Well, that’s what the headline said anyway. Check out the article, “Gift Ideas: Unusual, Intellectual, and Downright Scary Walking Tou‏rs” on Matador Goods.

Cool website as well for you travelers.

We love when we get these from customers… great job Valentina!!

“Liz and I soaked up so many valuable tips from you during our last Tuesday’s Shutter Tour. It was the best way to begin our week’s visit to Seattle. We were able to take in so many interesting activities and to see them with new eyes.

Wednesday morning we spent time at SAM and dropped in on a photographic installation by Imogen Cunningham.

Oh, my goodness, there were your lessons spelled out for us in her photographs. We ran from one photo to another, calling out which technique she demonstrated. It was as if you said… “now, go and see examples of an artist at work.”

Both of us spent our week shooting pictures, discussing angles and lighting. I’ll send you some of mine, and perhaps Liz will send you some of hers.

Again, many thanks to you and Shutter Tours. – Marcia, Kansas”

In case you missed it, see our video from Evening Magazine.

Tour Participants Jennifer and Amanda - Photo by Shutter Tours Guide, Valentina Vitols Bello

My wife just got back from her trip to New Orleans with friends and was going through her photos from the trip. Busy with her career, she doesn’t pick up the camera as much as she would like. She made good comment that I though useful to pass along, “Tell your tour participants to pick up their cameras before they leave on a trip”. “They really need to get to know their cameras again and not relearn how to shoot with it while on vacation.

So, before you make the trek to Seattle and take our tour (You are taking our tour aren’t you?), pull the camera out and start shooting in your city. Practice playing with macros settings, landscapes, low light conditions, bright sunny scenes, etc. This will help reacquaint you with your camera and the function settings. Even if you aren’t going on a trip, it’s a great way to explore your city and get back to the creativity you put on the back burner.

Last week, Valentina and myself had a chance to sit down and share the Shutter Tours story with Culturemob.com writer Maria  Christensen. I think anytime we get to share what we do, whether with customers who participate in tours or those who are interested in what we do, it makes us feel good that we created something others can enjoy.

Thanks Maria and you can read the article at Culturemob.com

After a succesful tour Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Joseph Romain is an amazing photographer and was kind of enough to take some photos documenting one of our tours last Saturday. A graduate of the prestigious photography school the Brooks institute, along with his wife and Shutter Tours guide Kristi, he shot way beyond our expectations and I need to give him credit where it is due.

Below are photos that will give you an idea of what the tour is like and some of the locations we take tour participants to.

Post Alley Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Lunch Dinner and the In Between Photo Credit: Kristi Romain

Shooting from different perspectives - Photo Credit Valentina Vitols

Terry explaining the power of vertical lines Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Explaining composition concepts Photo Credit: Joseph Romain

Even the children have a great time – Photo Credit Valentina Vitols

It

Great creativity with a reflection Photo Credit: Kristi Romain

Red Shoes - Photo Credit Kristi Romain

Your Shutter Tours Guides – Kristi, Valentina and Terry