Monday Blog

Happy Monday everyone.  I hope you had a great weekend.  Ours was pretty quiet but we did have a nice dinner with friends followed by a couple games of Farkle.
I am still playing around with my shots from the Balloon Fest.  I use Corel Pro X5 software with plugins from Topaz  to create some artist effects.  It is so much fun.

My husband and I really enjoy some of the television shows on the History Channel.  One of our favorties is American Pickers.  You learn a lot about history and be entertained at the same time.  My parents are into antiques so a lot of the items they find remind me of them.  Here is a link to their website:
http://antiquearchaeology.com/ebsite.
As some of you know, I am a self described HGTV addict.  One of my favorite HGTV stars is Danielle Hirsch from Design Remix and Color Splash.   She has her own website and blog as well as running Danielle Hirsch Painting Co.  She offers tips on a wide range of topics including nutrition and design.  Here is a link to her website:
http://www.daniellehirsch.com/
One of my frustrations is buying produce that I end up throwing away because we did not eat it fast enough.  This article tells you if you can save some of it and safe some money.
http://www.tiphero.com/tips_7276_?utm_source=Money-Saving+Tips+Newsletter+DL&utm_campaign=51352f78bc-TH_NL_217a_01_24_2013&utm_medium=email
Here are three things you can do to instantly improve your photos.  I think the most important is lighting.  Be aware of the color of the light and the direction it is coming from and keep practicing.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/photography-improvement-tips/
Today's Thought For The Day:
"Love is an expression and assertion of self-esteem, a response to one's own values in the person of another." by Ayn Rand.
Thank you for reading my Blog!

Becky McGuire, CTC, MCC
Vacation Travel Specialist

612-490-0359

http://www.redbubble.com/explore/tvlgoddess

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26332264@N03/sets/

http://www.facebook.com/tvlgoddess
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/becky-mcguire.html

Balloon Festival

Monday was the last day of the 2013 Lake Havasu Balloon Festival.  It was a great event once again.  My Photo Buddy, Tina, came to visit and we spent all 4 1/2 days shooting as much as we could. We had so much fun.   I highly recommend this event to everyone but especially Photographers.  Here is a link to some of my shots on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/26332264@N03/

If you have questions or would like more information about the event, here is a link to the Lake Havasu Balloon Festival website:
http://www.havasuballoonfest.com/

There were a lot of vendors at the Balloon Festival.  The one I liked the best was A Touch Of Glass by Donna.  She transforms empty bottles into works of art.  She is a very talented artist.  I like the fact she is repurposing and reusing the bottles and helping the environment.  You can contact her at 626-664-5442 or email her donnapatterson@yahoo.com.  You can see more of her work on Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Touch-of-Glass-by-Donna/145396262246296

 Here is a new product that I will be buying. I wish I would have thought of it myself.  It is a seal between the lens and the camera body that keeps dust and dirt off your camera lens.  This can illiminate the need to send your camera body in for cleaning.  The inventor's name is Tyler Sterbentz and he is from Joshua Tree, California.  Here is a video he made about his product:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/77243737/dust-donuttm-add-a-weather-seal-to-the-mount-of-an
When you are starting out in Photography with your new SLR camera deciding which lenses you need is very daunting.  The lens can be more expensive than the camera and can really make a difference in the quality of your shots so this is an important thing to understand.  The article is from Picture Correct and discusses which lenses to choose.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/lenses-for-beginners/
I think we are all looking for ways to save money this year.  Hear is an article from Learn Vest that gives you ten tips for 2013.
http://www.learnvest.com/knowledge-center/10-ways-your-budget-needs-to-change-in-2013/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=lvdaily&utm_campaign=read-on
Here is the Thought For The Day:
"We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation.  It's one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it's another to think your's is the only path." by Paulo Coelho courtesy of the Positive Outlook Blog.
Thank you for reading my Blog!

Becky McGuire, CTC, MCC
Vacation Travel Specialist

612-490-0359

http://www.redbubble.com/explore/tvlgoddess

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26332264@N03/sets/

http://www.facebook.com/tvlgoddess
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/becky-mcguire.html

bmcguire94's photostream

bmcguire94's photostream on Flickr.

My shots from this year's Lake Havasu Balloon Festival.

Mission Complete

Hi Everyone.  I hope everyone has recovered from the Holidays.  I am so glad I got my Christmas decorations taken down before we left Arizona.  I am writing this from Minnesota which is explained below.   It is good to see family and friends but I am not enjoying the weather.
My mission is complete.  We had to a haul a vehicle to Minnesota and then pick one up to bring back to Arizona for some friends.  It so happened that our sons birthday fell on the same week so we were able to surprise him which was a lot of fun.
Here is a fun website which is a collection of interesting and often quirky hotels around the world.  It is called Unusual Hotels Of The World.    It has beautiful photos of the properties.  There are ice hotels, castles and even a hotel in an old prison.  The properties are graded by there wow factor.  These properties will not appeal to everyone but if you are looking for something unique, you will like this site.
http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/
You can learn a lot by studing other Photographer's work.  Here is a list some of the most famous Photographers of all time courtesy of Picture Correct.  Enjoy.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/top-10-most-famous-photographers-of-all-time/

Here is an article I came across about shooting during the Golden Hour which is early morning or sunset.  The light is beautiful at that time of day and you can get some beautiful shots no matter what you are shooting.
http://digital-photography-school.com/10-reasons-to-shoot-portraits-during-the-golden-hour-illustrated

I know we all want to try not to buy anything we do not need.  Here is a list of things that are worth investing in.
http://www.learnvest.com/2012/12/11-things-that-are-worth-the-money/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=lvdaily&utm_campaign=article-3
Here is the Thought For The Day:
"It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters, in the end."  by Ursala K. LeGuin.
Thank you for reading my Blog!

Becky McGuire, CTC, MCC
Vacation Travel Specialist

612-490-0359

http://www.redbubble.com/explore/tvlgoddess

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26332264@N03/sets/

http://www.facebook.com/tvlgoddess
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/becky-mcguire.html

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope you had a good New Year's celebration.  We like to stay home on New Year's Eve to avoid the crowds and the craziness.  We had a nice dinner of New Zealand Lamb Chops. 
I am preparing to go on a secret "Covert Mission".  When my mission is complete I will tell you about it in my next blog.  I will say it does involve a road trip.
I like to work on improving my Photography skills so that is always my New Year's resolution.  Here is a list of Photography challenges that you can use to help you improve your techniques.
http://digital-photography-school.com/10-photographic-assignments-to-hone-your-skills
Here is a Photographer you have to admire for his dedication.  He took a photo of himself everyday for 12 years.  I don't think I would be able to remember to do it everyday.
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/self-portrait-every-day-for-12-years-capturing-a-journey-through-life/

While we were on our RV trip last summer we visited my Cousin in Slocan, British Columbia.  We drove around Slocan Lake one day and my camera battery died so I used my IPhone for the rest of the day.  Well, I finally got around to downloading them off my phone and I was surprised at how well they turned out.  I would never have thought it was possible to get such good shots.  Technology has come a long way. 


Here is a website for people who rent out their homes that is really gaining popularity.  It is called AirBnB.com.  There are a wide variety of properties offered like villas, condos, apartments and single family homes.  Like many of the other sites users post reviews which you always have to take with a grain of salt.  Remember the quality will vary a lot because they are all individually owned properties.  There is no charge until you book property.  They market through Social Media sites which seems to be the trend these days.
https://www.airbnb.com/?af=1922719&c=A_TC%3Drtwxm3wq4j%26G_MT%3De%26G_CR%3D15491079136%26G_N%3Dg%26G_K%3Dairbnb.com%26G_P%3D&gclid=CO261uikxbQCFbKiPAodxlsAHA
Here is the Thought For The Day:
"Make sure the blues of 2012 don't spill over to the joys of 2013."  M. Maros courtesy of Peaceful Mind Peaceful.
Thank you for reading my Blog!

Becky McGuire, CTC, MCC
Vacation Travel Specialist

612-490-0359

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26332264@N03/sets/

http://www.facebook.com/tvlgoddess
http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/becky-mcguire.html