2018 - Page 5 of 7 - LIVING THE DREAM

Becoming a Professional Photographer – 10 Years in Photos

2018 marks the ten year anniversary of my first international trip (solo at least). This whirlwind tour of Europe was my college graduation present to myself and, unbeknownst to me at the time, would spark my wanderlust and put me on a path to become a travel writer, blogger, and professional photographer.

Since that fateful journey I’ve explored over 70 countries, on five continents, totaling over two solid years on the road, and shot well over 200,000 photos of the world’s beauty along the way.

When looking back at my photos (something I do quite often), I’ve noticed an interesting evolution in my becoming a photographer.

From the style and composition, to the equipment I use and other post-processing techniques picked up along the way, my photography journey has been one that has only gotten better with age.

Today I wanted to share a glimpse into my journey over the last ten years as a travel photographer and the most important lessons I’ve learned along the way.

It is said that all beaches in the Seychelles are public, and if you’re envisioning free access to any beach you want I am sad to say you have another thing coming.

The unfortunate truth of the matter is that just because all beaches are supposedly public does not necessarily mean that you will have unrestricted access to visit them as you please.

(We say “supposedly public” because as much as it is written online, we could not actually verify it.)

You see, many beaches in the Seychelles have a hotel or resort located nearby. While it is entirely likely that the beach itself is public, the land around the beach that is occupied by the hotel is most certainly not- and there in lies the problem.

Access is all but impossible.

One beach famous for this problem is Anse Source D’Argent on the island of La Digue, which is found deep within a plantation that charges 110 rupees for visitors to enter ($8 USD).

A few more are Le Petite Anse Kerlan and Anse Georgette, two beautiful spots found within the property of Constance Lemuria on the island of Praslin.

But where we can get beyond the fee to enter Anse Source D’Argent with the justification of it being used to maintain the grounds (and the fact that everyone can enter upon payment of a nominal fee), the more explicit restrictions for Le Petite Anse Kerlan and Anse Georgette are a bit more troubling.

This post may contain out-of-date information as some buffets have since closed.

The Buffet of Buffets is an interesting concept in the food scene on the Las Vegas strip. Not from being a new upscale restaurant or novelty dining experience, but rather being one of the most gluttonous events one can attempt throughout the entire city.

After hearing such rave reviews of the experience, we had to go check it out. So we picked up our Las Vegas buffet passes and went to town, literally!

The favorite alcoholic beverage in Japan is most definitely the iconic drink known as sake. Fermented rice in pristine mountain water make up this drink of choice which can range in price of up to $100+ per bottle for the finest choices. The city of Saijo, 35 minutes by JR outside of Hiroshima, is said to produce the finest sake in all of Japan and boasts an impressive 10 breweries! Even more stunning is the fact that 8 of them are within a 45 minute walking path of each other starting and ending at the railway station and offer free tastings for visitors. So in an effort to find my favorite sake and put my liver to the test, I visited Saijo for a mass sake consumption marathon.

Becoming a Professional Photographer – 10 Years in Photos

How to Get to Le Petite Anse Kerlan on Praslin – Good Luck

Go for the Buffet of Buffets in Las Vegas – 24 Hours of Eating

Going on a Sake Tasting Tour Around Saijo, Japan