BrighterLife.ca wants to brighten your holiday when you share your most inspiring story. Starting December 15th, one person each week will have the chance to win 1 of 3 $1000 cash gifts to help make their life brighter! 

What would you do with an extra $1000? Pay off those holiday gift purchases? Maybe take a January getaway to somewhere warm? Or will you put it away for a rainy day?

Submit your response on the Brighter Life facebook page on what makes your holidays brighter. It could be the snow, your friends, family, the holiday spirit; those feel good movies we all love to watch, baking or anything!

Pets Make My Holidays Brighter

Brighter Life offers practical tips and tools to help you lead your best life from money to family and health to career. We too believe in living life to the fullest and were asked by A Brighter Life to help kick start the event by sharing what makes our holidays brighter.

The Holidays are a time to reflect and stop to think about what is important. We have had the opportunity to travel the world over the past few years and have missed many a holiday with our families. We may have been navigating the streets of Mumbai or studying Muay Thai in Thailand over the last couple of holiday seasons, but what we looked forward to most was the online conversations that we had with our parents on Christmas Day.

Nothing can replace family and that has never rang more true to us than it does to us now.

Our Youngest Nephew is Growing Up fast!

We may be living a life of travel but it means nothing without having a family to call home or to have people missing you while your gone. We have longed to have the cash to be able to fly home on a whim during our never-ending voyage while building our dream of becoming full time adventurers. We had this notion that we needed to be constantly on the road to be professional travellers, but we are slowly learning that we may be able to have the best of both worlds in the near future.

This year we are lucky enough to be home for the Holidays. 

No Holiday Abroad this year!

It has been a transition for us to say the least. We haven’t learned how to balance being home and visiting the ones we love as much we should, but we have enjoyed being able to call our parents on a whim or stop by Dave’s parents for a quick visit on our way home from a meeting in Toronto. We are still stuck in our solitary lifestyle that we have grown accustomed to over these past two years and we have to break that cycle. We forget that friends and family are just around the corner.

Luckily we have clued in before it’s too late. Having missed some parties by some very close mates and failed to hook up with our dearest friends, it is our number one mission to brighten the holidays by visiting family and friends and reconnecting with the ones we love.

Giving Presents makes our holidays brighter

Nothing will make us happier than to exchange our $10 surprise gifts with my brothers and sisters on Boxing Day and enjoying Dave’s mum’s turkey on the 28th of December. Our nephews and niece have grown to young adults and we can’t wait to hear about their plans for the future. I’m looking forward to giving my brothers a hug and having heart to hearts with my sisters. One of my favourite memories is snuggling up on the couch and watching holiday movies all day as the smell of turkey fills the air and that is exactly what we’ll be doing this year.

We think that holidays are the most important time to re-evaluate where your life has taken you. Ours has taken us far far away and it is time to make sure that we never let ourselves drift too far again.

So head over to the Brighter Life Facebook pageand enter now for chance let them brighten your holiday. Remember you can enter every day from December 15 to January 5, so share your share your story.

The PlanetD Week on Roomorama is Winding Down

It’s been an awesome week hanging out with great people at Roomorama on their blog. Thanks so much for having us and featuring our photography and stories. We’ve had a blast. But it’s not over yet!

The Other ThePlanetD Week:

It’s been a great week all around, we were featured in the Toronto Star’s Special Travel Rewards section yesterday talking about the Mongol Rally and today at 10:45 am EST we’ll be on CTV NewsExpress talking about travel. What a great ending to a wonderful week!

Bye-bye ThePlanetD Week

Back to Roomorama

To finish off the week with Roomorama, they graciously offered to give one of our readers a $150 credit towards one of their apartment stays anywhere in the world.

They’ve been giving away great stuff all week as they do every week and to refresh your memory and to still get in on the action, check out these posts below from us.

1. Caption This! For the $75 credit add your funny caption to this photo! in

2, You’ve Guessed it! Guess Where this photo was taken and win a free FractureMe.

3. Where in the World are Dave and Deb? – See what country we feature in this photostory post.

4. Featured Property Kiev – We remember our fabulous stay in the Luxurious Kiev Apartment.

And Today’s Feature!!!

Win a $150 credit to a Roomorama stay at one of their properties in a destination of your choice. That will get you at least one free night’s stay in any city and possibly more! $150 goes a long way with Roomorama. In downtown Brasov, Romania rooms were going for €35 per night. It was a great place too!

Our Room in Brassov Romania

Kitchen in Romania

So How Do you Win?

It’s so easy, Head over to our Facebook page and tell us where you’d use your credit.

It could be in your hometown for a romantic night out or a getaway from it all experience. It could be during one of your already planned travels or it could be somewhere you are planning to go in the future.

Rules:

Make sure to leave your comment on our facebook fanpage.  If you find that you can’t leave a comment, that means that you don’t like our page and you’ll have to give us a like to be able to enter the site. Also, make sure to tag Roomorama so they know who to give the prize to.  It’s easy to tag on Facebook just type in @ in front of the name of the person you want tagged. So when you type in Roomorama type @roomorama.com and they’ll get the notification that you answered the question.

Good Luck and Happy Travels!

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There’s a really cool program going on here in Toronto. American Express Canada has been running a contest encouraging people to tap into their potential and yesterday, they announced the winners.

Voting was held on the American Express Canada Facebook  page where the favourite ‘big idea’ in the fields of Music, Community and Travel & Adventure were chosen for the American Express Room For Thought mentorship program.

Three winners were named and this November, The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts will host their amazing ideas. 

Each winner will gain personal support from a celebrity mentor, and will receive several mentoring sessions tailored to address their specific needs.  The mentor’s role will be to help nurture and develop the existing idea and to help the winners truly realize their potential.

These Amazing ideas will be brought to life with the help of Emily Haines, Les Stroud and Marc & Craig Kielburger 

About the mentors:

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Craig & Marc Kielburger co-founded Free the Children, a youth-empowerment organization, and Me to We, a social enterprise encouraging ethical living and social responsibility.

Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter, best known as the front woman in Toronto’s indie dance-rock band, Metric. She also performs as a member of Broken Social Scene.

Les Stroud is a Canadian survival expert, filmmaker and musician. He is most well-known for creating, writing, directing, producing and hosting the television series Survivorman and Beyond Survival.

Meet The Winners:

Category – Music 

Ghost II: Andrew Huang, from Toronto, will be working with Emily Haines to create an installation called Ghost II that will allow members of the public to interact with music through technology and a variety of instruments.

“Ghost II is an innovative and exciting idea that looks at music in a new way, and is something that has clearly captured the imaginations of voters.  I’m looking forward to working with Andrew to bring the concept to the next level,” said Emily Haines.

Category – Community

Survivor Garden: Lisa Shanker, from Thornhill, Ont., will be working with Marc and Craig Kielburger to create a Survivor Garden for people recovering from cancer and other serious illnesses.

“It’s inspiring to us that such a heartfelt idea has been selected by the public. The concept of building a space where people can nurture themselves through gardening is one that no doubt will make a big difference in the community,” said Craig Kielburger.

Category – Travel and Adventure 

Second Chance Travel Co-op: Evan Malach, from Vaughn, Ont., will be working with Survivorman Les Stroud to give youth who have overcome significant hardships and survived the chance to travel the world with his idea, Second Chance Travel Co-op.

“The travel category had some fantastic submissions, but the idea of the Second Chance Travel Co-op really clicked with voters. I think that Evan has an opportunity to tell a really unique story and I’m looking forward to helping him in any way I can,” said Les Stroud.

The Room for Thought venue is free to enter and will be open from November 8^th to November 22^nd, each winning idea will be showcased for three days.

Follow these ideas as they grow and develop into the Room for Thought installations on the Room for Thought American Express Canada Facebook page. It will be updated regularly with inspirational content from each of the mentors, behind-the-scenes video of the mentoring process plus unique insights into how a simple idea can grow into something amazing.

Got a celebrity mentor that you’d love to inspire you? Head over to our facebook page and tell us who you’d like to have mentor you with one of your great ideas! 

It’s ThePlanetD week on the Roomorama blog and we’ve given them a photo to enter into their weekly giveaway. Since we just arrived home from the Mongol Rally, we thought that we’d share something from our latest trip. So what’s happening for this weeks giveaway?

Caption Contest!

“Get paid to be clever,” post a witty/funny caption for this photo and win 75 dollars of roomorama.com credit!

Leave your caption below in our comments and then head over to the Roomorama Facebook Page to show them what you said. Only they can choose the winner so make sure you leave comments both below and on facebook!

We are never great at creating captions for photos, but we have faith in our readers.

You’re a clever crowd, what could possibly be going on in this picture?

While your in the mood for winning…

Check out yesterday’s giveaway and guess where the photo was taken and win a free @fractureme

You can leave both your guess and your caption on their facebook page for a double chance of winning!

It’s the last week to get your photos in to enter the Get Your Guide’s Travel Photo Contest.

On Friday September 30th at midnight the contest closes and the judging will begin!

The competition has two main categories to win

Best Photo and Best Photographer

Best Photographer

Dave is one of the judges helping to choose the best photographer! Photos from the 25 photographers with the most votes will be sent to him and a jury of other judges and he will choose his personal top 10. Then all jury votes will be combined to find the overall winner.

The winner will be announced on October 14th and will be awarded a trip to NEW YORK CITY including,

Return flights for 2 provided by KAYAK

4 luxurious night’s stay in a 4 star hotel provided by Agoda at the Millennium Broadway Hotel New York

3 amazing tours including: 

• A tour of TV & movie locations in New York with On Location Tours
• Entry tickets for a tour up the Empire State Building from Empire State Building Observatory
• 2 x New York Explorer Passes with entry to 5 attractions of your choice from Smart Destinations

Best Photograph

What’s Included in their package?

A trip to Miami!

Return flights for 2 provided by KAYAK
4 luxurious nights in a 4 star hotel provided by Agoda
Relax your travelling feet at the Fashionhaus Hotel
3 amazing tours including
Discover your wild side on Jungle Island

Also, get over to Get Your Guide right now where they are announcing their last mini contest prize. This week’s winner receives a bag from Bree.

How to Enter

To enter the Contest you must head over to Get Your Guide’s Contest page to submit your photo

1. Upload your photo
2. Give it a title and tell them about it
3. Add the location of the photo

Remember that you can upload up to 10 photos to have more chances to win!

Last week we held a contest to win a free stay with Hostel Bookers.

We love giving away free stuff. We love to travel and see the world and nothing makes us happier than to be able to share the experience with our readers and give others the chance to travel too!

HostelBookers was kind enough to give us an amazing prize to give one of our readers the opportunity to win a free hostel stay up to the value of 200 Euro.  The best thing is that the prize can be redeemed for anywhere in the world! You don’t have to buy an expensive flight to claim a nights stay in the predetermined destination. You can redeem your prize for any Hostel bookers hostel across the globe.

With over 3500 destinations world wide, I have no doubt that the winner will have no trouble redeeming their stay.

So who was the winner and how did they win?

The rules were to head over to The Planet D’s Round the World Adventures, tag your best friend and tell us why you’d take them with you if you won a a free stay at any HostelBookers hostel.

We were looking for fun and creative reasons for why your best mate is the perfect person to spend time with. We’re a couple of softies so mushy stuff and loving words boded well for anyone wanting a chance to win.

It was entirely up to us this time, so begging was accepted (encouraged even)

We had a fantastic turn out on our facebook page. I looked forward to opening up the page each day to see who wanted to take who and what their reasons were. We thank all of you for entering, but unfortunately as in the words of Highlander the Movie, “There can only be one!”

We fell for the sentimental entry and are very excited to give Naveen Kumar the grand prize!

Why did we choose Naveen? Well, you try reading what he said below and not awarding him a hostel stay. His friend Ritesh is a lucky guy to have a friend like Naveen who would think of giving him such a great gift.

Naveen Kumar: “If I won a free hostel stay I would take Ritesh Malhotra coz he’s never been on vacation in outside his country and this would be my gift to him for bein such a good friend.”

I hope that this helps to get you two out of the country and on to your first adventure out into the world! Let us know how it goes when you do go, we’d love to hear all about it.

We’ve been contest fools these past few weeks and we just can’t help ourselves. We keep feeling the need to give you another chance to win a fabulous prize before the summer is out. So, here is another great giveaway!

And This one Rocks!

With over 3,500 destinations worldwide, HostelBookers is one of the top websites for backpackers, students and budget travellers out there. We’ve stayed in a few hostels in our time and they can be some of the best times you will have during your travels – meeting other people, sharing stories in the common area and staying in the heart of an historic city like Barcelona or Prague is an experience you will never forget. You don’t have to be twenty to stay in a hostel, they’re for the young at heart as well.

Hostel Bookers is having an awesome summer sale going on right now until the end of July, so to celebrate, they’re giving one lucky reader a chance to stay for free at one of their great properties. Yep, one of you will have the opportunity to win a free hostel stay up to the value of €200.

Do you know how many nights that will get you in a hostel?

What I love about this contest is that the prize can be redeemed and used anywhere in the world. Got a summer trip planned? Your not tied to having to go where we dictate, you can stay wherever you please.

The winner can browse their website and choose from their great variety of hostels in all the top destinations around the world. Man, I want this prize!

The Kasbah le Mirage Hostel in Marrakesh,

How to Win…

We love a facebook contest and this contest is no different.

Head over to The Planet D’s Round the World Adventures, tag your best friend and tell us why you’d take them with you if you won a a free stay at any HostelBookers hostel. tagging on facebook is done by using the @… sign at the front of the persons name when typing. Do Not Put any spaces between the @ and the name..eg:  ”If I won a hostel stay, I’d take @Dave Bouskill because he is great at navigating through the cities of Europe”

We’re looking for fun and creative reasons for why your best mate is the perfect person to spend time with. And hey, we’re a couple of softies, we’ll even take the mushy stuff.

It’s entirely up to us, so begging is accepted (encouraged even)

Good luck and have a great time!

Legal Stuff

1) The prize is a free hostel stay up to the value of €200. The prize may be redeemed at any time and in any HostelBookers hostel across the globe.

2) No cash or other alternative is available to the prize.

3) The prize must be taken by the prize winner and may not be transferred to or taken by any third party.

4) HostelBookers act as agent in respect of all bookings we take or make on your behalf. For all bookings your contract will be with the supplier of the accommodation or other service specified.

It’s a week of giving here at ThePlanetD and we want to give you even more!

Yesterday we posted a contest for a weekend getaway to San Antonio Texas. Head on over when you are finished here and enter for your chance to win!

On Monday we held a contest to giveaway a $100 gift certificate to Novica.com a leading fair trade artisan website. There’s still time to enter that contest as well so head on over!

Now What do we have for you today?!

Named as one of the Top 70 Travel Websites by Travel and Leisure, Approach Guides is a company that offers downloadable cultural guidebooks.

Since traveling to Jordan, we have developed a soft spot for the Middle East and Cairo is one of the most vibrant and exciting cities we have ever visited.

We have teamed with Approach Guides to offer our readers a free copy of their Islamic Cairo Guide!

There’s a lot more to cairo than just the pyramids.  Explore Cairo’s architectural highlights focusing on mosques and madrasas and the Islamic History of Cairo.

As Travel and Leisure says…”The Raezers are the masterminds behind the downloadable Approach Guides, which are filled with a university course-worth of history and insights for 62 destinations worldwide. WHY WE LOVE IT? The Raezers share our desire for deep, well-researched information on the wonders of the world.”

Even if you aren’t travelling to Cairo any time soon, you will be fascinated and intrigued by the history and background of the city.  I wish I had this guide when we visited Cairo, we would have come away with a better understanding of this ancient land that has survived 8 dynasties. the Umayyad, Abbasid, Ikhshidid, Fatimid, Ayyubid, Amluke and Ottoman Turkish to be exact. How do I know this? Well, I read Approach Guides of course.

The great thing about Approach Guides guide books is that they are downloadable for your computer, the iPhone, iPad, Barnes and Noble’s NOOK, KOBO and Kindle. Ebooks are easy to update content and release new additions. Existing customers can download the latest edition for free. So, if you can’t make it to Cairo this year, you’ll be able to update it before leaving on your trip!

Not only do they have guides from the Americas, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, South East Asia, India and China, Approach Guides also provide a wine guide for Italy, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and Spain. Need to learn more about wine? You can download their app for the iPad or iPhone. I may have to get this one for our upcoming road trip through Europe.

What do you have to do for your chance to win the Cairo Guide?

Sign up for our newsletter.

The Planet D puts out a monthly newsletter where we share the best of the month, upcoming events, travel products and services that we’ve used and we offer exclusive giveaways to our subscribers.

We will announce the winner in our next newsletter.

Plus, whenever you sign up for ThePlanetD Newsletter you receive a free calendar filled with 12 of Dave’s favourite photographs that you can put on your desktop, print or do whatever you like with!

There’s nothing to lose, only lots to gain. So Sign up Today for your chance to win this cool book.

Approach Guides is an excellent complement to your regular guide book as it focuses on providing historical, religious, and artistic insights that enhance your travel experiences. I can’t wait to go back to Cairo with The Islamic Cario Guide Book to explore all the places we missed the first time around.

Road trip anyone?

It’s the classic mode of transport for those looking for an exhilarating cross-country journey full of fun and friendship. Thelma and Louise, Jake and Elwood; it would be hard to say that travelling by road hasn’t produced some truly awe-inspiring pairings in some equally brilliant films.

The beauty of the road trip film lies in its versatility and its portrayal of the inevitable spiritual awakening. They are real, visceral and more often than not, ridden with comic mishaps and slapstick as the bonds between the characters get deeper. Watching people take a road trip is a communal activity that unites friends, mirroring what is occurring on screen; a great meeting of minds who bring out the best (and the worst) in each other.

The freedom of the open road stretching for miles upon end is the blank canvas upon which many a cinematic holiday has been brought to life and no doubt subsequently inspired many real life road trips.

Holiday Extras Customer Awards 2011

HolidayExtras.co.uk is asking people which travel film they think is most inspirational as part of their customer awards and it surely must be one centered on a road trip. Venturing out onto the vast expanse of the empty highway in an open-top car, or even a motor home if you’re feeling really brave, can’t help but inspire both the characters in the films and the audiences on the other side of the screen.

What you’re letting yourself in for isn’t just a holiday either, it’s a whirlwind of experiences that stem from the spontaneity of dreaming
up, planning and executing your very own road trip route. Get ready for a sensory overload – just make sure you don’t let yourself fall into any Planes, Train and Automobiles or Rat Race-esque traps.

Vote For Favourite Inspirational Film Now!

To have a look at the films included in the category for most inspirational travel film category and to place a vote, have a look at the widget below:

The winners will be revealed on September 15, 2011 at an exclusive presentation evening at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.

The GoPro Hero Winner is…

A couple of weeks ago we held a contest to give away a Go Pro Hero 960 HD Camera/Video adventure camera.  Air Transat Holidays gave us a fabulous prize to give away for helping them promote their own holiday giveaway to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

We were thrilled with the response that we got and want to thank all of our readers that entered.  Out of the 65 people that left their comments on how they could have used a Go Pro Hero Camera in the past, we chose (with the help of some friends) the finalists to go on to the next round.

You can see what they had to say at our Facebook fanpage if your not already a fan of our page, give us a like to join the conversations outside of the blog at The Planet D’s Round the World Adventures.

There was no way we could choose a winner on our own with all the great reasons people had for needing the Go Pro Hero, so we left it up to our fans and their friends to help them vote.

The person with the most “likes” wins.

The final tally is in and Edelito Sangco is the big winner!

Hailing from the Philippines Eldito secured a whopping 378 likes to get himself a brand new Go Pro Hero Camera to use at his dream location.  He can finally get the shots he has always wanted at Hagukan “Snoring” Cavern in the Philippines.

Check out his comment below…

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“There’s a spot I really wish to take picture at. It’s called “Hagukan” or “Snoring” Cavern inside Sohoton Covein Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte Philippines. As water recedes during low tide thereby exposing its narrow entrance, the trapped air inside comes out thereby producing a snoring sound. You must have to swim your way in free style towards the center of the cavern approximately ten meters from the entrance where a hard coral platform submerged half a meter below sea level is located. As you look upwards, you can savor the magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations in glittering whitish crystal colors which conjoins with the small amount of light coming from the pinched entrance that brightens the cavern. Glancing downward, you can see the illuminating waters resembling a vast array of glowing compact fluorescent lamps. How I wish I could have had a Go Pro Hero camera so I could take shots of this superb natural attraction and publish it for the readers to admire.”

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We are so happy for Eldito and wish that we could have given a camera to everyone. But rest assured, we will be holding more contests at thePlanetD to give away great prizes.

Eldito, we’ll be contacting you for your information on where we can send this fabulous prize.  When you get the photos done, you should send us over a guest post or photo story about these beautiful caves. We would love to help you promote such a magical location.

We had a great turn out for our contest to win a Go Pro Hero 960 HD camera/video.

We expected to do a draw and pick a random winner, but so many people put a lot of thought into their comments that we had to extend the contest and let everyone see the replies. We have a lot of adventurous followers and fellow travellers here at ThePlanetD. To see everyone’s comments check out the post Win A Camera Contest, Entries so Far…

Contest Part II

It was a difficult decision but our lives were made a little bit easier by some mistakes that a few people made with their comments. Out of the 65 people that entered, several didn’t completely follow the rules. Unfortunately for them, we had to eliminate quite a few right off the bat.

What did they miss?

• Some said what they would use it for rather than what they could have used it for in the past. We were looking for a missed opportunity that would have helped out in a previous photo situation.
• Some people left wonderful comments on our blog, but didn’t share it on facebook.
• And some didn’t let us know on our blog that they left a comment on facebook.  We needed all these bases covered.

So after the elimination round we read through all of the reasons that people had for wanting the GoPro Hero. And asked our friends to choose their favourites as well. We went with the majority and here is what we came up with.

The top 8 answers below, plus 2 random draw “wild card” recipients = 10 Finalists

We wanted to be completely fair so we held a draw with the left over entries to round out the top 10. We wanted everyone to have a fair chance to win the GoPro Hero courtesy of Air Transat. We won’t tell you which two were wildcard choices though because we don’t want to sway anyone’s decision.

Your top 10 in order that they answered on our Facebook Fan Page.

1.

Cailin O’Neil

The GoProHD definitely would of been useful that time I went sailing and then snorkeling on the great barrier reef. I thought I was so smart with my waterproof disposable camera until some jerk with a waterproff digital camera swam by me….. I was shattered hahaha my pictures didn’t come out that awesome either I definitely could of used one of these puppies!

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2.

Branislava Hill

Hi Dave & Deb! This amazing camera would have been perfect when I was skydiving in Cuba! This camera would have totally captured an amazing POV video.

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3.

Pedro Heck (Pete)

The GoProHD would have been extremely handy the time I was fishing on Kootenay Lake, British Columbia with the rains coming down and waves crashing hard against our boat. We managed to pull in a 23 pound rainbow trout but not having a waterproof camera or hood nobody believed us. Needless to say we released the trophy fish.

4.

Becky Conlon

Hi Dave & Deb! What an awesome contest. I could have definitely used the Go Pro Hero 960 when I went solo skydiving! I was beyond terrified and am pretty sure I passed out mid-air because I have no recollection of the free fall. Is that even possible!? The pictures that were taken (from inside the plane) just show my limp body flailin..

5.

Gareth Leonard

5 Reasons Why I Should Win the Go Pro Hero Camera:
1. I sweat a lot and my current (disposable) camera always gets wet.
2. I couldn’t capture the beauty of Islas de Rosario off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia because I didn’t come well equipped.
3. This camera is so futuristic looking, nobody would even think to rob me while I’m walking around my ‘hood here in Medellin.
4. I’m a mountain bike junky and this camera would complete my plan to explore some Canadian trails this summer
5. I was in a Jacuzzi last weekend with two Colombian super models and wasn’t able to get proof for my friends back home because I didn’t have a water-proof camera

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6.

Edelito Sangco

There’s a spot I really wish to take picture at. It’s called “Hagukan” or “Snoring” Cavern inside Sohoton Covein Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte Philippines. As water recedes during low tide thereby exposing its narrow entrance, the trapped air inside comes out thereby producing a snoring sound. You must have to swim your way in free style towards the center of the cavern approximately ten meters from the entrance where a hard coral platform submerged half a meter below sea level is located. As you look upwards, you can savor the magnificent stalactite and stalagmite formations in glittering whitish crystal colors which conjoins with the small amount of light coming from the pinched entrance that brightens the cavern. Glancing downward, you can see the illuminating waters resembling a vast array of glowing compact fluorescent lamps. How I wish I could have had a Go Pro Hero camera so I could take shots of this superb natural attraction and publish it for the readers to admire

7.

Andi Perullo

I could have used that awesome camera for when I went great white shark cage diving in South Africa!!!

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8.

Jennifer Doré Dallas

Oh God! Where to begin! The Go Pro Hero would change my life! First off, I could now take pictures while eating or drinking, as silly me never manages to put down my DSLR on the table without a spill disaster! Adventure-wise, I could actually not kill my camera from the sand in Cuba like I did last year and could have taken pictures under the Falls on the Maid of the Mist and many other falls i’ve been to or will go to! Also, I wouldn’t have to skimp on kayaking or swimming, as I could leave it hanging around near splashing water without stress!

9.

Amanda Buehrig

We would love a Go Pro Hero camera! We moved to Hawaii a year ago & our first child was born 2 weeks later! My husband and I love doing our own little weekend adventures around the islands (hiking to waterfalls, going whale-watching, learning to surf, kayaking & more!) and our son is getting quite the outdoor education, as we never leave him behind! Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to document so many of the cool things our son has done the first year of life because our camera can’t hold up in this water-laden state. A camera that could withstand the elements would be perfect!

10.

Duncan Mansfield

This would have to be at “Straddie” just off the Brisbane in Moreton Bay with my daughter when she had her first non-lesson surf by herself in real beach break surf and managed to get up by herself and then repeat this epic performance a number of time – interspersed with the odd absolutely classic wipe out

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Help Them Win!

Here is where you come in.

You can help your favourite quote win the GoPro Hero by heading over to our facebook page to the album “GoPro Finalists” and liking their comment captioned under their photo. You have to like our facebook page first to be able to like their photos. The person with the most “likes” wins the camera. For those of you nominated, promote your link to your friends and get them voting for you!

We are going to give everyone a little extra time to recruit their friends and will announce the winner on Monday April 3rd.  We will stop taking votes on Sunday April 2nd at Midnight PST to give our west coast friends lots of extra time.

Good luck to all and thank you everyone for participating, it was a blast reading everyone’s comments.

On Wednesday we will stop taking entries for the GoPro camera we are giving away.

The response has been fabulous!

We have been traveling through New Zealand with limited Internet and wanted to make sure that we had everyone’s names and comments that have entered so far. Take a look for your name and quote and let us know if you don’t see yourself if you already left a comment on our facebook page. We are pretty sure we got everyone, but we want to be 100% positive! (we simply copied and pasted from Facebook and comments so if you would like a link to your blog leave your name and number on the list with the link that you would like)

For the rest of you, You still have 2 more days to enter. On Wednesday March 23rd we will stop taking entries and begin the judging process to choose a winner.

Want to know what you could win?

Go Pro Hero 960 HD camera/video – This is a camera that will fulfill all your adventure travel needs. Hey, it will even give you peace of mind at the beach or in the swimming pool.

It is waterproof, shockproof and can be clipped to your gear for easy access.

How to Win!

Rules:

1 – All you have to do is head over to our facebook fan page.  If you haven’t already “liked” our page, give us a thumbs up and leave a comment telling us about a time when you could have used a camera like the Go Pro Hero.

2 – Make sure you leave a quick message in the comments section of this post as well to let us know that you’ve visited our fanpage. We would hate to miss anyone’s message that may become buried in the chatter at ThePlanetD’s Round the World Adventures.

3. Only Fans of our Facebook Fanpage are eligible to win. If you’re not on Facebook, get yourself on there now and catch up with your old college and high school friends. It’s a great way to reconnect with everyone.

Submissions end on March 23nd

Like our Fanpage now!

For more information and ideas on what comments we are looking for check out our original post Win a Camera for Your Adventures.

Here’s The Entries We have Received so Far

1 – Nicholas Maniatis – This gadget would be awesome to take with me on my intrepid safari around the world… and… it would be awesome to document some of the diving into and swimming under the plunge pool of many water falls I’ve encountered… it’s simply amazing

2 – flip Damon I could have used this awesome gadget when I went spelunking in Sagada or when I went to the beach of Puerto Galera. But it’s not yet too late coz Im going to Palawan and will stay there for a couple of weeks to explore and snorkel and this camera will definitely be useful.

3 – Robin Smith – This camera would be an awesome addition to our numerous kayaking trips to the Adirondack in New York and to take on our upcoming 3 week trip to Hawaii in May….

4 – Cailin O’Neil – The GoProHD definitely would of been useful that time I went sailing and then snorkeling on the great barrier reef. I thought I was so smart with my waterproof disposable camera until some jerk with a waterproff digital camera swam by me….. I was shattered hahaha my pictures didn’t come out that awesome either I definitely could of used one of these puppies!

5 – Margo Millure – I am surrounded by pools, waterways, rivers and the Atlantic Ocean here in Myrtle Beach. In other words the GoProHD, would come in handy on a daily basis – because my daily life here needs waterproofing and is just that exciting. Also I would love to have had it for bicycling and kayaking in Loire Valley.

6 – CancunCanuck AKA Kelly McLaughlin – I commented on the blog too, I need this camera! I live and blog from Cancun, sharing my adventures on the beach, on the reef, in the jungle, from zip lines, rappel, kayak, snorkeling with whale sharks and discovering Mayan ruins. This camera would be well loved and put to great use to share the beauty of the Yucatan Peninsula! www.cancuncanuck.com

7 – David Hill – When my wife, Bran, and I rafted the rapids at Field, British Colombia I could only take photos between rapids. If I had the GoProHD I could have rolled high definition video of her reaction as we crashed through those rapids. THAT would have been awesome!

8 – Raghav Modi –  Hello. Thanks for the competition. So I just got back from a cruise with my family and boy-o-boy what a difference a waterproof rugged camera would have made. The beach, my three year old loves water, the many falls like Dunns River Falls, Middleham Falls would have been captured in all their glory. I snorkeled for the first time and would love the camera for when I snorkel again. Hint hint Cheers!

9 – Authentic Seacoast Resorts - We’d love to have a Go Hero Pro for the coastal hiking trails, secluded beaches and boating on the Authentic Seacoast.

10 – Natalie Travels – I could have used a Go Pro in Cuba when a water spout (over water tornado) dropped just off Varadero beach. I got a few seconds of video on my digital camera before I had to stash it away to protect it from the torrential rain that hit. It was an amazing event that I would love to have a full video of.

11 – Branislava Hill – Hi Dave & Deb! This amazing camera would have been perfect when I was skydiving in Cuba! This camera would have totally captured an amazing POV video.

12 - Pedro Heck (Pete) The GoProHD would have been extremely handy the time I was fishing on Kootenay Lake, British Columbia with the rains coming down and waves crashing hard against our boat. We managed to pull in a 23 pound rainbow trout but not having a waterproof camera or hood nobody believed us. Needless to say we released the trophy fish.

13 -Almar B. Autida I really like ocean adventures and i love taking videos and picture with my family , how i wish i had a gadget like Go Pro hero camera that fits in even in the wild water escapades. !

14 -Kerry Dexter- the Scottish highlands in winter — snow, wind, sleet, and it would’ve been a fine place for just such a camera, that’d withstand the elements as well as a few encounters with rock…

15 – Teija Bengtsson – Im going to Himalaya,Srinagar to Leh in june and i looking for a camera

16 – Marlys Schuermann – You guys are just getting awesome-er by the day. Wish I had your youth, energy and opportunities to travel the way you do… Never mind… in my next life. But in the meantime, this great camera could help me produce videos to show those who’ve not yet been to Montmartre in Paris what they are missing and why Hollywood shot so many famous movies there. Here’s crossing my fingers!

17 – Becky Conlon – Hi Dave & Deb! What an awesome contest. I could have definitely used the Go Pro Hero 960 when I went solo skydiving! I was beyond terrified and am pretty sure I passed out mid-air because I have no recollection of the free fall. Is that even possible!? The pictures that were taken (from inside the plane) just show my limp body flailin..

18 – Harley Schreiber – This camera would have been great for when I was cycling among the limestone karsts and countryside in Yangshuo, China! Plus I’d finally be able to get some underwater shots. Great stuff!

19 – Nicole KT Winchester – I could have used the Go Pro Hero when we went on a tour of the galley on the last cruise we went on. I got video, but had to juggle hors d’oeuvres, wine and the camera I’d brought. If I could have clipped that to a shoulder strap or something, it’d be a much more complete walk-through – and I could have kept drinking. ;

20 – June Wettstein Cioppettini – This would have be wonderful to have on our 25th anniversary 2nd honeymoon to Lake Louise in Canada – as we paddled our canoe and enjoyed the majestic rocky moutains.

21 – Christy Woodrow - I want a go pro soooo badly!! Scott and I are always surfing, so it would be awesome to get video of us wiping out… and hopefully also some video of us not wiping out! Thanks for the great giveaway!!

22 – Michelle Snow - Actually I could use this on my upcoming summer trip of the B.C. islands. My 10-yr old digital is on its last legs. =)

23 – Norbert Figueroa – Ooooo, I would love this camera!! The Go Pro Hero would have been perfect for the couple times I went spelunking in Costa Rica and Puerto Rico, and of course, every time I go rock climbing! I’m an active sports junkie…

24 – Heather Knight – I envision using this on the Camino Santiago de Compostela. I wished I had something like this when I was on my RTW trip last year.

25 – Matthew Kravitz The Go Pro Hero – would have been perfect when my wife and I went snorkeling in the Virgin Islands. Our stupid camera conked out on us just right when we got in the water. We missed some great shots of beautiful coral reefs and swimming with huge, loveable sea turtles.

26 – Gareth Leonard – 5 Reasons Why I Should Win the Go Pro Hero Camera:
1. I sweat a lot and my current (disposable) camera always gets wet.
2. I couldn’t capture the beauty of Islas de Rosario off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia because I didn’t come well equipped.
3. This camera is so futuristic looking, nobody would even think to rob me while I’m walking around my ‘hood here in Medellin.
4. I’m a mountain bike junky and this camera would complete my plan to explore some Canadian trails this summer.
5. I was in a Jacuzzi last weekend with two Colombian super models and wasn’t able to get proof for my friends back home because I didn’t have a water-proof camera.

27 – Melanie Ehler – I’m heading out on a solo RTW adventure starting in just 5 more months! I plan on swimming at the Cook Islands, hiking through New Zealand, riding the Trans-Siberian RR through China and Mongolia, and taking at least at month of tango lessons in Buenos Aires. When WON’T I need an awesome camera? Even the name “Pro Hero” sounds like it is meant for adventures.

28 - Michelle McCoy – Can’t wait to go kayaking off the coast of Santa Barbara with my kids… but we need a waterproof camera!!

29 – Leigh McAdam I live in Vancouver. It rains. A lot sometimes. A waterproof camera would be extremely useful in the inclement weather and especially on my sea kayaking trip.

30 - Duncan Mansfield This would have to be at “Straddie” just off the Brisbane in Moreton Bay with my daughter when she had her first non-lesson surf by herself in real beach break surf and managed to get up by herself and then repeat this epic performance a number of time – interspersed with the odd absolutely classic wipe out

31 - Gianfranco Lanzio Living in the north of Italy and having family in Portugal I would be able to film awesome moments both in the snow and in the water (surfing)!

32 – Jeremy Jones I had a dive rated camera on my last long trip in Asia, but broke just before my fiancee got there on her first big trip (Singapore/Thailand – where I proposed to her). We’ve got tons of great pictures together on my SLR, but nothing from us snorkeling which was kind of a bummer. Since it was the 3rd time the camera broke due to water related issues, I’m not getting it fixed again and now without a great p&s.

33 - Edelito Sangco - There’s a spot I really wish to take picture at. It’s called “Hagukan” or “Snoring” Cavern inside Sohoton Covein Bucas Grande Island, Socorro, Surigao del Norte Philippines. As water recedes during low tide thereby exposing its narrow entrance, the trapped air inside comes out thereby producing a snoring sound. You must have to swim your way in free style towards the center of the cavern approximateky ten meters from the entrance where a hard coral platform submerged half a meter below sea level is located. As you look upwards, you can savor the magnificent
stalactite and stalagmite formations in glittering whitish crystal colors which conjoins with the small amount of light coming from the pinched entrance that brightens the cavern. Glancing downward, you can see the illuminating waters resembling a vast array of glowing compact fluorescent lamps. How I wish I can have a Go Pro Hero camera so I can take shots on this superb natural attraction and publish it for the readers to admire

34 - Bethany Salvon I tend to take my camera places I shouldn’t. This would be a perfect reason not to! I have been wanting one like this for a while!

35 - Caroline Makepeace I could have used it white water rafting the Nile River!!

36 - jan sonnenmair – Photographing Submersibles off the coast of Maui. My heavy underwater housing almost pulled me to the bottom and every time the jets on the sub blew me off course it was hard to swim with the big camera!! NEED!

37 – Scott Indermaur – Great to discover your page. Yes, I have had many uses for the Hero camera. From my son surfing, vacations, sailing and all the other fun water activities that I come across.

38 - Audrey Des Alliers – You have a great contest here! I could have used the Go Pro while sea kayaking or while doing White Water Rafting when I was in BC. These were some of the best moments in my life so far and pictures would have been really nice!

39 - Jennifer Doré Dallas -Oh God! Where to begin! The Go Pro Hero would change my life! First off, I could now take pictures while eating or drinking, as silly me never manages to put down my DSLR on the table without a spill disaster! Adventure-wise, I could actually not kill my camera from the sand in Cuba like I did last year and could have taken pictures under the Falls on the Maid of the Mist and many other falls i’ve been to or will go to! Also, I wouldn’t have to skimp on kayaking or swimming, as I could leave it hanging around near splashing water without stress!

40 - Bill Hester - My wife and I have waited 15 years to get a permit to run our own Grand Canyon trip down the Colorado. Since then we’ve been married and had 2 great kids who are coming along. What a great camera to capture the fun and wonder of an 11 and 13 year old on an adventure of a lifetime. Capture the family, friends and critters as well as the many first time experiences and sense of wonder that splash across their faces. All of them will be a hero with the Go Pro Hero watching. Come on..let us see what it can do.

41 - Cameron Wears - I would use the camera to film a snowboarding session in the glades of Big White in BC. I’d also love to have it for snowboarding and scuba diving. (I can come up with 20 other reasons but I’ll leave it at that!)

42 - T-roy says:Done, already a fan! I’ve been looking at these cameras and would like one (or two), as I have seen some awesome videos made with these things! Great item for a contest!

43 - Kieron - Oh man, the number of times I wish I had an underwater camera! Snorkelling the Thai Islands with a waterproof disposable camera just didn’t cut it!

44 - Lucila - I´ve have visited your fanpage! it is really cool the new camara for travel & adventure. A month ago I went to the North of Argentina y we trevelled some part of the trip by bicicle and it would be great to have it because I love pictures but I also have to take care of me during same zig zag road!! haha So I could not take me camara during that road! Love to have one of those 

45 - Jilianne @ Cotswold Cottages says: I desperately need a camera for my surfing trip and this one is a perfect photo buddy.. I really wish I can win it

46 – Dianne Smith says - I would enjoy taking underwater pics during pan scans.

47 -Kerry Dexter -the Scottish highlands in winter — snow, wind, sleet, and it would’ve been a fine place for just such a camera, that’d withstand the elements as well as a few encounters with rock…

48 - ayngelina – Oh I would love video. Because you know I am so stubborn I am going to try to hike one more time and I want to video as I think aloud as I’m agonizing up the hill.

49 - Sue Canfield - We’ve liked your page and left a comment there about how handy the camera would have been while getting up to Hole in the Rock in Tempe Arizona. We’ve often thought about what we could do to hook up something in our van too to take video while driving. Wonder if this would work?

50 - Bethany - great contest guys! I already like your page  I would have used a camera like this when we went whale watching in Baja. You go out in rowboats that fit maybe 15 people. The wild grey whales come right up to the boat and you can pet them even! it’s insane – one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. Randy even kissed one! It’s also very wet and this would be the perfect camera for that type of adventure!

51 - Meghan Finley - I’d love the camera. Being as graceful as I am, I can’t tell you how many I’ve lost since I’ve dropped them on rocks, water etc.

52 - Karraina Rivero - I bet the camera isn’t very heavy. And how cool would it be to record your way while training in gymnastics! I mean, one is always focused on the movements and what comes next, but never really pay attention to the view while doing the acrobatics.. That’s what I would use the camera for, besides many other stuff like climbing or cycling.

53. Bill Hester camera…wife…kids…water…Grand Canyon…15 yr wait…friends…smiles..waterfalls…bellyflops…smiles…rafts flipping…history…critters…sunrises…sunsets…mud fights…memories. All lost if I don’t have a great camera

54. Hart Togman - Hey! I would have used the GO Pro Hero to film my climb of Mount Kilimanjaro (2009) and Mount Rainier (2010) that raised over $15,000 for the Hospital for Sick Children. If I won, I would film my upcoming 2011 “Summit for Sick Kids” climb of Mount Cotopaxi in Ecuador to raise $20,000. I would also film my training, aswell as the smiling faces of the children with cancer who benefit from the money raised.

55. Stephanie Diehl I could use this camera when we go on our adventures! It sure would have come in handy when we were in Los Cabos last month whale and stingray watching!!

56. Andi Perullo -I could have used that awesome camera for when I went great white shark cage diving in South Africa!!!

57. Patrick Murphy - Ok I’m not going to lie, the GoPro camera would be awesome to have. I’ll be in Chiang Mai, Thailand for 4 month’s this fall and lets face it there’s about 10,000 pictures of markets, Wats, jungle, FOOD!, mountains, rice paddies, etc… and I don’t think a standard point-and-shoot camera will work.

58. Lainie Liberti - I would love for my 11 year old son Miro to have this camera as it looks to be durable and super simple to use. We’ve been traveling in Central & South America for the last 2 years and have missed many shots, due to the common rains. We’ve got 6 more years to go on our journey and I think Miro would enjoy having the freedom of having his own camera. It would really be awesome for him!!

59. Barb Caldie Forsberg - I could have used the go-pro while bouldering my way up to the top of Mt. St. Helens, years ago. Hope to go again! (with the Go-Pro, of course!

60. Nevadacamper- I have trip coming up to Havasupai in the Grand Canyon and camera would be perfect since it can get wet and we will be climbing down the falls!

61. William Dodd- Would love to have it for my upcoming trip to Utah visiting Zion NP and the Narrows, hiking through Buckskin Gulch, and whatever else comes up.

Cindy Lewis Marek – My addiction is photography – I spend all my free time in the outdoors in beautiful northern BC – hiking, snowshoeing, biking, fishing, exploring… with my outdoorsy husband and crazy mountainbiking 15 year old son and would like to share these GoPro moments on my new wepage!

Deanna Overland - um…. I could use that camera…. but I have to tell you in private what I’d use it for…. come here (ppsssttt…aspa..aaspa….shhhh….. heeeeheee…aspa..aspa….)ummm… Borneo

Jeff Bartlett – What a great item to be giving away! There are so many times I’d have loved to use a Go Pro Hero helmet camera but, in my opinion, its designed to capture speed and gnar. Ideally, I’d have used it during my three ski seasons in Whistler, British Columbia, to capture the straight lines, chutes, and airs found off of the Peak Chair.

Amanda Buehrig – We would love a Go Pro Hero camera! We moved to Hawaii a year ago & our first child was born 2 weeks later! My husband and I love doing our own little weekend adventures around the islands (hiking to waterfalls, going whale-watching, learning to surf, kayaking & more!) and our son is getting quite the outdoor education, as we never leave him behind! Unfortunately, we’ve been unable to document so many of the cool things our son has done the first year of life because our camera can’t hold up in this water-laden state. A camera that could withstand the elements would be perfect!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you wish you had a camera that could withstand the elements? Or have you ever wished that you didn’t have to constantly dig around for your camera while you were kayaking or mountain biking? Wouldn’t it be much easier if it were just clipped onto your helmet or jacket?

We’ve got the camera for you!

About a month ago you may remember a contest that we promoted from Air Transat. They gave away an incredible trip to Punta Cana on their facebook fanpage and as a thank you to us for helping them spread the word, they gave us a camera to giveaway to one of our lucky readers!

They gave us a sweet camera to keep for ourselves as well!

We had our choice of cameras. Being the outdoor and adventure lovers that we are, we chose the Go Pro Hero 960 HD camera/video

This is a camera that will fulfill all your adventure travel needs. Hey, it will even give you peace of mind at the beach or in the swimming pool.

It is waterproof, shockproof and can be clipped to your gear for easy access.

How to Win!

Rules:

1 – All you have to do is head over to our facebook fan page.  If you haven’t already “liked” our page, give us a thumbs up and leave a comment telling us about a time when you could have used a camera like the Go Pro Hero.

2 – Make sure you leave a quick message in the comments section of this post as well to let us know that you’ve visited our fanpage. We would hate to miss anyone’s message that may become buried in the chatter at ThePlanetD’s Round the World Adventures.

3. Only Fans of our Facebook Fanpage are eligible to win. If you’re not on Facebook, get yourself on there now and catch up with your old college and high school friends. It’s a great way to reconnect with everyone.

Like our Fanpage now!

To give you an example of what we are looking for here are some occasions where the Go Pro Hero would have come in handy for us.

1.  Bungy jumping off the Nevis in Queenstown - How sweet would it have been to have a helmet camera catching the footage of what it is like to drop 134 meters towards earth?

2. White Water Rafting in Fiji – We didn’t own a waterproof camera as we rafted down the incredible canyons of Fiji and missed some awesome photo opportunities.

3. Hiking in the rain – I can’t tell you how many times we have gone on a hike and had to leave our camera in the dry bag as the rain poured down.  With the Go Pro we could have clipped it to our jacket and hiked along the slippery trails with confidence.

4. Rock Climbing – We have wanted to grab a shot while hanging off a cliff but have always been afraid of dropping our camera. With it clipped to our harness we could climb and snap a shot with ease.

5. Hanging out by the pool with our splashing niece and nephews – It would have been cool to capture the kids at play in the pool, but they splash way too much to keep any camera safe. With the Go Pro Hero we won’t miss any future family moments no matter how wet or messy things get.

So head over to ThePlanetD’s Round the World Adventures. Facebook Page and tell us where you really needed a camera like this and missed out on a special photo.

You may be the new owner of your very own Go Pro Hero courtesy of Air Transat.

Note: We stop taking submissions on March 23rd 2011. No worries about time zones.

NOTE: This Contest is now closed and the winner has been announced. http://theplanetd.com/gopro-hero-960-hd-camera-contest

We had a whopping 33 entries for Travel Photography Roulette, the portraits edition and have to say that there are an amazingly talented bunch of travel photographers out there on the Internet.

It was a challenge having to choose a winner when every photo was unique, inspiring, well executed and just as compelling as the other. Photography is subjective.  What one person likes isn’t exactly what another would.

We decided that the only way to choose was to set up a very strict criteria before we even started.  Otherwise we our heads would be spinning for days. Before we put up the original post last week, we came up with 5 things that we would look for when choosing the winning photo.

They are as follows:

• Depth of Field – How you make the subject stand out from the background.  Are their any distractions in the shot and does the background add to the photo or distract from the subject.
• Lighting - Dave used to light for feature films so lighting is very important to him when taking photographs.  Is the light to hard or too soft, does it add to the beauty of a person or does it accentuate unwanted features.
• Capturing the essence of the location - It is travel photography after all, so do we find that the photo takes us to that location or could it be anywhere in the world.
• Impact - Does the picture tell a story. Does it stir an emotion.
• Composition - Is your eye drawn to the subject, is it framed to complement the person.

Many of the photos entered met all the criteria, but this photo is the one that captivated us the most and we both agreed upon. Thank you all who entered and remember to keep on entering as there will be more Photography Roulette Every Week.  This is one of the most beautiful photo stories of portraits in one place that we have ever seen.

The winner of this round wins bragging rights and the opportunity to host round #8 next week.

So Who is the winner????

Travel with a Mate

This was taken in a rural village in Thailand. Such a shy child but such a powerful photo. It’s part of a set called “Portraits of Asia”

We just loved this photo by Travel With a Mate.  It is a great use of depth of field. The subject is separated beautifully from the background. The eyes draw us in and it is clearly taken while traveling to another country.  It tells a story of a shy child and it makes us want to more about who she is.

To see the original post and all the entries check out our Travel Photography Round #7 – Portraits.

Congratulations, Travel With a Mate will be hosting the next round #8 of Travel Photography Roulette! We can’t wait to see what subject they come up with in the next few days!

The results are in from the Kensington Market Photography contest in Toronto.  We asked you to vote for you favourite photo.  The top three were then critiqued by Dave. and based on his criteria a decision was made.

The top 3 as voted by you!

Frivolous Frock with 33 Votes

Bubbles with 29 Votes

Nice People Suck When their Mean - 22 Votes

We had a total of 122 votes. thanks to everyone for helping a lucky person win $500 towards an Intrepid tour.

Check out the Intrepid Travel Facebook Fanpage for more great contests.  They have at least two contests going on right now!  You could win a Camel Safari to the Sahara or a trip to Peru. Get over there, become a fan and find out more!

The Winning Photo is…

Frivolous Frock!

Congratulation, you have won $500 towards an Intrepid Travel Tour. Intrepid Travel Toronto will be contacting you will details. (unfortunately we don’t know who entered which photograph so we can’t tell you who this photo belongs too!) Never fear, Intrepid Travels knows.

Dave’s Reason for the choice.

Luckily, this photo received the most votes as well, but I would have chosen it out of the top 3 regardless.

Frivolous Frock

What I liked….

Colours - I love the colours in this photo. The combination of the pinks, reds and yellows really make it leap off the page.

Composition – The composition works very good. The choice to include the blue skirt in the upper right 3rd of the photo fills what would otherwise be negative space.

Context – It captures what Kensington is about…funky clothing and retro feel.

Lighting- Well balanced use of light and shadow.

Depth of Field- Letting the background go a little soft allowed the main subject of the frock to take center stage.

Exposure- Correctly exposed hilights are held and there is detail in the shadows.

Bubbles

Congratulations – You have won a free tour with Toronto’s Urban Adventures!

Action – Nice use of action. freezing the bubbles in focus.

Depth of Field – Nice use of selective focus and depth of field.

Suggestions for improvement…

Cropping - Could of used a crop to take the negative space out of the left hand part of the frame.

Angles - Would have liked to see a lower angle including a little more of the bubble machine.

Exposure - Too underexposed; a brighter image would let the bubbles stand out more from the background.

Nice People Suck When Their Mean

Congratulations, you made it to the top 3 and have a great eye for photography!  Keep up the great work.

Colour: Nice Vibrant colours

Exposure: Well balanced exposure

Suggestions for improvements…

Context - I like the caption but what does it relate to? It could be graffiti anywhere in the world, what makes it unique and how does it relate to Kensington Market.

Angles - graffiti is hard to make interesting. Getting lower and closer could have maybe helped draw the viewer in.

Subject - Try to tie the image in with your surroundings.  What makes the story?

We received awesome photos from everyone that took part in the tour. Thank you for coming out with us and we look forward to leading some more photography tours in the future.

Thanks to Intrepid Travel for being so generous with their prizes and congratulations to everyone for submitting such great photography!

The Photos are in from our photography tour at Kensington Market in Toronto.

Voting is extended to 5:00 pm EDT Wednesday October 13, 2010!!!

We received some incredible images from the people that came out with us at the end of October for a walking/photography tour around Toronto’s most exciting neighbourhood and are excited to share their work with the world.

We are leaving the votes up to you, so make sure to click on the link to view and vote for your favourite photograph.

Great Prizes to be Won!

The winner will receive a $500 voucher towards an Intrepid Travel Trip

The Runner Up will receive a free Toronto Urban Adventure Tour.

These are fabulous prizes that we are thrilled to be able to give away courtesy of Intrepid Travels to two very talented photographers.

Rules

• You have one week to pick a favourite.
• Voting ends on Wednesday October 13th at noon DST. (Due a delay receiving all the participants emails, we have extended voting to 5:00 pm to allow entries to promote their photo and encourage friends to vote)
• The top 3 will go into the final where Dave will choose the winner and runner-up base on a strict criteria.

Match the numbered image in the slideshow with the corresponding number in the poll below to vote for your favourite!

Just click on the circle beside your favourite photo then scroll down and click Vote. It’s as easy as that! Happy voting!!!
[polldaddy poll="3876065"]
Thanks for your vote! Scroll up to see the results!

A big thank you to everyone that submitted their favourite travel song to our facebook fan page.

We put the question out to all our readers to submit their ultimate travel song that inspires travel, is about a destination or just makes you want to hop in your car. We had been adding names to the list of songs as they came in and 53 people in total entered our contest giving us and amazing list of songs.

Using Random.org we submitted the numbers 1 through 53 and it generated the winning number of ….13

That number corresponds with Claire Algarme number 13 on our Ultimate Travel List, the Songs are Coming in. She is the winner of a $25 iTunes Gift Certificate. Her song submission was The Man in the Mirror by Michael Jackson.

But Wait! There is a Part 2

-

Vote for your favourite travel tune!!!

• Below is a list of the songs submitted and we are leaving it to you to vote for your favourite song.
  
• We have compiled 5 sets of songs for you to choose one song from each list.
• Submit your vote for one song in each list below choosing 5 songs in total.

That gives you 5 votes in total!

• The Song that wins in each set will go onto the final round of votes to decide the ultimate travel song.
• The person that submitted the song that has the most votes wins an 4 gig iPod Nano

We have given you the poll to choose from and the song on the right to listen to just in case you don’t know it. We know we didn’t know a lot of the songs ourselves so we made a playlist for you from Playlist.com.
Songs not in the player are linked directly under each section of the poll, Once you have voted you can view the results and keep coming back to check how it’s coming along. We will post the final 5 next Monday!
[polldaddy poll="3567575"]

Beauty by Shaye
[polldaddy poll="3567659"]

Into the Wild by Sparrow and the Workshop
[polldaddy poll="3567693"]

Laredo by band of horses
[polldaddy poll="3567723"]

Pauls Song by M Ward
Praan by Gary Schyman
[polldaddy poll="3568588"]

Six Days on the Road by Taj Mahal
Speedway at Nazareth by Mark Knopfler
Juha “Watt” Vainio by Vanhojapoikia viiksekkäitä