Umbria is spectacular!

Why do I say that Umbria is spectacular?

That’s easy! Take a good look for yourself at the photos in this post and the previous one and I think you’ll agree at just how special a place Umbria actually is. If you have been there yourself, you know what I’m talking about.

I wasn’t home for long after returning from Umbria and just returned from a 2 week visit to Iceland, next on the list is Sweden and then there are several options for later this summer. I have not had time to update the blog recently and I miss it! Well, ok no. I don’t really have time to miss writing blog posts when I’m in such amazing places like Umbria but I do miss sharing some of the photos of the beautiful places that I visit.

 

The above photo is the only one that I have had the time to work on since my visit to Italy, but I also have been enjoying my newfound passion for iPhoneography and have several new photos of Umbria to share with you that I took on my iPhone. I look at the iPhone photos as a tool and not as a toy for two main reasons. One, because I can explore angles and use it as an exercise for the photographer’s eye. Secondly, I use it as I would have used a polaroid in the film days. Using an HDR app on my iPhone like Pro HDR allows me to get a “reasonable” idea on how my final image might turn out. The LCD screen on the back of my camera doesn’t do me much good for that kind of thing.

 Sure the colours can be a bit whacky at times, but as I said, this iphoneography to me is a tool in many ways, but it can also be a very fun way to share some photos of the places that I’m photographing immediately. Think of it as a sneak preview of the “real” images that are on the way!

I started shooting with the iPhone almost as soon as I got the phone, but only got into it last summer when I was in Austria, Hungary, and Germany. Now I’m feeling like there is always some new app that I want to try but I do have my favourites.

So far the Apps that I like the most have been Camera +, Snapseed, Pro HDR, and for sharing I always use Instagram. I have about 15 other apps that I kind of  like too and will be testing more out in the future. Some apps do too much and some do too little. Some are free and constantly ask you to pay for new features and I don’t like that. If you want me to pay for the app and it’s worth it, then charge me once. For example Snapseed may be more pricey in terms of apps at $4.99, but it is worth 10 other apps that I have and never use that cost 99¢ each. Try, test, and play with new apps and you’ll find those that you like and use all the time. Share your favourite ones here in the comments and I’ll take a look, I’d love to hear what you’re using and why you enjoy those apps. At some point in the future I‘ll get a big list of the cool apps that I have and share some photos and details from each of these.

After only grazing the surface of the towns and countryside of Umbria, I know that I have to return. It’s not easy for me to get the quality photos that I want when I’m traveling with a group of people and this was no exception.While I sometimes find that can be a frustrating experience, I chose to forget about getting the “perfect shots” this time and concentrate on enjoying the Umbria experience. This included the fine food and wine, good company of my fellow travel bloggers, and the kind hearted people from the Umbria Tourism Board — Rebecca, Marzia, and Luca! I felt incredibly welcome and so at home that I know a return visit is a must for me. I’m surely not done with capturing the beauty of this region and I would love to have a couple of months to truly be able to highlight just how special a region this is.

Since I was in Assisi for the Tavel Bloggers Unite conference to give a lecture and photo-walk, and they were offering post conference tours to visit wineries, historic areas, fine restaurants and much more — who was I to say no to that?

You can see in the video below all the fun my group had on this tour. Thanks to everyone in my group for making this such a memorable experience. Special thanks to Rebecca who writes Umbria on the Blog and Terry Lee from Live Share Travel for the constant laughs… Good times!

Hope to see you again soon Umbria!

Best Business Cards Ever!

Thanks to Jukeboxprint.com I now have what I would say are some of the coolest cards I have ever seen. If you’re looking for inspiration for your next set of business cards or just like cool design, come see what I did with designer Nikola Lazarevic and Jukeboxprint.com.

Look for a special deal on your next order of business cards at the end of my review.

Just click on the card below to get to the review!