3 More of My Favorite Photos and the Stories Behind Them

Man with a Coin in His Ear - Trinidad, Cuba by Ralph Velasco

This post is part of an ongoing series where I’ll feature some of my favorite photos and the stories behind them. This is a continuation of the series I started where I’m featuring images from an eBook I wrote called Essence of a Place: A Photographer’s Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any […]

3 of My Favorite Photos and the Stories Behind Them

Tobacco Drying House in Viñales, Cuba by Ralph Velasco

This post is part of a series I’m creating where I’ll feature some of my favorite photos and the stories behind them. This series will feature images from an eBook I wrote a while back called Essence of a Place: A Photographer’s Guide to Using a Shot List for Capturing Any Destination.  It’s one of […]

Introducing My New Continental DRIFTER Blog and Website

Welcome to my new blog, and website, the Continental DRIFTER.  It’s been a long time coming but this is a project I’ve been working on for quite a while now. My Goal with the Continental DRIFTER Blog and Website My goal with the Continental DRIFTER blog and its accompanying YouTube channel of the same name is […]

Capture the Same Scene at Different Times of Day V2.0

Chouara tannery on diagonal in Fés, Morocco by Ralph Velasco

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to capture a series of images showing the before, during and after of an iconic location in Fès, Morocco. In my most recent blog post I talked about the importance of capturing the same scene, but at different times of day, or over the course of a week if you’re in […]

Capture the Same Scene at Different Times of Day

Gorgeous Clouds Over Malecon - Havana, Cuba by Ralph Velasco

In this post I discuss the importance of capturing the same same, but at different times of day, with any camera. As a travel photographer and tour organizer I’m extremely lucky in that I get paid to travel the world to photograph and have simply amazing experiences.  And I often have the luxury of returning […]

Where in the World is Stepantsminda?

Gergeti Trinity Church in afternoon mist in Kazbegi, Georgia by Ralph Velasco

Stepantsminda, formerly known as Kazbegi, can be found way north, in a lesser-visited region of the Republic of Georgia, just shy of the Russian border. I’m often asked what my favorite country or place to visit is.  This is, of course, an extremely difficult question to answer and one I gingerly try to sidestep when […]

A Few of the Benefits of Just Pulling Over

Single woman in pink gloves and blue hat in leek field in Kusadasi, Turkey by Ralph Velasco

Are you the curious type?  Can you step out of your comfort zone and approach a group of strangers? A few years ago, I had an opportunity to photograph in Turkey, a destination I’d been eager to get to for quite some time.  I was there on a scouting trip, which is something I almost […]

What Is the Highway Code of India?

Women laughing on rickshaw in traffic in Delhi, India by Ralph Velasco

Did you know there’s a Highway Code of India? On my first trip to India’s Golden Triangle (an area bounded by Delhi, Agra & Jaipur) our local guide on the group tour part of the trip (I stayed for four more days on my own), was a very affable man named Anil.  During a bus […]

What’s It Like to Ride Camels in the Desert?

Touareg man in blue with camel and group in distance in Sahara desert near Merzouga, Morocco by Ralph Velasco

Let’s get a feel for what it’s like to ride camels in the desert. For the past 7 or 8 years I’ve led our Mystical Morocco tour, and as always, one of the highlights of the trip is when we get to ride camels in the Sahara desert at sunrise.  Outside the town of Erfoud, […]

La Chaya Maya, a Unique and Refreshing Drink from México

Man Preparing Chaya in Merida, Mexico by Ralph Velasco

Let’s venture to México’s Yúcatan peninsula to try some refreshing and oh so good for you Chaya Maya. When I travel, I’m constantly on the lookout for unique and interesting drinks, particularly ones that I don’t think I’d easily find anywhere else. Several years ago, I was in Mérida, México, and I hit the jackpot […]