Today in Edinburgh, we had a late start to the morning and ran over to Ryan's Bar for coffee and a light breakfast. From there, we ventured to hike up Arthur's Seat, a hill famous for its view of the city. From the top, which takes about fourty-five minutes to reach, you can see all of the Firth of Fourth and across to the hills on the far side of the city. As we walked back down from Arthur's Seat, we decided to go on a tour of Holyrood Palace which is right next to the hill. Inside we took an audio tour and learned a lot about the history of the Palace, the Royal Family, and Scotland. We then walked on and explored the Royal Mile, a street full of gift shops, pubs, and cute little stores, all with the old Edinburgh charm. Once we reached the end of the Royal Mile, we headed to Waverley station to pick up our train tickets for the next day. We finished off the evening by eating pizza at an Italian restaurant named La Favorita, and then headed back to the hotel for a good night's sleep.

Today I found these great places/ways to compose photos:

• Top of Arthur's Seat
• Park Fence on Princes Street
• Ruins of the Holyrood Palace

Can't Miss:

• Hiking Arthur's Seat
• La Favorita Italian Restaurant
• Shopping on the Royal Mile
• Toasted Bagels and Hot Chocolate at Ryan's Bar
• Princes Street at Sunset

After a long day of travelling, my mum and I finally arrived in Edinburgh. We got here with just enough time remaining to explore Princes Street and Calton Hill before sundown. It was a very busy Saturday on the streets of Edinburgh, with sidewalks full of shoppers and pubs full of rugby fans watching the big game. We made our way to Calton Hill, while window shopping on the way. On top of Calton hill are the Scottish National Monument, the Douglas Stewart Monument, and the Nelson Monument. Gorse bushes adorn the hilltop, their yellow tones complimentary to the green of the hills. On the Southeast side of the hill, there is a gorgeous view of Arthur's Seat, a popular hiking spot for a great view of the city. Although I've only been here for one day, I've already fallen in love with the old charm of Edinburgh and can't wait to see what the next few days have in store.

Today I found these great places/ways to compose photos:

• Monuments/Arthur's Seat through Gorse bushes
• Looking down Princes Street
• Princes Street from the top of Calton Hill
• Edinburgh Castle and St. John's Episcopal Church from Lothian Road

Can't Miss:

• Walking around Calton Hill
• Pizza at La Piazza
• Exploring the shops and boutiques of Princes Street

Shutter speed, the amount of time that the shutter is left open when taking a photo, is a crucial key to good photography and composition. Stop-action shutter speeds (1/500" and faster) help to freeze time in full-focus, typically used for sports photography, animal photography, occasionally portraits, and practically all action photos. Mid-range shutter speeds (Between 1/4" and 1/400") allow for blurred backgrounds, subject panning, and little hints of movement within a photo. Long-exposure shutter speeds (1" and slower) are often used for capturing the movement of water or creative portraits. With long exposure, you can create a translucent effect with your subject, focus on certain points in the photo, and use light to highlight only the parts of the photo that you want to show. Before taking a photo, always take into account the shutter speed and how you can use it to contribute to the end result that you're looking for.

• First photo: 1/2000" (Stop-Action)
• Second photo: 1/4" (Mid-Range)
• Third photo: 30" (Long Exposure)

Imagine watching an intense football match from the stands of the Red Bull Arena, freezing in the wind, with a $9 slice of pizza. The cold was miserable and the pizza wasn't that great, but it was so much fun. A group of 25 of us went to go watch the England and USA's national women's football teams play a match in the She Believes Cup. We watched with anticipation as each team made shots at the goal and missed, constantly switching from one side of the field to the other. No matter where you were in the stadium, it felt as though you were right on the field. Everyone huddled under their blankets, screaming the names of their favourite players until they'd give them a wave from the field. The open and cheerful atmosphere of the arena and game entranced everyone in the stands. It wasn't until the very last few minutes of the game that England scored and, at the matches end, won 1-0. 

Despite the chilly weather, today my family and I took a trip to Longwood Gardens. They are currently exhibiting their "Orchid Extravaganza," a stunning display of easily hundreds of species of orchids. We try to get to Longwood gardens every year, and it's always a treat when we do! 

My favourite place to photograph is easily the Greenhouse Conservatory, not only because it's heated but because of the widely variating exotic flora found within. More specifically:

• Orchid Archway
• Succulent Room

New York City is always bustling during the holiday season. Today, my friend and I took on the city as she showed me around all of her favourite spots across the burrows. First, we walked around Rockefeller Centre and admired the Christmas tree and ice skaters below. We then headed to Sephora on 5th avenue, a converted old train station that has beautiful, intricate ironwork throughout the inside. From there took a cab over to Union Square. We had excellent french fries and açai bowls at VBurger and browsed the collection of books at The Strand. After looking through art supplies at Blick and freezing to the point that we had to buy gloves, we took a cab back to Rockefeller Centre to meet with friends and drive home in the snowfall.

On this trip, I discovered these places to photograph:

• Rockefeller Centre's silver and gold flags
• The 2nd floor landing of The Strand
• St. Patrick's Cathedral
• Christmas Angels at Rockefeller Centre

From the end of July to the middle of August of 2016 I was fortunate enough to go with my family on the National Geographic Islander through the Eastern islands of the Galápagos in Ecuador. The Galápagos islands are extremely special because of the species of animals that are found on each individual island and nowhere else in the world. The trip started on the island of San Cristobal, where we spent two days hiking, watching the sea lions, and exploring the town. We then sailed to Española Island where there were gorgeous cliffs and geysers that housed many types of birds and thousands of marine iguanas. Española was my favourite of all of the islands because of the beautiful water and the variation of wildlife that is found in such a small area of land. From Española we went to Isla Floreana. After some snorkelling and many games of cards, we ventured to Santa Cruz where we ran in the complete darkness through old lava tunnels and walked among the tortoises in the highlands. We visited the Charles Darwin Research Centre in Puerta Ayora, Santa Cruz. From there we walked a mile back into town and explored the various fish markets and ice cream stores. From there we explored the cliffs and cactus trees of South Plaza Island, and then moved on to hike the islands of solidified lava. The younger people aboard the ship took out the Zodiacs that we used for transportation from the ship to the islands for a joyride, accompanied by the drivers of course. After a few more snorkelling expeditions, we ended the trip in Baltra where we disembarked the ship and flew back to the mainland of Ecuador to return home.

Best places for photography:

• Española Island
• the town of San Cristobal
• the town of Santa Cruz/Puerta Ayora
• South Plaza Island

Sparklers are a reminder of warm nights on the beach during the summer months, holiday festivities with friends, and all of the other joyous moments of our lives. I originally got this idea from @rmkhnert__ on Instagram, and decided to try it myself. I shot with my Canon EOS Rebel T6i and 75-300mm lens set on Sports Mode and automatic focus. For non-Canon users, Sports mode is a fast shutter speed setting with rapid-fire image capturing, disabled flash, and automatic light control. Because Sports Mode is not ideal for low light situations, you can also shoot in Manual mode with a slower shutter speed as to allow the light to enter the lens. I chose Sports Mode because of the natural light and because I wanted to capture the sparks without light trails. Make sure that the jar has a wide opening or that the flammable part of the sparkler is out of the jar, otherwise the heat will build up and the jar will break. I learned that the hard way. I'd recommend shooting in an f-stop that only brings the jar and sparklers into focus so that the background is not distracting to the camera or the viewer. Once all of that is set up, all you need to do is light the sparklers, sit back, and snap away!

Bermuda is not only my home, but it's also my favourite place to take photos. No matter where you go there are beautiful beaches, houses, or plants to photograph. While I was there, I walked down the streets of Salt Kettle and took pictures of the waterfront and houses. I also went to Coral Beach Club and took pictures from the terrace and beach patio. The waterfront across the street from my house gave me a perfect view of the sunset each night, which I often went out to photograph. One afternoon I drove over to Somerset and walked through the National Museum of Bermuda and around the underground limestone pools that are accessible from the lawns. I went back to Somerset again, and instead of taking pictures, I went parasailing! The view was beautiful and I wish I'd brought my camera up with me. The beaches at Tucker's Point Club and Mid Ocean Club are both scattered with beautifully eroded rocks that make for interesting compositions and good points to climb for photos.

During this time in Bermuda, I discovered these fantastic places to take pictures:

• The East-facing waterfront of Salt Kettle and Paget parish at sunset
• The upstairs porch of the National Museum of Bermuda
• Attached to a parachute sailing around the Great Sound (Make sure to bring a camera strap!)
• Stairs going down to the limestone pools at Somerset

Some of my all-time favourite places to photograph in Bermuda are:

• Grape Bay Beach
• Botanical Gardens
• Mid Ocean Club
• Front Street in Hamilton