wouldn’t be able to locate online. Plus–quick facts and figures are all right there for the taking. Makes the research easier.

+  Take a walk. You see so much more on foot than you do when riding on public transportation or in a car. Enough said there.

+ Be open minded. Try stuff that you wouldn’t normally do. Not a rodeo fan? Go anyway. Not too keen on checking out a sushi bar? At least nibble on a California roll. You don’t have to do things that you really hate, but if you are somewhere that is known for a particular thing, you may want to at least give it a shot. It could be article-worthy.

+ Carry a camera. Take pictures of everything. This is so handy! I snap photos of street signs rather than writing them down and jog my memory of a city with visuals. At my age–it’s really helpful. Plus, it helps you remember the “flavor” of a place so you can write about it more authoritatively than if you were relying on memory alone.

 

reading, resources, travel, Uncategorized

Book Review: “Travel Writing 2.0” by Tim Leffel

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Timleffelbookcover_03By Erin Dalpini 

What’s the ultimate freelance assignment? You know, the one all writers dream of?

Probably getting paid to vacation—and then write about it.

But travel-writing veteran Tim Leffel says that getting there is anything but a holiday. In his aptly titled Travel Writing 2.0, Leffel takes readers on a journey through the hard realities of what it takes to be a successful travel writer in today’s competitive new media landscape. With some exceptions, it’s not much different than what it takes to be a successful, non-traveling freelance writer.

Importantly, Leffel wants readers to know that travel writing is not for the faint of heart. Continue reading Book Review: “Travel Writing 2.0” by Tim Leffel →

advice, editorial, featured, gear, Interviews, travel

Interview With…Travel Writer Joshua Berman

Joshua Berman, Travel Writer
Joshua Berman, Travel Writer

Today on Freelance-Zone we have a great interview to share with you. Travel writer Joshua Berman was kind enough to answer some questions about “the life” for us here.   – Catherine

1. What is your background in writing and travel?

I’ve always written and I’ve always traveled. After graduating from college (1995), I took a series of seasonal jobs that paid me to travel: trip leader, Forest Service, firefighter, international volunteer.

My breakthrough came when the Peace Corps assigned me to a beautiful tropical nation where tourism was in the process of being born. There were no guidebooks. So I wrote MOON NICARAGUA with Randy Wood. From there, I was asked to take over MOON BELIZE, then Randy and I wrote the first edition of LIVING ABROAD IN NICARAGUA (all Avalon Travel Publishing). Guidebooks have been my bread and butter ever since, while I’ve been able to spin out a few magazine and newspaper pieces as well.

2. What are the biggest mistakes writers make when they attempt to do a travel piece?

The biggest mistakes are NOT painting a picture or telling a story with some kind of narrative arc, even in relatively short service pieces. The quickest way to turn off a reader is to write a laundry list of the places you went. Travel writing should transport the reader to a new place and challenge them to think about new issues or meet new people, NOT simply explain what happened when the writer was there.

3. Can you share any savvy travel tips with readers?

To make sure you don’t tempt thieves, do not travel with a fancy, expensive-looking backpack with neon straps and a million pockets. Instead, go to your local thrift shop or army-navy store and buy a beat-up, top-loading, used pack—the uglier and more beat-up, the better.

4. In your opinion, what are the components of good travel writing?

Use as many sensory details as possible: smells, sounds, sights, tastes, and textures. Don’t get hung up on listing your itinerary. I don’t care where you went, that’s a background detail. I want to meet new people through your writing and imagine what it feels like to be there, talking to these people and learning their stories.

5. What are the necessities for a travel writer in terms of gear?

Short stack of Moleskine notebooks (or equivalent in sturdiness and size). A lightweight laptop which is either insured or not so expensive that you’ll be upset when it gets ruined by salt-water, rain, sand, ants, or beer. A still camera that shoots video and a digital voice recorder are also essential for the backpack journalist, as is some kind of file storage backup plan (online, mini-hard drive, flash cards).

Joshua Berman is an award-winning guidebook author, specializing in Nicaragua, Belize, and volunteering abroad. His travel articles have appeared in National Geographic Traveler, Budget Travel, The Boston Globe, Yoga Journal, Outside Traveler, 5280, Worldview, and Transitions Abroad. New editions of his two Nicaragua titles are hitting bookstores this September, 2010: MOON NICARAGUA and LIVING ABROAD IN NICARAGUA (both Avalon Travel Publishing). Joshua lives in Colorado with his family, where he is also a part-time Spanish teacher.

Interested in purchasing one of his travel books? Order an autographed copy here.