Make Your Cell Phone Shots Stand Out!

DEVELOP A GOOD EYE. 
Go beyond the standard shot and seek out bursts of color, eye-popping patterns, and symmetrical scenes. Then take plenty of photos from multiple angles; you can sort through them later.

USE THE SUN.
For great portraits, stand with your back to the sun, but to capture interesting shadows and silhouettes of people, buildings, and trees, take the photo while facing the sun. The best time for silhouettes is at sunrise or sunset, when the sun is at eye level rather than directly above.

TURN OFF THE FLASH.
The greatest images are the ones captured in well-lit areas. Using the flash can result in a grainier shot.

EDIT WISELY.
User-friendly apps such as VSCO Cam and Snapseed (both free) let you crop, adjust brightness and contrast levels, and add filters to your photos. But remember: When editing, subtlety is key. Make changes in tiny increments – up levels by five or ten percent rather than 70 or 80. The best edits are the ones your followers won’t notice.

Yes I took this one with my cell phone!

What a Travel Adviser Can Offer That the Internet Can’t

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Why use a Virtuoso travel advisor?

Because we offer insider connections and industry expertise - along with the guidance and know-how you require to make educated travel choices. As your Virtuoso travel advisors, we are members of the most prestigious and established travel network in the world. So when you travel, you can do so with confidence - secure in the knowledge that you'll get more, simply by booking through us. The world awaits - let us take you there.

When it comes to planning his trips, whether for business or pleasure, Matthew D. Upchurch, 52, is old-fashioned. While the Internet might be a mainstay today for making flight and hotel reservations, Mr. Upchurch, the chairman and chief executive of Virtuoso, a global luxury network of travel advisers and more than 1,700 hotels, cruise lines and tour operators, says he believes there is nothing like the human touch. To that end, he encourages travelers to develop a relationship with one of the brand’s 9,000 advisers and rely on that person to create and manage their itineraries.

He knows from experience. Although he divides his time between Fort Worth and Seattle, where Virtuoso’s biggest offices are, he spends upward of 200 days a year on the road. In the first six weeks of 2015 alone he crisscrossed the globe to visit more than 12 cities, including Orlando, Fla.; Auckland, New Zealand; Rio de Janeiro; and Los Angeles.

Following are edited excerpts from a conversation with Mr. Upchurch.

Q. It’s so easy today to use the Internet to make travel plans. Why rely on a travel adviser?

A. Your most valuable asset is your leisure time, and once it’s lost, there’s no making it back. Why would you trust that to chance by booking online? Because as we all know, with travel it’s not about if something will go wrong, it’s when.

Working with a knowledgeable adviser gets you advice, creativity and advocacy; those things are hard to come by online.

How are advisers different today from what they were a decade ago?

Social media and mobility have boosted our profession. Advisers are no longer tied to a desk; they’re out traveling. They’re exploring the world and posting it on social media and enhancing their own credibility by actually being out there. And because of mobility, they have the ability to help their clients whenever they need.

Many Virtuoso advisers charge planning fees from $100 to $250. Why should a traveler pay them?

You’re paying for someone’s time, expertise and connections, and that is invaluable. And in many cases, these advisers actually do save clients either real dollars or provide them with greater value.

Here is an example: A client finds a “great” weekend rate at a luxury casino hotel in Vegas and books it. They then see that it’s a Virtuoso property and call their adviser to ask if they can beat the price. They cannot, but the adviser’s Virtuoso rate is only $15 more per night and includes daily breakfast, $100 resort credit and an upgrade at time of arrival. So while the client could have saved $45 on the “price,” the value they receive from their adviser is much greater.

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The Coliseum Pool at The Resort at Pelican Hill

Thinking of Tuscany but too far away? Pelican Hill in Southern California 

will transport you to that feeling; rolling hills, beautiful villas, golf, spa and restaurants.

Plan a visit by contacting me at Gateway Travel and get the following exclusive amenities:

All Virtuoso Guests Receive:

• For 2015
• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
• $50 Breakfast credit daily for Bungalow guests
  • ($100 credit for Villa guests)
• A $100 USD equivalent Golf or Spa Services credit
  • (not combinable, not valid toward retail, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full, does not include taxes or gratuities)
• Early check-in/late check-out
  • subject to availability

Gateway Travel 248-432-8600

Arriving in Delhi

As everyone knows after a 17 hour flight the last thing you want to do is navigate yourself around a foreign city. When I arrived in Delhi I was met by my guide, Arun, from Peirce & Leslie along with a driver who made my transition from a 17 hour flight and a 8.5 hour time difference seamless. Since I landed in the evening, I got much needed rest to be ready for my first day in Delhi!

The first day in Delhi was low key as we transitioned from the flight and time change. Luckily, I arrived a day early. Arun Pratap Singh Manohar (or Arun as he became to all of us) from Peirce & Leslie arrived to take us to meet out city guide who gave us a wonderful walking tour of New and Old Delhi. 

While we saw the beautiful sites of Delhi the guide did not hesitate to show us the other side of the city. We were taken to the Salaam Balak Trust Shelter where we were met by a young man who lived at the shelter and was a graduate. He told his own story of leaving his family at 6 years and how this shelter helped him to gain an education and essential life skills. In India many of the homeless children at the shelter we interacted with are also as young as 6. They are responsible for making their own way in the world due to a myriad of circumstances. While a tragic circumstance to be alone at a young age this shelter offered them a way to gain important skills and interacting with these young boys was a memorable part of my visit.

Pictured here with Bob Watson (left) and our guide Vishal

The Taj Mahal and the Ganges river are probably some of the best known sites in India.


Varanasi in the northern  state of Utter Pradesh, India is known as the "Athens of India" because of the rich cultural sites. It is also known as the "holy city of India" because the Ganges river flows through the city and its association with Lord Shiva, a Hundu God.

There are numerous religious temples and shrines to visit but most natives flock to Varanasi to make offerings to the Ganges river. We woke up prior to sunrise to see the sun emerge over the Ganges river. It was a beautiful sight as the sun crept up over the buildings and spread across the glistening river. It was so beautiful that I did mind getting up so early!

Not far from Varanasi is The city of Agra, home of the Taj Mahal, a must see when touring India. While the Taj Mahal is know for its ornate splendor and beautiful dome the story behind it is even more fascinating. It was commissioned under Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 it is a Muslim mausoleum. It was built to house the body of the love of his life, his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. She was his constant companion and confidant and in a time of arranged marriages their love story is unique. Shah Jahan is also buried at the Taj Mahal near his favorite wife.

We visited the Taj Mahal at sunset and again in the morning when the crowds were not allowed.

Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India

Located as an island hotel in Lake Pichola, the Taj Lake Palace is a hotel of splendor. Initially only a summer palace, Taj Lake Palace, formerly Jag Niwas was built between 1743-1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II.  The palace was built to face the east so the Hindu inhabitants could pray to Surya, the Hindu sun god as soon as the sun rose.

Everyone takes a boat from this beautiful boat launch to get to the hotel where you can see the splendor of the hotel gets closer as you approach.

In the evening we took a ride across the lake to the Leela Palace Udaipur. I was welcomed to the hotel on the pier with cocktails and entertainment. The Leela Palace has a majestic location on the lake and a wonderful view of  the Aravalli Mountains, 


Keep checking back for my updates while I am in India!

Need your medical records while traveling?

What would happen if you got sick while on vacation? You can’t really plan for the unexpected, but
you can be prepared.

Having all of your medical information easily accessible and shareable can be time saving, maybe even life saving. There’s a great tool we’d love you to check out. It’s called CareSync. Health specialists will help you collect and organize all of your medical records, from all of your doctors. You can always access your complete health record from the easy‐to‐use web, iOS, and Android application.

Are you ready to get started? Amazing Healthcare Consultants is pleased to offer you discounted
pricing. Use the Promo Code AMAZING15 during checkout to save 10% on any selected plan.

http://amazinghealthcareconsultants.com/caresync

Please contact Dr. Carol DeVore (cgdevore@amazinghcc.com or 888‐568‐0011) if you have any
questions.

Bon Voyage!