Essence of a Place

A Travel Photographers’ Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination

Have you ever returned from a trip and looked at the photographs you made only to find that they were uninspired?  Or surely you’ve sat through someone else’s slideshow presentation of their travels and thought to yourself, “Will this ever end?  Was there nothing else in that place but monuments and plates of food to photograph?”

In Essence of a Place: A Travel Photographer’s Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination, travel photographer, author and international photo tour guide Ralph Velasco outlines the importance of working from a shot list in order to create a more complete cultural portrait of a place.  These images should then be the basis for more compelling slideshows, interesting books and websites that grab and hold your viewers’ attention.

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  • "Just finished reading Essence of a Place. Very enjoyable photo book and very helpful education book, all between the same covers! I highly recommend it to anyone who travels; whether around their own town, or around the world. I like the layout: photos with their accompanying shot list entry (if you don't know what a shot list is, this book is a must!), followed by how and why Ralph took the shot."

    Bob Stine Essence of a Place reader, San Francisco and Chicago tours participant

  • "Thanks so much for writing this beautiful book. It has opened my eyes and taught me how to really see a place, and how to capture images that not only show how a place looks, but also how it feels."

    Doreen Miller Essence of a Place Reader, Chicago and Cuba tours participant

  • "Essence of a Place is an invaluable tool designed to help bring back those images that might otherwise go unnoticed when wandering around a foreign locale...this is a helpful eBook for any photographer."

    A. Pond Essence of a Place and 101 Photography Tips Reader, Cuba, Central European Christmas Markets, Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Chicago tours participant

Learn to go beyond the more obvious categories of Architecture, People and Landscapes by capturing Color, Details, Night Scenes, Interiors, the Underbelly and so many more.

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HIGHLIGHTS

  • Available for viewing on any reader, tablet, computer or smart phone capable of displaying PDFs.
  • Clear description of why you should be using a shot list.
  • 30 categories of a shot list presented in alphabetical order with clickable Table of Contents for easy navigation.
  • Sample images by professional travel photographer Ralph Velasco from such destinations as India, Cuba, Morocco, Cambodia, Mexico, Egypt, Europe and others.
  • Behind the Scenes description of each image and what Ralph was thinking when he made the shot.
  • Full-featured interactive version soon to be available to view on the iPad.
  • Category of a Short List
  • Architecture Photograph
  • The scene section
  • Temple
  • The Scene Section

WHY YOU NEED THIS eBOOK

  • Ideal for photographers of all skill levels, from beginner to advanced amateur.
  • Provides a clear explanation of why you should be maintaining a shot list for each destination or subject.
  • Based on Ralph’s My Shot Lists for Travel app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch®.
  • Discover why a well-rounded set of images that more completely captures the essence of a place is essential.
  • Learn the importance of creating a cultural portrait that highlights the unique aspects and key identifying features of a destination.
  • 30 distinct categories of a shot list presented in alphabetical order for easy navigation.
  • Sample images by professional travel photographer Ralph Velasco from such destinations as India, Cuba, Morocco, Cambodia, Mexico, Egypt, Europe, the United States and others.
  • Behind the Scenes description of each image and what Ralph was thinking when he made the shot.
  • Have your friends and family asking you to see your photography, not the other way around.

IN A NUTSHELL

Spend a bit of extra time before you arrive at a destination and research the types of images you should be after, and be sure to develop and maintain a shot list along the way.  If you’ll do this, whatever your photography skill level you can’t help but return with a set of images that gives the viewers of your work a more complete and overall sense of the place.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ralph Velasco is an Orange County-California-based travel photography instructor, author and international  guide who has led tours around the world, including to Egypt, Spain, Mexico, Morocco, Bhutan, Nepal, Central Europe, Cambodia, Chicago and San Francisco, along with 10 fully-licensed People-t0-People programs to Cuba.  Ralph is a featured speaker at the Travel & Adventure Shows throughout the United States, as well as at the Orange County Fair, and he has taught travel photography at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, Saddleback College, UC Irvine Extension, Julia Dean Photo Workshops, REI and Santa Ana College.

Follow the links below to get Ralph Velasco’s new eBook for just $4.97 (PDF) or $4.99 (iBooks Interactive Version)

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