Sherman's Travel

Awkward people, poses, and situations. Sit back and enjoy as we bring you awkward travel photos every week! Read more

Yesterday we wrote about photo sharing and editing apps. But what happened to tangible, real, live photos? Something you can put in a scrapbook or tape to a wall? Well, with high hopes of reviving the photograph, Polaroid opened its first, of hopefully many, Fotobar in Florida on Friday. Read more

I’ve always heard photographers mention that the best camera you have is the one that’s closest to your hands, but these days, that adage is proving ever more true. As consumers at large have started to adopt and embrace smartphones, those point-and-shoot cameras have begun to collect dust. In fact, the iPhone is the most represented camera on all of Flickr, despite the fact that it has only existed since 2007. If you’re beginning to lean on your phone’s camera in order to capture memories and journal experiences, allow me to introduce a handful of apps that can make the experience an even richer one. Read more

Perhaps it’s the voyeur in me, but there’s something so exciting about looking through other people’s photos and finding awkward ones. It’s like hitting the jackpot when I find something that makes me actually laugh out loud. So here, for your enjoyment (and our first installment), awkward travel photos! Read more

Some trips make it easier to justify splurges. And no vacation is more splurge-worthy than your honeymoon. That’s why my wife and I chose to break open our piggy banks and go on a safari in Botswana. Nothing about our trip was cheap. The flights, the safari camps, and the immunizations all required some heavy credit cards swipes. So, when it came time to prepare myself to document the trip, I didn’t want to cut corners. However, I am by no means a professional photographer. I have a digital SLR camera, but the idea of investing in an expensive telephoto lens for the safari seemed wasteful. I had no idea when I might need such a large lens again in the future, but I also didn’t want to spend all of that money on our trip only to have horrible photos simply because we didn’t have the proper equipment. That’s when it hit me: I could rent a lens. If there’s one way to save money on a safari – or any type of wildlife vacation – it’s to rent gear rather than purchasing it unnecessarily. With the trip over, I can now safely say that renting a lens from Borrowlenses.com was one of the smartest decisions I have ever made.

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It’s awards season in Hollywood, and in the travel industry, it’s apparently contest season. At least, that’s what the flurry of e-mails in my inbox seems to indicate, with several excellent opportunities that are targeting adventurous travelers. There are fantastic prizes up for grabs – a Kenyan safari, anyone? – and no purchase necessary for any of them. Here are my top picks.

Travel Photo Contest Awards a $9,000 Kenyan Safari: Those stunning snaps you took on your most recent trip could win you all kinds of good stuff, thanks to a newly announced travel photography contest by award-winning travel site and outfitter iExplore. The top prize is a two-person Kenyan safari (photo at left courtesy of Flickr/Henry Scott), valued at $9,000. The six-night trip includes game drives and stays at luxurious lodges and tent camps. Prizes are also offered for runners-up and all finalists, as well as 50 “Judge’s Favorites.”

The process to apply is fairly straightforward: Just register, upload your photo (you can register one per e-mail address), and spread the word to get votes. Winners are selected by popular vote and via judging by a panel of travel writers and photographers. The contest runs through April 22; register here.

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