Category Archives: Life on the Road

Tips and techniques about traveling on the road.

Letter to Those Desiring a Career in Nature and Travel Photography

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On a regular basis I get emails and comments from students attracted to the photography bug. To them, photography represents the exotic, exciting, and adventurous. While there are some aspects that involve travel, adventure, and excitement, for the most part photography as a hobby is fun. Photography as a business is hard work and boring.

A couple years ago I created the following form letter in response to the quantity of requests for advice and help with a photography career in travel and nature. I’m updating it but I thought you might enjoy the older version for posterity.

Brent VanFossen balances his long camera lens on roof of car while photographing big game animals from the road. Photography Lorelle VanFossen.Dreams of a nature and travel photography career is a good dream, but one that requires an education first.

I know I sound old, but I wish I’d had the photography, art, and business training I needed before I first hit the road with my camera. Traveling costs money, but it also presents a lot of opportunities I could have turned into income which would have allowed me to spend more time exploring and expanding my art and skills rather than taking any job I could to pay for the next trip. No matter how you look at it, photography is expensive.

School is boring. Go Anyway.

School really doesn’t teach you what you need to know to succeed in life. Still, you have to have the piece of paper that says, “This is proof I know how to complete things. I know how to suffer and make it through it.” There is no photography career you can take on without that piece of paper if you wish to do more than run your own business. Even then, a fine art or graphic arts degree is a minimum. A business degree is a requirement.

Lorelle sites in the grasses as spotter for eagles, British Columbia, Canada.

I recommend that you triple your educational activities outside of the traditional classroom. Honestly. Do not play all the time, throw away the television, and sign up for every class you can at the local college or training schools or wherever on photography, art, business, public relations, contracts, negotiation, sales training, advertising – take any class you can. All will apply to a photography career. Go to school until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, then head right out for one to two classes a night elsewhere. Learn to manage your time. Learn everything. Learn how to take notes and how to flex your memory so you don’t have to take notes. Ace everything.

If you spend two to four years immersed in classes and education, you will emerge ready for the next 50 years of a photography career. If you do not, you will spend more time learning and studying, losing deals rather than winning them, than out and about with the camera.

Make a plan

Photography is not about the camera. It’s not about taking the pictures. It’s about selling them.

It’s about understanding the marketplace and trends to be taking the pictures you can sell three years before the style is in fashion because you were paying attention with how the market was moving and there, before everyone else, to respond to the shifts in the purchasing power. It’s about negotiating business contracts for publishing books, videos, CDs, from simply selling an image then leveraging it to sell it again and again. It’s about know how to negotiate with an airline company that wants to put your photograph on the tail of several of their airplanes. It’s about negotiating with a movie company that wants to use your image on their marketing and promotional campaign.

Duane Hansen hides in camo in the trees behind his camera.It’s about learning how accounting works and how the tax system works in your country and outside. Because I travel and work all over the world, I have to know what the tax rules and laws are in the various states within the United States (income tax, no income tax, sales tax, no sales tax, property tax, earned income taxes, investment taxes – will they tax money I earn outside of the state or only within the state) as well as the tax rules for living outside of the country and how to pay taxes on money earned outside and within…and the list is long.

I’ve never been good with basic numbers, even though I can program a spreadsheet, database, or computer. I had to take a lot of classes later in life to figure out how to estimate jobs for photo assignments and work with the stock photography industry. Do you know how to write a release form and ask for someone to sign it before you photograph them or their property? Do you know the laws pertaining to the photography of public areas, public parks, national parks, and private property? Do you know how to determine value for insurance when traveling with the camera gear, and deal with insurance companies after losing or having the gear stolen? When I work with big companies or magazines on photo projects, they use a language all of their own. I had to learn all that.

Traveling is fun. Travel and Learn to Travel at Home.

Taking pictures is fun. Selling and making a living to pay for the travel and the gear sucks. If you don’t know how to do that, the traveling sucks and the taking pictures just gets you pictures – pictures that you can’t show to anyone because no one cares or wants them. Any twit with a cell phone now has a camera and they are more interested in their pictures than yours.

Travel far but learn to travel near. What you call home, a familiar community, it boring to you. What you call boring is exotic to others.

If you live in Hawaii, you may take it for granted. For those that don’t live in Hawaii, it is a far away place of mystery and fantasy.

What is special about where you live? Pretend to be a tourist and treat your community like a tourist haven, somewhere exotic that people would flock to see. Identify the unique qualities and photograph it as if you were photographing for National Geographic, Traveler, or any travel and nature magazine or website you respect.

Travel, even in your own neighborhood, teaches you how to see things as someone else sees. It teaches you how to frame, plan, and capture images that define a location, a community, a people.

Set Goals and Self-Assignments. Practice Gets You to Carnegie Hall.

Set self-assignments. Set personal and professional goals. Make a plan for pushing your craft to its limits.

Photograph subjects you would not normally choose to capture. If you are interested in only nature photography, spend time aiming your camera at man-made objects and find your art in them. If you are a people photographer, push yourself to photograph inanimate objects and nature.

Get out a calendar and set deadlines for yourself. Places, subjects, people, whatever it takes to push your art beyond its current state.

If you are not pushing your abilities, you are staying static, keeping your expertise at a level that anyone can achieve. Go deeper and further with each task, honing your skills and strengthening your art form.

If I Could Do It All Over Again…

If I could do it all over again, that is what I would do. I would immerse myself in 4-6 years of fine arts, graphic arts, business, advertising, marketing, and entrepreneurial classes. I’ve got the business degree, but it isn’t enough. I was working while going to school and my mind wasn’t in the game as much as it should have been. Learn from me.

Duane Hansen in the mud photographing tulips closeup, Skagit Valley, Washington.I’ve learned from the best in the business that they stayed in school and went to night school to get the training they really needed because they sat down at 16 years old and made a plan for their lives. They went where serendipity took them, but only because they had the training and education to recognize an opportunity when it stood in their face and followed their heart along with the money trail.

That’s my little bit of advice. Over the years, thousands of people have taken my classes and workshops. They have talked to me about how they gave up school and everything to hit the road and photograph. Some worked for 30 or 40 years then gave up everything for photography. Either way, without a plan, without the education to make it happen, they wasted years of their lives flailing around. They are not photographers but wannabes. They are mechanics, doctors, lawyers, dentists, writers, hair stylists, and whatever job they fell into, not photographers. They didn’t take the time nor had the plan to learn what it takes to be a photographer. Art Wolfe did. Galen Rowell did. George Lepp did. Frans Lanting did. Look at the ones with dozens of books and you will find someone who made a plan and learned what it took to implement that plan, and grabbed the best opportunities (not the loser opportunities) because they knew what they wanted. They have the papers that say “I know how to complete things.”

Good luck and know that EVERYONE feels the same as you at your age. If we didn’t, the world would be broken. It’s natural.

Lorelle

Are You Still Paying for International Phone Calls?

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Cell phone on desk next to coffee mug with Doctor Who logo - photography by Lorelle VanFossen.According to a recent Harris Interactive/Rebtel Research Study, smart phone and web users are idiots and spending money they don’t have to call internationally.

Despite the number of free web services available to make international calls, US smartphone owners are shelling out close to $37.8 billion a year to keep in touch with foreign contacts. According to a recent survey, 21% of those with a smartphone use their device to dial internationally. That breaks down to an average bill of $156 a month.

“Google Voice Stays Free In 2013 But VOIP Is $15 Billion Industry” from Forbes says that even though most people know that Skype is free, “30 million Americans pay for VOIP services and they are expected to generate about $14.5 billion in revenue.”

While we are not yet to Arthur C. Clarke’s prediction and dream of free communication world-wide, we are getting closer.

Come on, people. Get smart.

I’ve traveled all over the world and want to stay in contact with friends I’ve made in those countries. With the global nature of social media, don’t be constrained by the old boys club thinking when it comes to staying in touch across borders.

We know that this should be easier. I agree. Unfortunately, we are usually stuck calling people only on our plans, with our provider, or using the same software or app. Some charge fees for mobile phone access (2g, 3g, 4g) but are free for access with the same phones over WIFI. There are work-arounds, and these are worth exploring if you would make regular international calls like I do.

I used to use international calling prepaid calling cards and all types of gimmicks to make affordable calls internationally, but with the expansion of VOIP, there is no need for that any more. Save time and money being smarter about connecting.

I connect with my friends internationally from my computer (laptop, tablet, phone, etc.) frequently with Google Talk, Google Hangouts, and Skype. All for free. Skype is the easiest for those unfamiliar with the rest. Use their app or desktop program to place calls for free to international members of Skype. Need to call direct to a non-Skype phone, take advantage of their cheap membership prices.

I can’t recommend Google Hangouts enough. I love it. Not only can I voice, text, and video call for free to anyone in the world with a Gmail account, it features conference calling (up to a limited number for free), whiteboard, screen sharing, and more.
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Finding Vegetarian and Raw Food Sources Near Beaverton, Oregon

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Red peppers in the market in Tel Aviv, photography by Lorelle VanFossen.I’m finally starting to explore our new neighborhood near Hillsboro, Oregon. My new quest is to find healthy and organic local produce and natural foods stores, and some good ethnic groceries so I can eat with healthy recipes from all over the world.

Here are some resources I uncovered on the web to help me find these food suppliers in the area.

Infinite Wilderness – Organic Resources near Portland, Oregon offers some of the best natural food groceries and resources around the Portland, Oregon, area, including Hillsboro and surrounding communities. The list includes organic grocers, gardens, produce delivery, clothing, restaurants, and more.

People’s Food Coop – Portland Area U-Pick Resources lists a wide area around Portland, Oregon, for picking your own fruits and vegetables from local farms and suppliers. Some are organic, and others are not quite organic, with information in the notes.

I’m still looking for some co-ops and CSAs that will deliver or provide really convenient access for pick-up. We’re just that step out far enough that we’re off their delivery routes, but I’m still looking.

Uwajimaya is a Pacific Northwest treasure. Currently, there are three Uwajimaya stores in the Northwest, one in downtown Seattle, Redmond, Washington, and now in Beaverton, Oregon. This is a magical grocery store stuffed with all these Asian including rice cookers, steamers, chopsticks, kimonos, books, fresh fish and seafood, Oriental teas and spices, and aisle upon aisle of international foods.

Seeking sushi, I stumbled into Tokyo Japanese Restaurant right next to Trader Joes on 185th near Highway 26 in Hillsboro and tasted some of the best sushi I’ve had in years…decades maybe. They have a citrus sushi roll called the Pink Dragon which is pure sin to me. The lemony flavor doesn’t overwhelm the fish and it slips down so fast – order two. They aren’t cheap but worth every hum, ooo, and awe. I usually get one to take home to relive the tongue joy the next day. They do specialty items as well and are always welcoming and accommodating and just about everyone can find something good to eat there, sushi or not. Continue reading →

Fecking Travel Today

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Bill Morton of Australia sent me this wonderful video link. Fascinating Aïda is a three-woman satirical cabaret act from the UK. This is video from their popular “Cheap Flights” song describing what you really get when you buy a cheap flight online. It so sums up my travel life in so many ways. With almost 5 million views, I’d say it sums up many people’s experiences. Delightful!

Hang out for the very end. It’s worth it!

Which RV to Choose for Travel and Life on the Road

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I’m constantly asked which vehicle or trailer to choose when making a decision to take your camera and life on the road. My answer never varies. Here it is.

There are a lot of articles out there with one view or the other on what type of recreational vehicle you should choose for travel. I’ve found a lot of them very bias.

I take a more open approach. The key is to choose one that works for you. Seriously.

Removing the old fridge from our trailer

We planned to live in our 30 foot fifth wheel for two years. We retired it 16 years later after many repairs, fixes, replacements, and hard work.

If you have all the money in the world, it doesn’t matter, you can choose anything you want as long as it fits where you want to go and what you want to do. If you are pinching pennies, this still applies. No matter how much money you have or are willing to spend, it boils down to the fact that the RV must take you where you want to go and help you do what you want to do.

First, the differences. A motor home has an engine and is open from the front to the back. A Class C is a motor home open from the front to the back with a van or truck cab “combined” into the RV. A camper is carried on the back of a truck and there is rarely an access point between the truck and the camper. A trailer has no engine and is pulled by any vehicle. A fifth wheel trailer has no engine and is towed by a truck. Below those you have a variety of vans and sleep-in-the-car configurations.

If you need to travel with a lot of stuff and you like luxuries, then motor home or big trailer.

If you want to travel lightly and feel the road closely, motorcycle or bicycle with a tent.

If you are physically fit, go with trailer (5th wheel or otherwise) or truck and camper.

If you aren’t physically fit, go with Class C or A motor home.

If you want to stay high in the mountains, backwoods, BLMs, rugged terrain, and off road, then tent, small trailer, class C, anything under 26 feet in total length is the only way to go.

If you are traveling to big parks, then anything goes but if you are in big campgrounds and trailer parks, they don’t like crap vehicles. Some won’t take trailers only motor homes.

If you are staying on the road for weekends, go cheap. If you only travel during summer, go cheap.

If you wish to plant yourself somewhere and explore from there, a motor home or Class C with a toad (tow vehicle) is essential.

If you are only going to go with friends and family for short trips during good weather and not long distance, go light, small, and easy on everyone.

If you travel with animals, buy with room for them in mind.

Can you sleep and walk in it? If you are tall, a bed across the width won’t work without a slide-out. If ceiling, door frames, and lights are low, tall people will need to stoop.

How much time will you spend inside as opposed to out? The more time you spend inside, the more luxurious, roomy, and comfortable it should be.

Traveling with small children? Remember they grow up fast. Plan for them.

How many bodies will travel with you? The more the merrier and the more the larger.

If you need to make frequent “pit stops,” buy a motor home or Class C for quick pull overs to use your own pit without leaving the vehicle.

If you are going to cross the continent a few times, choose a strong heavy axle RV made for hauling, pulling, or towing. Engine and tires will matter most.

If you are living in this full-time, makes sure it is durable, weatherproof, all season, and comfortable.

If you have a hobby or job you are taking with you, make sure there is room enough for you and the tasks, and the RV is secure enough to protect your investments.

How long are you going to actively use it? A year, two, eight, twenty? We got sixteen years plus out of our 2-year expected usage with a lot of time spent fixing it up and maintaining it, so look long not short and buy accordingly.

NEVER under-buy or underestimate the pulling capacity or weight bearing capabilities of whatever you are considering. Buy a tow vehicle that exceeds the need to pull the trailer. Buy a trailer or motor home to carry at least double your anticipated weight needs (you always add more than you should).

That’s all you need to know. Answer those questions and you will narrow down your choices quickly.

Man Finishes 11 Years Walking Around the World – Just Because He Could

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Walking for eleven years around the world, Jean Beliveau is about to return home to Montreal.

Beliveau left Montreal on the day of his 45th birthday, August 18, 2000, after his small sign business went bankrupt. He decided to run around the world to try to escape that painful episode in his life.

Archambault and his two children from a previous marriage did not try to hold him back. “It was cool,” said his son Thomas Eric, who was 20-years-old at the time.

Beliveau ran all the way to Atlanta, Georgia before slowing his stride for what would become the longest uninterrupted walk around the world: 75,000 kilometers across 64 countries.

At one point, Archambault encouraged him to use his voyage to promote peace and non-violence for the benefit of children in support of a UNESCO proclamation. Suddenly what started as an escape from his weary life had a purpose.

Over 11 years, he traveled across deserts and mountains. He fell in love for nine days in Mexico, wore a turban and a long beard in Sudan, ate insects in Africa, dog in South Korea and snake in China, and was escorted by armed soldiers in the Philippines.

Beliveau only fell seriously ill once in Algeria, was mugged only once by two young drunks in South Africa, and was detained only once in Ethiopia for no apparent reason (he was released the next day).

It was also in Ethiopia that he was once gripped by despair, which nearly caused him to quit and go home. He said he felt very alone. Archambault back in Montreal egged him on, convincing him to persevere.

“After food and shelter, man needs to feel like he belongs,” Beliveau explained.

While few ever have the bug or the thought, many mean it when then “leave home,” traveling to physical places in the world they thought they would never see, and traveling to psychological places within themselves they thought not possible.

Unfortunately, few who leave home this way have the support and encouragement of their family and friends. Most think they are crazy, as they did Brent and I went we hit the road full-time in 1996 with only a plan for six months, never believing it would be 14 years.

Jean will have wonderful stories and lessons to share, and a life lesson about people and kindred spirits that will serve him for the rest of his life, as do we.

Congrats, Jean, on your amazing trip. If you would like learn more about Jean and his travels, check out his site at World Wide Walk.

What Is In Your Emergency Kit?

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With Southern California out with no electricity, homes burning up in Texas, tornadoes across the country, devastating heat waves, much of the Northeast under water (and more water), earthquakes, and the threat of terrorism in New York and Washington DC (which means it could happen anywhere), are you ready? Is your emergency kit been inspected, updated, and do you even know where it is?

ocnspr3house1standAt a minimum, your emergency kit needs:

  • First Aid Kit
  • Blankets
  • Bleach
  • Camp Stove And Fuel
  • Can Opener
  • Candles
  • Compass
  • Duct Tape
  • Dust Mask
  • Extra Batteries (Of All Sizes)
  • Extra Glasses And/Or Contacts (And Prescription Information)
  • Fishing Lines And Hooks (Or Simple Hunting Gear)
  • Flares
  • Flashlight
  • Hats
  • Knife
  • Latex Gloves
  • Maps
  • Matches/Lighter
  • Medications For Pain, Diarrhea and Constipation
  • Pet Food
  • Pots/Pans/Dishes For Food Preparation
  • Prescriptions (Actual And Paper Refill Permissions)
  • Preserved Food
  • Radio – Battery Powered and/or Crank
  • Rain Gear
  • Rope
  • Salt
  • Scissors
  • Sewing Kit
  • Signal Mirror
  • Sugar
  • Preservable Condiments
  • Sun Lotion
  • Sunglasses
  • Towels
  • Trash Bags
  • Water
  • Whistle
  • Wrench/Pliers And Basic Tools
  • Writing Equipment

Sure, it’s easy to buy a ready-made kit, but don’t trust it after a year. Check it. Replace all bandages that have aged (lost their sticky), water, food, and medicines that have passed their expiration date. Make sure there is enough water for at least three days for drinking, cleaning, cooking, and personal use. Ensure it is stored in BP free, potable containers and change it every nine to twelve months.

Games and books to read out loud or alone are excellent for families and groups. There is nothing like a good book to distract and make time pass quickly. Continue reading →

A Stolen Purse Leads to Crime Ring and Tips for Security Online and Off

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assembly line crime network infographic by lorelle vanfossenOn , I just published Security and Protection: Understand the Social in a Crime Network and How to Protect Yourself, an article that shares the story of how my purse was stolen recently, and the fascinating story of how the thief was caught, my role in the catching, and what I learned about the assembly line and network build around this crime ring in our community.

I also offer some recommendations on how to protect yourself online and off at the bottom of the article.

There continue to be so many things that fascinate me about this event. I don’t feel victimized. It’s just something that happened, a nuisance really, especially as my wallet wasn’t stolen, but my checkbook and many valuables were, including my phone. I’m still trying to get all the phone numbers back into my new phone.

Two things were most important to me in telling the story of my car being broken into. First, I wanted to share the details of how the victims helped the police to break the crime ring and how the crime ring worked. Second, I really wanted to help people understand how much they are at risk in today’s world.

My research uncovered a report on cybercrime in Australia that showed how it takes only 7 pieces of personal information to create a profile complete enough to literally steal your identity – to become “you” in every legal way in order to shop online, gain access to your bank account, and who knows what other evil they could come up with.

The only private information, thankfully, that was in my purse and car were my business cards (featuring phone numbers, websites, Twitter, and email addresses), my checkbook (bank account number, address, phone number, and driver’s license numbers), and my phone (phone numbers and names). My phone wasn’t a new one, just an old fashioned cell phone, so I didn’t lose other data found on most modern phones.

When I stop to think about it, that’s a LOT of personal information. Through my websites and Twitter addresses, they could learn more about me, my activities, my location, and find connections to other data about me. It would help them find my Facebook pages and other social media accounts easily.

I’ve been paranoid my whole life having grown up with the Internet and web from the first days, so there is little really personal or private out there about me. I’ve not signed up for massive email lists or newsletters. I refuse to provide even my zip code when they ask at stores, yet I see people so willing to give even that information up without a thought. They are collecting marketing demographics information, which is fine but there are smarter ways to do that.

With Facebook consuming our private information and giving away rights to everything we say and do to businesses around the world, I’m very careful about what I click or share on Facebook that might risk my private life online or off. You do realize that they track every business you mention and “like” and that businesses consider it and can use it as an endorsement, whether or not you intended it to be that? A lot of people are furious to find out that something they tweeted or put on Facebook is now being used by a hamburger chain or gum company, and feel helpless when they are told that there isn’t anything they can do about it as they agreed to the terms of service. Bye-bye the right to own your own words.

I’ve learned a lot of tips and tricks along the way which I share in the article on how to protect yourself. It begins by being aware of all the ways you freely hand out information about yourself and your private data.

Hopefully you’ll enjoy the story as well as the information.

UPDATE: The guy and a few others in the crime ring were found guilty and are now serving time. However, the police say that because of this innovative assembly line crime network’s setup, they only got the tip of the iceberg and weren’t able to get very far, just breaking it up in our community. For now. Also, I just found How To Buy A Stolen Credit Card : Planet Money : NPR which gives a fascinating insight into how they are buying stolen credit cards right off the web.

Podcasting From the Road

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Dave Moyer preps for WordCast Podcast from my motor home in Seattle, photograph by Lorelle VanFossen

My business partner, Dave Moyer of , , and other ventures, and I spent several weeks on the road 24/7 traveling from Chicago to Portland, Oregon, to Seattle, then Vancouver, BC, and back to Seattle, then Portland. It was non-stop movement.

He was worried when it came time to do the first podcast on the road for the . Having podcast and done interviews from the road for years, I was used to it but he was dubious about quality and control of the entire sound production. I knew he could do it and with a lot of fuss, we set up our mics on the dining table in the motor home parked outside the home of friends of mine in Seattle, surfing off their high speed WIFI network, and rocked it. We did several podcasts in two days from there.

Want to hear the results? We recorded the 100th episode of WordCast with Dave and I together in Seattle in my motor home parked in a driveway, and Kym Huynh in his office in Australia for WordCast Podcast 100: What Were We Thinking?

Proof that you can do anything if you put your mind to it, and that you don’t have to be constantly tied to a land line or single studio space to do great work.

Continue reading →

Brent and His Practice Guitar

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Brent VanFossen in Prague Airport with his practice guitar

My husband, Brent VanFossen, plays classical guitar as well as steel guitar, specifically fingerstyle. He’s been playing since he was a kid, rock and roll style, and learned how to do fingerstyle guitar while we were in Israel, then realized he needed to go back to the basics and started on classical guitar training. He’s traveled around taking guitar workshops and attending conferences. He’s come a long way and I’m really proud of him.

The practice guitar he has here disassembles down to a narrow case, about the size of a clarinet travel case. It is nearly inaudible, with the sound heard through earphones. It gives him a chance to practice without carrying the huge guitar or making disruptive noises.

Here is is practicing during a long airport wait in Prague after a week long guitar workshop and a couple weeks spent camping around the Czech Republic.

Vietnam Photographers Enjoy Online Social Networks

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Vietnam News Service’s Linh Ha writes about how the “Net Gives Camera Bugs a New Playground”, highlighting the growing popularity of Vietnamese photographers and photo websites.

With the development of the Internet, more and more Vietnamese photographers, professional and amateur alike, now know better ways to share their hobby with others though online communities specifically for photography-lovers.

At first, “playing photos online” was just an idea tossed around between people who share the same hobby.

Today, there are about 20 Vietnamese websites about photography. Some of them run like online newspapers with photo galleries and comprehensive information sources about photography, such as: www.nghethuatnhiepanh.com; www.photoworld.com.vn; www.vnphoto.net; and www.photo.com.vn. There are also smaller forums on photography included big forums like Nghe Thuat Nhiep Anh (Photography Art) at www.ttvnol.com and www.hanoicorner.com.

Members of these forums vary from amateurs to professional photographers and journalists.

Photo.com.vn, which just came on-line a year ago, now has 5,000 members, the biggest number for Vietnamese websites on photography. Also quite new is www.photoworld.com.vn, which has attracted more than 2,000 members, including many famous professionals.

Many countries are taking advantage of access to the Internet to create online communities dedicated to their hobby and interests, and photography and the web go together like hand in glove. When the first online communities began a long time ago, I loved the social interaction they provided, giving me a chance to talk photography with other photographers. It led to online presentations, programs, and workshops, and a lot of new friends.

The article shares many tips and interests for online photo enthusiasts, including the joy of sharing photographs and information with each other. They are also taking their passion for photography offline with group trips and meetings as they connect with others in their community through these online forums and sites.

Buying WIFI: The Greed of Expensive Hotels

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I’ve been planning to write a scathing article about the high price of WIFI Internet connections at hotels, motels, and the like for a while, but I can’t compete with the brilliance of Respectful Insolence’s article, Good WIFI, Bad WIFI:

Most of the hotels that I end up staying at for these meetings are pretty nice hotels. Some of them are even very nice. You’d think that they’d throw in high speed Internet access and/or wi-fi as part of the package. After all, even a budget hotel chain like the Baymont Inn and Suites provides complimentary high speed Internet access at most of its locations. You’d think that the big boys like Marriott, Sheraton, or Hyatt would be able to do the same at their high end hotels.

You’d be wrong, for the most part.

Case in point, the Marriott in San Diego, which is where I stayed a couple of weeks ago. The hotel charged $9.95 a day for high speed Internet access. Although that’s in general a ripoff, it’s actually not the most expensive that I’ve encountered. In some hotels, I’ve encountered prices as high as $14.95 a night. At big hotels, though, unfortunately, somewhere around $9.95 a night seems to be standard.

Yeah!!!

As I’ve traveled across the country lately, I’ve been startled by the wonderful free Internet connections via WIFI I’ve found in the most unusual spots. My favorites have been near cheap motels and the few restaurants that also offer free WIFI connections. But get near a big hotel, whether you are a customer or not, and they want money. Sometimes lots of money. The same thing applies to airports and other public spaces in which travelers spend a lot of time. Money grubbers. Greed mongers.

Start protesting and protesting loudly if you have to pay for WIFI, especially at expensive hotels. WIFI is super cheap considering the benefits that come with people who spend money on your premises. Whine really loud!

Nightmare Upgrade of WordPress 2

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I apologize in advance for the nightmare conditions of Taking Your Camera on the Road. I’m in the middle of an upgrade from hell with the latest version of WordPress.

Every time I turn around, I’m finding more problems. If you spot any problems, errors, or odd things, please let me know so I can fix them. I might know and be struggling to find an answer, or I might not. With so much customization and tweaks on this site, I’m having a tough time trying to track them all down. Any help would be appreciated.

Why do I always pick the last minute before heading out the door traveling to do stupid things like this? Huh? Slap me next time. Sigh!

Using CSS to Create a Photo Gallery

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I have quite a few examples in my CSS Experiments on showcasing your photographs, as a single image or in a gallery format, and I found a very simple, easy-to-understand explanation of how to use CSS to create a photo gallery from Web Reference.

With this article I hope to show you how to produce a professional quality photograph gallery using nothing more than an unordered list of photographs and a Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). I will take you through the styling one step at a time and end up converting an unordered list of photographs into a professional photograph gallery. Each step will be thoroughly explained and will have an example page showing the effect of the additional styling so that you can see what to expect.

The technique presented puts the images in a HTML list and then uses CSS basics and the hover style to create a photo gallery so when you move your mouse over the thumbnail, the enlarged version of the image will appear in the showcase.

This is a great technique which worked on only a few browsers when I first started experimenting with it, but with most people upgraded to newer Internet browsers, and so many people switching to , this technique will work across most browsers now.

Enjoy!

Writing I’m Most Proud of in 2005

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As a professional writer, writing on a wide variety of topics, I posted this article and list of the my favorite articles that I wrote in 2005 on my other website, Lorelle on WordPress, and I thought I’d share it here. But before I do, I wanted to say that of the writing I’ve done on this site this year, I’m most proud of the Know Before You Go series under the Planning for the Road category. Here are some highlights from the Know Before You Go series:

I know it’s blatant bragging, but I have never gotten blase about reading an article I wrote and finding it not only good but awesome. How can I explain this better?

See, I really don’t think that what I write is very important or even very interesting, though people tell me that it is all the time. And I get paid to write. Yes, I’m a paid writer. Still, I think my writing is mediocre. I just do what I do and live my passion to write on a daily basis. I live to write. I can write about anything, anytime and just about anywhere. But I don’t think my writing is that good.

Then I stumble across something I’ve written and read it as if it was the first time. I read it as if I didn’t write it. I think, “Wow, this is really great!” Then I remember that I wrote it and I’m impressed with myself. Actually, I’m not so impressed with myself as I am shocked that I actually created a good piece of writing that has some value. I giggle and then laugh, and tell my husband, who nods and just understands this strange thing I do to myself. Within a few hours, I’m paranoid and fretful that my writing sucks again, and my life returns to its normal insecurity.

Does this ever happen to you? I hope I’m not alone in this strange ritual of self-gloat and self-deprecation.

Anyway, while I’m in a moment of gloating, here is a list of some of the articles I’ve written recently on this blog that I’m especially proud of..that is at least until tomorrow. ;-)