Destination: North America - Shalee Wanders Travel Blog

underrated places in the United States - Utah

The Epic Five: Road Trip Utah’s National Parks

March 20, 2017

The Epic Five: Road Trip Utah National Parks Guide 2021 Updated: June 23, 2021 Utah National Parks: Sunrise in Arches National Park Everything to Know About the Five Utah National Parks Utah is the state that holds the third…

Seven Things That Suck About Long Term Travel

March 7, 2017

SEVEN THINGS THAT SUCK ABOUT LONG TERM TRAVEL I dreamt for years about traveling long term. Waking up every day in a completely new environment, without the slightest clue to where I was going next or how I was…

An Inside Look at the Van Life: Q&A

February 27, 2017

AN INSIDE LOOK AT VANLIFE: Q&A Living in a van isn’t the most usual lifestyle. And with an unusual life comes many questions. Few people will ever understand what living in a van for months on end entails. The…

Bucket List: The Glass Beach of Northern California

February 16, 2017

BUCKET LIST: THE GLASS BEACH OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA There are few places that stand out in such a way it almost seems fictional. For example, a beach made entirely of sea glass. In the quaint (and extremely adorable) Northern California…

The Best Places to Visit in the United States: 2017

February 9, 2017

THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN THE UNITED STATES I’m not exactly sure how it happened, but somehow I’ve ticked off 42 states on the United States map. You know what that means, right? I’ve got 6 1/2 years…

A Road Trip up the Pacific Coast Highway

January 3, 2017

A Road Trip Up The Pacific Coast Highway Oh, California, I have such a love-hate relationship with you. A magical coastline, (mostly) beautiful weather, mountains, redwoods, orcas, and oceans. There aren’t many places in the world where Christmas Day…

I take travel photos. I've never put on make-up for a photo. Usually, I'm hiking, sweating, probably unshowered and may or may not have shaved my armpits in the last three days. I have a decent camera, but about 50% of my Instagram photos are shot with my iPhone 5s because I'm too lazy to carry all my camera equipment up a mountain. My travel snapshots include being in a beautiful place, taking some photos, and hoping one turns out decent enough to make it to my Instagram page. So are photos on Instagram fake? Depends on who you ask. But not mine. The world of photo-sharing is an interesting one. There are those who share solely for the 'likes', there are those who tell stories, those who share memories, those who share pets, landscapes, selfies, and inspiration cartoon quotes. In the world of Instagram, it is arguable that pictures are fake. "Travel" Instagrams are nothing more than a posed, glamorized, over-edited photo that completely diminishes that reality of a destination. True? Eh, for some people. However, sharing travel photos that aren't posed, glamorized, or over-edited but that are still breathtakingly beautiful is still completely do-able. Take photos, as you are, with who you're with, without wearing designer clothes or doing your makeup. So how do you take simple travel photos and turn them into travel photography? 1) Rule of Thirds Having the subject constantly in the middle of the photo is boring. In photography, the "Rule of Thirds" can be best described as a grid that overlays a photo and pinpoints where in the frame the subject is. In the above photo, you can see the subject is in the bottom-right corner. What is in the middle? Absolutely nothing, but that's what makes the photo more appealing to the viewer's eye. 2) Don't over-pose Looking stiff and overly posed is usually a photo-killer. Truth is, there are way too many people in the Instagram world that like to try and become Instagram-models. We are not Instagram-models. I eat way too much ice cream for that shit. 3) Be natural This goes hand-in-hand with posing. If you are on the beach watching a sunset, have a friend or self-timer catch you standing in the waves. This is something you would naturally do, which gives the photo a sense of "realism". When you are getting your photo taken, you usually know your photo is being taken. This can make it hard to "be natural". How do you overcome it? Laugh. Let your friends call you out on your pose. Be the picture taker that takes the picture when your friend laughs at themselves. A real picture is always better than a yoga-pose. 4) Take it easy on the filters Instagram filters are great for selfies, but lack appeal with natural photos. Unless a skilled editor in Lightroom or Photoshop, playing around with filters can lessen your photos appeal and the realness of the moment. 5) Avoid other people Photos are more dramatic and appealing when there aren't dozens of other tourists in the photo. Get creative with angles or wait for a break in the crowd. While visiting Annecy, France I was attempting to get a beautiful person-free photo. After waiting a few minutes and realizing the streets weren't clearing of crowds like this: I turned my attention to a small riverwalk about five steps away and shot this: 6) Be a little crazy Sometimes you've got to risk it to get the biscuit. The photo below is the perfect example. What you see: me balancing on the edge of a cliff (not always recommended). What you don't see: Josh hanging off the cliff to get the photo. I'm not saying you should risk your life for an Instagram shot, although I'm sure news outlets would love another story of social media killing a millennial. What I am saying is pay attention to shots and angles that will create a sense of "awe". 7) Communicate with your photographer Both Josh and I love travel photos, but we are unique in how we like to edit/shoot. We communicate with each other the angle and direction of the photo we want. Don't hand your camera to someone assuming they'll see the same photo you see. Hold the phone in the exact spot and position you want it before handing it off to assure it's exactly what you've envisioned. 8) Learn to edit Capturing the photo is step number one. Editing the photo is the second (but still equally as important) step. However, you don't need to purchase fancy-editing software. Editing a photo simply in Instagram is enough. Here is an unedited photo: Here is the same photo after editing on Instagram:

How to Take Good Instagram Photos

December 5, 2016

How to Take Good Instagram Photos March 19, 2022 Let me start this article off by saying I am the furthest thing from an “Instagram model.” In fact, this is what I look like on 90% of my travels: But…

I Got Robbed in San Antonio

November 21, 2016

WE GOT ROBBED IN SAN ANTONIO Operation #vanlife is proving difficult. Much more difficult than living out of a backpack for three months in Europe. Who would have thought? Here’s a recap of the first three weeks on the road: Day…

Budget Van Renovation: How to Renovate a Van For Under $600

October 31, 2016

Budget Van Renovation: How to Renovate a Van For Under $600 January 25, 2020 I’ll always look back and remember that my first home was a van. Nearly two months after arriving back to Michigan from Europe, I am…

Red River Gorge Cabin Life: Treehouse Edition

May 26, 2016

Best Red River Gorge Treehouse + Cabins Updated: April 14, 2021 Last week I returned to the Red River Gorge in Kentucky for some climbing and exploring. On my first visit last October, I fell in love with the…

An Audition to Be the Director of Toughness

April 14, 2016

AN AUDITION TO BE THE DIRECTOR OF TOUGHNESS A while back I auditioned for Columbia’s Director of Toughness and made it all the way to the final round. It was one of the most unique experiences, although it has…

Behind the Blog: How to Start your Own

March 29, 2016

BEHIND THE BLOG: HOW TO START YOUR OWN It’s new and relatively unknown. Blogging is a concept many people are trying, but not many know what they’re doing. It’s evolved significantly in the past few years, and the future looks…

8 Tips for Tight Budget Travel

March 4, 2016

8 TIPS FOR TIGHT BUDGET TRAVEL Some of us are visual learners (myself included). This week I decided to take a different approach to share some of my tips while traveling on a budget. What is the twist? AN…

How to Save for Your First Big Adventure

January 6, 2016

HOW TO SAVE FOR YOUR FIRST BIG ADVENTURE You’re dreaming of it, right? You want to lie on the beaches of Thailand, skydive over the mountains of New Zealand, picnic next to the waterfalls of Iceland, and camp under…

A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza

November 11, 2015

A Life Behind Miguel’s Pizza Situated among the rolling mountains of Kentucky is a slice of heaven for rock climbers, food lovers, and camping fanatics. Kentucky’s Red River Gorge is known to have the best rock climbing in the eastern…

8 Things Backpacking Teaches Us About Life

August 5, 2015

8 THINGS BACKPACKING TEACHES US ABOUT LIFE 1) Rewards don’t come easily We hike miles for hours, days, and weeks to summit high points, discover new places, and reach destinations. We choose not to experience the world from…

Eat Nothing and Climb Everything: Budgeting in America’s Southwest

July 25, 2015

EAT NOTHING AND CLIMB EVERYTHING: BUDGETING IN AMERICA’S SOUTHWEST Yes, it’s true…America’s southwest is full of tour buses, selfie sticks, crowded parking lots and heat strokes. Why would anyone want to visit such a place? Because it’s really…

5 Adventures in Every Midwest State

June 24, 2015

5 ADVENTURES IN EVERY MIDWEST STATE 12 states officially claim the Midwest as home. Although we may not have towering mountains or vast oceans, we are spoiled with lush forests, freshwater and unpopulated blissful hikes. So set the remotes…

A Day Guide to Acadia National Park

June 18, 2015

A DAY GUIDE TO ACADIA NATIONAL PARK If you follow me on social media, you’ve seen how much I absolutely loved Acadia National Park (and Maine in general). There are a lot of states I visit and love, yet…

I Climbed a Mountain to Reach a Parking Lot (and Loved it)

June 3, 2015

I CLIMBED A MOUNTAIN TO REACH A PARKING LOT For the past four hours, I’ve been sweating, swearing and falling my way up Mount Washington, the highest peak in the Northeast. I see the summit and just as I’m about…

5 Weekend Adventures Outside Michigan

April 7, 2015

Michigan is great. We’ve established it. But sometimes it’s needed to get out and go exploring beyond the boundaries. We all know how busy life can be, and the thought of a reality-escaping adventure can seem far from possible. Well,…

What To Do in Sandusky Ohio: Winter Edition

February 26, 2015

What To Do In Sandusky Ohio? Winter Edition Updated January 25, 2021 So, you’re wondering what to do in Sandusky, Ohio in the winter? Here’s a secret: it’s pretty rad and filled with hidden adventures. The indoor/outdoor exploration options…

How to Capture Travel Moments: 11 Tips

February 10, 2015

11 TIPS FOR CAPTURING TRAVEL MOMENTS Every time someone tells me they think I take amazing photos I just want to hug them. It’s probably one of the best compliments I get just because it’s something I love to…

Winter Activities in Michigan: 9 Great Weekend Adventures

January 19, 2015

Winter Activities in Michigan: 9 Great Weekend Adventures January 25, 2020 Top Winter Activities in Michigan If I had a dollar for every complaint I’ve heard about Michigan winter… When it comes down to it, we only enjoy the…

Vortexes and Visions: Bell Rock’s Hidden Story

January 14, 2015

“I believe I exist within a holographic reality program, an intelligently designed futuristic entertainment simulation, for which I directly programmed certain experiences, relationships, lessons and issues before I was born. Looking back over my life – I’ll be 73 in…

North America - Shalee Wanders Travel Blog